I’m posting every day over at my other blog Centsably Fit and have a yummy healthy waffle recipe over there:
Your plate will look like this:
Please don’t look too hard at the paper plate. I know it’s not frugal at all, but sometimes being sane is the most frugal thing, lol. Hospital bills are crazy expensive….ok, so enough excuses….
Our remodel project is on schedule. Wahoo! The plumber came yesterday and the electrician is due later this week. I still have some wallpaper and ceilings to scrape down, but there will be plenty of time for that later.
Anyhoo, I have pictures and stuff to show you another day, but for now here’s a burning question:
In the comments below tell me one thing you have been doing without for frugality sake and how you have coped. Have you decided to do without forever or is there a date on the horizon when you will have it again?
I have given up paper products (not a stab at your paper plate!) almost entirely: paper plates, napkins, paper towels. Essentially if we can’t eat it, I don’t want to spend grocery money on it. I cut lots of my husband’s older t-shirts in 12″ squares for daily use napkins; they were free, and can be tossed in practically any load of laundry. I don’t think that I’ll ever go back to regularly using these items, but I do buy them when we’re having a large crowd (the plates especially because we don’t have a dish washer) or when we go camping.
You ladies are amazing! I’m taking notes as I’ve relaxed a bit this last year and see some easy things I can do to get back to frugal. Every dime helps in remodel mode, but sometimes I need a reminder of why I’m sacrificing :). Oh, I hope more people comment! This is awesome.
I haven’t bought paper towels or napkins for over 2 years. I have even started baking our bacon, that completely elminates the need for either. And I will probably not buy them unless we go camping (rags/cloth napkins do not do well when camping, we’ve tries!).
Haircuts. I’ve learned to do them.
Oh boy. There are so many. Maybe the most painful things are vanity items! Professional hair cuts and coloring my grey hair! When I was single, I had my hair professionally cut and colored at a chic salon in Boston every 6 weeks! Wow. What waste of money. I now see that. However, I wouldn’t mind covering over these grey hairs that are sprouting up now that I am over 40~ 🙂 So, I will never do the Boston salon thing, but I hope that one day I’ll get my hair professionally cut on a regular basis.
We dropped cable last August and have saved $120/mo doing so. The only thing we miss is watching the Detroit Tigers play ball. We may pay the $30/yr to subscribe to MLB.tv to watch them, but we’ll not be going back to cable any time soon.
After ending my employment 3 years ago, we have been doing without a lot of things to stay afloat. Last year I decided to give up coloring my hair. I tried coloring it myself but over the counter hair color just didn’t work for me. My hair is now silver and white and it will stay. I’m saving tons of money and time… although I do miss the pampering I received at the salon, loved changing the color and adding highlights at times. Oh well, it’s all good!
For frugality sake I cut my hubby’s and kids hair. My oldest is about to turn 15 and he is okay with it still. I am very thankful he is, because at this point we need to continue having me do it. This will probably continue until they get old enough to pay for their own.
My husband used to cut my hair when it was all one length, but since it’s no longer one length I am the only one who gets a hair appointment for the last 8 or 9 years.
I have been giving my hubby his haircuts for most of the 18 years we have been married. Clipping his hair is something I believe I will always be doing. It just saves so much of his time, and I prefer that I am the one who gets to touch his hair. I never imagined that I would be doing this because I had no prior experience. It’s one of those things we felt we had to do, stepped by faith into it, and you know, God is honored when things are done by faith. He really helped me to be able to do manage this. Isn’t that what it’s all about. Trusting Him to help, and He always does.
I’ve been cutting back step by step. Baby steps. I gave up paper plates a few years ago, and haven’t missed them once. Recently I gave up paper napkins. It is so nice not having to buy these things at the grocery store! My next goal is to get rid of paper towels. We rarely watch TV, except for the news and food shows, so the cable is going this month. We ditched our land line a few years ago and use our cell phones exclusively. I make all our laundry detergent and am looking into making our dog’s food now as well. Oh, I also gave up fabric softener years ago! It’s really not necessary and every now and then I’ll rinse my towels in a vinegar rinse to get that soft feel that we all love so much. I also saw a pin on pinterest recently that intrigued me. It’s the no-poo shampoo method. It uses baking soda and vinegar! I’m not sure I’m ready to give up my sweet smelling shampoo (Suave, of course!) but I may give it a try and see how it works out. With 7 long haired females in the house, it really would save me a lot of money!
This was a good idea to post these tips. We had a tough month last month as my husband works on commission. We have gone without salt for the water softener (our water is extremely hard.) We need some auto repairs but have “made do” by borrowing my in-laws vehicle for longer trips. We didn’t buy any starter plants for the garden…all seeds. And we’ve been eating out of the pantry and scraping for change for the fresh stuff (expecting baby #8 makes for a large food bill.) It’s tough, but God provides and we have committed to not using the credit card. Thanks for the reminders of how worthwhile frugality can be.
