Cheapskate Tips!

[Kingschild]

I just found this...


Rose Skin Toner
By: Pioneer Thinking

3 1/2 cups witch hazel
1/2 cup dried rose petals
5 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Mix ingredients together making sure it is all blended well. Strain. Splash on your face after cleaning skin.

[Irishnonee]

i use bleach to clean the toilet. i use suave shampoo and dilute that and use for body scrub. i only buy the weekend paper and go online and read the rest of week's paper.

[Kingschild]

This looks wonderful. I never buy good smelling bath stuff...so this would be a treat.

Ocean Blue Bath Salt Recipe
By Pioneer Thinking

1 cup epsom salt
1 cup baking soda
4 drops blue food coloring
3 drops Jasmine essential/ fragrance oil
4 drops vanilla essential/ fragrance oil
2 tablespoons liquid glycerin (skin moisturizer) (optional)

Combine dry ingredients, mix well. Add color and scents one at a time. Keep stirring until mixed well. Break up any clumps. Keep mixing until you have a semi fine powder. Add glycerin and mix well.

[Kingschild]

Okay, Raini -

This is what I did...

Mixed equal parts of water, alcohol and vinegar in a spray bottle.
Let my 3 year old squirt away on the floor, then I swiffered it up. It worked great! I've used all sorts of things (including the expensive laminate cleaner) and this is the best thing I've found. Mainly because it drys very quickly. And there are no streaks. There were always streaks with the other cleaners - drove me crazy! LOL

I have a big garden spray bottle that holds 24oz. So I measure 8 oz. of each ingredient. It should last a really long time.

[SnowWhite]

Save your old plastic bags from the grocery store and use them to line your small wastebaskets.

[chel]

Okay, first off, Mysti--I LOVE THIS THREAD!!!! I've been a Flybaby for about three months now, and I'm always on the lookout for money saving tips. Rest assured my family will be using quite a few of these tips!!

Here are a few of mine...

I hated mopping my kitchen floor, I'd fill a bucket with the expensive floor cleaner (my mom bought from Sam's for me to try), then push around dirty water with a dirty mop & try to pass that off as *clean*. I had tried the swiffer, but balked at the cost of the cloths & the cleaner. One day I found two cleaning cloths from Scotch-Brite at the store for just over $3. They were made out of some "advanced Micro fiber technology" and promised to pick up lots of dirt. They were the right size to fit the swiffer, so that night I mixed up a capful of that expensive floor cleaner with a spray bottle full of water and then proceeded to mist and mop my kitchen floor. I had "mopped" only two days earlier--but I was shocked to see how gray the cleaning rag was when I was done!!! The floor was amazingly clean, and I won't have to spend money to clean my floor for a VERY long time!!

Some other ones...

I pitched the dish sponge (too many germs) for a pack of cheap washclothes--you can find them on sale for 12 for $1.99 at Meijer (like Superwalmart). I go through a couple a day and just throw them in the laundry.

If you like using the dish sponge, then keep it and your microwave clean by nuking the sponge at the end of the night. Just put a very wet sponge in the microwave and microwave on high for a minute. Let it sit for a few minutes before picking it up (it will be VERY hot!!!). The heat will kill the germs and bacteria on the sponge, and the steam from the water will soften the stuck on food and grease on the inside of the microwave and can be easily wiped away leaving your microwave bright and shiny!!

Here are some ideas for the Holidays (yes, I'm thinking about them already! )

Chances are other people in your family are growing tired of the out-of-control gift giving, talk to them and see if most of it can be eliminated. Decide to draw names, set a dollar amount, or only buy for the kids. If you have the time, then opt for handmade gifts only--food, crafts, or gift certificates for services--like baby sitting. We did this last year with our family & friends and I was amazed at how many people were relieved to downsize the number of gifts. Christmas was less stressful and we honestly had fun just being together.

And for those kids who get just way too much for Christmas and birthdays...put half of the gifts away for later. My ds STILL has Christmas gifts he hasn't played with yet!! They are put away for a rainy day or as a special treat item. He's only 2, so he didn't realize that he got his Winnie the Pooh LeapFrog cartridge twice...once for Christmas and again in his Easter Basket!!

