What small, simple thing do you do to save money? Let's share!

[Renee in NC]

We don't buy napkins or paper towels.

 

We don't use dryer sheets or fabric softener. Never really needed to.:confused: I do use my dryer, but it is on my list to get the clothesline up soon.

[MelanieM]

On the fabric softener front... if you really want to save money, just cut it out all together. We never use it, ever, and have no issue with static. The only time it would be a problem is if you have synthetic fibers... if you don't put synthetics in your dryer, you won't have a static issue.

 

Plus, it's one of the absolute worse chemical products you could possibly use, so cutting it out will improve your finances and your health.

[zbargainmama]

I guess this only applies if you have monthly prescriptions but I make sure to always have a coupon for new or transferred prescriptions and I transfer them to different pharmacies every time I refill them. That gets me at least a $10-$30 gift card to either redeem for groceries or buy my next prescription with.

Last year I accumulated over $200 worth of gift cards.

 

We have our own vegetable garden in our backyard so we aren't paying the hefty price of organic produce at the grocery store.

We always use real plates, never paper plates to save money.

I buy the kids clothes twice a year at the end of season clearance sales at stores like (gap and gymboree) so then when they are done wearing them I can sell them on ebay for at least the price I paid.

We cook from scratch which is a double whammy because it keeps us healthy and saves us money!

Edited June 19, 2010 by zbargainmama

[Entropymama]

I don't go shopping, unless I actually need something. That's my best money-saving tip. :D

 

I have to disagree with this one. I used to feel the same way, but I realized that by shopping frequently I can buy things on sale intead of paying full price when I have to have them. Target and Walmart often have toys on clearance, so if I see something that's a good price I'll pick it up and toss it in the closet. We always have birthday parties to go to! I've gotten Barbies and Nerf guns for $5, bubbles, puzzels, etc for really cheap. Then I just pull them when a birthday comes around. Same with clothes and food; buy when it's on clearance. The key is having the self control not to buy stuff that's NOT on clearance!

 

The Dollar Store is my favorite place. :001_smile: Greeting cards are 50 cents, so I go and stock up on birthday, anniversary, baby shower, wedding cards, etc. and pull them out when needed. Gift bags and wrapping paper are $1. Ours sell school supplies, too, like poster board for much cheaper than anywhere else. Hair ties, combs, toothbrushes, Windex and Comet cleaning products, disposable table cloths, the list goes on and on. Although I wouldn't buy food or anything with moving parts there. :D

[Tap]

I guess this only applies if you have monthly prescriptions but I make sure to always have a coupon for new or transferred prescriptions and I transfer them to different pharmacies every time I refill them. That gets me at least a $10-$30 gift card to either redeem for groceries or buy my next prescription with.

Last year I accumulated over $200 worth of gift cards.

 

We have our own vegetable garden in our backyard so we aren't paying the hefty price of organic produce at the grocery store.

We always use real plates, never paper plates to save money.

I buy the kids clothes twice a year at the end of season clearance sales at stores like (gap and gymboree) so then when they are done wearing them I can sell them on ebay for at least the price I paid.

We cook from scratch which is a double whammy because it keeps us healthy and saves us money!

 

I can advise you that pharmacy hopping is dangerous. If you use multiple pharmacies for prescriptions, and you have a new script, the new pharmacy can't see if you have any medications that interact with each other. Doctors are minimally trained in this area and expect the pharmacies to catch such errors. The stores offer these coupons to get people to switch to their pharmacy. The stores are not concerned about your health. The pharmacies inside the stores see this as a very, very bad health care.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap

[Tap]

I buy most of dd3's toys at the second hand store. They have a 7 day return window (it actually goes onto you own account as a refund) so if she isn't enamored with a toy, I return it. It also saves me a ton in what a normal store charges for items. I usually pay around 20% of what a new toy would have cost. I also find unusual toys there that are hard to find. My most recent was a steel kids drum for $5 and a set of hand bells, new in the package for $6. DD3 loves music and I get her a lot of toddler music there for a few dollars a CD.

