"Extreme Frugalness???"

[Pigeon]

I told my daughter I was taking my shoes to the shoe repair shop to get the heel taps replaced and she couldn't believe it. Do people really throw their shoes away when the heel taps are worn down? I guess some do.

In my town it is very difficult to even find a place that repairs shoes. They've all gone out of business.

 

[Pigeon]

My dad removed some of the heating elements in our central heat/air unit, so that even if the temp is set higher in the house, the unit will only put out so much heat!

He does things like this regularly.

He wouldn't be an engineer, by any chance, would he? We might be related. My dad would turn off the hot water if you stayed in the shower more than 5 minutes.

 

[stahshee]

There are tons of recipes out there but mine uses, Fels Naptha (a bar soap), Arm & Hammer Washing Soda, and Borax.

I use an old stockpot for soap only. I fill it with about 15 cups of water. I use 1 cup of the washing soda and 1 cup of Borax. I grate in 1/2 a bar of Fels Naptha. I cook over medium heat until the Fels Naptha dissolves and I add a few drops of essential oil ie. lavender, peppermint etc...

When it cools, it is the consistency of Jello. I use about 1 cup per load. I also use hot water and some extra washing soda if something is particulary dirty.

It is super cheap and very "green"! It works out to about $.70 for 17 loads of laundry.

Borax- $1.59 box (use only 1 cup per batch)
Washing Soda- $1.89 box (use only 1 cup per batch)
Fels Naptha- $1.00 bar (use 1/2 bar per batch)

I need to do that!

 

[Plantlady]

So many great ideas here!

I try not to use zip lock bags at all.
I was raised by a mom that uses butter tubs for Tupperware... but, we don't eat margarine.. and my box for the butter... wouldn't work very well!

I've been meaning to try making my own laundry soap.. but, don't really know how I'd store it.. so, there are logistics I would need to work out

I am all for flushing toilets with bathtub water. When ever I find a cup of water on the table, at the end of the night, I always use it to water plants, never put it down the sink.

I can't think of anything weird/frugal I do, but I'm sure my DH could list 100's of things.

 

[FigaroFries]

I bake a lot and I like good quality vanilla extract. My husband bought me a copy of "Christmas with Paula Deen" and Paula has a recipe for homemade vanilla extract. I made my first batch and I love it.

Here it is...

2 Vanilla Beans
1/2 cup of bourbon


Just split each vanilla bean in half (vertically along the seam).
Place vanilla beans in a clean glass jar (I use an jam jar).
Add the bourbon and then pop the lid on the glass jar.
Put the jar in a cool, dark cupboard for a couple of weeks - giving the jar a gentle shake every day.
Let the jar sit undisturbed for another 2 weeks and then you are good to start baking with it.
As you use up the extract, just keeping adding a little more bourbon (Paula says in her book that the vanilla beans should last a year).


I also make my own laundry detergent - I started using homemade after being frustrated with brand name liquids leaving laundry detergent stains on my clean wash, having a smelly front loader etc etc... I will never go back to buying laundry detergent ... my home made detergent takes me 5 minutes to make, costs next to nothing, is low on packaging and lasts me a long time.

 

[jetprincess]

How do you make your laundry detergent?

 

[FigaroFries]

1 cup of Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/3 bar Sunlight soap

Just grate the Sunlight Soap (I use an old cheese grater) and mix with the borax and washing soda - creates a dry laundry detergent - use 1 tablespoon per front load wash.

 

[LanaJae]

I'll probably win an "Extreme" prize, but my older 2 DDs and I use Diva Cups (you'll have to google it ).

We also use cloth napkins. I used to make my own laundry detergent, soap, etc, but got too busy with life and have returned to store bought. I only use 1/2 the recommended amount, however. We've also switched to a tankless water heater and LOVE it (20% savings on our electric bill). No disposable plates/silverware.

