With prices going up, a dollar doesn’t go as far.
A few weeks ago I was lamenting about the high prices on everything lately. Recession or not, it’s getting harder to afford the increased cost of living. I asked Being Frugal readers for help, and the readers came through in a big way!
This post is a compilation of comments and emails I received when I asked my readers how they deal with high prices and what things they do to make their money stretch further.
I’ve separated the tips into categories to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. I’ve credited each reader once throughout the article, though many submitted ideas in multiple categories.
Please consider visiting the websites of those who contributed to this project! They gave great advice here, and I’m sure they each have a lot more to offer on their individual blogs!
Now…what you’ve been waiting for. How to save money on just about everything.
Save Money Grocery Shopping
Including tips from Diana, Emily, FrugalWannabe, LJ, Allison, JenMarie, and several more.
- Shop for produce at a local farm stand.
- Never buy coffee, soda, or other drinks or snacks out.
- Always grocery shop with a list.
- Take advantage of sales on items that you would normally buy.
- Only shop once a month.
- Keep a price book and track prices by unit cost.
- Stockpile staples when prices are low.
- Buy generic items.
- Use the Grocery Game.
- Plan meals according to what is on sale that week.
- Take advantage of rainchecks if the store doesn’t have a sale item that you need.
- Take advantage of rebates at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid…but only if you’ll use the item and will follow through on the rebate.
- Buy enough of a sale item to last 12 weeks. That’s about how long sales take to cycle.
- Shop at discount marts: Grocery outlet, The Dollar Store, etc.
- Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Many stores offer a small discount per bag.
- Take advantage of stores that double coupons.
- Watch out for deals on things that your friends need, and have them do the same for you.
Save Money on Cooking and Eating
Including tips from Bellen, Lisa, David, Paidtwice, Boomeyers, Jackie Star, Georgia Hawkins, Lisa K, fathersez, MoneyBlogga, Sarah, and several more.
- Eat less meat.
- Become a vegetarian.
- Eat leftovers.
- Cook large amounts and freeze extra for busy nights.
- Scrape out food jars to use the last little bit.
- Cook from scratch.
- Never eat out.
- Eat from your stocked pantry.
- Bring lunch from home (it’s worth it to invest in proper containers).
- Eat less. The average American eats too much.
- Don’t use the vending machines at work.
- Always have a meal plan. Always.
- Use the Once a Month Cooking system.
- Keep soup starter jars in the freezer. A little leftover this, a little leftover that. Nothing is wasted.
- Get creative with leftovers. Concoct new recipes, so nothing is wasted.
- Base most of your meals on rice or beans to cut down on meat consumption.
- Look for events that entertain and feed you at the same time. Church socials, shopping at Sam’s (think about those free samples)…
- Don’t drink soda. Drink water!
- Make your own jello cups (or applesauce cups, or pudding cups) for lunches and snacks.
- If your kids complain about generic cereal, put the generic in a name-brand box. They’ll never know the difference!
- Use Angel Food Ministries if you have one in your area.
- Rear your own chickens.
- Join a freezer club. Get together with like-minded people to exchange meals for your freezers. It’s cheaper to prepare a lot of one meal and split it up, than to prepare a bunch of different meals.
- Make your own baby food.
- Always take a snack and bottle of water wherever you go. You won’t be tempted to stop for expensive fast food or drinks.
- Grow your own produce. No room? Try a square foot garden! Or use pots on the patio.
- Freeze, can, or dehydrate your produce.
- Cook with the crockpot to avoid using the oven, which warms up the house.
- Use a convection oven to accomplish the same purpose.
Save Money on Cars and Gas
Including tips from Alicia, Heather, Bibi, Working Rachel, Christian PF, Rob Madrid, Mark, and several more.
- Run errands once a week and use the most efficient route.
- Walk as much as you can.
- Stay home as often as possible.
- Keep tires filled to their proper pressure.
- Don’t suddenly stop or accelerate.
- Carpool.
- Bum a ride with friends and chip in for gas.
- Ride your bike.
- Use a diesel car if you have one.
- Coast when you see a red light ahead, instead of hitting the brakes.
- Use public transportation.
- Try to get by with one car if you have two.
- If you have one car that you only drive a couple of times a week, consider getting rid of it and using cabs.
- Drive your car until it’s old. This works really well when you buy a car that will run for 200,000 miles.
- Keep up on your car’s maintenance.
- Turn your car off at lights.
- Coast when you can.
- Limit city driving.
- Turn off the engine and coast to a stop. (Only do this if you know your car and know what you’re doing. It could be unsafe, depending on the car)
- On a long trip, keep a steady foot.
- Make it a challenge to see how far you can go on a tank of gas.
- Use a discount card to buy gas. (Many grocery stores offer them, as well as Costco).
- Fill up early in the morning when the air is cool, and the gas is dense. You’ll get more gas and less air.
- Fill up when your tank is half empty.
- Shop around for insurance. The rates can vary a lot!
- Use gasbuddy.com to find the lowest price on gas.
Save Money on Utilities
Including tips by No More Spending, Damsel, Susan, Paula, southernseven, Looby, Fresch, My Dollar Plan, and several more.
- Turn off every electrical item at the plug every night. Putting everything on power strips makes this easier.
- Keep the lights off during the day.
- Line dry clothes outside when it’s warm and sunny.
- Line dry clothes by setting dryer racks over heater vents. Use your shower rod if you need even more room.
- Let dishes air dry after running them through the dishwasher.
- Cancel the cable.
- Don’t use hot water in the summer.
- Consider a family plan for cell phones.
- Use CFL bulbs.
- Turn down the thermostat (or turn it off). Use candles in the room to raise the temperature. A set of little tea candles goes a long way.
- Don’t run the heater at night.
