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.
Chickens Save You MoneyEvery week, people usually spend $3 on eggs. Now that may not sound like much but it adds up! So, my family and I have decided that we are going to get chickens. Chicken feed costs $15 for a fifty pound bag.
Don't Take Free Items Beyond What You NeedPlease don't take free items just because you are too cheap. As a result, items that had been free we now have to pay for. Here are just a few examples.
Waste Not, Want NotIf you are like me, you like to find a use for everything, rather than throw it away. At a minimum, you will settle for putting it with the recycling, or donating it, as long as, it does not go to waste.
Read Your Coupons!I am a coupon queen, and while I am not at the level of those extreme couponers, I can still do some damage at the store! Recently, I was able to save my friend almost $17 in hair care products with coupons.
History of Posts on ThriftyFunA while ago I posted something on thriftyfun.com that I had written about a dog I had trained and I just wanted to reread it.
Do What You Can"Do what you can, where you are, with what you have." It always makes me stop and think about what I want to do and if I can accomplish it without having to buy anything for the project.
Frugal Saying: I've Done So MuchI've done so much for so long with so little, that now I can do anything with nothing.
Rubbing Alcohol To Revive Dry Erase...Dried out dry erase markers? Your whiteboard markers may have more life in them. Dip the tip in a little ordinary rubbing alcohol.
Ask For Household Items On CraigslistMy very good friend had to leave her home in a great hurry. When she and her young daughter arrived to stay with me, she had some clothes for them both and very little money.
Cutting Your Own Hair At HomeI have been cutting my own hair for quite some time. First you need to invest in a good pair of scissors. I bought mine from a beauty shop supplier.
Barter When PossibleMy husband and I save hundreds of dollars every year by bartering. We farm, and have quite a few wooded acres. Several years ago, a tornado came through and took out a lot of trees and more large limbs.
Getting All the Lotion Out of BottleI have done this several times for bottles of things I have around the house, when I just can't seem to get the last bit of lotion, shampoo, conditioner, or whatever the case may be out the bottle.
Freeze Pantyhose To Make Them LastThe next pair of panty hose you buy, put water in a ziploc zipper bag and put your new panty hose inside put in the freezer. A couple of days before you need them, take out, un-thaw and hang to dry. They will be difficult to put on the first time, but will last much longer.
Money Saving Ideas for My DaughtersMy husband and I have never had a lot of money. Our whole married lives, we have had to watch and constantly be careful. We were married and started our family very young, and neither of us has a college education.
Be Grateful For What You HaveNo one wants to struggle, to say no to themselves and their children, to feel as if they're going backwards rather than forwards. But the easiest way to get out of the slump of despair is to think of everything you do have - and most of us still have a lot.
Make Each Mile CountWith gas being as high as it is it is very important to most of us to learn to handle as many chores as possible with fewer trips into town.
Lifeline Discount for Low-Income Telephone CustomersI spoke with my provider, AT&T, on another subject today, and learned something very useful in process. Because I am low-income enough to qualify for food stamps, I qualify for AT&T's Lifeline discount.
"Swap Not Shop" Event for ChristmasSwapping is better than Shopping! Instead of trying to work out how much you can get away with spending this Christmas, why not get friends, neighbors, and family organized and hold a pre-Christmas "Swap not Shop" event.
Things You Should (And Can) Get For FreeMany banks offer free checking and most with no required minimum balance. All you have to do is ask.
Use Local Libraries "Attraction" PassesI have always enjoyed using the passes our local library offers for the Museum of Science, Children's Museum, Museum of Art, and Botanical Gardens. This is a great way to educate your kids during the summer months that is fun and inexpensive.
Win Money By Entering ThriftyFun ContestsBecome a member of ThriftyFun, then ask your friends and relatives for some tips and good recipes. Think back of all the tips and recipes your mom and other family members have given you over the years and post them.
Plan a Bring and Barter EventAt my school, we are just about to start organizing our second annual Bring and Barter event. After the great success of the first one, we are hoping for even more happiness and learning from this one.
Grocery Shopping At Multiple StoresI usually grocery shop at three different stores in one day. My grocery lists were getting confusing. I had a hard time trying to keep track of what to buy at what store.
