frugal alternatives so you no longer have to buy...

[sabrelvssammy]

so what essentials have you been able to completely eliminate buying because you have come up with a cheaper, more frugal or even free alternative to the item....

what are the items you no longer buy and what are the alternatives to replace them....

for me no more buying of:

kitchen trash bags....use grocery bags

facial moisturizers, de-wrinklers and all that other crap that they advertise....olive oil & vaseline
facial cleansers/soaps....a lone bar of 'pure & natural' soap (per my dermo's recommendation)...

wax paper...liners from cereal/cracker/etc boxes cut into pieces...also make great baggies... which brings me to baggies...

zip loc baggies....re-washing all i currently have over & over, local grocery likes to pack produce in zip loc bags so i keep those, liners from cracker/cereal/etc boxes...

cleaners for the home....vinegar & baking soda & good old dishwashing liquid...

sos pads...steel wool pads from the home imp ctr by the huge bagfull--cut to size...drop of dish liquid added...(bonus..they don't rust and will last forever)....

fabric softner...vinegar
jet dry...vinegar

paper napkins....cloth napkins & saving all that come from fast food joints for those 'yucky' spills....

kleenex... cloth hankies & t.paper in a pinch...

bubble baths...squirt of baby oil & cheapo hotel shampoos...

shaving cream (for me only)....cheapo conditioner from hotels...

leave-in hair conditioners...favorite conditioner watered down in spray bottle....

smelly, fancy body lotions...cheapo bottle of lotion from $ store, a big squirt of pure glycerine (thickens it) and a drop of essential oil....

that's what i have come up with this morning...i'm still thinking...
who else has stuff to contribute....?

[old_lady_in_the_shoe]

I do a lot of the same things you do,
I am a huge fan of cloth napkins and usually once per year I find some clearance fabric on sale, for next to nothing and make up new napkins...no paper napkins here!
I also use dish towels insted of papertowel.
I love microfiber cloths for cleaning windows insted of papertowels too.

We no longer spend money on hair dresser/barber! I do all that here at home. There are 4 of us and I do all the cutting, clipping. My dd is 17 and she goes to get hers cut about about 12-18 months and gets it restyled...I then keep up with it. It saves a ton, especially on the boys, their hair grows so fast!

We no longer buy packaged pre made loaf bread, we buy wheat insted and grind it and make all our own bread, buns, as such.

for small fungal infections (athletes foot, ringworm etc) we use vinegar or teatree oil insted of prepackage medicines that take forever to work and are to expensive.

we make our own lipbalms/chapsticks too... with beeswax, olive oil, cocoabutter and extras... with a bit of cost, we have enought to make it for the rest of our lives and no more expensive tubes of chapstick (and ours is much better)

I make my own boo boo ointment too...no more neosporen that is very expensive!

We are a huge fan of ice coffees from all those places!!! and my dd now came up with her own mix that we can make right at home and use our own cups for just cents per serving insted of $3 or more!

[mombottoo]

I can only think of a few things I absolutely never buy anymore. One is small trash can liners, I use the plastic store bags. I don't buy napkins or kleenex either, just because I think it's a waste.

[cab54]

Another way to make those iced coffees, is to take what's left of a pot you're done with (not too burned tasting) and pour it into ice cube trays and freeze.

Then when you want iced coffee, put the coffee cubes into your blender, add a bit of water if necessary, some creamer (flavored if you like), sweetener, and blend. Yum.

I use a lot of vaseline and baby oil (plain mineral oil is the same thing, only fragrance free). I buy the store-brand ones, much less expensive, and exactly the same. Ounce for ounce it is less expensive than Olive oil or other veg oils. Plus I don't like the smell of olive oil on my skin. LOVE it in my Italian food, tho..... Paula Bergouin (sp?) says that there is NO danger in using Petroleum jelly (vaseline) or Mineral oil (the oil used in baby oil) on skin. Most of your really expensive high end creams and lotions will have 'petrolatum' or 'mineral oil' in them as one of the main ingredients. I've checked a lot of expensive creams at different stores and she's right!

I use vaseline on my hands w/ gloves on when they get REALLY dry and cracked, and also on my feet. I also use it on my eczema. Very soothing.

I also use nn vaseline on my lips for chapstick. The best!

If I put cheap baby oil on my skin after a shower or bath (while still wet) it will stick with me (keep moisturized) longer than any creams I've used.

A tiny drop of baby oil on my shampooed and blow dried hair will add a shine, and moisturizes it. (must be VERY small amt.---rubbed around on palms and then smoothed over hair) Works like a serum.

I cut my own hair (cut it last Thursday!). I cut it fairly short and DH helps me with the back lower edge. He also cuts his (he wears it 1/2" all over) and I trim up the back of his neck and around his ears for him. I always cut my two sons' hair when they were at home, and they still ask me to cut or trim when they visit. My oldest son does his own (very short) hair normally.

Baby oil will take off eye makeup---fast. Even waterproof! Gently rub a drop on each eye-lash-line. Tissue off or use a warm wet washcloth. It doesn't burn my eye area, and it is moisturizing!

I buy nn brand ziplock bags always, and I wash them out except for sandwich size.