Back in the 70's and 80's a diaphragm did the same thing, it was kinda an undercover secret lol

Does the tankless heater heat the water instantly? There was something like that on the shower on a cruise we were on (I think) and I want one because I am tired of never having hot water when I take a shower. The one in the shower was from Europe I think. Can you explain more about it?

 

[graygables]

Back in the 70's and 80's a diaphragm did the same thing, it was kinda an undercover secret lol

Does the tankless heater heat the water instantly? There was something like that on the shower on a cruise we were on (I think) and I want one because I am tired of never having hot water when I take a shower. The one in the shower was from Europe I think. Can you explain more about it?

Ours isn't quite "instant", it does take a minute or so to warm up. We have a small house, so went for the "single use" size rather than the "whole house" size. I actually grew up in Europe, so was used to having one and HATED not getting a hot shower myself. We also had The Great Walt Disney World Flood of 2003 (our water heater ruptured a few hours before we were leaving for a week-long trip we won from Kellogg's to WDW and flooded our finished/DDs bedrooms/homeschool room/laundry room basement...DISASTROUS). The idea of not having to deal with a ruptured water tank ever again was VERY appealing to us. Ours is natural gas and small, only a bit bigger than our electrical box. It's on the wall of our basement and hubby installed it (but he's a handy guy). Our tank heater was electric and the month after we removed it, our bill dropped on average from 20-25%. Our gas usage barely saw a blip in an increase. LOVE it.

 

[Janet100]

TP tip - Just learned this one a few weeks ago. The local news was interviewing this frugal mom. One of her tips was to take a new roll of TP and squeeze it before putting it on the holder. This way the TP doesn't come off the roll as fast. I tried it and I do think it is saving TP. With the price of TP nowadays every square counts.

 

[tennvalgirl]

He wouldn't be an engineer, by any chance, would he? We might be related. My dad would turn off the hot water if you stayed in the shower more than 5 minutes.

He is not an engineer, but he definately SHOULD have been.

He does work for the TVA and he knows every day how much power is being used by AL customers, when the water temp of the river is too hot to run through generators...

It's always on his mind.

 

[QJ411]

I love this thread...I keep coming back to find some amazing (some funny) frugal tips!

Another thing I do to be 'frugal' (which drives my DH crazy) is when I make coffee in the morning and I want coffee again that afternoon, I reuse the grinds and just add about a teaspoon of fresh grinds. And like another poster said, I don't dry most of our clothes; although I don't line dry them outside, I do hang our clothes all over the house to air dry (which also drives DH crazy!). We stopped buying bottles of water, we use a filter now (we end up drinking a lot more water instead of sodas now, so it's healthier too!)

I just asked DH what else do I do to be 'frugal' and he said "You toast stale bread...that's pretty frugal". But it's still yummy!

I wouldn't say it's extreme, I think every little bit counts...so the few bucks saved lets us plan our Disney trips or cruises!

 

[LanaJae]

Ours isn't quite "instant", it does take a minute or so to warm up. We have a small house, so went for the "single use" size rather than the "whole house" size. I actually grew up in Europe, so was used to having one and HATED not getting a hot shower myself. We also had The Great Walt Disney World Flood of 2003 (our water heater ruptured a few hours before we were leaving for a week-long trip we won from Kellogg's to WDW and flooded our finished/DDs bedrooms/homeschool room/laundry room basement...DISASTROUS). The idea of not having to deal with a ruptured water tank ever again was VERY appealing to us. Ours is natural gas and small, only a bit bigger than our electrical box. It's on the wall of our basement and hubby installed it (but he's a handy guy). Our tank heater was electric and the month after we removed it, our bill dropped on average from 20-25%. Our gas usage barely saw a blip in an increase. LOVE it.

Thanks, convinced me! I think this is where our tax stimulus is going, a hot shower is stimulating, right?

Sorry about your flood, sound horrible!

