Give Us Your Best Frugal Hack!
Sometimes I feel like I've scraped the bottom of the barrel and there are zero fresh ideas in the realm of extreme frugality. Then suddenly I'll come across a new trick or way of thinking that blows my mind. Often in the comments of this very blog!
You already know my tip and tricks, so I'm asking you, my dear readers to share your wackiest most creative frugality hacks -- no idea too extreme, no idea too weird.
Please!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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I think it’s easy for frugal people to go shopping a lot. For instance, scoping out Goodwill frequently, splitting shopping between multiple grocery stores, hunting for deals….
I do that too, but I’ve found that getting out of the habit of shopping is a crucial money-saving and lifestyle-benefitting tip for me. I can usually make do with what I have, and the less I flex the “shopping” muscle, the less I want to! I now find stores overwhelming and full of garbage, which helps reset my sense of what I actually want/need.
Yes! Shopping, even frugally, can become a “hobby”. I don’t want shopping to be my hobby!
MJ, I totally agree with this. Just not shopping is the biggest frugality!
I have a frugally-minded friend who is always shopping and finding "deals." She has probably thousands of dollars of bulk-purchased food (only bought on sale, of course) in her freezer/pantry and the same with disposable household items (laundry detergent, toothbrush heads, pads and tampons, etc.). While she feels she gets great deals on things, IMO she ends up spending hundreds of dollars to save a few dollars here and there. As one small example, she was concerned about the effects of tariffs on foods, so she purchased several pounds of bulk spices from India. She saved perhaps a dollar or two per bag, but she rarely cooks Indian food so I expect that she will end up throwing away most of the spices when they lose their flavor. As another example she probably has 10 years worth of laundry detergent stored (she's a single person)... it may very well degrade and be less effective before she ends up using it. Besides, she will continue to buy more when she next finds a sale or a deal!
She should donate some of her stockpile to her local food pantry and senior centers—laundry detergent would a wonderful to a senior or as a baby shower or as a welcome to the neigherhood gift basket, etc.
Your general point on not buying "deals" for the sake of deals is a good one. My specific frugal hack about Indian spices is that I buy them in bags (not huge ones, usually just 7-10 ounces) and then share them with friends. In fact, we follow the same principle with bulk buys of any kind.
Freeze veggie scraps (yes, ALL of them) and make broth!
I learned that I can use washable children's glue stick to temporary adhere fabric in place of basting. It washes right out.
I ended up post Covid with a plethora of small bottles of hand sanitizers
I use them periodically to wipe down counter tops, toilet seats, door jams and door knobs.
At work we ended up with leftover Halloween candy with contains peanuts, peanut butter which the kids cause of allergies cannot have
I’m putting them out on our desk which sets high (especially those wrapped in orange and green) for St Patrick’s day
Hand sanitizer is also perfect for removing labels, thrift-store market pricing, and some stains because the thickener prevents the alcohol from evaporating quickly.
Kathy and Mati, thanks for the tips for other uses for hand sanitizer! I have a huge bottle to use up.
When I glean a free book from outside the used bookstore (they have a free pile), the books have a red slash mark on the dust cover, made by the bookstore workers so that you could not sell the books elsewhere. Usually a squirt of hand sanitizer and a good wiping (or 2) with a paper napkin will remove the felt tip marker red ink, so that the book looks almost new....and I could then add it to my classroom shelves without my students knowing it was trash picked. I've even given away some of these freebies books as gifts...they were nice thick hardcovers written by good authors. Best sellers even. This hack also works with paperbacks as long as they have a glossy paper cover, which most do.
Yes, especially if the thrift stores write prices on the soles of shoes!
My first adult job in 1980 was as a secretary to an assistant vice president. He liked to put his feet up on his desk while reading something (no computers back then) and one day I noticed 25 cent Goodwill price stickers on the bottom of his shoes. I respected him even more after that!
Squeeze the water out of sliced mushrooms to make non soggy omelettes.
This was me today: at Aldi I picked up a 50% off red sticker package of thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1.4 lbs. $2.69 after discount, and two boxes of clearance brioche stuffing mix, apple/bacon flavor, for $.09 each. Yes, 18 cents for all the stuffing. I have half an envelope of turkey gravy and onions in my pantry. I plan to make crockpot chicken stuffing for about $3 total. Near the end I will add the last of a bag of frozen green beans from my freezer on top. Yeah, I’m cheap and waste nothing!
