Please submit your favorite frugal/thrift (not cheap) tips. I distinguish cheap as that which is done to save money at the expense of others (i.e., stiffing a waitress of her tip or stealing hotel room items...CHEAP!).
One recent frugal tip that I did this past month was to write an email to request coupons from my favorite cheese manufacturer. They mailed me 4 coupons for $1 off, and threw in one FREE purchase to boot. I use their cheese as frequent as is feasible, but it's not cheap in our local grocery stores. I told them that as much as I love their cheese, it's not economical for me to buy very often, so I have been left to buy it for special occassions, like when I have guests over. I have recruited quite a few folks to their cheese. (You are all probably wondering what cheese I'm referring to: Boursin, Gournay Cheese with garlic and fine herb flavoring).
Buy online overstock/clearance items from high end stores. I recently found several items from Lands End for less than what I'd pay at Walmart, but rather than cheap quality, they are well made and in classic styles that will endure for years rather than for a season. Also, avoid buying trendy pieces, rather go trendy on small ticket items like accessories that can update a classic, enduring article of clothing.
Check out the scratch and dent section of the grocery store for canned and boxed food items. For perishables, you can consider the day old baked goods and freeze them for later use. I do this with meats and produce that is discounted for quick sell. I immediately will prepare it (i.e., portion out meat servings, cut up fruits and veggies, and then freeze them for later use). I also will make a big pot of beans or grains and portion them out into one cup servings and freeze them for meals. Saves me time and money! When I have leftovers I will do likewise, portion out a serving or two for a meal later. I find that others are more inclined to eat leftovers if some time has passed before you reintroduce the food again. Also, I will use leftovers to make a stew, soup, or casserole.
About Me
- Christine
- (Hudson Valley area), New York, United States
- Born and raised a country girl in a small town in Southern Oregon, I am the 5th of 7 children. I have a fraternal twin brother who was born just 3 minutes before me(he instead is the “middle child”). On our birthday I like to remind him that I am two hours and fifty-seven minutes older than his is, as he lives on the West Coast, and I live on the East Coast, a three hour time difference. My dad is a cowboy from Oklahoma and my mom is from Northern California. My name means “anointed” and my middle name means “oath of God”. I am a direct descendant of William and Susanna White (through Peregrine White’s line) who came to America aboard the Mayflower. I am primarily English and Cherokee Indian, with a bit of Irish. I am married to a man who loves God and together we have a beloved son, who I consider to be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
My Photography...
Cape Cod: Sunset at Paine's Creek, Brewster, MA
Cape Cod: Grist Mill in Brewster, MA
Cape Cod: Grist Mill in Brewster, MA
Ferry Ride Back From Martha's Vineyard: A Bird's Eye View
Cape Cod: Martha's Vineyard
7 comments:
Utilize the library for books. It may save you a bundle once you check it out in greater depth and find it's not really what you thought it would be. On the other hand, if it's a keeper, then you will know that it's a purchase worth making to put it in your home library. Also, be sure to borrow FREE video rentals from the library. You can request videos from other surrounding libraries in your county as well. So you're not limited to what's on the shelf at your neighborhood site. Also, many libraries do book sales for super cheap prices. People in our community donate their unused books and the library resells them for .25 to .50 each, sometimes they even sell CDs, DVDs and videos, and I have seen some things in their free bin too. You never know!
In Tennessee they had a Friends of the Library book sale. I volunteered to work the sales when I could, and the perk they make available is to have preview the day before of any purchases you wanted. Plus, they would give you discounts. Worth looking into. Our FoL group even made it available to check out (review in advance) any incoming donations, and purchase them if you wanted them, return them if you didn't want them. It was a check-out hand written system, but it worked. I got some real gems that way! Before they get picked over by the public.
Another great tip for avid book readers is to look for titles online. Some books are posted and can be read in their entirety or at least a good amount of the book. Sometimes that little bit of the book is all that I was wanting to read about anyways.
Book swap with friends and co-workers. The library thing is done here too... books and videos.
If my brain ever starts functioning properly again I'll try to post some other ideas... right now tho' I think I've used up my allotment for the day.
Thanks for sharing!
Cook several servings(LARGE BATCHES)at a time, which can be frozen, as was already stated, saves on fuel to cook all at once.
Use homemade mixes instead of store-bought. It is healthier ... & cheaper. (Look for Make-a-Mix online for recipes)
Cook from SCRATCH instead of sore-bought items. Keep Basic staples on hand to use.
I love the FoL sales. That's where I get most of my books now. They're like .25-$1.00, can't beat it. My favorite authors always get my business, but only once they've hit paperback. Since I can't wait that long to read the books though, I do rely heavily on the library. They know me too well there, lol.
Here are a couple of sites that I got in a Newsletter that I get.
The Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living
http://snipurl.com/frugalzen
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When Times are Tight: 168 Frugal Tips to Make Your Dollar Stretch
http://tinyurl.com/cvfpcj
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