What are your unusual frugal actions???

**LeShea** · 02-13-2003, 08:31 AM

I was wondering....what unusual frugal activities might others be doing?? I am always looking for more things to try and know most of the basics( we all seem to here).I will start...

I compost with worms

I use newspaper for mulch( under the wood chips)

I use cloth diapers

I use spinach instead of lettuce on my sandwiches....

I am trying to save up for a hybrid car....one day!!!

How about you????? What are yours??

**LeShea** · 02-13-2003, 02:09 PM

No one has anything to add???!! ZOINKS!!! I am the only odd-ball!!!

**Missy** · 02-13-2003, 02:18 PM

aluminum foil in the dryer (instead of static sheets), tried it yesterday, worked great....

**MANDERS** · 02-14-2003, 11:34 PM

the most unusual thing I have done is put nonperishables in my fridge and freezer so it won't use more power(when it is fuller it takes less energy to run)I have put boxes of cake mixes,cereal,oatmeal you name it its been in there atleast once.Not right now though caue well its full with perishables.

**vecollins** · 02-14-2003, 11:37 PM

now what does aluminum foil in the dryer do????? i have never heard of using that instead of dryer sheet????

vickie

**doodlebug** · 02-15-2003, 01:44 AM

I use newspaper under mulch too

I pick up small branches and pinecones to use as a fire starter in the woodstove. I save leaves in the fall in big plastic trash bags to feed to the goats during the winter. If we eat out and have chicken on the bone then I will wrap the chicken bones up in a napkin and bring them home for our outside kitty, I'll also bring home French fries like this too (I know chicken bones are usually a no-no for pets but our outside kitty never has any problems with them and just loves them).
If we are expecting a storm and may lose electric then I will fill up the washing machine with water so we will have it to use for flushing the toilet and washing hands and water for the animals, if the power stays on then I use the water to do a load of laundry and the water doesn't get wasted ( I used to fill the bathtub up about 2/3 and then just let the water out if the power stayed on, what a waste, I don't know why it took me so long to figure out the washing machine made a lot more sense, lol).

**Sara Noel** · 02-15-2003, 01:46 AM

Originally posted by vecollins
now what does aluminum foil in the dryer do????? i have never heard of using that instead of dryer sheet????

vickie

Karlisangel posted using foil in the dryer instead of dryer sheets.

http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/...=foil+in+dryer

**katiebug** · 02-16-2003, 08:35 AM

The funny thing is, I don't consider any of the frugal things I do to be unusual. I don't realize that others would think my behavior was "different" until I let something slip to a less thrifty friend and I am greeted with laughter. For example, DH makes the coffee in the morning before he goes to work, and he takes a travel mug and sometimes a thermos full, leaving me with some but not much. If I need a little more caffeine, I'll put one spoonful of coffee on top of the used grounds and brew a little more. I wouldn't serve it to company, but it's good enough for me. When I said this to a friend the other day, she was laughing at me.

Then a couple of days ago a friend called and asked what I was doing. Well, I was sorting Valpak coupons to use the paper ones with blank backs for my grocery shopping lists.....when I told her that's what I was doing, she started to laugh at my penny pinching

.

**captclearance** · 02-16-2003, 10:16 AM

Friends have laughed at me too........ I re-use baggies too ......
and re-use a lots of things, but when they wee how we can live so well on so little they stop laughing........

**LeShea** · 02-16-2003, 10:39 AM

My dh calls the adding coffee grounds --a "dirty sock pot"!LOL! that's what they call it where he works...

**graci42** · 02-16-2003, 11:07 AM

I don't know that these things are unusual, but....

Unplug appliances that aren't being used(except PC...LOL).
Make coffee and store in thermos or carafe.
keep doors closed to unused rooms.
Use heavy blankets to keep air from coming thru beneath doors.
Limit TV, and PC time.
Save Pop cans (dh's)
Drink more water
Eat less meat
Cook doubled meals
Freeze left overs
Wash and reuse ziplocks
Use bread bags for storage (meats)
Keep and maintain a price book for groc.
Thrift store shopping

I could go on...LOL

**Jerseygirl** · 02-16-2003, 12:13 PM

Every night I start a grocery bag of trash hanging from the door in my kitchen, it's right next to the actual trash can with the actual store bought trash bag in it. Every night that little bag pretty much gets filled, diapers etc are added and I knot it up and put it on the front door knob for dh to take out on his way. I am a little neurotic about trash smell and wind up throwing out a lot of 1/4 filled store bought bags, this way I only buy actual trash bags a few times per year, usually free during triple coupon time, and never have the smell in my home. If the doorbell rings, I have to pass by there to answer the door, so I snatch it down asa I go by. Strange enough for ya???

**grneyegrl** · 02-16-2003, 12:32 PM

hay i like the val pac backs for grocery lists..i never though of that..my friends dont laugh but are very happy with the free goods i give them..like the dove , i gave 10 or so 2 paks to a friend who is a single dad and i gave him a copy of the coupon on disk..and i gave the coupon out at christmas and everyone loved it and wanted to know where i got it from..

although my ex boss at work thought she was too good to shop at discount stores and use coupons..well she is deep in debt( makes at least 50 k) and has no savings..

me on the other hand have savings and 2 retirement savings accounts..so thats what i think of when i get strange looks.

**guest2** · 02-16-2003, 02:16 PM

You wonderful ladies have listed most of the things that I also do. Great minds think alike!!!!

A few other "frugal" things we do are:
-Borrow videos and books form the library and friends
-print off assignments for my kids on the back side of already finished worksheets
-email friends instead of calling or sending through snail mail
-search the internet for all the freebies, coupons and surveys to make $$$ that I can
-share homeschooling materials and supplies with others in our homeschool support group
-always run cold water washes in the washing machine
-search out the mark downed meats and fruits and vegis at the store
-have a network of frugal friends that we share good deals with
-pick wild plums, berries, and apples and make jams with them
-let my spinanch go to seed in the fall so i get lots of free plants in the spring

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