What's the MOST frugal thing you've ever done?

[charlen]

I stopped throwing away the cotton that comes in the tops of medicine bottles! I use it for non-medical things, like removing nail polish ( which I bought at the flea market for $1.00, of course!) ;-)

[Crafty Amanda]

Well I would have to say making my own fire starters from dryer lint and old candles drippings LOL

[chea]

Probably learning to shop at the much cheaper Aldis instead of going to the close but expensive Farmer Jacks!

[ronsan]

Using both sides of any piece of paper ~ all junk mail that is only used on one side then gets loaded into my printer and used for computer paper on the other. I haven't purchased paper for the computer printer for more than four years now.

Sandie

[Josa]

Every week, I word-process a menu for the upcoming week.

When I'm really organized, I sit down with the grocery ads and build my menu/groc list on the same sheet.

It only takes 10 minutes to do the basic menu; 20 if I work with the ads too.

It gives me a great sense of satisfaction. And, like today, I know I need to start the crockpot and breadmaker around lunchtime (spinach cassarole) and to stop other activities by 5:30 so that I can make pierogies.

The 10-minute menu saves me $$$ on fast food or last-minute trips. And saves quite a bit of time during the hectic dinnertime prep hour!

*******

Other big winners:

keep a pantry. stock up on pasta, sauce, canned veg, etc. during sales. You always have them on hand, and they were bought at low prices!

use the crockpot. If you have low energy in the evenings, it's wonderful to start the crockpot in the morning, and have supper READY when you are.

make a daily to-do list. This became really necessary when we started homeschooling.

plan purchases. I've been shopping for new bras and purses for several weeks now. Finally, went to Victoria's Secret and bought ONE bra (almost $40 ) that fits well. I'll try it out for a while and wait for a sale before buying more!

mary a frugal spouse. I lucked out, but I'm still more of a tightwad than he is!

grocery management: a friend on another board chops veggies and stores them in the fridge right after her grocery trip. The times I do that, dinner prep goes much quicker. We almost always serve a plate of raw-fruits-and-veg with dinner. It's really easy if you just have to dump baby carrots, pre-cut cauliflower, and already-sliced bell peppers onto a serving plate.

[Renee]

I was just reading older threads to see what I missed before I joined. I loved this one.

I agree with Josa! I married a frugal spouse! We are very compatible with our spending.

The next thing is making croutons from leftover heels of bread. I like doing this because DH loves them and he was so impressed that I could do it.

[justGina]

Two words: dumpster diving.

[charlen]

I have not done any dumpster diving, only because I haven't seen a dumpster with anything I thought was useable (maybe my mistake). I have however, done extensive "curbside shopping". I have gotten a rocking chair (in pieces), an oak chair(also in pieces), a recliner which I sold for $30.00, a wicker coffee table which I sold for $10.00, and even a fully inflated swimming pool (family size). That one I knocked on the door to make sure it wasn't a mistake and it was okay to take. I have also found boxes of all kinds of stuff I resold left over from someone's yardsale. At the flea markets you find the same thing at the end of the day. Dealers throw out what they don't feel like packing.

[mentoringmom]

We do lots of frugal things - many already mentioned -
I also plan my weekly menus around what's on sale - and
use coupons and keep the pantry stocked with on sale items.

Here's one of our all time favorites from when the girls were
very young. We made these as Christmas gifts.

Very Important Person napkin rings

Take the tubes that paper towels are rolled around and cut them into 2 inch lengths.

Buy some attractive ribbon at an Arts an Crafts Store - we used the kind that was bendable to curve around the rings easily.

Cut the ribbon into lengths to fit around the rings and secure the ribbon with a glue gun!

Since they were for family members- we knew the colors to use
to co-ordinate with their dishes.

They were cherished for years and the girls still treasure the
memory of having made them!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jeanne

I Mentor Moms to Success

[CAGmomof2]

Married my Frugal Husband!!,Reuse,Recycle,Reduce!!,Roadside Shopping!! Making things at Home!! Decorate our Home around things we already have!! Save all of our change!!
Using Coupons!!
That is about it with the most frugal things I have ever done!!