[CookieLee]

Spin-off from: http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/general-chat/151821-ah-ha-other-lightbulb-moments.html

What are some frugal tips you can offer that others might not know?

 

[CookieLee]

Here is one:

When I've got used clothes that are so torn, worn or stained that they aren't worthy of even a donation to Goodwill, I glean those items for buttons, elastic, hooks, snaps and zippers that I use later in my sewing projects. Of course, the rest of the fabric will get cut up to use as rags or, if possible, tear into strips to make rag rugs.

 

[sabrelvssammy]

Something new I did learn just the other day ~

If you have central air conditioning and you have a big unit outside - go switch off the breaker in the outside unit. It stays ready on and uses up phantom power.

For those of you that don't know what phantom power is - electrical appliances that are not on, but stay in ready-remote mode (like a TV or DVR) something that is designed to come on quickly with the use of a remote. (I think I explained this correctly - if anyone can do it better - please, do so)... anyway, it still uses power and runs up your electric bill.

 

[smk0817]

I did NOT know that about the AC unit!!! Thanks!

Stephanie

 

[Spirit Deer]

Learn to handle basic tools. Hiring people to do simple repairs makes no financial sense.

Buy quality tools. They're more expensive to start with, but you will not be replacing them over and over. Poor quality tools often result in poor quality work, too, or in frustration or even injury.

Stay organized. It costs money to go out and buy things because you can't find what you already own.

 

[ladytoysdream]

Carry a price book on you, or remember your prices in your head. A calculater is always a good thing to have with you ...there is one in the cell phone btw.
I remember prices in ounces, because so many stores carry different size packages. Today's example was the dog treats hubby wanted to get for the dogs. We were in a store we have never been in before. Different size packages...yup.
So the 14 ounce was 4.98 / the 32 ounce package was 7.99 and looking like the better deal till I told him, I bought what we had at home at the dollar store and it was 7 ounces for $ 1 a bag. I had bought 8 bags, $ 8 total, and have 56 ounces Bird seed was 7.50 for a 20 pound bag. The day before I had bought 2 bags, same weight, closer to home for $ 6.00 each. Also check out different places to buy things at.

 

[alaska_tiger_36]

ladytoysdream

I hate how they do that from store to store. The other one that drives me crazy is how they price one per ounce and the same product, different brand, is priced by the pound.

I make my own vegetable brith by saving vegetable peals, apple cores, and other good clean parts of food that we do not eat in a bag in the freezer. Then when the bag is full I cook these spare vegetable parts in a huge pot of water and create "free" vegetable broth. I've read where you can put the cooked stuff on a fruit rollup tray, dehydrate it and put that in your soups and such as a seasoning. I have not tried that yet, I just put the cooked stuff in my compost.

 

[ladytoysdream]

Don't just stockpile human food but also for your pets.
Have the right containers to store stuff in. Rotate your inventory. Grow what you can, that you will use.
This year I want more sunflowers. They are pretty to look at, feed for the wild birds, and the chickens. And I save seed from them for the following year I bought a hand grinder so this fall, I can crack the bigger seeds from the giant ones to feed the chickens.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Today's example was the dog treats hubby wanted to get for the dogs. We were in a store we have never been in before. Different size packages...yup.
So the 14 ounce was 4.98 / the 32 ounce package was 7.99 and looking like the better deal till I told him, I bought what we had at home at the dollar store and it was 7 ounces for $ 1 a bag. I had bought 8 bags, $ 8 total, and have 56 ounces

LTD, I quit buying dog treats when the price went way up. I make my own now. Recipes are everywhere, it's easy, and you can vary the ingredients to suit your doggies' taste and your budget. I haven't priced them out but a large batch lasts a long time, and now our doggy isn't getting all the artificial colors and preservatives and crap that's in the store treats. If you don't make the ones with all kinds of fancy ingredients, they aren't expensive to make. They do have to be stored in the freezer if they're not used within a few days, since they don't have all the preservatives.

I also make doggy meatballs using lean close-out ground meats. Not cheap, but better for our doggy than dog treats.

And I've started making jerky for her, too. The smell of that crap Walmart sells was enough to gag a maggot every time we opened the package, so I finally said "enough!" I use close-out ground turkey and make my own, which we can eat, too. Still not cheap, but I did do the math on that and it's less costly than what we got at WM and now we don't feel like puking when we smell it. That also needs to be stored in the freezer if it's not used within two weeks, per the instructions that came with my dehydrators.

 

[ladytoysdream]

I should make some doggie treats yes. We do use some lean meat for the dogs that gets mixed in with their dry dog food.
Right now Mater the basset is still a puppy who loves them bacon smelly soft treats. It gets him to come back in the house, after he goes outside to potty. At 7 ounces for $ 1....I probably won't get be able to duplicate them homemade.

I won't let hubby have store suet blocks for the wild birds anymore. I did find a recipe for them last year, and made some up. Also the chickens liked the recipe also
We save fat from the deer in the fall for the wild birds. I also buy fat when needed from a slaughter house. Also the dog's liver.
I ground up all the scraps from the deer meat to use either for the dogs or the chickens. That went in the freezer in 1 pound bags marked. Not too much gets wasted around here.

I started buying the chicken grain from a local farmer at about 60 % of what the store price is. I still have to figure out a better price to get layer crumbles for them. I found a current sale price on his wild bird seed at 30 cents a pound versus over 40 cents a pound at the other store. I stock up when I can for what we need.

