If you consider yourself to be frugal.....

[*anj*]

What are some of the ways that you live frugally?

We've been talking a lot about things we wouldn't do even if we were poor and what defines a comfortable lifestyle, etc. Some people have mentioned that with all the talk of cutting back and making do they'd assumed that many of us were in a lower income bracket than the poll showed.

 

So if you consider yourself to be frugal or penny pinching (in a good way), what are some of the things that you do? Do you rinse the bottom of the ketchup bottle to get the last few drops out? Do you rinse out freezer bags? Do you scrape the peanut butter jar til it looks like it's been washed? Do you cut the green spots off a potato? Do you save window envelopes that come in junk mail and use them for in-house, or person-to-person things?

 

I do all of those and more. What are your ideas?

[Punkinelly]

I have been at it for years and could not list all of the things I do, but here are a few, besides the ones you listed:

 

I cut our hair, sew household items and some of our clothing, do all our mending and alterations, have as big a garden as I can manage on our little property and use frugal methods, like propagating my own plants, hardly ever buy anything new, if I can help it...

 

If I burn cookies, I scrape the black bottoms off on a cheese grater. No one ever knows the difference. :o) We do not waste one drop of food. We have a compost heap for non-animal items to help my garden. I make gifts, if I can.

 

We get and offer things on Freecycle, too.

 

Mary

[LibraryLover]

We are very frugal. I also cut up raw chicken lol that I raised, even. (I send them out for processing). We Freecycle on both ends, buy in bulk from a coop- have a big organic garden, shop at thrift, donatr to thrift, compost, etc etc. I read Your Money or Your Life years and years ago, and TG. We are very careful, but we have a large mortgage, sadly, and live in one of the highest COL areas in the US. Just the oil to heat the house is incredibly costly. The property taxes are high, car insurance is crazy etc. We live here because our family does. It's home. We are in a high income bracket which means no financial aid for college, and all. All the kids inhereited messed up jaws, so they all need/will need braces on their teeth. My teen did not get a nice car when he started driving. We are not living high or are wasteful. Our home is less than 2000 square feet. Nothing fancy, and you could not look at us and guess our income. We are blessed and comfy, yes.

 

Oh, I haven't bought paper towels or napkins in years. We always used cloth diapers. All the things you said. We don't waste.

 

Frugal-lite-

 

We do take road trips. We try to do it cheaply, but we do them. And Disney at times. ;)

I use the AC during heat waves, no question.

And I also have an olive oil habit.

[PariSarah]

So if you consider yourself to be frugal or penny pinching (in a good way), what are some of the things that you do? Do you rinse the bottom of the ketchup bottle to get the last few drops out? Do you rinse out freezer bags? Do you scrape the peanut butter jar til it looks like it's been washed? Do you cut the green spots off a potato? Do you save window envelopes that come in junk mail and use them for in-house, or person-to-person things?

 

I rinse out freezer bags.

I use cloth napkins and hand towels. No paper napkins or towels.

I use a spatula on the peanut butter jar.

I haven't bought meat at full price in four years, and I think I've only bought seafood twice in that time. (Both times at a REALLY good price.)

I save all paper with printing on only one side--it becomes Isaac's art paper or my paper for taking notes.

I make diapers out of worn-out clothes.

I make almost everything we eat from scratch.

I cut my menfolks' hair.

I keep the thermostat at 55 in the winter.

 

But . . .

 

I keep the thermostat at 73 in the summer.

We eat a lot. A lot.

I buy all my clothes new. On sale, but new.

I use printer ink like it's water. I use water like it's water, too.

I haven't bought margarine, pancake syrup, or cheap olive oil in fifteen years. It's always butter, maple syrup, and good olive oil.

I throw out stuff that just doesn't taste good.

I sometimes use disposable diapers, even though I claim it's just dh that uses them.

[KS_]

What are some of the ways that you live frugally?

 

Well, I re-use freezer bags - even ones I've frozen meat in :eek: (I just make sure I wash them really well with hot water and soap - I figure it can't be much different than any other plastic container I put raw meat into). I do occasionally throw them out and not re-use them, especially if they've had chicken w/ skin on in them just because all that fat residue is harder to wash off :tongue_smilie:

 

I stock up on most items when I find them on sale or for a good price. We have two smaller chest freezers and a large storage space in our basement, so I'm able to do that. I try to never "run out" of things we use, so I'm not forced to go buy it and pay more for it because I did run out. I buy flour, wheat, oats, rice, wild rice, honey and coconut oil in bulk amounts, so it's less expensive. I do bake my own bread when it's not in the 90s (no AC in the house), but that's debatable at this point that I've saved money yet (bought the Bosch and a Nutrimill).

 

I scrape my peanut butter jar out, and cut green spots off potatoes, too :)

 

I compost kitchen scraps when there's not tons of snow on the ground, and we grow some fruit and veggies, some of which I freeze.

 

We turn down the heat at night, and wear layers in the house during the winter.

 

We cut our own hair.

 

I don't do a lot of driving around town during the week, which saves a lot on gas. If I do have errands to run, I try to do them on the same day.

 

I use about 1/4 of what's recommended on laundry detergent, and cut my dryer sheets in half. Same with the dishwasher - I don't fill the compartment full with detergent.

[WTMindy]

I shop at garage sales and get the best kids clothes there.

 

I do wash out zip-lock bags! (I always joke that when I make my first million I'm going to start throwing zip-lock bags away just for fun).....(just kiddin' about that, by the way, I know... the environment and all!!)

 

We drive used cars (very simple, unfancy cars)

 

We use coupons and only buy stuff on sale at the grocery store and don't buy prepared or convenience food (OK, I confess....I do buy grated cheese!)

