something that I would be surprised to know that you do......;)


For me....hhhmmmmm.......

I fed Gripey very, very, very ripe bananas in his fruit smoothie last nite (he hates ripe bananas!) along with some over ripe peaches and I didn't even cut out all the mooshy parts :yikes: He raved about how good they were. Sshhh don't tell him, K?

I've also been known to pour off brand cereal into name brand boxes ;) My dkids still kid me about that one. "Hey alphabits don't have stars in em!"

I have bought generic mouthwash and put it in the bottle of Scope..dh never even knew..

Hey, I store overripe fruit in the freezer to make DD's fruit bars! :D

Ummmmm....I put water in DH's shampoo. He has about 3 grams of hair on his head, and he still goes through shampoo ridiculously faster than I do (and I have long, thick hair.)

Hey, I store overripe fruit in the freezer to make DD's fruit bars! :D

Ummmmm....I put water in DH's shampoo. He has about 3 grams of hair on his head, and he still goes through shampoo ridiculously faster than I do (and I have long, thick hair.)

Any chance you'd be willing to post your fruit bar recipe? Please? :whirly:

I break hard candies in half so they go further. I also tear sticks of gum in half to make them go further. Kids and Dh are used to this and often will eat the other piece without a word of complaint anymore.
I save condiments and reuse them in lunches and picnic baskets. DD loves ketcup on everything so I keep a stead supply going in and out of a special tupperware in the refirg. Other items get used up in cooking projects at home. Yes, I'll open 20 bags of soy sauce to get a cup for a recipe.
Laurie in Bradenton

Dh doesn't know I've been diluting our whole milk to 2% milk, that I watered down our Tide detergent with half water,that I've been making my own Olivio table spread, my own Spray N Wash, Clorox Spray, Windex, mouthwash, salad dressings jam and liquid soap. I don't mention any of this because once I shopped with him at Aldi's and he said he didn't like the quality and didn't want me to shop there again. I don't drive so he usually takes me to the grocery store. I no longer shop at Aldi's I do these things instead. He also yelled at me for spending $400 per month for groceries including all tolietries paper products and cleaning supplies. This amount also includes my stockpiling. He however smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and eats every meal at restaurants when he's working as he's a long distance truck driver. He refuses to get a small refrigerator, buy foods at grocery stores or take sodas and snacks from home.

I fill the syrup bottle with homemade syrup.

Okay, I buy the cheaper coffee for DH and FIL, put it in the canister, then buy myself the good stuff and hide it. Otherwise, they go thru it too fast.

I also water anything liquid down, laundry soap, soft soap, fabric softener, shampoo, etc..

I sometimes buy Herseys minature candy bars and hide them from the kidos, and sneak one or two when I have a chocolate craving. Sometimes they catch me. Always looking for new places to hide the chocolate. I feel so terrible.

I use homemade cloth sanitary napkins. Probably TMI, but I custom tailored them so they are THE most comfortable pads I've ever worn! And no more rashes from the commercial ones. Yuck!

I fill a brand name body wash bottle with White Rain Shampoo bought on sale.

I water down all juices and milk for the kids.
I snag extra condiments at the fast food joint.
I very rarely use extra electricity.
I re-use everything!

I bring home the leftover soap/shampoo from the hotel. This drives dh crazy.

Michelle, I don't use a recipe- they are frozen fruit bars, and I suspect you are wanting a recipe for baked fruit bars. (Sorry!)

For the frozen ones, I just mix together leftover fruits, yogurt, pudding, etc- whatever I have- in the blender and freeze. Then I pull them out of the mold and wrap them individually in wax paper, then put them all in one freezer bag.

Here is a recipe for baked fruit bars:

http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/FruitOatmealCookieBars.asp

And somewhere here is a recipe I posted for blueberry bars that you can sub other fruits in.

I hide vegetables in everything....I get the over ripe and ugly ones from the grocery store and keep in the freezer. dh the picky would die if I told him!! hee hee hee...

I buy brand name one time then generic the rest...I fill the brand name with generic until the container or label DIES.

i add extra noodles in the macaroni & cheese to make it go further. i have 4 kids plus i babysit, so i need all the extra food i can get.

My work clothes are all bought used off eBay.

Coworkers don't have a clue. I'm not telling.

I save the end crust from bread and chop up the portion of the apples that my 5 yo won't eat and use it to make bread pudding for breakfast for her.

I have been known to pour all the sample sizes and leftover dregs of shampoo into one name brand shampoo bottle, shake it up and put it into DH's or the kids' showers. I also put sample shampoo in the body wash bottles.

I buy lots of things at the salvage store here in town and all of my clothes are either given to me, from consignment shop or on massive clearance. Some from ebay too, but not recently. My kids get all their clothes given to them, from the consignment shop or from freecycle. (DH would KILL me if he had a clue! very wierd about that )

I always save condiments from fast food. Especially love the once in a while trip to KFC because they give you lots of jelly and honey pkts which my kids love to make their own sandwiches.

