Learning to be Frugal. What do YOU do?

donna723

Well-Known Member
Maybe that's why they paid out all those insurance claims!

Makes me mad though to be charged out the ying yang for car insurance! I have had a drivers license for 51 years ... never got a ticket, never had an accident, not even once. Unless you count the deer with the death wish that popped up out of a ditch and committed suicide by throwing its body in front of my Alero! That was never counted against me though and never affected my insurance. In Tennessee, deer are considered to be an "Act of God". Now if you swerve to miss the deer and hit a tree, then they figure it's YOUR fault!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
donna I hear AARP offers great car insurance at great prices. Have not tried them myself, but you might want to look in to it.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
I'll check in to that Lisa. I'm not a member though. My brother is because they travel a lot and get discounts on hotels, etc. but I didn't think it would do me much good. I still keep full coverage on my little 10 year old car and what I'm paying now isn't too bad but if I can get it lower than that, I'll be all over it!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I know husband's bro and wife also signed up for their health insurance. sister in law had done it out of desperation for mother in law, and when she saw what all they covered for mother in law, she was all over it. That's when they switched over their car insurance too. Before that they weren't interested in AARP.
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
Great tips and ideas here, I'm glad I read through all 5 pages!!!

I've drastically reduced my power consumption by being aggressive with S/O and easy child about turning things OFF when not in use. I have power bars for electronics and they are well worth the investment. I click off the button on the bar when not using things plugged into it. Ghost power adds up. My bills have gone down so much that I'm amazed and a bit annoyed at myself for taking so long to become energy efficient. I also replaced a clunker window A/C unit this summer with a affordable (read CHEAP) energy efficient one I picked up for $100 at walmart. I bet I saved that in power consumption!

I have become very particular about food purchasing. I stock up when prices are super cheap. We use a LOT of cheese so I always have fresh bricks in the firdge. But I also stock up for the freezer when cheese is super cheap. It doesn't freeze well whole, but by shredding it first I have instant cheese for topping pasta, lasagna, mac n cheese, tacos, fajitas,pizza, topping for shepards pie etc.

I've begun notice a pattern on things like toilet tissue. They seem here to cycle the sales, some not really a great deal at all. I stockpile coupons for my favorite 2-3 brands. When a place has them on for a fantastic price, I usually have a few coupons, so I buy as many as I can at sale price and with coupons. I buy it that way even if we are well stocked. Sometimes it pays off for me to have tons extra because i end up waiting to build new coupons for the ones I like and it helps ensure I pay the least possible each time. Since its something we use daily (and easy child is a paper waster!!!) it is something I'm particular about.

I've taken time to compare laundry soap results on our clothing. I do buy a name brand "for blacks" detergent that I hoard for our really good black items. Otherwise I've discovered that my previous favorite which was over $9 when not on sale and about $6 when on sale, is no better than the new brand I've found that goes on sale at a local grocery store about every 5-6 weeks for $2 per bottle (same amount of loads).

We have dollar sales every so many months at one store locally. Some things are NOT as good a "deal" as one would think. But they do put on things that normally I won't buy (too pricey or a waste of money). I'll stock up on them for easy child for a treat or for lunches. Things like Captain Crunch cereal, family size bags of bits n bites (I repackage into small snack size bags with zippers, then put them into a bin in the pantry for school lunches). This particular sale usually has named brand shampoo and conditioner as well for a dollar, so I tend to stock up then for those things, same with 6 packs of Irish Spring soap. If I have coupons for those items, I save them to use during the dollar sale event.

Someone was posting about premium ice cream vs going out for ice cream. We do much the same thing. It is rare that I take easy child to get something at DQ or elsewhere. But I do keep a cheap generic vanilla ice cream (4L bucket for $3 on sale) in the freezer. I can add berries or bananas etc to make milkshakes or just do cones or bowls. When premium flavors come on, I'll usually by 4-5 (if they go down to $2 per carton only, anything higher I won't buy) but they are not for daily consumption. They are saved more for a special treat, for when easy child has a friend over, or for birthday parties to top cake etc.

I have stopped the madness of store bought birthday cakes. We now bake our own and frost it for under $2. That sale premium ice cream makes the cake a treat to serve with it. I can't believe the years spent spending $20-$30 for a cake from the grocery store bakery!!