 

I'm sure there are lots of other things, but I can't think of them right now.

[Punkinelly]

Just wanted to add that passing on frugal thinking to my kids has helped a lot, too. They think of cheaper ways of doing things that I hadn't considered all the time. They know the value of money.

 

I am doing a grocery Price Book, too. Love it.

 

Here are a few more things...we put plastic on the windows and keep the furnace low in the winter and use fans as long as we can in the summer. We also got that film you put on windows to block the heat-carrying light from coming it. I cannot believe the difference that makes in the summer! But the rooms are not dark. Amazing.

 

This week, we are insulating our attic.

 

Mary

[Nestof3]

Do you rinse out freezer bags? Do you scrape the peanut butter jar til it looks like it's been washed?

 

Yes! I hang my bags by clothespins on the little curtain in the kitchen window -- above the sink. They stay there until they are dry. Then they are put away in the drawer (if they are not used again before taking them down). I know this saves some money since they are usually used for veggies and don't have much residue on them to wash off.

 

I tilt shampoo bottles upside down to get the last of it.

 

I cut the dryer sheets in half and put them back into the box.

 

I make my own scratch pads with scrap paper, pages leftover in notebooks we are no longer using, etc. I have a mega stapler that staples 60 sheets at one time.

 

My younger boys love Kashi's Cinnamon Harvest cereal. I don't buy cereal with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogentated oils, so I am limited in my cereals. I found a Kroger brand of mini shredded wheat (tightly bound to limit those annoying crumbs), and wheat is the ONLY ingredient. So, I add a little organic sugar and cinnamon to this and voila! Cinnamon Harvest cereal at $1.00 a box less.

 

I am now keeping a price book so I know what a good deal is when I see it.

 

I use generic products when they are just as good as the namebrand.

 

I stock up on crayons, paper and such at the back to school sales so that I won't have to buy it during the school year.

 

I buy next year's clothes for the boys from clearane racks -- shorts for $2.14 from Target, for example. I do shop thrift stores too, but sometimes it takes too many trips to stock them. I keep their wardrobes simple -- jeans, khakis, navy blue.

 

I print out coloring pages from the internet.

 

The boys draw on computer paper which is cheap.

 

I make "leftover soup" once a week.

 

I keep the house and its contents highly organized so that duplicates are not bought due to not finding something. A home for everything and everything in its home.

[Punkinelly]

I keep the house and its contents highly organized so that duplicates are not bought due to not finding something. A home for everything and everything in its home.

 

That is probably the best thing we have ever done. I Hate buying something because I cannot find the one we have. What a waste of money! We try not to keep too much stuff, either, because the more stuff you have, the more time it takes to manage it.

[Jenny in Florida]

I wash out and re-use some plastic baggies. (I skip the ones that are stained and sometimes toss them when I'm just feeling lazy.)

 

I'm a fairly careful grocery shopper, buying mostly generics and as much unprocessed food as I can.

 

I cook and freeze my own dried beans rather than buying cans.

 

I save my plastic grocery bags to use for garbage. (Can't remember the last time I bought trash bags except when we were moving.)

 

I drive a small, used car with good gas mileage.

 

I do my best to use up produce, even when it does mean cutting away bad spots.

 

I keep all kinds of pieces of paper (and used envelopes) that have writing space on the back to use as scratch paper for my son or to make notes and lists.

 

I save the dreaded margarine tubs and re-use them for craft projects and food storage and all kinds of other things.

 

I trim my own hair.

 

I just don't buy a lot of clothing for any of us. And when I do, we shop at discount stores and on sale. For example, I just bought my son three pairs of new jeans and five nice t-shirts on clearance at Target ($40) and put them away for fall. We buy shoes at Payless when they have BOGO.

 

I'm really cheap about curriculum. I buy what I think we need, but I buy as much as I can at bargain and close-out book stores and then compare prices and use coupons to get the rest.

 

According to my daughter, "We save and re-use what you can. We just don't buy a lot of random junk. And when we do buy things, you look around for the best price." And I think that's pretty accurate. We don't deprive ourselves when we don't need to do so, but we consistently do our best not to spend more than is necessary.

[Punkinelly]

I haven't bought margarine, pancake syrup, or cheap olive oil in fifteen years. It's always butter, maple syrup, and good olive oil.

 

 

Same here. There are some things not worth being frugal about. We eat very healthful diets even though it is more expensive in some ways, but to us, that is worth more than money in the bank.

[Jane in NC]

I am not sure if I do certain things because they are frugal or because they are better for the environment. For example, purchasing from local farmers is less expensive than the grocery and certainly better for the environment without the transportation cost. I like to make gifts because they are more meaningful to me than a purchased gift. Sometimes my gifts may be more frugal--probably depends on the materials. (For example, I just sewed a pair of flannel pajama bottoms as a gift. They could probably have been purchased for the same price as the fabric on sale somewhere--I am just not inclined to go shopping.)

 

My depression era parents raised me to not waste. My husband's parents were the same. Doing without the latest gizmo is not a big deal to us. When we do make a purchase, we tend to think about it and choose purposefully.

 

We also try to think about how our actions affect our community. Our mailbox literally fell apart this week (what salt will do to metal!). After my husband purchased a new one, a retired neighbor came over with a spare post that he had and his post hole digger. We did not need to buy these things. I'll pick strawberries for them as a thank you in the weeks ahead. Knowing your neighbors can be frugal!

 

Jane

[rafiki]

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[*anj*]

 

I tilt shampoo bottles upside down to get the last of it.

 

Yes, but do you cut open a lotion bottle or a tube of toothpaste and scrape out the contents?