We went to cloth napkins and using mostly rags instead of paper towels. I’m cutting everybody but hubby’s hair. We’re using the library and not going to the bookstore. I’m making most of our gifts for kid friends or looking for REALLY good deals. I really check what I’m buying with the budget instead of the many little splurges. I think I miss impulse shopping the most but seeing the progress is worth it.
This might sound a bit over the top but I think using toilet paper is such a waste of money down the drain. We have 2 girls and they go through lots of toilet paper so I made up my own cloth wipes and that is saving us a lot of money. We use the cloth whenever we pee and use toilet paper on bm’s. I have used cloth diapers on all my kids so this step with cutting out toilet paper was a no brainer. I also made my own cloth pads for that time of the month. I also cut my husbands hair and had no experience in this but my husband thought it was such a waste of money to pay someone to cut his hair every month. I am glad I have learned this skill and can pass it onto my kids when they are older.
I too hope more comment! 🙂 Love hearing how others are saving money. This question really cuts home for me cuz I have had to significantly tighten my belt in the last yr or two. Some of the ways I’ve increased frugality:
-Almost completely paperless, except for TP and Kleenex. This is an area in progress; I make/use my own cloth wipes, so I’ll get there. 🙂
-Use a Diva Cup and cloth pads (BEST decision I’ve ever made!)
-Got rid of cable TV (have to keep cable internet for work, but that’s considerably cheaper) and bought a Roku Box. Cut back my Netflix account to only streaming, discontinued Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime, and signed up for USTVnow (free) for those *very* few and far between network programs I might want to watch (like NBA finals or The Voice 🙂 )
-Used my Costco membership to upgrade my cell phone for $0 (also needed for work).
-Stopped using my one credit card, and went on a pay-back program to freeze use of it, and lower interest for 1 yr while I get some of the balance paid off and reduce minimum payment.
-Make my own washing soda, dish soap, dish washer detergent, laundry detergent and softener, hair care products (altho’ sometimes I use Suave Naturals conditioner for my curly hair co-poo), deodorant, face wash.
-Cut my own hair.
-Invested in some basic essential oils (I got the 6 for a “thieves oil” blend: cinnamon, clove, lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, plus tea tree; the only EO I’d like to add to my basics is lavender) that I’ve used for everything from personal health to hair care to pain control to cleaning. Definitely a worthwhile investment. I’ve only bought the Aura Cacia brand so far, but I think Sparks Naturals has an excellent price for their EOs and they are certified pharmaceutical grade, so plan to try them out next time I have $ for some more EOs.
-I have chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal exhaustion and most likely hypo thyroid, plus tooth decay I’m trying to reverse;, and am treating myself naturally, so my supplements are essential and can take a BIG chunk out of my budget. I did a lot of comparison to find the cheapest (including cost vs size) way to get all of my supplements. I STOPPED buying them at my local health food store, and currently buy almost everything online through Swanson vitamins and Lucky Vitamins (Vitacost is NOT the best deal out there, no matter how much bloggers like to tout it), with occasional purchases at Green Pasture or Radiant Life for things I can only get there (fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butterfat), depending on which saves me money at the time.
-I buy in bulk/large sizes when I can: coconut oil, baking soda, white vinegar, organic sugar, organic flour, apple cider vinegar, local raw honey, rice, etc.
-I use Costco a LOT for a lot of my “bulk” purchases, and things that I’ve cost-compared as being a better deal there: bulk baking soda, vinegar, bulk Indian Basmati rice (lowest arsenic levels), organic sugar, organic flour, organic lemon juice, avocados, mushrooms, onions, Kerrigold block cheese and butter, organic frozen veggies and fruit. And they have the cheapest gas in town.
-I had to figure out what were acceptable-to-me compromises re: food. I won’t buy non-organic produce that is on the Big 15, but will for those that aren’t (i.e. mushroom, onions and avocados in bulk sizes @ Costco). If I can’t afford grass-fed, pastured meats, I won’t go with less than “organic”, so in the tightest spots I’ll get organic chicken and hamburger @ Costco. But when my health food store has sales on grass fed hamburger (5.99/lb) and pastured chicken ($2.39/lb), I buy up as many extras as my food budget/freezer space allows. The absolute lowest I’m willing to compromise on milk is non-ultra pasteurized and no growth hormone (which cuts out most grocery store milk). At that lowest level of compromise, Kirkland brand whole milk (no growth hormone and not ultra-pasteurized) is definitely the best deal. If I had my ‘drothers, I’d buy grass-fed, vat pasteurized, non-homogenized milk but that’s a splurge right now (and grass-fed raw milk would be the optimum, but haven’t been able to afford that yet). I also, for a short time, was using the reg Kirkland brand butter (because their organic tasted vile-ly like chemicals) but I recently found they sell Kerrigold butter (which is always grassfed) in bulk for cheaper than the normal organic brands (which usually aren’t grassfed).