I reuse my coffee grounds.

I cut or tear all ruined clothing up and use it as rags to avoid the paper towel expense. I keep some in my kitchen drawer.

*i bring home extra napkins from fast food services like wendys for the truck.
* I always bring home extra packs of ketchup incase we need them.
*

Michelle, I don't use a recipe- they are frozen fruit bars, and I suspect you are wanting a recipe for baked fruit bars. (Sorry!)

For the frozen ones, I just mix together leftover fruits, yogurt, pudding, etc- whatever I have- in the blender and freeze. Then I pull them out of the mold and wrap them individually in wax paper, then put them all in one freezer bag.

Here is a recipe for baked fruit bars:

http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/FruitOatmealCookieBars.asp

And somewhere here is a recipe I posted for blueberry bars that you can sub other fruits in.


Actually I was looking for the frozen ones--I didn't realize that it was as simple as that :)

Thanks!

I tear dryer sheets in half, use about half the "recomended amount" for the laundry and dishwasher. I buy generic brands and refill containers for a few cleaning products. (It's funny--DH is concerned that generic Windex won't work well, but he takes generic prescription meds without a second thought.) We keep four bottles of water in the fridge...you guessed it...filled from the tap as needed.

I save the end crust from bread and chop up the portion of the apples that my 5 yo won't eat and use it to make bread pudding for breakfast for her.

I have been known to pour all the sample sizes and leftover dregs of shampoo into one name brand shampoo bottle, shake it up and put it into DH's or the kids' showers. I also put sample shampoo in the body wash bottles.

I buy lots of things at the salvage store here in town and all of my clothes are either given to me, from consignment shop or on massive clearance. Some from ebay too, but not recently. My kids get all their clothes given to them, from the consignment shop or from freecycle. (DH would KILL me if he had a clue! very wierd about that )

I always save condiments from fast food. Especially love the once in a while trip to KFC because they give you lots of jelly and honey pkts which my kids love to make their own sandwiches.

I reuse my coffee grounds.

I cut or tear all ruined clothing up and use it as rags to avoid the paper towel expense. I keep some in my kitchen drawer.
:clap: You rock! :thumb: Dh reused his coffee grounds when I met him, I didn't understand then but now I do. You keep on doing what you do .:)

I keep a piece of aluminum foil in my drawer that I use over and over again until it tears - I use it to "cover" the frying pan, or as a liner for non-messy things that get baked in the oven (frozen pizzas, for example).

I actually follow Amy D's suggestion and keep butter wrappers in the fridge to use for greasing pans with.

(Yes, DH knows about both of these any doesn't complain. He'll use both :-) )

What DH doesn't know...

We live in an apartment complex with 5 dumpsters - DH knows that I dumpster dive some things (a huge whiteboard, a bread machine, etc) - but not that I dumpster dive aluminum cans and glass bottles for recycling money ($.05 each here)!

What DH doesn't know...

We live in an apartment complex with 5 dumpsters - DH knows that I dumpster dive some things (a huge whiteboard, a bread machine, etc) - but not that I dumpster dive aluminum cans and glass bottles for recycling money ($.05 each here)!

:yikes: Oh my, now that's shocking! (not really just kidding you Sara;) ):laugh:

Sara (telephus), save your tin foil. Just put a cookie sheet upside down on top of the pan for a lid.:) That's what I do now.

Jean

I use 4 cans of water instead of 3 with the frozen juice, I make my own homemade dawn dissolve using 1 tablespoon dish soap, water, and vineger works great, I frezze all over ripe bananans and use them to make banana muffins, I freeze the ends of lemons to use as lemon zest, I use white vinergar as a fabic softner, I have found that with towels using vinergar instead of regular fabic softner they abosorb water better, I print off my own staitionary, I make muffins from scratch, I buy almost all generic or store brand, unless the sale and coupons makes it cheaper my whole family knows this, the only thing that drives my dh nuts is the using extra water in the frozen juice, and I also put water in the koolade packets to get everything out also when I use my rubber spatular to get the last of something out of a jar, he thinks I go to far with it, so I try to do these when he is not around. oh I also reuse teabags, I bought a reusable coffee filter and I only have to use 3 level scoops to make the coffee strong, which is great it is almost half of what I used to have to use with regular filters dh like strong coffee. I also usally grind our own coffee unless I can get some regular coffee on sale and with coupons.

Awww.... Thanks Darlene!

Most people don't know that probably 90% of our clothing comes from thrift stores or garage sales. Many of dd's clothes are given to us free by friends whose children have outgrown them.

Yeah!!! for all the fellow thrift shoppers, keep up the good work.
And it is a job.
Most of our clothes are also 2nd hand from thrift shops. Many other items
we use too.
WE are fortunate to be within 20 min of three thrift stores though we" re in a very rural area. Every wed. they have 50% off nearly everything in the store.
The store farthest away also has coupons for $5 off purchase of $20, so you can get a lot of things for a little money. It is a very popular place to shop for the frugally minded.