 

[delmar411]

I bake a lot and I like good quality vanilla extract. My husband bought me a copy of "Christmas with Paula Deen" and Paula has a recipe for homemade vanilla extract. I made my first batch and I love it.

Here it is...

2 Vanilla Beans
1/2 cup of bourbon


Just split each vanilla bean in half (vertically along the seam).
Place vanilla beans in a clean glass jar (I use an jam jar).
Add the bourbon and then pop the lid on the glass jar.
Put the jar in a cool, dark cupboard for a couple of weeks - giving the jar a gentle shake every day.
Let the jar sit undisturbed for another 2 weeks and then you are good to start baking with it.
As you use up the extract, just keeping adding a little more bourbon (Paula says in her book that the vanilla beans should last a year).

I did this starting last August and used vodka. I haven't used it yet but I did the easy route. 6 vanilla beans split into what was supposed to be a fifth of vodka. But since neither DH nor I know what a fifth looks like, DH brought home like a half gallon . It's not as dark as I'd like it but from what I've read it will never get dark like store bought unless you use bourbon. Smells great though.

How did yours turn out? I'm nervous to use mine for some reason.

 

[m&m's mom]

I usually work from home but have to go into the office about once a month.
I go around to all of the bathrooms and gather up the rolls of paper towels that are too small to put in the automatic dispenser and take them home for my paper towels. It is the joke of the office that I make right under 6 figures and am hording the office paper towels.

 

[kellia]

Thanks, convinced me! I think this is where our tax stimulus is going, a hot shower is stimulating, right?

Sorry about your flood, sound horrible!

I just have to say, we bought our house 5 years ago and it had an on-demand water heater. For 3 years we had cool showers and washed our hands in the bathroom with ice cold water. Finally, we got a regular water heater- the best $200 we ever spent!! Didn't notice our power bill going up, either. Probably balance out since the dishwasher and washing machine didn't have to heat the water when they ran. We only have a 1300 ft ranch, but the hot water definately did not make it all the way upstairs. We had that stupid thing checked, too, nothing was wrong with it and it was only a couple years old when we got it.

Just had to say that, I hated that thing so much, and I am very frugal when it comes to saving gas or electric!

 

[FoundMyPrince]

Did anyone see the Oprah show (a couple years ago) about being frugal? She couldn't believe that anyone would use a plastic grocery bag for a trash can liner. (we do that all the time). That's when I knew Oprah had forgotten what it's like to be a regular person.

 

[graygables]

I just have to say, we bought our house 5 years ago and it had an on-demand water heater. For 3 years we had cool showers and washed our hands in the bathroom with ice cold water. Finally, we got a regular water heater- the best $200 we ever spent!! Didn't notice our power bill going up, either. Probably balance out since the dishwasher and washing machine didn't have to heat the water when they ran. We only have a 1300 ft ranch, but the hot water definately did not make it all the way upstairs. We had that stupid thing checked, too, nothing was wrong with it and it was only a couple years old when we got it.

Just had to say that, I hated that thing so much, and I am very frugal when it comes to saving gas or electric!

We definitely do NOT have that problem. We have a 1500sf ranch with 2 bathrooms upstairs, laundry down. The heater is on the opposite end of one bathroom/laundry and it takes about 90 seconds for the water to get hot. Like I said, I also grew up in Europe and never had a bit of problem (and that was in the 70s). We keep ours programmed at 114 degrees and it's perfect.

 

[mickeysbutler]

When i was growing up, my mother, who is quite frugal, bought some softener refill and put it in a milk jug. I got up one morning to have some cheerios and guess what I poured on my cereal?! Snuggle. And let me tell you, it was nasty, I actually took a big ol bite. Must have been really sleepy!!

 

[Adi12982]

I've been meaning to try making my own laundry soap.. but, don't really know how I'd store it.. so, there are logistics I would need to work out

Home depot sells buckets with lids, or a sturdy rubbermaid storage tub. . . (just ideas, we live in a teeny apt, I don't have room to store lots of stuff)