Fly your Frugal Freak Flag

**Buc-O-Mama** · 12-25-2008, 08:38 PM

What frugal thing did you do today in your effort to make the most with what you have? Did anything surprise your relatives or friends that might be not so frugal themselves? Any frugal victory you want to share?

Today I gave each of my kids a butter knife when it was time to open gifts and asked them to just cut the tape on gift boxes instead of tearing them open. Then I salvaged all the boxes and tissue that I could along with gift bags and ribbon. My DH gets it, but his parents thought I had lost my mind. The ham leftovers are portioned and ready to freeze. Little small, smart changes add up.

Okay, now it's your turn to brag a little.

**amanda0808** · 12-25-2008, 08:48 PM

We saved all the gift boxes that all the presents came in.
I carefully slit the tape open on each one, so they weren't damaged.

I gave my best friend and her daughter Glade candles and Arm & Hammer cleaner for Christmas. I got them free from CVS.

I too, portioned up the ham in baggies for freezing! LOL
And our roast chicken is in the fridge cooling, so that I can put it in the
pot tomorrow to make broth and get the rest of the meat off of it for freezing.

**homesteadmamma** · 12-25-2008, 08:50 PM

We did the same with wrapping paper. My oldest son thought we were crazy. I've done this for years. I also saved the Christmas bags a couple of the gifts came in.

I gave him the Nabob coffee I got for free.

**ri*smom** · 12-25-2008, 08:51 PM

Okay, the title of your thread just made me snort out loud.

We had to cancel company because the kids are still reeling from the stomach flu . . . but I did save all the bows and gift bags and tissue paper and tuck them back away for next year. Sadly that is all that I have to report today. Usually my frugal flag is flying high and proud.

**misscas** · 12-25-2008, 09:17 PM

I want to make homemade tp and maxi pads. Very green. No different than cloth diapers.

**DJ1972** · 12-25-2008, 09:46 PM

I didn't spend any money today, does that count? Okay, I know, I spent enough over the last two months for today...but it was all cash so yay! Love the name of the thread!

**kittykatstrong** · 12-26-2008, 12:45 AM

We had a frugal dinner.

Ham slices (on sale) $2
mashed potatoes, half a bag (.50)
cresent rolls (1.50)

I forgot to make a veggie to go with it but it would have been out of the freezer.

**joyofsix** · 12-26-2008, 07:14 AM

Well, my gifts for the family Christmas tonight are all done up in saved gift bags. When I wrapped the presents for yesterday I had to laugh at how many times the same bags have appeared. I put them and all the tissue paper away yesterday for next year.

1yr old's Christmas toys were regifted things from her older sibs.

I froze what ham we had left yesterday for other meals. We'll be eating the leftover macaroni for lunch.

Tonight I'm making lasagna and homemade garlic bread. We'll finish the cookies for dessert. Stepmom is bringing a cheese tray. SIL is bringing a relish tray.

I've looked through all our decorations, etc. I don't need one stinking thing so I'm not even looking at the 'deals'.

**tammy8701** · 12-26-2008, 07:38 AM

l put all the turkey bones and juices in the crock pot to simmer all nite to make a turkey soup,save all gift bags and tissue paper

**VanVivCam** · 12-26-2008, 07:49 AM

I too didn't spend any money yesterday and opted to stay out of the stores for all the great sales today.

Other than that, we are not home and visiting relatives, so....I have spent NO money on food nor have we had to eat from our stash at the house.

**cab54** · 12-26-2008, 10:31 AM

I began using paper bags and stickers to wrap gifts when I ran out of wrapping paper.

I saved 4 gift bags yesterday. And some really pretty paper from one gift.

I froze two meals of leftover lasagne for future use.

Froze leftovers galore.

**PrairieRose** · 12-26-2008, 10:49 AM

As part of my dk's Christmas gifts I gave them each one of the Sam's Club reusable shopping bags.

May not seem that frugal at the onset for me to have bought them and give them but I thought it might help them 'start' to be more frugal and green

. I've made a lot of our Christmas dinner ahead, frozen it (we're not having our party until Saturday) but after I dole out the leftovers to all who want to haul some home, I'm going to make tv dinners for my dad to freeze. We're saving our gift bags and are reusing ones from last Christmas already

. I haven't bought wrapping paper in about 5 years, from having bought a few rolls at a garage sale for .10 or so. Have tons of bows still left from buying them on sale for about .50 at the after Christmas sales.

**peanut** · 12-26-2008, 11:13 AM

Well I think I committed a frugal faux pas. When my daughters opened their gifts, which included a homemade apron for both, I told them the fabric was mostly free and the whole thing took less than a couple hours to make both of them.

We always save tissue paper, gift tags, ribbons, etc. And we use gift bags instead of wrapping paper. I don't know what DD#2's boyfriend thought. It was his first Christmas with us (and away from home). I think he was just amazed he was expected to get up before noon! LOL!

Jean

**Cricketlegs** · 12-26-2008, 12:13 PM

My bil came over with my sister Saturday night to see the progress we had made laying our tile floors in the hallway and dh took him into my sewing room to see my food and hba and pet stockpiles which take up 3/4 of the walls in the room and his eyes about popped out lol!

He was pretty impressed lol.

**Minner77** · 12-26-2008, 12:28 PM

My DH "relented" and didn't tease me about easing open the packages instead of ripping them open. We saved all of the bows and tissue paper. My sisters made everyone great reuseable totes out of recycled materials, and my mom gave us another large reuseable tote that folds up small -- easy to take everywhere.

Won't be venturing out to spend today, either: have lots at home, and it's snowing too much!