We don't use the dryer much, clothesline & wooden racks are great passive energy sources.

Buy coffee in a big can when they are on sale. Maxwell house has a promotion -collect houses on the label . From that we got a free coffee maker.

We try to reclaim materials for building projects. We turned an old dog house into a chicken coop, an old trampoline frame into a chicken tractor.

We grow & can tomatoes. This makes salsa & sauce. I make the sauce just the same as the organic food on a budget article said- saute veggies/ garlic in olive oil & add a samll can of tomato paste.

i read on here that you can cut your fabric softener sheets in to four pieces and i've been doing that for the last little while. i hide them under the box so if anyone else (this happens every so often) does a load of laundry, they don't see.

we have a bunny and once in a while i collect "fertilizer" for the garden. :blush:

hey peanut, i've never tried that, but the kids did have cloth diapers. how do you stop from leaking through?

I put samples of shampoo into a pump dispenser and water it down to use as hand soap. I cut up old clothing to use as rags. I have used old film canisters to hold salad dressing when I take my lunch.

I hang most clothing to dry.
Sample packets of shampoo and conditioner will be taken on our trip.
I call Purina every four weeks to ask them to send some coupons.
Old tee shirts are torn into dish rags, When they get yucky they are used on the floor then pitched.
We buy almot all generic or store brand foods.
95* of all clothing is from thrift/ consignment stores.
I made sani naps for Dd and myself to use each month I also use the Diva cup.
I never turn down anything someone offers us. If we can't use it it is freecycled.

I got upset the other day when my fiance decided to take "the scenic route" because it was wasting gas...
I stopped caring how many days in a row I eat a sandwich and an apple for lunch...
Water actually tastes pretty good now...
The pets no longer eat better than we do (as in super expensive food, though I treat them once in awhile for nutrition sake)...
TV now really sucks, and I don't enjoy paying for it, so I don't...
If I could get rid of everything I own except for my pets, my computer and the necessities, I would. I don't see the point in needless stuff anymore...

i buy heinz ketchup in the BIG can and refill the squeeze bottle.

I buy frozen berries and use them in fruit smoothies, with yogart, in parfaits, etc. But the frugal thing I do is, I save the juice, pour it into popsicle molds, and make the most delicious frozen juice pops! :D I especially love the strawberry ones. :)

I will buy generic or cheap name brands and put them in name brand containers. I will also "regift" any gifts that I can not use or don't care for.

My biggest savings comes in visiting my daughter. Round trip for gas/tolls for my car costs approximately $120.00. Now I take the train. . .roundtrip for $46.00. It only takes 15 minutes longer than driving it. It's fun and I'm not frazzled when I get there.

I'm a newbie here (this is my first reply). Anyway, mine would have to be that I don't use toilet paper. I use homemade 2-ply flannel wipes. Sometimes if I'm feeling "special", I will wet the wipes first in a natural wipes solution. My husband still uses toilet paper. I also use cloth menstrual pads and will never ever go back to tampons!!!

Hmmm, I've seen on here from atleast 2 different people that you can dilute laundry soap?

I did not know that [but sure am gonna try it now that I do know. *lol*]

The only laundry soap I buy is generic liquid ... how much water do you dilute it with?

Love,

Jennelle

I always use about a third of the cup of laundry soap. Clothes always come out clean and smelling great.

So then you mean - 1/3 cup of laundry soap to 2/3 water?

Or do you mean that you mean that you just use 1/3 cup of the soap? *lol*

Love,

Jennelle

Sorry, I just use 1/3 of undiluted laundry soap. :blush:

I use baking soda and vinegar to clean just about everything aside from the cats. Is it my personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning, teeth cleaning, dishes... the only commercial product I buy now is Suave for DH (usually free with DC). I also use virgin coconut oil to moisturize.

Do you use it to wash your hair? How does that work? I would've thought it would leave it dry.

Yep. I use 3 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbsp cheap honey or molasses to hot water to make a paste. Rub into scalp with pads of fingers. Rinse well. Take 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar to 1 liter warm water and pour over hair, use fingers to get it all over. Rinse. Perfect hair, no dandruff, no dryness, no oil. I wash every 4th day compared to washing daily with $40 salon stuff.

Wow, that's a great idea! Hmmm, I may have to try that. I wash my hair on Mondays and Thursdays, to keep the dye from running out. Great idea

I'm gonna give that a try too, I think.

Okay though, I must first ask ... it doesn't leave your hair smelling at all [even a tiny bit] like vinegar, does it? *lol*

Love,

Jennelle

The baking soda and apple cider vinegar combination is referred to as the No-Poo method of washing your hair. I have done it and love the way my hair feels when I wash it this way. If you google no-poo shampooing you will come up with a few great articles about this. I would post a link, but I don't have 15 posts yet.

Check out the No Poo LiveJournal Community (http://community.livejournal.com/no_poo/) for some good info. :D

Nope not even a hint of vinegar at all.