Frugal Ideas and Household Hints

[Lord Snot]

I almost always eat the skins and some stems of fruits and veggies. I try to use up every part of them. I cringe everytime I see someone peel a piece of produce and throw it away.

I agree. Broccli and cauliflower stalks are good too, especially in curry.

 

[I Heart Corey Haim!!]

1....I always shop sales, clearence and with COUPONS....always COUPONS!!
2....I repurpose and recycle anything and everything....
3....I use the envelopes from junk mail ect to write my shopping lists on and carry my coupons to the store and then use as a book mark and/or recycle them.
4...the plastic containers that the yakisoba noodles come in...I re-use as paint trays for when I am painting on canvas, walls, or benches ect outside....
5...when shopping and out of sale items I always get rainchecks to be used at a later date.
6....shop at thrift stores, garage sales, rummage sales, flea markets.....great deals and great fun!!
7...I do swaps with friends.....clothing, books, vhs & dvds, shoes, purses, ect and I always ask to borrow from friends before I buy new....
8...when shopping and its the end of the night I always ask about end of night discounts on foods and pastries....I once got family pizzas for 99 cents a piece....sweet
9...ask for a discount if packaging is damaged....I once got a sweet deal on a pasta maker for my sweetie they took 50% off and I had a 20% off discount/.....so it was a great deal and all I had to do was ask.
10...when a product changes packaging...look for a reduced table 9 times outta 10 they reduce the product just cause of the older packaging....I got awesome deals on cereal that way.
11...share magazine subscriptions with friends and then donate to doctors and dentists office/healing center and I sometimes swap with doctors and dentists/healing centers too.
12...I price match wherever I can and use a coupon with that.
13....I sign up and use all loyalty cards and deals with that.
14...when I cook I supersize the cooking like instead of only cooking a few veggies I cook tons....I do the cooking once eat thrice kinda dealie and have them in the fridge wating for quick meals sammies, tacos,quesidillas.
15...buy in bulk when on sale and freeze.....I love brownberry bread but I dont love the $4.29 price so when its on sale B1G1 Free I stock up and always know I have it on hand.....I do that w/alot of items...oh wait espically fake meats too, butter marg, frozen veggies, pposicles, ect............anything I can.
16...I look at drugstores for deals on food, tolietries ect and use my loyalty cards.
17....I love the dollar tree.....love it for many items at a great price and some I didnt know I wanted till I got there....I have found some great deals on books, dvds ect....
18..I dont do this but have been there when friends make their own cleaners, laundry soap, dish soap, fab soft, fab soft sheets, they use soap nuts and make organic shampoo w/them.....I dont do this and dont plan too but its eco and cost effective and they like to do it.
19...I use eco friendly re-useable dryer sheets.
20....I do buy and consume bottled water due to severe allergies and stomach issues w/tap water but I use a re-useable mug and use as less as possible.
21...we grow a gynormus organic garden in the summer and we consume a ton of it in salads, stir frys, ect....we dehydrate veggies and make our own meals for rides and walks, can them.....we use them in everyway possible.....when we dont have a plentiful garden in winter and are growing hydroponically....I stock up on frozen veggies
22...we check out local farms for cage free free range eggs and other goodies.
23...I always use gas loyalty programs....cause gas prices are ouch....I get money off gas and freebies,....last month it was a snapple, energy drink, and a small bag of doritos...sweet!!
24...when traveling and to reduce my carbon footprint I fly nonstopwhen possible.
25...I got this from all you magazine I keep a boxx of s shaped shower curtain rods on hand for hanging delicates after washing to drip dry on curtain rod.
26....I compost anything and everything to show love to my soil.

thats all I can think of this morning....more later I am sure....

peace, love and sunshine-ey days

 

[Moll Flanders]

^ Great tips!

I love the 99p shop. They have some really nice stuff in there.

 

[I Heart Corey Haim!!]

^ Great tips!

I love the 99p shop. They have some really nice stuff in there.

thankies and soooo agree some really nice stuff...

I agree. Broccli and cauliflower stalks are good too, especially in curry.

I am the worst about this....I dont eat the stalks of veggies I cut them off and my sweetie eats them off my plate.....soooo bad I know.....lol!!

peace

 

[I Heart Corey Haim!!]

heres a few more I thought of....

