Less expensive subs for more expensive products: a challenge!

[Kevin'sMom]

Do any of you use products that are less expensive but work as well or almost as well as name brand products? I really need to save a lot more money than I am saving, but I still want the dishes and clothes etc. clean, and the food to be good.  What would you do with your savings?

 

I am experimenting with Palmolive Eco Gel for the dishwasher versus Cascade Complete. So far, the results have been good and the product is about half the cost, but the verdict isn't in yet. I also (so far) like Suave Soft-Touch hairspray. 

 

Think if all of us could save $100 a month! What could we do with it? I think I would buy my child a great summer wardrobe by carefully garage sale and thrift shopping.

[Gentlemommy]

Gymboree outfit at the thrift store on half off or 75% off day-$1

New Gymboree outfit-$30-$40

Even better, box of hand me down Gymboree clothes-free!

 

I almost always refuse to buy new kids clothes now, unless I see an amazing sale (like when old navy had leggings for $.79 and t shirts for $.49). Luckily, mine are all young or sheltered enough not to know the difference or care about style lol.

 

When I have extra money, I use to pay for lessons or experiences for the kids. They don't use a lot of 'stuff' like toys, so I don't buy those. I get books at the thrift store, so I save lots of money there.

[gardenmom5]

I buy Costco dishwasher soap and laundry.  they are similar to brand names, and cost less.  (we buy a lot of stuff from Costco.   it more than pays for the membership with the rebate on top of the lower prices on what we do buy there.)

 

suave clarifying shampoo actually cleans oily hair - and is very inexpensive.

 

when my kids were younger, I did lots of thrift stores and consignment stores.   I'd start shopping for a size or two ahead, then put them in a box I could pull out as needed.

 

you can also get a copy of the tightwad gazette by amy dacyzyn. as in "she made a decision to marry a guy with ancestors from Ukraine".   (I input her name so I could spell it correctly - and was amazed at the number of blogs by people telling what they learned about frugality from her.)

[Brilliant]

I used to use Biosilk because I loved it.  But that stuff is as expensive as liquid gold!  I've found some good substitutes at the drug store for about 1/4 of the price.  One is John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum, and the other is Garnier Fructis Anti-Frizz Serum.  I see them both on Amazon, but I've bought them much cheaper at Target.

[Laura Corin]

Most Aldi products have worked well for me.  There have been a few duds, but at that price it's worth trying.  My favourites of theirs:

 

- sensitive toothpaste

- chocolate chip cookies

- cold cuts

- cheese

- soy milk

- orange juice

- frozen fish (various)

- veg (chosen with care)

- shampoo (not conditioner though)

- chocolate

- pitta and wraps

- muesli

- free range chicken breasts

- tissues

 

I save about 25% overall, I think, when I shop at Aldi.

 

L

[Cinder]

I also use Finish power tabs--when Publix has them BOGO it's 10c per load. In an earlier thread someone mentioned she got just as good results using half a tab. I've tried it a couple times--cutting the tab in half--but admit I've been too lazy to do it every time.

 

For laundry I use All when on sale for 2.99 and I have a $1 off coupon. And we try to use as little as possible. Usually half cap or less for a large load.

 

We actually like cheaper tp--White Cloud--more than the expensive stuff. It does the job just fine and seems to hold up better, iykwim.

 

I learned from this board that half Dawn and half white vinegar makes a great all-purpose cleaner. Dawn is expensive but I only buy when it's on sale and I have a coupon.

 

I clean my mirrors with water. Just dampen a cloth and scrub the mirror. Then take a dry cloth and wipe and wipe until the water droplets are so small they just evaporate off the mirror. No streaks or water drops this way.

 

 

 

 

[MomtoCandJ]

I use vinegar and water to clean just about everything, Great Value dish soap (I have to hand wash, it works), All Free and Clear laundry detergent, Great Value Lavender fabric sheets (dh is allergic to the free and clear fabric sheets, I try to use free and clear for dd2). We use Suave for shampoo, conditioner, body wash and deodorant.

