Monday, September 22, 2014

Frugal Five

 Some frugal things we've done recently to save cash!

1) My athletic shoes were starting to come apart on the soles. My husband glued them back together so they will last a bit longer.

2) I bought a big box of dishwasher detergent in the spring and stored it under the sink. Early summer, we had a leak and water pooled under the sink. The cardboard box of detergent got very wet of course. The soap in the bottom clumped up because of getting wet. Well, I was not about to waste it! When we got to the bottom of the box, I emptied the big clumps into a recycled plastic jar and have been breaking the clumps up and using them anyways. We're getting a few more weeks out of the dishwasher detergent this way.

Note: It's a good idea to store detergent in an airtight container from now on!

3) I've been packing my lunch to take to work everyday. It's usually leftovers so saves on waste too!

4) I found a really cute knit skirt at a yard sale this summer for 50 cents. The only downside was that the skirt was a size 2X when I am more of a size large. Before putting it down, I quickly realized that I could take it in on the sides and it would fit just fine. (The elastic waist was very smooth; some are very bulky and hard to take in this way but this one was easy!) Brought it home, took the skirt in several inches on each side and I had a really comfy skirt for 50 cents! I wear it several times a week; I like it so much!

5) Instead of buying more beef ($3.49 lb.) the last few weeks, I purchased whole chickens at 95 cents per pound. Buying the cheaper meat stretches the budget just a little further. In addition, bone-in chicken means I can make my own chicken broth! I still bought some beef just not as much.

And a bonus:
We got our grass-fed/pastured meat order last week packaged in 2 big green plastic bags. These bags are about the same size as our kitchen trash bags so I saved them to use for trash. One is being used now!
How have you saved money recently? Please share in the comments so we can all learn from each other!

3 comments:

Living on Less Money said...

Great tips, Mary Ann! I especially like the one about the skirt you bought for .50 cents! :-)

Wendi said...

Great list! This week my biggest savings is staying home. I don't plan to make any stops between home and the school pick up/drop off line all week.I have also been cutting most of the meat portions in half and making it stretch for two meals. It is crazy how expensive beef has gotten.

Debbie J said...

Good post!

Just a couple of things:

I am hooked on flavored liquid coffee creamers, but they are expensive! I have been making my own and then limiting myself to one cup with the creamer each morning.

I try to cook ahead on the weekend. Sometimes I cook some chicken breasts in the oven and then use that for lunch sandwiches and also in supper recipes all week. Much cheaper and healthier than a fast food chicken sandwich. We love the chicken in chicken tortilla soup. A little chicken goes a long way in the soup.