Best painless "stretching things" budget tips?

[happycampers]

Let's give this thread a well deserved BUMP!................P

I'll second that bump. I love all the ideas people are sharing on this thread.

 

[abish19]

This isn't a stretching tip, really, but it could earn/save money...

I've found that for larger or more valuable items, it's better to sell them on ebay or craigslist than to do so at a garage sale. With ebay/craigslist, someone is specifically looking for that item and is usually willing to pay more. Plus, with craigslist they'll come and pick it up, too.

I also use miniscule amounts of dishwasher detergent, laundry soap, etc. and don't notice a difference.

If you have family or friends nearby who'd be willing, you could do a shared newspaper or magazine subscription. One person purchases the subscription, and everyone else contributes to even out the cost among the participants, OR each person could pay for one, approximately equal subscription and share the material between them.

Sorry I don't have anything more unique! I love the ideas you've all contributed. Thanks!

 

[mjantz]

I have to plug again for local libraries. I have an on-line account with our library & I can search, renew books I've checked out & even place requests for books or DVDs we'd like to check out.
Also, for the summer (I'm a teacher) I'm limiting days we go places. So, we might be out of the house Monday & Thursday but Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday we stay home. And I'm combining errands like crazy.
I just discovered a bakery outlet close to where I go to my dance class. Since dance is a bit of a drive, being able to add an errand (& a money-saving one at that) will make me feel a bit better about making that drive.

 

[HenDuck]

I have been using (twice ) used dryer sheets to dust the furniture.

 

[Chicklogic]

bump

 

[abish19]

Okay, this is probably very old news to all of you, but...

We have a small, toddler-sized swimming pool - you know, the hard plastic ones - that we fill up about every other day when the weather's hot. Instead of chucking the water out on the lawn, we've taken to using a bucket to get most of it out, then watering our garden and flowers with it instead.

Along those same lines, we take the water from our dehumidifier in the basement and lug it outside to water plants.

This doesn't save much money, perhaps, but at least it prevents waste, and it's part of the whole "frugal" mindset. By small means come great things!

 

[jonna30]

My tip is to shop Fresh & Easy sometime between 10:30a.m. and noon. They start marking down their food that will expire. It goes down to 1/2 price. We consistently get a whole seedless watermelon for $1.75. One day we got 4 hamburger patties, 10 pieces of marinated chicken and 6 italian sausages all for $5. Then, we go home and eat it that night or the next day. We are eating many more fruits and vegetables than ever before. Plus, they give you a $5 off coupon for the next week. I usually spend $18 for approximately two days to feed 6 people.

 

[midwestdee]

First - this is a great thread! My tip is that if during the hectic summer - you are constantly on the road - always have a mini cooler of drinks with you. When you know dinner will be a fast food drive through - it is the cost of the drinks that really kills you and puts the most money in MickyD's pocket. Get over the notion that you "save" money getting the "Meal" versus the sandwich - in reality you over spend big time - my mini van never leaves this drive way without my mini cooler of Diet Pepsi and bottles of water (I refill my bottles). While I do give my ice maker very good use - if we are going to be on the road all day - I go to my mini blocks of ice - I keep handy from freezing the water in margarine tubs.

 

[loveabargin]

I have been using (twice ) used dryer sheets to dust the furniture.

You can also use dryer sheets in lieu of using a rag with Comet cleanser. It works great. I keep them in the bathroom to clean the tub and shower and in the kitchen to clean the sink. Whatever they put in them works well as a cleaner and whatever they're made of is abrasive enough to act like comet does.

 

[eyor44]

Save used dryer sheets:
cleaning the bugs off of our vehicles.
cleaning/dusting off the washer/dryer

I used to wash the dog blankets twice, once to clean, 2nd to smell nice. Now I add baking soda to the 1st wash and they come out great.

When running the water to wash dishes. I place a large bowl in the sink to collect the cold water, which I then use to water plants. By the time a large bowl is full, the water is just starting to turn warm.

Any water bottles that are left in the car get dumped in the flower garden.

When I am home alone, or as soon as the kids go to bed. I turn off all but one light. I seem to work and concentrate better with just one light on where ever I am working.

When the conditioner bottle is empty, I fill it almost full with warm water and shake. I can get two more uses out of it.

We share magazines and coupons at work.

