Name ONE surprisingly cheap thing you do ...

[mirth]

... which if people you knew, knew, they would say, "Really? She does that? Did you actually see her do this?"

 

I re-wash Ziploc bags in the washing machine.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

... which if people you knew, knew, they would say, "Really? She does that? Did you actually see her do this?"

 

I re-wash Ziploc bags in the washing machine.

They hold up in the washing machine? Do you throw them in with the regular laundry, or get enough for a ziplock bag cycle? I'm not being snarky - I wash mine out by hand and would love to be able to throw them in the washing machine. :)

[elegantlion]

I cut my own hair. I haven't had a ...okay, I was going to say a real haircut, but as in homeschooling we do "real" school even though it's not in a typical classroom. Backup, rewind, edit... I haven't been to a professional hairdresser in at least 6-7 years. I cut it curly girl style, while dry cutting each curl. It looks better than it ever did when someone else was cutting it.

[LauraGB]

Break the stems off the bulk portobella mushrooms before I put them in my bag at the grocery store. I don't make mushroom broth and the stems are heavy. I figure someone else will want them; I just want the caps.

[unsinkable]

Break the stems off the bulk portobella mushrooms before I put them in my bag at the grocery store. I don't make mushroom broth and the stems are heavy. I figure someone else will want them; I just want the caps.

 

I pull the rotten grapes out of the bunch.

 

I'm not paying for a rotten grape that I'm not going to eat!

[Scarlett]

I reuse ziplocks unless they've had meat in them.

 

I buy cheap shampoo, (but expensive conditioner)

 

I buy whole chickens, bake them and take every smidge of meat off the bone to use in recipes. (I can get over 4 cups of chicken out of one $4 chicken---4 cups good for two chicken dishes AT LEAST)

 

I've started coloring my own hair. $3 vs. $45.

 

I've let my mom cut ds's hair several times this summer....Eventually I take him in for a professional cut, but mom does great between cuts. Free vs. $11.

[mirth]

They hold up in the washing machine? Do you throw them in with the regular laundry, or get enough for a ziplock bag cycle? I'm not being snarky - I wash mine out by hand and would love to be able to throw them in the washing machine. :)

 

I just throw them in with the regular wash (detergent only, no bleach, no fabric softener, warm water wash, cold water rinse x 2) turned inside out. The lettering on the outside tends to wear off quicker and the bags probably do not last as long as well as hand washing. (I can probably wash them 7x-10x without problem but I only ever buy the thick plastic freezer-type bags) Machine-washed, they somehow dry really fast. It pains me to throw out a Ziploc that doesn't look like its led a long, Marianne Faithfull sort of life.

 

Now you have given me an idea to try a dedicated Ziploc wash. I would probably use a gentle cycle

Edited November 10, 2009 by mirth

[FriedClams]

Maybe this doesn't count - but I try to see how many meals I can get from a chicken. I used to get 3 from the Walmart rotisserie - but now I rotisserie my own and I can get an easy 3 (same price but I think I get an easy pound or more of meat from doing it myself). We eat it one night - casserole the rest and then boil the bones/strip what's left for stock.

[Scarlett]

Maybe this doesn't count - but I try to see how many meals I can get from a chicken. I used to get 3 from the Walmart rotisserie - but now I rotisserie my own and I can get an easy 3 (same price but I think I get an easy pound or more of meat from doing it myself). We eat it one night - casserole the rest and then boil the bones/strip what's left for stock.

 

Hey this is mine too! I normally bake my own, but since I had hand surgery and didn't want to have to mess with raw chicken I bought a WM rotisserie on Sunday. It really irked me to pay that extra dollar for that whole chicken. :tongue_smilie:

 

I make several recipes that call for 1 1/2 cups of chicken....so I can get 2 or three dishes out of one chicken. I freeze the chopped up chicken in 1 1/2 or 2 cup portions and it makes it soooooooo easy to throw together things like chicken pot pie or tortilla soup or chicken enchiladas...or chicken fahitas. I'm hungry now!

[MaMa2005]

We get our haircut at the local beauty college. Three haircuts for $12. We have yet to get a bad cut.

 

The supervisor has actually thanked me for bringing our 4 year old DS. The students need to learn how to cut hair on a wiggly little child :D and most people won't bring in their children.