- Open windows on summer nights to cool down the house.
- Use a fan.
- Get rid of your land line and use your cell phone.
- Take short showers.
- Insulate your water pipes.
- Install low flow showerheads and aerators on all faucets.
- If you’re going to be in and out all day, park on the street, rather than using the electric garage door opener multiple times.
- If you live in an apartment, see if you can split the cost of a wireless connection with your neighbors. But make sure it’s legal first.
- Turn off the PC if you won’t be using it for an hour or more.
- Use nightlights that only come on when it’s dark.
- Use nightlights in the bathroom, so if you have to use the bathroom at night, you don’t have to turn on the light.
- Keep the freezer full. If you have to, put milk jugs filled with water in the freezer. It’s less expensive to keep a full freezer cold than an empty one.
- Never leave the water running when rinsing dishes, brushing teeth, etc. Only use the water you need.
- Have your young children shower with you, instead of giving them separate baths.
Save Money on Medical Needs
Including tips from my mom and more.
- Use a flexible spending account or cafeteria plan, so you can pay out-of-pocket medical expenses with pre-tax dollars.
- Ask your doctor to prescribe generic medication.
- Buy generic medication at Walmart or Target. They have a lot of different medications available for $4.
Saving Money on Clothing
Including tips by Shanti, Jen D., and more.
- Limit clothes shopping.
- Shop at thrift stores.
- Shop garage sales.
- Sew, using discount fabric (easy to find at garage sales).
- Change into play clothes after school to keep good clothes looking nice.
- Re-use jewelry. If you lose a beautiful earring, put the one you have on a chain and wear it as a necklace.
Save Money Around the House
Including tips by Marci, Joanna, Jisun Moir, Debt Reduction Formula, and several more.
- Use only half of a dishwasher tablet at a time.
- Use rechargeable batteries for electronics and toys.
- Store batteries in the refrigerator. They last longer.
- Do repairs (paint touch ups, sewing, etc) one day a week. If you keep things in good working order, they last longer.
- Accept hand-me-downs. You can donate them if you can’t use them.
- Do home repairs yourself.
- Reuse things. An example: Plastic grocery bags can be reused as lunch bags, shoe bags, or laundry bags on vacation.
- Email for free samples. You can get some good stuff!
- Wash and re-use Ziplock bags.
- Make your own Christmas cards by making a collage from the fronts of Christmas cards you received the previous year.
- See if your local dump or transfer station offers free firewood or garden mulch. Take advantage of it.
- Use water from boiling eggs or pasta to water your plants.
- If you’ve bought stuff that you haven’t used, see if you can return it.
- If you rent, rent from a person, not a company. You’re more likely to have some of your utilities paid, especially if your place is a room inside a house or a basement apartment.
- Move in with roommates.
- If you and your family or friends have a lot of websites, consolidate them all into one hosting package and split the cost.
- Flush the toilet only after you use it 2-3 times.
- Use a kitchen rag instead of paper towels.
Save Money on Entertainment
Including tips from Frugal Dad, Ron @ The Wisdom Journal, and several more.
- Cancel magazine subscriptions.
- Use the library for books, magazines, and movies. See if you can reserve them online and then just pick them up.
- Read newspapers online.
- Celebrate “no spend” weekends, where you don’t spend anything.
- Prepare special dinners at home, rather than going out to celebrate.
- Eat out only once a month.
- Use hotel points and airline miles for vacation.
- Split an entree with someone else when you go out for dinner.
- Do free things for entertainment: Hiking, free city concerts, board games.
- Only order from the dollar menu when eating out.
- Go to the park and have a picnic.
- Take advantage of “get in free” days at the museum, etc.
- To find special festivals, get a free state tourism guide.
- If you find that you go somewhere a lot (a zoo, amusement park), buy a season pass.
- Entertain at home. Have friends over for dinner, or have a game night and just serve snacks.
- Make your own “take out” style meals. Pizza is a good way to start. And if you do a recipe search for your favorite restaurant foods, there are some good knock offs out there!
- Trade babysitting with friends who also need a sitter.
Save Money on Miscellaneous Things
Including tips from Chris, Becky @ Family and Finances, Jeanne, Libby, Kathy @ brazoscowgirl, Rebecca, and several more.
- Only get haircuts every 8-10 weeks, instead of every 6 weeks.
- Cut your own hair.
- Do your own manicures.
- Shop for Christmas gifts year round to catch the good sales.
- Compost…it’s good for the garden.
- Dumpster dive, if you’re brave and it’s legal where you are.
- Sell something every week.
- Never spend change. Collect it and put it in a savings account.
- Get rid of excess stuff. It costs less to store and maintain.
- Sell it on eBay or Craigslist.
- Or have a garage sale.
- Or give it away on Freecycle.
- Sell homemade items on Etsy.
- Don’t watch TV. It cuts down on wants.
- Get rid of the TV all together.
- Enter blog giveaways. You never know what you might win. (I won $100 last month!)
- If you get a raise, don’t increase your lifestyle. Save the extra or pay off debts!
- If you’re a two income family, make sure the second income is more than the expenses associated with working.
- Use a fee free credit card with rewards. Charge everything to get the rewards. But ONLY do this if you are diligent about paying it off every single month. If you pay interest, it isn’t worth it.
- Pay off debt as quickly as possible. Saves on interest.
- Make sure you get get the best interest rate on your savings, CD’s, etc.
- Invest your money. Make it grow.
- Use a budget.
- Use a spreadsheet to keep track of variable expenses.
- Use cash.
- Change your mindset. Instead of thinking “what do I need to buy?”, think, “what do I have that I can use?” That’s how people got through the Great Depression.
- Give stuff you don’t use to others. It gets your mind off of your situation and onto others. And it promotes a sense of contentment and gratitude.
