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From reusing to pinching pennies, being frugal doesn't mean being cheap.
Frugal living is about making the most out of everything. Frugal living
is also another way of being environmentally responsible, which is something
everyone should be thinking about during these days of living. Enjoy
the articles and tips you can find here, but be sure to share your Frugal
Living tips at our Parenting
Message Boards or by submitting them through the contact
form at Towle Creations.
Frugal Living Tips
Ladies, instead of throwing away lipstick when it is almost gone, scrape
out what is left with a plastic knife and put it into a mint tin. Soon
you'll have a pallet of all your favorite shades that you can apply with
a lip brush. You can even mix the colors to create new shades too!
Are you looking for an inexpensive, yet meaningful gift idea for family
members? Compile favorite recipes from family members and put them in
binders along with photos of each person to go along with their recipe.
Give the "family cookbooks" to each family member with a personalized
message inside to them. This is a good way to make sure treasured family
recipes are preserved.
A great, frugal way to entertain the family during the holidays is to
take a drive around your town, or another one nearby, to see the Christmas
lights! Make it a family tradition to do this every year on Christmas
Eve. It gets the family all together, away from the TV, and it’s free!
If you have a Swiffer wet mop, instead of buying the expensive, disposable
refill pads for it, buy some cheap wool sweaters at a thrift store and
cut them up into several pads. Glue some Velcro on the end of your mop
so the pad will stick. These work great and can be tossed in the washing
machine and used over and over.
You can completely do away with the need for paper napkins, aluminum foil,
plastic bags, plastic food wrap, etc. by using cloth napkins for all meals
and Tupperware for all food storage instead. What a great savings over
the years!
For economic and stylish gift-wrapping use raffia instead of ribbons or
bows. It's much cheaper and it looks great, too!
Do you have a large, extended family that you exchange Christmas gifts
with? This year, why not suggest each person draw a name of one family
member to buy a gift for instead of buying one for each family member
(not including children, they would still receive gifts from everyone).
This way the focus will be on being together and not as much on material
things. You and everyone will save money,too!
This holiday season, why not send postcards instead of regular holiday
cards? You can even save your old cards from the previous year, cut them
in half, and send the pretty side as a postcard. Saves money on postage
and cards, and you’re being "earth friendly" by keeping new cards out
of the garbage dumps.
To stretch your liquid hand soap and dish soap, when the container is
half full, fill the rest with water. Shake gently to mix. Works just as
well, and your soap will last twice as long!
Ask friends, relatives and neighbors if you could have their leftover
coupons when they're done clipping what they want and offer to give them
your unused ones.
Baking soda works wonders as a cleaner for the sink and bathtub. Use it
like Comet.
Use plain vinegar and water to wash windows. A cup of vinegar to 2 cups
of water.
To unclog and freshen your drains: pour one cup of baking soda down the
drain. Slowly add one cup of vinegar. This will bubble up, but it is safe.
Let it sit about 10 minutes and flush with a pot of boiling water. This
is not for badly clogged sinks, but keeps drains clear and helps slow
drains. Smells fresh too!
As a gift for birthdays or holidays, give a coupon for your services such
as baby-sitting, yard work, car washing, running errands, light housekeeping,
cooking, house watching or pet sitting. This costs you nothing and the
recipient can redeem the coupon anytime they like! This is especially
good for elderly friends and relatives or new moms.
For inexpensive fabric softening, add 1/4 cup of vinegar in place of liquid
fabric softener in the final rinse cycle. It costs pennies and makes clothes
cleaner, brighter and softer.
Want to make sure you’re getting the best prices on your favorite products?
Start a “price book” that lists the food items and household products
your family uses most, along with the best unit price you’ve found on
it and at what store. Take it with you when you shop and then you’ll know
if a store sale is a good buy.
For the truly frugal - when you can no longer squeeze any more toothpaste
out of the tube, cut the tube open, and scrape the remainder into a bowl.
Add baking soda and some water, and you can double the amount of the leftover
toothpaste!
Hit the after-holidays wrapping paper and ribbon sales and look for paper
that is not specifically holiday designed so you can use it for wrapping
gifts throughout the year at a fraction of the cost.
Unplug electrical devices when they're not in use, especially ones that
are used infrequently like lamps in guest bedrooms, toaster ovens, etc.
This will result in a small savings on your electric bill that will add
up over time.
For an economical way to clean your microwave oven, heat a bowl of water
with sliced lemons in the microwave on high for three minutes or until
steaming. Let the bowl sit inside with the door shut for five minutes,
then remove and wipe out the microwave with a soft cloth. Not only will
the microwave be clean, it will smell great.
Close the air ducts and doors in rooms in your home that are used infrequently
(such as storage rooms or guest rooms.) Closing unused rooms may reduce
heating and cooling costs by up to 20 percent. But to be safe, check with
the dealer of your heating and cooling system to determine whether closing
off rooms has the potential to harm the system.
Before you make a purchase, always ask yourself these questions: Can I
live without this? Do I need it, or merely want it? Do I already have
something I can use instead? Can I borrow it from a friend or family member?
Can I make it? If it is a disposable item, is there a non-disposable alternative?
For the Truly Frugal... Washing and reusing resealable bags is a great
idea for saving money. To make cleaning them easier, wash the bags in
the dishwasher. Turn the bag inside out, upside down, and use plastic
clothespins to clip them to the top rack.
To shave legs, use an inexpensive shampoo-and-conditioner-in-one. It works
great and costs less than shaving gels and creams.
Instead of buying those expensive refills for your Swiffer Wet Jet mop,
drill a hole in the bottom of an empty refill bottle and fill it with
half water and half white vinegar. Then, stick a cork in the hole, and
you can refill with the water/vinegar solution as needed.
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Living: Frugal And Fabulous
Frugal
Living for Dummies
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