I was just thinking of this lastnight...what 5 items help you live a frugal life style? Mine would be:
1)Cast iron skillet(for oven or stove top uses)
2)Borax,vinegar,washing soda,baking soda...for making laundry soap and cleaning suppies
3)Clothing rack to air dry clothing
4)programable thermostat
5)Slow cooker
I'd love it if you'd share yours,cause maybe I can also use them for my own...nice to think outside the box. Janine:cheer4:
1.) Toaster Oven which I use to cook/heat with all summer long...it allows me to bake/eat hot dishes without turning on the stove which is a definite plus due to my Texas sun.
2.) Clothes drying rack to retain my clothes as well as save on electricity as well as allowing me to not have to purchase a clothes dryer
3.) Super small 3.3 cubic ft refrigerator. Turning off the huge refrigerator which came with my apartment was the best thing I could do for my electric bill and it also helped me to keep up with all of my foods which would hide in the back of the big frig until they looked like a science project.
4.) My freezer which allows me to make huge quantities of food at one time and then freeze them into meal portion sizes.
5.) My air mattress which I placed on my bed frame. It keeps me nice and cool as I sleep all summer long.
6.) My sewing machine which helps me to embellish the clothes I already own versus purchasing new ones.
7.) Stock pot which I use to dye my white clothes (socks, t-shirts) which look grungy due to my hard wash water. I color them any color over the rainbow. I do the on the burner stove method.
My computer with internet service, using rags instead of paper towels, all the containers I use to store and freeze food, programmable thermostat, microwave for cooking\baking
With my computer I can comparison shop, get new ideas to stay frugal, know the best deals at my grocery store, read magazines, find tv shows and movies, etc.
The outside wood boiler furnace. Keeps the house very warm. Also does our hot water heater while OWB is on. Summer, hot water heater is switched over to electric. Cost of wood is $ 700 or less. Sometime in September OWB gets turned on, and sometime in the spring it gets turned off. Weather permitting.
The 100 pound propane tanks for our kitchen stove. One tank can last 7 to 10 months. Last tank lasted 10 months and was only $ 50 to fill because we caught the propance on sale, on a tuesday promotion deal. Normal to fill tank is about $ 70.
My items to put food up with. Pressure canner and freezer.
1. Woodstove
2. My father's woodlot (otherwise #1 wouldn't be very frugal)
3. Indoor clothesline (also goes with #1)
4. Digital thermostat
5. Propane stove
Can you tell that we have really high electricity rates?
-wood stove, keeps that oil bill down here in the cold NH winters!
-my coupon binder- whittles that grocery bill right down
-crock pot
-candles- of course we use lights at night too, but many nights after kids are in bed we turn off lights, watch tv by candlelight
-my library card- it is not uncommon for me to read 2 books a week, so getting them for free really helps- ditto movies- we see most new releases within a month or two of dvd release, for free
1. Toaster oven...instead of oven all the time
2. Computer
3. Coupons
4. Stockpile...done with coupons & internet
5. Hanging clothes to dry...or a big portion of them
1. Electric blanket or box fan (depends on the season so I am counting them as one)
2. Crock pot & veggie/rice steamer (so I can cook as much as possible at home)
3. Freezer (to store all those cooked foods and other foods that I find super bargains on)
4. Big screen TV & cable (yea, sounds kinda silly I know- but it's our major source of entertainment and it keeps the hubby home and happy so it's a godsend)
5. Computer (I make money doing odd jobs from it - and the information that I can gleam from it is priceless - plus it's MY major source of entertainment)
1.) Fuel efficient car
2.) Roku, so I could get rid of cable
3.) Books for entertainment
4.) eBay for the occasional purchase of high quality, used goods
5.) My brain - with enough common sense to not do stupid things with my money
1. Computer (coupons, on line shopping for needs and keeping me out of the stores, frugal tips, etc)
2. Bread machine (make my own pizza dough, rolls, etc...)
3. Freezer
4. Crockpot
5. Books for free entertainment (I love the library!)
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