[stripe]

Now you have given me an idea to try a dedicated Ziploc wash. I would probably use a gentle cycle

I do a dedicated cycle for kitchen towels -- as I don't want to wash them with dirty undies, so if you have something like this, maybe you could include them with the towels. I wash some bags out by hand or just reuse (I had a bunch that I just reused to store flour + butter for pie crust in my freezer, so that when I made the pie crust, I immediately refilled with the same ingredients; or for example to store cookies / flour in, where they don't really get "dirty" very fast just dusty). Speaking of which, I buy butter on sale so it's generally cheaper to use butter than crisco.

 

I am not sure what surprisingly cheap thing I do. Er. I mostly shop clearance stuff, and I'm actually surprised what I've managed to find for under $5.

 

My husband occasionally comes home from the produce shop we go to with a big box of their "cast offs" -- almost all of which are perfectly fine and cost $2. He has come home with a big box of tomatoes a few times in the summer, which I then cooked and froze for sauces, and most recently a potato/sweet potato box. That surprised me. Ha.

[Scarlett]

. I mostly shop clearance stuff, and I'm actually surprised what I've managed to find for under $5.

 

I do this too....I found shorts for ds on WM clearance for $1 each and a Danskin workout shirt for me for $2.

 

Oh and I also buy and store gifts this way. Trick is to not forget I've got stuff stored up!

[Kari C in SC]

I do this too....I found shorts for ds on WM clearance for $1 each and a Danskin workout shirt for me for $2.

 

Oh and I also buy and store gifts this way. Trick is to not forget I've got stuff stored up!

 

 

I have gotten quite a few new tops for me from Kohl's for under $5 in the last few months. I am amazed at how well I can do with clearance plus a Kohl's coupon. I also shop the Walmart racks. I buy ahead for the next year for the kids.

[Jennifer in NH]

I have so many...but if i have to choose just one it would be that i make my own cleaners..from "windex' to laundry detergent.

[LittleIzumi]

Family cloth ;)

[Alphabetika]

I don't buy envelopes - I use the pages of Martha Stewart magazines that I buy at the library bookstore for 25 cents each.

[*********]

I buy most of our clothes at the thrift store. My mil is quite put off by that, but it saves us a lot, and we always are dressed nicely.

 

I cut my dh's hair, as well as Moose and Zee's hair. Dss likes his hair longer, and I don't know how to do that; I only do cuts with clippers, lol.

 

I wear my hair very long and natural, so I only get it trimmed once every year or so.

 

Like Scarlett said, I buy cheap shampoo (but expensive conditioner).

[jujsky]

I don't think I do anything outrageously frugal, but here are a few things I do to save money and because I just like to do them:

 

1. I make my own bath salt out of Epsom salt, some coloring, and scents used for soap-making. It's much, much cheaper and I don't feel bad using a ton of it.

 

2. I make my own jam. With what I make from my gooseberry and currant bushes, we have enough to last most of the year. We buy the occasional raspberry jam or something like that, but that's it.

 

3. I started making pjs for my kids. I was appalled by the prices on girl's pjs, I couldn't find my usual sales (found great deals for DS, but none for DD), so I bought an easy pattern and made some. I've made 3 sets of flannel pjs so far, they're long enough in the arms and legs for her to probably get 2 years out of them, and I only spent about $7-8 each on fabric because I hit a GREAT fabric sale!

 

4. I am using some of DD's old clothes to make clothes for the American Girl doll she's getting for Christmas. I never get much for her clothes at yard sales, and this way I don't have to buy as much fabric. It also gives me a chance to do something cute and useful with some of her old clothes that she's outgrown, but I love so much that I can't part with.

[Scarlett]

Like Scarlett said, I buy cheap shampoo (but expensive conditioner).

 

What is your favorite cheap shampoo? I was loving an Equate version of....hmmm.....forgot now, but they quit making it. I've been using Suave lately.

 

I was buying Biolage conditioner which is pricey....then I accidentally discovered that Tresemme makes a pretty good conditioner for not much.

[mktkcb]

We reuse the brown lunch bags my husband takes to work. He keeps them there, and when they pile up, he brings them home. Obviously when one gets ripped or tattered, it gets trashed, and occasionally I'll just toss one if I see it around the house with trash in it. Another thing we do which doesn't seem all that surprising really I guess, is cut my families' hair. Saves a ton, and isn't that hard to do.

[JFSinIL]

never eat out? And hubby uses the plastic bag in which the newspaper arrives as his lunch sack ( a brown-bagging attorney in Chicago!)