Aim toothpaste is something like .97 last I looked--at WM. And has the ADA seal of approval, LOL. BIG tube. I COULD use baking powder, etc, in a pinch, but the Aim is nice stuff for the price, and has flouride. I've replaced Crest Pro-health (insanely expensive!!) with Aim. I've never had a bad nn toothbrush, either.

I knit a lot of things for myself and DH. Socks, scarves, stocking caps, sweaters, etc. I also knit gifts for others. If I can find decent yarn at a good price, it is a quality item for less. I also make quilts when I have time. Much of the time out of scrap fabric and sale fabric.

[LucyLou]

-laundry soap- I make my own
-brown sugar- make that too
-use the plastic bags from the store for liners in the bathroom garbage
-bread- make our own
-don't buy paper towels- use cloth
-I cut everybody's hair, but my own (I only cut my hair maybe 1-2 times a year)
-wash out freezer ziplock bags and reuse them
-dry laundy on the clothes line when there isn't snow on the ground and it isn't freezing
-grow a garden

[mel112503]

I make so many things now that I will never buy again...
Miracle Whip
Laundry soap
Fabric Softener
Breads
All purpose cleaners
Window/glass cleaning spray
Self rising flour
Brown sugar
Baking powder
All purpose baking mix to make bisquits, pancakes cakes ect.
Jiffy cornbread Mix (my own made mix)
All kinds of seasonings like ...seasoned salt, taco seasoning and chili powder

[shoiji]

Cloth napkins, cloth rags, cloth hankies. I do purchase paper facial tissue when on sale since I get allergies in the spring and summer. No amount of hankies will cover this. Also ended up buy one roll of paper towels for watercolor painting. Need to find and alternative, maybe a sponge to dab paintbrush on. Cloth will just give me hairy paintings.

Will use newspaper to wrap cat litter in.

Make my own bread, desserts, drinks. This seems to also cut down on the amount of storage space I need.

Reusing glass jars and containers has cut down on the amount of plastic I use.

Different size mason jars make great storage containers.

[sabrelvssammy]

here's another that comes to mind:

storebought pancake/waffle mix...make my own and keep in giant tub in fridge...mix together
4 1/2 cup flour--1/2 cup baking powder--2 1/4 tsp salt--1/2 cup sugar... when ready for mix measure out a cup or so...add a small egg and milk to moisten...and ready to go.....

this allows me to also make waffles to freeze...no need to buy any frozen waffles here....

[ladytoysdream]

Eggs....thank you chickens

[rowdy35]

epsom salts with a couple drops of essential oil = bath salt
(store in mason jar)

shredded fels naptha bar soap, plus one c. borax & one c. washing soda plus 3 gallons of boiling water = laundry detergent

1 c. salt, 1 c. borax, 1 c. baking soda = homemade scouring powder (like comet cleanser but white)

chicken bouillon bought in bulk at costco = no more cans of chicken stock

beef soup base bought in bulk = no more cans of beef broth needed

that's all i can think of now

[Brat]

Sausage egg biscuits, faberic softener, have a large herb garden and bring some in in the winter in flower pots,lettuces, spinach, a couple of tomatoe plants and bell pepper plants in the winter in the sun room to have year around. Plant and put up a large garden. All kinds of soups. No longer buy cake mix or cookies make my own. Cleaning supplys, Curtians

[sabrelvssammy]

Sausage egg biscuits, faberic softener, have a large herb garden and bring some in in the winter in flower pots,lettuces, spinach, a couple of tomatoe plants and bell pepper plants in the winter in the sun room to have year around. Plant and put up a large garden. All kinds of soups. No longer buy cake mix or cookies make my own. Cleaning supplys, Curtians

brat- will your tom and pepper plants actually grow in the pots indoor in the winter ?

[scooby8themall]

I was using the smelly stuff you put on the floor to vacuum with, but due to allergies had to find some thing else discovered plain ole baking soda it's .58 a box and leaves the room smelling clean not stuffy.
I make my own broth for soups and stews
I am working on other things thanks for all the ideas.

[Brat]

Yes have to use a paint bursh on the blooms but they produce quite well in the sunroom... I ususally have them about 4 inches tall before I have to shut the place up for winter but they do really nice...don't have a ripe tomato every day but usually every week i will have 2 or 3 for salads...they will have pretty well played out by the time to plant in the garden in the spring. They are only good for about 3 months but I only keep 2 or 3 going all the time in the winter..plant at different times...so usually have 6 at a time. 3 makeing fruit and 3 comming up to...

[shortstack]

A few that come to mind that haven't been mentioned:

No plastic wrap: We use the reusable bowl covers that look like shower caps

No body scrubs:Epsom salts cut fine with my blender plus mineral oil or baby oil in a container

No canned spray oil: Use a refillable oil sprayer (ours is Pampered Chef) and fill with whatever oil you like

No Fabric Softener: Use a washcloth with a dab of hair conditioner or smelly good lotion to get rid of static (I only have to do this every once in a while in the winter)

No boxed mixes such as Hamburger Helper or Blue Box Mac N Cheese: Cook from Scratch

I'm sure I'll think of more later
Andrea