We buy the .50 cent paper towels from Walmart and the .97 cent napkins since they just get thrown away anyways.

[Ameena]

I used to use a lot of store brands, but then I started couponing. Now I find a great sale & pair with a coupon for less than the generic cost.

 

Clothes - thrift shops. Here they do $1 day once a week, or if I can make it to the Goodwill Clearance center across town I can get clothes for .25.

[gardenmom5]

I don't use paper towels (we only use them when camping)  - I cut up old towels and make rags.  My daughter took a huge stash when she moved out.   ratty rags get moved to the garage as they often have to just be thrown away when done. 

 

I rarely use coupons - usually they are for things I don't buy anyway.

 

I know prices -  something can be on sale at store A and still be MORE than the regular price at store B.

just because it's a discount store - doesn't mean it's cheaper.   again - know the prices of what you buy at different stores.  take the time to check the different stores to see what their regular prices are for those items.

 

we stock up on frequently used items during sales.  it's worth the cash outlay.

 

I save things.  I save ribbon and reuse it.  I save bows, gift tags, gift boxes, etc. they only get tossed when they are dead.  some have been used many, many times.

buttons.

 

I have purchased refurbished/open box items as they have been significantly marked down from the new price and often the only reason is - the box was opened.

 

I buy almost all furniture off craigslist, it's the rare piece I purchase new. (e.g. mattresses)  I have a fabulous huge oak corner office desk with hutch and two banks of drawers that I got off freecycle. 

 

and incidentally - it's often the nickels and dimes that kill a budget. 

[Ellie]

I'd have to find other ways to save, because we are pretty committed to Amway products for laundry, cleaning, and personal care. Mr. Ellie has reacted to every product on the market that touches his skin, Amway products being the only safe ones. They are still economical, so I think we are saving money anyway.

 

I have a bunch of microfiber cloths that I use for some cleaning, instead of paper towels.

 

Coupons don't work for me, as I almost never use those items, especially not the food stuff. :-p

 

I use Lipton Loose tea to make iced tea, which is more economical than using tea bags. I was amazed to figure this out, lol. Iced tea is our beverage of choice (Southerners here. :D )

 

We've never used cows' milk as a beverage, only for cooking (and Mr. Ellie's one bowl of morning cereal). I am gobsmacked at how much milk many families drink. o_0

 

 

[umsami]

Consumer's Reports ranked Kirkland (Costco) laundry detergent on par with Tide.  I find it works as well.

 

I find that Suave shampoos work great for me.

 

Store brand baby shampoo seems to work as well as Johnson and Johnson's.

 

For dish soap, we buy the Sam's Club brand.  

 

For diapers, Sam's Club, Target, or Costco are all good.  BJs is great as they give $5.00 coupons and then Luvs are a great deal.

 

For most cleaning we buy a half gallon (or maybe it's a gallon) of Simple Green at Sam's Club.  It comes with a spray bottle…and that will last many months (you dilute it).  Vinegar/water for mirrors/glass.

 

Paper towels we buy Sam's Club or Costco brand.  Same for toilet paper.  

[Sun]

I get Consumer Reports.  Costco's products always seem to come highly rated, but we don't have a Costco so I find that kind of irritating.  Are there enough Costcos to treat them as if they are some sort of national brand? 

 

According to Wikipedia, Costco is the second largest retailer in the US, with 451 locations there. I think that's pretty national, though I know some areas are distant from one.

 

[Stacia]

I like Target's brand of tissues as much as regular Kleenex.

 

Also, I bought some reusable sandwich wraps & bags on etsy & rarely use ziplocks anymore.

 

We also use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.

[Stacia]

I know those who are super frugal probably aren't out buying Starbucks anyway, but if you take your own mug in, you get a slight discount (10 cents, I think). It's always good to ask about discounts like that. Just this weekend, I was at a Renaissance Festival & bought an iced coffee. When I decided to purchase a second one, I asked if they could just reuse my original cup. (Didn't think to ask about a discount, but they took 50 cents off the price since they didn't need to give me a new cup.)