As you take steps to live a more frugal lifestyle, think about these last two reader comments. If you remember these two things, you will be well on your way to saving more money on day to day expenses.
Marci said, “When buying, ask yourself - this item is costing me so many hours/minutes of my work time…is the cost worth the time I had to use earning the money?”
Bellen summed it up nicely with “Remember to reuse, recycle, re-purpose, rethink, repair!”
A huge thank you to all who contributed to this list! I hope it’s a good resource for anyone who reads it! And remember to check out the great websites of those who submitted ideas!
Photo by Monochrome.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 am
“Turn off the engine and coast to a stop.”
I would remove this - depending on the car this may not be safe.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 am
Excellent list.
Just found your blog and I think it’s great.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 am
Wow, Lynnae! That’s absolutely fantastic.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:21 am
Awesome list! (Thanks for mentioning me too)
There are a few on here that are totally new to me…I will be trying them out for sure.
Great job putting all these tips together
Take Care
LJ
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:29 am
You cheated! There’s only 167 great tips here.
These two should only count as 1:
- Eat less meat.
- Become a vegetarian.
Shame on you!
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
Holy smokes! That’s a HUGE list! Excellent work.
Thanks for including me, Lynnae.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:06 am
Great list–thank you for putting it together.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 am
Wow!! What an exhaustive list! Thanks so much for putting this together…
I do have an honest question, though. I don’t understand this one: “Use a diesel car if you have one.” Diesel is priced higher at the pumps these days … does a diesel car run that much more efficiently?
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:07 am
“Use a diesel car if you have one.” Diesel is priced higher at the pumps these days … does a diesel car run that much more efficiently?”
Diesels are much more efficient that regular gas engines - plus you can convert them to run on veggie oil, which is free if you go around picking it up. I plan on converting a pickup truck to run on it when we get to New Mexico…
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:31 am
Wow, Lynnae! This is an awesome list! I read through it all and saw many of my suggestions pop up throughout
Thank you! This is a great idea, and I’m excited to be included!
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
wow, you were not kidding. this is some list. I like how you have it sorted too. thanks for taking the time to post this.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Great, great list Lynnae
I’m so pleased to be included
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
That’s a good long list. I wouldn’t live without a crockpot in the house
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Really, you all should be patting yourselves on the back. I did the easy part of compiling the list. You all came up with the brilliant ideas!
@Lev - I will put a disclaimer on that idea. Thanks for bringing it up.
@David - Thanks for explaining about diesel engines. I sure didn’t know anything about them!
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Fantastic list! Thanks for putting it together and including me.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Learn to live. Money is for using. Sure eliminate what is not necessary or not fun. But don’t fill your head up with negative stuff. Plan what you are going to do with you money to have a really great life.
Learn to cook. Learn to make your house nice. Only eat food out if the food and occasion is really great. Walk because it is more fun. Etc etc. And help each other. Eating together. Playing together. Fixing things together is cheaper and fun.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Some great tips from start to finish. I was under the misconception that local farm stands would be more expensive than Wal-Mart or the big grocery stores, but after my first visit I found that they were not only cheaper but also offered a much better product. As a plus, they are better for the environment because much less energy is used to transport the goods to market.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Excellent tips! Thanks for doing this, Lynnae!
I appreciate the mention too!
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Some new tips there I had not seen before, I would like to add, smoke lawn grass, and not the illegal kind, that would save money, i guess
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:24 pm
What a great list! Thanks for including me.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Wow - very impressive list Lynnae! And it reminds me that I need to go put some beans in the crock pot…
April 4th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Great list. I have to say though that most of these are things we should be doing when times are good as well as rough. Better for the wallet and the environment.
April 4th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Great compilation! I’m linking it for my readers as well. Thanks!
April 4th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Lynnae!! Great list!! I will be bookmarking!!
April 4th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Furgal? Some of the suggestions indicate a level of mis-fortune and poverty. “dumpster-dive” get a life or better yet a second job!
April 4th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Under “Saving Money on Cooking and Eating”
Is rearing your own chickens cheaper than just buying a whole chicken at the store? Seriously, I’m considering a “gentleman’s farm”. Chickens and Ducks would be a top priority. Thoughts?
BTW, child is allergic to egg, so those wouldn’t be considered in the equation.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Of course, if going vegetarian means you’re sicker later in life, it isn’t going to do you much good now either.
You eat food for two reasons, biologically: (1) to get energy, and (2) to get nutrients. Your two main sources of energy are glucose and fat. Now, you can get fats as an energy source on a vegetarian diet, but there are fewer foods with enough fat in them in the plant kingdom than there are in the animal. So most people who go vegetarian get their energy from carbs.
And that’s the problem. Those of us with a strong family history of type 2 diabetes can’t just dump the meat and eat only plants. Everybody needs more veggies in their diets whether they are vegetarian or omnivorous, but you can’t get by only eating veggies if you’re vegetarian. You need something more calorie-dense to get enough calories to survive and thrive.
And if people with a propensity for type 2 get their energy largely from carbs, that’s a straight path to diabetes. It’s been documented over and over and over again in the medical literature although, oddly, government and university “experts” in human dietary needs tend to ignore the data. But it does explain why, for instance, Native Americans are going diabetic in such alarming numbers now, and it surely explains why so many poor people are fat–fatness being an intermediary step between normal glucose metabolism and diabetes in the vast majority of cases.
I gained most of my last seventy extra pounds while on a vegetarian and sometimes vegan diet, for what it’s worth. Somehow I don’t think this is going to save me money in the long run, or save the insurance companies money, or save the government money either.
If you’re going to cut spending, don’t do it at the expense of nutrition.
April 4th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
This is a great list, but I have to second Lev’s concern about turning off the engine while stopping.
