Stayin open to possibliities saves me money

**imagine** · 03-18-2009, 11:23 AM

I have found that by not always sticking to my list has helped me save money. This leaves me open to possibilities.

Examples:
Grocery store - I have a list but don't make myself stick to it. Like a few days ago A dozen eggs were on clearance for 25 cents because they were on their sale by date was tomorrow. Then rounding the corner there was white loaf bread on day old clearance for 33 cents a loaf. We don't normally eat white bread, but the egg and bread special whisper in my head "French Toast". For that price who couldn't resist a meal of French toast with plenty for the freezer. Which lead to me changing the menu for the week.

My Menu plan - I use it as a guideline as I want to stay open to the possibility of saving like the French toast meal above or a "cool" leftover creation.

Clothes shopping - I have a list of things we need but keep my mind out for things that will work. Daughter needed a new skirt. We looked at the thrift store , not really in her size or didn't look like they came from a different era. But daughter saw a fabric that she liked in the ladies skirts. She wears a size 7 in girls and this one was a 3 in ladies. She so wanted to try it on and since I was trying to stay open in possibilities, I let her. She didn't trip over it and all it needed was a few stitches tucks at the waist to take in in. She gets so many compliments on this skirt.

Other places - this leads me to see the possibilities in other places not being locked in to one thing. Daughter needs a night gown the junior shirts work nice. The thing-a-ma-gig would work great as a what-a- ma-call-it.

You get he idea.

Staying open to the possibilities saves me money.

Imagine the possibilities

**Debbie-cat** · 03-18-2009, 11:32 AM

I agree with you. I especially keep my mind open when grocery shopping and meal planning. You go with what will save the most money even though it might not be 'planned'.

My DS had boxers that no longer fit him. I use them as sleeping shorts. Socks with holes in them, I use as dusters. I had a ton of cascade powder for dishwashers (among stuff of DH's). We don't have a dishwasher so I have been using it for cleaning the toilet bowl. Boy do they shine now! We have 12 boxes of the stuff!!!

The list goes on and one. Like I always say.... think outside the box.

**imagine** · 03-18-2009, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

I had a ton of cascade powder for dishwashers (among stuff of DH's). We don't have a dishwasher so I have been using it for cleaning the toilet bowl. Boy do they shine now!

Now that isn't something I had thought about. You certainly thought out of the box on that one. pun intended.

I'm going to have to give this a try.

**TigerGirl1226** · 03-18-2009, 11:51 AM

I always try to remember that just because something is marketed a certain way doesn't mean I can't use it another way. Like a couple months back the kids mouthwash was free after ECB at CVS, well it works just fine for me and DH. Same goes with Cleanteam wipes that I got supercheap as opposed to those expensive Cottonelle wipes. So these things that are marketed for kids/babies work just fine for us.

**mommy4ever** · 03-18-2009, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

I had a ton of cascade powder for dishwashers (among stuff of DH's). We don't have a dishwasher so I have been using it for cleaning the toilet bowl. Boy do they shine now! We have 12 boxes of the stuff!!!

Hey, never thought of that! I have a brand that doesn't work with our water, it's been sitting there, I'm going to have to try in in the toilet bowl~

**Spirit Deer** · 03-18-2009, 12:22 PM

I do that all the time. It's a way of life now. My favorite word for household stuff of all kinds is 're-purposing'. Lately, I'm all about finding stuff I already own rather than buying something new. It's not even just about the money, although that's a consideration, but it's also about not adding to clutter. I also like the satisfaction of turning something that's been useless to me into something useful and putting it to work.

I just put my borax into a Tupperware cereal keeper. I had been using it for dog food in the RVs but they rarely eat dog food when we travel anyway, so I decided I don't need several of them for that. Now I can easily deal with those annoying clumps in the borax instead of fighting with them through the little opening in the box, and since the powder is now in Tupperware and sealed, maybe it won't get as clumpy.