[Baseball mom]

Always check the prices before you buy them.  I have been using Sam's members mark washing detergent for a long time.  Worked well and great price.  Last time we were at Sam's I looked at the price of All.  It was cheaper for the same amount.   A good reminder to me to check prices.

 

We use cloth napkins, bought from yard sales, goodwill & clearance racks.  I don't worry about matching napkins.

 

Old holey socks are used as rags, especially for icky stuff & you don't want to wash the rag.  We have tons of holey socks so we can toss these.

 

Old ratty t-shirts are cut up into various sizes as rags, Towels are usually kept whole for big jobs.

 

Body scrub is a few tablespoons of cornmeal with a couple squirts of liquid soap & just enough water make a thin paste.  Wash face & body with it.  So smooth and soft after.

 

Suave shampoo

 

Baking soda & vinegar make great oven cleaner & drain cleaner.

 

Vinegar in place of fabric softener

 

 

[idnib]

Simply Awesome cleaner from the dollar store. It works great for laundry, carpet cleaning, kitchen, etc. Most purposes require 1:10 dilution so it's even a better bargain than it seems.

[trinchick]

I know those who are super frugal probably aren't out buying Starbucks anyway, but if you take your own mug in, you get a slight discount (10 cents, I think). It's always good to ask about discounts like that. Just this weekend, I was at a Renaissance Festival & bought an iced coffee. When I decided to purchase a second one, I asked if they could just reuse my original cup. (Didn't think to ask about a discount, but they took 50 cents off the price since they didn't need to give me a new cup.)

 

I'll add to the coffee indulgences. I have stopped going to Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts in favor of McDonalds. Their coffee is really good and only $1 for any size hot. In my area it's also $1 for medium iced, but I know that's not the case everywhere.

 

I actually prefer the McDonalds coffee over other places.

[chiguirre]

I only buy house brands unless something's on mega-sale. I've very rarely been disappointed in the quality of the products and, occasionally, I've been surprised that the house brand is actually better than the name brand. Another cost saving tactic for things that don't come in house brands is buying on Amazon's Subscribe and Save. If you combine 5 items in a month, you get 20% off. That beats my local stores' prices and is much easier.

[mirth]

Steel cut oats. I don't even like McCann's. McC's has more moisture in it than any other brand and the oatmeal is always goopier.

[redsquirrel]

According to Wikipedia, Costco is the second largest retailer in the US, with 451 locations there. I think that's pretty national, though I know some areas are distant from one.

 

 

Wow, I've never even seen a Cosco. I associate it with the midwest.

 

[Kevin'sMom]

I am writing down and incorporating lots of these ideas...they're great. What about food items in the store brands? Some Great Value foods are good and others are not so good.

 

I will try Finish Power Balls when I have used up the Palmolive.

 

Where is everyone getting all the useful coupons?....I can never find them anywhere.

 

Being Irish, I hate to admit that I don't like McCann's, either. One thing that really helps me here is a huge Amish/Mennonite discount grocery. They have everything from chia seeds to steel-cut oats in bulk and at very reasonable prices.

 

 

[umsami]

Costco is in many areas, but surprisingly not everywhere.  Honestly, I've had just as good with the store brands from Sam's Club and BJs. (BJs also seems to be regional…mainly East coast.)

 

I also buy store brands on regular products.  Here in FL, Publix is a big chain…and honestly, their store brands are great on pretty much everything. Same for Target's Up and Up brand or Simply Natural or whatever they call it these days. :)  I think Publix has a deal that they'll refund the store brand purchase price if you don't like it…or at least they used to.

[Arcadia]

Their coffee is really good and only $1 for any size hot. In my area it's also $1 for medium iced, but I know that's not the case everywhere.

 

I actually prefer the McDonalds coffee over other places.

 

Coffee refill is free.  I need two of the largest cups at least when we drop by McDonalds PlayPlace.

[FO4UR]

I use Finish Power Ball tabs for the dishwasher.  They aren't the cheapest, but I consider a savings b/c the kids aren't the best at scraping and rinsing and Finish seems to clean the best.  It saves a lot of time for me.