The “power” for the power brakes in nearly all passenger cars comes from the vacuum generated by the running engine. With the engine off you lose the hydraulic advantage, and you’ll have to push a lot harder to get less stopping power. Think “Model T” brakes, except that your car weighs 3 times more than a Model T. To make matters worse it may work like normal at first and then trail off in the middle of the braking.
This is a real recipe for causing an accident. I don’t think that’s a good exchange for saving 3 seconds of engine idling.
The “early morning gas” and “fill you tank when half empty” advice doesn’t make sense to me, is there a longer explanation somewhere of how these work?
Otherwise this is a great resource, thanks for putting this together.
April 4th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
The problem is, that this all contradicts the nationally mandated religion of consumerism. We are commanded to get out there and spend spend spend.. and buy buy buy no matter the cost.. Now, go be a good american and buy some more useless crap so this crazy wheel we’re on keeps spinning..
well, what are you waiting for GO! GO I SAID GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 5th, 2008 at 5:49 am
Great tips!
April 6th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Hi Lynnae,
I found your site today from My debt blog. Wow, is that a great list! I just made my own list yesterday and thought it was the best out there but that was before I found yours. Yours is by far the best out there it it should help a lot of people.
I appreciate the time you and those that contributed put into the work. I’ve linked to your site and will be back often.
April 6th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Close doors through out the house, saves heat and lets go of stress of issues.
April 6th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I have another really kind of embarrassing tip or two- I have everyone potty at church, or in stores before coming home. It started as a way to get little ones home but saves our TP and water. Work out first thing in the morning and shower at the gym.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I would remove a few things, first coasting to a stop isnt a bad idea, but if you are coasting then pushing on the gas it wastes a lot of extra gas. Never turn your car off at a light, not only is it unsafe your car actualls uses a bit more gas on the start-up and it hurts the enviorment more if you do this. Anything involving turning off your car while moving, or while on any public street is a bad idea. Play driving smart and safe, its better than saving 30 cents for a fillup.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I’m not sure about where you live, but here in the Boston area, shopping at a local farm stand is MUCH more expensive than going to the supermarket. Everything is organic and commands a hefty price point for it. I’ll stick to my pesticide-laden foods and buy stuff on sale….
April 7th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Frank - I’m sure you intended your comment to be somewhat humorous (and it was), but I’d argue that buying “cheaper” pesticide-laden foods is much more expensive in the long run.
That’s because “cheap” food is mostly artificial, genetically modified crap that will destroy your body over time.
You might save a couple hundred bucks a year buying “cheap” food, but you’ll end up paying a fortune in medical bills down the road when you’re diagnosed with colon cancer or some other life-threatening disease.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Great list!
One other thing that I thought about as I read it was to take advantage of museum passes offered through libraries.
Our local library has a variety of day passes for loan to area attractions such as State Parks, musuems, and tourist spots. It is a great resource!! We went to many places last summer that we could not have otherwise done.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
This is a seriously useful post.
It would be great if this could be made into an ebook.
Thanks for sharing.
April 12th, 2008 at 7:58 am
My tip would be to never buy meat or poultry cut up, but instead buy whole/roasts and cut them yourself. I usually buy a roast to cook one night, then divide the cooked meat into meal-sized portions and freeze. This goes for beef or pork.
Chicken is very easy to learn how to cut apart with one sharp knife or even some kitchen shears. I can cut apart a whole chicken now in 10 minutes at most, and debone the breasts in 5. With whole chicken at 99 cents per pound compared to $3 per pound cut you can save a lot of money.
I always look for the ‘manager special’ coupons that typically give you $1 off or more per package. These usually mean the exp date is coming up and they want to get rid of it - I just bring them home and freeze them. I bought a bone-in ham once that was on sale and had a $3 coupon attatched - it was practically free by the end.
If you make soups, bone-in meats and poultry are your best friends! Freeze the bone and make your own broth or stock - freeze the stock and you always have a fresh supply of soup makings!
I also suggest freezing various veggie peelings - carrots that are too soft to eat, celery that’s gone limp, bits of leftover veggies and onions, etc. Toss those in with your bones for yummy nutritious stock! I always say that buying stock from the store is like buying air - why buy when you can get it for nothing?
April 13th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Clever tips. Some interesting - some odd - some insightful.
I particularly liked the Entertainment tips.
Not all the tips were relevant to people outside the United States - but that’s OK, there were plenty to make up for it.
I wonder about some of the tips - whether the cost saving would be higher/lower than the hourly rate the person who was doing the saving could earn working. A lot of (most?) couples have dual incomes - could the time be better spent elsewhere.
I digress - great list and thanks to all the contributors.
April 19th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Regarding entertainment tips, check with your local public library to see if they have free passes to museums, etc. Ours does. All you need to do is reserve them and then pick them upt. It’s a great service.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
A good deal of your tips are very useful to those who want to pinch a few pennies to save. But you have to keep in mind that you are saving for something which your article doesn’t indicate. I agree with a comment from earlier that some of these tips might be helpful for those on the verge of poverty but those same tips are also dangerous and/or unhygienic. I also saw someone mention the “filling up in the morning tip” and I thought I could clear up some confusion for everyone. Gas is NOT dense, milk is denser than gasoline. Gas today is measured by a flow meter that measures gas into your tank NOT air, and it is sufficiently pressurized. Filling up your car will not pull air because it sucks from the bottom of the tank.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:54 am
While I appreciate that the list is useful, and there were a few things that had not occured to me before, I find it kind of sad that so many people have posted ultra positive comments when the vast majority of the tips are plain common sense. Whatever happened to the American pioneer spirit? Have you all become such selfish users that you’ve forgotten your heritage?