Take the time to shop clearence sales. Since my son was an infant I've been buying next year's clothes on sale. The ONLY time I shop at department stores is when the clothes have been marked at least 75% off--sometimes more with a coupon or "extra savings pass". And here's a tip from an employee of Kaufmann's...ask about "pre-sales"--if they are having a huge sale on Saturday, go shopping on Wednesday and have them hold it for you. Not only did I get the clearence price, I got to use my coupon AND got an extra percentage off when they rang it up on the sale day. I literally got a $25 outfit for my ds for under $4. A few months ago I walked out of that store with seven shirts & two pairs of pants for less than $25. He's got really nice clothes that were really cheap--who cares if they are last year's style?

Go "shopping" in your home. Before I bought a single piece of clothing for summer for my family I brought up the old stuff to see what still fit. My 2yo can still wear most of his 2T shorts, and by the time he outgrows them and needs 3T...they'll be on clearence. Same thing goes for your closets, the pantry, the freezer, even the basement. For the past month I've been doing my grocery shopping in my pantry and freezer--now my freezer is almost rid of meat I'd been hording but not using. And when I wanted a new planter for my front porch I marched down to the basement to see what I could use instead of buying one. I found a gorgeous bark basket (purchased when I was single & still had money! lol), brought it up and filled it with flowers from the farmer's market. Gorgeous look for a fraction of the cost. And think outside the box when it comes to gardening. I have pretty flowers potted in an aluminum watering can, and some double impatients in a very posh sterling silver basket.

Speaking of flowers, if your looking for something new, try trading some perennials with a friend. I was tired of the daffodills in my side flower bed, so I dug them up and gave them to my coworker, who in turn gave my a box full of hostas. It's green, it's free, it works for me.

Decorating on a dime is easy when you stop trying to do what everyone else is doing. When I lived in my apartment I was broke, but desperate to spruce the place up a bit. I had plain sheers on my windows ($5 a panel at Dollar General), and I found burnt silk scarves on sale at Lerner on clearence for $2 a piece. I draped the scarves over the tops of the sheers like a valance and secured some silk ivy vines over the scarves. I really wanted to bring the garden "in", so I bought garden pieces on clearence--I used a verdi gras plant stand as my phone stand, a glass topped verdi gras patio side table as a nightstand, and a wooden gardners bench with two stools instead of a dinette set. Again, all on clearence. And when I wanted something different to put my plants and books on I painted my four foot step ladder with left over paint and set it in the corner. Even small flea market saucers can be turned into interesting candle holders when paired with a cheap pillar candle. And I did all that before "Trading Spaces" was on TV!! lol

[Kingschild]

Thanks, Michelle...those are awesome tips!

[aubreymae]

this has been so informative everyone!! i do have one question for MYSTI... i was looking over your, all purpose cleaner recipe and im not familar with the washing soda that it calls for....any ideas where to get that from? what is it anyways??

thanks so much!

[raini]

When visiting my SIL's lovely home, I noticed that she had put plastic (disposable) drinking straws in her dishwasher. They come nice and clean! She keeps a cup full of clean straws in her pantry. Not only do you save a little money on straws, but it helps eliminate plastic waste in the landfills. I do that now, too; just make sure the straws are secure in a silverware basket.

For a really quick dinner on hectic evenings, we buy a fresh roasted chicken at the grocery store. It makes a nice meal for two (we just add a salad and maybe veggies); then the next day we each get chicken sandwiches. (I make my own low-carb "waffle" buns.) The last bit of chicken gets picked off the bone and I make a fresh pot of chicken soup. We've purchased the cooked chicken for as little as $3.99, though we usually end up paying $4.99. That's not bad for three meals for two people!

Last shopping day, we found a huge container of mayo at Costco for about $4.99. There was another really large container of mayo (but actually just half as much) for the same price. I wondered how we'd fit the huge one on the 'fridge, but dh made room for it. Glad we did, because I cook with it (low carb casseroles and such) and now make my own ranch dressing. We were going through the regular sized jars way too fast.

I don't usually purchase "Frankenfoods" but took advantage of a special this week at GNC because of the traveling we'll be doing. A box of Atkins bars is usually about $37.00, but they had a special PLUS they had the 30% off that they offer the first week of each month to Gold Card Members. (I got my Gold Card free during a special promotion last summer.) Anyway, I paid $18.00 for the whole box! I just plan to use them when we're on the road and there's no time for a real meal.

Raini

[Kingschild]

Originally posted by aubreymae
this has been so informative everyone!! i do have one question for MYSTI... i was looking over your, all purpose cleaner recipe and im not familar with the washing soda that it calls for....any ideas where to get that from? what is it anyways??

thanks so much!

