Lets share some tips on how to save on different things.
Honestly, now with the way things are with the gas prices and other stuffs prices raising up we should find ways to save somehow anywhere :yes

So I'm reading a book that gives you some ideas, some of them are like :wtf and some of them are like wow why didn't I think of that before! :duh

So lets share some tips...

-One of the tips I found on this book which I am so applying it to my self is to flat the toilet paper roll :lol Yes you read right! Step on it, flat it with your hands or whatever, that way when you or your kids are pulling the tp they wont just go with the flooooooow. I know I'm one to use looooots of tp, I seriously use way too much each time, so yeah my tp is now flat from now on, we will see :P

-You can make your own laundry soap (http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm) and also softener. I've never done it my self but I've heard really good reviews about it.

Mine is try to go to the store without Dh. :lol We usually spend a lot more money when he tags along.

Mine is try to go to the store without Dh. :lol We usually spend a lot more money when he tags along.

:lol True!!! Everytime dh comes with me to do the Grocery shopping he always go straight to the magazine section and of course he comes back with one of his magazines which cost almost $10!!

that flattening the toilet paper is a good idea! I'll have to try it!

I try not to go shopping on an empty stomach or else :pig

:hehe


I use half the amount of laundry detergent in my loads.

Shaky, share some more tips :please

Here's a silly thing I learned today. After 2pm, the Krispy Kremes at the gas station on the corner go down to 3 for 99cents! :shock :hungry

Good for the wallet, bad for the body. Soooooooo bad. :lmao

I avoid using my brakes if I can. Its something small, but I can milk a ton of out my gas tank just by changing the way I used to drive. If there is no one behind me on the way home, I just coast. I know there's a big turn up ahead that i have to slow down for, so whats the big hurry to waste gas to get there? I will start coasting wwaayy ahead of it so when I get there, I'm going the right speed to go around it. I've gained about 100 miles to my tank by doing little things like that.
I try to avoid annoying people, so if someone is behind me, I don't do it as early, but I still do it

Great tips!!

Oh I also found out a couple of years ago that Panera Bread at the end of the night they donate the left overs bread, I went there one night and bought one piece of bread and the girl gave me like 5! I was like :shock but :woohoo and she told me so :dunno


~Also here is a recipe for homemade fabric softener: I haven't try it yet but sure will!!

6 cups of water
3 cups of vinegar
2 cups of any hair conditioner

Mix this in a gallon container and stir. Do not shake, this will cause foaming. Pour a small amount into the rinse cycle.



~Plant! Make your own garden with lots of veggies and herbs. You know how expensive this ones can be!

I make stuff at home rather then go out. IE we will make pizza rather then buy it, i can usually get more bang for my buck if i make it rather then buy it. ( although sometimes I do splurge and buy little ceasers since they have 5 dollar pizza :lol)
I just try and buy generic for most things. Like generic toilet paper ( i buy the box of 45 rolls and it lasts forever... and its cheap lol)
with no commissary we just buy the store brand of stuff, like cereal, frozen veggies.. stuff like that. nothing too dramatic. lol

Great tips!!

Oh I also found out a couple of years ago that Panera Bread at the end of the night they donate the left overs bread, I went there one night and bought one piece of bread and the girl gave me like 5! I was like :shock but :woohoo and she told me so :dunno


-Also here is a recipe for homemade fabric softener: I haven't try it yet but sure will!!

6 cups of water
3 cups of vinegar
2 cups of any hair conditioner

Mix this in a gallon container and stir. Do not shake, this will cause foaming. Pour a small amount into the rinse cycle.
http://www.mommysavers.com/ Hope this helps someone :)
-Plant! Make your own garden with lots of veggies and herbs. You know how expensive this ones can be!


Thanks for sharing that!!! I think I might try that and see how it goes. Saves a lot of money on laundry thats for sure :)

Thanks to Shaky, I decided to surf the net and find more ideas and I found this site

I switched to vinegar/water for all cleaning needs. Either used full strength or mixed with something to enhance the cleaning power (like laundry detergent, dish detergent) and reduce the use of the expensive stuff.

