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Our Throwaway SocietyIt always amazes me how much other people throw away. I did not grow up with much, and I always took very good care of whatever I had, as I knew my parents worked very hard for it. I thought I set an excellent example for my children, until the other day.

 

A bottle of peppermint oil next to a lip gloss.

Peppermint Oil to the RescueI found myself using my peppermint oil 4 times this holiday season.

 

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Refreshing Wipes and Keeping Them MoistWet wipes are just as great for personal adult use as they are for babies. I buy them initially in a container, and then refill the container with the refill packets.

 

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What You Can Buy for 21 DollarsWhat You Can Buy for 21 Dollars. Living on next to nothing is what I do on a daily basis, so when I get 21 dollars from a paycheck, you can believe I am frugal with it. This is my tip for you on what to do with 21 dollars.

 

Shop Thrift Stores in January

Shop Thrift Stores in JanuaryShop in January for fantastic deals. People unload new, unwanted Christmas gifts, and older models of items they have upgraded. Also, people take advantage of the charitable contribution tax donation by donating by December 31.

 

Man Using Food Stamps at Supermarket

You May Be Eligible for Food StampsApply for food stamps in your state. I thought I wouldn't get them, but surprise, I was eligible. There is no disgrace in getting help when you need it. Be brave and just go apply.

 

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Extended Use for PensFor ink pens that won't write; place the pens upside down in a cup of hot water until the water cools off. Wipe dry and use.

 

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Freeze Canned BiscuitsI found out just today that you can freeze the biscuits-in-a-can! Find a sale, stock up, and throw them in the freezer. You can either let the can thaw out, pop it open and then bake the biscuits or (frozen cans will NOT pop) pry the frozen biscuits out of the can and bake them.

 

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Use Tall Laundry Hampers as Trash CansTall laundry hampers are about half the price of kitchen size trash cans. You can get them for as little as $5 at Deals!, Family Dollar, and Dollar General and they hold a kitchen size trash bag nicely.

 

Stretching My Meager Dollars

Stretching My Meager DollarsI am a single mother of two kids. The income I have comes from what little I make from my full time job, my job working in my church's nursery on Sundays, and Child Support for my oldest. I am constantly learning new ways to stretch my meager dollars.

 

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Reuse Unpostmarked StampsPostage stamps that have not been marked with the date due to machinery error can be reused. Pay attention to the mail you get and start cutting off the stamps you can reuse.

 

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Turn Boxes Inside Out for ShippingThe holidays are upon us, and you will no doubt want to send things to loved ones through the mail. Some of the best boxes to ship in are illegal to use: bleach, alcohol, paint, etc. So, here is how to use them if you need them.

 

Starbucks price information.

Saving Money at Starbucks

I'm a coffee drinker so when I go to Starbucks, it's often to get a drip coffee. I ordered this one day and the man behind me in line turned to his wife and said, "See, you can just order coffee." Black coffee drinkers definitely save money at Starbucks but there are some strategies that can make your Lattes and Frappuccinos less expensive too.

 

Price tags on a shelf.

Pay Attention to the Price TagsNormally do you purchase your home air filter as needed or in bulk? At Home Depot, if you stop and look at the second set of numbers - it only makes sense to buy in bulk!

 

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Save on Eating OutWith rising food costs, every bit of savings when it comes to eating out is a win. A great tip for shaving off a few dollars on your next meal in (or out) is combining the savings from purchasing a discounted gift card from one of the gift card reseller sites and bundling the savings from that with a promo code/coupon. To avoid having to hunt for an active code, take advantage of browser extensions such as Honey which you'll need to download or the built in version on the Microsoft Edge browser. Using a discounted gift card with a promo code is a great way to save, especially if you have large orders.

 

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A man giving a pot to a woman at the door.

Giving Household Items Within Your CommunityI am active in my local Buy Nothing group, where members gift furniture, clothing and other useful items to people in their local area. It is run on a Facebook page for my neighborhood, an area is a mile or so wide, bounded by the major streets. There are several different Buy Nothing neighborhoods in my city. This allows the members to be sure they are giving and receiving to their own neighbors, making pickups easy and bringing local communities together.

 

A flat screen television.

