Thrifty TipsHere's some great tips for June. If you have a thrifty tip, add it in the feedback.
Thrifty Tips of the WeekThis weeks tips are compliments of The Homemakers Journal and include lots of car tips. Be sure to add your own or feedback to these ideas.
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.
Clipping UPC CodesClip all UPC codes and file away (name brands only) for future reference when entering contests.
By myz
Asking for ExtrasRecently we had to take our truck into the dealership for something. I noticed while he was talking to the service man that the dealership had installed a mini gourmet coffee shop. We inquired about the coffee shop's location and received free tokens towards 2 cups of coffee.
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.
Move Out Day at College DormsIf you live near a college with dorms you can get some amazing stuff for free on "move out day" each spring. The students throw away an amazing amount of extremely useful stuff.
Silly Wonderful Memories?I'm wondering what silly wonderful memories any of you have of your early days of relationships? I know there must be many. We have one that we remember and we still re-create it, if you will. This may not be that funny but it still makes us laugh.
My Frugal Life: Dealing With Big BillsI have been hit with many big bills lately. I have disconnected my caller ID, saving me $7.00 per month. When I drink milk or juice, I add water to the glass first.
My Frugal Life - Buying Ingredients Has Saved Me MoneyAt the age of 33 I became disabled. I had just gotten married to a man who had been disabled for years, and retired from the army, he came with a teenage son. I had always lived alone and did a lot of eating fast meals, I never cooked.
My Frugal Life: You Can Have It AllWhen I was about twelve I had a talk with my Dad about money. He looked at me and said. "You can have anything you want as long as you pay for it." Wow the possibilities!
My Frugal Life - Research, Research, Research.Having been one of 5 kids of depression era parents, I had a good idea how to live frugally. Those times reappeared when I lost my job. I tackled this problem with research, research, and more research.
My Frugal Life: Tips from a Save-o-holicI honestly don't know where or how to begin telling everyone how I save money, because it's natural for me. It's an everything day thing. I love to teach others how to save. Saving money is a "rush" for me.
My Frugal Life - Reflecting on the Lean YearsWhen my husband and I were married years ago, we both made minimum wage and lived from paycheck to paycheck. After the birth of our first child, we thought he was so wonderful and decided we wanted a dozen like him. I quit my job to stay home with him and my husband worked two jobs.
I'm Having a Hard Time Being Thrifty?I am just trying to learn any tips about getting on track financially. My taste is wine but our bank account says cheese, that's straight to the point I guess. I want to be more thrifty, it just seems hard to get use to it. How long did it take all of you?
Still FrugalI came from a family of 10 kids. With 12 people in the house, we had to be frugal - that's all we knew. My Mom, never bought anything that she couldn't make. She made fabulous meals that stretched with enough for leftovers.
My Frugal Life - Fixing It YourselfMy husband has built and renovated houses, rebuilt car wrecks to exceed safety standards, fixed burnt out ovens and replaced parts on washers, etc.
My Frugal Life - One Proud Mom!For the last year our daughter has done many fundraising events. Her school concert band wanted to attend Disney World in Florida over spring break and she needed to earn her own way.
My Frugal Life: Always Something To EnjoyI grew up in a wonderful family. Mom and Dad brought we four children up with dignity and love. Sometimes you realize life is good but you eventually realize it is very special
My Frugal Life: Country LivingI began my quest for frugality when my husband had been laid off from his job and we were in a financial bind. It isn't something that you want to do, I don't think, in the beginning. But realizing the benefits from just changing a few things can really have an impact on your life.
My Frugal Life: Save Everywhere I CanHere goes my life. I try to save everywhere I can. I shop at thrift stores for necessary items. I give a lot to thrift stores, because clutter will increase your cleaning by 50%.