I don't do that every single time, but sometimes I do! ;)

 

 

I am now keeping a price book so I know what a good deal is when I see it.

 

I read that the other day and I think I may do likewise.

 

 

 

I make "leftover soup" once a week.

 

 

 

You inspired me with that one too. I have a bag in my freezer that contains dribs and drabs of leftovers. I labeled the bag "soup" and once there is enough inside, that's what it will be!

 

I do a lot of your other ideas too.

I think this is fun because I love to learn new ways to cut back on expenses!

[Sunny]

That we hang all our laundry on the line to dry.

We don't use paper towels or napkins.

DH stops at all the trash cans "behind" to find all the food, paper, and stuff that we could use.

I cut the boys' hair (including dh)

the boys only have 1 pair of shoes at a time, I have 3.

Almost everything we want to buy comes used from Craigslist or other online ad place, (clothes,tv,car,toys,radio,washer/dryer,fridge,etc..) otherwise, We find it on sale at the discount place.

We only eat that which I can make from scratch, (no processed frozen food)

I wash all ziplock baggies until they no longer can be used

In 16 yrs. of marriage, we have only bought 2 used cars. Our current cars are 87 toyota truck, and 93 toyota suv. Each with over 150,000 miles.

We do not hire out any services, my dh does all maintenance and handyman stuff.

I do not drive the car unless we have an appt. We stay home, and play outside for free entertainment.

We camp IF we take a vacation. Because my dh is self employed, we haven't had a "vacation" in a long time. So, I can safely say we don't vacation.

We only spend cash money, we do not have any debt, because we could never pay it back.

[Punkinelly]

OPK, I know I am probably wearing out my welcome in this thread, but here is something else I thought of...

 

Whenever something needs to be done or repaired, we take the time to study the topic and see if we can do it ourselves. Recently , our washer was giving us trouble, and since it is old, we though we'd have to get a new one. Dh got online and looked up"trouble shooting washer" and found out the problem. It cost us $6 to fix it!

 

Sometimes there are things that we need to call a professional for--dh will not work on gas lines or gas appliances. He is not knowledgeable enough to be comfortable and does not want to blow up the house, so we call someone for that.

 

But everything else is a possibility. We consider the cost of doing it ourselves vs. hiring someone. We will have someone else insulate the attic because we'd save $50 doing it ourselves and end up with a huge mess that I am not sure would be worth that $50. It would take us much longer, too. That is a consideration since I cannot do it and dh does not have much time off work at a stretch.

 

But we consider everything like that before we hire someone. We have learned to do so many things this way. The internet and the library are our closest friends. :)

[KS_]

Yes, but do you cut open a lotion bottle or a tube of toothpaste and scrape out the contents?

I don't do that every single time, but sometimes I do! ;)

 

 

I do that with our lotion! But we do buy a more expensive lotion with natural ingredients, so I try to use every last drop :001_smile:

[KS_]

Whenever something needs to be done or repaired, we take the time to study the topic and see if we can do it ourselves.

 

Most definitely! In the house we're in - the basement was unfinished when we bought it. Dh had little to no experience in all of that before we started. He researched, asked friends and relatives who knew how to do it to help, and has finished most of it himself. (I painted :D) Same with the totally unfinished yard (we're still not done - it's 1/2 acre), but we've seeded grass and done all of the landscaping ourselves.

 

And it pays to know people you can barter services with - dh's best friend is a Maytag repairman, and so any washing machine or dishwasher issues, we call him.

[Cynde]

I like to think I'm frugal too, but I know there is probably more I could do.

 

Here's some of what I do.

 

--- I wash freezer bags too - although I first did this for environmental reasons and discovered I saved money.

--- I cook from scratch and rarely buy convenience foods.

--- I make my own taco seasoning mix, Ranch Dressing mix, cream soup, salad dressings, etc.

--- We don't eat out much, and when we do, it's usually cheap unless it's a super special celebration (like ds's upcoming graduation!)

--- We consolidate our errands to conserve gas and time.

--- I buy groceries the cheapest I can find, look for the good sales, and use coupons (but only for stuff that I normally buy and no convenience items).

--- I shop for clothes on sale.

--- We strive to live below our means and save. We don't buy all the new gadgets, live in a cheaper house than supposedly we can afford, we don't have a designer house (but I do watch home and garden and dream big), we evaluate each purchase and try not buy material items we really don't need, etc.

--- We don't buy impulsively. This can save you lots of money. Even that pack of gum at the check out that you'll spit in the garbage in 10 minutes. It all adds up.

--- I don't waste food - okay it happens sometimes, but I try really hard not to waste a scrap.

--- I buy books at our library used book sale to stock my our own personal library. Books are my weakness - just like most of you!

--- I sell all the curriculum we're done with unless I just MUST keep it for our library.

--- I make good use of our credit card. First, we have a credit card (only one) with a great rewards program for our personal likes with no annual fee and no fines for ALWAYS paying in full. I pay it off in full EVERY SINGLE MONTH (we never have a finance fee or pay interest - no exceptions EVER). I track all we spend on the card and reserve that money in our account, so that it's there to pay the credit card in full each month. Sounds like a lot of work, so why do it? Two reasons: we earn lots of reward benefits and we "float" our money for a month (basically, instead of paying with cash or check, our money stays in our account for a month longer earning interest). Also, since I hardly ever write checks, I don't only buy about one box of checks every five years.

Thanks about all I can think of right now.

 

Areas I could improve in:

--- We order pizza about almost once a week. I suppose I could make my own. But heck, it's my night off! I do at least use coupons!

--- I buy all our curriculum new.

--- I could have garage sales to get rid of stuff or ebay, but I donate it.