Check Warranty If TV Is Not WorkingWe were gifted this TV and so when the TV started experiencing some issues (ex: not turning on properly, the display would go be blank/black) we just unplugged and set it aside. While cleaning out the garage and planning to recycle this, I decided to check the manufactures date. (You can locate the manufactures date on the back of your tv by the serial number). The date was October 2020 and most TV manufactures last 1 year so I decided to reach out to the company, which was Philips.

 

A box of Kleenex on a bed.

Take Toilet Paper From Hotel RoomMy frugal tip is always take the toilet paper and kleenex with you from your room when you check out of your hotel when traveling. You paid for those. They are figured into your price you paid for the room. You never know when you may need it,for example the next rest area or a little ones runny nose.

 

A collection of fast food receipts.

Save Fast Food ReceiptsNormally when we occasionally stop by a fast food restaurant we used to discard or leave behind our receipts but now I keep mine in my car. If I end up stopping by some other day, I will first check the receipts and see if they offer a buy one get one item (often a sandwich!) at the bottom of the receipt for sharing about my visit online. I will THEN go online and answer their questions then get the code to use that receipt for a BOGO immediately afterward!

 

Save Money on Soap

Save Money on SoapWhen a cake of soap wears down to a small piece, don't throw it away. Lather up the new cake of soap and the small piece of soap and while they are wet, press the two together. Set aside to dry overnight. The small piece will adhere to the large piece and it does not get wasted. After a few uses, your piggyback soap is barely noticeable.

 

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Walk Safely on Slippery AreasWhen dealing with ice or any type of slippery areas, just remember rubber bands. Take some rubber bands and place them around your shoes from the toes to the heels. Just make sure they're snug but not cutting off circulation. When you walk, the rubber bands will give you extra traction on any surface. I personally keep some wide rubber bands around when ice forms on my driveway or sidewalk.

 

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Take Advantage of Post Holiday DiscountsBesides shopping for cards, ribbons and wrap after Christmas at steep discount, think about other things you might want to seek out for next year. Now is the time to look around (when your house is still in full Christmas mode). How is that artificial tree looking? A little bedraggled? Table linens? Ornaments? All of that stuff will be at a 50 to 90 percent discount, usually starting on 12/26.

 

Three new lipsticks as prizes.

Enter Contests to Win PrizesI enter many contests and sometimes I win, like today. You probably will not get rich, but you will get little treats that stretch your budget and feel pampered.

 

Using a chip clip to close a cut tube of toothpaste.

Get Last Bit of ToothpasteI use Biotene toothpaste and it is not cheap. When it gets down to where it's hard to squeeze out of the tube, I cut the end of the tube off. This makes the toothpaste, that is left in the tube, easy to dip out and enables me to get every smidget of tooth paste out of the tube. To keep it fresh, I fold the open end over and put a clamp on it. By doing this, I can get 10-12 more brushings out of the tube of toothpaste.

 

A bottle of lotion with a pump.

Save That LotionRather than throw out a lotion bottle that still has plenty of lotion, but won't pump, here is a simple way to save the bottom lotion. Simply cut the bottle and pump tube in half. Place the top half over the bottom half and pump away! :)

 

Labels cut out of junk mail and medicine bottles.

Free Return Address Labels and Packing FillAn easy, cheap, and frugal way to save money is to cut your name and address out of junk mail then shred the junk mail to use as packing material when shipping. Cutting your name and address out of medicine bottles labels is another way to save money and reduce paper consumption for return address labels.

 

The app being used as a remote.

Fire TV App as RemoteFor some reason our Amazon fire stick remote stopped working. I changed the batteries several times and tried troubleshooting before thinking of purchasing a remote replacement. Guess what? A remote replacement is almost the same price as purchasing a new Amazon fire stick with remote.

 

Using foil in a battery compartment to enable AAA batteries to work in a AA slot.

Triple A Batteries to Save the DayHave you ever needed AA batteries but only have AAA on hand, don't worry. AAA will save the day, you can use them when your device requires double A. Simply fill in the gap with foil on the contact the positive terminal. So if you're ever in the store and forgot which one to get, go for the AAA.

 

A slip proof lap desk.

Slip-proof Your Lap DeskI bought a lap desk the other day. It was in sorry shape, so I got it for $1.00. I came home, re-snapped the bean bag in one place, and cleaned it. It worked great until my plate almost slipped off!

 

An apple peeler and corer.