Lol, I bought the same $0.09 box of brioche stuffing . I seasoned thinly sliced chicken breast and wrapped the chicken around it
I’m very vigilant about avoiding food waste. It really bothers me and since I generally like to cook, it’s an area I can excel in.
It’s particularly challenging with young kids though, as they are prone to changing tastes or taking bites of things and then leaving them, so I’ve developed a few tricks to minimize food waste with young kids (this doesn’t include just eating whatever they leave behind, which I was doing but I got tired of feeling like a garbage dump for their half-eaten food plus I stopped eating animal products)
1) Save everything, even small amounts, and reoffer later. Sometimes they just get full or lose interest but will eat it later. So put things in the fridge or clip little snack bags shut so they don’t go stale, etc.
2) Cut off the bitten part and offer it again or give to the other child. Or offer in a different format. For example an apple with one bite taken out of it, I cut into slices, throw away the bitten part and then offer it again. Same with cheese sticks, cut off the bite and then cut it into little cubes.
3) If you have the storage space, save foods that they lose interest in to see if they will like them again later. My kids are very cyclical in certain food interests. They’ll want bow tie shaped pasta for weeks and then decide they don’t like it anymore but then 3 months later they will like it again. This one is actually hard for me, since I don’t like clutter and tend to get rid of things we don’t use but if I have the space(and it’s not something that will go stale), I do try to store these things and offer them again later.
I know these are all a bit easier said than done though, there are times it just feels easier to scoop it all into the trash rather than trying to pack it up or cut it up, especially if you’re tired and busy.
In my case I ate all the random bits, and gained weight from it! I
Like your plan much better
This is from my rural relatives who bought/sold/fixed used appliances:
If you have to scrap your old electric clothes dryer, they said, do not get rid of its electric cord/plug. Which detaches. Make sure it is not worn or frayed, of course. But it can be used with your new (or new-to-you) dryer. The thing is that those big plugs are not all the same and new ones are expensive -- and usually sold separately from the clothes dryer. So if your old one is on good shape, keep on using it.
Also, it's much safer to get a sturdy metal air hose for the clothes dryer than to use the flimsy plastic hoses that go to the duct. Those look a lot like hoses on old style hair dryers, the ones that had plastic bonnets. The plastic ones are fire hazards. And you already know to always clean out the lint traps, they can burn.
If you're moving, and taking your laundry appliances to your new place, check to see if the new place's dryer outlet matches the prong pattern on your plug. If not, you have to buy one that does. My uncle needed to do this. But instead of going to a regular store, he bought a cheap dryer at a garage sale, removed the plug, and used it instead. I think he scrapped the rest of the dryer or just used it for parts.
(Yes, I know most of us line dry whenever possible, but...)
The other tip my relatives had was that if the wood pellets designed for pellet stoves are too expensive, they used dried corn. I think it was sold as animal feed. It was off the cob.They said it burns hotter than wood pellets. They lived out in a rural area and did this some winters. I don't know how well this works as I never used a pellet stove or anything like that, but I thought that is an unusual hack.
Oh, and all the above appliances could catch fire. So be safe and be sure your smoke alarms work. Did you change the battery when you set the clock for daylight savings time?
Thanks for all the tips! I had no idea about the cord being reused with a different dryer. Great frugal tip.
I hate to waste electricity bc the rates are so high here. So I open the front door and pluck and trim my hair eyebrows in the sunlight. Ditto on my nails. I also refuse to get a computer/laptop/tv/washer/dishwasher/dryer bc I do not want to pay for the electricity. I also do not have a blow dryer and just let my hair dry naturally. Along the same lines, I shut off the bedrooms in the winter and sleep in the living room, heating only the living room, bathroom and kitchen. I sleep in a cold weather sleeping bag rated for outside . I put the sleeping bag between two quilts Did I mention I hate paying for electricity?…. lol. Also, I wash my work skirts in the bathtub and hang them out to dry to make them last. I pack my work sandwiches in bread bags. I also use a disposable razor for at least a month usually two months to shave my legs and underarms. I don’t have a lot of hair.I wipe and dry it off every day after use in the morning. I am sure there are other crazy things I do to save money. Katy has also heard me repeatedly say that my best frugal hack was buying my 912 sq ft one story house in the middle of the Great Recession for 25K. It is in a very small, gritty, working class town and that is ok bc convenient for work.