--- I hope to have a garden one day!!!

[G5052]

A few things...

 

I buy good coffee and then make-and-take my own versus Starbucks (an immersion blender makes hot foamy milk for a latte)

I make simple meals -- crockpot or casserole, veggie, fruit, salad, bread

I mill and bake my own breads using simple recipes

I buy quality organic meats in bulk at grocery store prices

We take our lunch if we're going to be out all day

I do laundry every day and we don't own a lot of clothes

DH and I both work locally

We don't do a lot of outside classes/sports (just co-op, one sport)

We only do a few really special field trips a year

We truly treasure and celebrate our "splurges"

 

HTH!

[wagnfun]

[quote name=LaurieNE;160341

Oh' date=' I haven't bought paper towels or napkins in years. We always used cloth diapers. All the things you said. We don't waste.

 

Frugal-lite-

 

We do take road trips. We try to do it cheaply, but we do them. I use the AC during heat waves, no question.

And I also have an olive oil habit.

 

 

Ok honest question here... for me I haven't given up the paper towels for cloth. I'm thinking, and correct me if i'm wrong, that washing is wasting more water and detergent then cheap paper towels or napkins???

[jmgconner]

What a great thread! I can do so much more, and will start trying to do some of the things listed here! We started Dave Ramsey last October, and are trying to live like no one else, so... well, you know. :D

 

We're growing a Victory Garden this year.

DH made a rain barrel, purchasing almost everything he needed from Craigslist or FreeCycle.

Graocery Game and CVS shopper.

Keep the thermostat low in the winter, high in the summer. We're thinking of installing an attic fan ourselves this year.

Take care of our vehicles, praying they last a LONG time. (So far, so good - over 100,000 miles on our little commuter car and it still runs like new!)

Purchase our sandwich bread at the outlet store. Make our own rolls, biscuits, etc.

[Mom2GirlsTX]

I am not sure if I do certain things because they are frugal or because they are better for the environment. For example, purchasing from local farmers is less expensive than the grocery and certainly better for the environment without the transportation cost.

My depression era parents raised me to not waste. My husband's parents were the same. Doing without the latest gizmo is not a big deal to us. When we do make a purchase, we tend to think about it and choose purposefully.

 

We also try to think about how our actions affect our community.

 

Jane

 

My father made a very good income, only thing was I thought I was the poorest kid in the school. Come to find out later in life, we were definitely not poor, my dad saved every penny. Everything my mother bought us was used and ugly. I'm totally okay with used, just not the ugly part. :confused:

 

I am trying to be a frugal person.

Twenty years ago my friends laughed at how I saved, reused, recycled, organic gardened, etc...now they ask advice. We are frugal and concerned about the environment. I hate chemicals... I hate waste... I hate consumption for the sake of consumption with no merit.

Thus I buy my clothes and dh's and kids either on sale, or used. Sometimes new on sale is cheaper than used...sometimes not. I have a closet full of Jones NY or Liz Claiborne because I love those brands, but I could by Walmart cheaper but I often find those brands on year end clearance, or at Ross very cheap. They are classics and look good for years. I don't do trendy. Pretty yes, trendy no. I almost never pay full price for anything.

I'm trying to think what do I do:

I buy in bulk, long before wholesale clubs became popular

I reuse many things

I use the web for advice. I have found sites like Metacafe extremely helpful to learn how to reuse things. I didn't know until it that these batteries I have that are not rechargable can be used again by following directions. I have done that (I'm not talking putting a non rechargable on a charger, that is so dangerous)

I do like to only use rechargable batteries. If I could figure out a way to go off grid I would

In winter I keep heat around 60

In summer I keep it around 78 because dh has MS and he can't take it hotter than that.

I compost, good heavens I keep a worm bin in my living room for composting the dinner scraps (it does not smell, people never seem to notice it)

I try not to buy things from China, I just think the damage being done to the enviroment is to great, but sometimes I just can not tell.

We both drive older cars, but they are paid for.

I make most of our cleaners, etc from safe ingredients

I did buy LG Front loaders to use less water when washing but other washer was 12 years old so I needed a new one anyway.

 

We are really tight with our money in one way, but in another we aren't. If we need something and it is not a major purchase I buy it. All major purchases go by my husband first and he runs everyhing by me, we are team players in this. I am as much a naturalist as a tightwad, so when we bought our home we bought one that the older home owner gardened without chemicals, so we have more lizards, toads, ladybugs, praying mantesis than I can count in my garden.

Flip side of coin, we put in a swimming pool but did go with Salter water system for less chlorine. So we waste energy on a pool.

I wish I did more for the environment, one step at a time. We reuse and recycle and watch our pennies.

Thats all!

[Part-Time Homeschooler]

Great thread! Here's what we do:

 

1. Each season I sell the clothes that the kids have outgrown at a local consigment sale. I usually make enough money to buy all of their clothing for the following season.

 

2. I buy clothes only when they've been drastically reduced. Most everything I buy is 90% off or more!

 

3. We keep the heat turned way down (we wear sweaters). During summer, we cool only the downstairs in the daytime; the upstairs at night.

 

4. I squeeze every last bit out of any container (food items, bath & body products, makeup, etc.). In order to get the last little bit out, I cut open the tubes and bottles.

 

5. We cut our own hair.

 

6. We do our own yard work and home repairs.

 

7. Most importantly, we make sure to pay all of our bills in full and on time in order to avoid late fees and/or finance charges.

[Andie]

My younger boys love Kashi's Cinnamon Harvest cereal. I don't buy cereal with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogentated oils, so I am limited in my cereals. I found a Kroger brand of mini shredded wheat (tightly bound to limit those annoying crumbs), and wheat is the ONLY ingredient. So, I add a little organic sugar and cinnamon to this and voila! Cinnamon Harvest cereal at $1.00 a box less.