 

Then, when she truly does outgrow an item, I resell it for 1/2 of what I paid in the first place.

 

 

DD11 has found that she can make money selling her old toys there as well.

 

 

If I am going to buy an expensive toy, I watch Craigslist. I bought a large Quadrilla set last Christmas for 1/2 price and it was brand new looking. I bought dd3s heavy duty trike for 1/3 of the store price. I know I can sell these for at least this price when the kids are done with them.

[lllll]

..

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

Thanks for the Shout info! I vaguely remember my Mom using it, but I never have.

[Alphabetika]

I don't know if this is small or simple, but we do not have cable TV or cell phones.

[Peela]

We don't buy napkins or paper towels.

 

We don't use dryer sheets or fabric softener. Never really needed to.:confused: I do use my dryer, but it is on my list to get the clothesline up soon.

 

I am often amazed that people use these things at all! I never have and we don't even own a dryer.

[muffinmom]

I shop at the twice-a-year consignment sale that my SIL runs. At the February sale we buy spring/summer clothes; in July, we buy fall/winter clothes. We usually are able to get entire seasonal wardrobes for my 2 kids, often shoes, too. If I see good shoes in an upcoming size, I will buy them. We get books there and have found amazing toys for Christmas and birthdays. We usually find great coats and sometimes even Halloween costumes. They also have strollers, furniture, outdoor toys. We spend several hours looking around and paring down, but basically in 1 day twice a year, we get the bulk of our shopping done at a fraction of retail. Obviously, I could consign those clothes later, but usually I just give them away.

[MamaSheep]

I once asked my mother for advice on how to save money. She grinned, and said that the best way to save money is to stay out of the store. I have found that to be very good advice.

[susancollins]

I don't know if this has been posted or not but, I hang all of my clothes to dry on a clothes hanger in my bathroom except towels, washcloths, underwear and pjs. This saves money and it keeps the clothes from fading so they look new longer. My electric company said every load I don't run in the dryer saves me on average 50 cents a load. My kids also take their pjs off when they get up in the morning and put them under their pillow. They wear the same pj's for 3 nights before I wash them so I don't have to do so many loads.

[Audrey]

Ok, I'll start.

 

And I know this is lame, but anyway...

 

I buy my socks from the girls department. I discovered a year or two ago that stores like Target and Walmart sell socks that are the same size in both the women's and girl's departments. For example, I needed some new plain ol' white athletic socks. So I went to Walmart a few days ago, and picked up a package of fruit of the loom socks in the women's department. They were $7 for 10 pairs, and they fit shoe size 4-10. Well, then I went over to the girl's department, and I found a package of fruit of the loom socks, $6.25 for 10 pairs, that fit shoe size 4-10. I've done the same thing at Meijer before, too.

 

Not a big deal, obviously. :D But I love to find ways to pay less for what I want. Anyone else have any tips to share?

 

 

Well, this ranges from simple to complex depending on the garment, but I learned how to alter my own clothes. It saves money in a few ways. 1) I can shop sales and not worry if the item is too big. 2) I can shop thrift stores and consignment stores without too much worry about sizes. 3) I can do alterations as I'm losing weight instead of having to buy a new wardrobe every 15-20 pounds.

[AnitaMcC]

And I know this is lame, but anyway...

 

I buy my socks from the girls department. I discovered a year or two ago that stores like Target and Walmart sell socks that are the same size in both the women's and girl's departments. For example, I needed some new plain ol' white athletic socks. So I went to Walmart a few days ago, and picked up a package of fruit of the loom socks in the women's department. They were $7 for 10 pairs, and they fit shoe size 4-10. Well, then I went over to the girl's department, and I found a package of fruit of the loom socks, $6.25 for 10 pairs, that fit shoe size 4-10. I've done the same thing at Meijer before, too.