I forgot to say I beat my rugs with a broom outside bc, you guessed it, I don’t want to run a vacuum cleaner and pay for the electricity. For such a poor state our electric rates are high. My grandma used to do this when I was a little girl.
Cindy, your description of beating the rugs to get the dirt out reminded me as kids, my father would have us do the same with an old rug beater he "inherited" when his aunt died. It was our job! It was sort of fun back then. I still have the rug beater which I guess is an antique at this point in time and still use it.
Before I retired, the afternoon sun in the work parking lot was perfect for doing my eyebrows. My Swiss army pocket knife has a nifty set of tweezers. Now I do them in the back yard on the garden bench.
I always keep a set of tweezers in my car - don't know how I can pluck chin hairs in the bathroom mirror, and then look in the rearview of my car and there's a 5 inch hair blowing in the breeze from the AC!
Same! It’s the best light. And good use of time if you are in the drive through.
Cindy, I am very impressed by your habits!
Rescue the grapes at the bottom of the bag! When a bag of grapes comes home, I immediately pull out the bunches and get the grapes sitting at the bottom. They've been off the vine and will otherwise age to elderly while the bunches are eaten. Usually a snack's worth to save!
Ignore fashion trends. If you like skinny jeans, pay no attention to the clothing manufacturers that tell you they are no longer the thing. If you are lucky enough to find a piece of clothing that fits well, feels good, and makes you happy, keep wearing it. If you are happy in it you will look good.
- always ask for a discount. It’s amazing what being polite and adding a “thank you for checking for me” can do.
- I save paper towel use only for pet mess or grease, everything else gets addressed with rags or microfiber towel. I use only cloth napkins
- do all routine healthcare screenings and tests. It’s not frugal to skip them and miss important stuff!
- just say no to buying stuff just to 1) keep up 2) impress people 3) make yourself feel better.
- take care of the things you own, they will last longer and serve you well.
- utilize your public library, not only for books/ audiotapes, but for free passes to local places, interesting lectures, etc
- drink water, and not from single use plastic water bottles!
- learn to love frugal base foods like all forms of beans/ lentils, eggs,
pasta, oats, oatmeal
- always keep a portable snack in your bag and car to prevent wanting to get a bite out when hungry.
Your napkin note reminded me:
-If given a paper napkin in the wild, I usually save it for wiping out my cast iron pan
- Sometimes food items are given in wax paper or parchment paper. If not horribly soiled I reuse these for pressing corn tortillas
We keep a handful of unused (from fast food) paper napkins in the car's console. Doesn't seem like much, but they're like gold for unexpected accidents.
Water or milk as the Great Equalizer for stretching canned/bottled items -- rinses them up, and you don't waste a thing. (Also, they cover unexpected company showing up.) I realize this is an old frugal practice, but I watched my mom and grandma do it over and over -- and it works. Also, an eggshell of water will cover you in baked goods if you unexpectedly run one egg short.
Turning cottage cheese, cream cheese and sour cream containers upside-down seals them and extends their life big-time.
I’m not as hardcore frugal as some of you guys but I have a couple things that we do that seem to help:
- My hubby has cut his own hair for years
- I make my own yogurt. It saves $$, uses less plastic, and I like making it, which I feel like it key to making a frugal choice a habit.
- I tried the veggie scrap broth thing but found it not very tasty. BUT I discovered that if you do the same thing with fruit - apple cores, mango pits, old mushy grapes, past-prime limes, etc - then you can make a very tasty fruit tea/juice!
- always have a insulated cup of ice water or coffee anytime you leave the house!
- no gym membership: I run outside or use my workplace’s included gym.
I do veggie broth from.scraps, but only with onions, carrots, and celery (mirepoix). I don't enjoy the taste of, say green pepper, in it. Since mirepoix is the base for a lot of soups, it works well. I do some canning and I have canned mirepoix. Recently dumped a quart of it, 2 quarts of chicken broth, leftover cooked chicken, and egg noodles in a pot and made a wonderful chicken noodle soup in about 15 minutes.
I really like to read so these are all book related.
1. I enter Goodreads giveaways for new or upcoming releases. As Im entering them I search on Libby and use the notify me feature if my library gets a copy on LIbby so I will be notified if my library buys it.
2. If your favorite author has an upcoming release check to see if they are giving a copy away to their newsletter subscribers or doing a virtual book tour. Prizes often include a copy of the book and/or a gift card. You can also request your library buy a copy. I use my library a lot but I leave online reviews on Amazon without buying a thing.
