Sneaky things you do to save money without your family knowing

[SandrA9810]

Ohh I'd love real maple syrup but an itty bitty bottle costs like $7-8. Way more than your farm fresh. Wanna send me some?

Even Cracker Barrel has gone to a 55/45 ratio of real maple and cane sugar. It still tastes a million times better than the HFCS junk. I buy a bottle of it every time I go to Texas, and use it so sparingly. There is no wasting it.

Maybe you could extend the life of your syrup even more by mixing in the sugar/water at 75/25 ratio. I wonder if raw sugar would make it taste even better.

 

[pampam]

Oh, how about cooking hard eggs in the dishwasher to avoid using electricity for the stove and adding to home cooling costs in the summer.

I like it!!

 

[angierae]

Funny I remember DH buying a cheaper brand of hotdogs for my then 2 yr old she did not see the package but took 1 bite spit it out handed her plate back to me an said NASTY you eat it.

If I tried switching brand by pouring cereal or anything else in a brand name box that DH likes I'd get caught unless I got rid of the genric box an throwing it in garbage would not work cause dh has been known to go thru garbage to see what I thru out that day. I'd have to throw the box in neighbors garbage can.

Why does your husband go through the garbage to see what you threw out?!

 

[DisGirl819]

Instead of watering down your laundry detergent and cleaners, why not just use less? Or use a 50/50 solution of vinegar for cleaning/disinfecting and water with a few drops of dishsoap for cleaning? I only use that to clean counters, the kitchen, etc with. I refuse to add more costly chemicals to our grocery bill. I do, however, use the bathroom cleaners, I haven't found anything that works as good for us.

I also buy generic when I can, use coupons, etc. We also don't buy crackers and juice often (maybe once a month or so) because its so processed and full of things my kids don't need from snack food. They are special treats instead of regular items. Limiting costly items can save money too

 

[Gigi22]

We got a 2 litre bottle of fresh maple syrup as a favour at a wedding we went to a few years ago. The couple have a small sugar bush on their farm. Really appreciate that party favour!

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Oh, how about cooking hard eggs in the dishwasher to avoid using electricity for the stove and adding to home cooling costs in the summer.

Please tell me this is a joke...

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

DH and kids like the sqeeze bottle of grape jam. I have been washing out and refilling the same squeeze bottle with the store brand for over a year.

 

[sydneysmom]

Why does your husband go through the garbage to see what you threw out?!

I have to admit, that totally disturbed me too. I'd say the trust issues go way past trying to sneak the fake Cheerios.....

 

[sskem96]

Saving money is a family affair at our house, so I don't hide any of the stuff I do. DH and I do the budget together down to the penny and go over the receipts to see if there's anywhere we could be saving more, so we always know what the other is buying anyway. We generally buy store brand unless the brand name is cheaper after sale price or coupons. We are brand loyal to certain things like Oscar Mayer turkey cheese dogs and Hellmans low fat mayo, but we'd go without before we'd pay full price. We just plan our meals based on the sales for the week.

 

[DawnM]

You don't want to know about the other thread, many moons ago now, about what else people wash in the dishwasher!

Dawn

Please tell me this is a joke...

 

[JAMIESMITH]

I put the store brand tylenol in a tylenol bottle because my husband swears the generic stuff isn't the same...

 

[NotUrsula]

I re-use commercial condiment containers all the time, but generally not to hide the origin of the product, only because it is a good container. I'll do it with the stubby syrup bottles, for instance, because those fit in a microwave.

I'll also do it with things like squeeze mayo bottles: the plain jar is much cheaper, but the squeeze bottle cuts way down on how many knives I have to wash (and how many of DD's shirts I have to stain-treat when she slops the mayo on herself in the process of getting it out of the jar.) I'd rather decant the mayo once and save myself the trouble. Besides, that way I also get a nice glass jar that I can use to store bolts or upholstery tacks!

 

[luvmy3]

My family is entirely on board with anything I do to save money on groceries, toiletries, etc. I wouldn't hide it from them, especially the kids. They learned a long time ago that money doesn't grow on trees, and you should always get the best value for your dollar.

