What is the silliest frugal ting you have done? Mine has got to be refilling my ketchup bottle with packets after a trip to Burger King. They had given me a BUNCH of the green ketchup packets during that promo and I got half a bottle out of the packets!

We had gone to A&W for supper while on a trip to Winnipeg and they had thrown in a handful of salt and pepper packages. When we got home, I broke them all open and poured them into the salt & pepper shakers.

I have an "at-home" bottle of horsey sauce! :o

I save Coors boxes cuz they are the same size as crates and store carparts perfectly!!

I have saved the salt and pepper too!:eek:

I wash out milk bags and save them. They're very sturdy, hold a sandwich perfectly, they're free, and they're great when you freeze meats.

Bright Blessings!
Rawiya

my wife bought one of those throw away aluminum muffin pans about a year ago, and I still use it every Sunday when I make muffins.

I make the kids save their plastic silverware and I run it through the dishwasher for them to take with their lunches!

salt, pepper, ketchup out the waazoo, horsey sauce (love ARBY's horsey sauce!!), we save bread bags to scoop kitty boxes in, I've always washed zippie-style bags, I save bread tabs to scrape bowls with, orange juice lids are under the legs of my sofas to make moving them easier, I can repair just darn near anything with a twistie tie, bread crumbs from slicing homemade bread go into a bag in the freezer for items like fish that might need breading, when I make my homemade oatmeal packets I reuse the same already-labeled zippie bag over & over, Belle's drink straws get washed & then into "her stash" for later re-use....

eh - forget it....

As I'm writing these, I'm realizing that my neighbors probably think these are silly things to do, but we're all so tight we squeak when we walk, so this is normal life to us! :toothy:

I use bags that newspapers come in for poop bags when I am out walking. I have a friend who saves hers for us to sinc ei use more than I get (I walk shelter dogs and need extras for picking up after them too!).

Deb~I could have written you post with just the names changed! Here are a few more strange frugal things I do:
~Save the Pringles cans (the kids buy them, I don't) to put my used feminine supplies in so the cats can't get into them in the trash.
~I've been know to reuse tin foil a few times (just wipe it down with a hot soapy sponge and then rinse).
~Never throw out a spotted banana! Use them for breads, pancakes, etc.
~I have a bag full of mayo, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper packets in the fridge. When we are given extras I just add them to the bag and then take them on picnics with us.~
~Save the extra napkins we are given and use them on picnics also.
~Use brown grocery bags to cool cookies on or place fried foods on to drain the grease.

Pringles cans make great holders for spare change as well! I use the lids from ice cream tubs to catch the grease from my 15 minute grill machine (the little tray we had broke and spilled grease all over my counter :yuck: ).

Bright Blessings!
Rawiya

~I have also asked the kids not to throw out the plasticware...lol!! I wash it and reuse it.
~Saving all those ketchup, mayo, salt/pepper packets when we go throught the drive thru
~shredding the newspaper for cat litter

Oh - and I have to wash ANYTHING that Damon thinks he can build something out of - he's actually pretty clever with what he builds!!

Something else I do: I can not have a bubble bath or shave my legs in the tub because I get bladder infections from having anything other than white bar soap in my bath water. So when I have to shave my legs, I have my regular shower, but plug the tub. The water is warm and opens the folicles on my legs, and I get a full tub of water to shave my legs with, without sitting in the tub. I sit on the lip of the tub and shave my legs.

Bright Blessings!
Rawiya

I've saved the ketchup packets and salt/ pepper to.
The first time I ever squeezed the ketchup in the bottle took me bout an hour LOL Steve was shaking his head at me LOL

I've washed baggies,foil,plasticware,and even some paper/plastic plates.

I save all bread wrappers. I have a container in the kitchen just for them.

I've saved trays from tv dinners..the plastic ones.I use those to heat food in or put cat food in.

I save water bottles and keep them refilled.If we're going out for the day,I just grab one and don't have to buy water or a soda.


There's more,just can't think of any right now.

My husband and 3dks go through about 10 gal - not a typo - of milk a week. I established a rule of only drinking milk with meals and that has helped a bit, but you wouldn't beleive what size glasses these jokers can find.:eek: Anyways, I pulled out my trusty Tightwad Gazette and found my answer! I always have an extra milk jug, so when I buy a new gallon of milk I pour half of it into the empty jug and then I fill them both to the top with mixed non fat dry milk. They didn't even blink. It also hasn't affected any of my baking or cooking recipes.