1....brown bag to school and work and volunteer work.
2...I love to eat out but always with a coupon/sale/deal/promotion.
3...carpool when available....walk, or ride bike to save gas.
4...I always shop after sales and stock up on gifts for my gift closet and to donate.
5...always keep a few gifts like candles, candy, that I get for free or pennies w/coupons.. cause you never know who will be a suprise arrival....and need a gift for.
6...I always shop with a list and stick to the list.
7...I dont buy rags....I rip up old t-shirts and use those when they are ratty enough to be pitched in trash.
8...use postcards friends send as bookmarks.
9...use k-cups that are not recycleable to start my seedlings before they go in my garden.
10....I use comics, posters, bandanas, tablecloths ect as wrapping paper.
11....or I dont use any wrapping paper and give the gift in a green bag...and give two gifts technically.
12...reuse mailers, boxxes and the guts(peanuts bubble wrap ect) to mail packages to family and friends.
13...declutter and sell what you dont need or want anymore.
14....I have a day rule...if there is something I wanna buy I give myself 24 hours to really decide if I need it or its just an impulse buy that I wont use or will just collect dust.

have a hippie day

 

[Amy SF]

WOW Jenn what a lot of great ideas! *thumbs up* thank you for that!

 

[mlp]

I buy the large plastic storage containers to use as cat litter boxes. I cut an opening in the side for ingress/egress. If you use the lid, it becomes a covered litterbox. Much cheaper and much better sizes than what's sold as litterboxes. They're high enough so that if you have a cat(s) that don't squat properly when peeing, the pee is still contained.

If you keep chickens, it's much cheaper to buy sacks of different grains and mix them yourself than buying commercially mixed *scratch*, which tends to consist mainly of the cheaper grains and is vastly overpriced.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I might do that idea for the litter tray, some of my cats seem to miss the target occasionally.

 

[mlp]

I also keep at least one where I cut holes in two sides, for those kitties who have been waylaid by a mischief maker while in the litterbox - they seem to like having an escape route, and who can blame them.

 

[I Heart Corey Haim!!]

WOW Jenn what a lot of great ideas! *thumbs up* thank you for that!

bigg THANKIES Amy

I have a few more....

1....if I happen to use disposeable dryer sheets which I normally dont...I re-use them as dust cloths.
2...always go to sale and clearence racks first in any store....they are usually in the back of the store...and some stores let you pair a coupon w/the marked down items which makes the deal even better.
3...I stopped buying DVDs of movies I only intend to watch once they only collect dust on my shelves and I saw how much money I wasted when I donated some to sell at my local animal welfares sidewalk sale.
4...I group my errands together so I can get them done in one day and not waste gas.
5...only go to the movies during sale times at my local theatre before noon its $5.00 and before 6 p.m. $7.50.....I only go when I have a deal like movie cash for freebie movie tickets or concessions from grocery purchases or a buy a ticket get a coke coupon which pop out at my local grocery stores in the summer.
6...save change and use for vacation, rainy day, something fun or to help pay bills.
7....I use every part front/back of post-its and paper products.....dont ever wanna waste a trees life
8....try not to use disposeable products as much as possible like napkins, tp, plates, cups, paper towels ect...

funny story I was asked by friends if I ever suffer from frugal fatigue....lol....no way I am not fatigued by saving money and being and living frugal actually it energizes me and makes me wanna come up with more ways to do it.

peace, love and go green!!

 

[I Heart Corey Haim!!]

1...when I buy a cake for a special occasion and the bakery decorates it w/plastic items like stars, hearts, sports stuf....I wash them and keep them to use them to decorate on future baked goods.
2...take short showers and dont leave the water running while brushing my teeth...conserve water always!!

peace

 

[SummerRain]

Not peeling vegetables is a great frugal tip that GingerFoxx reminded me of. People throw away so much edible material, along with many of the vitamins and minerals which are found in highest concentrations right under the skin. Aside from the obvious ones like potatoes and carrots, you don't even need to peel squashes. Butternut squash, for example, has a yummy skin that adds a more interesting texture.

This is what I would do, if my boyfriend didn't refuse to eat carrots that aren't pealed I like squash skin too, yum.

I always save gift bags that are given to me, to reuse with friends. I think most people do that, once a group of friends passed one around for years lol. My mum used to unwrap presents neatly and keep that too, but I get too excited about gifts for such restraint!

My family have always been frugal, even though we didn't need to be, so it just seems normal for me to do money saving things. I was at somebodies house and saw they had branded tinned tomatoes and I swear I thought no one was mad enough to spend like £1.50 on a tin of tomatoes when the basics ones taste the same and cost like 29p! Some things I spend lots of money on, things where I think it matters, but I save where it doesn't matter to even things out.