I figure that instead of buying 409, lysol, etc and spending close to $200.00/year on all these cleaners I buy a few gallons of vinegar and spend, maybe, $20.00 all year round.

Debbie Meyer's green bags are AWESOME and they sell them at Walmart, now.
They really do work! However, you still have to watch the condition of your fruit because - though it slows the rotting process - the fruit still breaks down.
Strawberries, for example, after 2 weeks will start to get more tender and the skin will get real delicate and just tear real easily.
Bananas are the worst - 7 days is about as long as they truly store, past that I've found that the peel just falls away from the stem and it just falls apart.
BUT - if you can't eat a bunch of bananas in 1-week then you don't need to be buying them :lol

Mine is try to go to the store without Dh. :lol We usually spend a lot more money when he tags along.

Definitely agree with that! Right now we only have one car, and I don't drive it (it's a standard:blush) so he is ALWAYS with me. I can't wait until we get our second car in the next month or so, we'll be saving a lot of money!

Instead of buying hundred calorie packs...I buy big bags and just measure them out and put them in little baggies. You save a ton of money doing that. Plus eating the serving size of everything saves money plus pounds. :)

I switched to vinegar/water for all cleaning needs. Either used full strength or mixed with something to enhance the cleaning power (like laundry detergent, dish detergent) and reduce the use of the expensive stuff.

I figure that instead of buying 409, lysol, etc and spending close to $200.00/year on all these cleaners I buy a few gallons of vinegar and spend, maybe, $20.00 all year round.

Debbie Meyer's green bags are AWESOME and they sell them at Walmart, now.
They really do work! However, you still have to watch the condition of your fruit because - though it slows the rotting process - the fruit still breaks down.
Strawberries, for example, after 2 weeks will start to get more tender and the skin will get real delicate and just tear real easily.
Bananas are the worst - 7 days is about as long as they truly store, past that I've found that the peel just falls away from the stem and it just falls apart.
BUT - if you can't eat a bunch of bananas in 1-week then you don't need to be buying them :lol

I was wondering about those bags.

When fresh fruits go on special I buy lots of them, clean them and freeze them and then I use them for my drinks or smoothies.

Yes! I do that too - frozen fruit for smoothies :) LOVE IT .. toss some veggies in, too, and there you go - all your servings.
The green bags are great for lettuce, too.

I, too, buy in bulk and divide it up - we bought a deep freezer so we can stock it full of anything freezable. I love that. When we're tight on money we can still eat frozen veggies and stay healthy

i freeze and buy frozen fruit and vegetables alot more than the fresh ones... and buy in bulk and break it up at home.

i 2nd the dont go to the store hungry... thats costed me more than once LOL

Definitely agree with that! Right now we only have one car, and I don't drive it (it's a standard:blush) so he is ALWAYS with me. I can't wait until we get our second car in the next month or so, we'll be saving a lot of money!

sounds like me and my dh lol. i know how to drive it but i choose not to. it was fun at first now it's just.. annoying.

This is something very basic but I know I didn't really started doing it till a couple of days ago but when your brushing your teeth, don't let the water running!

Shaky, What is the name of the book you are reading to get tips?

-ride your bike! It's a great way to work out and run errands. I throw my library books in my backpack, and head off. No gas spent at all, plus it is good for the environment.

-vinegar all the way!

Buy in bulk, planning meals in advance. then you can watch sales and catch awesome deals

Shaky, What is the name of the book you are reading to get tips?

It's The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214673950&sr=8-1) I just started reading it so I'm not sure how good it is but it is a 900+ pages book. I'm sure at least some tips I can get from it :)

You could buy it but check on your library first to see if they have it! That's what I did :)


-Keep track of sales, it might seem like a lot of work now but in the long way it saves you tons of money! When the things you want are on sale, stock up! In this book it says that "not having money to stock up while items are on sale" is one of the most expensive mistake people make.

ooh this thread was meant for me! i'm super frugal. besides rent and bills it literally only costs me a couple hundred a month to live (but my df and i each pay our own way and we don't have kids or anything).

here's what I do:

-don't use anything disposable except for toilet paper. that means paper towels, kleenex, and anything used to clean that you have to replace is OUT (especially disposable things like swiffer heads, replaceable toilet bowl cleaners, etc.) i just use various rags and towels for different tasks, and wash them. this is also much better for the environment :)

-go grocery shopping more than once a week, and buy less than you think you will need. i found that if i buy the amount i think i will need some of it always goes bad before i can eat it. i'd rather go back to the store than waste food! oh and don't buy everything on your list just because you wanted it. be willing to adjust the list based on what is on sale! if eggs are on sale one week eat more of those than usual, if fruit is on sale another week eat more of that. also buy fresh instead of processed food. it is cheaper, better for you, and better for the environment. if it comes in a plastic container, don't buy it.

-buy expensive items like shampoo, conditioner, and lotion that you know you will need lots of in bulk online. my friends sometimes see inside our bathroom cabinets and think we're freaks, but oh well; we'll be laughing all the way to the bank when we can retire early!

-don't buy things on a whim, and when you go shopping, have a specific list of things you are going to buy. don't add on as you see things you want. my mom used to have this rule about clothes shopping: once you've tried something on and decided you want it, you can't buy it until the end of the shopping trip. i found that this way, if there were things you weren't quite sure about, you probably won't go back and get them, but the things you fell in love with you will always go back for! this weeds out some of the "impulse" purchases :)

:thumbsup The only way I buy cleaners like Lysol or swiffers or stuffs like that is if I get them for free :lol
You are right about the disposable! Use towels instead of paper towels. I should apply that more often.

I shop at the Dollar store for a lot of stuff like cleaning supplies, bleach and stuff like that.

I use bleach for all my cleaning needs(the cheaper the bleach the stronger it is usually). Also when cleaning the tub get some baking soda and vinegar for the soap scum.

Look at all the grocery store ads before going to the store. Make a list then shop based on the sales.

Furniture...Go to consignment shops. I got a REALLY nice Dinette that way. But I know people that really great things doing consignment shopping.

When department stores send you coupons, go shopping then. Sometimes the deals are GREAT. Also get on stores email list. You can catch GREAT deals that way also.

Never buy pre-packaged foods. Its overpriced for convenience.

:edit

Make friends with frugal people. Then you can share your ideas. :teehee

I havent tried this one yet but I am told to shop for produce at the farmers market.

I buy generic brand on some things. I can't tell a difference. Also, I have a check list for every pay check. That way I don't go off and buy something frivolous when I know there are things that are more important to purchase. That helps me a lot.

One that worked for us is shop with cash. Nothing else. No CC, no checks, nothing. If you don't have the money..you don't get it.

One that worked for us is shop with cash. Nothing else. No CC, no checks, nothing. If you don't have the money..you don't get it.


someone suggested that to me. I think I am going to try it.

I shop at the Dollar store for a lot of stuff like cleaning supplies, bleach and stuff like that.


Some things you could find cheaper at the dollar store but I usually find better deals at the regular store using coupons.

I usually pay around .50cents for cleaning stuffs like toilet cleaners, tooth paste are usually free, and things like that.

Some things you could find cheaper at the dollar store but I usually find better deals at the regular store using coupons.

I usually pay around .50cents for cleaning stuffs like toilet cleaners, tooth paste are usually free, and things like that.

WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE COUPONS!?!?!?!?!

It's The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214673950&sr=8-1) I just started reading it so I'm not sure how good it is but it is a 900+ pages book. I'm sure at least some tips I can get from it :)

You could buy it but check on your library first to see if they have it! That's what I did :)


-Keep track of sales, it might seem like a lot of work now but in the long way it saves you tons of money! When the things you want are on sale, stock up! In this book it says that "not having money to stock up while items are on sale" is one of the most expensive mistake people make.

The tightwad gazette is great! Man that book has been out forever, I remember reading it growing up, lol. There are a couple other ones by Amy Dacyzyn too

If you are trying to save on your electric bill dont turn it off when you wont be home for long periods of time just turn the temp way up. It cost more money when you shut the a/c off and it needs to restart to cool off.

