Frugality

Since becoming a single income family over sixteen years ago, I have implemented many different ways of being frugal. These have changed over the years as needs and income levels have changed.



I'm feeling the need to be careful and be more frugal these days. To see what I am already doing and areas where I could do more I thought I would list them here.



1. My top Christmas request was a clothes line. Cost: The price of a bag of concrete. We had all of the other supplies. The clothes line is up now. I'll save money on electricity once I actually use the clothes line.



2. I'm making my own laundry detergent. The first batch of laundry detergent was powder. I hadn't used powdered detergent in probably 14 years. My second batch was in the big five gallon bucket and was liquid. It didn't gel up as it was supposed to, but I am going to try something a bit different next time and it should gel then, otherwise it is working just fine.



3. Vinegar is our new laundry softener. 2 gallons is a little over $3, and that's without using coupons. No, clothes don't smell like vinegar and they are surprisingly soft. There aren't any unpronounceable ingredients either.



4. Jigsaw puzzles are cheap entertainment. I found some for $1 at Dollar Tree. Board games, dominoes, and cards are also cheap entertainment and promote family togetherness.



5. The temperatures are becoming more mild now in anticipation of spring. I have turned off the heater for the most part. We turn on some electric tower heaters in the morning to heat up the house and we have electric blankets on our beds if they are needed at night. We have been able to open the windows a few days when the temperatures have been in the mid to upper 70's. I hope to cut down on our electric bill and take advantage of the moderate temperatures.



6. I changed our telephone service and bundled it with our Internet. Yes, I had to agree to a two year contract. Instead of paying $45 for Internet and $65 for telephone monthly, we pay $65 for both - a monthly savings of $45 - that a savings of $540 a year!!



7. I've begun to use coupons again. A local health food store has a website, I can print off the coupons I will use from their site. Another has 20% off on certain days off certain items. I saw Albertson's is advertising double and triple coupons again. Another grocery store has loads of in store coupons and the register prints off coupons with your receipt. I received a $4 off coupon on paper towels. Awesome deal.



8. I make a two week menu then make my grocery list from it. I have made forms that have all the usual grocery items listed. If I don't need it that time, I just mark it out. I still keep my grocery list on the fridge when we run out of something, that allows me to accurately mark off those things we don't need. Making a menu lets us plan in advance for when we eat out. On those busy days when we would have gone out to eat, I use the crockpot -- so much better than drive-thru food. Freezer cooking helps tremendously also.



9. Freezing bananas. Laugh if you want, but if you've ever found those last few bananas that didn't get eaten because they were getting brown spots on them, then a day later they oozed some kind of goop and had to be thrown away -- you don't laugh then. Now oozy bananas have been eliminated. We always have frozen bananas for smoothies now. This was an attempt to be aware and not waste money by wasting food. This also includes forgotten lettuce in the crisper and sprouting potatoes in the pantry.



10. We take our own beverages with us when we go into town for errands. Four soft drinks can be $10. Three times a week is $30 =$1560 a year! Wow! What an expense! Plus, we save cans and cash them in. We don't make a lot but we are recycling.



11. I had been buying 6 to 8 cases of water a month. I found a Brita water pitcher on sale and am keeping my eyes open for the lowest price and coupons for the replacement filters. $4 per case of water = $32 a month. $384 a year for water. With prices I've paid so far for the replacement filters, it will cost about $80 a year for these - a savings of $300. I hope to find a really good price and save even more. I'm also saving more money by not having to go to the recycling center as often to take the plastic bottles.



12. Discount makeup and other hba items. How? I let other people pay for mine. How? I sell Avon. My customers orders cover the cost of my orders or at least greatly reduce what I have to pay. Even without customers, the price I pay is discounted.



13. I am an avid reader and so are my children. I use Paperback Swap. I have received several books that would have cost me $25 to $40 if I had to buy them. All for the cost of one credit, which was the cost of postage to send a book I didn't want or was finished with(about $2.50). Paperback Swap lists my savings at over $600, but that's at $4.50 a book. So the savings is so much greater, the convenience is wonderful too.



14. Actually, I am surprised I have been able to list this many items. I did spend money to save money a week ago. I bought some organic seed starter soil mix and the trays to plant seeds in for my own transplants. I also bought some organic heirloom seeds along with having some on hand. In a couple of months I won't be guessing what kind of tomato transplants are at the nursery. I'll have my own transplants and I'll be planting the vegetables I want because I won't have to just choose from the selection that is left over or from what someone else chose.



15. Okay, this one is kind of frivolous but nonetheless it's still saving money. We don't frequent Starbucks often, but I learned something recently. I opened some mail that I had originally just thought was junk mail. Not exactly -- there was a Starbucks gift card in there. I saved a percentage on my purchase by using that gift card. That was cool. Then I registered my card and I get free perks for doing that (free refills, free syrups, etc.) The only reason we went to Starbucks was because of the gift card. Since I have Celiac, I can't eat any of the pastries there which saves money too!



16. Target pharmacy. Every 6 to 8 weeks, they have a coupon for a gift card worth $10 when you fill a new prescription there or transfer one. I save up the gift cards and use them for Christmas gifts -- free money! I'm only able to use the coupon when I get a prescription filled, it's got to be done, why not get a free $10 gift card. Also, Target often offers free gift cards when you buy certain items. If they are something that we use/need, I will get them at Target when that is offered, it's even better when I can use coupons.



There is also the usual 'I don't buy convenience foods'. I shop the perimeter of the grocery store first and don't go down aisles if I don't need anything on them. When I make lasagna, I make two and put one in the freezer. I double and triple pancake recipes in hopes of having enough left over to put in the freezer. I can't do this with waffles yet as I don't have a new waffle maker. I have two, but they were both used with wheat flour batters and with all the nooks and crannies I am not willing to use them with gluten free batters. For a couple of months