3. Since you can have multiple library cards on Libby I ask relatives who pay property taxes but do not read digitally for the use of their library cards so my selection of materials is wider than if I used just my library card.
4. I do buy a subscription to a book streaming service that I really like and use I buy myself an annual gift subscription saving a little money and not giving access to any credit/debit card information. I only have one and I use it a great deal making it worth it to me since I can not drive to borrow physical books.
I use color catcher sheets because we have red dish towels that never stop shedding dye. While this seems wasteful, I save the sheets and use them for dusting furniture and rubbing conditioner on the leather sofa. They can be machine- sewn together to make large, sturdy cleaning cloths that are washable.
Our house has many sets of blinds and louvered doors. Swiffer dusters work best on them. These disposable dusters can be washed and reused many times.
On the theme of getting many uses out of what seems disposable, I use a plastic grocery sack or a toilet paper wrapper as a liner in the bathroom trash can. The used bag and its trash go a short distance to the litter box, where scoopings go in the bag. Then there's a quick trip around the yard for picking up after the dogs. So four uses for a disposable item.
I also use color catchers-- insurance against ruining my clothes--but had no idea they could be used again. Thanks! That'll save me a bundle!
We use our color catchers in steps. First use is for a one or two loads of lights,
Next it’s used for a load of darks,
Then the jeans and towels (which I don’t care too much about color transfer, but it’s enough to keep my tan colored towels from getting indigo-dingy)
I save a few and toss several in if I’m running a heavy-bleeding load. (I have a few red tops, and one pair of aqua pants) to keep any color transfer from any leftover water in the system.
Then I use it to wipe out the rubber gasket in our front loading washer.
Lastly, once it’s dry, I use it to wipe the dryer lint trap.
When I need something, but not right away, I’ll add it to my Apple Notes. Then when I’m at savers or Goodwill, I can look for these items. For example, after Thanksgiving, I thought it would be helpful to have a fat separator for next year’s gravy. The other day, mid February, one showed up at Savers for $.99. I’ve also picked up a few extra dishes to replace the ones I broke in my exact pattern, for a one dollar a piece… neither of these things were needed in a rush, and I’ve found that if I’m patient, most things show up at secondhand locations eventually.
I do this too, and have found everything I’ve ever needed (with enough time and patience!)
My credit card has cash back offers sponsored by various businesses, but you have to manually add them to your account. I log in every few weeks to check on the status of my account, and skim through to add any for businesses that I use. The key is to not use it as an excuse to make a purchase I wouldn't otherwise (which of course is the reason those businesses set them up).
I also have an app called Google Rewards. It gives me occasional very short surveys for which I'm paid in small amounts of Google Play credit. Then I use that credit to pay for a few things I would pay for anyway (a couple app subscriptions). I also get some credit through my Google Play points in the Play Store where I get a few points reward each week. It adds up to a reasonable amount for almost no effort.
I visit the dumpster at an apartment complex where I lived 25 yr ago. There are often nice things outside the dumpster that people leave when they move. This past week I found a navy club chair & an almost new air fryer. I have found most of my small kitchen appliances this way. I usually go on the end of the month when tenants are moving out or moving in. The weekend is a good time also as people tend to move on the weekend when they are off work. If I can't use the item I donate it to charity. My husband has a truck so I can send him if the item is too big. Like another reader stated, if you are patient, you will usually find what you need. It is a treasure hunt!
Mindset is a huge part for me and understanding my priorities. I like my time and money to go towards things that genuinely make my life better, even if it's not as convenient. I bake, cook, prep, and plan constantly because of the benefits of doing it myself and the financial incentive. Baking our bread every week or two isn't always convenient but the taste is superior to the grocery store and it's cheaper. Double win! I try to look for little wins where I can. I might want to splurge on an experience with my husband or kids because I want to prioritize having quality time with my family, but having a frugal mindset helps keep the cost down and give me a little boost knowing I got a good deal or made the best choice.
My frugal hacks - they work for me but may not necessarily work for others:
(1) Ripping out my lawn and replacing it with perennials. When I first bought my house in Seattle ~20 years ago, I had limited funds and wasn’t a fan of lawns. When the grass got too big, instead of going out and buying a lawnmower, I replaced it with lavender, sage, and rosemary. This did require an initial investment of a ~10 plants, but the result has been great. Since then, I have not had to buy any new plants and I never need to water the plants (more $$ savings). I can use clippings to replace the older plants. There is some minimal weeding in the summer but it is enjoyable because the purple flowers attract so many honeybees.
