I absolutely love the frugal tip threads -- so I thought I'd start one! So what are your favorite hardcore frugalite tips? The crazy ones that you thought, "Oh no way that'll ever work!"
One of mine is blankets over the doors and windows. My husband put them everywhere in our house and it keeps our rooms a little bit warmer all winter!
Shop at home. Embrace what you have. Re-purpose. Use things for other than their intended uses, and think outside the box. Or as my grandma, who raised six kids through the Depression said, "If you don't got what you want, then want what you got."
Learn skills. Start simple and make it a point to increase your abilities over time, whether it's cooking, carpentry, sewing, or whatever.
Don't be afraid. Fear limits you. If you're afraid to try new things, you're handicapping yourself before you even start.
Don't use traditional gender roles as an excuse not to do something. Women can operate a screwdriver or power tools just as well as a man. Depend on yourself. Learn what you don't know.
This is such great advice, for all areas of life, that I wanted to repeat it.
On another forum I post on, someone asked what people considered to be their simple/frugal living area of expertise. I certainly don't think I'm an expert at anything, but when I thought about the question, I realized that I am not afraid to fail, which allows me to try new things regularly. And that is absolutely a skill that helps me meet my frugal goals, and life goals.
my favorite tip was given to me by my momma
she said always leave some money in the car in case u decide to buy something impulsively that u have to walk all the way to the car in the pouring rain, cold, ect and u knew u really wanted it if u were willing to walk back for it
Buy a heating pad to put at your back during the winter while sitting on the computer + wear hunters socks (found at wallie and super warm)both of these tips help me keep the heat low.
I am not sure if this is hardcore...but it's something that has stuck with me and I constantly do....I water my dishsoap down, half water half soap....and it works just as well and lets me stretch my soap a long ways!
I have the hard foam insulation in the windows on the back side of the house during the winter. It makes it dark but then, they are bedrooms. I have an open stair case and in the winter I hang a blanket from the upper railing down to the next floor. It keeps the drafts at bay.
Also have the home made rice packs and they are great foot warmers in bed. I agree with the heating pads on the back of a chair too.
For me it would be making homemade laundry soap. I finally made some. So far I like. I've had the supplies for years and never did anything with it.
I used to keep all the shades closed in the summer to keep the heat out. We got new windows a few years ago, and it's nice to have the shades open again.
We keep the house colder in the winter and just use sweaters and blankets to keep warm. I also use bags to add warmth. Someone gave me a couple of bags many years ago that were filled with corn. Love them.
Using up leftovers until there's nothing left. We used to throw out so much food. Now I'm more mindful of what's in there and come up with something to use it up. If not, into the freezer it goes until it can be used.
Repurposing my stuff, instead of dumping it or giving it away.
This week, I cut up some clothing for rag rug strips; cut up some old handkerchiefs and place mats with ragged lace edgings and made cloth dust masks, also have some excellent leather and fur clothing materials at the thrift shop which I'm going to make into mitts, gloves, slippers and moccasins. (got all the patterns I need now)
I have other clothes in my closet which I'm going to make into aprons, baking hats; last year I made some into dishcloths, dishtowels, pot-holders.
NO need to look further than my dressers, shelves and closets when I want something; it's usually there in another form.
Seriously, this is the one site where I come to join hearts and minds with my frugal-gang; I have learned that we are kindred spirits here when it comes to frugality, and it's a boost to my spirits not to be belittled or misunderstood for being frugal. We recognize that we are all in this together, with many challenges in progress, so it's just a great place to join in. And even though each one of us is on their own when it comes to meeting their own personal challenges, it just helps so much to communicate with the other members here and share support.
(I also am an avid and happy member of my favourite Canadian coupon-smart consumer-shopping site.)
For the crafty impaired that want to make rice packs -- take a tube sock (no holes please) . . . partially fill with rice, knot the top of the sock and you're set to go. . . heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes for glorious warmth. . . or keep in the freezer section of your fridge for instant ice packs.
Get all the free samples you can find online. Then actually use them! I am always using shampoo and conditioner samples, toothpaste samples, etc. They add-up over time so maybe you are buying one or two fewer tubes of toothpaste a year, one less bottle of shampoo a year, etc. Every bit counts!
Also, I play the online instant-win games. I've gotten quite a few things this way, including a full-size jar of anti-wrinkle cream from Eucerin, sent FedEx just this morning! I will say since the economy has gotten bad, it has been harder to get the samples and win things just because so many more people are signing-up and playing!
Get all the free samples you can find online. Then actually use them! I am always using shampoo and conditioner samples, toothpaste samples, etc. They add-up over time so maybe you are buying one or two fewer tubes of toothpaste a year, one less bottle of shampoo a year, etc. Every bit counts!
I did some major cleaning this summer and found so many samples of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc.
Since it's just dh and I at home now, he has his shampoo and I'm using up all the samples. It's funny, that there are samples of products that aren't even made anymore, or I can't find them in the store.
I did this with laundry soap not too long ago.
I'm still finding samples tucked in all the nooks and crannies.
This may sound weird, but on the rare occasions when we do cook meat, and there is fat left over, I save it in the fridge and use it for cooking eggs, frying potatos etc. I substitute it for oil. I know it is less healthy than veg oil, but I eat so little meat, a few saturated fats are not gonna make much difference.
I think that the spot remover that someone posted here has been a life saver for me..I got the most beautiful t shirt at a yard sale that had a stain on it for a nickle..I now wear it at least once a week...
The spot remover is one part Dawn, one part Ammonia and 7 parts water..I keep a couple of spray bottles in the laundery and one at the kitchen sink..Works on a lot of things...
Take $12 plus any sales tax your state may have. Texas is right at 9 cents on the dollar and budget it in for January.
Next run to the Dollar Tree when you are already running errands. Don't use gas! This is a saver not a waster. Get 12 20oz or more bottles of $1 each body wash that is not lotiony. Switch up scents and colors. Go wild!
Now gather your hand soap pumps. Each bottle fills about 4 bottle pumps. Add a little water and then squirt in the soap leaving room to put the pump back in without it over running to top and shake. It works great! 25 cents a pop and you have the entire years worth right at your fingertips. You may go shopping for other items but for a year you have hand soap covered so check it off the stockpile list.
It's cheap. effective, and most of all while it is only ONE SMALL THING it is still complete and helps to calm the fears that seem to creep up on us.
Also at the Dollar tree is tissue. We go through the tissues! I try and get 12 boxes a month. Figure your needs.Someone always need to blow their nose around here lol!
I pick another item such as a years worth of Vinegar from Sams. For me that is 12 gallons. More expensive so I break it up sometimes. Sams has a double pack I love. I cook with it, clean with it, use it in the laundry and in the dishwasher as well as a rinse for the dogs bath. I go to Sams ONCE a month so I plan what I am building up.
I wax my own eyebrows. It saves me about $15 a month! The wax/strips/sticks are inexpensivecompared to the cost of having it done by a pro and they last a long time. I have had the same tub of wax for close to 2 years!
I'll have to try the boiling water on the toothbrushes.
I mixed some dawn dish soap with vinegar for cleaning the bath tub. So much better than the toxic smelling chlorine cleaners. I've noticed the grout doesn't start to get moldy as fast now.
Dawn can be used for so many things. Flea bath for pets. A window cleaner told dh that the best window cleaner is water with a few drops of dawn. This is what they use to clean the big city buildings.
I've now started stocking up on original blue dawn and vinegar.
I also cut buttons off worn out shirts and pants. I've found a few craft ideas for old shirts too. One was fabric abc's. I think this would be a great idea to make these for my future grand kids out of their dads old shirts.
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