I don't know - I'm still looking. Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Sav-A-Lot didn't have it. So, I guess I'll check Safeway and Albertson's and King Soopers today. I'll let you know how it goes.

[cuddles]

bumping 'cause it's such a great thread!

[Kingschild]

Yes! I found the Fels Naptha soap and the washing soda at Grocery Warehouse (owned by Albertson's)! They had a great sale going on today too. They had 18 ct. large eggs for $1.00! And a bunch of other things for $1.00, so I bought 20 grocery items for $20.00 - that doesn't happen too often.

My grocery budget for the next 3 weeks is $35.00 a week. But, so far, so good. Last week I only spent $21.00 and today I only spent $20.00. Thank You, Lord for good sales. LOL

[kaoszone]

Originally Posted by Kingschild

Okay, 2 questions...


*How could I develop a small garden? My backyard is about 20'x30'. I'd like to grow some tomatoes, maybe lettuce and cukes...salad stuff.

Try Square Foot Gardening instead of rows. You divide the garden into 4ft squares and just plant what you need. Saves time, weeding and is very easy. I've been doing it in a 4X20ft space for several years and its terrific. I usually grow lots of beans, tomatoes, lettuce and peppers.
www.squarefootgardening.com has all the info you need.
Hope it helps.
Karen

[LunaAshling]

BUMPING this awesome thread!!!!

[Nana Lee/MA]

Lots of these tips, etc are very old. Anyone have any new Cheapskate Tips?

[raini]

Originally Posted by Kingschild

Yes! I found the Fels Naptha soap and the washing soda at Grocery Warehouse (owned by Albertson's)! They had a great sale going on today too. They had 18 ct. large eggs for $1.00! And a bunch of other things for $1.00, so I bought 20 grocery items for $20.00 - that doesn't happen too often.

My grocery budget for the next 3 weeks is $35.00 a week. But, so far, so good. Last week I only spent $21.00 and today I only spent $20.00. Thank You, Lord for good sales. LOL

So this tip is very old, but I finally bought the Fels Naptha soap recently, and it has saved some clothes I would have had to throw out! I know you can grate it and add it to washing soda for detergent, but it is also a wonderful stain remover. It has taken out stains that none of the high-priced stain removers could touch.

I'll have to put on my thinking cap. I know I've learned some good money-savers lately...

[raini]

Well, here's another good buy- not for everyone of course, but someone looking for a washer and dryer.

A year ago my brother found an LG washer and dryer on sale, $810 each. These are the really top-of-the-line pair, and my niece already had a set and we also looked them up on Consumer Reports. Well, we wanted a pair, too; so I called the store to see how much longer they would be on sale. The guy told me that it was the last day, and we'd have to get there before 9 pm if we wanted that price. (He did NOT bother to tell us that we could put it on our credit card and have it delivered the next day.) We live on an island, and there were no more ferries for the day, so we missed that sale.

I spoke with a store employee the next day, and she said that they go on sale about every month. Well,, we checked every month, and even on sale they were several hundred dollars more than that great sale. I finally told dh that I didn't care how long I had to wait- I would wait until they were $810 each again.

They went on sale last week: $699! And not just in white for that price; you can also get them in graphite. And the pedestals for the bottoms are $199 each, which is also a good price. (We were hoping for the Buy One, get one free deal, but no such luck.) It's been a full year since we started waiting, but it was worth the wait.

Even if you aren't interested in a washer and dryer, I guess this hint might well be to be patient and do your research on stuff you want.

[Nana Lee/MA]

Originally Posted by Raini

So this tip is very old, but I finally bought the Fels Naptha soap recently, and it has saved some clothes I would have had to throw out! I know you can grate it and add it to washing soda for detergent, but it is also a wonderful stain remover. It has taken out stains that none of the high-priced stain removers could touch.

I'll have to put on my thinking cap. I know I've learned some good money-savers lately...

I was thinking more in terms of prices. Thanks for the update. Good to knew some of those "old" products still work better than the newer ones!

[raini]

Originally Posted by Nana Lee/MA

I was thinking more in terms of prices. Thanks for the update. Good to knew some of those "old" products still work better than the newer ones!

Okay- prices! Well, I understand that Winco is selling Jenny-O turkeys for 27 cents a pound when you spend $50. Hey, we can easily divide our order into 3 x $50 and get three turkeys! We usually get more than one and then donate the extra.