I don't make menu lists except for camping, and that's why. We never know what we'll find on a close-out or other unadvertised special. And we never know if we'll be in the mood to eat a certain meal on a certain day, if we'll have leftovers to eat, etc. I do make a list of what we need, but we're always snapping up something cheap, like the ten pounds of Canadian bacon we recently got for $10, and I think I'd just get frustrated trying to deal with a menu and making wholesale changes to it all the time.

I bought a really pretty one-quart glass pitcher at a rummage sale Saturday for fifty cents. It's for Tang drink mix. I'll be using it for making syrup for the hummingbirds in the summer. I love doings stuff like that.

**peanut** · 03-19-2009, 11:24 AM

Right on! I have a hard time with frugal tips sometimes because so much of what you do to save money depends on your life style and how creative and flexible you are.

I too, use my menu plan as a guideline. I usually buy everything on my grocery list, but I also make sure I have some extra money to pick up sale items. I generally don't specify the fruit or vegetables I want. Instead I pick up the best deal at the store, and that's what we eat that week.

I head to the thrift store with a general idea for clothes, but ultimately I end up buying by the outfit. I have very poor colour memory. It's easier to find separates that match once I'm in the store. And certainly we didn't turn down the 2 dress shirts that came with a tie for $10CAD for DH earlier this week! Even though he only needed the one dress shirt. Normally a dress shirt for him is $30CAD.

**mn30** · 03-19-2009, 10:04 PM

This one was a discovery of dh's. He wanted a bath, and since we always clean the bathtub before we have baths, he started looking for a cleaner, but we were out. He grabbed the dish soap (sunlight) and a green scrubby and about 2 minutes later the bathtub was sparkling. I even use sunlight now too. Works so easily!

**hotprincesscm** · 03-19-2009, 11:03 PM

Wow great ideas! I'm going to start being a little more creative, when it comes to repurposing things! I'm slowly starting to "get it" LOL

**brennasmom** · 03-19-2009, 11:10 PM

This is an excellent point. You always have to be open to possibilities.

I always make a weekly menu but if something comes up or there is something that needs to be used up we will replace a planned meal with whatever needs to be used up. And we don't stick to it day for day... sometimes we have the meals out of order or skip one althogther that week for something else.

I am always trying to find other ways to use things.

Love to "think outside the box"

I also think it is great to get inspiration from kids. They are always coming up with clever ideas and different ways to use things

**Momto2Boyz** · 03-20-2009, 08:25 AM

I agree with you whole heartedly!

All my friends who think I am the queen of frugal, would be astounded to see how I actually grocery shop. I think most of them think that I make my list, clip my coupons and storm the store like a soldier!

But the truth is, one grocery store has markdowns on meat and produce Saturday's at noon. So I make my list of things i need that I cannot get at Aldi's that I have to get at this store. Then I go to that store, grab what I need, then hit the outside ring (produce, deli meats, dented cans, dairy). The mark down whatever is close to the sell buy date. So as long as I use it up right away or pop it in the freezer it is fine. So I pick up what I find (I always find various meats for 99 cents per pound, milk for 99 cents a gallon, eggs at 50 cents a carton, cheese for 79 cents a brick, etc.). So I stock up, then I take it all home, put it on the counter before I put it away and I make my menu plan and Aldi's list off of what is there! It has always worked really well for me!

**imagine** · 03-20-2009, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Momto2Boyz

But the truth is, one grocery store has markdowns on meat and produce Saturday's at noon.

That is so cool. I would love it if my stores had certain mark down days. Mine marks down daily so there is generally something available. They also don't keep them in one stop so you have to hunt them down. I have one friend that calls from the store and says "X and Y meats are marked down this week How do I cook them?"

Not reduced for quick sale story: One grocery store has red peppers priced great and green peppers outrageous the other store has green peppers priced great and the red peppers are outrageous. Go figure?!

I now make my rounds. The stores aren't to far apart to drink my great deal on chocolate milk, what a happy family treat.