Reselling Thrift Store FindsA few local thrift stores have special "senior" Tuesdays when they offer an additional 30% off store-wide to those of us "better than 50ish". I take advantage of the discount and if I find something which I can use, I am already in advantageous status with the percentage off and the resale vs. retail price.

 

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the side of a house showing a column holding up the roof.

Life As I Knew ItI was so young when I used to dream of having a huge house built for my mother. She sacrificed so much for me that I want to return something good, such as a good life. We need not reach to achieve it, for the older I get, the deeper my realizations are.

 

A Hudson Hornet from the '50s

Buying Your First Car The Frugal WayIn my day, cars weren't as plentiful as they are today. To be sure, Ford, Hudson, Packard, and all the other makers could put a motor car in your possession the very day you were ready to buy one. Trouble was, not many people could afford to buy one.

 

A small leather pocketbook.

Gratitude Not AttitudeGratitude, not attitude. Last week Lowes was giving away gift cards in denominations from $5 to $1500. As to be expected, most cards were $5, which is what I got. I saw some posts from people saying they "only" got $5. I felt it was $5 that I did not have before.

 

A single layer chocolate cake

Baking LessonsA hearth is timeless. In days past, of the likes of Little Women, warm flickering light from the stove used to brighten up evenings for families coming together over a meal. What would they talk about? Maybe the ships coming in from sea, slow telegraphs from a father far away, the newspaper picked up for a dime from the little boy at the market? After the dishes were put away, a child like Beth might play hymns on her old upright, several decades before the radio was ever invented.

 

A plastic container being used as a drip catch tray for a potted plant.

Using Dollar Tree Plastic ContainersI spent some of today repotting plants. Not wanting to use my good saucers for drip catchers, I looked around for something a bit deeper. I found a Dollar Tree sandwich/food keeper box and cut it in half.

 

A ream of printing paper that will be saved by the free prints at the library.

Free Printing at the LibraryNot all libraries have this perk, but mine does. I can use their computer and print 50 cents worth every day. Black and white is 10 cents per page and color is 25 cents. When I need to make a copy of something, I take a picture with my cell phone and email it to myself. I then print it out from their computer. If I used their copy machine, it would be 25 cents per page.

 

A homemade LED vanity mirror.

Homemade LED Vanity MirrorSkip paying $30 and up buying a light-up vanity mirror and make your own from the dollar store! You can get a decent sized mirror and LED lights for a buck each. Just affix the lights and turn them on for use. I love this for things like precise eyebrow tweezing. You really catch all the details!

 

A collection of batteries in a container.

Save Dead BatteriesWhen a battery is supposedly not working anymore or running low for a particular gadget, do not toss it out! It can actually be useful for a different gadget or as a spare.

 

A rubber band on a lotion bottle to prevent the dispenser from going down fully.

Save Lotion with Rubber BandYou can save the amount of lotion and soaps you dispense from pump-style bottles by wrapping a big rubber band around their necks. When you go to pump, it dispenses a much smaller amount, making it easier for you to control how much comes out. My family members and I are always calling to each other to take the extra dispensed lotion off our hands. Now we just band it up instead!

 

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Thoroughly Describe Items You Are Selling OnlineI have sold a lot of items on the Letgo app. These items were cluttering up my house, attic and garage. Over the last 18 months, I have made almost $6000, getting rid of unwanted items.

 

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Saving on Lotion (Hubby Style)I went into the bathroom looking for hand lotion a few minutes ago. DH and I use baby lotion and shampoo so we don't dry up and blow away. We had a bottle of baby lotion close to the bottom which I had turned upside down. I discovered DH had cut a 'door' in the side of the bottle so we could reach in for those few remaining drops. Now that ain't thrifty, that is stingy!

 

A medicine cabinet of personal care items.

The Frugal Lady Is At It AgainI have found when a friend or neighbor helps me in some kind way, it's nice to pack up a care bag for two household items. They are often in need of them. I have had wonderful feedback from that. The bags I order free by playing a game, about 50 shopping bags in each.

 

A woman wearing colorful clothing and holding a flower in the woods.

Me In My ColorsI passed my childhood years in a simple home with honest, hard working and uncomplicated parents and two younger brothers. Ours was an immigrant family and we struggled daily to meet our essential needs. My small world consisted of Dad, Mom, my brothers, school, play, home cooked meals, church on Sunday, responsibilities consistent with my age and the security of a well ordered home. I was so very fortunate.

