Comments on: When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch

By: bart

bart — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:19:51 +0000

Why do you have an amazon referral link for coffee when you are suggesting *not* to buy coffee ???

By: Interesting reading… – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks

Interesting reading… – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:47:41 +0000

[...] When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch – “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…” [...]

By: JStone

JStone — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:32:00 +0000

Well, the cultural differences between my Chinese wife and I seem to extend into the shower.

I like to use a soap with a pleasant fragrance to it. However my wife and her mother insist on a cake of soap with an odour resembling some kind of harsh industrialised detergent.

I don’t know where they find this soap, but it certainly wouldn’t sell in a Coles or a Woolworths.

Every time I get near it I get an idea of what life would have been like in those concentration camps in China during the cultural revolution. This is really harsh soap that leaves one feeling that their body has been stripped of all vital moisture. It is certainly not a luxury item.

In any case, its always there in the shower, whether I like it or not.

In order to get around this, I recently purchased a bottle of body shampoo, as something that I could use and at least feel like I had a real showever.

The day after I purchased it, the bottle went missing.

When I asked my wife what happened to it, she quickly ran to the bathroom. She returned with an old handwash bottle.

She then proudly stated that her mother diluted the contents of my bottle, and got to fill four old handwash bottles.

When I told her that it was for me to use in the shower, she looked at me strangely and said, “why would you use that in the shower? We already have soap!”

By: frugal gal

frugal gal — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:55:50 +0000

If your doctor wants to write you a prescription, even better than using generics is using free samples that your doctor has. Just ask if he/she has any samples. Doctors get them from pharmaceutical sales reps.

Oh, and be sure to understand your medical benefits. For instance, if you have managed care (and most of us do), make sure to go to an in-network provider.

By: Neil Bartlett

Neil Bartlett — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:30:31 +0000

Really wonderful post Lynnae – such useful information!
Buy condiments and oils in bulk as well. A tiny jar of olive oil is pricey but a big jug – while maybe not quite as special – is much cheaper. You can keep the tiny jar for entertaining and appetizers.
Thank you.

By: C J

C J — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:41:06 +0000

Awesome list. I am a sahm, homeschooler, student and wife. With one income the budget can get tight at times. These are some great tips.
One thing our family does, is turn something old into something new. We take old t- shirts and make reuseable grocery bags. With old jeans- we make purses (and sell),reusable grocery bags and jean skirts.
Personaly- I am enjoying the recession. As a buddhist living in american society I am glad to see many more going to more simple ways of living. Life should be about great conversation, friends, family, memories.Not so much about materialist things.

By: Antares

Antares — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:24:34 +0000

You should probably remove “turn car off at lights”: starting a car requires far more energy than the minute or so of idling at a light. Otherwise, what an awesome list!

By: Anoma

Anoma — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:33:20 +0000

Lynnae, I think your website is great, it offers awesome tips on saving which work well when you have a family to feed and buy clothes for. I am single, working with no children and I find that gives no reason to go out and squander money. I noticed a comment from Ellen Moans who obviously doesn't have children to look out for. Ellen dear, its not always about sacrificing or doing without, its about being able to do the same things you are doing now for less. Its about shopping smart and finding bargains for everything you buy. Anoma’s last blog post..Are Banks Our Friends?

By: Ellen Moans

Ellen Moans — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:26:01 +0000

Why don’t people just bury yourselves in the ground now and be done with it. Tips such as ‘don’t go’ out are great money savers, great for the planet, not so great for having fun. Don’t forget to have a life! :)

By: Ima

Ima — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:01:00 +0000

After doing all of these tips for years and still having trouble making the ends meet, buy a black market counterfeiting machine and make your own money. Much simpler, and your social life will improve.