 

Not lame at all... I do similar. When I need to buy socks, t-shirts, PJs, athletic wear, etc... I check the boys, girls, mens, and womens dept for best prices. I figure for me I can wear medium in womens, small in mens, xlarge in kids. I often buy my shoes in boys dept. Recently I needed a pair of "combat" boots for Civil Air Patrol.... The womens boots were all $100+. I found the same pair in mens/boys size 4 for $45.

[AnitaMcC]

I have a rule: never pay full price unless the item is an absolute neccessity,and thankfully absolute neccessity is a rare. This goes for anything... food, household stuff, clothes, cars, electronics, etc. I use coupons where I can.

 

I shop mainly the clearance racks for clothes but otherwise it has to be on sale. I find it so hard to find jeans that I like and that fit me well. I still won't pay more than $25 for a pair though. I struggle with finding pants for my Ds15yr old. Ds is a boys size 18 length but a 14 slim waist. I can't find jeans/pants to fit him except at Penneys and even then it is if I am lucky. Thankfully he doesn't mind having baggy pants-LOL.

[AnitaMcC]

Cancelled our cable.

 

 

Same here!!!! Instead we watch TV through the internet.

 

We also cancelled our land-line phone. We use a provider thru the internet for a land-line and it is to have a phone for kids to use when at home in case of emergency. I think it is only $25 a year. We mainly use cell phones (Dh, me, and twins). Dh also changed our auto/home insurance.

 

So we pay for land-line phone, TV, internet of only $75 a month.

 

For our auto and home insurance we only pay about $200 month for home, two cars, two motorcycles. Before that we were paying $225 a month just for the two cars. A year and half or so ago it was only about $145 a month. No reason for increase... but we had same insurance company for 15 yrs. Time to change!!!!!

 

Another way we save is I use my military ID card for discounts. At Home Depot, etc. I can get 10-15% discount. We can get in many places for a discount and in some places for free. I make up a teacher ID and get discounts as a teacher in Borders, Barne & Noble, etc. We use the library alot.

 

Some places also offer discout for college students and so my Ds can get that. Sam's Club is offering college student memberships for $40 and also receive a $15 gift card. He can have a card and one adult over 18 can have a card.

[AnitaMcC]

Haircuts at the local beauty college ($4).

 

 

 

We cut the boys/Dh's hair. Just youngest Ds do I take to get his hair cut because he looks horrible with a buzz cut-LOL. I trim his/mine bangs between hair cut.

[AnitaMcC]

I can advise you that pharmacy hopping is dangerous. If you use multiple pharmacies for prescriptions, and you have a new script, the new pharmacy can't see if you have any medications that interact with each other. Doctors are minimally trained in this area and expect the pharmacies to catch such errors. The stores offer these coupons to get people to switch to their pharmacy. The stores are not concerned about your health. The pharmacies inside the stores see this as a very, very bad health care.

 

 

I don't really pharmacy hop... but if I had to get my kids inhalers and asthma/allergy meds paying our copay instead of the pediatrician having samples... I wouldn't be able to afford the meds.

 

My Ds15yr old uses xopenex inhaler, singulair, zyrtec, advair inhaler on a daily basis. His meds alone would cost me $200 a month in copays as none of these are generic and not all are on the insurance formulary list (or whatever they call it). Then add in my other three kids needing xopenex (nebulizer) or maxair inhalers... I would pharmacy hop to save money.

 

When I go to the pharmacy I ask the pharmacist questions. I am generally well informed IMO. I also can call up my VA pharmacy and asthma doctor to ask about any possible drug interactions even if it doesn't regard my meds. They don't mind helping me be more informed about my family's safety.

[AnitaMcC]

I am often amazed that people use these things at all! I never have and we don't even own a dryer.

 

I use fabric softener (diluted) because I hate rough feeling clothes. Especially towels and underwear. If my clothes aren't soft I get itchy.

[Mejane]

To make one quart of FakeShout:

 

 

Thanks! Shout and Spray 'n' Wash are so expensive, it's great to have an alternative. :)

[Gooblink]

To make one quart of FakeShout:

1 cup ammonia

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup Wisk

1 cup water

Mix together well.