 

 

I just bought a nice LG washing machine, and I think that machine could clean the clothes without any detergent tbh.  I've been using homemade laundry soap and it's going well.  (Fells Naptha + Washing Soda + Borax)

 

 

We buy mostly store brand food items.  It's cheaper than couponing for brand names and takes no time.

 

We clothes shop at the Goodwill first, and then fill in the wardrobe with clearance sales...and then we might have to buy a few things after that.  We spend a small fraction of what we would spend buying everything new.

 

We buy shoes for the whole family at once, taking advantage of BOGO sales.  I don't skimp on name brand here when I can help it.  Healthy feet are important.  (I do buy the kids walmart sneakers for "mudding.")

 

Someone else mentioned paper towels...I do similar.  I buy Viva paper towels, but I only use them for bacon and super gross things.  We have a large stash of flour sack rags that absorb better than anything else in this world.  We use those rags for everything.

 

 

We limit what we drink.  We have water, coffee, tea, milk.  For special occasions, I make lemonade.  dh drinks a lot of coke.  But the kids and I keep our water bottles filled with water.

 

 

 

 

 

[Susan in TN]

I buy meat and baked goods that are marked "manager's clearance" (on the sell-by date) and are generally half off. I usually stick them directly into the freezer. My regular grocery store also has a section of shelves reserved for clearance merchandise that has damaged packaging - once in a while I will find something I actually need ;).

[Slartibartfast]

I think one way to NOT save money is to shop at wholesale clubs.  I found myself spending a lot more money when I've tried them.  And with a family of 4 we really do not need mega packs of many things. 

 

 

I think it just depends how you shop. I only buy produce and meat at Costco. It doesn't go to waste in my house. I chop up carrots, celery, onions, peppers, and then I freeze them with some of each in bags for soup. I portion out the meat and freeze it. I have a family of four as well so some packages are much too big but many things freeze nicely.

 

I don't buy any of the convenience foods unless they are on sale. I also buy my allergy meds there as well as some other OTC meds. 

[Belacqua]

I'll second the Finish Powerball tablets. They get the tea stains out of my cups when nothing else will.

 

Also seconding Suave shampoo. I bought the almond & shea kind in enormous pump bottles; it was something like $5 total for these gigantic vats of shampoo and conditioner. I like it as well as I have any fancy products I've tried. And I laugh whenever I use it because I think of that comedian who talks about being so poor in college he was "like, Suave Shampoo broke!"

 

[ScoutTN]

I make foaming hand soap with a squirt of liquid Castile soap (which is actually soap, not detergent) and full the rest of the dispenser with water. I use Dr. Bronner's soap, citrus. I buy one bottle a year and we do tons of hand washing here.

 

I clean use vinegar, baking soda or borax for most household cleaning.

 

Love my enameled cast iron pot from Aldi for $30 instead of the LeCruset for $250 or more! Cooks Illustrated recommended the Tramontina one as just a hair less in quality the the Le Cruset and it is about $40.

[gardenmom5]

Wow, I've never even seen a Cosco. I associate it with the midwest.

 

it's Costco.  with a 't'.  are you confusing it with something else, as they are more on the coasts, the northeast, the south, more west and less in Midwest (though you can find them, sometimes in concentrations in cities.)  they started in seattle in 1983.  they are also international. 

 

we like hitting them when we travel - they tend to cater to the local consumer population so stock varies.  critics boohooed them going into japan - but they were a hit.  as in Taiwan and S. Korea.  they are also in the UK and spain, and austrailia.  (and mexico and Puerto rico)

[gardenmom5]

that's what lists are for - and stick to them.

dh is very on top of every penny spent where - even if we don't' use the whole package of produce - it can be LESS than buying it at the grocery stores because of how inflated grocery store prices are around here.  (food prices can vary considerably according to where you are.)

 

we buy some produce there, and some at grocery stores.  we also have a cash-n-carry which supplies to restaurants so they have bulk - and good stuff.  I think they're only on the west coast.  

 

always know your prices by volume and quantity.