The list was cool, reading the comments was depressing.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
GEEZ. Don’t try to save nickels and dimes. My roommate does it and he has made himself believe he is poorer than he is because he does like that whole list. He forgets to live because he is so worried bout wasting money. If you are that worried about wasting money. Don’t be a cheap ass. Get a better job, or another one, or work more hours. Trust me there are plenty of odd high paying jobs out there that are part time. I have a few.
April 26th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
mike said: He forgets to live because he is so worried bout wasting money. and then : Get a better job, or another one, or work more hours.
That’s not exactly enjoying life, either!
April 28th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
W.O.W. all of these Frugal Tips and I hardly know where to begin,I have begun reading them and some I have already put in force, how-ever I have too disagree with Heathers’ comment on april 23,as she has probably not read the news paper that stated that when the pump handle is pressed the money wheels starts before the fuel starts flowing so you are not getting the amount of fuel that you are paying for.A special note for mike,have you thought about running you autos on water perferably called (HH0)? If you are the least bit intrested then send me a note and I will explain the principal to you ok? Uncle Bill
April 28th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Dana, your post about meat/diabetes and vegetarianism is the dumbest post I have read in weeks…what a bunch of midwest, whitetrash, trailor park, slaughterhouse worker, hogwash I have ever read!! I am in medical school and your information is so filled with false information that it almost made me cry. Yes, my english is not the best but I do know bulls*it when I read it and this is the worst to date!!
April 28th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Whoa there! Let’s keep it civil. I don’t mind disagreement in the comments section, but please no name calling.
Please see my comment policy for clarification.
http://beingfrugal.net/about/disclosure-policy/
April 28th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Doesn’t it take more gas to turn on a car though?
Thank you for these tips.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Great Tips!
Diesels are the great unsung heroes in the U.S.A., even with the current high prices. My diesel bug gets 43-45 mpg, more that making up for the high cost of fuel. If your willing to mess with biofuel production, I’m not, you can save even more.
Although I would strongly recommend removing the tip about turning off the car. “Depending on the type of car this might not be safe” doesn’t begin to cover it. There is NO mass produced car made in the last 15-20 years where this is safe! In addition to the dangerous loss of brake boost, you also have to worry about the fact that turning the key to the full off position will lock your steering wheel. This is not just an unsafe recommendation it is also recklessly dangerous!
Once we get past that, it also adds wear to the starter (check to see how much it is to replace one, even if you do it yourself), and uses more fuel.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:56 am
Guys, guys, guys.
Buy a new Korean car with a 5 year warranty. You will get 50 miles to the gallon plus, with petrol. And not pollute the place. Will you pay less road tax and insurance over the pond too? And buy it outright. Save yourself the headache of bills.
Move close to work and walk. It is more fun.
Cook your own food because cooking is cool to do with you loved one. You can talk and cherish each other.
Take a sandwich to work and walk in the park at lunchtime with someone who is funny or sad, depending on who needs cheering up. Or go the local restaurant with your mates (tell the boss he has two choices - come with you, or open the shop after lunch because you will all be late back)
And give all the money you save to the poor.
Remember lifestyles can contract indefinitely. There really isn’t a bottom limit. Some people like contraction - go for it - personally I can’t stand being tight. I also can’t be bothered with bills and things that need to be looked after. So I keep it simple. I buy on two principles - it is beautiful and I look after. It is disposable. Use it and lose it. I drive slowly because I enjoy the scenery and I pull over and let the tail gaters pass. I talk to people on trains. I go to one good restaurant occasionally rather than several horrible ones offen.
For cooks, the best source is still The Frugal Gourmet. He teaches you to cook. I could even get my father to eat vegetables when I cooked them the Frugal Gourmet way.
Enjoy guys, enjoy. Really. Don’t ask how you can keep a dollar. Ask what is the best thing you can do with your dollar. Aim to spend it all. Enjoyable. Some will be spent on your house and your pension. That is all enjoyable.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Yes this is great site, I Stumbled on it, and this has many useful hints. My only problem is the flushing the toilet every 2-3 uses. I see a sanitary and health issue with this, not to mention a smell problem. Not only that but I have a cat and a 6 month old puppy that get into everything and I would rather flush every time then risk one of them getting into the toilet and getting rather sick.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:31 am
What a great list! Thanks for taking the time to compile this. There is something here for everyone.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Regarding the flushing issue: We place buckets in the shower while warming the water and use this water to flush (everytime!) To flush a fairly new toilet in the US uses 3-5 gallons of water. When poured directly into the bowl, the toilet will flush with 1/2 gallon. It’s also much friendlier on your septic system.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Great post. The thing that sticks out most for me is the advice to turn off the TV. For me this has got to be the number one contributing factor to people’s misery when it comes to their finances. How often are we bombarded with images of wealth and luxury on tv and made to feel like we are not living our lives until we have the latest top of the range SUV?
May 30th, 2008 at 4:44 am
I’m posting this on my refrigerator! Great list!