(2) Walking everywhere in the city - I got rid of my car 4 years ago and I don’t regret it. We still have 1 car (electric, paid off, and costs very little to operate) that is used by my husband for commuting to work. I have a flexible schedule so I try to walk almost everywhere within the city. There's public transit to fall back on if I am pressed for time or the weather isn’t great. By avoiding public transit, I can save money, and that adds up over time. But to me it’s a hack because I get exercise and so many other healthy benefits from walking.
I was car-free for ten years and it was incredibly helpful financially, even though the best transit tends to be in HCOL areas. I will always choose walkable over car-dependent communities, even though I'm now so disabled that a car is the only transportation that meets my needs. They're just better places to live.
So, where's my unusual stuff? Mine is a bit about saving money on the product and a lot about enjoying myself at low/no-cost at the same time.
1. Making no-cost, customised wrapping paper:
I ironed packing paper I received with an order.
Now I use it to wrap presents and then draw/stamp... it. So cute!
2. Buying stones in bulk to paint them
Planned on leaving beautiful, coloured stones around my neighbourhood.
Sorcing the stones was not as easy as they are NOT lying around.
So I bought 25kg of stones at the hard ware store instead of 25 individual stones at a crafts store for the SAME price.
Unfortunately I realised I do not enjoy colouring them. So now I plan to invite friends for an anti-facist-stone-colouring meet-up.
3. Embroidery!
I do cross-stitch and embroidery.
Buying yarn only as needed and embroidering clothes I already have but believe to be boring, it's really just pennies per hour of entertainment as it is a REALLY slow art!
Just have make sure to not over-buy on embroidery supplies you don't end up using!
4. Beautifying my home!
I am living at the same place for over a decade and start to get bored with how it looks.
Now, I am buying paint to change how the place looks.
Fun to do and more on the low-cost side. So I get entertainment and a home-make-over for the cost of one.
5. Whenever I see something cute I could buy, just convince myself I could do it myself.
Then.... forget about it. No money spent and nothing new to clutter my place.
I love your idea for a meet-up!
Anti-facist-stone-colouring meet-up!!! I can think of at 2 facist countries, one rhymes with puss the other with hell.
I wish I had a great unique frugal hack but most I've learned from The Tightwad Gazette years ago and from this and other blogs. I'm learning to shop differently since I no longer have a houseful. I'm buying only in quantities to feed myself. Meals look different since I'm trying to eat what I have first. I have always paid in full for things like insurance and propane to save on additional fees. Credit cards are paid every month and I take advantage of cash back offers on items I'm buying anyway. Ebay is a great way to earn extra from things I purchase for that purpose but also for items I already own. I've lived long enough for a lot of my belongings to be considered vintage and as I find I don't need or use something, it's a great way to get a little money back on the things I'm getting rid of anyway.
Loved reading the list. A few ideas from my side:
1) We just figured out how to run our dishwasher on delay (shame on us for not doing this forever!), which allows us to run it at a much discounted rate.
2) We line dry a lot of our clothes. It helps them last longer, and saves energy costs of running the dryer.
3) I work from home & keep the heat low by wrapping a blanket around my lower half (I'm on calls where you can only see my upper half). We live in a moderate climate, so would likely work for some of you during shoulder seasons.
4) We cook 2-3x/week, and have leftovers the rest of the time. We also freeze a lot of leftovers, so we can pull things out of the freezer in a pinch.
5) we always have eggs on hand, because they make an easy brunch/breakfast/meal in a pinch.
6) We cut the tops of green onions & they grow year round (again, moderate climate), keeping us permanently stocked up on green onions. I hope to never buy another one until we move/leave this house.
7) Like another commenter, I check my credit card for offers of businesses & save the ones we might use. I then promptly forget about them, but if we do buy anything, we get cash back. I recently discovered 100% cash back on a meditation app, which is great for my goals of meditating more.
For me it's making sure we eat meals at home. It's only the two of us but I've noticed when we do go out to eat for a special occasion it's been in the $50 to over $100 range. So we almost always eat at home. I also avoid fast food places which have become increasingly expensive for the quality and nutrition value of the food. One thing we occasionally do is go to a fundraiser dinner when one is in the area. For instance, this Sunday we're going to a Lions Club spaghetti dinner. $10 per person and it supports a good cause. The local no-kill cat shelter has fundraiser dinners a couple times a year which we go to also. Have to say, if we had a taco truck in our neighborhood, I'd be the first in line!
