Things I don't pay for

[JBinKC]

large garbage bags (reuse the free small plastic grocery sacks)

Matches (note this item was the shortest in supply in Bosnia during the civil war)

plastic food containers i.e. cottage cheese soda pop containers (for storage or a makeshift funnel)

eggshells (free calcium supplement)

shredded documents (fireplace starter)

styrofoam ie packing peanuts, cups ( potential wall or attic insulation)

[CRFSaver]

If you don't feel like paying for a paper, go to your companies lobby. Normally they have several papers there. You can sit and read and drink your coffee or if you dont have time, ask security to hold them for you and you can take them home for coupons and stuff also.

Or find a department that orders them like your accounting and finance departments and wander through. My old department we used to get 2 Wall Street Journals as well as what was down in the lobby.

Can I just say I am impressed by the way people can find uses for things...

[pennywise]

toilet paper
liquid soap
education units required by my profession

postage
rent/utilities (SO gets for free w.job)
paper towels
cleaning supplies

All except postage is provided by SO's job. I get postage from my job.

[mom-from-missouri]

Pennywise,
How do you manage not paying for TP and soap?? Those (along with ketchup and scotch tape) are some of the items my daughters seem to use the most of.

[CRFSaver]

I did work at one place where postage was a perq so i didnt have to pay for stamps. I think that is a rarity. On another note, my company collects toiletries from when we travel. Since a lot of us use hotels they encourage us to bring back the little soaps and shampoos and they donate them to womens shelters. Since I get shampoo from my mother (hair stylest so good stuff cheap) I try and remember to bring them to work for that.

[momma4]

Originally Posted by momma4

don't buy diapers and baby wipes monthly i make them'
use towels instead of paper towels
I rarely use paper plates even to a picnic i have three section plastic ones i bought for those.
premade salad mix (with my family so big it is cheaper and more healthy for me to cut everything up myself)
rarely buy shreaded cheese if you have a grader it seems cheese lasts longer.
don't buy napkins I make my own

adding onto my list

rarely buy clothes for the family I have lots of wonderful neighbors and friends who help us out by giving us NICE used clothes.

I am cutting back on buying icecream now I just bought myself an icecream maker thinking about getting a bread maker next.

[akaivyleaf]

Originally Posted by JBinKC

eggshells (free calcium supplement)

Could you explain how you do this?

[pennywise]

Some people have different thinking than others, so I will explain mine. When you get a group of people (people not an entity) who pass "laws" to take money from my house without my permission and give it to someone else, well, I resent that. I am the one who got up in the morning, stressed, hurried, and ran to work to get there on time, worked all day, went home exhausted. So, if you tax me - take my money - you owe me. Go to public places with an empty medicine bottle, fill with liquid soap. Roll toilet paper in small wads and take every time you go. It's the little things that add up. Don't care about the values of others, money has been stolen from me and given to others, so 2 wrongs DO make a right!

[Maismom]

- Garbage bags

I use plastic bags I get from grocery stores. I bought a simple plastic bag holder form Home Dept. for $5 about 5 years ago, and still using it. My $5 investment saved me so much money because I never buy any garbage bags

[cheapbastard]

• Garbage bags - We use a wheelie bin to carry our rubbish to the curb and line our kitchen rubbish container with old plastic grocery bags
• wrapping paper - We use our daughter's colourful artwork from school, playcentre and home to wrap gifts.
• Greeting Cards - Our daughters create all of our greeting cards. (except christmas cards. There are too many of those all at once to keep their interest.)
• Travel Insurance - Our VISA gold card has travel insurance built into it if we purchase our airline tickets by credit card.

[mom-from-missouri]

Originally Posted by Maismom

- Garbage bags

I use plastic bags I get from grocery stores. I bought a simple plastic bag holder form Home Dept. for $5 about 5 years ago, and still using it. My $5 investment saved me so much money because I never buy any garbage bags

I have a bag holder too, and love it-but I saw one of the teachers at school has a "free" bag holder--she used an empty tissue box-I commented on it, and she said another teacher uses a large coffee can with a hole cut in the lid.