 

Oh, I can't tell you how exciting this is. I've been buying cereal more lately --with dh out of town all week I've been allowing myself that convenience. Anyway, my kids love the Kashi, too, and I can't buy the cheaper stuff with HFCS and the rest. Just can't do it. So this is good news! I'm going to look for the Kroger shredded wheat. Thanks!

[Andie]

There are some things I won't do to save money. Period. I won't buy unhealthy food to save money. I won't skimp on school expenses.

 

But I do many, many other things that I don't "need" to do because I think it matters. It matters to me that I don't waste. It matters to me that I do well with dh's income because I *do* get to stay home. It matters to me that my kids learn how to live well without constantly gathering and consuming and wanting, chasing, getting.

 

We're very fortunate that, at this point, it's not about just survival anymore. We've BTDT, believe you me. ::shudder:: I just don't understand why "the world" is puzzled at these "strange" things we do. We should want to start wasting money just because we happen to have more than we used to?!!

 

:blush:I've veered. Sorry, anj.

[Jane in NC]

My father made a very good income, only thing was I thought I was the poorest kid in the school. Come to find out later in life, we were definitely not poor, my dad saved every penny.

 

 

 

We must be related!

 

My parents always struck me as such odd balls. Yet several of my college friends adored them for their "do it yourself" ways.

 

Back to the frugal/environmental connection:

 

My tightwad mother would not buy us aerosol deodorant (something which I don't think exists anymore but was all the rage when I was in high school) because it was too expensive. Turns out, those aerosol cans back then used fluorocarbons as a propellant. The tightwad choice was the environmentally sound choice.

 

It does not always work that way, particularly in the short term. But I do want to consider long term consequences as well.

 

Jane

[Jennifer in NH]

Most of the frugal things I do are just second nature. I don't do them to be frugal per say, but just because it makes sense (to me). A lot of the things we do are listed already, but here are a few of mine too.

 

Only cloth diapers

only cloth napkins

I too only use a fraction of the detergent recommended.

wash out zplic bags

reuse tin foil

only use a reusable coffee filter

made all my own baby food

we don't buy processed food, I make it. so I rarely shop in the aisles of the store.

I use natural cleaners instead of commercial ones. For instance, I wash my floor with a solution of vinegar or lemon juice, maybe with a small amount of ammonia. I also use a lot of baking soda for cleaning.

we have a large garden.

We compost everything we can.

I re use paper that only has priting on one side for scrap paper.

I cut all the kids hair

I get every last drop out of every bottle.

If I am not going to eat the leftovers we had I will freeze them for soups or something else.

we have never in 18 years of marriage bought a new car and i never plan to.

We do all our own house/car/tractor maintenance and quite a few of the repairs.

I buy clothes that I know I can then hand down to the younger kids. Although Clara does have a few dresses.

I mend all our clothes when needed, even socks.

Weather permitting I line dry our clothes. We do have a clothes line in the basement but I really don't use it much anymore.

We always pay our entire credit card bill so there is never any interest.

I make all of our own bread...

 

Alright, I know there is a ton more but I am now in a brain fog.

I also don't sweat it. I am not constantly thinking of ways to save money, I just do this...and I'm sure we spend to much on other things

[Antonia]

I shop at Aldi, get a lot of my kids' clothes at consignment and resell there, sell my used curricula, only get my hair cut about twice a year, wear the same five shirts in summer and sweaters in winter, only take vacations to places where dh has a business conference, use the library instead of buying books, share a cell phone with my kids (whoever is out carries the cell phone), pay a reduced fee for cable (yes, it can be done!) and use the educational programs as school, combine lots of trips to cut down on gas usage, installed a wood-buring insert in the fireplace to cut down on propane use, make a career out of turning off lights, and others I'm sure I've forgotten. I drove an 11yo van up until last summer when it finally quit and I was forced to buy a new vehicle. My thrift-plan for next year includes allowing the state of CT to pay half of my dd's college tuition - yay!

[Scarlett]

I do not consider myself particularly frugal.... when we first bought our current house I had to be very frugal ($400 a month for all food/groceries/toiletries/haircuts/clothing). I found it exhausting. Now that dh's income has increased significantly, I just want to breathe and so I do.

 

However, I still buy the store brand of most things. I imagine I always will.

I buy Suave shampoo.

I buy Equate body soap.

I wash and iron dh's dress pants.

I re-use zip locks if they only had crackers or bread or some such in them. (I do NOT re-use bags that had raw meat in them).

When we go out to eat we almost always order water.

I try very hard to use up all leftovers.

I buy our clothes mostly off of the 50% or more off racks.

I drive a 14 year old car.

[Diana in OR]

Ok honest question here... for me I haven't given up the paper towels for cloth. I'm thinking, and correct me if i'm wrong, that washing is wasting more water and detergent then cheap paper towels or napkins???

 

I keep a roll of paper towels on hand to clean up dog accidents, so one roll lasts a year or more around here. Other than that, I haven't used paper towels in over 20 years, so I don't really remember what I ever used them for.

 

I would say, though, that cloth napkins and dish towels are small, and I just toss them into whatever happens to be in the washer. I really don't think they use up any extra water/detergent/dryer time this way.

[brehon]

but, I freely admit I could probably do more.