I just thought of one. DH prefers water with flavor. My gyno recommended I add citric acid to water to help prevent UTI's. I discovered True Lemon flavored drink mixes. I have a dedicated 2-quart water pitcher. Every day, I fill the pitcher and add one single-serve packet. It gives the water just a tinge of flavor. I set the pitcher and two glasses out on the table. Our rule is we finish it with dinner. This, on top of whatever else we drink during the day, keeps our water intake optimal. We don't drink sodas and we use the same washable vessels over and over. Yes, plain water would be cheaper, but this way, DH gets enough fluids and I haven't had a UTI in ages. (Knock wood.)
This is going to sound like a strangle frugal idea but I use cash most of the time and ask for a small discount since by using cash the business is not paying fees to the bank. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It is amazing how many young clerks don’t know that by using a debit or credit card the bank is charging a fee, which of course hets passed onto the consumer in higher prices. Since a lot of places no longer have Pennies for change I will ask them to at least round down. I have educated a few young folks that using a card is not free. And I in my rebel mode I am sticking it to the evil empire, the bank. I think not actually handling money makes it easy to spend to much on a card. Sliding that card is just to easy.
Not my ideas:
>Nana is Frugal blog
1. Uses boxed cereal plastic liners cut open, used flat for flash freezing cut fruit or vegetables. I’ve tried this and it works very well! They are washable and reusable. Ask someone to save some if you buy bulk cereal.
>The late Mimi from Australian Tray of Bliss blog-
1. Rescued silky pajamas, camisoles, etc., laundered, ironed them, & embellished them with embroidery and donated them to women shelters.
2. Assigned a retail value to meals she prepared, gifts she made [classy useful or edible things], plants she rooted and came up with a weekly financial total as a personal incentive, showing how she contributed to the family’s bottom line. She called it money “remaining” in the family account.
>Annabelle from Australian blog The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm
1. Purchased a thrifted waffle weave blanket, laundered it well and turned it into dish towels adding decorative trim.
2. Made an Iced Coffee Syrup recipe, bottled it to gift.
Maybe the answer to rejuvenating frugal spirits is to see how much we can give using frugal methods.
You might appreciate "My Simple Frugal Life", by Toni in England.
Even if I don't follow most things that various bloggers suggest, (especially since I don't cook much and I HATE beans), it is important to me to find other people with frugal mindsets.
This works better if you have a garage, but can also be done after a quick thunderstorm. Simply dry your car off with rag towels after a hard rain, if you have a garage, pull it inside to dry if off, if not it works outside if the rain is over. Free carwash!
Hypermiling is also something we regularly do, lots of tips online about this and we own manual transmission vehicles, but you can turn off the car going down long hills (we're rural) or at long traffic lights to save gas. There are dozens of other tips that really work and I thought I'd mention this since we're once again in wartime gas saving mode. ;-(
I drive an automatic shift vehicle but if there is a long, slow line at a drive through, I shut off the engine to save gas.
This is only useful for those of us blessed with Winco nearby ...
I do 95% of my grocery shopping at Winco, but because they only accept cash/debit I've lost out on credit card rewards (in my case travel rewards) by shopping there. A couple years ago I learned you can purchase a gift card in store then reload it on their website using a credit card.
I reload my card once a month to save Winco from regular credit card processing fees (and me from resulting increased prices!) and to help keep me to budget. And, I get an amazing, nearly free vacation a year from utilizing credit card rewards. (Note- Use credit responsibly! Pay your balance off each month because paying interest is for suckers!)
1. Like others, I keep a running list of things I’d like to thrift and look at it before thrifting so that I’m more likely to spot them. I also have specific stipulations for buying stuff for my kid (brands, condition, price , etc). This prevents me from over buying.
2. I’m currently a sahm. Every month I fill out a calendar with all the free possible activities I can do with my toddler, then park days (warm days where I know we can be outside) , then last add our paid activities . This shows me that we can do a variety of things and stick within our activity budget easily.
3. I always decant my kids snacks. As a former feeding therapist, I know too well that kids can become very “label dependent”, recognizing boxes, brands, bags, whatever. I typically always serve snacks in a stasher bag or a cup rather than the bag itself so that we don’t become picky to certain things.
4. Taking really good care of our stuff and keeping things clean. We bought a fixer upper 4 years ago and have made great progress, but still have a long way to go. Keeping things clean and organized helps me feel content. I am a master stain remover, which helps to maintain things as well.
