Tips & Tricks

[amomof4]

1. I switched to decaf coffee. I went from 5 pops a day to just
1 pot. (other than my family, I don't know anyone else who drank
this much)

2. I only make a 1/2 pot at a time to keep it hot and fresh, and then
I transfer it to a thermos to keep it from burning and to not use
the electricity to keep it hot.

3. I reuse the coffee grounds and filter til it can hold no more.

4. I rub soap slivers to a new bar of soap, and I use a suction cup
soap dish so that the soap doesn't sit in water melting it away.
Also it completely dries so I waste less soap.

5. I reuse my dental floss til it can't be used any more (this might
sound gross, but you reuse your toothbrush don't you?)

6. I save my deodorant slivers, and when I have enough, I melt them
in the microwave to make a brand knew one for free.

7. I use generic Listerine which has prevented gum disease to save
my almost lost teeth. It cuts down on dental costs.

8. At one time (I don't do it anymore) I used washable toilet paper
using baby wipes. This might help someone who is really hurting
financially.

9. I make my own apple sauce, apple cider, and apple pie filling from
free apples at the gleaner's club.

10. I have a garden, but I only grow green beans, peas, and green
onions. Living in the North, most things don't grow well. We
also have a strawberry patch, blue berries, raspberries, and
rhubarb (love them perennials) Next year, I'm going to plant
asparagus.

11. We hang all our laundry. In the winter, we just hang it in the
house.

12. I save all the buttons from clothes that are worn out, so if I make an outfit (which I usually don‘t) or need to replace a button or buttons, I have some already on hand.

13. I wear my clothes 2 times before washing.

14. My teenage daughters wash the towels. It helps to keep them from
grabbing a clean towel or dish rag every time they don’t want to look for one that is already being used..

15. My girls get enough money to totally support their own needs.
It's amazing how long their shoes last now that they pay for
them. This, alone, has saved me a lot of money. If they want to
go to an amusement park or skiing, they can go if they have
enough money. If they want something at walmart, they can have it
if they have enough money. No more, "can I have..."

16. I wash windows and mirrors with newspaper. It never streaks or
leaves lint behind. It's cheaper than even homemade mixes.

17. I mix bleach and water 50/50 and put it in a spray bottle to use
for cleaning toilets and sinks. (I’m going to be trying 25/75 to see if it works)
Because of this, I haven't cleaned a toilet in years. Everything just dissolves off. I
also use it to get stains out of plastic dishes.

18. I buy only black socks of the same kind. For two reasons: they
never get dirty, the longer you wear them the blacker they get (smile) and
when one gets a hole or lost, I have others to match.

19. I only buy dark, printed clothes. That way, any stain is hidden
in the print. Same goes with bed sheets.

20. My little square pillows on my bed came from an old sofa set. I
just put a pillow case on them. They never ever go flat. And
the best bed pillow I have ever had was made by my friend who
used the stuffing she had saved from a sofa that was worn out.

21. I bought 4 night gowns that were clearance sale dresses that were
cheaper than night gowns. (I wish we had spell check)

22. I never buy maps. I just use mapquest.com

23. I rent free videos from the library.

24. I go to amazon.com to find books I want to read, and then buy
them at half.com or rent them from the library.

25. I buy prescription meds from Canada when possible. I also go to the dentist
in Canada. It saved me $400 this last trip.

26. I cook from scratch.

27. We don't have TV.

28. We don't have any extras on our phone.

29. I only have a cell phone because my husband makes me, but I
switched to the family plan, now I can call him for free. My kids don't have one.

30. I only shop with a list. This has saved me hundreds of dollars.

31. I wear my worn out clothes around the house and save the good ones
when I go out, and the best ones for church. When my church dress gets a little
worn, it becomes my town dress. When my town dress becomes to worn or stained, it
becomes my house dress. (Yes, I’m a shabby dresser at home, but my husband lives
in a different state, so it doesn‘t matter. When he moves here, I’ll dress nicer for him)

32. I take our trash to the free dump when we go to town. I also
check out the free things on the "free table". One time I got
an almost new coffee maker and 5 pairs of expensive shoes that
were almost knew.

