Name the newest frugal thing you've started, and the latest frugal thing you gave up.

**alabamagirl** · 07-13-2005, 02:27 PM

Quilter's Mom - I bet your yard looks beautiful and perhaps that landscaping money could be looked on as an investment since it probably increased your property value.

Since January I have been rebating and saving lots that way.

I've also joined this board and started hoarding my pennies.

What I give up - about to throw in the towel on my goal of brown bagging lunch. DH doesn't want to do it and it's just too stressful to deal with.

**Mom23boys** · 07-13-2005, 02:46 PM

Newest frugal thing I started is separating snacks when I get home from the grocery store into baggies (which we reuse for more snacks). This seems to help our snacks last longer too.

The thing that I haven't given up was owning three vehicles, paying for ins. on three vehicles, and gas for all three vehilces. I like DS#1 being able to have his own vehicle. It helps us when we aren't able to shuttle them all different places at different times.

**waterlover** · 07-13-2005, 03:03 PM

I use to grocery shop once a week but realized how much food I was throwing away.

*So I canceled our weekly organic food delivery because we now live near a store that I can get exactly what we need.

*I am grocery shopping 2-3 times a week now- getting exactly what we need. So I'm not wasting anything. I either walk to the stores(good exercise) or I schedule the stop with my other errands.

*I have started to make my own taco mix and salad dressing. Much healther, I know exactly whats going in it. No sodium or extra chemicals.

*I am now shopping at GoodWill on Fridays, its 50% off day, and only for clothes we "need".

I don't think I have given any frugal things up.

Kimberlina - Thanks for bumping this thread - I'm looking forward to see what others are doing.

**tbs727** · 07-13-2005, 06:03 PM

Given up... 2nd Car, someone else mentioned it. We have saved over $400 on payment and ins. alone. We made a really wise decision, considering I just got laid off from my job and we would have no way to make the payment now.

non-frugal... Eating out, still. We cut WAY back, but I just hate to cook, and I love to eat out. We made a compromise, that's good enough.

**Mamaw** · 07-13-2005, 10:18 PM

Just starting the frugal path so making a budget, going to the envelope system for grocery shopping, snowball debt reduction, washing in cold water, really thinking before buying anything are all new to me. Also starting my "own" change jar earmarked for debt reduction.

I am giving up fighting with DH over setting on the air conditioning. He thinks it costs more to cool down the house if I turn it up a few degrees than I think it does..

**Seraph** · 07-13-2005, 11:10 PM

The most recent frugal thing I've started doing is turning off the water heater during the day and at night after the dinner dishes are done.

I recently toyed with the idea of turning off the AC during the early part of the day and having the windows open, but I live in Florida and we're having 90+ degree temps and I'm not sure how much $$ it saves to have to cool the apartment back down after it hits 87ish (or higher) inside.

I've also been looking for more crockpot recipes to use or recipes I can convert to the crockpot without too much trouble (I only have a bajillion cook books, might as well use them!) so that I'm not heating up the kitchen and adjoining rooms with the oven while cooking (thus making the AC kick on more often).

As for what frugal thing I've given up...? I guess the closest I can come is canned food. I'm in the midst of waging the organic ($$$$$) vs canned ($) food war again. I'm naturally inclined to lean towards the organic and fresh side of things however, wow, that costs money. There's no denying that, at least here in Tampa, it's much cheaper to rely on canned foods.

**dndylfe** · 07-13-2005, 11:42 PM

New frugal thing: cutting baby and dh's hair (kindof scary sometimes), homemade laundry detergent, and being stricter on the budget.

Frugal thing given up? maternity clothes at thrift stores---they're just not worth it

**PurpleButterfly** · 07-14-2005, 01:09 AM

Interesting that i find this thread today. I noticed that i'm finally becomming more frugal- i reuse aluminum foil, (i never thought i'd do that!) i've only been buying absolute necessities at the grocery store, my freezer & pantry are full of food, thanks to the stockpiling (with a foodsaver) i've learned to do here. using less laundry soap. I could go on sorry, rambling. Thank you for all i've learned here!

Our one downfall, cant live without cable. Although, the clerk at the office i pay my bill at recently did me a favor- she put a discount on our cable for 6 months! Thank You !!

**MelinaG** · 07-14-2005, 07:08 AM

We've done a few new frugal things.

~We've recently moved and finally have w/d hookup. When purchasing a washer it never came across our minds to purchase a dryer...LOL! We hang dry it our attic. Also saves money on the energy comsumption.

~Instead of Randal paying $9 to commute two days per week by train I schedule classes/outings around his meetings sos he can drive in with free parking ahnd drive back saving us $.

Frugal things we no longer do:
We've moved into a mor eexpensive place. They rent went up a few hundred. So, we are watching our pennies. The commute was just to much from NH to Boston and now we won't need to be a two car family which is awesome.

**Michelle** · 07-14-2005, 02:13 PM

This year we decided not to buy propane for our gas grill. We're not home very much on the weekends, and I don't like to grill myself during the week.

I have stopped buying things in advance. Now that I have more time on my hands, I buy gifts right when I need them vs. using a credit card to buy them in advance. When I can, I make gifts vs. buying them.

I have become very vigilant in tracking our grocery spending, planning meals, and using coupons.

I had Dave put up a clothesline (one of the umbrella kinds), and I hang my laundry outside on days when it doesn't rain.

We don't go out to eat any more. At one time we were going out at least once, sometimes twice a week.

We made a budget, and we *stick to it* I have a little in an EF, and if anything else unexpected comes up (le.g. money needed for field trips), I sell some of my fabric, kids' old toys, or something else that we don't need here.

I've been decluttering and selling on Ebay. The money I make, I am using to snowball our CC debt/home equity loan.

**Michele Annette** · 07-14-2005, 03:03 PM

Newly frugal:

~Not having to wash DH's work clothes in Hot water! Since he started working on his own he hasn't been doing as many dirty, DIRTY jobs. His clothes always used to require hot water to get them clean because they were so greasy and grimey!

Now I don't have to wash them in Hot(as often). It saves me two large loads of hot water a week!!

~ Sticking to the budget, NO If's And's or Butt's! No excuses, no choice!

~ Finding more stuff to sell on Ebay!

~Using all the leftovers and not going to the store if we run out of something. We just have to wait until it's grocery shopping day.

~ Grocery shopping day is now once every two weeks instead of once a week. I plan a menu and list and stick to it with no room for extras at this time. I still buy one thing during each trip for my stockpile.

~paying and extra $100 on my CC with the regular monthly payment.

Frugal thing given up?

~ None at this time. We've been more frugal than we've ever been!

**Telephus44** · 07-14-2005, 09:21 PM

A very interesting thread. Thanks for bumping it!

*Most recent frugal thing started: I can't really think of anything we've started recently. Except for our new resolve to only eat out once a week (eventually it will be less, but we have to start somewhere). Also using baking soda to clean the oven.

*Most recent frugal thing given up: trying to repair clothing. I am just not that talented, and I can get new things for almost the same cost as professional repairs. I may sew on a button, but that's about my limit.