[Scarlett]

never eat out?

 

I eat out, BUT I bring home every scrap of food and we eat it for another meal. Last week ds9 and I went out to eat....we both ordered the same dish and by the time it got there it was clear it was waaaaaay too much food. Before I even touched mine I asked for a to go box and then I just ate a bit of ds. It was delicious as leftovers the next day---and again it fed us both. So we got 4 restaurant meals for the price of 2.

[johnandtinagilbert]

baking soda w/ crushed fresh mint for toothpaste

 

make my laundry detergent

 

clothesline

 

don't run a/c much or the heat (layered clothing)

 

use the backside of paper for scraps or things I might print

 

shop sales

 

stock up on BOGO supplies

 

shop discount groceries (I only get meat from Albertson's, Save-a-lot for pantry and local market for produce.) I have cut our grocery budget by about $200-250 a month doing this.

 

recycle card board boxes and save on garbage bags :)

 

reuse the bags from the grocery for dog waste

 

I'm a dumpster diver for furniture and storage containers

 

I sew pillow covers a lot to change the seasons in our house.

[johnandtinagilbert]

never eat out? And hubby uses the plastic bag in which the newspaper arrives as his lunch sack ( a brown-bagging attorney in Chicago!)

we rarely eat out either....5 times a year? We use the newspaper bag for dog waste too :)

[*********]

What is your favorite cheap shampoo? I was loving an Equate version of....hmmm.....forgot now, but they quit making it. I've been using Suave lately.

 

I was buying Biolage conditioner which is pricey....then I accidentally discovered that Tresemme makes a pretty good conditioner for not much.

 

I buy Suave or Vo5 shampoo; whatever I like the smell of that day. :) And I finally found a good conditioner that works well for my hair; Herbal Essences, the kind especially for long hair. I LOVE it. But, if I use it with anything other than cheapie shampoo, my hair ends up looking oily. I've tried a lot of different combos, but cheap shampoo, with my conditioner, and my hair looks great. Oh, I usually also add a product after I blow dry; either the leave in conditioner from the same line as my conditioner, or else Garnier Fructis stuff.

[Scarlett]

I buy Suave or Vo5 shampoo; whatever I like the smell of that day. :) And I finally found a good conditioner that works well for my hair; Herbal Essences, the kind especially for long hair. I LOVE it. But, if I use it with anything other than cheapie shampoo, my hair ends up looking oily. I've tried a lot of different combos, but cheap shampoo, with my conditioner, and my hair looks great. Oh, I usually also add a product after I blow dry; either the leave in conditioner from the same line as my conditioner, or else Garnier Fructis stuff.

 

Oh that's it! The Herbal Essence was the shampoo Equate knocked off for a while. I loved it.

 

I have long hair too and if I try using cheap conditioner it is apparent within a month. Amazing really. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.

[Cranberry]

I pour a tablespoon of milk into the bottom of an almost empty ranch dressing bottle, shake well and we get several more meals out of it.

Use olive oil or water for the non-creamy kinds.

 

I cut my dryer sheets in half, only use them for towels.

 

I cut open toothpaste tubes to get the last bit out.

[Denise in Florida]

Trash picking :001_smile: If someone has discarded an item I can clean up and repair or turn into a craft, I will pull over and throw that goodie in my car.

 

Shop at thrift stores -very common in Arizona and New Mexico where I am from, but fairly rare in the south.

 

Use the last molecule of toothpaste, shampoo, lotion etc.

 

Keep my eye on bulletin boards, community newspapers etc. and attend free and expensive events around town. People are always asking "How did you know about it?" Most recent events were: gem and mineral show ($3), rabbit breeder show (free), Hitchcock Film Festival at an old downtown theatre ($5), Spin in Public Day (free, but I had a conflict and couldn't go).

[Lovedtodeath]

I have been thinking about how cheap my wedding was. My dress was $70 for the fabric and my aunt sewed it. It was gorgeous. I was very happy with it. I watch "say yes to the dress" and I can't believe it. My shoes were on clearance for $12. My mom and I made my veil.

 

My mom did the flowers. (She is amazingly talented and has entered shows.) We bought them at a warehouse. DHs grandma made the cake. (not professional, but very delicious and beautiful) Volunteers supplied trays of food.