-I only buy in-season organic produce, and won’t buy anything that’s more than $2/lb. I ALWAYS pick up whatever I can from the $1/bag “clearance” rack in the produce section at my health food store. (I can’t grow my own and haven’t been able to make it to the organic farmer’s market)
-On this blog it probably goes without saying that I cook from scratch and make all my own stuff as much as possible: bread, yogurt, water kefir. I buy mostly whole spices in bulk @ my health food store (good prices and quick turnaround) and keep them in my freezer for longevity. I make up all my own spice mixes, ie. chili power, curry powder, chai spice mix, taco seasoning, etc. When they are in season and I can afford it, I buy organic plum tomatoes and make my own tomato paste.
-I plan menus for the month, and do once-a-month shopping. I aim to have a 40/60 split of meatless and meat meals, and go for dishes that will make a lot and stretch well, with minimal amount of meat.
-I buy parchment paper and heavy duty aluminum foil @ Costco, and reuse each as often as I can (until burnt, have holes or falling apart). Aluminum foil pieces are great for reducing static in the dryer.
-I mostly use glass and Tupperware for food storage, but if I have plastic bags, I wash and reuse.
-Use my crock pot and convection toaster oven for much of my baking/cooking/reheating.
-I finally realized I was living way beyond my means, and “gave up” and moved into an affordable housing apt, in the same complex. My pride and principle (“living off the government”) fought it, but I couldn’t sit on pride when I could save my parents (missionaries actively on the mission field) more $. Moving reduced monthly expenses a good $200-300.
Yikes! this got long! It was fun sharing tho’. Thanks! 🙂
We switched to magic jack for our land line. We would turn it off all together but not all the kids have cell phones, and I feel like we need the land line for them when they are at home alone for safety.
We also turned off satellite a couple of years ago. Not only is it frugal, we spend more time together. We get Netflix streaming for a small monthly fee that helps on those really hot days and it is unbearable to go outside:)
I have quit going to the salon for cuts and color. I color my own and have a girl in my neighborhood who is a professional cut it for $10 in her home. She is really good! In addition, I get cuts less often. We recently got rid of cable, too! It adds up!
Years ago, we cut out cable. We are not fans of what is on TV today anyway. We have internet. We occasionally watch something on YouTube or PBS. However, we have a large collection of DVDs and VHS tapes that are family friendly. For the children (ok, for us too!) we have the entire collection of VeggieTales. Those are the values we want our children learning anyway, not the values of secular TV. So, to answer your question, no we will not be adding cable TV back.
We gave up eating out. We barter for our five children’s music and dance lessons. We gave up land line phones, paper products, store-bought pet foods and store-bought cleaning products. We gave up satellite tv and magazine subscriptions. We GAINED more time and creativity. We won’t go back on any of those except now that things are a little easier financially we do have date nights that include restaurants. 🙂
We gave up yearbooks and school pictures for the kids. Instead of buying a yearbook every year they get one at the 8th grade level and one as a high school senior.
Like many others, we gave up paper plates a while back. I purchased a dozen plain white Corelle luncheon plates at Fred Meyer’s with a 40% off coupon and some rewards bucks. They take up little space and are easy to wash and put away.
Instead of chips and crackers I’m making apple & sweet potato chips in my dehydrator and an easy rosemary flatbread on the baking stone. Also make granola bars in muffin cups, thanks to Angela’s recipe.
I am turning a gallon of milk ($2.50) into a half gallon of sweet, creamy Greek Yogurt instead of buying pre-flavored cups of yogurt. We flavor it with homemade berry jam or lemon curd – yum! And I use the bonus half gallon of whey to soak grains, flour, & beans for maximum nutrition following advice in the book Nourishing Traditions.
Am making hand & body lotion from a recipe found at http://www.care2com so we are saved some expense there.
We garden and forage extensively and I freeze, can, and dry the excess. When we need money for something like a week-end vacation, I shop from my pantry and apply the money saved to that special item. Last summer I decided I wanted a grain mill; my pantry paid for that, too. I buy bulk items like grains (wheat, spelt, barley, kamut), molasses, vinegar, beans from Azure Standard once a month. Big savings here.
I had tried a no-poo recipe a couple of years ago, and it was a disaster. I recently rediscovered this idea and liked the sound of the recipe so I gave it a try. It was 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of hot water for the shampoo and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water for the conditioner. I figured I would just use up these 2 containers and be done with trying it out. When you use the shampoo, you don’t get suds but you scrub all around your scalp and your hair feels almost slimy. I use a few tablespoons of this mixture for the shampooing. Then rinse it out with apple cider vinegar and water as the conditioner. It only smells like the apple cider vinegar for a moment, and dissipates when you rinse it off. Well, I am actually getting compliments on my hair! I can’t believe it! I have been doing this for 4 weeks now, and my hair feels wonderful! I definitely won’t be going back to store bought shampoo and conditioner. Squeeze bottles from the Dollar Store are next on my list, as it would then be a little easier to apply.
Susan, You have inspired me to try it again. I’ve heard of it but the other ways to do it didn’t make much sense to me. Now that I bleach my hair (oh vanity) I wonder if it would be less stripping?