To use: Put in a spray bottle and spray stains. Rub in and let sit 10 minutes. Launder as usual.

 

I quadruple this recipe and make a gallon. It lasts about a year in our house. My husband manages to spill coffee on his white dress shirts at least twice a week and hurts himself anytime he uses a screwdriver, hammer, etc. (The guy is a great businessman, but definitely NOT a handyman!) This recipe works great on coffee, blood, baseball boy grass stains and red ballfield dirt. I recently gave a bottle to my daughter who has 10 month old twins and a 3 year old. She said it was better than the expensive babystain product she had been using.

 

This is the recipe in Wendi Meredith's book "The Art of Frugality". Same book that taught me great coupon skills and strategies for the Ultimate Cheap But Lovely Christmas. I think her website is theartoffrugality.blogspot.com/

 

Thank you, so much! I've been doing my own laundry detergent, but buying the stain remover. I'm going to try this. Thanks also for the website link!

[sleepymommy]

This has been a great thread to read! I love the FakeShout recipe thank you so much! And the other tips have been great too :)

 

We do a lot of what has already been mentioned (foam soap, line dry most items, mason jars, no dryer sheets, etc)

 

I never purchase any clothing or shoes at retail price, I always shop clearance and mark my calendar for yearly sales at my favorite stores so I remember when they are.

 

We pack food and drink with us on all trips, if we had to fly there we immediately go to the nearest grocery store. This is the case even on overseas trips.

 

We buy our meat in bulk (1/4 cow, whole lamb), bigger up front cost but saves a lot of money. Grass-finished beef in the store is $$$

 

I always buy whole chickens and use the whole thing for multiple meals. I use the bones for stock and my boys love fried chicken skin!

 

I buy beans and grains in bulk.

 

I participate in and run co-ops for herbs, tea, nuts, dried fruit, soap, shampoo, spices, etc. Even kid toys.

 

I do not get rid of clothes. If they are in horribly bad condition, they get cut into rags.

 

Back when I was really skinny, I shopped in the big girls section for basic tops and pants.

 

I don't keep anything plugged in, unless I'm using it right then (with the exception of lamps).

 

Not thrifty, but good environmentally, I take mesh bags to use at the grocery store for produce (along with bags for the groceries of course).

 

Print as much as possible with small print and two sided.

 

Cut dh's and kids' hair and trim my own.

 

Make my own chai. I make a big enough pot in the morning that I can refill periodically throughout the day in my thermos cup while we are in and out of the house. If I'm going to be gone all day, I pour it in a big thermos and take it with me in the car.

 

I fill a big stainless steel water bottle or mason jar with ice and water and take it along with a couple of small stainless steel cups whenever we are out at the park or at any of the kids' lessons.

 

I use socks that are missing their pair or with holes in them for cleaning in the bathroom, I just throw them out after.

Edited June 20, 2010 by sleepymommy
one more

[texasmama]

I make my own cleaner with some white vinegar and water in spray bottles. This will clean virtually anything and is safe for the kids to use. Pennies per bottle. When the spray bottle is empty, I just refill it.

[ssexton]

I use dawn dish soap to treat stains. I usually buy it at CVS with coupons and ECBs, and it works wonderfully, especially on grease stains. I've even gotten stains out that have been through the dryer.

[MelanieM]

I use fabric softener (diluted) because I hate rough feeling clothes. Especially towels and underwear. If my clothes aren't soft I get itchy.

 

Vinegar in your rinse cycle will do this for you. It's cheap, environmentally friendly, much better for your health, and works extremely well without coating your clothing in chemicals.

[Blossom'sGirl]

I do many of the things listed here. I also make my own foaming hand soap by reusing a foaming soap dispenser. I place with a small amount of liquid hand soap in and then fill it with water.

[AnitaMcC]

Vinegar in your rinse cycle will do this for you. It's cheap, environmentally friendly, much better for your health, and works extremely well without coating your clothing in chemicals.

 

I have heard of this but been hesitant to try as vinegar has such a strong smell. I am just going to break down and try it...