I refuse to buy meat at anything but crazy low prices, even if we have none of some type or another in the freezer. But when they do put them down crazy cheap, I buy a TON of it. I grabbed 10 family size packages of lean ground beef a while back, each large pack was between $6-$7. I packaged them smaller for the freezer, usually getting 3-4 packages, each package was enough for a meal (with leftovers usually). Each meal then costs only about $2 (or less) for the meat portion. When I looked at the price for lean ground beef the other day while shopping, a smaller family size pack was priced at $14 and up. Yikes!
Usually if we buy enough of something at bargain prices, it holds us for that item until the next great priced sale.

easy child doesn't like lunch meat for school lunches. She does however LOVE turkey. So I wait until price is about $0.99 a pound for full turkeys and cook them. Normally we'll have a meal out of it, then I cut and freeze the rest. I put them in packages big enough for 2-3 sandwiches, sealed well, into a tub in the freezer. I can pull them out every few days and have fresh turkey for her sandwiches for school. I cant' believe I ever bought deli roasted turkey slices for her. They do NOT taste as good, have additives etc and the savings is HUGE.

I've taken to stalking the nearby grocery stores bakery section. They have started putting a half priced rack out for things a few days away from last day sale. When I see rolls for PCs lunch sandwiches, I buy as many as possible. These are fresh bakery rolls and I usually can get 12 for about $0.75. I freeze them and take them out the night before she needs one. I do the same with some treat things that freeze well. Half priced muffins, croissants, cookies, danishes, all freeze well. I have a bin in the freezer just for them all, they get sealed individually and popped into her lunch in the morning and it thaws by lunch. Also keeps other things in her lunch cold.

We've found a great thermos type stylish bottle for her lunches this year to avoid those nasty lunch boxes I've hated for years. She is often thirsty even after them (they are small). They are packed with so much sugar and dyes etc. The bottle was $15 but I have a year ahead of NO juice boxes. easy child can now take milk, juice made from concentrate at home, water (her favorite) and put a flavor pack (crystal lite or nestea) in alongside.

I had such a good time hosting a sugar free cookie exchange party last year that I'll host one again this year for sure. We had so much fun and I had baking for the entire holiday period and only had the work and expense of making one type of thing. It was a big hit and I know last years participants are coming back and more have asked to join this year.

In the spirit of the sugar free cookie exchange, I'm thinking of getting a few friends together to do a different type of exchange. Sort of a "heading into winter" cookfest. My cousin has a room in her building we book (free) for family events, it has a great kitchen and TONS of huge tables. It is fully equipped with all kitchen needs. I'm thinking of hosting a ladies cooking day. Where we all have a list of ingredients for some basic meals we all like (perogies, cabbage rolls, lasagnas, shepards pies, etc). We could all share the work in shopping for best prices for ingredients, then divide the total between us all to share the cost equally. Then spend the day drinking a glass of wine or pots of tea, and cooking together enough of each item that each family has several meals of each to take home. We can then package for freezer based on our own families size and needs. I think it would be fun and a great way to spend time with friends we don't see often. I figure we can bring crock pots and steamers from home etc to help with certain things and leave the oven open for other things. Even lasagna comes out great in the crock pot. Anybody ever done this??
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Wow! You've all put together some really good tips. I'm going to have to print this thread out so that I can remember them.

Here are a few of the things we do...

Food
Pack food from home. For work, we pack lunches, snacks and drinks. Lunches are usually made from leftovers from the week's dinners, so we're not wasting. I keep a kettle and tea bags in my office at work, so that I don't have to buy tea at the coffee shop (husband's office provides tea and coffee, so he doesn't have to). If we're going out for the day with the children, we take a picnic of sorts so that we don't have to stop at the food court or a restaurant.

I cook in large batches on the weekend. I try to plan menus that have multiple uses. For example: if I cook a pork or beef roast for Sunday dinner, the rest of the meat can then be reheated or used for sandwiches during the week. If there's any left over after that, I chop it into cubes and throw it in the crock pot with whatever vegetables I have on hand and some stock to make soup.

I use "convertible" recipes that don't rely on a specific set of ingredients, but can be varied depending on what's available. My soup recipe requires: some sort of meat, matching stock (e.g. chicken stock for chicken or pork stew, beef stock for beef stew, etc.), whatever vegetables are in the fridge, especially those that might spoil if not used within the next few days, cooking onions, spices, and the crock pot. My stir fry recipe uses all the same ingredients, with the wok and a dash of oil.

