Pinching Pennies - It All Adds Up?

[Jem]

I'm freakishly tall for a woman, so if something fits properly, I kind of have to get it right away or it'll be gone, as they just make things for normal to short women.

I hear ya on that! I wouldn't say I'm freakishly tall but I do have a longer than average inseam. I'm just glad that leggings are still in style and that I can pull them off! It's doesn't matter if the leggings are 2-3 inches from my ankle, but with pant's...well, I just look like a dink.

Do you grow zucchini?

Last year was the first time, we didn't get too many (about 12) but holy cow they were BIG! My husband doesn't like zucchini, so I gave a lot away, there was no way I could eat that many before they went bad.

I've heard (well, some frugal blog lady did the math) that this isn't worth it unless you have like 23 kids . Unless you have allergies and can't use the regular stuff.

In my case making my own shampoo does save me a lot of money. Let's just say I have special hair. The products geared towards my hair type are severely overpriced so by making my own, my hair gets the right treatment without breaking the bank.

 

[Jem]

Remember the days when people had their shoes repaired?

Try coming from the replace and upgrade generation! People look at me like I have two heads when I say I'll just fix something. I will say though that when it comes to appliances, it usually is better to just replace them (the newer ones) because fixing them costs almost as much as getting a new one, depending on the problem of course.
I started asking around if anyone knew of a good shoe and leather repair place because I wanted to fix my moccasins. EVERY person said why don't you just buy a new pair?

 

[Talien]

I also cut marinades with 1/2 vinegar to stretch it.

Have you tried apple cider vinegar? If you can stand the taste it's healthier, my mom used to use it as salad dressing but I could never get used to it myself. I tried adding a tiny bit to my Cats' water for urinary tract health but they didn't like it either.

 

[NY cat man]

Have you tried apple cider vinegar? If you can stand the taste it's healthier, my mom used to use it as salad dressing but I could never get used to it myself. I tried adding a tiny bit to my Cats' water for urinary tract health but they didn't like it either.

That's the only kind we use.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

The only thing we have splurged on (besides our house...lol) is new living room furniture. I inherited a clunky, old, uncomfortable sofa bed when we first moved in together. I hated it and it was ridiculously heavy. Big Lots does their big quarterly sale where you get 20% off your entire purchase, so we got a new sofa and accent chair for like...$700? That was a huge OOF to our frugal little hearts!

We drive old cars (husband's car is a 2001, mine is a 2003) with no car payments and the insurance is dirt freaking cheap on them. We know that we know will eventually have to be replaced, but we don't think about that!

We use Sun laundry detergent from Big Lots (anyone see a pattern here?) and it lasts us MONTHS. On a typical week, we do 3 loads of laundry (2 of clothes and 1 of sheets/towels) and that dang tub lasted us at least 6 months. It was $8.

We use leftovers in other dishes if we can. When we do have dinner date night, it's almost always with a coupon of some sort. We love Netflix and Redbox for movies.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Oh, because I just remembered: We re-use dryer sheets. We use one sheet per load of clothes, then use those two sheets to dry the towels and sheets. I like the idea of a clothes line, but I absolutely hate the way air-dried clothes feel (kind of starchy and scratchy). I have some sensory...things, and that is one of them.

 

[Elphaba09]

Remember the days when people had their shoes repaired?

I repair my shoes! I only own four pairs, two of which are Birkenstock sandals, both of which are more than 25 years old. I love them! I have to get them resoled every six years or so, but the cost is cheap enough that I do not complain.

I rarely buy new clothes. Most are from Goodwill. I just do not see the point in most cases.

I am pretty handy with making, repairing, repurposing things. I kind of have to be since we have been restoring our 1923 Craftsman(ish) bungalow. We have paid for three things to be done to the house: New electric (I am not an electrician and I will not risk burning down my house), the repair of the old windows, and painting the soffit and trim on the top half of the house. Last summer, I designed and constructed new columns for the front porch that cost 1/3 what they were elsewhere.

One thing I love to do is utilize online auctions near me. If you live in Northeast Ohio or around Columbus, I have two auction sites that have saved us a lot of money for things we want and need. Things I have gotten: window air conditioners (four for less than $60 apiece, one was $28), arc lamp with three lights ($20, saw for $200 at Home Depot), Craftsman mower ($55, new but needed wheel straightened), stroller ($41, normally $180), an Intex pool ($63), and a pressure cooker ($2). I have gotten lots of things, but these are the ones I remember offhand. If I ever get a new couch, I am going to look there first.

 

[Uncled]

I bring my breakfast and lunch to work every single day plus variations of what everyone else does to save money. Washing laundry in cold water only saves too

 

[1 bruce 1]

I've heard (well, some frugal blog lady did the math) that this isn't worth it unless you have like 23 kids . Unless you have allergies and can't use the regular stuff.

With the pets, we're pretty darned close

 

[1 bruce 1]

I grew up in a household where every penny counted. My folks were poor, but everybody else in the neighborhood was too. So we never realized it. No food was wasted, ever. There were no choices. You simply ate what was on the table and you were glad to get it. There was usually no leftovers. As toddlers, our grandmother made us dresses and gowns from chicken feed bags. We wore handed down clothing and were glad to get something new, even if it was handed down from a cousin or sister. Now, I am very frugal. I can't bear to see the food people waste in restaurants. My husband was raised the same way I was so he doesn't like waste either. We eat everything until it is gone. I use coupons all the time. I shop in thrift stores and always look for bargains.

We've developed a food saving way of eating, which is eat what won't keep first (like a salad covered in dressing, or fried eggs) and eat what will keep (can be re-heated, or will still be good over night in the fridge) last. If you run out of room and have left overs, they go back in the fridge instead of the trash can. And your meal for tomorrow is already prepared, can't go wrong with that

 

[1 bruce 1]

Another option for preserving meat is canning. Several years ago, we split a side of beef with another couple an had a marathon canning session, putting up cases and cases of beef, and the stuff was good for years. If you want T-bones however, the freezer is the answer.

We've done similar, we have a marathon noodle making from scratch and make more than enough for everyone present and their families. Plus, those marathons can be a lot of fun.

 

[Willowy]

With the pets, we're pretty darned close

Haha, I feel like that sometimes!

I've been looking at more recent blogs and they've apparently streamlined the process so that it doesn't look so crazy to try homemade laundry detergent. It does still use a bunch of commercial products (OxiClean, Unstopables, Fels Naptha, etc.), so that makes it easier. And there's a bit of argument over whether you can get away with using 2 tablespoons per load or if more is needed, which definitely changes the price per load. So, worth a try I suppose. You might save $5 a month, which might be worth it for some people, depending on their time demands.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Haha, I feel like that sometimes!

I've been looking at more recent blogs and they've apparently streamlined the process so that it doesn't look so crazy to try homemade laundry detergent. It does still use a bunch of commercial products (OxiClean, Unstopables, Fels Naptha, etc.), so that makes it easier. And there's a bit of argument over whether you can get away with using 2 tablespoons per load or if more is needed, which definitely changes the price per load. So, worth a try I suppose. You might save $5 a month, which might be worth it for some people, depending on their time demands.

We usually use baking soda or vinegar as a boost. For pet bedding (with the asthmatic cat) we just use plain old vinegar. It seems to work just fine, no fragrance and cleans good and softens things up a little bit for them.
Ever notice how when you change dog or cat blankets out, you haven't even set the last one down before dogs and cats are all over them? I think I could stuff a bed into a match box and they'd figure out how to balance on it.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

We use white vinegar for our towels and sheets. They're the only items that we wash on hot water vs. cold.