I think I saw one of my really old posts (7 years ago) about buying a roasted chicken for $4.99 and getting numerous meals out of it. Well, we're still doing it, except dh is making the soup these days.

On our trip, we've eaten out a lot. (Keep in mind that we live on an island with just one restaurant, and don't eat out much when we're at home.) So we find the "early bird" dinners and pay half price or less for meals. Last night I paid $8.50 (which was half of the regular price) for a very luxurious meal with shrimp salad, halibut and broccoli. I ate half and brought the other half home. So I guess that would make last night's dinner about $4.25, since I had the other half for lunch today. (That was their "Lite" meal- as huge as the piece of fish was, I can only imagine the size of the fish on the "regular" plate.)

[Nana Lee/MA]

Originally Posted by Raini

Okay- prices! Well, I understand that Winco is selling Jenny-O turkeys for 27 cents a pound when you spend $50. Hey, we can easily divide our order into 3 x $50 and get three turkeys! We usually get more than one and then donate the extra.

I think I saw one of my really old posts (7 years ago) about buying a roasted chicken for $4.99 and getting numerous meals out of it. Well, we're still doing it, except dh is making the soup these days.

On our trip, we've eaten out a lot. (Keep in mind that we live on an island with just one restaurant, and don't eat out much when we're at home.) So we find the "early bird" dinners and pay half price or less for meals. Last night I paid $8.50 (which was half of the regular price) for a very luxurious meal with shrimp salad, halibut and broccoli. I ate half and brought the other half home. So I guess that would make last night's dinner about $4.25, since I had the other half for lunch today. (That was their "Lite" meal- as huge as the piece of fish was, I can only imagine the size of the fish on the "regular" plate.)

That sounds like a great deal! Where was THAT restaurant? lol
These days we really have to keep an Eagle eye open for the values. The turkey deal is an exceptional value. Do they limit the number of turkeys you can get? Some stores have a great sale on turkeys right now but do limit the number.

[Wendy T]

Originally Posted by Nana Lee/MA

Lots of these tips, etc are very old. Anyone have any new Cheapskate Tips?

They may be old, but they are still very relevant!


Bumping this thread because I've found so many good ideas from it, and I'm sure others will as well

[LunaAshling]

Holy carbs Batman! This thread is now 8 years old!


Still pretty good though!

[raini]

Originally Posted by Nana Lee/MA

That sounds like a great deal! Where was THAT restaurant? lol
These days we really have to keep an Eagle eye open for the values. The turkey deal is an exceptional value. Do they limit the number of turkeys you can get? Some stores have a great sale on turkeys right now but do limit the number.

The restaurant where we found the incredible meal prices was in Seaside, Oregon- but you can look for "Senior" meals and/or Senior Days, which is what this was. One day a week, meals are half-off for seniors at this particular restaurant. If I remember correctly, it was still a large plate full of food, and we each ate half and took home half. (I didn't qualify as a senior, but the waitress just smiled and said "That will be our little secret." I didn't want to lie about my age, so I told her right up front that I didn't qualify. Sometimes they will give just dh the special price, and sometimes they will give us both the special price.

This tip may have been mentioned somewhere along the last 8 years, LOL, but another great way to cut dining out expenses is to go out for lunch instead of dinner. Often the meals are just as filling, but several dollars less. And sharing meals is also a good idea, which we've been doing more often.

The "reward" programs at restaurants can be pretty good. At Red Robin, we purchase burgers when they have specials, and they count towards a free one later on. When we have enough for a free one, we make sure its when they are more expensive and get the free one then. "We be cheapskates."

[JCWANNABE]

Originally Posted by aeraen

Been there... still doing that.

You already have a lot of good ideas. On of my favorites is the "soup" container. At the end of each meal, I scoop the last of the veggies from the bowl (nobody ever wants to eat the last spoonful of veggies from the serving dish!) and put them in the "soup container" in my freezer. The container is just a 32 oz plastic container from Dannon Yoghurt. When that gets filled up... I bake a chicken.

Everyone enjoys their chicken dinner. I pick the last of the meat off the bones to make a casserole on a different day. I boil up the bones and make stock, adding celery, onions and basil, then my containers of veggies. Voila, chicken veggie soup! I consider this our free meal, since it was made entirely out of table scraps that would otherwise have hit the garbage. I'm not fussy about what veggies I use either... asperagus, broccoli, french-cut green beans... they all go into the pot. Cauliflower, in big pieces, actually tastes a bit like faux dumplings.