I make a lot of salads. If we have any stale bread, I use it for croutons rather than buying them. I use whatever lettuce is the best price that week, and determine the other ingredients based on what I have on hand, what was a good price at the store, etc. So...today's salad was tomatoes, tinned black olives, a few chunks of mozarella and a handful of carrot slices tossed in oil and vinegar. We were out of lettuce, no bread for croutons, etc. so I improvised.

Clothes
I have to dress quite formally for work, so I tend to gravitate toward neutrals and stay away from "fashion" colours for staple items (skirts, trousers, jackets, etc.) No one notices if you wear the same black or beige suit over and over, if you change the accessories. Instead of blouses, I tend to wear solid colour t-shirts under the suit jackets. In cooler weather I wear tights instead of thinner nylons. Way less likely to run so they can last for years instead of hours. In the summer I just go without. For my t-shirts, I shop in the children's department. Girls' size 12 or 14 is about the same as a ladies' XS or S size, they are much less expensive, and they don't charge tax on children's clothes. I also wait for sales, so I can usually find them for $2 each or thereabouts.

Our children's clothes go through multiple owners. difficult child has given clothes to Little easy child, who gives his old things to Tyrannosaur and Tyrantina. Little easy child's outgrown t-shirts make lovely night dresses for Tyrantina so I don't have to buy pyjamas for her. AND they're already soft and worn in so they don't trigger a sensory episode. I sometimes take Little easy child's hand-me-down t-shirts to wear around the house, or for workouts. Tyrannousaur has consistently been one clothing size larger than Tyrantina, so as he outgrows things she gets them.

Old athletic socks make great dust cloths. Just slip one on like a glove and dust away. They're also useful for retrieving small items lost under the furniture. Slip one over the vacuum hose end and hoover it up.

Old t-shirts and the legs of worn jeans can be cut up to make little tote bags. Just fold if needed, and sew up the open edge, make a casing and run a cord through it to tie off. They can be used to carry small items, or as gift bags if you want to save on wrapping paper or bought gift-bags.

Toys
Our collection of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) children has received toys from other people for birthdays and Christmas and such, but with a few exceptions they always prefer the packaging. It seems that the biggest hits around here are cardboard boxes, paper bags and a couple of large tonka trucks (the dump trucks can also double as a stroller, as Tyrantina has shown me with her cuddly friends).
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
THe ice cream thing reminds me...

Normally I'm not a huge fan of generic ice creams. But I've found that Kroger's vanilla ice cream and their orange sherbert (could be the other sherberts too but I only like orange) are as good, if not better, than the name brands short of the really premium like Breyers. As for toppings, while I do like the hard shell kind, there's nothing like plain ol' Hershey's syrup.

Another way to get your ice cream fix cheap....some stores...Walmart, etc. will have the little pints or smaller of some of the brands for a dollar. (Ben & Jerry's come to mind.) Of course, there's always home made too!

I make my own popcicles sometimes too. I have molds but you can just use a plastic cup and a spoon. Kool-aid, lemonaid, juice....whatever you like to drink makes great frozen treats. Plus you can control the sugar content by doing it yourself.
 

Jody

Active Member
My grandma had 6 kids and all of her grandchildren would come in and out of her house on Saturday. She would take all of the leftovers from the week, (I do mean everything) and would make a big stock pot of soup. It was always delicious. I never wanted to be in the kitchen when she was cleaning fridge to make the soup, because I didn't want to see what went into it. She also added oatmeal to everything, even spaghetti sauce. Good for you and made the food go a lot further.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Jody... I have a huge bag in the freezer full of "stuff".

When it gets cold, I'll dump it all in a big pot and make gumbo.

What's there? Bits of this, pieces of that. All leftovers. It's always YUMMY. And always a surprise.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
I was thinking of saving money by not eating anymore. ;)

The benefits would be many...less groceries which means weight loss, which in turn would help my back and knees. And if I am not eating, I wouldn't use my dishwasher as much, savings on hot water and dish soap! Also, less garbage, so there would also be a positive environmental impact as well! Yeah, I think I will start this tomorrow!:bigsmile:

Thanks for all the great ideas - I do most of them, but many of you are so diligent about ways in which to save or cut corners, it's like a full time job! Very impressive.:bow:
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
OK...are you ready for slightly bizarre? Replace panty liners with white socks. I started that this year and it has saved alot of money. Obviously you never run out as they go in the washing machine. Strange but creative and cheap. DDD
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I will be honest, I cant go near as far as any of you. Im still trying to figure out how we get a full large sized black trash bag a day with just 3 people in my house! Not a regular kitchen sized bag, a big black one with the tie thing in it.