 

I think one way to NOT save money is to shop at wholesale clubs.  I found myself spending a lot more money when I've tried them.  And with a family of 4 we really do not need mega packs of many things. 

 

[elegantlion]

I clean most everything with vinegar and water and rarely buy name brand anything. Coupons don't help most of the time because I can usually get the store brand cheaper. 

 

I use Arm & Hammer liquid laundry soap and I use way less than recommended. I stretch everything. I also try to stick with what works. I buy a lot of toiletries at Dollar General, they have a $1 section. Because it's just two of us and because my budget is tight, I rarely stock up on anything. 

 

 

[TammyinTN]

I buy everything I can at Costco and have excellent luck with Kirkland brand.    

[aug17girl]

it's Costco.  with a 't'.  are you confusing it with something else, as they are more on the coasts, the northeast, the south, more west and less in Midwest (though you can find them, sometimes in concentrations in cities.)  they started in seattle in 1983.  they are also international. 

 

we like hitting them when we travel - they tend to cater to the local consumer population so stock varies.  critics boohooed them going into japan - but they were a hit.  as in Taiwan and S. Korea.  they are also in the UK and spain, and austrailia.  (and mexico and Puerto rico)

 

We have a Costco membership here in Canada.  We always enjoy visiting Costco when we travel to the US.  Our membership is valid there as well.  I've never tried it overseas.  Does your membership work there as well.

 

On the topic of less expensive substitutions, I use men's razors.  The ones marketed for women always seem much more expensive.

[Ali in OR]

Most of our grocery stores here have excellent bulk food sections. We regularly get our oats there for less than half of buying a new container. I also get popcorn, spices (incredibly cheap to just refill your old jars and because they have quick turnover, usually the spices are fresher too), flax seed meal, basmati rice, etc. I don't get everything I possibly could from bulk foods (like I tend to buy Barilla pasta from a particular store that will have great sales simply because I like how the boxes stack in my pantry), but in a financial crunch I certainly wouldn't mind maxing out what I could get from that section. I've never had any quality issues.

[zoobie]

Trader Joe's--excellent quality. If you get something that's not your cuppa tea, they refund your money cheerfully. Their chocolate (chips, blocks, bars) is top notch! I believe it's Callebaut for the milk and dark and Guittard for white. I prefer their crazy cheap English Breakfast tea bags for hot tea, and they have organic, fair trade coffee for really reasonable prices. Cheese! All kinds of cheese. There's a monthly thread on Chowhound that reviews TJs products. I've tried some fun things based on it.

 

Costco's Kirkland brand is great. I can't think of anything I have returned because I've been dissatisfied under the Kirkland brand, but the guarantee is there. Their chocolate chips are really good too. (Apparently I have a chocolate chip problem...) We buy their brand of OTC meds (Advil, Tylenol, Aleve, children's Motrin, 24 hour Claritin-D is 15 tabs for $6!). Their paper products are Georgia-Pacific (Koch), so we don't buy them for that reason, but they're great quality.

 

Whole Foods's 365 house brand has a bunch of good deals for organic or "natural" products. They also will refund if you are disappointed. I like their fancy pasta shapes (do not fall apart and cook al dente perfectly), canned tomatoes, canned beans if I'm out of home cooked frozen, milk and butter and cheeses...

[Guest]

I would second a bunch of the ideas already in this thread. I'm skeptical about any "new" product. Lots of products are marketed to create a need where none exists. Consider the Color Catcher Sheets you could put in the wash. Perfect example. Ask yourself, would Grandma have bought this? This is just a product that allows you to wash clothing haphazardly, instead of buying less trash products and washing the clothes correctly.

 

One thing I like to smooth hair frizz is a few drops of pure Jojoba Oil. Buy at health food store or aisle. It's not particularly cheap, but it's natural, nourishing and lasts a long time.

 

I just bought a prom dress for my dd at a consignment shop. It is a beautiful white and gold dress with a ballgown skirt. It was $53!

[Stacia]

I tried the ball of foil once but that didn't work and frankly seems a bit sketchy. Like fire hazard or something?