I have also purchased expired grain to feed the chickens. At $ 5 a 50 pound bag, that beats the regular grain price of $ 15 for the 50 pounds.

 

[oheoh's momma]

carry a tape measure with u.for example u need a new/used chest..u need to know how big the space is u are putting it in or if it will fit...

carry a master list of families clothing sizes/shoes/ mattress sizes/ colors they like/ brands they like so u can find it used or on the clearance rack.... I also have my window sizes wrote down..hate paying ful price for curtains..

If u don't use it don't stockpile it..If u get it free and don't use donate it....

Penny's add up....

Pick up change on the ground It adds up..

rotate your stock.....

I always buy better quality tools..I have to purchase an air compressor and nail gun this week.. so we are researching to see which ones are the best..u get what u pay for...

I have saved thousands by air drying my clothes....

make your own cleaners.... I make fabreeze, bleach spray, vinegar spray, and carpet fresh..and carpet cleaners

 

[mauimagic]

Great ideaS. Have to think of what I could possibly add!

 

[Spirit Deer]

I do carry a tape measure, as Pen suggested. But if for some reason I find myself without one, I can still get a reasonably accurate measurement using folding money. Bills are about six inches long. I've used them more than once to measure stuff.

 

[Spirit Deer]

Making your own mixes is a great way to save, and the food is better. Any recipe you'd like to clone, Google it and see if someone has come up with a clone already. Try a small batch, and if you like it, all's well and you can use it as is. If it's not up to snuff, you can tweak it in future batches or try a different recipe. I've saved a ton by making my own Bisquick over the years. Most any mix can be duplicated.

Take your own food when you travel by car. We usually take a lunch when we go out of town so we can avoid restaurants and eat better food. Invest in a good five-day cooler that will hold ice better than one that isn't. It goes without saying that you can save a whole bunch on vacations if you avoid restaurants and also bring stash food from home as much as possible.

When you drive, obey the speed limit. Speeding is dangerous, it burns more gas, and tickets are costly especially if they end up raising insurance rates.

Consider camping vacations. Once your gear is paid for, camping is a very cheap way to travel and the memories made around a campfire will be with your family forever.

 

[mamamia]

Something new I did learn just the other day ~

If you have central air conditioning and you have a big unit outside - go switch off the breaker in the outside unit. It stays ready on and uses up phantom power.
.

Now this is definetely new on my book! I can't wait to show my hubby, and then save some money! Thanks SO much for posting this!!

Theresa

 

[ladytoysdream]

Don't let the word EXPIRED scare you.

Example ....ink for your printer.
Some printer brands are DUMB and will accept expired ink.
I have bought black off of ebay and saved big $$$.
Never tried color but it should work also.

 

[savvy_sniper]

Try to get a job or make/sell items in your area of interest/hobby. Hubby and I have TWO Harleys. I got a part-time job at my favorite independent motorcycle shop about a year ago. I love it and I am learning a lot about the care and maintenance of motorcycles. PLUS I get an employee discount on parts and labor AND earn a little extra money.

We also have a consignment shelf at the shop for people to sell used parts. I got highway pegs for my bike for $30. They cost $129.95 plus tax new.

I also have a display of keychains that I sell at the shop. I just got in an order of dorags/headbands geared towards women that I will sell in the shop. They don't have a lot of items geared toward women; so my items aren't eating into the shop making money.

This part-time job is paying off in many frugal ways. And it's fun and I enjoy it.

 

[Spirit Deer]

I love seeing people working in non-traditional jobs. Any time you cross the gender line, you're increasing your independence and by doing that, you're bound to save money somewhere along the line.

Years ago, I wanted to learn to make Indian dance outfits, so I volunteered for a project through one of our local Indian education programs, that was making dance outfits for all the rez kids. Now I know how to make jingle dresses, dance shawls, grass dance outfits, and other pow wow items. I don't know where I'll ever use those skills again, but it was fun for me. I've done similar things over the years and leaned a lot about many other skills.

I've also learned a lot by closely watching contractors we've hired over the years, so much that I now know how to build my own deck instead of hiring it done, and can do simple construction and repairs of smaller projects.

LTD, even if your printer can tell the ink is expired, you can fool it into thinking it isn't by pulling out a little battery and resetting it. Reset HP expired printer ink - YouTube

 

[judembc]

On a side note - Those dorags are also great for people going thru chemo. My sister always complained her wig was hot/itchy. For the most part she went bald or wore a baseball cap, but sometimes her head got cold so she'd wear a dorag.

 

[sabrelvssammy]

You don't need to use fabric softener sheets, or fabric softener period. The reason your clothes are not soft is because washing machines cannot get all the soap out of clothing (no matter how new, big, expensive, etc - it is just not possible).

Example- ever seen a hot tub with lots of suds? That is because the jets beat on the bathing suits, and it beats the soap from the materials. In reality, one should never wear any clothing in a hot tub (makes for some exciting times at the resort) - hahhhhaaaaaaaaa......

Get a big jug of vinegar and add it to your softener cup. (Or soak a cloth in vinegar if you have no such cup). Then just line dry the clothing (will be so much less stiff) or throw in the dryer.

Your clothes will be softer, cleaner & last longer.