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Learning to be Frugal. What do YOU do?
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<blockquote data-quote="trinityroyal" data-source="post: 455243" data-attributes="member: 3907"><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Here are a few of the things we do...</p><p></p><p>Food</p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Clothes</p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Toys</p><p>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).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="trinityroyal, post: 455243, member: 3907"] 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). [/QUOTE]
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