Lisa
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:15 am
I do most of this stuff already and it’s almost all good. Instead of turning off the car and coasting..(not a good idea), I’d say take your foot off the gas when you can and not accelerate when there is no point to, or use the brake so much. (I notice people running up to stop signs and lights with their foot still seemingly on the pedal..or sometimes when one needs to slow down, but not in a hurry, they brake…just let up on the gas!). I have one other tip, when looking for things in a store that might be in other departments, check out the other departments and compare prices before buying…believe it or not some things can cost more on one department than another in the same store(ex: glue, twine: hobby section, auto department and office supplies), etc.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 am
Oh, one other thing–if you have a habit which costs a lot of money, i.e. smoking, drinking too much and of course drugs…give that up. I think people would be shocked at the amount of $$ spent on cigarettes in the course of a life time, $50 or $60K, not to mention the costs of being sick more, ruining clothes and furniture, taking a chance on expensive illnesses, etc.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:02 am
you forgot a few frugal tips..
wash your car in the rain
re-use napkins,diapers,tampons,toilet paper.ect..
check out your local food bank
ask your neighbor if you can pick fruit from his tree
collect cans and bottles
enter contests and sweepstakes
use pizza boxes for yard sale sign
make bugs and rodents for pets (they eat less)
bake a home-made cake for all birthdays
invest in a tent and backpack
collect freeway hubcaps,scraps
only attend celebrations that provide food
make home-made shoes
shop in the low income areas for better deals
watch a movie from your neighbors window
wash your clothes every other week in your bath tub
inform your family and friends to only send money and giftcards as gifts
rent a room from your house
rent your couch out
rent your garage out
rent your backyard out as storage space
go to the beach
collect upc
donate blood
donate sperm or eggs
read your favorite magazine while your in check out line
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:08 am
jeremiah, let’s NOT re-use tampons and condoms, toilet paper and such. me thinks you are being sarcastic?
June 26th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Save even more money by running your car on biodiesel. Read more for free at my blog or Google “BioFuel Forum” for more discussion.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:48 am
Thanks for the helpful tips and I’d like to remind all it’s better to use sanitary methods of frugalness then to wind up sick or dead trying to save a buck.
Thanks again
Nancy
August 13th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Just stumbled on your website noodling around the “frugal” sites! Great info and great fun. I will be checking in often. P.S….my husband told me that when I have to sit at a traffic light in the car, shift into neutral while idling as it saves gas. Also make right turns instead of waiting interminably to make lefts saves gas!! Cheaper to go round the block I guess than to sit idling waiting for a decent interval to pull out!! Another big saver for me, is my bread maker ..I make a couple of loaves a week with whole grains and it only costs pennies …good bread is a fortune these days! I also make my hamburger buns/sandwich rolls in it …they are delicious and if anyone wants the recipe, just e-mail me!!
September 13th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Buy remanufactured or compaitble ink and toner cartridges. save up to 80%…
Now let’s talk about the planet.
Remember to recycle your ink and toner cartridges as well as your old cell phones. It takes 2 quarts of oil to make one new cartridge so recycle them so companies like mine can refill them and sell them again.
Never pay to recycle your cartridges make sure you use programs that also benefit the environment like ours http://www.thinkofgreen.com/websiteinfo.asp?fc=12, we plan trees in your name with the Arbor Day Foundation. We also donate 1% of your yearly purchases to an environmental charity of your choice.
So save the environment while saving money…
September 21st, 2008 at 1:38 am
What’s money-saving about using a dishwasher, even if you air-dry the dishes? Wash up by hand!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Actually, you should embrace your dishwasher. It uses up to 70% less water than if you did your dishes by hand.
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I like these suggestions. While I don’t think I’ll go trash diving, I am implementing many of the suggestions already. And I’m bookmarking this page for future suggestions.
October 15th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Are you kidding me? I would never let my kids see me naked. (see Saving Money on Utilities, letting small children shower or bathe with you instead of separate baths)
I don’t care if I have to do without a bath to save the money, but my children will have a warm bath before bed, with NO ADULTS IN THE TUB WITH THEM!!!!!
October 15th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
@Barbara - I was referring to children under the age of two…children who very well might be breastfeeding anyway. I certainly don’t recommend bathing with children much older than that!
October 16th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
try to gwow as much fruit and vedge as you can,no space well go out find disused land plant it up goverment owned land that is not in use, plant it up,any space you can find in town or out use it,get your friends and the comunity involved in this,we do in england.
October 20th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Awesome! I am both inspired and amused. I’ll do Jeremiah one better: We draw one bath, and the person who can stand the hottest water (Mama) goes first, then little brother, then big sister. Three baths in less water than one long shower (I measured). Also, towels are laundry hogs; those used to dry fresh clean bodies do not need laundering every time. Hang them up (if you’re squeamish, get your own color). Hang ALL of your laundry, even in winter. If you eat meat, buy half an animal and split it with another family (even better if you know the farmer). Invest in a good freezer. BARTER! We barter tutoring, babysitting, computer work, holiday baking and sewing for haircuts, music lessons - anything! Catch the water from the laundry rinse cycle in a 3-gallon bucket instead of letting it go down the utility sink, and add it to the dehumidifier water for the next load’s wash cycle - it’s clean water, after all, with some soap already in it (six gallons reclaimed per load!) Multi-task your oven: if you are roasting something, bake something at the same time (potatoes? dessert? squash for soup? tomorrow’s meatloaf?). And finally, hang out with cheap people.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Riding your bike will save you so much money!
October 27th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Great list - thank you so much.
I would like to add using coupons when you do go out to eat once a month. Or, use the discounted gift certificates from restaurant.com.
And, I always do a lot of research before any purchase online, looking for coupon codes, free shipping, comparing with eBay, etc. Never pay full price.
Thanks again for the great list, I’ve thumbed it up and bookmarked it to come back to again and again.
Blessings,
RH
October 29th, 2008 at 9:05 am
More suggestions:
Cloth diapers and cloth wipes
Cloth menstrual pads
Menstrual Cup (such as Diva Cup)
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Great list keep up the good work.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
use candles to raise the room temperature? I haven’t heard that one, my readers might like to know though, I just did a post on being frual, not frightful. These are great tips, thanks for compiling them.
