Okay, Newbies, this one is just for us. (For the purposes of this challenge, 'newbies' is defined as anyone who joined FV six months ago or less.)
Everyone has at least one frugal trick that they don't necessarly recognize, because they think "Everybody knows THAT!" Maybe, everybody doesn't.
The challenge is to post a frugal idea here that you do as a matter of course or have done for a long time without thinking of it as frugal. It's just what you do. This is actually harder than it sounds, because we have blind spots about stuff we do all the time.
Here's mine, to start off.
For many years I've been in love with cats and have followed in my mother's footsteps by making them catnip bags from old baby socks, empty toilet paper rolls and home dried catnip.
I collect my own wild catnip every summer and hang it to dry just like any other herb. When dry, pick off the leaves and flowers and discard the stems, which are dangerous for kitties.
Take a clean (do not use bleach when washing) baby sock and insert an empty toilet paper roll into the end to hold the sock open. You want to push the roll as far into the sock as possible to keep the dry catnip from catching on the knit.
Dump in a couple of tablespoons of dry catnip and remove the TP roll. You should now have catnip in the toe of the sock. Holding the toe in one hand and the cuff in the other, stretch the sock until you can tie a knot in it to keep the catnip in place. Push the knot as far down as it will go so you have a lump of catnip in the toe held tightly by the knot.
Rub the toe between your hands to release the scent and toss it to the closest kitty and enjoy the reaction.
FYI, catnip grows wild in many parts of the country and can be identified by its square stems and triangular, fuzzy leaves. All mints look like this, so pluck off a leaf and crush it. If you have cats, you already know what catnip smells like, but it could be peppermint or spearmint, too. Any good wild plants book should have a picture to help you identify catnip.
Everyone has at least one frugal trick that they don't necessarly recognize, because they think "Everybody knows THAT!" Maybe, everybody doesn't.
The challenge is to post a frugal idea here that you do as a matter of course or have done for a long time without thinking of it as frugal. It's just what you do. This is actually harder than it sounds, because we have blind spots about stuff we do all the time.
Here's mine, to start off.
For many years I've been in love with cats and have followed in my mother's footsteps by making them catnip bags from old baby socks, empty toilet paper rolls and home dried catnip.
I collect my own wild catnip every summer and hang it to dry just like any other herb. When dry, pick off the leaves and flowers and discard the stems, which are dangerous for kitties.
Take a clean (do not use bleach when washing) baby sock and insert an empty toilet paper roll into the end to hold the sock open. You want to push the roll as far into the sock as possible to keep the dry catnip from catching on the knit.
Dump in a couple of tablespoons of dry catnip and remove the TP roll. You should now have catnip in the toe of the sock. Holding the toe in one hand and the cuff in the other, stretch the sock until you can tie a knot in it to keep the catnip in place. Push the knot as far down as it will go so you have a lump of catnip in the toe held tightly by the knot.
Rub the toe between your hands to release the scent and toss it to the closest kitty and enjoy the reaction.
FYI, catnip grows wild in many parts of the country and can be identified by its square stems and triangular, fuzzy leaves. All mints look like this, so pluck off a leaf and crush it. If you have cats, you already know what catnip smells like, but it could be peppermint or spearmint, too. Any good wild plants book should have a picture to help you identify catnip.