 

We probably spent around $2000 for everything including renting the reception hall, and it was a very nice wedding.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I buy VO5 shampoo and conditioner- a dollar a bottle, and I dilute the conditioner half and half with water. It works fine, diluting doesn't work well with the shampoo.

 

I also cut my own hair and dh and the boy's hair. I don't use soap on myself, or makeup, or lotions, I use olive oil or mineral oil for moisturizer.

[mom2denj]

I am so happy to know that I am not the only one who washes my ziplock bags. I do however wash them by hand, I cannot wait to try washing them in the washer!:D

... which if people you knew, knew, they would say, "Really? She does that? Did you actually see her do this?"

 

I re-wash Ziploc bags in the washing machine.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

instead of using blush, I blot my lipstick with my fingers and dab it on my cheeks.

[coralloyd]

I bought all my dc's clothes for this winter at garage sales (even cheaper than thrift stores, most of the time). I couldn't find shoes though, so those were bought new, but on sale.

 

I cut all of my dc's hair.

 

Reuse bags also.

 

Cut tooth paste open.

 

Bought those foaming soap dispensers. They only use about an inch of soap and the rest is water.

 

Buy cheap Scott t.p. in the HUGE pack. This lasts about 3 months.

 

Buy the very cheap laundry soap in the big bag.

 

VERY rarely eat out.

[Ferdie]

never eat out? And hubby uses the plastic bag in which the newspaper arrives as his lunch sack ( a brown-bagging attorney in Chicago!)

 

You must be my twin. We rarely eat out and I reuse the liners from ceral boxes.

 

My neighbors also think it is a little strange that we rarely go to first run movie releases. Instead we wait two months until the movie is at the dollar theatre. They also think it is odd that we don't buy soda at the dollar theatre, but I am not paying $10 for 3 sodas. Instead we get the free water cups with ice and fill them at the water fountain. We drink our free water and share the large, refillable tub of popcorn. Cheapo!

[stripe]

You must be my twin. We rarely eat out and I reuse the liners from ceral boxes.

For what?

 

(Curious, not snarky)

[Pippen]

I buy most of our DVD's at a pawn shop. Prices vary but usually are around $3. When we're done with them I gather them up and take them back for half credit of the prices they're currently listing them at.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Pippen

[LauraGB]

My neighbors also think it is a little strange that we rarely go to first run movie releases.

 

For the most part, barring books-into-movies that we anticipate months (or years) in advance, this is us, too. I also sneak water from home in my purse; we use refillable stainless water bottles - saves $12 right off the bat. Sshhh!

[Spy Car]

When I haven't had quite enough coffee (like this morning) I'll sometimes re-fill the French Press with another round of water (re-using the old grounds).

 

Bill (who has some Scottish blood)

[Nicole M]

When I haven't had quite enough coffee (like this morning) I'll sometimes re-fill the French Press with another round of water (re-using the old grounds).

 

Bill (who has some Scottish blood)

 

I do this too, but add a tiny scoop of fresh beans to the used, to encourage the old beans.

[Spy Car]

I do this too, but add a tiny scoop of fresh beans to the used, to encourage the old beans.

 

Spend-thrift! :lol:

 

Bill

[Julie in CA]

Well, I've gathered my family around for a conference/demonstration/20 minute tirade on how to "piggyback" the last sliver of a soap bar onto the other one, rather than leaving it to sog and waste on the shower floor.

 

I've made my dc use a food scale to actually measure the cheese serving because it's too expensive and they *always* go overboard.

 

I've aided and abetted my children in sneaking dollar store candy into the movie theater, even though I know it's wrong. We very rarely go to see movies in the theater anyway.

 

I've made my college-age son take his (hard-to-find)textbook to the first class of the semester after he's through with it, so as to sell it to the most desperate "highest bidder with cash".

 

We have a dairy farm, and I have had my dc "glean" through some of the commodities that we feed to the cows, and bring home anything that seems edible to humans. For instance, cows eat almond hulls, and sometimes there will be an odd almond in the pile of hulls. My kids collect them for me. Sometimes we'll get a load of discarded carrots, and I've asked the kids to pick out the best of the worst, and use them at home.

 

I'm looking on Freecycle on Paperbackswap for my Christmas gifts this year.