[PrincessPerky]

I use a paper towel roll (empty) the bags stay nice and neat in my cuboard that way.

Actually if I still had a cat (inoors) I might use the roll with towels for litterbox cleanup.

[cercis]

You know they make special trashcans for grocery bags?

Well, you can do the same thing with those 3m hooks. Just put them in any garbage can and they'll do the same thing.

Of course, I just hang my bags on doorknobs and not buy anything at all.

[contrary1]

I don't use paper towels or napkins, cloth rags and my hand made napkins work great.
We don't buy Kleenex either...........have a bunch of soft, old wash cloths that are available if anyone has a runny nose. They are washed & put back in the bathroom cabinet.
I don't pay for any food items that have been processed.........ie; mixes, pre made anything

I'm fortunate that I don't have to buy some things that others would..........my tenant here goes to storage unit auctions & re sells the big things. The boxes of other stuff is usually fair game.........she shares with the household first, then her friends. I'm amazed at the things people will pay to store, then not be able to pay their bills............then just let it all go.
We won't have to purchase aluminum foil for years.........one unit had cases of it!
Same with personal care items, especially shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc.
All cleaners; we always come up with those...........can't imagine buying things like laundry soap & paying to put them in a storage unit. Boggles my mind.....but, it sure helps out here!

We get everything from printer paper to new furniture and everything in between. I'm glad I don't have to do the work for these units however..........I just get to reap rewards by taking the things that would be difficult to sell.

I always try to find a way to get things I need/want without paying for them! Has become my favorite game!

[acezz4e_tish]

i love the napkins i bought at the dollar tree. it was christmas time last year and they had champagne and red silk ones 2 in a pack for one dollar. i have a hanging bag for the store bags i do end up with, but i used to use a milk jug. cut a whole where the label is to not worry about getting the label off, and cut a slice in the handle and you can also clip it on to your cart while your shopping. but i prefer shopping with my own pillowcases now. saves on the environment. i can decorate them how i like put what the bags are for, double them for cold items, they dont rip on me and that has saved me also. they always bag the jugs here even tho i keep asking them not too. ive lost logs of jugs of milk and juice cause the bag rips and they fall to the ground. which is why i like to bag my own too. i was shocked other day to have stuff bagged cause i was watching scanner and come home with my kids gummy bears in a bag with my bottle of ammonia and dawn bleach alternative soap. if they hire people to bag, u would think in thier training day or whatever they would tell them not to mix food with cleaners. thats just rude.

[The Budget Man]

Originally Posted by mom-from-missouri

Usually they last quite awhile. Most disposable cameras are 12-36 pictures. I use them in the kids games and kids flashlights--I buy the real good ones for my flashlight.

For our digital camera we tried all sorts of batteries and came up with Ni-MH rechargable batteries. We have two sets and recharge them. The cost of batteries for the last two years has just been the single purchase. Now we give the camera a heavy workout so that represents a huge saving. The added benefit is to the environment.... far fewer batteries being thrown out.

Enjoy your money
The Budget Man

www.PersonalityBudgeting.com
when you need a budget

[boomeyers]

Definately pens. They are everywhere and you can never have enough!

[The Budget Man]

Originally Posted by momma4

adding onto my list

rarely buy clothes for the family I have lots of wonderful neighbors and friends who help us out by giving us NICE used clothes.

I am cutting back on buying icecream now I just bought myself an icecream maker thinking about getting a bread maker next.

We love our bread maker and the aroma of fresh bread baking. Forget the savings I just like it.

Enjoy your money
The Budget Man

www.PersonalityBudgeting.com
when you need a budget

[Albies5]

no offense but i find some of this stuff so ridiculous. I know im not in any of your shoes but using washclothes as tissues and stealing soap and toilet paper from places.... like i said im not in your shoes and i dont know what yoru finances are but it seems so petty to me. i mean getting a jug of refill soap is so cheap and it lasts forever and you can alwasy find deals for cheap toilet paper at target- 5 bucks for 24 rolls- and its sanitary. also the idea of having snotty washclothes and washing them- the truth is you prob spend more on laundry soap, water and energy costs then buying abox of tissues for a few cents.