 

How much vinegar to use?

[Joker]

I limit my trips to the store because if I go in for one thing I usually leave with more.

 

I also use only vinegar, water and castile soap to clean. The only thing this doesn't seem to work in is the tub and for that I will use a Mr. Clean magic scrubber.

 

I use vinegar in the washer instead of fabric softener. There is no vinegar smell after you dry the clothes. I usually use one cup per load.

 

I reuse store bags as trash can liners and I reuse ziplock bags from the freezer.

 

I also use power strips for the all the tv cords and turn them off every night as well as unplug any other unused cords during the night. HTH!

[MelanieM]

I have heard of this but been hesitant to try as vinegar has such a strong smell. I am just going to break down and try it...

 

How much vinegar to use?

 

My washer has place to pour in fabric softener and bleach with a maximum fill line... I use that as my guide, so I'm not sure exactly how much I pour in. Perhaps 1/4-1/2 cup? I'd say start with a 1/2 cup and see how that works for you.

 

I never have issues with my clothes smelling of vinegar. But if you're concerned, or enjoy a smell on your clothing, you could throw a cloth with a few drops of lavender essential oil in the dryer with your load. Everything will smell yummy!

[sleepymommy]

In addition to cloth napkins, I also use cloth tp (for #1) and cloth pads or a mooncup. I really spend a lot less on tp since I have to "go" relatively frequently.

[AnitaMcC]

My washer has place to pour in fabric softener and bleach with a maximum fill line... I use that as my guide, so I'm not sure exactly how much I pour in. Perhaps 1/4-1/2 cup? I'd say start with a 1/2 cup and see how that works for you.

 

I never have issues with my clothes smelling of vinegar. But if you're concerned, or enjoy a smell on your clothing, you could throw a cloth with a few drops of lavender essential oil in the dryer with your load. Everything will smell yummy!

 

It isn't the smell I use for fabric softener... just the softness. I often use the dye/perfume free laundry stuff.

[TXMary2]

I use lots of coupons. Also, I don't buy paper napkins or paper towels anymore. We use cloth napkins and I bought 20 bar mops to use for wiping things down in the kitchen, drying our hands etc.

[bookfiend]

In addition to cloth napkins, I also use cloth tp (for #1) and cloth pads or a mooncup. I really spend a lot less on tp since I have to "go" relatively frequently.

 

I have never heard of this and had to Google it for understanding. May I discreetly inquire, "is it uncomfortable?"

[ScoutTN]

I cut DH's hair and our kids' so far too. Otherwise he would pay $12 every 2-3 weeks.

[zbargainmama]

I can advise you that pharmacy hopping is dangerous. If you use multiple pharmacies for prescriptions, and you have a new script, the new pharmacy can't see if you have any medications that interact with each other. Doctors are minimally trained in this area and expect the pharmacies to catch such errors. The stores offer these coupons to get people to switch to their pharmacy. The stores are not concerned about your health. The pharmacies inside the stores see this as a very, very bad health care.

 

You are right that can be the case for sure. I just hop between two different ones and they know me very well. Plus the pharmacist is "grilled" about the ingredients in the meds because my daughter is highly allergic to inactive ingredients in lots of meds. I triple check everything!!!!

Edited June 21, 2010 by zbargainmama

[jld]

I once asked my mother for advice on how to save money. She grinned, and said that the best way to save money is to stay out of the store. I have found that to be very good advice.

 

:iagree:

[Miss Sherry]

I am often amazed that people use these things at all! I never have and we don't even own a dryer.

I would not be able to hang clothes out to dry if I wanted to , because my family has so many allergies, and the clothes would be full of so many allergens if left outside to dry that they would all be itching like crazy because of that. Also, we have so much rain, that for much of the year it just is not an option where we live.

[Miss Sherry]

I have heard of this but been hesitant to try as vinegar has such a strong smell. I am just going to break down and try it...

 

How much vinegar to use?