 

Ooops....was I supposed to choose just one? :D

 

ETA: Ooh, I thought of another. I don't give birthday cards. Ever. My in-laws think it's because I "forgot". Really, it's because I refuse to spend money on something that's going in the trash 2 hours after I give it. I will, however, write a meaningful note to someone at a later date.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Julie in CA

[Scarlett]

I've made my college-age son take his (hard-to-find)textbook to the first class of the semester after he's through with it, so as to sell it to the most desperate "highest bidder with cash".

 

Now this is funny. I don't care who ya are! My favorite of the whole thread.

[Julie in CA]

Now this is funny. I don't care who ya are! My favorite of the whole thread.

Lol! I live to serve (and entertain!). :D

[sunflowerlady]

I can't think of anything "surprisingly" cheap that I do. However-

 

Dh cuts his own hair.

 

I have a lady who cuts dd's hair and mine very cheaply. I only cut mine about once a year.

 

I shop at Goodwill and other thrift shops. I also get a lot of our clothing at a local church's clothing closet. It is free there.:)

 

We rarely eat out.

 

I buy store brands of almost everything.

[Macrina]

We compost our own human waste: we don't have a toilet that flushes, we use a sawdust layering system and then it all goes into the humanure pile.

 

We don't use paper products: no TP, no feminine napkins or tampons, no paper towels, no napkins. All reusable cloth items.

[nova mama]

After I wash my hands and dry them with a paper towel, I put the towel in my back pocket to use again later.

[MamaT]

When I haven't had quite enough coffee (like this morning) I'll sometimes re-fill the French Press with another round of water (re-using the old grounds).

 

Bill (who has some Scottish blood)

 

I do this too (what does being Scottish have to do with it? Just curious - my last name begins with Mc).

 

I also make all my own household cleaners, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, etc. I finally found the secret ingredient to use in my dishwasher so that the dishes are not cloudy!

[Spy Car]

I do this too (what does being Scottish have to do with it? Just curious - my last name begins with Mc).

 

Oh, it's an old stereotype that Scots are, uh, thrifty :D

 

Bill

[MamaT]

I guess I fit the bill then. :001_smile:

[Dobela]

I have been known to dumpster dive. Amazing what good thigs you can find there!

 

Recently I went to a yard sale and the lady had a huge mound of free clothing. I asked about it and she said no one would take it because no one wanted to dig thru it. It was clothes she didn't have time to sort and price. I took it all with her encouragement-filled up the back of my small SUV, threw out the bad or cut them in to rags, saved the buttons off them as well, washed the ones that had hope. What fit my family I kept. The other clothes that looked almost new but won't work for us I have now tagged for the upcoming consignment sale and I hope to make a good amount of money from it. Stuff that I don't think will sell due to small stains has been donated to our local Goodwill.

 

I save all the jars that mayo, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, and so on come in. I keep my pastas, dry beans, screws, aand whatever else needs a home in them.

 

I freeze all veggie leftovers in a butter tub since my family doesn't eat leftovers well and we also seem to have 3 green beans left a the bottom of the bowl each time we eat. Any small meat scraps I also freeze in separate containers according to type (pork, beef, chicken). When the veggie tub is full, I make a vegetable soup for a meal and add one of the meats and water as necessary. One small slice of leftover roast can flavor soup wonderfully!

 

I found a great roomy purse with lots of pockets at a consignment store for just $3. It was colorful and washable so I used it for a diaper bag instead of a purse. I can't tell you how many people stopped me and asked where they could buy a diaper bag just like it!

 

I use the backs of paper to print on. My son laughs about doing his homework on the back of a letter soliciting our business from the local cemetary.

 

I made my own bows for gifts last Christmas from old magazines using this website: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=247280.0

 

I save all the Christmas cards I receive each year. The next year (or 2 years later so no one gets their card back) I will cut the fronts off and send as Christmas postcards instead of buying new cards. The others I will cut and use as gift tags. The sayings inside often make great gift tags. Sometimes if there is enough space around the sayings clean, I will let my kids decorate them with stickers and use it as a postcard as well. Family loves the ones the kids make! The post cards are cheaper to send than cards in envelopes as well. Another friend makes new cards from her old ones by buying card stock or using her left over scrapbooking papers and gluing the front of an old card on front. Inside she writes her own wishes and personal letter.

 

My son wanted to give gifts to all the kids at church one year so we made the Christmas Crackers (all kinds of free patterns online) out of old tp tubes. He covered them with scraps of wrapping paper and filled them with stickers and cheap candy. They were a big hit and I only spent $4 on everything.