Money Saving Tips
Here's a few of tips to get you started at a better life of Frugality.
1. Shop garage sales and thrift stores. You can find tons of clothes that are almost new for little to nothing.
2. Try generics!! Store brands are almost always cheaper than name brands even if you use coupons.
3. Use coupons when it would be cheaper than the generic version. Some stores have double and triple coupon days.
4. Always do a price comparison at other stores. Sometimes you find that the store down the road has the item you want or need on sale or for a few cents or even dollars cheaper.
5. Price books are such a good idea. Noone can remember all those prices of every item you purchase weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Write down the prices to compare who has the better deal.
6. Never turn down free things!! If someone offers you food, clothes, etc for free then take it.
7. Always save your change. You might think that pennies, nickels, and dimes don't add up, but, saved all year, they do. Try taking a mason canning quart jar with a lid on it. Cut an opening on top and seal with tape. Don't open until christmas. This helps when you need that extra items that you thought you had no money for.
8. Cut back on items you don't really need or use. Most of the time you'll never miss them.
9. Less is always better. Cut back on everything. Power, food, snacks, eating out, purchases that are unnecessary, etc.
10. Bulk is not always better. I have found that sometimes the smaller version of an item is cheaper in weight than the large.
11. Cut up those credit cards!!! Cash is the best route to go. Some use there cards for just about anything. Even getting groceries. After interest is added you could
have gotten another months worth of groceries.
12. SALES SALES SALES!!! The best way to save money is to check for those sales!!!!
13. I rarely have time to drink a whole pot of coffee in the a.m. and used to waste a lot. Now I'll just brew a normal pot and what I don't use I pour into an ice cube tray and freeze. In the a.m. I now just take out 3 or 4 cubes and put them in a mug and microwave on high for a couple of minutes. Now I drink all the coffee and none of it goes to waste.
14. when I am cooking breakfast for my daughter in the a. a.m. on the week ends I make some thing I wouldnt make durring the week like pancakes. I always make extra and freeze the rest just place a piece of waxed paper between them and throw in a baggie and freeze. On a cold morning I can just pop a couple in the toster oven and heat making a good breakfast in a forth of the time!
15. Having minimal counter space, I constantly have dishes that need to be rinsed or washed by hand. Rather than run a sink full of water, I simply filled a spray bottle with water and a bit of my favorite dish soap. Just a spritz or two on those pesky knives with wooden handles or those items that don't fit the sink, a good swish and rinse.
16. Use plastic bottles that soft drinks, milk, or juices come in, in all sizes, to fill the empty places in your freezer. Not only will keeping your freezer filled make it run more efficiently, but you'll be better prepared for electrical outages, (the extra ice will keep things frozen longer) and have safe emergency water supplies. Tip: If you wind up with too many in the summer, toss them in the kid's swimming pool to keep the water cool. Neat 'ice cubes'.
17. Make your own frugal ice pack by mixing one part rubbing alcohol and two parts water. Fill a ziplock plastic bag with this, then freeze. The rubbing alcohol keeps it from freezing solid, so the pack will conform to any part of your body. Wrap in a cloth to use. Tip: Use two ziplocks, just in case!
18. One way to insure people will contine to give you things ,is never turn anything down. Even if you have to haul it to the dump yourself. That way when people need to get rid of something they will think of you!
19.. Put the bottom quarter or so of an onion or a small clove of garlic in a container
filled with dirt and keep it watered. It will develop roots and give you green
sprouts for salads or sandwiches. Tip: don't cut it all the way down, and you can
continue to harvest it for several weeks.
20. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh~if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
21. if you accidentally over salt a dish while cooking, drop a pealed potato in it to absorb the excess salt.
22. When changing your ironing board cover, use aluminum foil under the pad and cover; it will reflect the heat and reduce ironing time.
23. Hang a plastic bag, or cut a gallon milk jug down to hold clean but orphaned socks as you do the laundry. If you never find the socks mate,cut off the toes and slit along the side to make a frugal dust cloth or dish towel. Or cut into a long strip and crochet or knit into bath mats. You can also slip your hand into the sockand use it to dust in small places or crevices.
24. To remove mineral deposits in a tea pot or burnt spots on a coffee pot, put some ice cubes, cut-up lemon, and salt with a tad water and swish around and let sit overnight.
25. If you have a small child who is a slow starter in the morning, put their clothing on a hanger, then put accessories, underclothes, socks, shoes, etc. in a plastic grocery bag and loop it over the handle of the hanger. In the morning all s/he has to do is grab one hanger and it's all right there! You can even do a week's worth and let the child choose, to cut out morning fights over what to wear.
26.Those round flat pieces of rubber sold as 'Jar Openers' can also take the paper off fresh garlic! Put the clove of garlic on the jar opener and fold it in half over the garlic. Then press down with your hand while rolling it back and forth over the garlic. Do this instead of buying one of those expensive garlic peelers!
27. If you know you have wedding showers to go to this year, consider stocking up on Christmas ornaments, wrapping paper, etc. the day after Christmas, and give this to the newlyweds as a gift. Their first Christmas together will be more organized, thanks to you!
28. If you have a lot of dogs to feed , think about buying their food at the local feed store. It is much cheaper than buying the 50 pound bags at Wal Mart and is just as good.
29.Recycle those Christmas cards! Cut the fronts off and reuse them as postcards next year, or cut them into smaller squares or rectangles with decorative scissors and use them as gift tags on next year's gifts.
30. Use the net bags that onions come in as kitchen scrubers. They work great and don't scratch pots and pans.
31. If your windows face the sun at any point during the day, open the shades. The sun will warm your room and help to reduce heating costs. Once the sun goes down, make sure you draw the blinds to keep heat inside.
32. To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