 

Things we do: have a nice big garden, compost every thing we can, use cloth diapers most of the time, combine errands when going into town, mend whatever clothes we can (and this is not much as my sewing skills leave a lot to be desired), use only cloth napkins, wash out zip-loc bags, cook from scratch, buy meat on sale, bought front loader washing machine several years ago (the store had a fantastic sale on washers & dryers), line dry clothes weather permitting, bake bread, don't use the heater unless freezing weather is predicted

 

Things we are not so frugal on: use disposable diapers sometimes, use the a/c generously in the summer, probably more but duty calls right now.

[runningirl71]

1. Buy used cars that get good gas mileage (no mini van here!).

2. Use those special energy saving lightbulbs (the name escapes me!).

3. Cook from scratch, most of the time.

4. Do not buy snack foods: chips, cookies, crackers unless get them on clearance.

5. Don't drink soda.

6. Check out movies from the library.

7. Don't buy readers for homeschool, check them out at the library.

8. We don't have cable/satellite.

9. Take advantage of CVS extrabucks and Walgreens rebates.

10. Always look at the Goodwill first

11. I go "natural" with my hair, don't dye it.

12. Go to the beauty school for a hair cut (once a year :))

13. DH cuts our kid's hair.

14. When we go on vacation it is to Grandma's house. Then we'll do fun things around there. (One Grandma has a pool!)

15. Take advantage of Freecycle

16. Get most of my landscaping/flowers from friends thinning out their yards.

 

Things we are not frugal on: natural/organic peanut butter, will buy REALLY good coffe ocassionally, buy almost all fresh fruits and veggies, even in the winter (in the summer we go to the farmers market)

[Claire]

Does anyone turn off appliances when not in use to save energy? Things like computers, VHS players, DVD units, etc. use electricity while they are powered on even when not being used. This is something I've always meant to do, but never got around to doing......

[runningirl71]

Does anyone turn off appliances when not in use to save energy? Things like computers, VHS players, DVD units, etc. use electricity while they are powered on even when not being used. This is something I've always meant to do, but never got around to doing......

 

 

Yes! We have an electric piano that we do this with. We don't keep it "on" when we are not using it, but it still "hums" even when off. It stays unplugged when not in use. Also, our tv/dvd/vcr.

[PariSarah]

We don't buy all the new gadgets, live in a cheaper house than supposedly we can afford, we don't have a designer house (but I do watch home and garden and dream big), we evaluate each purchase and try not buy material items we really don't need, etc.

 

Buy less and do without. Just because you can.

 

We have friends who are trying, bless their hearts!, to become frugal by buying generic brands when they can and buying all their clothes on sale. A great first step!! But in the end, a small closet with a few good-quality outfits is far more frugal than two walk-ins full of clothes bought on sale. (Especially when they're "trendy" and you have to replace them every year or two.) Buying store-brand gatorade is less frugal than just drinking water.

 

This could be extended too far, obviously.

"Well, I have a motorcycle instead of a second car. That's frugal."

"Well, you know, I have a bike instead of a motorcycle. That's frugal."

"Oh, no, you are both so wasteful! I walk everywhere! That's frugal."

 

And so on. It shouldn't be a competition.

 

But I do think that basic posture toward "stuff," where you're always asking yourself, "Do I really need that?" and even, "Could I have more by buying less?" is the best way to be frugal.

[PariSarah]

I'm thinking, and correct me if i'm wrong, that washing is wasting more water and detergent then cheap paper towels or napkins???

 

You're not taking into account production costs, though.

 

At least if you're thinking environmentally, the water, energy, and resources it takes to produce a pound of cloth that you'll use for thirty years vs. the water, energy, and resources it takes to produce paper towels products for those years is staggeringly unequal.

 

And if you're thinking personal finance, no, I don't think the washing costs come close to the purchase of paper towels. But that may have something to do with the rate at which we go through paper towels. (What is on the Y chromosome that requires such excessive paper towel usage?!)

 

Great question though.

[*anj*]

 

This could be extended too far, obviously.

"Well, I have a motorcycle instead of a second car. That's frugal."

"Well, you know, I have a bike instead of a motorcycle. That's frugal."

"Oh, no, you are both so wasteful! I walk everywhere! That's frugal."

 

 

 

Oh man, you're cracking me up because you are reminding me of my favorite new SNL character: Penelope. She's this woman who always does everything better than anyone else. In your conversation above she would say

"Well, I don't even have to walk because I fly everywhere, soooooo. Yeah, I ummmm have wings on my back and I fly, sooooo. NASA implanted them on my back soooooo... well I'm better than you....."

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Pajama Mama]

We have a swimming pool so I suppose you would think that we aren't frugal. However, we purchased the pool off season with our tax refund. We received a great price and paid it in full-no finance charges, thank you.

 

We have the pool so we stay close to home during the summer. Occasionally, dh and the kids go camping. We don't take alot of vacations. In the fall here(Pittsburgh area), they have RAD Days where alot of attractions are free. We frequent those every year.

 

I asked my mom for a museum membership for our family as our Christmas present. We use it frequently and park for only a couple bucks. I bring snacks so we don't spend a ton.

 

I clean the pool, dh and I do the yard work. We borrowed a tiller from the neighbor. Saved about $100 from not renting it. Our washing machine wasn't working. A friend helped dh repair it. The part was $10.

 

I order movies from the library instead of renting or buying them. I preorder all of the new releases. Then we can keep it for 7 days for free. I share the movies with my neighbors too.

 

I order food from Angel Food Ministries every month. I fill in our menu with pastas, rice and fresh veggies. We have a smallish garden. It includes blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, lettuce, broccoli, green beans, tomotoes, green peppers and onions. Dh is trying to grow grapes this year on a trellis--we'll see.