The vinegar odor easily washes out . Also, the vinegar washes other odors out that may be on your clothes as well, such as a strong odor in the socks. If you are going to use vinegar, use the white distilled vinegar, not the apple cider vinegar. I use about 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar in a large load. I also use vinegar to wash my laminate floors. It cleans well and is not harsh on the finish on the floors. It's also inexpensive.

[Barry Goldwater]

My two big suggestions:

NO COMMERCIAL TELEVISION EVER, for the kids, esp. when they are young. Mine never saw a TV show before the age of 5, and they have not been conditioned to "WANT STUFF" that they quickly get bored with, or that breaks easily...advertising, esp. on a young mind, trains them to feel unfulfilled unless they spend money (new barbie, new IPOD/cell phone/latest silly gadget, new car) These habits can start very young and plague you for life...it has saved me $$$$$$$Ks.

AND

I find the better organized we are, the more money we save. It's when we're the victim of poor planning or emergencies that we blow a lot of cash (take out food instead of a prepared meal, quick stop for $4.00 gal of milk instead of 3 gallons cheap at the discount groc. store, bottled water for $1.25 instead of a filled water bottle from our tap before we go somewhere, gas when it's on "E" instead of at the cheap gas we go by once every 2-3 days).

 

Make LISTS before shopping, and stick to them...buy enough stuff to get you through the whole week, to avoid convenience store emergency stops, extra trips, and high prices.

Also, thought of these too...

No cable/satellite - use netflix for TV shows/movies, streaming to TV and DVD mail.

No house phone - cell phones family plan

Generic Cereals - we go through 6-7 boxes per week, I save $25.00, enough for a pizza night!

Office at home for work (not easy for most to do, but it save me big $$ in gas, clothing, even razor blades!).

Used cars - no new ones.

Shut off lights unless you are IN the ROOM!

Cook multiple meals at once, saves electricity/gas/water and TIME!

Library instead of buying books.

Look for sales (again, planning)

Buy ONLY TO REPLACE BROKEN, not because, "there's a newer, COOLER, one!" Televisions, computers, and cell phones get people this way a lot.

and stay out of debt!

[Barry Goldwater]

OH! SORRY FOR DOUBLE POST BUT I FORGOT A HUGE ONE!!

 

Pay CASH for everything you can...not credit card, not debit card, not written check, CASH. Force yourself to peel off those $20.00s and you'll want to hang on to them for longer. I hate those debit cards because they're too easy to use. The CASH makes me slow down, and ponder, 'do I really need this?'

We get out the CASH we need for the week after payday, plan, and when that's gone, THAT'S IT, till next payday. It really enforces the planning. I know it might sound loony, but it has made a HUGE difference for me and mine...

[HollyDay]

I cut our grocery bill by $100/week. First I make meal plans for all meals and snacks that week, then make a list and stick to it. I also buy generic or store brands if they are cheaper. For instance, my favorite tuna is white albacore in olive oil, but, it is $1.87/can. Regular tuna in water was on sale last week for $67/can. That kind of thing adds up in the end. Breyer's ice cream is normally $5.99 but was on sale for $2.75 which is cheaper than the store brand that week. I use more "filler" like rice, pasta, beans, etc.

 

I use homemade cleaners as often as possible (borax, washing soda, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice,etc).

 

We do hang things out to dry as often as possible. The allergist said if we tumble the clothes in the dryer, it will remove the pollen and such. So, I dry it outside for the bulk of the drying, then bring it into the dryer for a shorter tumble.

 

I do not use the oven in the summer except on special occasions. I use the crockpot or toaster oven instead.

 

And, staying out of the stores has really helped! I cannot impulse buy if I am not there! We use the library as much as possible for entertainment and avoid fast food too. $5 pizza is always a hit though and a special treat.

 

Dd got a popcorn maker for christmas and we pop "old fashioned" popcorn instead of the more expensive microwave bags.

 

Jars or cans of fruit are cheaper than convenience snack packs. I make my own mixes and do more scratch cooking than boxes.

 

Dh, youngest, and I use "cheap" hair products, but oldest dd needs JesiCurl or DevaCurl products and that is just so expensive. Nothing I can do there except cut back for the rest of us.

