Frugal Mom Blog

Posts Tagged ‘frugal living’

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!

Catching Up...

• Tomorrow is February 2nd,  a.k.a. Groundhog Day!  What a fun day – will he see his shadow, or not? Will Bill Murry wake up to “I’ve Got You Babe” again, or will it be a new day?  Good stuff I tell you!
• It has been over a month since I’ve posted.  How in the world did my life become so incredibly busy (please note my sarcasm!) that I didn’t post one time in January.  I am speechless. And embarrassed. And sorry.
• But I have been a wee bit busy, and have had you all in mind.  I have been doing some really FUN projects around the house that are frugal, easy, and give you some new ideas for decorating!  YaY!

So as I’ve been cleaning paint brushes in the laundry room’s utility sink, I took a peak around my neglected laundry room.  Now you’d think I’d notice the untouched piles of laundry that I am good at collecting, but what really struck my eye was the number of times I’ve missed the trash can when throwing away dryer sheets. Clearly, keeping my laundry tidy hasn’t been high on my priority list.   

Stick with me…there’s truly a purpose to the rambling.   

As I was laughing at the number of dryer sheets that had been unsuccessfully lofted towards the trash can, I was reminded of a discussion we had at one time on the FrugalMom message board regarding the use of dryer sheets.  And I must say, you ladies are creative!  Here’s a list of some great ways to reuse dryer sheets. And don’t forget to add your ideas to the comments.  We may never throw a dryer sheet away again!

Top 10 Additional Uses for Dryer Sheets

1.  I use a dryer sheet for all my clothes and save them after the first use.  Then when I wash my towels I take the once used sheets and throw 2 or 3 (depending on the load) in with the towels.  My towels still smell great and feel soft.  

2.  I use twice used sheets in a bag to use with my “Swiffer Duster.”  I take 2 sheets and wrap around the duster pad overlapping in the middle.  They pick up all the dust and dirt that the regular brand name Swiffer pads do with no extra cost!

3.  I use twice used sheets as a dust rag on my furniture.  Dust sticks immediately to them and then you just toss them in the trash.  I love dryer sheets!

4.  I sometimes use a dryer sheet to dust the TV screen. Works like a charm!

5.  I reuse my dryer sheets on my dry erase board.  

6.  I put them in the bottom of the waste basket before I put the plastic liner (courtesy of wal-mart) in.  That helps with the trash odor.  

7.  I keep dryer sheets with my pantyhose.  They keep the static down.

8.  I keep used ones in the bathroom in the winter and rub it on my hair when static is its worst in the winter.

9.  I cut mine in half – it is like getting 2 for the price of 1!

10.To help loosen dried on/burnt on food from dishes/pots/pans fill the item with hot water and toss in a used dryer sheet – it also softens burnt/caked on food to make clean up easy.

So here are your great ideas…straight from our message board.  Keep ‘em coming in the comments!!

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. Take steps to lower your heating bill in the winter
12. Save vegetable seeds to plant
13. Stay home & don’t go to Wal-mart!
14. Make homemade snacks
15. Use rags instead of paper towels
16. Cloth diapers instead of disposable
17. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
18. Clip coupons
19. Turn day old bread into breadcrumbs
20. Avoid wasting money on clothes by buying clothes that are right for your body
21. Keep lights & tv off during the day
22. Don’t buy frivolous stuff – ask yourself if you really need it
23. Bring lunch to work instead of eating out
24. Use up leftovers – don’t let them go to waste
25. Make birthday cards
26. Watch the cash register and check receipts to keep from getting overcharged on items
27. Use a calculator as you shop to help you from going over your budget
28. Save gas by doing all of your errands in one day instead of little trips throughout the week
29. Make a grocery list before going to store, and stick to the list when shopping
30. Look into lowering your insurance premium by raising your deductible
31. Buy plastic washable bottles and fill with water instead of buying bottled  water
32. Make homemade pizza instead of ordering out
33. Use craft materials you have on hand to make gifts
34. In the summer, use ceiling fans instead of the AC
35. Buy paint from the “oops paint” section at Home Depot
36. Shop at Goodwill
37. Shop at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore for home improvement
38. Do once a month cooking
39. Used powdered milk for cooking
40. Buy a whole chicken and cut it up, rather than buying parts
41. Make meal menus
42. Check paper for grocery specials in your area
43. Pay bills on time and avoid late fees
44. Cook from your freezer using up odds and ends
45. Only run dishwasher when you have a full load
46. Create a budget for your family
47. Reuse Ziploc storage baggies
48. Call your cable company and see if they are running any specials that will lower your bill
49. Don’t pay full price for anything – buy on clearance
50. Unplug appliances when not in use
51. Bake your own bread
52. Make homemade soup instead of buying canned soup
53. Do your own oil change for your car
54. Pay your bills online and save on postage
55. Check Freecycle in your area for things you need
56. Shop around for prescriptions.  Walmart has deeply discounted prices on many medications.
57. Walk instead of drive, if possible
58. Take advantage of CVS’s ECBs (extra care bucks)
59. Shop at garage sales
60. Cook frugal meals
61. Use cell phones only
62. Can fruits & veggies from your garden
63. Barter
64. Put together a price book so you know the best places to buy items
65. Rent carpet cleaning machine and do it yourself
66. Make window treatments using fabric remnants
67. Use the crock pot on busy days so you won’t be tempted to pick up fast food
68. Research free things to do in your town
69. Cook fewer meat meals each week
70. Make sun tea
71. Eat before you go to the grocery store
72. Wear jeans more than once before washing
73. Use rechargeable batteries (there’s a higher upfront cost, but you only buy them once)
74. Use fluorescent light bulbs – they last longer, and use less energy
75. Drink water instead of soda
76. Do what UPS does – plan your driving routes to avoid left hand turns.  UPS studies show that avoiding left hand turns saves time, conserves fuel, reduces emissions, and reduces potential for accidents
77. Buy durable items and take care of them
78. Reset the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees
79. If your hot water heater is hot to the touch, insulate it to save energy
80. Only use credit cards when you can pay the entire balance before your credit card’s grace period is over
81. Turn off water when shaving or brushing teeth
82. Buy for next year during after holiday sales
83. Instead of going out with friends, stay in and play cards or board games
84. Cook from scratch instead of buying convenience food
85. During winter, dress warmly for bed and lower your thermostat at night
86. After using oven, open oven door to heat room
87. When your dishwasher gets to the drying cycle, turn it off and open the door to help heat the room
88. Stockpile when you come across great deals
89. When grocery shopping, always compare the item’s cost per unit
90. Get rid of clutter by selling on eBay or Craig’s list
91. Put a time limit on showers
92. Insulate, weatherstrip, or caulk your home
93. Don’t buy expensive boxed cereal
94. Have a Trash to Treasure swap with friends – bring unwanted household items to trade with friends
95. Repair your own appliances with the help of RepairClinic.com
96. Some food (especially meat) is less expensive when bought in bulk
97. Find the best gas prices in your area
98. When grocery shopping, leave children at home
99. Carpool for work, for school and kids’ activities, and run errands with friends
100. Instead of buying books, read books online for free,  or borrow from the library
101. Make your own non-stick cooking spray by adding your favorite oil to a spray bottle

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