 

We drive two used vehicles. Dh takes the car to work and I have the conversion van. I try not to drive it all of the time because the gas mileage is worse with the van. I do secretly wish we could afford a new conversion van. I always worry about travelling with 3 kids(one in a wheelchair) in a older van. I just couldn't live with the monthly payments.

 

We keep the temp comfortable in the house year round. My spec needs kiddos is very sensitive to temperature so we don't keep costs down there. We do insulate the house well and put plastic over the windows in the winter. In the spring/summer, we try to use just ceiling fans as long as possible.

[Doran]

And, by the way, anj..when I read your subject line, I thought for a moment it said "If you consider yourself to be FUNGAL!" Ewwww! :D

 

 

We're frugal in some ways and less so in others. This is another iteration of a list I made several days ago for a similar thread.

 

Many (not all) of our clothes come from consignment, rummage, or Goodwill.

 

Our cars are used, and fairly old -- we will probably never buy a new car -- but we do own two cars.

 

We walk when we can, and consolidate trips as much as possible to save fuel. But, I do make the 8 mile trip to the next town over (for a variety of kid-related activities) almost every day of the week.

 

I cook from scratch, and I purchase mostly whole/natural/organic foods through our food buying club and farmers' markets. I buy foods that meet my standards for quality (this includes pet food), and for the most part, and I am not inclined to change this, even though these foods are more expensive than "conventional" foods.

 

I will have a garden this year (you can just hear that resolve, can't you!?). I have also worked in other people's gardens in exchange for produce.

 

We borrow 99% of our movies and books from the library. We rarely pay to go to "the movies".

 

We don't shop at WalMart and Sam's Club (and the like), but we do patronize the local coffee shops and privately owned moderately priced restaurants on a fairly regular basis.

 

We buy used books, used curriculum, used furniture, used tools. Or we get by without.

 

We barter when appropriate.

 

I wash out Ziplocs, use cloth napkins and real dishes, and use refillable water bottles.

 

We aren't members of the "Y" or other health club.

 

We dry our laundry on a clothesline as much as possible.

 

We keep our thermostats set low/high in winter/summer.

 

We moved into town last year in part to make our "needs" more accessible. Until then, we had to drive everywhere we went - a minimum of 8 miles and more often 12-15 (one way).

 

However, our kids take private music lessons at $50+/hour (going rate around here), and the child who has academic delays sees a tutor several times per month at $45/hour.

 

We pay for our own health insurance and have a deductible of $5,000/person in order to be able to afford it at all. We are just barely above the standard for our kids to qualify for state supported medical insurance.

 

We don't take expensive vacations, have a Netflix account, cable or satellite t.v., or high speed internet. Cell phones are new to us as of this past Christmas. But, we do enjoy a bottle or two of inexpensive wine almost every weekend.

 

And, today is Friday. I'm looking forward to a glass of red this evening! :001_smile:

[*anj*]

We have a swimming pool so I suppose you would think that we aren't frugal. However, we purchased the pool off season with our tax refund. We received a great price and paid it in full-no finance charges, thank you.

 

I don't think there is anything inherently un-frugal about owning a swimming pool. I know that it costs money to keep it clean and all, but there are a lot of benefits to having a pool. It's a great form of exercise and entertainment, plus it just feels great to cool off when it's hot outside.

Living frugally doesn't have to mean that you don't have any nice things. I think it means making the most of every dollar that you earn, and using everything that you buy to its fullest potential. Some people here mentioned that they wash out freezer bags yet buy good quality coffee and olive oil. I'm like that too. I scrimp in some areas and buy good quality other stuff. Even so, we're able to live on 84% of dh's salary and save the rest. So, don't worry about your pool. I don't think anyone is judging you on that! :001_smile:

[*anj*]

And, by the way, anj..when I read your subject line, I thought for a moment it said "If you consider yourself to be FUNGAL!" Ewwww! :D

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

Now that would be a personal question, wouldn't it? :rofl:

[Carol in Cal.]

We buy carefully selected used cars from private parties, and run them into the ground for years more. I kid you not, I drive a '97 Camry that was 6-7 years old when I bought it, and I will probably keep it for another 5 years. DH drives a similarly selected old truck. The last time we bought a car with car payments was 1989. That was before we made the determined commitment to switch to good used cars.

 

For most people, their biggest purchase in their lives is their home. The second is usually either college or cars. We have taken the car issue off the table by this strategy, and it has made a big difference in our finances.

 

We also mostly wear used or Costco clothes. A local church has a big free clothing exchange, and I always donate to it and come away with a few things for myself and our family. We also shop thrift stores. The SA collects things from all over the city, and keeps its best clothes as well as its collectables at one store downtown. That's the one to visit, especially on half off Wednesdays. I have found some great antiques there for gifts.

 

Before I had to go back to work, I aggressively used the library. I also planted some veggies and herbs, and made my own hair rinse. I used a clothes line almost exclusively (still miss doing that.) I also used a sun oven and made my own beans that way pretty regularly, and baked my own bread and pizza crusts.

 

I still do buy dry goods in large quantities at Costco and store them in covered 5 gallon buckets. This saves money from bulk purchases, and also enables me to go to the store much less often. I hardly ever run out of staples this way. We walk and run for exercise instead of belonging to a gym. We don't have cable or any electronic game equipment. We have a very old stereo. Our CD player broke 8 years ago, and we have not replaced it. I have not had my hair cut since long before DD, 11, was born. When we vacation, which is not every year, we often camp or stay in very inexpensive motels.

 

I'm frugal, though, not cheap. I do buy some niceish clothes from CAbI, usually on sale at half price though. And they hold up really well and stay stylish for a long time. I started having my legs waxed this year. I buy good curricula and books. We don't do a lot of extra curricular stuff, but DD is in a very good local choral group and participates in all of their activities even if they are cost items. We give sacrificially to our church and some other charitable endeavors, both formal and informal. We are not misers.