[Julie in CA]

Well, I don't know how much my little things really help, but:

I remove half the light bulbs from each multi-bulb fixture.

 

I found a very cheap used stove on Craigslist (If I'd have waited for another 2 weeks there was a nice one on freecycle) and hooked it up to the gas line in my garage (It was there for a dryer hook-up, but I line dry). I do my cooking/baking out there now, so I don't heat up the house and run the a/c.

 

I buy a huge bag of pinto beans and we eat *a lot* of them. They're easy to cook up a big batch in the pressure cooker or crock pot, and I don't need to soak them that way. Bean burritos, taco salad, rice & beans, etc.

 

You can advertise on freecycle or craigslist that you're willing to pick fruit for elderly folks, if you can take home part of what you pick.

 

Run dishwasher/washing machine at night, when rates are more favorable.

 

Pack a permanent snack box (with water bottles) for the car, so we're not tempted to drive-thru for food when we're out.

 

I bought wall dispensers for the shower that hold shampoo & conditioner. One of the best things about them is that it helps regulate how much my kids use. They really don't want to stand there and pump the thing 14 times in order to use way too much shampoo. We go through much less now than when they were pouring it straight from the bottle, or even from the pumper that comes on some of the shampoos & conditioners.

 

I focus a lot on opening/closing windows & window coverings at the right times of day in order to preserve the cool temp in the house. It's amazing how much heat was kept out when I installed one of those cheapie foil-backed paper shades on a transom window over my back door.

 

I buy my ziplock-type bags at the restaurant supply. They are a lot cheaper, better quality (in case of re-using), and the box is big, so it lasts forever.

 

I do as some others do, and I use white bar towels instead of paper towels.

 

I set the default print setting on my printer to the ink-saving-est setting for almost all printing.

 

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[74Heaven]

Ok, I'll start.

 

And I know this is lame, but anyway...

 

I buy my socks from the girls department. I discovered a year or two ago that stores like Target and Walmart sell socks that are the same size in both the women's and girl's departments. For example, I needed some new plain ol' white athletic socks. So I went to Walmart a few days ago, and picked up a package of fruit of the loom socks in the women's department. They were $7 for 10 pairs, and they fit shoe size 4-10. Well, then I went over to the girl's department, and I found a package of fruit of the loom socks, $6.25 for 10 pairs, that fit shoe size 4-10. I've done the same thing at Meijer before, too.

 

Not a big deal, obviously. :D But I love to find ways to pay less for what I want. Anyone else have any tips to share?

 

I spent over $80 (at 8 a.m. this morning, I was taking my secondborn to an early summer class, lol) on undergarments and sox for my oldest dd. Everything was on sale but it was still a shock for me at the register. And I could have spent tons more but it was mostly for the oldest - college prep!

lj

[jillian]

we unplug electronics not in use (i.e. the coffee maker after we are done with it, the bean grinder, the toaster, etc).

 

we buy toys in the $1 bins at Target (like sidewalk chalks etc)

 

make our own bread products (tortillas, bread, hot dog buns, etc)

 

shop multiple stores for groceries.

 

don't buy much of anything unless the needs are persistent (dh desperately needed new shoes, his shoes had completely fallen apart and he had no bottoms left).

 

we also use HE bulbs

 

rarely use hot water to wash clothes.

 

rarely run the a/c and/or heat unless it drops below a certain temp/over a certain temp.

pop kernels instead of microwave bags for popcorn

 

cut out ALOT of snacks--i used to spend at least $250 at the grocery store for only me and dh. now I spend $150-200 for 2-3 weeks. we focus a lot on produce and fresh veggies when they are on sale. we try to shop organic if possible as well--it is something we aren't willing to compromise on.

[KellyinAr]

I don't know if this is a little thing or not but when I am shopping for something large or small I look on Craigslist. I have saved a ton of money watching Craigslist and being patient. When we needed another e-z bake oven instead of spending $25.00 at Wal-mart I bought one for $5.00 that was never used.