November 11th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Excellent list, and i actually follow most of them. But i agree with a few of the comments about using the car
Turn your car off at lights. (the only thing you will be saving is a bit of carbon emissions. This doesn’t save on gas)
Turn off the engine and coast to a stop. (Only do this if you know your car and know what you’re doing. It could be unsafe, depending on the car) - NEVER EVER DO THIS - IF YOU SHUT YOUR CAR OFF THE STEARING WHEEL CAN LOCK
One thing to try when you are in traffic is to maintain a steady speed and distance of the car in front of you. This will use less gas, and ease up on wear and tear.
November 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
just wanted to tell the person that saves the water from waiting for the shower to get hot, to flush the toilet.. i told this to my husband, a plumber, he said it causes plug up, because it dosen’t give enough pressure to push it on through
November 11th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
opps.. it dosnt give enough water to push it through
November 24th, 2008 at 2:30 am
“Store batteries in the refrigerator. They last longer.”
There is no chemical basis on this, it is an old wive’s tale. All you end up doing is introducing another warm object into the fridge which in turn costs energy to cool down.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:34 am
“Turn your car off at lights.”
This is good for nothing more than turning on the auto choke, which in turn burns far more fuel than you would simply idling. If you want to burn less fuel while idling then clean your EGR to allow more air through, creating a less rich fuel/air mixture.
Many of these “tips” are quite inane. Does this morning team not research what they recommend to others? Especially when many people mindlessly follow celebrity’s(local or not) advice.
November 30th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
My girlfriend and I save a lot of money by following some of the car tips listed above. We only have one car, it’s an older car, we walk and take public transport to work. We mainly use the car in the weekend.
Walking is great exercise too, so we also save money by avoiding alternative exercise expenses.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Only flush your toilet after urinating three-four times. You’ll be saving a lot of water!
December 1st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Make your own all purpose cleaner cleaner:
1/2 cup of ammonia to a gallon of water.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Paul - you’re going to need that all purpose cleaner if you only flush the toilet every 3-4 times
December 8th, 2008 at 6:56 am
I use price comparison websites to find the best prices for my entertainment products. For example: http://www.usedcdsearch.com, http://www.blueraysearch.com and http://www.dvdusedsearch.com
December 9th, 2008 at 11:38 am
“make bugs and rodents for pets (they eat less)”
funniest thing I’ve heard today!!
It’s pretty difficult to draw the line between wasting away your life not spending money and trying to be free. And living in Las Vegas where people spend money like nothing doesnt help sometimes. We try to have simple fun that doesn’t require much money and (try to) ride bikes when we can. Our old roomate had this HUGE vintage Tv that I swore ate up a lot of energy, but no one believed me. Now that the TV is gone, the bill isnt as expensive. Upgrade to a mid sized newer TV. Or better yet, dont watch tv at all.
I work at the library and havent gone to the movies since January. Nor bought a cd or dvd. We have all the latest dvds and most new music (that I like). Current magazines. Books galore (same stuff that Barnes and noble has). Its really a resource that people should take more advantage of.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Turning off the thermostat and lighting enough candles to sufficiently raise the temperature [presumably with closed windows to keep the heat in] sounds like a good way to asphyxiate.
As many posters have already said, GET A (BETTER) JOB. It feels far more rewarding to work hard at a decent job than to scrimp and pinch to this degree.
Modern studies on the world economy have also shown that, in contrast to the past, households that spend appropriately and don’t cut out all “luxuries” (toilet-flushing??) now end up earning more, saving more, and having a better quality of life overall than old-fashioned penny-pinchers.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Some of the auto tips are examples of what economic externalities. They attempt to maximize personal benefits at the expense of those around you, and would cease to be beneficial if they were put into widespread useage. Case in point-”don’t suddenly stop or accelerate” makes no sense. Although you may save some gas by not rapidly accelerating, if everyone pulls away from lights slowly, fewer cars will make it through any given light. More cars will thus spend more time idling at lights, which in turn means that more people will use more gas waiting at lights.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Go to thrift stores and yard sales,its a great way to save.
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hello Lynnae - Today is the first time I visited your website (12/23, 8:30 PM). Wow, you commented about this evening ! That comment about the “adult” thing, convinced me you truly enjoyed our outing-I’m glad.
While I was scanning your various comments and topics in your blog, I saw what you were referring to at our house, re. the snowflakes.
There was another coincidence, but I can’t recall that at the moment.
I commend you on several excellent traits, in doing what you’re doing.
One is your bravery, in putting yourself ‘out there’ for criticism, etc.
I like that you printed the bad as well as the good (don’t know if I could say that I would be open enough to do that !).
Also, you have more than knowledge - and that’s excellent ‘good sense’ (notice I didn’t say common sense, because I don’t believe it’s common).
That comment from Dana, in April, had a lot of mis-information in it.
Makes me wonder how many people out there put out false ‘facts’, and how many people believe that stuff. She seemed to know just enough to make it look credible. Her comments about carbs leading to Type 2 (diabetes) might be true - if a person had a ‘vegetarian’ diet in which they ate mainly junk food such as chips, soda, and pastries, etc.!
Despite the occasiional negative or crazy comments, it looks like you have many ‘fans’, friends, admirers, and supporters out there.
CONGRATULATIONS ! I’ll try to check in on your blog regularly now.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:46 am
about 90% of the tips are good. it’s obvious that someone was trying to fill up their webpage with a bunch of bad ideas…lol
1) candles to warm up your home?…dumbass!
2) go vegetarian?…it’s cheaper to be meat eater….my $1 taco bell bean burrito costs $6 in cooking materials if i buy it at the grocery store
3)flush the toilet after 2-3 times?…hells no!, i’ll be spending more in cleaning supplies cleaning a shit stained toilet
4)wtf is rearing a chicken!?!
January 1st, 2009 at 9:32 am
Great List!!! Can I add?? Stop using paper products like paper plates, cups, plasticware too. Just wash the dishes. Also, if you have cloth napkins, use them… you wash towels and other linens anyway, right?