5. Mixing high and low everything. I have Walmart curtains and pottery barn curtains in my house, I have ikea and restoration hardware. Almost all second hand, but create a great look nonetheless.
6. My husband and I have learned how to renovate on our own. It takes time , patience, and room for error, but after hiring bad contractors we gave up. You also tend to care more when it’s your own house!
7. CANCELLED PRIME!!
One thing that surprises me from your blog is that you buy enchilada sauce, when it’s easy to make. That’s all I can think of.
I echo those who say that it isn’t frugal to let thrifting get out of hand. I still thrift, but I keep a list of items I need, and that helps me stay on task. If there’s nothing on the list, then it’s easier to talk myself out of a thrifting stop. If I see something crazy that might make a good gag gift, I take a photo instead.
Free piles are hard to resist, but I’m getting better at saying to myself, “You don’t need another _____. Let someone else get lucky!”
When my toothpaste tube seems "empty"..I flatten it out, roll it with a small face roller so it all goes to top. That gets me another 3-4 days...then I continue to bend and squeeze the seemingly "empty" tube in different ways to get more out of it......(if i could post a pic of my current toothpaste tube, I would LOL...I am on day 7 and still getting toothpaste out of it!!) Like Katy, I buy my toothpaste at Dollar Tree - so I am getting my $1.25 out of it, and then some for sure!! Haha...
Don't forget to then cut it in half and scrape out the insides! You'll get at least another day!
So much frugality! I employ many of these strategies and picked up a few new ideas! One thing that we do is collect water to use to refill the toilet tank after flushing. We do this while water warms up for the shower or bath. We use this gray water to refill the toilet tank. In addition, once or twice a week I take a hot bath (with epsom salts from COSTCO-replaces a spa visit!) and we use that water to refill jugs to then refill the toilet tank. Plus, we have an extra garbage pail in the basement. It is set up to collect the water going through the pipes that is either removing moisture from the air in the summer (A/C unit), or adding water (the furnace has a built in humidifier). DH rigged it up so that we can decide when to add water, then use that to refill jugs etc. It not only saves on the water bill, it is conserving a natural resource.
Ancillary to that, although it seems counterintuitive, it isn’t necessary to fully open the taps for warm water—a trickle of water is all that is necessary for to get the water heater sending warm to replace the cold water already standing in the pipe. Give it a try sometime, you will be surprised!
Great stuff! My main frugal hacks are about avoiding food waste and not throwing $$ in the trash.
I tuck a lot of random stuff into smoothies. Yogurt flavors the kids didn't like, the last of a tub of sour cream, juice from canned fruit, etc.
The bag that frozen fruit comes in from my grocery store is really sturdy and has a resealable closure on it. Any fresh fruit that is past its prime gets added to the bag to use in future smoothies. Soft grapes, wrinkly blueberries, wilted spinach, tasteless peaches, whatever.
Brown bananas get put into the freezer whole - when ready to use just heat for 45 seconds in the microwave, split the peel, and squeeze into the blender (or banana bread batter).
If I'm buying ingredients for a recipe and know I will have extra, I try to plan another meal that week that uses it up. Like if I'm getting carrots, celery, onion and potatoes for the picadillo soup my kids like, I may also put pot roast on the menu. Any remaining carrots and celery get sliced and stored in the freezer for next time I make soup.
Right now there's a veggie tray and ranch dip in my fridge we've been snacking on for several days. The veggies are looking a little tired so tonight they're getting made into fried rice, along with a leftover grilled chicken breast from the other night's dinner.
Have a few ideas in your head of meals that remake leftovers. We have tacos or fajitas at least once a week, so I always keep a bag of refried beans in the pantry so I can stretch any leftover meat and sautéed vegetables into quesadillas another night. Breakfast bowls are another great way to use up odds and ends.
Strawberry tops in smoothies are great too! Sometimes I use my strawberry tops for homemade dressing, or give them to my neighbors for their chickens, but will also toss them in smoothies
If the bananas are organic I slice them up peel and all and freeze them or use them directly in smoothies. You can't taste the peel and it provides extra fibre. You can also bake with them (the peels) but I've never tried that.
I generally never peel these fruits and veg if they are organic: apples, pears, plums, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin etc - all are cut up and used 'as is.