We have a snack/drink fund at work where someone goes to Sam's or sales to stock up and then we sell drinks for .40 and snacks for .50. Much cheaper than the snack/soda machine. Every other month we used the "profit" and have lunch brought in for everyone who is part of the group.

A friend and I carpool for our childrens activities. We take turns driving the girls to dance class and the other takes the husbands and sons home. Helps that we all work at the same Space center, our children go to the same school and we live in the same neighborhood.

 

[kcrew]

I cut Dove facial cloths in half - still works the same.

I cut them in quarters....

 

[Chicklogic]

I make my own Downey Wrinkle spray and refill the bottle! Costs me PENNIES and works great! No more ironing for me

fill bottle almost to the top with water,add a couple of T fabric softener and a couple T alcohol

You can also stuff a bounce sheet into the bottle with water and a couple T alcohol!

This stuff has cut my ironing time down to bare bones! I don't even have to waste electricity by putting things in the dryer for a few minutes to iron themselves!

 

[StillPinballFamily]

I make my own Downey Wrinkle spray and refill the bottle! Costs me PENNIES and works great! No more ironing for me

fill bottle almost to the top with water,add a couple of T fabric softener and a couple T alcohol

You can also stuff a bounce sheet into the bottle with water and a couple T alcohol!

This stuff has cut my ironing time down to bare bones! I don't even have to waste electricity by putting things in the dryer for a few minutes to iron themselves!

Are your "Ts" tablespoons or teaspoons? I like this idea because I hate to iron too! (We use our Misty Mate bottle to mist our clothes before putting them on, smooth them out, and put them on. Body heat gets rid of the wrinkles in minutes...seconds in the summer! )

 

[bettyann29]

I've found that for larger or more valuable items, it's better to sell them on ebay or craigslist than to do so at a garage sale. With ebay/craigslist, someone is specifically looking for that item and is usually willing to pay more. Plus, with craigslist they'll come and pick it up, too.

I agree with this.. DD has a bunch of stuffed animals we got at Disneyworld and Im thinking of trying our luck on one of those rather than selling them at our garage sale because at the garage sale we wont get but probably 50 cents or so.. I'd like to get a little more than that..

 

[Chicklogic]

Are your "Ts" tablespoons or teaspoons? I like this idea because I hate to iron too! (We use our Misty Mate bottle to mist our clothes before putting them on, smooth them out, and put them on. Body heat gets rid of the wrinkles in minutes...seconds in the summer! )

T is tablespoon and t is teaspoon

I also keep a sample size hairspray bottle in my purse that has been washed out and refilled with this mixture. Good for instant "pick-me-up" after a long car ride in the heat!

 

[Chicklogic]

Just taking a break from decluttering and thought I'd check in (guess I'm the only lame one online today)

Just remembered another painless stretching idea as I was getting something out of the freezer for dinner.

I keep a gallon ziplock baggie in the freezer with leftover "ends" from broccoli,carrots,celery,onions,garlic,trimmed chicken lamb and beef pieces ,a chicken carcass or beef bones etc. Even a few tbs of veggies leftover from dinner will go in. Skins from onions and potatoes or carrots are a great flavor boost. I add to this bag until its either full or time to make a soup or stock - and voila! FREE SOUP!

Making something from "nothing" is a good feeling in this house!

 

[TiggerTails57]

Great thread............thanks for all the tips.

 

[Chicklogic]

Saving all change (even if it's .99 on a $1.01 purchase) makes a huge dent into our vacation FUNd

Last year we managed to save $500 in change/small bills on a single Mom's VERY LIMITED INCOME!

I Wanted to take my kid's to Mexico for my Son's 18th birthday/high school graduation present!
Managed to get a 2 bedroom/2bathroom condo ON THE OCEAN for $400! Along with Spirit's .09cent airfare.......the 3 of us went to Mexico for a week for $1500 with basically no scrimping once we arrived!

 

[IDoDis]

I water down the pine sol. I buy it in large containers and then use a sprayer bottle to put 2/3 pine sol and 1/3 water. It works just as well.


I also make my own bleach spray bottles the same way buy a large container of bleach, putting 1/2 bleach and 1/2 water in sprayer bottles. I keep one upstairs and one downstairs.

When my shampoo bottles are down to the last 1/5 or so, I add some water, shake up the bottle and it lasts me another week longer.

 

[thymed]

Vinegar will kill germs as well as bleach it is cheaper and more eco friemdly!!