Whenever possible I save wrapping paper, bows,tissue,bags & curling ribbon from gifts. Some family members still make fun of me but I don't care, I'm the one not flitting $$ away. :)
I save the funny papers too, nice & colorful to wrap presents in.

These aren't strange ideas at all!! I do many of them!
I also shred newspaper for the g. pig's cage. The bedding for those things are expensive!

Yep all these ideas sound perfectly normal to me.

* I wash and reuse any ziploc freezer bag that has not been used for meat or oily sauces. All my baked goods that I freeze get reused bags over and over.

* I save plastic grocery bags to empty the kitty litter. I double or sometimes triple them.

* I cut my dryer sheets in half.

There are lots of crazy things I do!

I do many of all the above although I have never sqeezed out the ketchup pkgs. or refilled the s+p shakers. But the pringle cans how funny are they! I have one on my desk as we speak wrapped in contact paper to hold pencils, I have a couple in my linen closet to hold bath and hair scrunchies, I save them for trips in the summer to hold cookies, pretzels ect., they keep the sand out and keep the snacks from getting crushed. My family looks at me like I am nuts when I suddenly exclaim "who threw out the pringle can"?

I also reuse wrapping paper and gift bags. I couldn't tell you the last time I had to buy a gift bag...

I also save all my plastic grocery bags and use them for garbage bags in the bathrooms.

I use the wax paper bags from cereal to cover plates in the microwave. I HATE plastic wrap and don't ever buy it, so this saves money.

We have always used newspaper for the Guinea Pigs too!

I do many of the same things as everyone else.
Did you know that Pringle's cans are Excellent for putting Sharp knives in? I did this when I still had babies, I never had to worry about them getting a knife because it was in a pringles can in the top of the cupboard.

I use the wax paper from cereal boxes to wrap freezer items in.

I have another one. I save the small Promise margarine tubs and use them for Jello, pudding and freezing ! cup measures of broth

I always bring home the soaps from the hotels that we use (if we don't open them I don't bring them) whenever we go on a trip. I will probably never have to buy a bar of handsoap for the sinks again. I have a little basket running over with small soaps. Dh used to look at me strange when I'd do this and now he just gathers up the soaps with our things when we make our final sweep upon departure. ;)

We turn off the hot water heater over night. Then we turn it on a few min. before we take showers in the morning. If I let the water get hot before I turn it off again, the hot water will last me all day while I do my house work.

This saves us about $20.00 per month on the electric bill. I know some people think that we have gone too far, oh well, what can I say.:D

Originally posted by Lori Biever-Launder
I use bags that newspapers come in for poop bags when I am out walking. I have a friend who saves hers for us to sinc ei use more than I get (I walk shelter dogs and need extras for picking up after them too!).

:yeah:  We save ours to use when scooping out the kitty litter boxes.

I have had the same bottle for my dish detergent for years. It was a pretty one I couponed to free and I refill it from huge, cheap bottles of soap. I also have medicine bottles, film canisters filled with lotions or lip balm which drives people crazy, but the kids can't open them ;)

Our kitty litter is upstairs...rather than run up and down the steps w/ the kitty scoup, I keep a coffee can lined w/a grocery bag under the bathroom sink...when it's full I just tie the bag and downstairs it goes..

no odor cause the lid stays on!

Originally posted by graci42
Our kitty litter is upstairs...rather than run up and down the steps w/ the kitty scoup, I keep a coffee can lined w/a grocery bag under the bathroom sink...when it's full I just tie the bag and downstairs it goes.. no odor cause the lid stays on!

Wow, what a great idea! I love this one. Next time I get an old coffee can or ice cream tub, I'm going to try this one!

We buy our milk in bags instead of cartons and I always wash out the bag and put it aside to use for freezing small things or when packing my lunches.

Bright Blessings!
Rawiya

:bump: bumping to read more silly frugal things people do.

sigh. One time at Fareway, I found a bottle of Hunt's No Salt Ketchup that had the label torn off on sale for 44 cents. My husband complained because he wanted regular ketchup with salt. I told him to quit whining and that for 44 cents he could add his own salt to the ketchup......

Some of the silliest things I do have to do with gardening.

Save broken and chipped cups (especially with handles broken off) to root cuttings of my plants. I used to have people save their styrofoam coffee cups from work for me to grow cuttings.

Use toilet paper rolls cut in half to plant seedlings. They can be buried in the soil just like peat pots.

Save the plastic bags that soil/compost comes in to use as a weedstopper under mulch. So the water will go through, I poke holes in them with the pitchfork.

And non-gardening things..