 

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Boxer Shorts for SleepingWe're all familiar with the cotton, loose and baggy boxer shorts that men wear. I never thought about them much until recently and now I love them. They're my new sleeping shorts.

 

A percolator that was purchased at a thrift store.

Use Mineral Oil to Salvage ObjectsWhat do these items have in common? They had 'issues' and ended up at the thrift store. The percolator had a stuck lever that regulates the strength of the coffee, the cactus necklace had a huge knot in it, and the starfish necklace had the jump ring that closes it stuck in the open position.

 

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A stack of scraps of paper to be used for notes.

Save Scrap Paper for NotesClipping coupons can save money but, at the same time, it sometimes wastes paper. I only print out coupons that I will definitely use and sometimes that's just 1 coupon or 2 so, I'm left with a good amount of paper left!

 

A black and white photo of a child holding a lollipop.

Theories for a Frugal LifeLiving within my means has been ingrained in me my whole life, as is living a green life, meaning being nice to Mother Nature. I find when I share my theories with people, there are two schools of reactions. One is the person looking at me like I have three heads and webbed feet. This is sadly the usual reaction. The other rare reaction is a look of pure relief that there is a kindred soul out there.

 

Final shot of the new organized and decorated shelf.

New Shelf from Decorated BoxesI recently began selling things on my local auction sites. It's fun and gets rid of the clutter. So I had these shelf units in my store room. I wanted one to go up just a bit so I used two decorated boxes as support.

 

An orange stuffed bear with flowers on its stomach.

Why Do We Keep Keepsakes?We all have memories, some of them good, some bad. Our keepsakes are most likely associated with the good memories. And they're sort of like Christmas. Every day Christmas would be no joy. It's the year long anticipation that makes it so special. And so it is with keepsakes.

 

A small legal pad attached to a small cutting board with binder clips.

Make an Impromptu ClipboardWhen you have a dollar tree cutting board that is no longer good for food, don't toss or recycle it. Turn it into a clip board! With the 3/$1.00 mini legal pads, two binder clips and the cutting board, you can make something to do a shopping list, To Do list, or even a Honey Do list!

 

A woman standing outside a home and smiling.

Procrastinating On Our PrioritiesProcrastinating on our Priorities is never good. We often think we have more time than we really do. No one knows what tomorrow brings or if we even have one. So, we think "I should do that" or " I will do it tomorrow".

 

Some free items from businesses; a calendar, pens and a coffee mug.

Free Items from BusinessesVisit businesses and banks for free items. They offer advertising items to promote or gain new customers. No need to buy pens, calendars, coffee mugs any more. Businesses benefit from distributing their promotional items to prospective customers.

 

A set of alkaline batteries next to a set of heavy duty carbide batteries.

Choose Alkaline BatteriesI have found that heavy duty carbide batteries do not stack up compared to the alkaline batteries. The alkaline batteries cost more but will give far more service. The heavy duty batteries won't give as bright of light as the alkaline ones. It is worth paying more for the alkaline batteries by far. Longer lasting is less cost of usage.

 

A multimeter to test batteries.

Test Batteries with a MultimeterI was able to get a free digital multimeter with a coupon at Harbor Freight store. With the instrument, I can check batteries for voltage. You don't have to wonder anymore if a battery is good. I was throwing away batteries and they may have been still usable. Also I can check small flat batteries used in car remote controls and wrist watches.

 

Several credit cards cut into pieces.

Cut the CardThis was the best decision I could make during this time. I have worked hard on my budget and trust me. If there is a fee to even have the card, I don't want it. I did many reviews on Creditone bank. Not to be cruel but they are not a nice company. I found one of the hardest parts of reading the reviews was cutting off the card.

 

A chain necklace that has been shortened temporarily.

Shortening a Chain NecklaceYou can now wear the same necklace short or long. Pinch the chain behind your neck to the correct length. Put a safety pin through both sides near the pinch and fasten.

 

Sample of Haircare and Beauty Products

Apply for Free SamplesThere are many people relying on us for a review of a product. I am very pleased to bring good reviews to those who want them. I love reading reviews that will save me money as well.