I sew a lot, and I find that in curtain/shower curtain areas of department stores (or shops) sometimes they have the fabric they use for display or the curtains they use for display for sell really cheap, which is great for sewing. I got a half price piece of blue oilcloth with white spots last week I have already made a really pretty pencil case, with a zip I got at a car boot sale for 20p and two buttons that were given to me, the whole thing cost me less than 50p

 

[Dropkick]

I keep everything I cut off of a vegetable and don't use (onion skins, carrot ends, woody asparagus ends, green bean ends, cabbage centers, broccoli stalks, cauliflower stalks, mushroom stalks, green onion ends, wilting lettuce leaves, any part of any vegetable (except potatoes - to much starch)) I wash them, then freeze them until I've built up enough to use. Then I simmer them for an hour or more. Let it sit till it cools some and then strain it. I freeze my new vegetable stock in 1 cup sizes in plastic bags, and put the cooked vegetable parts in my compost pile.

 

[Lord Snot]

I keep everything I cut off of a vegetable and don't use (onion skins, carrot ends, woody asparagus ends, green bean ends, cabbage centers, broccoli stalks, cauliflower stalks, mushroom stalks, green onion ends, wilting lettuce leaves, any part of any vegetable (except potatoes - to much starch)) I wash them, then freeze them until I've built up enough to use. Then I simmer them for an hour or more. Let it sit till it cools some and then strain it. I freeze my new vegetable stock in 1 cup sizes in plastic bags, and put the cooked vegetable parts in my compost pile.

I've tried that before, and it was absolutely tasteless. Where am I going wrong?

If you have to add loads of seasoning and spices I think you may as well buy some :/

 

[Dropkick]

I've tried that before, and it was absolutely tasteless. Where am I going wrong?

If you have to add loads of seasoning and spices I think you may as well buy some :/

Some people add spices to their stock mixes or a bouquet garni (kind of a teabag of herbs), but I never have.
You might be simmering in too much water. I start with just enough to cover the vegetables and very seldom add any more, as the vegetables will add their juices.
If you start with too much water, you can also overcook when trying to reduce and as many vegetable flavors are fairly delicate you can destroy them.
Or you might be boiling instead of simmering (simmer is just barely bubbling) this does the same as overcooking.
It might also be your vegetable mix. It should be fairly varied. Also I've found mushroom stalks add quite a bit to the flavor (I use a lot of mushrooms in my cooking so I usually end up with quite a bit in my veg. mix)

 

[I Heart Corey Haim!!]

I just had a book exchange....fam, friends co-workers get together for coffee, dinner, drinks and exchange books.....i read alot and get books at such awesome deals but when I am done reading them I want them gone.....lol....I donate to book mobile ect but this is fun too.

peace

 

[SummerRain]

I keep everything I cut off of a vegetable and don't use (onion skins, carrot ends, woody asparagus ends, green bean ends, cabbage centers, broccoli stalks, cauliflower stalks, mushroom stalks, green onion ends, wilting lettuce leaves, any part of any vegetable (except potatoes - to much starch)) I wash them, then freeze them until I've built up enough to use. Then I simmer them for an hour or more. Let it sit till it cools some and then strain it. I freeze my new vegetable stock in 1 cup sizes in plastic bags, and put the cooked vegetable parts in my compost pile.

That sounds like a really good idea. I thought you weren't meant to freeze things twice though? :s

 

[led.boots]

I've tried that before, and it was absolutely tasteless. Where am I going wrong?

If you have to add loads of seasoning and spices I think you may as well buy some :/

I do a similar thing as I like to have stock in the freezer. I saute onions first, then add celery, especially leaves, carrot hunks, and saute a little. Then I chuck everything, including all leftover frozen veggies, in a pot with some water and a bouquet garni with whatever herbs I have that look good. And salt, if you don't have that it will taste flat. I freeze the stock in ice trays for little servings and then pop them into a freezer bag. Bigger servings I just freeze in containers. I use this in everything, often adding wine and/or sauteed garlic.

 

[Dropkick]

That sounds like a really good idea. I thought you weren't meant to freeze things twice though? :s

Refreezing can effect flavor, texture, and moisture content in foodstuffs. If we were dealing with meat we'd also have to be worried about bacteria growth if it was left at 40°F–140°F (4°C–60°C) for 2 or more hours. With vegetables we normally only have to worry about losing crispness and ending up with a soggy mess.

But this isn't refreezing, so you don't have to worry about any of this, as what you're actually doing is using a frozen product (the vegetable leftovers) to create another product (the broth) and then freezing that second product once.

 

[ledboots]

This site has a great list of ideas on how to make your food last longer without spoiling. http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/27-ways-to-make-your-groceries-last-as-long-as-pos?s=mobile