January 1st, 2009 at 9:51 am
Wow, I just read some of the sarcastic posts… geeze people, have you nothing better to do? Take what you like and leave the rest, without your negative input.
January 1st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I agree with Scott, I see this post as something akin to brainstorming, anything goes, just shoot those ideas out.
I also think it would have taken a lot of work to collate all the tips. Well done there.
January 1st, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I don’t mean to sound preachy-BUT
This is the second time I have visited your site and I was delighted to see the article on you in the Mail Tribune.
I am both inspired by some of the suggestions (many of them I have implemented for years) AND appalled by some of the comments. Being frugal should be daily common sense living.
In some ways, I feel that the ecomonic crisis our country is in can be a good thing. It should and could provide a much needed “reality check” to bring all of us back to good old “common sense” living. Dare I say, “to a degree those of us who have been living on credit and far beyond our means for years, are getting what we deserve and unfortunately are taking the rest of the country down with us.
For those of us who have always lived within our means, many of us will survive the economic crisis in tact, but we will feel the sting and we too will be impacted right along with everyone else until we get through.”
While it is great to find new ways to cut the cost of living, anything taken to extremes can also potentially become a “bad, unhealthy or dangerous thing” like some of the car driving suggestions.
We need to support each other financially with our shopping and spending habits. The responsible use of our money, to purchase goods and services along with giving of our time and our individual talents is good for everyone, and is what keeps us in jobs and keeps money flowing to benefit everyone in the community we live in.
If every person used common sense in the way they live day in and day out, our economy wouldn’t be in the mess it is currently in. Credit became “King” and the “Kingdom” is now crumbling around us.
As a society, we have lived far too long with a “gotta have it now at whatever it may cost” mindset without regard to what the “total cost” is emotionally, physically, financially, environementally, and communally and we are all paying dearly for it now with home foreclosures, bancruptsy, businesses going under resulting in further job losses which results in more of the same.
It is my hope that as a Nation we will have learned something from all of that has come to pass in 2008 and learn to live within our means with more thought given to how we spend, use, and dispose of our resources.
When we put frugality into daily practice it eventualy becomes the “norm” and it becomes a “win” for everyone.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:20 am
WOW this is a huge list of tips for saving money. Making that dollar stretch as far as possible is what learning to survive tough times is all about.
“If every person used common sense in the way they live day in and day out, our economy wouldn’t be in the mess it is currently in. Credit became “King” and the “Kingdom” is now crumbling around us.”
That is such a true statement.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:37 am
We live in a rural area of Southeast Kansas, and use propane to heat. One winter my propane tank was empty and in order to keep warm I went into the sunniest room in the house, opened the curtains to allow the warm sunshine in and lit a candle. With the room door closed, to hold in the heat, the room was plenty warm. We had to borrow and use a portable electric heater at night, but we were able to weather the cold until the propane company came to fill us up. NOw-a-days there is a fee if you let the tank run dry, we purchased a larger storage tank a few years back, so fortunately this has never happened to us again. Still, a candle and some sunshine CAN heat a room. Of course not everyone can use the idea, it would (obviously) depend on the room. NEVER leave a burning candle unattended (sleeping is not being in attendance) and always use common sense with an open flame.
Another thing I do is open the curtains/drapes on the sunny side of the house during the daytime and close them on the shaded side(in the summer I reverse that). This works very well on sunny, non-windy days. This allows me to use natural light as well. I do not like plastic on my windows, but have had times in the past where this was effective, particularly on the north facing windows.
We also hang a heavy quilt or drape over the inside of the unused entry to our home (we have a front and back door and never use the front entry). I only tack this down at the top, at the bottom we use baffles (draft-sealers or “snakes”) to hold the covering tight, this way we are not completely sealing off the route (in case of emergency). We check the caulk around all the windows at the start of cooler weather and seal up drafts.
I had a friend I helped move several times at semester end back when he was a dorm student. Students toss out a riduculous amount at the end of a semester when they have to clear out of the dorms. I have several “like new” items salvaged from such, towels, desk chairs and area rugs being a few of the items discovered. Apparently foreign students or those flying to a new destination can’t take many things along, and (hate to say it but…) our young adults are often exceptionally wasteful. If you’re opposed, don’t engage in this form of salvage, but to those of you who aren’t …check that out. Old clothing and protective gloves recommended for obvious reasons.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Sure, we have a recession, but doing THIS????? It’s simply ridiculous! This is not living, this is …. just surviving…inhumanly so. No Thank you!
January 9th, 2009 at 5:05 am
inhuman? hahah. are you referencing some of the more tongue in cheek ideas?
Perhaps if we citizens had stayed resourceful and less wasteful, we would not be in such a pretty pickle. inhuman to not flush for 3 voids? I’ve often wondered why we would flush our refuse into the water system anyway. Water has a finite ability to wash away our degradations.
inhuman to salvage usable items from some wasteful persons refuse? please. your sensibilities have become like blinders.
It’s so savage to light a candle or close a curtain?
If we are humane, we judge less, have compassion and comprehension. We let go of the blinders and perhaps take on some of the responsibility.
Life is what it is and that may vary greatly for individuals. I’ve been poor. Even with the loss of my measly retirement, in the form of 401k managed stock options, this is the best year I’ve ever had financially. I work in healthcare, I’m not eating out of dumpsters yet, but if some dumb kid is going to toss out a $40 sweater…I’m on it. If someone sets a set of tv trays on the curb and I’ve been wanting some…I’ll load ‘em up. why should they go to a landfill when someone can use them?
As for those of you tossing out stuff that others can use…bless your neighbors and donate. There are people really hurting in this world for a few measly possessions, there are people hungry. consider what you are doing…do not waste. Donate. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.