social

My Frugal Life: How I Make Ends Meet

Every day I take the opportunity to look around my home and decide how I can make a difference in the cost it takes to make my household run. It can be as simple as turning off a light when someone else walks out and leaves it on, or it can mean taking that leftover mac and cheese and adding hamburger, onion powder, garlic, and some milk to make my own "Hamburger Helper".

Advertisement

I'm kind of old fashioned as well. I use dish towels instead of paper towels, hang the clothes on the line when it's nice, open a window instead of turning on the air conditioner, and always use cold water in my washer for laundry.

My shopping sprees consist of going to Goodwill, the Reuse/Recycle Center where everyone can get free items that have been taken there, or yard sales. I have yet to buy a new outfit; even from Walmart, LOL! I won't buy cookies or cakes, because I make those at home. Until we had the drought this past summer, I always canned my own garden produce; such as tomatoes, green beans, etc.

One of the funny sides to this essay is that, while there are "new" ideas coming out all the time on how to save money, time, or energy. I have been carrying out these same ideas for years and ask myself, "If I already do all of these things, what else is there to do to save?" I hope this has been helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to read it.

Advertisement

By katiedid from Laurel, IN

Do you have a frugal story to share with the ThriftyFun community? Submit your essay here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_myfrugallife.ldml

A woman using a calculator to add up expenses.
 

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
December 18, 20101 found this helpful

I think many of us feel the same way. I came from a large family and our parents were from the depression era. We were taught to be frugal from an early age and "waste not: want not". My mother and grandmother baked desserts, bread and did their own canning. I learned a lot from them. The only thing we can do is our best with what we have.

Advertisement

Erma Bombeck wrote a joke in the fifties that has been quoted a few times from her syndicated column. It goes something like this: " Where do I go from my meatloaf budget?" I think that sums it up for us. We all can just to the best we can.

 

Gold Post Medal for All Time! 846 Posts
December 20, 20101 found this helpful

I do many of the same things you mention here too. Big kudos to you! :-)

 
January 1, 20111 found this helpful

I feel the same way. Be a good steward of what you have. I often will take and recycle food. Steamed veggies are often put into soups, casseroles or for picky eaters pureed up and frozen into ice cube trays for some healthy flavoring into dishes they can't pick out.

Advertisement

If something is getting ready to expire, I find a way to use it quickly, I don't want to lose it. Leftovers are always changed up and no one is the wiser.

 
June 9, 20161 found this helpful

i have a juicer and love to juice watermelon it taste great and less leftovers..also when i juice vegetables i freeze the pulp in put it in soup once my chicken noodle soup was orange and tasted very good..lol

 
March 17, 20190 found this helpful

All of you make me feel happy. Every Sat. I clean out my freezer to see what next week food menu will be. Then I realize I only need milk and peanut butter. I enjoy reusing everything and my niece is the one who claims a person came live on $10.00 a week and with no spend days was right. Today I made apple juice and with the skins pulp I now have apple juice plus I can also mix some apple juice with my home made V8 tomato juice that I had from last week.

Advertisement

I used the pulp from the V8 for meatloaf and spaghetti sauce.It grows and grows what I'm LEARNG as I never had parents to show me the way.

 

Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
In This Page
< Previous
Categories
Better Living Frugal Living My Frugal LifeDecember 17, 2010
Pages
More
👔
Father's Day Ideas!
🌻
Gardening
👒
Mother's Day Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-05-08 15:25:35 in 3 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf80499707.tip.html