View Full Version : Indispensable frugals... What are yours?
This morning, Stella, posted an entry related to cloth napkins, and it got me to thinking about "indispensables".
My husband has his own bullet loading machine and according to him, it quite literally means the difference between him being able to enjoy shooting, as compared to him no being able to afford it.
Related to myself, being a full-time homemaker/housewife/mom, all things reusable.
Packs of white dishtowels & washcloths from a restaurant supply store. A roll of paper towels might last us 2 months thanks to those and it would be MUCH longer except for DDs gang burning through them. Hot wash, a touch of bleach and good as new. When they finally do get too stained or worn for the kitchen they live on in the garage. DW does have some bright colored, "nice" towels to hang on the stove that are mostly just for looks, but the white ones do the work. They run about $8/dozen (1/2 that for washcloths) and last us for years (less for washcloths). A big pack of paper towels was $12 this week at our grocery store.
sweetana3
3-30-12, 12:59pm
We got a stack of burgundy towels and washcloths at a garage sale for $5. I use the washclothes on my old swifter to clean floors, clean sinks, mop up bathroom spills, etc. Used instead of disposable products. In the wash they go. We use the towels for all kinds of things. Let the cats sleep on them to keep hair off chairs, use to mop up wet messes, use outside for drying things, etc. We have had them for years and they never seem to wear out.
What a super idea, Gregg!
Nifty ideas, too, Sweetana3!
Another big one for me (when my kids were little), my sewing machine.
Food is where I think we save the most money compared to other families like ours. So I need a clean, organized kitchen; pantry space; sufficient cold storage space; containers and jars; lunch packing bags and thermoses.
Vinegar and plant-based soap for cleaning.
Cloth napkins, dishcloths, dish towels (also used for drying vegetables and draining tofu), and rags.
Reusable water bottles and travel mugs.
Space in the yard for growing fruits and vegetables.
Packs of white dishtowels & washcloths from a restaurant supply store.
Had to laugh here - my dh buys bags of rags for work. He can't get them past our granddaughter, though... last weekend she grabbed two out of the pack, cuz her baby dolls were cold. She uses them for doll blankies.
For us, so many things just come naturally after years of doing it that we don't even think about it being any other way. We use towels for cleaning all the time. I will slice an older towel up into "swiffer" sizes, too, and scrub the floors with them. We use reusable food storage all the time, instead of baggies. OH - the other day dh asked for a disposable pair of gloves (my dd went to school where she had access to med supplies, and we used to have a box of gloves.) Well, he finally decided he could put plastic bags on his hands - we save them for such uses. Reusable grocery bags.
I was also thinking that rather than have a bunch of kitchen stuff, I have three good knives(bread, chef, paring) and a strong spatula and silicon spoon. These three items are what I use 90% of the time. I also only use one big saute pan and one stock pot for all my stove top cooking. These I consider indispensible.
Food is where I think we save the most money compared to other families like ours. So I need a clean, organized kitchen; pantry space; sufficient cold storage space; containers and jars; lunch packing bags and thermoses.
Vinegar and plant-based soap for cleaning.
Cloth napkins, dishcloths, dish towels (also used for drying vegetables and draining tofu), and rags.
Reusable water bottles and travel mugs.
Space in the yard for growing fruits and vegetables.
+1
Never buy any clothes that are not completely washable and then wear them until they are totally worn out.
Gregg, do you order your towels and washcloths? I don't have a restaurant supply anywere near that I know of. I would love to give those a try.
For me, it was more about mindset than specific strategies: think before I spend, don't shop for recreation, learn to love watching savings grow, make a game out of challenging myself to find frugal/low-cost solutions would be some that come immediately to mind.
I like to forage for wild edibles. It really saves a ton at the grocery store. What I do is, there is this stray dog that kind of hangs around. When I'm unfamiliar with a plant, and not too sure, I'll just chop some up and mix it with some dog food and feed it to this dog. He's so hungry all the time he just wolfs it down. Then I just wait and watch for a day or two. I used to try feeding it to my daughters bunny but he's too smart. Evolution takes care of them I guess.
flowerseverywhere
4-1-12, 8:01pm
cooking. We go months without eating out and when we finally do we find the food isn't as tasty as the stuff I make and it costs 5-10x more.
My cleaning rags are an old flannel nightgown cut up. My kitchen towels and napkins are all from auctions or yard sales. You can really score at estate sales for good old stuff. Much higher quality than anything I could buy today.
But our biggest and most effective frugal is tracking. You can end up spending tons of money without even realizing it if you don't track every penny. Eating out, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, cell phones, home internet service, cable tv with all the add ons, picking up a soda or coffee... the list goes on and on of things that I think most people don't realize the big picture of how much they cost. If you realize it and still choose it, that's one thing but I don't think most people realize or there wouldn't be such long lines at lottery terminals and Dunkin Donuts.
Mighty Frugal
4-1-12, 8:54pm
I like to forage for wild edibles. It really saves a ton at the grocery store. What I do is, there is this stray dog that kind of hangs around. When I'm unfamiliar with a plant, and not too sure, I'll just chop some up and mix it with some dog food and feed it to this dog. He's so hungry all the time he just wolfs it down. Then I just wait and watch for a day or two. I used to try feeding it to my daughters bunny but he's too smart. Evolution takes care of them I guess.
This is a joke, right?
This is a joke, right?
;)
Mrs. Hermit
4-2-12, 8:50am
Sissy,
Costco, Sams Club and some Walmarts also carry the towels. I love them too! Sent my DD off to college with some to use for cleaning.
domestic goddess
4-2-12, 9:33am
Used to have a long list of frugals, but now that I am living with dd and her family, that has dwindled. They don't like having to store stuff that is re-used, though I am now sneaking some of it in, and it is getting used due to my refusal to buy a lot of disposables. DD hasn't been feeling well lately, and is happy to leave things like housework and shopping to me, so I have a little more control. (yes, control is a big issue for me). Anyway, this thread has inspired me to get back to my old ways! Things are gonna change around here!!