Lick the inside of the pudding cup top. Hey! Why waste a biteful?

Write "chicken" with a sharpie on the ziplocs storing chicken, so I can wash them with bleach and use them only for more chicken.

I got many good tips on here, and don't think they are silly at all! I'm reading the Tightwad Gazette...that woman KNOWS how to reuse!

We...

Keep napkins from fast food places for future use.
Keep sauce packets (such as Taco Bell sauce) to use later on.
Store grocery bags for taking out raw meat trays (I don't like to keep the conatiners the meat came in or any parts of the meat I trim in the garbage).
Keep plastic cutlery for lunches away from home.
Have one sturdy plastic bag for carrying lunch to and from work.
Dump the bathroom trash into the kitchen trash without throwing away the bag.
Scoop extra mayo that was too much for sandwiches back into the container.
Use coasters picked up from bars as coasters at home (that's BF's deal).
Flush kitty poops down the toilet (we use pine litter that is biodegradeable).
Copy and paste recipes into a Word document and save rather than print them out.
Print on both sides of paper from the printer.
Are obsesive about turning lights off we aren't using.
Keep glass jars (such as pasta sauce comes in) to reuse for later use.
Reuse the same baggie everyday for measuring out kitty's food.
Sometimes, I get jellies from restaurants for future use.

That's all I can think of right now.....

You know..just reading this thread gives me a chuckle.

Normal for us is washing out ziplock bags and rinsing off tin foil. :dazed:

I take our empty water bottles and put juice in them or kool-aid and put in freezer for these hot days. Or let it sit in the freezer for about 30 minutes to make a slushie.

I take wooden skewers and break off the sharp point. Then I take a mini marshmallow and stick on one end. Then I lace the stick itself with frootloops and then put a mini marshmallow on the other. Perfect snack for granddaughter. Some times I will dip the marshmallows in a dab of chocolate sauce. I usually make up a bunch(minus the chocolate) and put them in a ziplock bag and she can get her own snack out of the frig.

I dilute the handsoap. DH caught me the other day and figured it out though :)
He likes to use my favourite shampoo so I keep two bottles of my favourite shampoo in the shower, one high one low. He's very tall so the one at the top is full of cheap generic stuff I bought for a buck - he has no clue he's not using my favourite.

Sneaky and funny!

I use brown paper shopping bags as package wrap for my Ebay sales. MUCH cheaper (free) than buying tubes of mailing paper.

We smoke outside the house, so we don't buy ashtrays. We fill coffee cans with water instead.

I often make back to back pots of coffee, just adding one more scoop of grounds to the already used grounds.

That's all I can think of this early in the am!

I always save fast food napkins and condiments.
I freeze water in old water bottles to use in coolers in the summer.
I save the plastic deli containers and margarine tubs for leftover storage.
Plastic grocery bags are great trash can liners for small trash cans in the bathroom.
I always reuse the tin foil muffin tins, and bread pans

I don't know if this is silly (my grandma taught it to me one of the many summers I spent at her place as a child---she would have LOVED this site, BTW!)-----

When you're makin pies, cobbler, or any fruit desert that needs to be peeled, (apples, peaches..) instead of just throwing the peels away, put them in a pan and just cover with wateer--then cook till you make 'juice' and add sure-jell and make jelly.

i took an old lace curtain (originally from the thrift store) and used it as a table cloth to add a little something special to dinner one night.

letting my kitty eat her food out of a plastic zippie bag instead of getting her a special pet bowl. we could just have her eat out of a regular bowl but i think its really cute to see her eat out of the bag. throughout the year, we've sectioned off pieces of the house that we dont use and we've moved her food around a few times.

save jars that pasta sauce comes in. use it for pens/pencils, change.

More I thought of...

I often make back to back pots of coffee, just adding one more scoop of grounds to the already used grounds. I do this too! I also save old coffee grounds for the garden, and rinse out the filters to use again however I need to.

When my jar candles burn out, but still have a tiny bit left in the bottom, I will wait until I get a few, put them in a pot with water on low heat and melt it, take out the wick holder (save them...I'll tell you how to reuse them), and pour all this into one jar. Now for the wick...I buy cheap wick material at Michaels...about 2 yards for $2...and I use an awl to open up the wick holder, put in the wick material to the right length, and use needle nose pliers to crimp it back. That cost me next to nothing, and the pre-made wicks with holders are 10/$2. Make sure you get the LARGEST wick material you can get, because I find that the smaller ones don't stay lighted.

I also buy unscented candles from yard sales, thrift stores, whatever and melt them down, adding a little essence I buy for $1 a bottle when I burn them.