Oh, how about cooking hard eggs in the dishwasher to avoid using electricity for the stove and adding to home cooling costs in the summer.

Do you really do this? Sorry but I have to say it- this is nuttiest thing I've ever heard. You are still using electricity and now you've added in a wasted water, unless you do it when you are washing dishes which goes beyond nutty and borders gross.
Just get yourself a camp stove and a $3 bottle of propane.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Why does your husband go through the garbage to see what you threw out?!

I'd be interested in hearing the answer to this question too.

 

[disneyofcourse]

Good thing I shop for myself so I don't have to worry about someone sneaking in a new brand into an old Oreo box or exchanging my butter. I find it odd but hey a penny saved is a penny earned. Maybe I'd have to start checking the trash if someone was sneaking things like this......


My money saving tips are usually just cut the amount of soap I put in the washer. It comes out just the same. I would have never thought to dilute milk & juice or cook my egg in a dishwasher.

 

[hereyago]

My family is entirely on board with anything I do to save money on groceries, toiletries, etc. I wouldn't hide it from them, especially the kids. They learned a long time ago that money doesn't grow on trees, and you should always get the best value for your dollar.

This is our house as well. My butt is not an ATM machine, lol. I have recently started doing coupons and DD13 helps(well more like looks for coupons for snacks she likes) but I use both store brand and 'name" brand stuff.


I am a single mom who has a DD13 and a mom78, so if they don't like what I get then I can spend the money that could have gone for more stuff for them and then they are like, no we're good. lol.

 

[phred52]

Why does your husband go through the garbage to see what you threw out?!

sigh.. my husband goes through the garbage, too. He's afraid I'll throw out something he might need in the next decade.

 

[MineMail]

Taste-test store brand items to see if they're just as good as the name-brand. They're often made by the same factory with the same ingredients, so you get the same item for less - just without the name-brand packaging. My mother already knew this, but I learned she was right when we reviewed manufacturing case studies in college. Same product, different label.

Open blinds, inner doors and let the sun in during the cooler months.
Shut them in the summer to save on a/c.

When my kids put on different clothes after school, lounge around in them for a few hours, then toss them in the laundry hamper, barely worn, I make the kids remove, fold and put them on top of the dresser to be worn the next day. I'm not wasting my time and money washing still-clean clothes.

 

[MineMail]

sigh.. my husband goes through the garbage, too. He's afraid I'll throw out something he might need in the next decade.

Mine, too. In his defense, I will say that he's often found things in the trash that weren't intended to be thrown away. Like DD's eyeglasses that fell off her bedside table into the trash pail... since that episode, he's very vigilant in checking trash before it goes out and that's his reason. My kids are a little careless and sloppy, so I can't blame him, but it bugs me. I've gotten in the habit of saying things like "I threw out a pair of socks today because they had holes." just to avoid a later "Did you mean to throw out..." inquiry.

It's a family thing: During my MIL/FIL's first dinner party as a newlywed, someone accidentally threw out one of the sterling silver forks from her grandmother's wedding gift/set. My FIL had to go to the apartment dumpster and retrieve the trashbag, then search the trash. After that, my MIL never let the trash leave the house until she had counted all the utensils.

 

[timmac]

Did the pancake syrup tonight - used about 50 cents worth of ingredients, and start to finish ( including walking to kitchen and rinceing pot when done) I made a bottle of syrup in 5 mins.

It was sooooooooo simple and easy and it really does taste good.

Not sure what I think of the choc syrup ( time and ingredients and taste vs cost savings) but I am 100% sold on the Pancake syrup!

I enccourage you to try the pancake syrup at least once!

I'm actually not a pancake lover myself, but DGF and my kids typically are. That might be worth trying, considering how good it allegedly tastes

Personally, I'm not sold on the whole HFCS debate, so that isn't an issue for me, but if it's noticeably cheaper and tastes good, then indeed I'm all for it.

I suspect the cost savings (if any) on the chocolate syrup is far lower, since cocoa powder isn't all that cheap.