Frugal Mom Blog

With Christmas right around the corner, we are all thinking of last minute ways to earn extra money and find inexpensive gifts. One idea is to buy and sell using eBay or Craigslist. Most of us are familiar with eBay, and it is the safest way to sell your belongings. But Craiglist is an alternative that has a lot of benefits.

When buying on Craigslist, you can get your purchased items faster since the exchange is done in person rather than through the mail. The price is also cheaper since you won’t have shipping costs included. The main drawback however is Craigslist does not have a feedback system like eBay. You really don’t know anything about the person you will be doing business with other than what they communicate through their posted ad or email correspondence. For that reason, we have to take precautions when using Craigslist. The following are 5  tips for staying safe when using Craigslist.

How to stay safe using Craig’s List:

1. Don’t Share Personal Information. There is no need to tell your buyer you live alone, or you have children at home. Keep those details to yourself.

2. Take a Friend. When you are meeting your Craigslist buyer, don’t go alone. Bring a friend or spouse with you.

3. Pay with Cash. If you are buying something, use cash. Using a check will give the seller access to your life. He or she will know where you live, can find your phone number, and will have your bank account number. To protect yourself from identity theft, your best defense is to pay with cash.

4. Use a Dedicated Email Address. Rather than using your work email address, or your personal email address, get a free one from places such as Yahoo.com. When you set up your email address, only use a first name. Do all of your Craigslist business through this new email address. You’ll stay more organized, and it will keep anyone from knowing your full name.

5. Meet in a Public Location. Rather than inviting your Craigslist contact to your home, plan on meeting in a public location where there will be other people around. You will be much safer than meeting in your home or their home.

Hi there. This is Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man.” Composting is a great way to reduce what heads to the landfill and also the amount of fertilizer you need to buy for your garden. You can turn just about any table scraps or cooking leftovers into compost, but remember not to add in any meat products (it will make your compost stink and could attract rodents!).

I am a fan of the rotating bin style of composter, which resembles a barrel on a stand.  You open the lid and insert your scraps and then rotate it to help it all meld together.  Banana peels, coffee grounds, and leftover cereal — all make a great foundation for your new super fertilizer.  After about a month you can open up your composter and dump the contents into a wheelbarrow or buckets.  Use this in your vegetable garden or flower garden and mix in with the top 4-6” of soil.  There will be an odor for about a day or so but once you water it and give it some time your plants will be smiling. It’s a great way to save green by going green!

About the Author

Lou Manfredini is a nationally recognized DIY expert, sought after both for his expertise and his energetic, entertaining style. In an extension of his ongoing effort to help people maximize the value and enjoyment of their homes, he is also Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and editorial media spokesperson. Along with his wife and four children, Manfredini lives in Chicago, where they also own and operate a neighborhood Ace Hardware store.

We have a great stickied thread on our message board titled, “So How Are You Saving $ Today?” The thread is filled with ways the ladies have saved money each day by choosing to live frugally.  Here are some ways they have saved money… I hope you can glean from these great ideas!

1. Wash laundry in cold water
2. Use homemade detergent for washing clothes
3. Eat all of your meals at home
4. On warm days, hang laundry on the line outside to dry
5. Knit a blanket with leftover yarn instead of buying one
6. Cut dryer sheets in half
7. Eat leftovers for lunch
8. Borrow movies from the library instead of going to the movie theater
9. Turn in books to the used book store for store credit, & use the credit to get new-to-you books.
10. Shop at Dollar Tree
11. Save vegetable seeds to plant
12. Stay home & don’t go to Wal-mart!
13. Make homemade snacks
14. Use rags instead of paper towels
15. Cloth diapers instead of disposable
16. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
17. Clip coupons
18. Turn day old bread into breadcrumbs
19. Keep lights & tv off during the day
20. Don’t buy frivolous stuff – ask yourself if you really need it
21. Bring lunch to work instead of eating out
22. Use up leftovers – don’t let them go to waste
23. Make birthday cards
24. Watch the cash register and check receipts to keep from getting overcharged on items
25. Use a calculator as you shop to help you from going over your budget
26. Save gas by doing all of your errands in one day instead of little trips throughout the week
27. Make a grocery list before going to store, and stick to the list when shopping
28. Buy plastic washable bottles and fill with water instead of buying bottled  water
29. Make homemade pizza instead of ordering out
30. Use craft materials you have on hand to make gifts
31. In the summer, use ceiling fans instead of the AC
32. Buy paint from the “oops paint” section at Home Depot
33. Shop at Goodwill
34. Shop at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore for home improvement
35. Do once a month cooking
36. Used powdered milk for cooking
37. Make meal menus
38. Check paper for grocery specials in your area
39. Cook from your freezer using up odds and ends
40. Only run dishwasher when you have a full load
41. Reuse Ziploc storage baggies
42. Don’t pay full price for anything – buy on clearance
43. Unplug appliances when not in use
44. Bake your own bread
45. Make homemade soup instead of buying canned soup
46. Do your own oil change
47. Check Freecycle in your area for things you need
48. Shop around for prescriptions.  Walmart has deeply discounted prices on many medications.
49. Walk instead of drive, if possible
50. Take advantage of CVS’s ECBs (extra care bucks)
51. Shop at garage sales
52. Cook frugal meals
53. Use cell phones only
54. Can fruits & veggies from your garden
55. Barter
56. Put together a price book so you know the best places to buy items
57. Rent carpet cleaning machine and do it yourself
58. Use the crock pot on busy days so you won’t be tempted to pick up fast food
59. Research free things to do in your town
60. Cook fewer meat meals each week
61. Make sun tea
62. Eat before you go to the grocery store
63. Wear jeans more than once before washing
64. Use rechargeable batteries (there’s a higher upfront cost, but you only buy them once)
65. Use fluorescent light bulbs – they last longer, and use less energy

Let us know what ways you’ve found to save today!