 

I had wondered if the foil ball idea would work....

 

I don't think it would be a fire hazard since people cook things in foil in ovens....

[Guest]

Dryer sheets scare me because of the cancerous thing. But I would like to be able to dry certain things w/o static cling. I tried the ball of foil once but that didn't work and frankly seems a bit sketchy. Like fire hazard or something? Eh. I just hang dry those items so they don't share the static with the rest of the load but I think they tend to get all clingy, anyway. I'm talking like a pair of athletic pants.

Yeah, I've tried the foil ball before, but it didn't work. I would love a non-dryer sheet static deterrent. I do use dryer sheets, but I cut them in fourths.

[zoobie]

The wool-felted balls work better for static control IMO. I made some many years ago but lost them in a move. There are some on amazon relatively cheap with great reviews that I keep eyeballing.

[amyco]

I use a lot of these suggestions already, but one I didn't see mentioned is fancy oil for the face.  Places like Sephora and Ulta sell tiny 1 oz bottles of exotic oils for around $50 each.  I have tried several samples of these...and it's oil.  Then I saw a dermatologist talking about beauty bargains from the drugstore and he recommended Grapeseed oil to moisturize because of all the antioxidants.  I now use it every night and sometimes in the a.m. in winter.  One 8 oz bottle from the grocery cost about $6...I figured if I didn't like it, I could always cook with it.  I know what's in it.  If you think about it, many of these frugal solutions are not "popular" or marketed because it's hard to market plain vinegar or grapeseed oil...they need something they can patent or trademark, but that does not make those fancy products better. 

 

Just last week I ordered alpaca wool roving to make felted dryer balls...if you google it there are lots of tutorials, and wool roving is easily available on etsy.  I think dryer sheets might be causing skin problems for some of my family, and I know this will be cheaper in the long run.  Crossing my fingers that they work! 

[readinmom]

Ours is much the same as previous posters.  Kirkland brand for cheese, etc.  I stopped buying a lot of "frivolous" products after reading Tightwad Gazette/other budget-minded books.  I was a Tide snob until I found Arm and Hammer on sale for $5.  I can't really tell the difference except for the fragrance.  I use vinegar/Dawn solution for most household cleaning.  The one place I can't scrimp is face products.  I can only use Clinique. 

[Pippen]

Vaseline with cocoa butter is a great moisturizer and at $3 per tub is a great deal.

[ElizabethB]

You can buy boys shoes and boys xlarge shorts, sweats, and t-shirts if you are on the small to medium side. When I needed soccer shoes, women's were more than twice the price as boys, same size.

[joannqn]

I only buy specific things as Costco, and never anything that I can get cheaper elsewhere.  That said, we get dog food ($30 for 40#), cat food ($20 for 25#), dish soap, dish washer tabs, salsa (because we like their organic salsa), frozen fruit, generic analgesics, and generic allergy meds.  The allergy meds are the best price saver as the generics are under $16 per year.

I use one homemade cleaner for all of my cleaner needs.  It is a spray bottle filled with water and about a teaspoon of dish soap and 30 drops of tea tree.  I use it in the kitchen, bathroom, and on my windows and mirrors.  If I have to spot clean a stain on a carpet or furniture, I saturate the spot with my spray and use a towel to scrub it dry.  Sometimes I have to repeat once or twice, but it always gets the stain out.  I use a Libman Freedom Spray Mop on my hard floors because I can use the same mixture in my mop, and the cleaning pad is washable. 

I use a baking soda rinse in lieu of shampoo and a vinegar rinse in lieu of conditioner.  I use a little bit of baking soda paste to clean my face.  I get frequent compliments on the condition of my skin and hair.   Now if I could only convince my family....

I use Tupperware Fridge Mates for some of my produce.  I cut the root end off of romaine lettuce and rinse the leaves before putting them into the Fridge Mate.  I like that it is ready to use straight out of the fridge.  Lettuce will last at least two weeks without wilting or going bad.  Strawberries will last over a week.  Carrots stay nice and crunchy for a long time. 