Budget Your Money FlowI belong to a weekly creative writing class that costs $9 each week for the class. We are now on two weeks break from the class, so that is $18 that I save for that time.
Summer Stay Home VacationBecause of tough economic times, many will find they are unable to afford an away vacation this summer. May I recommend a summer STAYcation?
Re-purposing Furniture and MachineryWe rarely ever throw something out that might serve another purpose than originally intended. broken furniture gets taken apart, the usable stuff kept, the metal recycled and the wood (if not infused with fire retardant or otherwise toxic) piled for future use.
Make More Than You Need, Spend Less Than You EarnTen words are all you need to be a financial genius!
Use It Up, Wear It Out, Fix It or Do WithoutI have a little money saver here. With the recent down turn with the economy, I now live by different rules. Use it up, wear it out, fix it or do without. I have never had new furniture and what I had, I got second hand when I got it and it was all busted down.
Do You Really Need New Clothes?Think honestly to yourself. Most of us only use maybe 20% of the apparel in our closets and dresser drawers! Why not resist the impulse to have something new simply to have something new and we usually purchase on impulse anyway.
My Frugal BathroomHere are some of my favorite money-savers for the bath: I keep a spray bottle of homemade cleaner in the tub; I use vinegar, a little dish soap, and, perhaps some "this and that".
Living With LessI quit my job 13 months ago and started traveling with my husband. We are living on about $30,000 less a year, and are loving it! We own a 3,000 sq foot home, but have reduced my needs to what will fit into Rubbermaid bins and the back of the truck.
The Money That ThriftyFun Has Saved MeI wanted to list the ways ThriftyFun has saved me money over the years. I will itemize the things here ...
Be Grateful for What You HaveThe recession has taught me the difference between wants and needs, and how grateful I am to have a warm home, loving family and friends. Some things money just can't buy!
Milk Crate for Cutting PVC PipeRecently, I needed some white plastic shelves put back together in a closet. However, I had a gap that didn't reach the top, but the full height of the shelf was too high.
Proud Mom - My Frugal SonI have bought my children's clothes from yard sales, and thrift stores for years. Not too long ago, my 19-year-old son came to me and asked ...
Cook for Other Families to Save MoneyTo save money on groceries, you could find one or two families who you know are very busy and either eat out a lot or order in a lot. See if they would be interested in having you make meals for them. The key is they buy enough groceries to make enough for their family and yours.
Preparing for Tough Financial TimesIn the event you find yourself unprepared for the financial hard times we are facing right now, Don't panic, here are some things you can begin to do to help weather the storm.
Spare Change Adds UpI have been saving my husband's and my spare change for years. This year I decided to document every "cash-in", to see exactly how much change that we DID wind up with at the end of the year.
A Penny Saved is a Penny EarnedBenjamin Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." I say a dollar saved is more than a dollar earned because it generates interest and you don't need to pay taxes on it.
Choose The Frugal Tips That Fit Your LifestyleI think some people get discouraged with frugal living because they don't realize that not all tips are right for them. Frugal for a stay-at-home mother of four will be different than frugal for a childless career woman, for example. You have to sift and choose what works best with your lifestyle and circumstances.
Mix Cinnamon And Mint MouthwashI bought a cinnamon mouthwash thinking I would like it but didn't. I ended up adding some it to my liquid hand soap. I also added some of it to my mint mouthwash to mask the bitter taste and use it so it wouldn't go to waste.
You CAN Save $5,000 This Year! - Tips From Woman's DayThese tips are from the Woman's Day website. They were too good not to share:
Freecycle, Petcycle, Tag Sale and Barter GroupsMy husband became disabled in 1985 and then I became disabled in 2005. So we have had to think of ways to cut back and save money. I recently found out about some groups on Yahoo that have helped us considerable. You have to join Yahoo if you haven't already, then you can sign up for these groups.
5 Quick Frugal Tips For Keeping WarmKeeping warm in the winter can be tough if your heating costs are through the roof! If you live in a place where you have to pay for heating but can't afford the costs, here are a few things you can do!