My Frugal Life - Outsmart The PricesI am a 54 year old married lady who has chosen to be as frugal as I possibly can be. My dear hubby has retired in the last month, so this is even more important to me than ever, as money will be limited from here on in. I cook almost everything from scratch, which I love doing. I use all the "great" sites that are listed online.
My Frugal Life - Tips from a Single MomI am a single mother of three and a teacher at Head Start. We don't make much money (think fast food restaurants) and we get laid off for the summer so I must live frugally throughout the year.
My Frugal Life - An Active, Frugal FamilyI am 43 years old and my husband is 40. He has just recently completed nursing school so, for the last 2 years, money has been extremely tight. We have 3 children, two teenagers and a five year old. Prior to my husband's schooling, we both worked extra to pay off all outstanding debts.
My Frugal Life: Lessons Learned by a Single MomIn my early thirties, I went through a divorce and suddenly found myself as a single mother of three small children. Fortunately, I was able to still manage to buy a small home with a backyard and continue working full time.
My Frugal Life - More Time Spent With Your ChildrenHow can you measure the worth of spending time with your child? In time? Money spent on activities? Neither! It is in their eyes when it is you they see when they wake up. It is in the way they say, "Momma", their voice so sweet and true.
My Frugal Life - Watering My Flowers With Recycled WaterWater is a precious resource. I re-use the wash and rinse cycles of my washing machine to water my garden. No government agency has hassled me yet over putting gray water on flower beds.
Thrifty Living Advice From World War II Survivors?Could we please have information from survivors of WW II on thrifty living? - before there's no-one left to pass on the information?
My Frugal Life - It's for the kids!I am a stay at home mom of two little boys. It was not a hard choice, given my mother stayed at home for as long as she could with her four children.
My Frugal Life - The Kids Think We're RichI, too, have been living very frugally. My husband and I have been married 15 years. We have 4 kids. Needless to say, some times have been rougher than others financially. I have done just about everything to make sure that my family's needs have been met.
Frugal Ethics - When Frugal Becomes Just Plain CheapThere are times when it's tempting to lie, steal or break one of the other 10 Commandments to get a good deal but, in living frugally, we all need to stick to being honest. This is not always easy to do, but I want to give some examples that may help you stay honest. Here are some common tactics that some people use that are unethical and sometimes illegal:
My Frugal Life - My Frugal GrandfatherThis isn't actually a story of my life but one of my grandfather who passed away 4 years ago. I still miss him.
My Frugal Life - "Time is Money"I was raised in a frugal household so I learned from the masters. I am a very organized person who believes "Time is Money" so I have learned to budget my time very wisely.
My Frugal Life - Comfortable and FrugalI grew up with frugal parents who did well by watching how they spent their money but saved for luxury items. We were taught to be careful with our money and to watch the cost of utilities.
My Frugal Life - My Scottish AncestorsBeing frugal probably started with my Scottish ancestors. I wasn't married long when I discovered that my husband's paychecks were much smaller in the winter. He drove through the Okanagan and brought me a lot of produce.
My Frugal Life - Coupons, Contests, Freebies and RebatesI've used coupons and have done rebates and sweepstakes for years, even before my husband and I got together 20 years ago, this next month. I got started by seeing a show on TV and thinking, I could do that, too. I did, even when I was single and still living with my parents.
My Frugal Life - A Fun AdventureFor 21 years, I've lived the "frugal life" so, I guess it's really a way of life for us now. I've done all the classic frugal things. Most people say I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, but I think it's really about being aware of what's going on.
Less Toothpaste Means Big SavingsIf you put toothpaste on only 1/2 of your toothbrush, it will last twice as long.
Honey Gets You Everywhere: Frugal And Useful TipsWhen you buy tires from Goodyear, they rotate your tires for free (a $30 plus savings) every time. We only had the money to buy 2 at the time, but this still applies to us.
My Frugal Life - A Homemade ChristmasAs a teenager without a lot of money, I made potholders that I wove with jersey loops. We also made candles with leftover candles and paraffin and poured them in orange juice cans or Pringles chip cans and added a drop of scent from the hobby store.