 

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Reusing Nespresso PodsI received a Nespresso Breville model for Christmas and so far I haven't been able to find a substitute for the Nespresso pods (I got refills, but they were another model). But I discovered that if I make a cross incision into the used pods and wash them out.

 

A white shelf with a coffee center and some condiments.

Shopping with Less MoneyHello again, I would like to share my frugal story. I am living with fibromyalgia so I am in a lot of pain. It took a while to get this done but it is done. I am paying off my credit report for this year. I am living on $780 but my check is paid out.

 

A park with a floral display in the center of the driveway.

Being Frugal Can Be Hard WorkBeing frugal can be hard work for some people. I find it very satisfying and fun. Doing things to save money is better than doing nothing. You must be realistic. You have to have an open mind to accept new ideas. If you do nothing, you will accomplish nothing.

 

A meal in a crockpot.

Learning FrugalityHi there I am Sharon, I live in NY and it's very expensive here. I have done a few things over the past few months to save money. We have a new store called Dollar General. Some of you have had it a while now. Today I learned about a download. I did it and scanned some coupons. You know what I mean, right. I went to the store and asked about the program.

 

A bottle of coconut oil.

Buy Close Outs To Try New FoodsWhile shopping at Dollar Tree I saw a 7 oz. jar of coconut oil. I figured, for a buck, what have I got to lose. While I haven't cooked with it yet, I have smelled and tasted the oil. Well, not really. That's because it has virtually no smell or taste. Yea!

 

Applebee's gift cards purchased at a CVS pharmacy.

Stretching the Value of a DollarGrowing up, I was taught to use money wisely in scenarios where I could save. Now being engaged to my fiancé - we are slowly getting in the rhythm of joining our bills, budgeting and making compromises.

 

An unpaved dirt road through pine trees.

Goodness Still ExistsWhen I was eleven or twelve, I did something I'll never do again; probably couldn't do again. I walked twenty-two miles in a single day. Just on a lark. At that age, I was often besieged with fits of 'larkism'.

 

A colorful plastic table for children, found on the curb.

Curb Finds When Families MoveKeep an eye out when you see a "For Sale" sign. There is a good chance there will be plenty of usable items at the curb that the owners will not be taking with them. I found a very dirty Cozy Coupe and child-sized picnic table. I used blue Dawn, Barkeepers Friend, a scrub brush and a Magic Eraser to clean these up beautifully.

 

A red Michael Kors handbag found at a thrift store.

Look for Name Brands at Thrift StoresI got a Michael Kors bag for $2 at the thrift store today. It is in great shape, but is a color I wouldn't pick for myself. My daughter has claimed it, and my alternate plan was to sell it on eBay. Bags like this are selling for $40-$50.

 

A fan with the electric display turned off.

Unplug Electrical Devices When Not in UseMany electrical devices draw electricity even when they are turned off, which adds to your bill. A lot of them have displays or lights. To make sure you are not using any electricity, unplug them. The pictures show the thermometer displays on the window fan even if it is turned off.

 

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Refreshing Dried Liquid PaperI have tested and tried this in our office and it works fine. Just add a few drops of hand sanitizer to your useless dried up bottle of liquid paper and shake it up very good. Wala, it works better than it did when it was new.

 

A Giorgio Armani handbag, found in a thrift store.

Thrift Store FindsI am always finding great deals at thrift stores. Mostly craft items and housewares. But once in a while, I will find things that are "over the moon deals"!

 

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Map to Forage FruitIf you're looking for a public fruit, veggie or nut tree you want to pick from in your city, there is a map that will help you find them. It's called FallingFruit.org and it lists several trees all across the globe. Foraging locations are displayed with little red dots.

 

Two giant paper clips to keep seat belts together.

Paper Clips to Keep Seat Belt in LineI am short. So, I have to have my seat up pretty far. My van is old so the little "button" that held the two seat belts together is gone. I wondered if two of the large paperclips would work so I went down this morning and, voila!

 

A Facebook group for Nassau County, NY.

Buy and Sell Locally on FacebookMany communities have their own Facebook groups where you can buy and sell. You will not have the selection you would on eBay, but you will save on shipping. I have bought and sold successfully this way.

 

A pantry full of cans of food.

