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| Frugality You Can Live With
Need to remove wallpaper? Use liquid fabric softener. Sponge onto wall and remove after 20 minutes!
Use 1/2 Cup of vinegar to help preserve the color in clothes. Add this to your regular wash.
Before putting clothes in the dryer give them a good shake, this can help reduce energy costs.
Recycle greeting cards. Tear off the front and use as a postcard or place on a new card.
Set up a urn to collect rain water to use for plants and watering the garden. You can buy them for around $100 or try to make your own. A 5 gallon bucket works too but fills up quickly.
Dry clothes outside. You don't neccessary need a line. Be creative!
To get rid of Ants, use peppermint essential oil. Put 3-5 drops on windowsills, doorways and under kitchen sink. Put drops on card board.
Try to do local free entertainment. Open houses, craft fairs, festivals, carnivals, parades and more.
Pay your bills online, save postage, envelopes and time.
Get movies from the library, It's FREE!
Don't throw out brown sugar because it is hard. Place in microwave for 20 seconds and it is good as new.
Use an old shower curtain in your trunk when going to the plant store or hauling top soil in the bed of your truck. Remove and shake for an easy clean.
Check fridge for items that need to be consumed first and try to incorporate them in meals.
Desinate a shelf on the fridge to just leftovers. Try to use them first and make new meals out of leftovers.
Go slow on budget cuts, do it gradually and you will have a better chance at success.
Before you spend your paycheck, start writing on paper what you are going to spend it on. It will help you budget better when you realize where your money is going.
A window air conditioning unit should be placed on a shady side of the house. It will use less energy.
Skip the drying cycle on the dishwasher.
The most expensive food choices are placed at eye level when grocery shopping. Take a second to scan above and below for store brand names.
When washing the car outside use a bucket instead of running the hose. You can save gallons of water by doing this.
Add salt to water and use to get rid of rust stains.
We have a small chest freezer and sometimes it isn't very full. We fill plastic bags with ice and store the bags in the chest freezer. It comes in handy when we are filling a cooler or entertaining friends and need an ice bucket. It sure beats buying ice at the gas station!
I am not a fan of this but if you use the microwave instead of the stove and oven you can save about 65% on your gas/electric bills.
Replace bottled water with a reusable bottle you can fill with tap water.
Join a boot camp with family or friends instead of a personal trainer. You could save $4230.
Re-use plastic containers for leftovers. Examples: Sour cream containers, butter containers, Cool whip containers are nice size too.
Mix mustard with horseradish to make a spicy hot sauce.
To remove a wine stain sprinkle with salt right away. Run through wash cycle.
To remove wax let harden in the freezer for 24 hours. Scrape off and repeat if neccessary.
To remove a coffee stain apply a couple drops of white vinegar and water. Wash anytime.
To remove a chocolate stain apply enzyme detergent and 2 cups of water. Let stand for 20 minutes and wash.
Use lemon to clean the microwave. Heat water and 2 slices of lemon for 3 minutes on high. Let sit for 3 minutes. Steam will soften residue and eliminate od0rs.
A teaspoon of fabric softener rubbed into a washcloth takes the place of a dryer sheet.
Use old shower hooks in the closet to hang purses.
When the light bulb goes out, replace it with energy efficient bulbs, they can last several years longer and save money.
Drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water. Install a low flow shower head. You will save money on your water bill and you are helping save water!
Use Hulu.com to cut cable expenses. You can watch most episodes instantly with no commercials.
Kill weeds with boiling water. I am not sure I would try and do this myself but the idea of it seemed interesting. Just simply pour boiling water over the weeds or inbetween pathways or pavers and it should save you a trip to the garden center!
Use a low flow shower head. You will lower your water bill in a big way. A normal shower head uses 5 gallons of water per minute. A low flow shower head uses about 1.5 gallons per minute.
Check your cell phone bill. Most likely you might have a service you are paying for and never use. If you don't use text messaging most cell phone carriers set you up with text messaging on your plan and you don't know it. If your phone is not worth more than $50 cancel the insurance. Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and others charge you a $50 deductible on insurance for cell phones. Insurance can cost up to $10 a month per phone. You could save over $120 a year!
Instead of buying dressings and marinades, make your own from scratch. Basic ingredients can be olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard.
Don't skip high cost items like shrimp, just use less.
Buy fruits and vegetables in wholes not pre cut; slicing and dicing yourself is less expensive.
Turn off anything you are not using. Lights, phones, computers, TV's and unplug items you don't use all the time. Examples are electric can openers, lamps, tv's and other electronics. Do the same for battery operated items. Even if you are not using the item the battery is still being drained without power.
- Loose change lying around? Start saving the coins in an empty container and add to it. Once it is full reward yourself or hide it somewhere and start another container.
Create homemade solutions with inexpensive ingredients. Check my page Latest and Greatest page to make homemade products to use around the house.
Do you go to the farmer's market? Go early for best quality, go late before closing for best bargins.
Reuse dryer sheets, or combine 2 after use.
Make meals from scratch, you will save money and it should be healthier. Double your recipe and freeze one to eat later.
Energy saver! Use cold water in your laundry and turn down the temp on your hot water heater. Most households have the water heater higher than they need to have it.
Fill the kiddie pool, but when it's time to empty it, use the water for flowers, garden or a dry spot on the lawn.
Use dryer balls instead of fabric softener. Fabric softener is generally dyed and contains heavy scents. The dryer balls will bounce in the dryer and make the clothes fluffy. They last over 2 years and can save you over a hundred dollars.
When possible wash dishes by hand. You will save on water and electricity.
You can make a lot of the things you need from things you already have. Boxes are baskets or storage containers, old clothes become cleaning rags, patchwork quilts, or new clothes. Junk paper becomes notepads.
Wear your clothing until it needs to be washed. Don't throw it in the laundry because it's been off the hangar for a few hours. Washing clothes wears the fabric quickly.
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