Gregg, do you order your towels and washcloths? I don't have a restaurant supply anywere near that I know of. I would love to give those a try.
Sissy, Mrs. Hermit is right about Costco and Sams, not sure about Wal-Marts. I've used acemart.com for all kinds of things over the years. It's an online restaurant supply house. We bought a box of iced tea glasses (http://www.acemart.com/bar-supplies/bar-glassware/beverage-glasses/glass-iced-tea-heavy-base-ahg3175u/prod8024.html) from them that were also a pretty good deal. There are 36 in a box and we only put about 12 at a time in the cupboard. When one gets broken or lost (DD...don't ask) we can just pull another out. At the rate we're going this box probably amounts to a lifetime supply.
domestic goddess
4-2-12, 10:30am
For me, it all boils down to being conscious about what I buy, and leaving alone what I don't need. There are still a few kitchen appliances I really want, and I basically have them selected and am just waiting to gather enough money to buy them. Otherwise, it is about what we don't buy: cable TV (long stupid story, but it will be a cold day before I pay for that), new flashy car (we share my mom's old car that she gave us), big house (we love our small bungalow, but could use a little more space for such a large household, so dsil is going to add a partial second story). I'm slowly gaining ground on the disposables issue, and the girls are so close in size that they can share clothing. A lot of their activities are free or nearly so: school activities, Awana are the 2 major ones. They also take swimming lessons at the high school and just play outdoors a lot. We'll be gardening this summer, so they can add that to their list of "to-do's".
They both love to read, and that can be done pretty cheaply. Since I like to cook and bake, we don't have to buy many snack foods, and I hope to eliminate them from the grocery budget.
Dishes and silverware, though. I don't know where it goes!!
Rosarugosa. You and I think so alike and practice the same.
Flowerseverywhere. Re: restaurant outings, us, too. So rare... And right about tracking incidentals, which, can seem inexpensive enough at the time, but over the course of a month (or months), can add up to a lot of money.
Sissy. In furtherance to Mrs. Hermit's post, Re: bulk-purchased towels/rags, I'm certain the same could be purchased through a janitorial supply outlet.
Good on you, Domestic Goddess! As for control, I'm with you! For those of us who take on the bulk of household management, control is everything. In my case, control, equates to earth-conscious goodness.
Gregg. I'm glad you brought up restaurant suppliers. We have one in our area and I'll be dropping-by to visit them in the days to come, just to see what they have.
P.S. Domestic Goddess. What I love about you, is that you are a trooper! In it for the long-haul and never giving up!
OK, thanks guys. We do have a Sam's Club close. Since Friday is my birthday (shhhhhhh don't tell) we are going to eat at ...drum roll........Red Lobster and I will check out Sam's. I don't have a membership, but I can look.
Peggy: You totally had me fooled and I'll admit a bit horrified! But I did the internet equivalent of biting my tongue - so glad it was a joke!
early morning
4-3-12, 8:41pm
My favorite frugals are: clotheslines, yardsales/thrift stores, libraries. Lol peggy - my Dad was a big forager and taster of most plants (and fan of Euell Gibbons). I can tell you from experience that spring-beauty bulbs are delicious, but Jack-in-the-pulpit bulbs are killer hot/acidic.
Peggy: You totally had me fooled and I'll admit a bit horrified! But I did the internet equivalent of biting my tongue - so glad it was a joke!
I though the date was a no brainer! Anyone who knows me ( I spent 30 minutes extra this morning just moving the freakin' turtles off the road!) would know I was joking.
I was also thinking that rather than have a bunch of kitchen stuff, I have three good knives(bread, chef, paring) and a strong spatula and silicon spoon. These three items are what I use 90% of the time. I also only use one big saute pan and one stock pot for all my stove top cooking. These I consider indispensible.
This is very smart, I hope someday to get to a similar place.
Yes, and the clothesline! Thanks Early Morning! I would have been lost without my clothesline... Seldom does a day go by (spring till fall) where I don't use it. (And when the kids were little, never a day).
I though the date was a no brainer!
Don't ya just love April 1st? My kids spend the whole day on pins and needles. They never know where its coming from...or when! <evil laugh>
Tussiemussies
4-6-12, 1:52am
This past winter season's end of the year sale (s) aer
Something I cannot do without. This
Year I got wool sweaters marked down to
$20.00 approx for each! I cannot do
Without end of season sales!!!
Yeah, OK, Peggy... you little stinker! You got me fair and square! :laff: I was so upset I never responded, because I thought you were making fun of my thread.
I'm with you, Tussie! End of season sales are the best! Trick is, getting to the store in time to buy, before past season stock is put away for the year. That's what always seems to happen to me. I miss sales by just days...
Just thought of another to add to this thread, courtesy of another thread I just finished visiting. (Stella, this one's for you, i.e., your possible re-entry/return to cloth diapering).
My laundry wash-bin.
This was a huge one for me. When the kids were babies, my laundry room wash-bin served as the rubber pants storage pail/bin. Pants were dropped in after changing, then once/twice weekly, I'd fill the bin with warm water, add in a dash of Pine-Sol, let pants soak, hand-wash/rinse, pin-up on line to dry.
Fast-forward to today. Laundry wash-bin is used to hand-wash dedicates and dainties, and serves as a superb cleaning station for general household tasks and duties. No lugging heavy/awkward buckets/pails up/down basement stairs.
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