Make Sure Ebay is Actually Making You MoneyJust a word of advice: I see a lot of articles and feedback on many thrifty websites suggesting that a great way to make extra money is to sell on Ebay. PLEASE PLEASE be careful that you are actually MAKING money in the long run!
Always Live Beneath Your MeansAlways live beneath your means. Sociologically it has been proven that people who are at the top of a lower income group are more satisfied than those at the bottom of an upper!
Staying in One Place Saves MoneyI have joked that for a penny pincher staying in one place is a way to save money! But it's true that moving is a costly business. So think twice before re-locating! For all the fact that we like to travel, my whole family has always liked a settled "home".
Making Cookies in a Toaster OvenLast week I wanted some home made cookies. I had all the ingredients for my cookies but I just hated to heat up my gas oven. I had not turned on the A/C yet for the season, did not want to heat up the house and I did not want to use any gas I did not have to.
Thrifty Magazines, Books and PuzzlesBooks and puzzles can be purchased cheap at yard sales. Once you are done using them, store in the closet and in spring, have your own yard sale or sell items at consignment shop. You can also trade in to used book stores for credit towards other books.
Consider The Advantages Of BarteringAlways consider the advantages of informal "bartering". I have sung for my brunch at a local bistro, and played in exchange for use of an instrument or for a set of strings.
Look for Cheaper Repair OptionsRemember there is always the A number one way of doing things and then, on the other hand, the way that will probably work most of the time.
Being Frugal Is FunLove what you are doing, being frugal, is such fun! Stay focused on living frugally. Don't give up, saving money in today's world takes time, but I feel my time is well invested.
Watching Waste and Saving MoneyThe best way to save money is not to waste ANYTHING! Don't use more water than you need (saving you the cost of the water and the heating of it). Don't waste food. For everything you throw out you are throwing dollars out the door.
Employ Thrifty IngenuityThinking about it, it seems to me that the greatest thrifty tip is employing ingenuity! If you have a household problem, look at the conventional way of tackling it (which probably costs lots of money), and then try to turn it around to a more frugal option.
99 Cent Shower CurtainsI bought a 99 cent shower curtain, mostly because the pattern/color was so right - and 10 months later it's still going and we are thinking of packing up. So a word to students and other transients - maybe the cheap colorful version will do you just fine for as long as you need it.
Buying Bargain BooksBuying Bargain Books tip. I always look at the bargain tables at the major book chains, like Barnes and Noble, for deals on books for presents - especially when they are marked down to less than $5. . .
The Old Fashioned Way is the Cheaper WayToday people look for items to make life easier. Yet, those items cost money which is earned by working, thus defeating the purpose of making life easier. In the "olden days" things were done more economically than today, and life seemed simpler.
Something Frugal and CaringWhen looking for something frugal to do or somewhere go, take into consideration that there are people that could use some company. Don't overlook the elderly or handicapped. A small gift of your time could brighten someone's day.
Jars for Drinking GlassesAfter pricing drinking glasses in the store, I bought a case of a dozen pint canning jars for about 1/3 the cost. I enjoy the "country" look, and can use the jars next fall to can.
Clipping UPC CodesClip all UPC codes and file away (name brands only) for future reference when entering contests.
By myz
Removing Stamps From An EnvelopeHere's a tip for stamp collectors: Place a few drops of water on the stamp to be removed from the envelope. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and the stamp will come right off.
By Robin
Cleaner Soap Dish TipIf you are using bar soap in your bathroom and hate the goo that accumulates in the soap dish, put a small sponge under the soap.
Learn About Things You OwnLearn as much as you can about all the things you own. There are many times that you can fix things yourself when they break, instead of paying someone else to do it.
Use the 10% RuleI call this "the 10% rule". Whatever you are using, try using 10% less. Chances are, you won't even notice that 10% is missing.
Pioneer SolutionismMake being frugal fun. I call it Pioneer Solutionism and now all my friends use that term when they save money by using something they already have for a new purpose.
Lowering Your Freezer Energy UsageLocate freezers away from heat sources and direct sunlight. Allow at least 1 inch space on each side of freezer to allow good air circulation.