33. My two girls and I decided we wanted to have our own dogs instead
of a family dog. So we got Boston Terriers to raise. This will
give us about $8,000 per year. This is also where my girls get
their own income to pay for their own stuff, including school
supplies. It's amazing how much you value your pen when you
purchased it your self. Talk about a wonderful stay-at-home job!

34. The only paper product we buy is toilet paper. No paper towels,
napkins, or plates. (we also buy feminine stuff) I did buy plastic spoons for school
lunches, but they (sometimes) get brought home to be washed. I
also buy the cheapest flatware, so when they disappear, it
doesn't hurt so much. I do have a nice set for company though.

35. My living room set is about 11 years old. I’ll get knew ones when
I have no more children and pets at home.

36. We don't celebrate Halloween, so I don‘t have expenses there..

37. I never buy the garbage that school kids are forced to sell, nor
do I let my children sell them.

38. We carpool to school.

39. We use term life insurance, and don't insure the kids.

40. We don't submit small claims to our insurance company. That
would put us at risk of losing our insurance.

41. We don't get traffic tickets. Speeding is not worth a ticket.

42. I buy my husband's cigarettes off the internet. Saves a lot. I know that
quitting is cheaper, but since I can do nothing about it except buy them
cheaper, that’s what I do.

43. We don't buy soda, but If we go to McDonalds for the dollar
menu, we buy a .25 cent soda at walmart.

44. I make my own coffee, and I drink water at restaurants.

45. I only shop once a week.

46. when I shower, I wash my hair first. That way while I'm bathing
the conditioner is on my head. By this and showing every other day,
it saves our septic system.

47. I don't buy bottled water even though ours is not good. Instead
I get it from a friend.

48. I use fabric to wrap gifts. Even if you don't have it on hand
like I do, it is still cheaper then wrapping paper.

49. I don't buy Kleenex unless someone gets a cold. Toilet paper
works just fine.

50. When I need something, I try half.com or ebay first.

51. I buy a years worth of onions, green peppers, and celery when
they are on sale during the summer. I chop and freeze on cookie
sheets and then put in freezer bags.

52. We make our own pizza. We also like bbq chicken & garden ranch pizza.

52. I buy generic when at all possible. Some things I don't because
the quality is bad.

53. I only use a dab of tooth paste.

54. I don't cut my hair or my girls' hair. If it need trimming, we
just get the scissors out.

55. Oh yes, when we picked out our breed of dog, we stayed away from
dogs that needed grooming or have a tendency to bite.

56. I never pay atm charges. I no longer even have an atm card.

57. Thank to my husband being over 55, I now have a free interest
earning checking account that includes free checks.

58. I never have bounced check charges.

59. I never have late fees (most of the time)

60. I try never to pay interest.

61. During the winter, I put hot foods outside before putting them
in the refrigerator.

62. We only use wood heat. It cost about $400 a year to heat our
house. This might seem like a lot, but 3 years ago, we had to
have heat in all months except August. Usually there in only
2 months that we don't need any heat. Sometimes it's only a
small fire to take the chill off.

63. I always use the cheapest way possible to mail things.

64. I don't wash baggies. Instead, I buy 300 cheap bags for $1.00.
I do wash freezer bags though.

65. My dog and cat food dishes are the plastic buckets that our
dishwashing detergent came in.

66. We don't wear shoes in the house. Saves the carpet and prolongs
the life of shoes. (I have tan carpet in the country ugh!)

67. I use the return envelope in junk mail to request that they
remove me from their mailing list. That way they pay for the
postage. We both win. They don't send catalogs to people who
won't buy, and I don't get tempted to buy.

68. I try never to put my self in the hands of high pressured sales
people because I will usually lose.

69. When we went shopping for a new truck, we went before the
insurance proceeds had come in, so we couldn't be pressured to
buy know. Later the salesman called to see when we were coming
in to buy the negotiated (sorry can't spell) truck. I told him I
was still waiting for prices from the internet. He asked what it
would take to get me in today. I told him to reduce the price
$1,000. He did. I bought it. Another time I told the sales
person to give me the best price they could because I was
comparison shopping. They did, and I bought it. Another time,
I bought the bait-and-switch car.