[mcconnellboys]

I don't know if I can even think of things without prompting, as they're so much a part of my life I may not notice them or think of them as "frugality". But I can respond to your questions:

 

Do you rinse the bottom of the ketchup bottle to get the last few drops out?

 

I turn every bottle and jar of every product, edible, cleaning, health and beauty, medical, etc. upside down, inside out; twist it, shake it, and get out every last drop.....

 

Do you rinse out freezer bags?

 

Absolutely not, that's disgusting. I've been ragging on my own mother for *way* too long about doing that to start it myself. She'd have a field day with me. I just can't do that one. It's gross to me that she'll let runny, gloppy stuff mold in a bag, then rinse it out and re-use it - bleck! I do, however, use almost universally re-usable plastic containers that can be washed in the dishwaher (w/lids), so we have very little wastage of wrapping papers.

 

Do you scrape the peanut butter jar til it looks like it's been washed?

 

Yep, yep - please see item number one, above. I scrape *everything* that way.

 

Do you cut the green spots off a potato?

 

I cut off all the spots, including the eyes, but try not to cut away my product and waste it. I only do this because I was taught to do it when I was little. I'm guessing that eyes were originally cut out to save them for planting time.

 

Do you save window envelopes that come in junk mail and use them for in-house, or person-to-person things?

 

I save all the large envelopes I get, if they're not too marked up, and re-use those. Also, rubber bands, sample cards and address labels received in junk mail; stickers received in junk mail, etc. I save egg cartons to use for our seed/nut collections when we walk at the arboretum (used to save them for craft projects). I save glass jars to use for science stuff. I save large paper bags to reuse to tote my stuff around from place to place for scouts, etc.

 

Oh, here's one of my own: I buy maw-maw white cotton socks that I wear every day and when one gets a hole in it, I save the mate until I have another mateless sock and can re-pair them (I buy all the same kind).

 

How about these?

I save papers that we've printed out from the computer, but don't need, etc. and use those as my scratch paper to write notes.

 

I try to only wash on the weekend when I have full loads of everything. Ditto for the dishwasher; we fill it full before we run it, generally.

 

That's all I can think of by myself,

[Pajama Mama]

I don't think there is anything inherently un-frugal about owning a swimming pool. I know that it costs money to keep it clean and all, but there are a lot of benefits to having a pool. It's a great form of exercise and entertainment, plus it just feels great to cool off when it's hot outside.

Living frugally doesn't have to mean that you don't have any nice things. I think it means making the most of every dollar that you earn, and using everything that you buy to its fullest potential. Some people here mentioned that they wash out freezer bags yet buy good quality coffee and olive oil. I'm like that too. I scrimp in some areas and buy good quality other stuff. Even so, we're able to live on 84% of dh's salary and save the rest. So, don't worry about your pool. I don't think anyone is judging you on that! :001_smile:

 

I hope I didn't sound defensive when I talked about the pool. It wasn't meant that way:tongue_smilie: I guess maybe I do feel as though I have to rationalize it. There are those in our neighborhood that think we "have money". HA! In reality, we don't buy a large item unless we can buy it outright-usually at refund time. I remember a kid told me that his mom said-"Go play at ***'s house. They can afford it if you guys break stuff." Huh?

[kalanamak]

cell phone, camcorder, digital camera (old castaway regular one), ipod, palm pilot, I don't have cable, etc. I keep computers for, average, 7 years.

 

I have no fancy plates or dishes and just this week have my very first matching set of flatware (and I'm nearly 50). I get all towels from Goodwill, ditto comforters, sheets, bathmats, much of my clothes there as well. I wear no makeup or jewelry. My only scent was a gift (4711).

 

I've never borrowed money for anything but school (with good rate) and mortgage and have paid off both in 1/3 the allotted time.

 

If I eat out, I drink water. If I want coffee, I make it at home and bring. I don't eat meat.

 

I take a sack lunch.

 

I DO use a nice sunscreen that doesn't upset my or my son's skin. I have cars with very good airbags. I do shower every workday. I do wear Birkies. I do all advised dental work on all family members. I have a book addiction. I like good olive oil and nice vinegar (my favourite is no longer imported and I am running low...Red Wine Vinegar made from Old Red Wine), and I get organic veggies and WW pasta. I have a top of the line futon and an all cotton mattress pad for it.

 

Looking back, I have less stuff than my parents did at this age (although they had six kids and spent their money on beautiful antiques which they owned until they died), and I started house stuffing late...I could fit 100% of what I owned in a 1980 Toyota Corolla when I was 33 years old. And I hope to downsize once kiddo is gone.

[mcconnellboys]

Wow, I bow to you! You are good!

[mcconnellboys]

I agree. I wash my placemats and dish towels in with the rest of my towels. They don't create an extra load for me.

[sunflowerlady]

Wow, you're all so smart.:001_smile: I try to be frugal, but need to improve.

 

Things I do:

 

1. I get most of my and dd's clothing from a local church with a clothing closet ministry for free. We also donate items to them. Other clothing comes from thrift shops or clearance sales.

 

2. We use Tracfones and do not have a cell phone contract. We don't talk on them a lot, so it works out better to just buy time as needed.

 

3. I get most of my homeschool items at local used curriculum sales.

 

4. I use less than recommended amount of laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent.

 

5. We have dial up internet. This is actually due to living in a rural area and not being able to get high speed, but it does save money.

 

6. I try to stretch meal ingredients.

[Nestof3]

I throw paper napkins and towels in the compost sometimes -- they decompose.