[Renee in NC]

I would not be able to hang clothes out to dry if I wanted to , because my family has so many allergies, and the clothes would be full of so many allergens if left outside to dry that they would all be itching like crazy because of that. Also, we have so much rain, that for much of the year it just is not an option where we live.

 

I know someone who hangs all her clothes inside on racks (and she has a large family.)

[cathmom]

I know someone who hangs all her clothes inside on racks (and she has a large family.)

 

Guilty!

 

Yep, that's me. Our dryer took forever and was so inefficient! I bought 2 drying racks from IKEA for $20 each and hang all my laundry inside. (I hate hanging it outside.) One rack fits in my laundry room (just barely), and then I use the other if I need to do a lot. I set that one up in our bedroom usually. Then I also have 2 over the door towel racks that hang on either side of my laundry room door, and I hang stuff on there too. I already owned the towel racks. I've been doing it for over a year now and have saved immensely on our power bill. When we are running our heat or a/c, the stuff dries within 24 hours usually. If we aren't running either, then it takes longer, and I sometimes will then toss it in the dryer for a few minutes just to finish it off.

[Baseball mom]

The sock thing can work for boys too. Ds was outgrowing boy socks but men's socks were to big. I found some plain white ankle socks in the women's dept. and they were just the right size. (just didn't let ds see package)

 

Thank you for the Fake Shout recipe. Having baseball players I have really gone though the store bought version (and sometimes still have to wash 2 or 3 times with it to get the red dirt out). Can't wait to try this.

 

Use cloth napkins and use washclothes or towels to clean messes

 

Take our water bottles (reusable) with us when we leave the house. Most of the time we take the small cooler to keep them in while we are in the stores to keep them cold.

 

Empty ice maker into bags often. Don't empty completely, just 1/2 of it at a time. Keep these bags in the freezer to use in our coolers.

 

Take a cooker with extra drinks (usually big jugs of water or tea to refill our cups or water bottles we brought with us) and some snacks if we are going to be away from home for any length of time.

 

Fill various containers with water and freeze. That way I have plenty of ice on hand. Yogurt containers, sour cream and butter containers are good ones to use. Easy to stack in freezer. Also easy to dump and put in bags if you need to "build up" a supply of ice. Those bigger blocks of ice keep a long time in the cooler and are fairly easy to bust up if they don't fit in the cooler. This also works good for filling a freezer if you don't have much in there.

 

Use white vinegar instead of Roundup in the cracks in the sidewalk. Use on a hot day with no rain in the forecast. A couple days later the grass will be dead. Stays gone for a while too.

 

Eat leftovers

 

Got to yard sales

[Angie in VA]

Thank you for the Fake Shout recipe. Having baseball players I have really gone though the store bought version (and sometimes still have to wash 2 or 3 times with it to get the red dirt out). Can't wait to try this.

 

Just tried this today after ds's all stars game during which our team WHIPPED UP on the other team. Revenge for eliminating us at last year's all stars tournament! Oh, back to the topic. It worked great. I showed ds his pants and he said, "Did you buy a NEW pair?" (He's so funny. He gets that from me!) Thank you to the OP of that recipe! (Who, I realize, is not Baseball mom. Who has a board name I love!)

 

 

Use cloth napkins and use washclothes or towels to clean messes

 

...

 

Empty ice maker into bags often. Don't empty completely, just 1/2 of it at a time. Keep these bags in the freezer to use in our coolers.

 

...

 

Take a cooler with extra drinks (usually big jugs of water or tea to refill our cups or water bottles we brought with us) and some snacks if we are going to be away from home for any length of time.

 

...

 

Use white vinegar instead of Roundup in the cracks in the sidewalk. Use on a hot day with no rain in the forecast. A couple days later the grass will be dead. Stays gone for a while too.

 

Eat leftovers

 

Go to yard sales

 

Were we separated at birth? We're living parallel lives, I tell ya! ;)

Edited June 27, 2010 by Angie in VA
typo