70. I use bag balm (anti-bacterial vasoline kinda stuff) to moisturize the back of my hands.
I use it especially during the winter when the sting because they became to dry. It
works better than hand lotion.

71. I save my pickle juice. I use the juice in potato salad in place of the vinegar, & I use dill
pickles in place of sweet pickles. Also, if I run out of pickles, I just slice a cucumber & put them in the jar of juice. Pickles for free! This only works one time though.

72. I shower with only the night light on. I found that that’s all the light I need. I also keep
the night light on at night in the bathroom. This saves me from spending the money to turn on
the light & prevents me from going blind when a bright comes on. We don’t have a window
in this bathroom, so I use it during the day too.

73. I have composting worms.

74. At one time, my girls were having problems with stinky feet when they wore their work boots. This was caused because their boots didn't dry out before wearing them the next time. It didn't seem very frugal to put baking soda in them every day. So, one day, actually the night, before Christmas, I decided to sew a little sachet and fill it with baking soda. I gave it to them for Christmas. They were very excited about it as little girls don't like to have stinky feet. It worked over and over again until they finally grew out of their boots. They put in the sachets into their boots at night, and during the day they let the sachets dry. No more stinky feet at a good cost.


It is my sincere prayer that these hints will help someone who is on a limited income or is in debt. As additional things come to my mind, I will post them. Please contribute your hints so that we can all benefit.

[amomof4]

75. When possible, I use the wood stove to heat food. I also keep a tea kettle on to add moisture to the air.

76. I collect the cold water while I am waiting for the hot water to come. I keep this water in a bucket on the wood stove so I always have hot water available.

77. I try to use 1/2 of everthing such as shampoo, laundry soap, dish soap, tooth paste, etc.

78. I bought a floor lamp to replace the 2 table lamps. It gives us more light for less wattage.

79. Where possible, I replaced the light bulbs with energy conservation ones. (I forgot what they were called). I also put one on the hen house so we get eggs during the winter.

80. My husband buys stock over the internet & only pays $8 per trade. I might do this with my girls' savings. Who knows, maybe they'll be rich by the time they marry. I'm hoping that they will at least have enough for a down-payment on a house.

[Momtwo]

Great lists! Thanks for sharing!

[Scamper]

Kid’s Jet Boat

Materials:

Empty a plastic bottle with cap
straw
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbs. baking soda
tub of water (or fish tank or pond)

Directions:

Make a hole low on the side of the bottle and insert the straw.
1. Pour the vinegar into the bottle, then add the baking soda and cap the bottle quickly.

2. Put the bottle on its side in the water and watch the chemical reaction of the vinegar and soda "power" the boat around the water.

[Ima saver]

I don't drink coffee or soda all day long. I drink water, which I make with my 11 year old water purifier. I keep the airconditioner set on 75 downstairs, so it runs very little. I wear the same clothes at home every day.The hot water heater is off except for the 20 minutes before my husband or I take a shower or run the dishwasher. I only use 1/2 the required amount of dish detergent for the dishwasher or the washing machine. I throw 2 big towels in the dryer to help dry clothes faster. I brown bag my own drinks to the restaurants and pay for nothing. (they know us)

[Writer@Large]

Originally Posted by amomof4

1. I switched to decaf coffee. I went from 5 pops a day to just
1 pot. (other than my family, I don't know anyone else who drank
this much)

I don't get this. How did switching to decaf do this? Or did you mean "5 pots", not "5 pops (sodas)"? I'm assuming this means you cut back by kicking your caffiene habit, thus not requiring 5 pots of coffee a day.

Come to think of it ... if you were drinking five pots a day, how were you even sleeping? You're probably saving time, too, by not running to the john every 5 minutes! :

3. I reuse the coffee grounds and filter til it can hold no more.

Kicking caffiene for decaf I can understand--I could never do it, but I understand. I have a frugality line, however, and THIS crosses it. :vomit-smiley-003:

27. We don't have TV.

--W@L

[boomeyers]

Wow! That is quite a list and you have some neat ideas! You do a good job coming up with frugal remedies for things!