My Frugal Life - My Frugal GardenThrifty is my middle name, just ask my kids. I blame it on the fact that my parents were raised during the depression, though there's really no cause for blame. Thrift has served me well over the years.
My Frugal Life - A Week Of Frugal Summer FunThe week never cost more than $7.50. The public library has a program to encourage reading. They have story time and a craft to go along with it. We would then pick out the books for the week.
Eating on a Limited IncomeI just recently started working again after a 5 year break of not being able to get a job. During that time I was on $70 of food benefits from the state as required by my disability through Social Security a federal agency.
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.
My Frugal Life - Lessons From The AmishI am going to start this by saying that I believe I was born in the wrong era or else I was given up for adoption by an Amish family! I truly believe that being frugal helps simplify my life. Go figure, when some of the things I do to save a dime are more time consuming!
Reduce Energy CostsReduce Energy Costs. I have done this a few times. Ok, my friend said to cut down on electric costs, he shuts off his electric box. This is when he is out for a few hours, and at night before bed.
My Frugal Life - Getting ByMy frugal life began when I married young against my parent's wishes. I dropped out of high school and made my way in life without a lot of help from anyone so learning to do without or making it myself became a life-long thing.
My Frugal Life - I'm Protective of My MoneyMy first line of defense to frugal living is to stay out of stores! If I go into a store, it is inevitable that I will buy unnecessary things that are a bargain or "cute".
My Frugal Life - We Have It AllI guess since my hubby was in the Navy, I learned to be frugal. I save money to this day and am proud of it. I have seen my friends struggle ...
Shop Around Before Buying NewShop freecycle.org, craigslist.com, thrift shops, newspaper ads and ask around before buying new. If you must buy new on line is often tax and shipping free.
My Frugal Life - My Favorite BirthdayMy uncle Al sent everyone on his Christmas card list, the story of his favorite Christmas. In turn, I wanted to do the same back, yet I couldn't come up with one that stood out. A birthday did stand out though, it could be frugal depending on the two people involved, for us it was.
Check Rental Places For Deals on Big PurchasesIf you are looking to buy appliances, living room furniture, or even a big screen TV, you can go to your nearest rent-a-center. They will sometimes sell items for half the "new" price, because the item has been "used".
Creative BarteringWe have a pal who is having trouble with her car. She knows a fellow who makes cabinets and will also work on her car. He will possibly buy it from her, in exchange for making her new kitchen cabinets.
Check SearchAllDeals.com Before You BuyBefore purchasing any product or service (online or offline), go to SearchAllDeals.com and see if there is a deal or coupon applicable to the purchase.
Look For Stationery At Thrift StoresDid you know that, among other things, that you can find elegant stationery and greeting cards at thrift shops? Now that cards have gotten so expensive, I stock up whenever I see them, so that I have some on hand for every occasion!
Disposable To Go Coffee CupsWhen my son visits, he always leaves with coffee. After losing mugs, I purchased plastic refill cups at service stations for him to use and he can refill at lower cost too.
Use Beach Towels in the BathroomUse beach towels for your bath towels. Beach towels can be purchased cheaper than bath towels at the end of the summer season.
Freebie Furniture Left On The StreetThis is another tip about saving money on furniture. It's kind of catch-as-catch-can, and you have to be not too proud to do it! In my suburb, people often put unwanted items out in the street on the nature strip (grass verge) for anyone who wants to take them.
Discounts on the JobWe know a lady who was wanting some window blinds, but not wanting to pay the expensive prices. She applied for a job at the window blinds factory and got hired.
My Frugal Life - Road TripAutumn is my favorite time of the year. Funny how joyful everything looks bursting with color, fruits and vibrant leaves on the trees, sunshine orange pumpkins ready for the picking.