Developing a Frugal LifestyleI used to think that frugal living centered around clipping coupons and buying items on sale. I have come to realize that frugal living is a lifestyle that can be developed by adopting specific money-saving habits. Getting and staying organized can be the foundation upon which the many other frugal living habits such as simplifying, scheduling and budgeting, can be successfully implemented.

 

A bottle being turned upside down.

Get Every Last Drop out of Your BottlesI always store my bottles upside down, but a bit still remains. I hold the bottle by the bottom, and move it quickly in a circular motion. The centrifugal force allows all the remaining contents to drift to the bottom, enabling me to use it all.

 

A plastic bottle top placed over the speaker on a phone.

Plastic Bottle SpeakerAre you bored and just want to chill out with music, but you lost your headset? Try cutting off the head of a plastic bottle. It should look like a funnel when you cut it. Place it upside down over your phone speaker and you'll enjoy louder music.

 

A pair of shoes bracing a door open.

Shoes for Bracing a Door OpenI have a magnetic screen on the door and I like to open the sliding door for a nice cross breeze. Today I was trying to brace the door open and had a pair of shoes close and it hit me. Put one on the outside and one on the inside. Perfect solution and I didn't have to spend a dime!

 

A dress on a hanger in a doorway.

Fashion is Where You Find ItI have posted before about scoring fabulous finds at my local thrift shop. This dress was $5 and looked like it was made for me. If I had a dollar for each compliment I got when I wore it yesterday, I would have made several times the purchase price.

 

A bottle of ammonia and a cleaning rag in the bathroom.

Why Doing Things Yourself is More than FrugalMost people I know have someone else to clean their homes and wash their cars. They bring in food a lot and go out to eat often. They tell me that since I work full-time, I am wasting my precious free time. They also think I'm cheap.

 

A collection of mismatched glasses on a countertop.

Matching Glassware is UnnecessaryWhen I first married, everything had to be a complete set. I found it was impossible to keep up with drinking glasses, as they broke more frequently than I expected. I found that I could pick up glasses for as little as a dime at garage sales and thrift shops.

 

A woman wearing white nursing scrubs and a charm bracelet at her graduation from nursing school.

The Bracelet Legacy to a Florence NightingaleMy oldest daughter Angela lost her home in a horrific fire and was downsized to unemployment in her job. She made the decision to return to college and pursued a nursing career. I presented her my high school graduation charm bracelet at graduation.

 

Dirty dishes in a kitchen sink.

An Ounce of PreventionBy definition, the word "frugal" means to not waste. And I have always believed it meant more then to not waste money, but also work and time, energy and resources.

 

A card in memory of Clara Walker with angel wings.

Clara Walker's Last DaysIf anyone ever lived a frugal and very simple life, Clara Walker did. We were neighbors from the time I was born til my family moved a couple blocks away when I was six. Most all my memories of Clara were formed during those six years.

 

Save Gas by Minimizing Car Air Conditioner

Minimize Car Air Conditioner to Save GasAs a mom, saving gas is very important. Here is one tip I can share when using your car's air conditioner. I'll make sure if the weather is good and if it is windy, I don't use the air conditioner. I will just open the window.

 

A wooden hanging bridge surrounded by plants.

Daily All-Purpose WalkEvery day, I take my daily walk as my exercise. I walk to where I wait for the bus and when I arrive in the city, I walk my way to the office. I do that every morning and afternoon as I head home. One way would give me an estimated total of 20 minute exercise.

 

A boot, wheelbarrow and thimble Monopoly pieces.

Save Discontinued Monopoly PiecesMonopoly has come up with new pieces for their game. The pieces they said goodbye to are the boot, the wheelbarrow and the thimble. I think these pieces are charming and remind me of simpler times. Who knows if they might be worth something one day. I am saving mine for sure;)

 

Pulling tissue from the middle of a roll of toilet paper.

Pulling Tissues from a RollIf you don't have a tissue holder in your office or inside a car and want to avoid pulling it in a messy way. Actually it's very simple to do.

 

Recycled bottles with a receipt.

Recycle Your Own Bottles and CansI love taking bottles and cans to my local recycling center because it's good for the environment, I get some additional exercise, and I make extra pocket money. Some states have a bottle bill, allowing you to get 5 to 10 cents for every empty can or bottle you return. The place I take mine to do it by weight. Check out what I made on the receipt. This was for a few weeks of picking up at my house and at my studio.

 

A selection of Christmas themed notepads.