I've recently started using vinegar/water in a spray bottle for most of my cleaning... my husband thinks it's weird, but I don't care.
When his family was coming to visit, I cleaned the guest bathroom with nothing but vinegar/water... and T went in there and was like "ew, did you use vinegar????"
But half an hour later, you couldn't smell it at all, and everything was sparkling.

I also cook a lot. Going out or buying convenience foods really adds up, so that's only for splurging. Also, something I just started is to freeze leftovers instead of just sticking them in the fridge.

If we put the leftovers in the fridge, we usually ended up eating them as lunches (and then our sandwich stuff would go bad!!), so by freezing them, we'll actually eat our regular lunch stuff, and have a "free" dinner or two later!

WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE COUPONS!?!?!?!?!

WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE COUPONS!?!?!?!?!

On the Sunday paper, blinkies @ the grocery store, commissary (my local grocery store allow competitors coupons so I can use them there too), online. Just look for coupons EVERYWHERE :lol The bestway to do it is matching manufacturer's coupons with the store coupons.
I use Grocery Game too which matches everything up for me and it's not just for grocery :)


The tightwad gazette is great! Man that book has been out forever, I remember reading it growing up, lol. There are a couple other ones by Amy Dacyzyn too

Jennifer I can tell the book has been around forever!! :lol You can still apply a lot to now days :)

I've recently started using vinegar/water in a spray bottle for most of my cleaning... my husband thinks it's weird, but I don't care.
When his family was coming to visit, I cleaned the guest bathroom with nothing but vinegar/water... and T went in there and was like "ew, did you use vinegar????"
But half an hour later, you couldn't smell it at all, and everything was sparkling.

I also cook a lot. Going out or buying convenience foods really adds up, so that's only for splurging. Also, something I just started is to freeze leftovers instead of just sticking them in the fridge.

If we put the leftovers in the fridge, we usually ended up eating them as lunches (and then our sandwich stuff would go bad!!), so by freezing them, we'll actually eat our regular lunch stuff, and have a "free" dinner or two later!

Emily, smelling vinegar and water I think would be waaaay better than suffocating your self with nasty strong detergents! This is something I still have to try but will surely do ASAP!

I also freeze foods. Specially for my self for when J is gone.

here are a few of mine:

I use dryer sheets more than once - sometimes up to 3 times before I throw them away.

I use dry face cloths to wash my face in the mornings- I cut them in 4th's so instead of 30 I get 120 face washes.

I never run the dishwasher unless it is full.

I add 1/4 water to dish soap, face wash ( my night time one) my shampoo and bath wash.

I make sweet tea from scratch by the gallon

I do not run my car AC unless it gets to be 95 degrees out.

here are a few of mine:

I use dryer sheets more than once - sometimes up to 3 times before I throw them away.

I use dry face cloths to wash my face in the mornings- I cut them in 4th's so instead of 30 I get 120 face washes.

I never run the dishwasher unless it is full.

I add 1/4 water to dish soap, face wash ( my night time one) my shampoo and bath wash.

I make sweet tea from scratch by the gallon

I do not run my car AC unless it gets to be 95 degrees out.

I also add water to the dish soap but I read somewhere to add salt to make sure it stay thick. It has work great!

On the Sunday paper, blinkies @ the grocery store, commissary (my local grocery store allow competitors coupons so I can use them there too), online. Just look for coupons EVERYWHERE :lol The bestway to do it is matching manufacturer's coupons with the store coupons.
I use Grocery Game too which matches everything up for me and it's not just for grocery :)


Our stinkin commy wont let us use 2 coupons for one item. I've tried it with every cashier there. :( They suck suck suck! That is why I can't save any money! The most I've saved on a large shopping trip was 9 freaking %. And I did the grocery game for the trial month, but we don't have enough money to stockpile right now so it really didn't help me out much. :( I buy the paper every week just to find 10 coupons that for things I don't even use. North Carolina SUCKS! It's so depressing! I'm trying so hard and have nothing to show for it.