I do try to only buy our meat on sale. Heck, since our teeth are so bad we can only eat really tender and stuff either cooked for hours in the crock pot, soups or hamburgers. Tony goes fishing a whole lot but sometimes that isnt as cheap as it seems. If he goes out on a head boat that can cost $80 but he normally comes home with at least a whole cooler of fish so I guess that evens out. He does fish local rivers though and brings home a ton of fresh fish. He gets a least 2 to 3 deer a year which helps a lot.

However, I cant do as much homemade stuff as some of you. I simply cant stand up in the kitchen that long. Im lucky if I can stand up for 5 minutes at a time most days anymore. I will start saving my butter containers if i can keep up with the lids. Whoever was trying to figure out if soda bottles were big enough to keep cereal in unless they still sell those 3 liter bottles that have a bigger mouth. But I think a juice bottle might work. They have a bigger mouth on them. I noticed that when I bought apple juice for Keyana this week.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
OK...are you ready for slightly bizarre? Replace panty liners with white socks. I started that this year and it has saved alot of money. Obviously you never run out as they go in the washing machine. Strange but creative and cheap. DDD

Wow. When I started menstruating, my grandmother came to me with a little bundle of cloths wrapped together and said to use them instead of the ginormous pads we had to wear back then. I did it and then promptly threw it out when the time came...my gramma was so angry with me!! LOL, she said, "You bleach them and reuse!! Why did you throw them out?!" I was so horrified by the mere idea of such a thing. Apparently, before maxi-pads came on the scene this was the only thing to do! Ewwwww.

Nice tip, DDD, but I think I will stick with store bought store brand boxes of 64. Now that the girls no longer use mine, they last long. LOL.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I cannot IMAGINE reusing pads. Then again, if I ever leak I don't throw out my undies, so... Still.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Thanks for the juice bottle tip Janet. It was me looking for one for cereal. Darn mice. I simply can't afford to go out and buy endless plastic food storage containers. I drink v8 a LOT, smacked my forehead when I saw you posted the juice bottles. lol duh It was staring me in the face. Guess I'll be drinking it a lot more.....thankfully it has coupons often and seems to also be on sale often. lol

Would a tall stool help you out with doing more homemade stuff? One tall enough you could sit on and still be at a decent level with the counters, would cut down on the standing part.......and as I'm typing this I'm eyeing the tall "stool" chair that has been around for 60 some years that husband actually used as a little kid as a type of highchair when he was too big for a baby high chair but not quite big enough for a reg chair. I think I'll be using it myself. lol It's a normal chair, just taller than you're average chair.....sort of reminds me of a bar stool type height.

Oh and easy child just found an excellent recipe for a very nutritious and cheap soup.........I'm going to try it before posting it though at the very least to make sure I've got the directions correct. And then I can honestly say if it tastes good or not. It's base is beans and lentels (sp?) and rice......you add the broth or bullion, meat, veggies on hand, ect. The beans, lentels, rice part you can buy in bulk and make up into batches to use later.

And I think I'd have to draw the line with reused pads. I'm glad I'm so past that part of life. Although the white sock as a pantyliner is a darn good idea.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
You know what I love in soup? Barley! Its probably not as cheap as rice or beans but I just adore it and its the one time I can actually have it...lol. Tony still complains but because I adore it so much he makes do. Also when I make a stew, we make those little boxes of jiffy cornbread to stretch it. Jiffy is so cheap you cant beat it.

Yeah I need a stool. Im trying to find me a drafting stool so I can roll around my kitchen. My wheelchair is too short plus I cant navigate between my sink, stove and stupid island.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
At the Ocean State Job Lot and Odd Lot stores near us I can buy VERY inexpensive grains (Bob's Red Mill) and I stock up on those every fall for soups and stews and chilis, yum. I've also used them to make homemade breads. Delicious and whole grain - crusty, yum. Think I'll make one this Saturday in time for our stormy weather, lol. I also buy my condiments and other jarred items like pickles, etc., at the Odd Lot store. It's still good, not out of date and not unlike what I'd buy at the regular grocers. Dollar store too!
 
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