Buy Seasonal Notepads for Use Throughout the YearI love these little favors that are teensy notepads that you see around Christmas-time, for a dollar. After Christmas is over, these notepads are on sale at my Dollar General for ten cents each. I always buy them when I see them.

 

An old and a new bra, from the clasp.

Get the Most Wear from Your New BraI recently learned how to tell when it was time to retire your bra. Bras are made with three sets of clasps/hooks. When new, you should be using the first clasp making it the widest or loosest setting.

 

A freshly made bed.

Thrifty Living Could Mean EverythingThrifty living does not mean you have to avoid the good and healthy things that cost a lot. Sometimes, it also means self discipline. For me, policies are indeed useful for disciplining myself.

 

A large shopping bag full of mail packages.

IKEA Durable Shopping BagNow in California, they have banned plastic bags. If you would like to purchase a plastic bag, it'll be 10 cents, or you bring your own bag. Instead of bringing a bunch of bags, I sometimes bring this durable bag from Ikea that I bought for a buck!

 

Some happy hour appetizers at a restaurant.

Dine Out During Happy Hour to Save MoneyYou can still have a nice time dining out but without breaking the bank. Go during Happy Hour where you can get half off appetizers, drinks and some select entrees!

 

Snack sized chocolate candy bars.

Memories of a Thrifty Love StoryHere are tiny packs of chocolate my cousin sent all the way from Pennsylvania. Those are the kinds of chocolates that most Filipinos love to have on their so called "balikbayan package". Last night, I received mine. The sight of the chocolate made me go back to seven years ago when hubby and I were young lovers.

 

A orange and yellow flowered wallet with money sticking out the top.

When Frugal is Not!After watching some TV shows tout frugality that aren't really in our best interest, I wanted to express what I think is not frugal.

 

A paper match split into two.

Splitting a Paper Match for Two UsesThis tip has got to be the height of frugality. Perhaps it's gone beyond frugality and into the realm of pure stinginess. Simply divide the match by working a fingernail or other sharp object into the side center at bottom, and gently spread the two halves apart. Both pieces usually work well even though they seldom are of the same thickness.

 

A collection of mismatched dishes from the thrift store.

Beautiful Crockery on a BudgetI made a mistake about 10 years ago, when I decided it was about time I had a full matching dinner service for entertaining. The children were grown so there was little chance of it getting damaged and I would be more likely to have people round for meals

 

A birthday cake with colored marshmallow fondant.

My Very First DIY FondantBefore my son's birthday celebration, he came to me and said he wanted a themed fondant cake. I was planning to bake a cake for him but to make a fondant, I wasn't sure if I could do it. What disheartened me most was when I went out to canvass prices in cake shops, the prices were really out of my budget.

 

Logo for ThriftyFun Tips

Refer Customers for Free ServicesCheck with your local cable/dish service and internet service, as well as your newspaper. In my area, if you refer someone to them, and they mention your name, you get 1 month free service. Last year, I got 1 free month of the newspaper, 1 free month of TV and 1 free month of internet, for a total value of $108.

 

small size dab of toothpaste on brush

Use Less ToothpasteAll adverts for toothpaste show a large amount of toothpaste spread right along the length of the toothbrush. They do this so you will copy and use more of their product than you need to. Just a pea sized amount of toothpaste is all that is necessary to clean your teeth.

 

lotion bottle with bottom cut off and remaining product being put in a small container

Using All the Lotion in a Pump BottleWhen you get down to that last spurt of lotion that pumps out, don't throw the container away. There is still a lot of good lotion left in the container. Using a case cutter, cut the bottom off and scoop the lotion out into a small container. Continue to use until it is all gone.

 

A hand inside a pair of pantyhose.

Buying Economy Hosiery at the Dollar StoreI bought a queen size pair of panty hose at the Dollar Store for storing white potatoes. I put 10 pounds of potatoes in the panty hose and hung it on a nail. I retrieved potatoes here and there until the hose was empty. I really put that pair of panty hose through some rough treatment. Guess what? Not one run with all that rough handling!

 

Matching Thrift Store Necklace with Blouse

Matching Thrift Store Necklace with BlouseThis necklace was plain when I found it at a thrift shop. After a few seconds with a fine tipped permanent marker pen, I had a perfect match for my green blouse.

 

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