When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch
Posted by Lynnae on April 3, 2008
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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 @ TheLocoMono, 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 @ Antishay, 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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80 Responses to “When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch”
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I am not a financial expert. I'm just a wife and mom doing the best I can to live a frugal life and get out of debt. Like any human, I make mistakes. I write this blog out of my own experiences, and nothing I write should be taken as expert advice. If you need financial advice, please consult a professional.
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“Turn off the engine and coast to a stop.”
I would remove this - depending on the car this may not be safe.
Excellent list.
Just found your blog and I think it’s great.
Wow, Lynnae! That’s absolutely fantastic.
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
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!
Holy smokes! That’s a HUGE list! Excellent work.
Thanks for including me, Lynnae.
Great list–thank you for putting it together.
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?
“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…
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!
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.
Great, great list Lynnae
I’m so pleased to be included
That’s a good long list. I wouldn’t live without a crockpot in the house
@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!
Fantastic list! Thanks for putting it together and including me.
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.
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.
Excellent tips! Thanks for doing this, Lynnae!
I appreciate the mention too!
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
What a great list! Thanks for including me.
Wow - very impressive list Lynnae! And it reminds me that I need to go put some beans in the crock pot…
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.
Great compilation! I’m linking it for my readers as well. Thanks!
Lynnae!! Great list!! I will be bookmarking!!
Furgal? Some of the suggestions indicate a level of mis-fortune and poverty. “dumpster-dive” get a life or better yet a second job!
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.
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.
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.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great tips!
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.
Close doors through out the house, saves heat and lets go of stress of issues.
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.
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.
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….
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.
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.
This is a seriously useful post.
It would be great if this could be made into an ebook.
Thanks for sharing.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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!!
Please see my comment policy for clarification.
http://beingfrugal.net/about/disclosure-policy/
Doesn’t it take more gas to turn on a car though?
Thank you for these tips.
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.
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.
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.
What a great list! Thanks for taking the time to compile this. There is something here for everyone.
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.