[getforfree]

I don't get this. How did switching to decaf do this? Or did you mean "5 pots", not "5 pops (sodas)"? I'm assuming this means you cut back by kicking your caffiene habit, thus not requiring 5 pots of coffee a day.

I drink lots of coffe too, regular or whatever, mostly at work at night, but it doesn't do anything to me. I can drink a big cup of coffe or even 2 and go to sleep right away.

And about the TV. I have 2 tv's at home, but I don't wach it.
#1: There are lots other fun things to do
#2: Save on electricity
#3: Have more time now and that helps me save money, because I have more time to search what is on sale and get more coupons and get the freebies online. Because I have more time, I feel more relaxed.

[cschin4]

Excellent post. Simple things and easy for anyone to do. Here are some of my tips:

1. I try generic products. But, if we don't like them, we just buy the brand names on sale.
2. We follow the flyers of our 2 local grocery stores. We are familiar with the cycle. We know when Breyers ice cream is a BOGO, etc.
3. I grind my own meat. When roasts are on sale, I grind for hamburger. At least I know what is going into hamburger.
4. Whole chickens are wonderful. I usually do the whole one on my rotisserre for one meal, use the meat a second day for another dish, then boil and make soup. Everyone likes chicken noodle.
5. I don't recreational shop. I avoid malls and discount stores. I only shop when I need to purchase something. Instead of recreational shopping, I stay home, work in the yard, take walks, go to the library, etc. My life is much more relaxing and enjoyable.
6. I have only one credit card. I will not open another card, especially at a store. I don't care what the "deal" is or if it would save money on the purchase. One cc is all I need and easy to keep track of. We pay it off in full every month. I have never paid interest or a late fee.
7. We put extra money toward our mortgage every month. Some months more and some months less. We paid off our home in full in 5 years. We saved 100K in interest by doing so. I don't buy into the notion that keeping your mortgage is a good financial move. The deduction is 20 cents on the dollar. When was it ever a good idea to pay $1 and get back 20 cents?
8. I send my kids to public school. We had thought about private school. But, the closest one is 20 miles away. And, it would be difficult to get them back and forth, etc. So, sometimes you just have to "bloom where you are planted".
9. Sometimes "do it yourself" is not cheaper! Know your limitations. If you are not skilled at certain things and really don't have the time or inclination. Pay the professional. But, if you have time and desire, then go ahead and try and do the things yourself. But, I found it is more cost effective to pick up extra hours at my job to pay someone, than to do it myself.
10. "Upgrades" always cost more money! If you "upgrade" your phone, computer, car, cable, etc with more features, you are going to pay more. Buy only the thing you need and will actually use. I have a cell phone for $10 a month. I don't need text messaging, video, etc. so why pay for it.
11. Don't "overbuy". When purchasing something, you don't necessarily need the top quality or most expensive thing. Ask yourself what you need it for, what you will use it for and then buy it. I don't some home furnishings to last for 100 years. Chances are I will get bored with certain things and want to change them and redecorate. If you like to redecorate more often, then you may not want to spend as much for window treatments, etc if you tend to change them. Same with rugs, I have 3 kids and a dog, so I am not going to overspend on an oriental as it will be heavily used.
With electronic items, do you really need something with so many features. The simplest products are usually the cheapest and often all you need. And, the simple ones tend to last longer as there are less things to go wrong.

[Ima saver]

cschin, I agree with all you have to say. I have no fancy features on my phone. I have a $30 microwave as apposed to one of the fancy ones. I do not go to malls, I only shop when I truly need something. I write on a list when I need something and try and find it on sale. I don't have a cell and my husband has a really old one that only makes phone calls. I never had a cd until the car I bought came with only a cd player. I don't have any curtains, i have beautiful Anderson windows that cost $50,000 (I got them half price) so why would I cover them up.