My Frugal Life: Bake For Special DaysThis is how I give my dad a much anticipated gift for his birthday and also for Father's day. My dad loves to talk about the goodies that his mother used to make for her family.
Use Pop Cans As Packing MaterialI sell on ebay and save all packaging items I can find, but I have one unique tip that anyone can use. I cushion the bottom and edges of the box with empty pop cans.
My Frugal Life: Save and Use EverythingHi, I went through a divorce several years ago, due to not being emotionally mature. I turned to drugs and, in a matter of 8 months, I found myself in a homeless shelter. I had lost my children, my home and myself
Try Products For FreeWhen you can, join advertising/promotion programs that give you samples and free stuff for participation. One such setup currently is being a buzz agent. I have gotten a full-size face lotion to sample and talk about, a trial of computer software and a little backpack.
Angel Foods For Struggling FamiliesI have a large family, and food is a big part of our income. Two years ago, a friend told me about a place called Angel Food Ministries.
Look For Free StuffWatch the "free" category in the classifieds, also the same with "FreeCycle" if it's in your area, via e-mail. You never know what some folks are offering for free.
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.
My Mom's "Lid" DrawerMy Mom has always had a drawer in the kitchen that all of us kids called the "lid drawer." There are always more lids than containers to match and it is always the one drawer that you have to yank open.
Nickel and Diming My Way to a New KitchenMy refrigerator door is dotted with colorful magnets holding coupons, business cards, photos, appointment reminders, and my grandson's art work. Prominently displayed in the center of the collection is a quarter-sized chip from a cabinet door in my outdated, 1980's kitchen.
Finding a Blessing from a DisasterSix weeks ago, I slipped on some melting snow and broke my leg but good! After emergency surgery with lots of pins and plates, I also had a two-day hospital stay.
Win/Win SituationsRemember all exchanges are not monetary ones. There is something which, in the non-profit sector, is called non-cash donation - which is sort of like barter.
Income Tax Payment Is A Wake Up CallA year ago, I owed an unexpected $900 on my federal income tax return. I juggled a few financial responsibilities, cut some costs and was able to pay my tax bill by April 15.
Keep Expenses Low And Pocket The SavingsWhen my husband and I got married almost 5 years ago, I was halfway through college and he was making $8.50 an hour as an airplane mechanic. We had no idea what little money that was (about $1000 per month after taxes) but we ended up learning to live on it successfully.
My Daughter's Well Deserved GraduationMy daughter has put in 13 years of hard work in school and received many awards. I'm very proud of my daughter in all that she has done. All she has asked of me was to let her have a graduation party with my family. Yet I couldn't afford to do this.
Go With The Flow At The Dollar StoreGo with the flow of goods. There seems to be an ebb and flow in items at the 99 Cent store. They will have a delivery of, say, lingerie, and there will be lots until it is sold out.
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.
Saving Money Running a MotelI run a 19 room motel and I try to help my boss/best friend save some money wherever we can. One way is when I'm watering the yards and the hose has a leak. Instead of letting the leak just waste away on the ground, I put a large watering can under the leak ...
What Do You Splurge On?I would like to know what others on this board do or buy that they consider to be a "splurge". My weakness is for Diet Dr. Pepper. I love this stuff and have to have it in the house or I feel "deprived". What do others treat themselves to?
Frugal Household TipsTips I use for recycling: Recycle paper for notepads and envelopes. Reuse address labels simply by cutting out and applying with glue stick to (recycled) envelope.
Look For Bargains and Freebies at Expensive StoresEven in pricier stores like health food stores/whole food markets, there are bargains, and very often lots of free samples! Look for their mark-down section/sale section, I have gotten supplements and skin creme (1/2 price) and expensive tea from them.
Get As Much Mileage from Products As PossibleSaving money is great! I try to get as much mileage as possible from products I buy. When the bottles are completely empty, before I throw away shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, dish detergent, etc., I fill them with water for one last use.
