Tricks from a Tightwad
Alright, everyone! Time to dig in and dole out a few quick money-saving tips. It's all that little stuff, after all, that adds up to the big bucks. These are just a few things I do on a regular basis. Add your tips and tricks to the comments at the end of this entry.
1. For kitchen garbage bags, reuse all those plastic bags you get from the grocery store. They perfectly fit the under-the-sink garbage pails.
2. Shake things up! Are you one of those people who squish their 2-liter pop bottle before tightening the lid? That's not really saving as much fizz as if you gave it a couple shakes instead. Repressurize the bottle by tightening the lid and then shaking it once or twice. (Don't shake it too much or you'll give the next person a bath.)
3. Make your own baby food. Not only is it healthier, it's so much cheaper. See the Whole Baby Foods link on this page for recipes.
4. Buy bulk. If you're a tea drinker, try getting loose leaf tea. It's much cheaper, and you get a whole lot more for the money. Asian food stores often carry good ones at a fraction of the cost of the grocery store. Dried beans or rice in bulk quantities are also cheaper. They make for inexpensive meals, and they keep for a long time.
5. Buy meat on sale and freeze it. 'Nuff said!
6. Soap. It used to come in big bottles. You know, big squirt bottles of dish soap. Then they decided to be "environmentally friendly" and they shrunk the bottles to save the world from plastic, took out the water, and called it "ULTRA". You were supposed to buy the little bottles, put some in your old big bottle, and add water. But no one did. They still sell the soap in smaller bottles for higher prices than the originals because now it's concentrated. Brilliant marketing scheme. Water it down and you'll rarely have to buy dish soap, or other liquid soaps for that matter. Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.
These are six things you can do to save some green. I've got plenty more where that came from, and I know you do, too. So click on the Comments button and type away! Together, maybe we can pinch enough pennies to start that college fund...
10 comments:
Cut your worn out clothes into rectangles and sew them into reuseable gift bags. So easy, so cute.
Get over the grossed-out germaphobic American obsession. For example, air-dry your bath towel and reuse it. Wash your sheets every 1.5 weeks instead of every week. Skip a shower if you're just lazin' around on a weekend! Etc. Believe me, the germs in your house will NOT kill you!
RE-GIFT!! It's okay - forget about Seinfeld and his neuroses. Re-gifting really is okay if the gift given is thoughtful and given to someone who will enjoy it! Really . . .
Ask your t.v. cable company for their most basic package. You should be able to get all the public access channels, plus the 4 major networks for about 10-15 dollars a month.
Replace the disposable paper items in your house with cloth. For example, cloth handkerchiefs, cloth napkins, rags (instead of paper towels, etc. Really makes a difference in your shopping list.
Only run full dishwasher and clothes washer loads.
Grow your own herbs - they're so easy, you don't even need a green thumb. They are so expensive in the supermarket!
Great ideas for the cheap mom (I mean frugal, my husband always corrects me when I call myself cheap. He says "frugal" is the appropriate term). I especially like the dishsoap thing. Always wondered about that.
Brood Mare, you're so awesome! (And I don't abuse that word!) I learn so much from you - thanks for adding! I'm serious, I'm all stoked about making my own napkins now. I save all these old cotton sheets because they have a hole or a tear, and I can't bear to toss them. Napkins for everyone!
Wrap your presents in the funny papers. Their colorful and if they're careful when they remove it, they can have a good chuckle besides a nice gift.
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