 

 

[nansk]

1. I buy skincare creams from SkinActives. They have a full page of alternatives for popular (expensive) retail brands. I buy their "ready-mixed" products.

 

2. L’oreal Natures Therapy Mega Moisture Nurturing Crème has the same ingredients as the expensive Kerastase Masquintense (L’oreal owns the Kerastase brand).

[redsquirrel]

it's Costco.  with a 't'.  are you confusing it with something else, as they are more on the coasts, the northeast, the south, more west and less in Midwest (though you can find them, sometimes in concentrations in cities.)  they started in seattle in 1983.  they are also international. 

 

we like hitting them when we travel - they tend to cater to the local consumer population so stock varies.  critics boohooed them going into japan - but they were a hit.  as in Taiwan and S. Korea.  they are also in the UK and spain, and austrailia.  (and mexico and Puerto rico)

 

Nope, not confusing it. Just typing quickly and skipped the t. Sorry.

 

I live in the NE and haven't ever seen a CosTco. I looked it up and there aren't any in NY except in the NYC area. That might explain why I haven't see one and never hear it mentioned.

[Baseball mom]

I would second a bunch of the ideas already in this thread. I'm skeptical about any "new" product. Lots of products are marketed to create a need where none exists. Consider the Color Catcher Sheets you could put in the wash. Perfect example. Ask yourself, would Grandma have bought this? This is just a product that allows you to wash clothing haphazardly, instead of buying less trash products and washing the clothes correctly.

 

 

I take new dark clothes and soak in salt water for about an hour or more.  A lot of times I put them in to soak over night then wash the next morning.  A tablespoon or so of salt (no I don't measure) and swish it around in cold water.  Add in the clothes and soak.  It helps set the color so it doesn't bleed.

[Desert Strawberry]

We save by living simply. 

Very few disposable products-TP and freezer bags, no dishwasher, bulk dish soap ($5 per gallon), homemade laundry detergent, mop with a few drops of citrus oil in water, scrub everything else with soap and water, few beauty/bath/personal products-most of those homemade or pure natural products like shea butter, cocoa butter, aloe gel, olive oil (by the gallon),coconut oil(by the gallon).

I cook from scratch. We buy in bulk and freeze, dry, pickle, store, share. 50 pounds of onions $17, 50 pounds of red potatoes $12, 25 pounds of local rice $9. 

I have a friend who makes soap and body products. I cook and clean and my Sagg babysit for her, she sends me home with goodies. We have farmer friends, and crafty friends. We all produce, and we all share.

I accept all hand me downs. If we can't use it, we pass it on. I am sewing dresses from handed down bed sheets and crocheting lace right now. When I have enough, I will start sewing for my friends. 

A little effort goes a long way.

[sbgrace]

You can buy boys shoes and boys xlarge shorts, sweats, and t-shirts if you are on the small to medium side. When I needed soccer shoes, women's were more than twice the price as boys, same size.

 

I do this too! My boys (happily) wear lots of hand me downs and Goodwill finds.

 

We are sort of limited in types of products we use due to allergies and similar issues, but we do Amazon subscribe and save for many things. It may be cheaper to do Costco. I don't know, as there isn't one in our area. 

 

I don't think this is for everyone, but we often use frozen vegetables and smoothie or cooking fruits. This is mostly because I prefer organic for the dirty dozen, and I have to travel to get it. I can't travel for organic weekly! I figure frozen is better nutritionally than shipped on a truck and/or sitting in my home for days. I also don't worry I'll end up having to throw out something I didn't completely use.

 

I also do things like make foaming soaps. I purchased dispensers, and dilute the allergy friendly (but expensive) soaps. I use a steam mop, and home made cleaners whenever possible.

I try to figure costs. Sometimes I find it's cheaper to buy vs. home make things.

 

 

[FO4UR]

You can buy boys shoes and boys xlarge shorts, sweats, and t-shirts if you are on the small to medium side. When I needed soccer shoes, women's were more than twice the price as boys, same size.

 

 

I have small feet.  I can buy girls shoes for 1/2 the price.  dd and I can match. :lol: