The Top Ten Most Frugal Things I Do

I have to laugh at this post because I thought a more appropriate title may be “The Top Ten Ways I Annoy My Husband”.  I always say I am frugal in select ways so that we can spend more money on other things we love to do.  With that being said, some of my frugal ways annoy my husband so much and all I can do is laugh, and say I’m saving money so we can spend it on something better! 

1.        I get every last drop out of every condiment bottle possible.  My favorite is the ketchup bottle and I blame my Mom for this because she does it all of the time!  You will often see a ketchup bottle turned upside down on a new bottle to ensure I got it all out! 

2.       For shampoo and soap bottles, I like to also use every last drop!  I often rinse these out in the sink and use the water to wash my intimates (especially bras).  Is this wrong?  I haven’t a clue, I had read somewhere that using shampoo is the same as using a delicate detergent?  Don’t quote me on that!

3.       I’m a Facebook garage sale site junkie.  I will try and sell anything possible on those sites.  I do keep track of my monthly sales to see just how much I sell every month.

4.       I reuse shopping bags to hold trash in all of the bathroom garbage cans and our recycle cans.  I do not buy garbage bags for these receptacles.  I call this one, saving the environment.  However, I refuse to throw out any shopping bags and my storage area (top of the basement steps) is often exploding with bags waiting to be used (oh yeah, this annoys my husband)!

5.       I pack my work lunches at least 4 days a week.  When you think about how much you can spend on lunch a day ($5-$10), this is a savings of over $900 a year!  I normally grab leftovers out of the Friday or buy a bag of salad that lasts me 2-3 days. 

6.       We normally only eat out as a family one day per week.  I would cut it down to less, but my husband does not let me know.  It frustrates me that I know I can make dinner for about $10 at home and a normal sit down restaurant will cost this family of 5 between $40 - $50 with a tip (and a 10 year old who also eats an adult meal). 

7.       If I shop online at stores that are local to me (Kohl’s, Target, Old Navy, etc), I will add extra items to my cart just to get free shipping.  I then normally return items to the store that I do not want. 

8.       I trade in clothes to local kids resale shops and then use the store credit to buy new clothes for my daughter.  Normally if you choose store credit, the store will give you a percentage more than if you took the cash.  I just completed a transaction this weekend, they were offering me $18 cash or $26 store credit.  I took the store credit and got my daughter two outfits, two dresses, and a top (all pink of course)!

9.       I wash straws. Yes sometimes I do.  You know kids sometimes they take one sip out of a straw and then they are done.  I wash them and reuse them.

10.   I reuse dryer sheets on laundry day (or I cut them in half).  I only use the laundry sheets to reduce the static, I could care less about the scent.  I find they are good for 3-4 loads of laundry.  You do have to find them in the previous load, but hey it is worth the effort.  If my husband does the laundry and I fold it, I’ll pull out those sheets too for the next time I do laundry!

There you have it!  My next list will have to be the top ten things I splurge on, that should be fun!

What We Did On Our July 4th Staycation

We had a wonderful, long July 4th weekend.  The weather was beautiful, it was HOT but only rained after we went to bed two nights in a row.  We did some fun things as a family and kept the budget low!

First we took in a day at our local Zoo.  The boys love seeing all the animals.  We packed a pinic lunch of sandwiches, fruit, and chips.  It made the day pleasant and enjoyable!

On another day, we were able to visit a community pool that my parents belong too.  It was hot. 85-90 degrees, but it didn't seem to bother us.  We had a blast playing in the water and going down the water slide!  My oldest who just made it to 48" went down the waterslide for about 4 hours straight!  He even managed to have his Grandma go down with him a few times!  Admission was free since we were guests of my Mom.  We packed snacks and drinks to enjoy during the rest periods.  We then enjoyed dinner with my parents!

We enjoyed swiming so much, we were able to take in one more day at a different community pool that my husband's parents are members!  We then enjoyed some pulled pork sandwiches back at their house!

The final day was 4th of July!  We had a picnic with my family and then of course, Fireworks!  This was the first time my youngest experienced fireworks and he loved it!  We also did some sparklers which was interesting with 2 young children, but well worth it!

I hope everyone had a fun-filled 4th!

Frugal Tips - Ways to Improve Fuel Economy

So the current national average for gasoline is $3.113 for regular.  Yikes - how does it get so high?  Unfortunately, gas where I live is at the $3.13/gallon, above the national average.  I know it is difficult to control how much you spend on gas, especially when the majority of your fuel is for commuting to and from work.  However, here are some tips to increase your fuel economy!

1.  Set your cruise control to 55 mph - The faster you drive, the more aerodynamic drag increases and fuel economy decreases.

2.  Drive off promptly to prevent wasting fuel - Don't let your car "warm" up.

3.  Use your gears wisely - using the highest gear is the most efficient.

4.  Fill up with a lower-octane gasoline - premium gasoline won't help your fuel economy.

5.  Keep your tank above one third full - this insures a steady stream of gas making your engine more efficient.

6.  Tires effect fuel efficiency - worn out tires decrease fuel economy.

7.  Replace air filters - if filters are clogged it causes your engine to work harder.

8.  Plan your trips more wisely - don't run and do 1 errand at a time, combine them.

9.  Tighten up that gas cap - this will ensure gasoline vapors cannot escape.

10.  When  you can walk or bike!

Frugal Tips - Ways to Reduce Your Energy Bills

The colder months are here are some tips for insulating your home better . . .


1.  Apply Weather Stripping to doors and windows.

2.  Insulate outlets and light switches.

3.  Install a programmable thermostat and set it to turn down the thermostat at night and when you are gone.

Saving Money With Your Water . . .

1.  Install a tankless water heater.

2.  Insulate your water heater,, just make sure that you don’t cover up important pieces of the heater such as the thermostat and the air intake.

3.  Wash clothes in warm or cold water.

Appliances are your biggest energy sucker. Use these tips to reduce the energy they use:

1.  Pack the dishwasher. Don’t over pack it, but make sure that you never run the dishwasher for three or four plates and some silverware.

2.  Air Dry Large pots, pans, and dishes. These take up a lot of room in the dishwasher, and you’ll use it less if you dry these items yourself.

3  .Buy appliances with the Energy Star sticker on them.

4.  Use the microwave or toaster oven to re-heat food. Don’t use the oven just to re-heat something. It uses much more energy to heat up.

Pantry & Freezer Staples for Frugal Cooking

We all know its 6 pm and what are we going to have for dinner? With work schedules, school, sports, and activities our lives as families can be very hectic! It is all too tempting to run through the drive thru and pick up a quick meal for the family. In our house, we normally do not do fast food on a regular basis. It is normally a treat and usually only occurs about once a month. Below are some items I keep on hand at all times in my pantry and freezer that can easy create a quick and easy family dinner!
Freezer:
Lean Ground Beef
Chicken Breasts
Corn
Carrots
Diced Onions
Pantry:
Spaghetti Noodles
Spaghetti Sauce
Egg Noodles
Tomato Sauce
Chicken Broth
Beef Broth
Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Paste
Canned Corn
Bread Crumbs
Taco Shells

I find that having these items on hand, I can often create a quick and easy meal with other items in the refrigerator or freezer or use the items just by themselves! I can quickly make Tacos, Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, Spaghetti, Chicken Parmesan, Skillet Lasagna, and much more!

Being Frugal and Making it Work

So I found (or they found me) this amazing website called Being Frugal and Making it Work!  Every week they host Fantastic Frugal Fridays where other bloggers can share their Frugal Posts and Frugal Tips!  Well thanks to my posting I won FREE AD SPACE on the site!  I encourage you to hop on over there and check out what Bridget and JR have to offer!  JR and Bridget are both stay-at-home moms and manage their budgets with a frugal hand!

Thanks also for everyone for visiting my site from Being Frugal and Making it Work!  Check out some of my frugal posts here:

What We Did on Our Christmas Vacation
Why This Christmas was Less Stressful
2011 Grocery Budget

and my series, Going From Two Incomes to One!

Make Your Own Foamy Handsoap

WOW - I just calculated that I will save about $57 a year because I found this easy recipe to make your own foamy handsoap.  Now for some reason my husband and I were very particular and we had to have Bath & Body Works Foam Hand Soap in our kitchen.  That is what we like best.  But last week I did a little experiment and it worked!

Using this recipe on Cutting Coupons in KC I found out that I could make my own foamy handsoap for almost nothing!  We had just finished the container of Bath & Body Works, so I made my own using Dawn Hand Renewal in the Bath & Body Works dispenser.  The best part is I just got 4 of these FREE from CVS with $1 off coupons!  I told NO ONE in my house and the new soap has been in use for over a week and no one has noticed a change, not even me!

So I figured out that we used one of these about every 3 weeks.  I normally buy these for 3 for $10, so over the course of the year, I will save over $57, sorry Bath & Body Works!  I just may replace all my soaps with this recipe!