Our stinkin commy wont let us use 2 coupons for one item. I've tried it with every cashier there. :( They suck suck suck! That is why I can't save any money! The most I've saved on a large shopping trip was 9 freaking %. And I did the grocery game for the trial month, but we don't have enough money to stockpile right now so it really didn't help me out much. :( I buy the paper every week just to find 10 coupons that for things I don't even use. North Carolina SUCKS! It's so depressing! I'm trying so hard and have nothing to show for it.

In this book that I'm reading it says that even if you have to cut on other things so you can stockpile while items are on special, to do it. It says that not stockpiling cause "we don't have money" is one of the more expensive mistakes people do.
Have you try shopping outside your commissary when things are on sale? Are you purchasing the major news paper for the big city? It could've been that one week that you bought it :dunno

In this book that I'm reading it says that even if you have to cut on other things so you can stockpile while items are on special, to do it. It says that not stockpiling cause "we don't have money" is one of the more expensive mistakes people do.
Have you try shopping outside your commissary when things are on sale? Are you purchasing the major news paper for the big city? It could've been that one week that you bought it :dunno

I buy it every week and clip the supersaver ones. There are 9 or 10 in there each week and here lately they have been the same coupons over and over. That's a good point about stockpiling! Now that we have a little extra money coming in I will start doing it again. Like yesterday, we went to food lion and stocked up on soda for my husband because he's just gotta have it once in a while and they were on sell for super duper cheap! Normally I only let him buy 2 twelve packs per paycheck and I make tea and koolaid. Should I buy a huge paper like the News and Observer? Because right now I just buy the sunday edition of the Jacksonville Daily News. We do shop outside of the commy but I don't know where to find store coupons either. Our foodlion rarely has them and I've yet to find any for walmart. I usually just check out what's on sale and compare it to the price of the same item at the commy. I keep a notebook of the prices of the things we buy on a regular basis to help me out.

I buy it every week and clip the supersaver ones. There are 9 or 10 in there each week and here lately they have been the same coupons over and over. That's a good point about stockpiling! Now that we have a little extra money coming in I will start doing it again. Like yesterday, we went to food lion and stocked up on soda for my husband because he's just gotta have it once in a while and they were on sell for super duper cheap! Normally I only let him buy 2 twelve packs per paycheck and I make tea and koolaid. Should I buy a huge paper like the News and Observer? Because right now I just buy the sunday edition of the Jacksonville Daily News. We do shop outside of the commy but I don't know where to find store coupons either. Our foodlion rarely has them and I've yet to find any for walmart. I usually just check out what's on sale and compare it to the price of the same item at the commy. I keep a notebook of the prices of the things we buy on a regular basis to help me out.

I'm not sure which one is the major paper on your area but you can always go to a Walgreens or Walmart and see which Sunday paper they have their, check to see if it has all the inserts before you pay for it.
I get coupons from the Sunday paper, commissary, blinkies from the local grocery store which is where I really do my shopping, you can always try to see if you find anything at good price on ebay by making a search for Smart Sorce insert, Red Plum inserts or P&G inserts. You can find loooots of coupons online as well. My local grocery accept coupons from other stores so I can use everything there.

I buy it every week and clip the supersaver ones. There are 9 or 10 in there each week and here lately they have been the same coupons over and over. That's a good point about stockpiling! Now that we have a little extra money coming in I will start doing it again. Like yesterday, we went to food lion and stocked up on soda for my husband because he's just gotta have it once in a while and they were on sell for super duper cheap! Normally I only let him buy 2 twelve packs per paycheck and I make tea and koolaid. Should I buy a huge paper like the News and Observer? Because right now I just buy the sunday edition of the Jacksonville Daily News. We do shop outside of the commy but I don't know where to find store coupons either. Our foodlion rarely has them and I've yet to find any for walmart. I usually just check out what's on sale and compare it to the price of the same item at the commy. I keep a notebook of the prices of the things we buy on a regular basis to help me out.

Ooh, if you're buying soda, try switching to 2 liters instead of cans. It's way cheaper.

They also had the 12pk for $2 at the commissary which I think is a good deal.

Heres another saving option. I learned this from my mom...If you use dryer sheets rip them in half. You really only need 1 half of the dryer sheet to do the job

Good luck.