Have DH and DD#2 haul a homemade computer desk (from our old fence and scrap lumber) to the garbage bin...wait for 3 days to see if someone takes it (they usually do)...and then help DH haul it back in so I can use it for a sewing table...which he'd suggested in the first place! But I was too intent on getting a *new* sewing table...until I saw what other people were using when I looked at sewing rooms on-line. Then it seemed to be just fine! Duh... If the neighbors are watching, they probably think we're just a bit weird. First we put it out, then we take it back! Is it dumpster diving when you take your own stuff?


Jean

Is it dumpster diving when you take your own stuff?

I think more like "a woman's prerogative to change her mind. ;)

I don't really think any of this is silly. I am frugal because I hate waste, so I think when someone finds a new use for any object (regardless it's financial value) they are doing something worthwhile.

The silliest thing I do is separate my Canadian and American pennies so that I will have change when I go to the states.

I save an extra juicy juice bottle, so when I buy juice for DS I pour half into an empty bottle and fill both up with water. When I buy frozen juice, I double the water. I used to just dilute the juice when I put it in DS's cup, but when I'm at work I don't think DH dilutes the juice, so I just do it for him now. :)

frooz---:laugh:

Love the shampoo story!

LOL Monkeywrangler! I do the same thing! We have a jar of American coinage and jar of Canadian coinage. One goes to the States with us, the other goes to the bank once we start filling rolls.

"and rinse out the filters to use again however I need to."

Paying about 7.00 for a permanent filter will pay for itself in no time if you drink as much coffee as we do!

:coffee3:

:blush:I compulsively count how many squares of toilet paper I use each "visit" to the bathroom.

:blush:I compulsively count how many squares of toilet paper I use each "visit" to the bathroom.

I DO THE SAME THING!

I use the little hunks of bar soap left and put them with some water in the toilet brush container sitting by the toilets.

I re-use 2 liter soda bottles for mini showers when I go to the beach. I fill 3 or 4 with water and leave in the trunk. When I return, I replace the intact lids with some holey lids (which have previously been made holey by hammering holes in with a small nail). Turn upside down and squeeze! Great for getting sand off your legs, and other places too. My nephew aims it down inside his swim trunks to get that irritating sand out!

I also collect packets and napkins from fast food places. I like to keep the napkins in my car. I don't squeeze the packets into secondary containers. I just keep a saved margarine tub full of various packets.

I save jars and cans for all sorts of things. When I am low on fresh milk and need some to make muffins, I will reconstitute a can of evaporated milk into a clean saved apple sauce jar. (1 can of evap milk + 1 can H20 then shake) Works great! I've never tried drinking it or using it on cereal though. That would be too hard core! ;)

From time to time, I also fill up old soft drink bottles (20 oz) with 2 liters from home to take to work. Saves the $$ from going into the vending machine.

I use a small child's plastic shovel to scoop the wet clumps from the bottom of my cat's litter box. Then I use my regular slotted cat scooper to collect the poo poo. I have noticed that when the wet clumps don't break up in the clumping litter I can get away with buying the cheapest clumping litter without worrying about as much of an odor problem, because the wet clumps are breaking apart and mingling with the "cleaner"/less soiled litter :).

Um, Ladies, I don't find any of these silly, but normal! :lol: I guess what I would have to add, is that we built the oil retriveal system that was featured in TWG.

We have sliding glass doors that face the east and get full sun. They're covered with vertical blinds and thermal curtains, but that doesn't seem to do the trick in the heat of summer. I sewed two twin sheets together and rigged a way to hang them over the blinds and curtains. Every night I would climb on a chair and hang the "sheet curtains", and every afternoon I would climb up to remove them.

We have central a/c, but any way to use it less is good!

Another thing, when our neighbors moved out and left a huge pile of stuff in their yard, I convinced a friend to go on a late-night prowl with me. I got a working bread machine, a box fan and a huge load of stuff for Goodwill.

I do the coffee thing, too. Every day I just add a tbsp of grounds to the filter and it's perfectly fine. And I do love coffee.

I've read each post and none of these things sound silly to me. I would save any extra condiment packets or napkins given to me at a fast food resturant but don't take them for that purpose only. I wash out baggies and do other stuff people would find silly. It's fun to do frugal things but have you noticed how it also helps the environment?

It's fun to do frugal things but have you noticed how it also helps the environment?

Yes. That was my main motivation for taking the neighbors' stuff to Goodwill. They would've left it for the garbage guys. Not cool!