I freeze onion, carrot, garlic and celery (peel and 'bits') for stock. I don't tend to add too many other vegetable peels as it 'muddies' the taste. I cook up stock from them when the bag is full. Makes a wonderful minestrone soup, particularly if you have a couple of parmesan rinds (also left-over and stored in a bag in the freezer) to add to the soup along with the other veg / beans / pasta.
Make pot scrubbers from those “dented produce” mesh bags. Tie with string, or rubber band one end off, turn inside out, add more crumpled mesh bags to make it scrubbie sized, tie with string or rubber band to the size wanted, and trim the end.
Use baking soda to clean most everything. It works!
If you sew: Make pillowcases from the good parts of a worn through bottom sheet.
When the edge of the waistband of pj pants wears through, cut off below elastic, and sew on the bottom few inches of a stained or damaged t-shirt to make a “yoke”. The old elastic can be re-threaded through the hem of the t-shirt.
Little trial facial moisturizers, or big sizes that didn't do the magic they promised, lol, work just fine as rest-of-the-body moisturizers....or use them as "shaving cream" on your legs. Same goes for any body washes, I just use them for misc cleaning of things like rubber flip flops. Lather is lather!
I do my laundry or run my dishwasher during off peak times - like 4am bcuz I am up - and it saves on the electric and gas bill. Yes, it would be cheaper to wash dishes by hand, but I still work full time, and I do not like the chore, so it is something I pay for, and I am okay with that. No need to be miserable. Also, I live in a housing community with an HOA and we are not allowed to hang dry outside so that isn't an option. So I work with what I've got!
With a modern dishwasher, it is quite possible that the dishwasher uses less water than handwashing. So you might be doing fine there!
(Unless you pre-wash your dishes in the sink before filling the dishwasher. That can take a lot of unnecessary water and energy).
maybe my most "extreme" frugality is a "micro-savings" mindset... Weirdest example: I'll pick up a random rock that is near my car in a parking lot to add to our gravel driveway at home. Not much of a gain, but I'm not out anything, so why not? Making sure I'm completely ready to drive before turning on the car is a way to micro-save on gas. Unless hot water is needed, making sure the faucet is turned to cold before turning on the tap saves on electric water heating. Just like cutting the toothpaste tube open to get the last bit, these little things become easy-peasy habits. Micro-saving to spend less on the boring stuff to have more moolah for the fun stuff. ha
The cheapest way to enjoy birds in your backyard is to just put out water for them instead of trying to keep expensive bird seed out. I have as many squirrels as birds and would probably not be able to outwit the squirrels anyhow.
I tend to stockpile food and I love to cook, so when I am ready to do a big no-spend I make a list in my notes app of all the dishes I could possibly make with ingredients I have on hand. It helps me be creative and also think about substitutions I can make in recipes I typically make to use up things lying around. I also like to look on Pinterest for other new recipes I could try with those ingredients to keep it exciting. I'm in the middle of one now and I think I could live off what I have for at least a month.
I cut up old flannel sheets in 2018/19 and nervous stitched the edges (doubled them up and they are about 5-6 in square). My wife and I use them to wipe for pee and we store the dirty ones in an old metal compost container. When it's full they go in the wash with everything else. I also keep the ends off of bread, waffles we don't eat, even English muffins that started to go bad (just cut the moldy part off) because my family seems allergic to eating them. When I get a big batch in the freezer I cut them up and make croutons out of them.
Had 2 lbs of ground turkey. Made 5 turkey burgers and with the remaining 3/4 lb of ground turkey made a crockpot full of hamburger soup. Original recipe called for 2 pounds. It calls for a small can of tomatoes and I accidentally put in tomato sauce. Still delicious and fed the five of us for dinner with large bowl of soup and then four more small bowls for lunch.
Wore thrifted quilted jacket to church and a friend of mine told me she had donated the jacket. Love that 2 friends can enjoy the same jacket.
Hung up 2 loads of clothes on rack bc dryer broken. Found out it takes 24 hours to dry jeans.
Boys were gifted many new tshirts and baseball hats at a softball tournament. Yay for free clothes.
Husband a daughter volunteer at church and our given free breakfast. I also drank free coffee at church.
I learned so much from each of you! Thanks for your tips!
My best frugal hack is my “free” grout cleaner. Turns out pouring a small amount of boiling water on the grout lines and scrubbing with a grout cleaning brush or an old tooth brush worked better than any grout cleaner I’ve ever tried. I use my electric kettle to boil the water in my non-kitchen areas (like my upstairs bathroom).