By the way, one chicken=3 meals worked better when the kids were smaller. These days, my DS could lay waste to an entire chicken by himself. I sometimes bake two chickens at once now... one for dinner, one for the cooked chicken meat to use later and double up on the stock. I make soup out of half of the stock and save the other half to use in recipes later. Chicken legs are another good option. I found a sale on legs and thighs for .39 a lb recently and bought 30 lbs! Thank God for a good freezer!

We also like to go to Sam's Club early in the morning. They reduce the price of the meat that is reaching it's expiration date, but you have to get there before everyone else beats you to it. We use that for our meals through out the week, or freeze what might not be used within a reasonable length of time.

Good luck... now's the time to get creative!

I am so stealing that idea! I hate wasting food!

[JCWANNABE]

For all of us carnivorous Atkins types, how about buying your beef by the 1/4, 1/2, or whole? We spend about $900 once a year on getting a half a beef. We get about 350 +/- pounds of beef with everything from hamburger to t-bones and roast. Our beef tastes AWESOME! We get it from a local farmer that my hubby used to work for so we know how it is raised. None of that grass fed stuff for us. Grain fed tastes much better!

[JCWANNABE]

Advise on growing your own veggies to save money: PLAN PLAN PLAN! Plant the stuff that grows easy and is expensive in the store. Things like fresh basil (best grown in containers), zucchini, and eggplant. Some things I have found that is is cheaper to buy than to grow like cilantro and sometimes tomatoes. Plants like peppers take a lot of care to yield a small maybe $2 to $3 worth of crops. Broccoli is pretty easy to grow and gives you a continues crop.

Bottom line, if you have to spend a bunch of money to get garden space ready, you are not really saving any money growing your own, but it can still be very rewarding and "worth it" to the gardener. There is just something really special about cooking a meal for your family (or just yourself) with food that you have also grown yourself.

The two things that I would suggest everybody grow are zucchini and basil. For about $12 worth of plants you can have a summer of freshness that can save more money than they cost.

[raini]

Originally Posted by JCWANNABE

Advise on growing your own veggies to save money: PLAN PLAN PLAN! Plant the stuff that grows easy and is expensive in the store. Things like fresh basil (best grown in containers), zucchini, and eggplant. Some things I have found that is is cheaper to buy than to grow like cilantro and sometimes tomatoes. Plants like peppers take a lot of care to yield a small maybe $2 to $3 worth of crops. Broccoli is pretty easy to grow and gives you a continues crop.

Bottom line, if you have to spend a bunch of money to get garden space ready, you are not really saving any money growing your own, but it can still be very rewarding and "worth it" to the gardener. There is just something really special about cooking a meal for your family (or just yourself) with food that you have also grown yourself.

The two things that I would suggest everybody grow are zucchini and basil. For about $12 worth of plants you can have a summer of freshness that can save more money than they cost.

Great things to keep in mind! I know dh doesn't appreciate the zucchini when it's growing out of control, but I like to get 'em when they're not too big, slice them and dry them in my food dryer. With some of the other veggies that I dry, we have jars of veggies that are quick to throw in the soups that dh enjoys making (as in the chicken soup ideas above.)

[JCWANNABE]

Originally Posted by Raini

Great things to keep in mind! I know dh doesn't appreciate the zucchini when it's growing out of control, but I like to get 'em when they're not too big, slice them and dry them in my food dryer. With some of the other veggies that I dry, we have jars of veggies that are quick to throw in the soups that dh enjoys making (as in the chicken soup ideas above.)

Ha ha

My hubby does not like zucchini and I have to sneak it into his food

I LOVE the dried veggies for soup idea! That is so neat!

I like the little 6 to 8 inch zucchinis. They are so good sliced, salted, drained, then grilled with some olive oil, garlic, and sea salt. I swear it's like my version of crack, I just cant stop eating the stuff!

I actually just made a big thing of chicken soup last night. I will start up a freezer bag of left over veggies for soup from now on.

[raini]

My favorite zucchini recipe is using the smaller ones, sliced and halved, sauteed in a wok with basil and garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions. This is lovely when poured hot over cottage cheese (if your carb count allows it) 'cuz it just all melts together. Top with a little freshly grated Romano cheese. Yum!

[pawleys14]

great thread