Frugal Ways To Save On UtilitiesI think I am frugal, my grandkids think I am cheap. I live alone in south Florida so saving on my power is very important. I NEVER shut my a/c off. It takes less than 20 minutes for my hot water heater to furnish enough water for me to do my dishes, shower and whatever other small hot water projects I may have.
Dress Well For Less MoneyJust got dressed up to go downtown to a concert I was invited to; wearing my $7 silk pants, my $5 nylon top and silk jacket ($5 too, I think) and my $7 thrift shop purse.
Online Paperback SwapLove to read? Check out Paperback Swap. It is easy to do and free. You will be asked to post 9 books at first and you will receive 3 credits to get 3 books.
Looking For Plans For A Buggy?I'm looking for free plans for a two seater buggy. Full working plans preferred. Ta!
Look For Nail Polish And Other Toiletries At Rummage SalesRummage sales are great to buy slightly used but still good nail polish dirt cheap! I have bought slightly used bottles for as low as $.05! Fantastic!
Ask About Discounts And SpecialsHere's a little trick that could save you big bucks: When dealing with a service or business, ask if they have anything on special.
Offer To Fix Your RentalIt makes a certain sense to get a bargain apartment/house that needs fixing up and then fix it by painting, etc. You get a deal on the rent and the landlord will probably be delighted, as the slim profit margin won't allow for much renovation.
Store Roll-on Deodorant Upside DownI like the roll on deodorant. When the bottle is "empty", I store it upside down and get an additional 4/5 weeks usage from it.
Use Sale Items In Unexpected WaysSometimes you can find things in unexpected places and put to unexpected ways of using. By chance I popped into ...
Frugal Bookmarks From EnvelopesTo make a bookmark cheaply and easily, take any old envelope and cut off either the left or right bottom corner of the envelope in a triangle shape. Then you have a small "sleeve" that slips over any book or magazine page.
Let Your Friends Help You Find BargainsMy best frugal tip is to not impulse buy and to let your friends know what you are looking for.
Stretch Your Bath Powder With CornstarchExtend your nicely scented bath powder by combining it with an equal amount of cornstarch in a larger container. Many powders have cornstarch as their main active ingredient anyway, and it is a great drying agent.
"Bonus Time" at Cosmetic CountersHere's my tip for getting more for your money when it comes to purchasing makeup during the bonus times at the cosmetic counter. For instance, I try to only buy my foundation from Clinique when they are having the bonus buy time.
Look For Coupons In Phone BooksCheck your phone books from local areas for business coupons. You might be very surprised to what all they have, that you could take advantage of.
Look For Free Calendars Before The New YearNow is the time of year to be looking for the free calendars for the upcoming new year. My husband has come home in the past few weeks with free calendars from one of our local repair shops, some from our insurance man (one being in magnet form and one to hang on the wall.
Replace Gumballs With PomPoms In Gumball MachinesThe cute old time gum machines you see at collectors malls have always been a fun thing to have around whether they actually work or not.
Give The Same Card Year After YearMy mom saved for years on giving cards to Dad and we all got a good laugh 50 years later!
My Frugal Life: Frugality Includes Our CarsWhen we hear the word "frugality", many people think of smart housewives who scrimp and save to "help make ends meet", particularly in years gone by when there were fewer two-income families.
Living Simply Year RoundI know this isn't a "Nuts and Bolts" description of frugality but this is how I feel with the holidays approaching. The older I get the more I realize that living as simply as possible is not only frugal, but good for the spirit.
My Frugal Life: Frugal in EnglandI live in England. I am classified as disabled and so have a very limited income. I hate wasting money unnecessarily. I never pay the right price and always shop in the sales. I also buy clothing from eBay, looking for new garments with a good label and low price. The same with shoes.
Is It A Need Or A Want?When trying to save money, I look at the need or the want. Yes, I need food. No, I do not need that new DVD, because it is actually a want.
