Splitting a Paper Match for Two Uses
I turn shampoo, conditioner, and lotion bottles upside down to get the last bit of use out of them. (Mostly because I recycle and Id rather not have to waste water by rinsing and rinsing.) I was telling a friend about this, and I told her--I probably save at...
Give Yourself a Second Payday With Coins
I always get the Amazon e-card now, since we order from Amazon almost weekly. Coinstar gives you a print-out with a #, which I then enter into Amazon. With Covid and sheltering in place, my husband isnt out spending cash or getting change, so our coins arent...
Washing a Dry Clean Only Coat?
I washed my 30-plus year old London Fog coat, and it came out fine. I treated stains (that the dry cleaner hadnt been able to get out) with Resolve Stain Stick, letting it set for several days. I washed it on cold and tumbled it dry on low heat. It might not...
Beautiful Crockery on a Budget
If I had a daughter, Id recommend that she NOT pick out a china pattern if she were getting married. Or crystal either. I have a nice set of Japanese china from the 50s that my mother gave me, but its in a high cabinet in my kitchen. Ive never used it and never...
Home Repairs for Low Income Families?
Try YouTube for all kinds of tutorials. Weve used it to repair several small things around the house, such as replacing an icemaker, unclogging an A/C drain, washer/dryer repair.
Fig Milk for Wart and Skin Tag Removal
Ive had dozens of skin tags removed over the years. When Id get brave enough, Id cut them off myself, using the tiny scissors in a Swiss Army knife. Id deaden the area with ice first. Ive also used liquid bandage, coating the tag, letting it dry, peeling it...
Fig Milk for Wart and Skin Tag Removal
Hi Jess--sorry Im just now seeing this. Ive done the string method, too, but its hard to do that with just two hands. You really need a helper to get the string (or dental floss) tight enough. If somebody has a lot of them, the kit on Amazon is worth it. I...
Use Floss Threader to Thread Your Needle
I used that SuperFloss when I had full braces. Braces are long gone, but when my sons Velveteen Rabbit got his whiskers pulled out, I replaced them with that part of the SuperFloss. Now, Ill do the same thing and make myself needle threaders for my sewing machine...
Cleaning a Suede Look Polyester Vest?
Ive never had any problem with polyester shrinking more than a tiny bit. You can probably wash the vest in cold water. If you want to use Woolite, you can, but Woolite is just a mild detergent and doesnt have any magical powers to keep something from shrinking...
K-Cup Drain Stopper
I need something to put in my bathroom sink drain, since the metal stopper stopped working, and the rubber one is too big to fit. I worry that I might drop an earring or some other small piece of jewelry down the drain. Im going to get one of these and poke...
Use Clear Nail Polish To Seal Costume Jewelry
Its funny, because my costume jewelry rings have never turned my fingers green, but my 14K gold wedding ring used to turn my fingers black when I wore it all the time. Especially if I was in a stressful situation. It washed off, but the ring started out with...
Crochet Christmas Stocking Pattern?
That really looks like a knitted stocking. I couldnt enlarge the picture, but crochet produces a more chunky look.
Recycled Candles From Wax Melter
I buy cheap pillar candles from the grocery store and put them in the container where I pour the used scented wax around them. Using different waxes gives them a nice combination color. The red Christmas balls are burn-out bulbs from my wax burner, painted...
Tiny Invisible Bumps on Forehead?
This sounds like youve got milia, which are tiny little benign cysts that look like BBs under the skin. Sometimes theyll surface and you can mash them out. Ive had them extracted at my dermatologists office. Ive pricked some out myself, but I dont recommend...
Revamping Mom's Cedar Chest
I think if the piece of furniture is important to you, its worth buying real chalk paint, like Annie Sloan. I bought a quart of Paris Grey, which did cost almost $50, but since then Ive put three coats on an old buffet, painted a corner shelf unit, and two...
Start Avocado in Existing Pot
I just stick the avocado seeds in the ground, after taking off the brown covering. Some will grow and some wont, and Ive found that seeds that are cracked a little will probably sprout.
Unique Name Instead of Gramma?
So what did you decide on? Your grandchild should be almost 7 now. Im not a grandma yet, and I figure my daughter-in-laws mom will get first pick on the names. I like Grammy rather than Granny, Ive heard someone called Grana, and of course Nana, Gigi, Mimi...
Making "Hard Boiled" Eggs in the Oven
For years, I boiled eggs in different ways. I put eggs in cool water and brought them to a boil and let them sit for 15 minutes. They usually turned out okay, but every so often one would break. I started baking them in the way recommended above a couple of...
My Son's Christmas Memories
My son didnt have any presents under the tree for his first Christmas, because he was only 3 weeks old. He was supposed to come on Dec. 26, but decided to come early. Its good thing he did, because he weighed 8 lb.s, 4 oz. But his second Christmas--my husband...
Consciously Saving Money Everyday
I remember joking with some frugalist friends about squeezing out the last bit of toothpase and turning shampoo and conditioner bottles upside down to get every last bit. (Yes, I do that.) I told my friends I probably save at least $1 a year by doing that.
Consciously Saving Money Everyday
Instead of rolling up coins or taking them to the bank, I take them to our local Coinstar. I dont get a store coupon, because they charge a fee per dollar. I have the money deposited to my Amazon account which costs nothing. I buy from Amazon almost every week...
Consciously Saving Money Everyday
Several years ago, we re-evaluated what we were doing for Christmas. My husband and I, and our in-laws and friends, dont really need much anymore. Most of the people we know are like that, and we dont need more stuff. (What we need is to get rid of stuff.) It...
Consciously Saving Money Everyday
Thanks, Jess! That was nice of you to look it up. I used to make that a lot, but as weve gotten older, its had to be a once or twice a year treat. Sometimes Ill make it for my husbands birthday.
Consciously Saving Money Everyday
Be very, VERY careful about renting out a room. We had our house built with a nice guestroom/bath, and weve had 3 people live with us over the last 20 years. Our niece was an angel, though her boyfriend/fiance/husband/now ex was over here and underfoot all...
20 Weeks Until Christmas
I know this is an old post, but there are churches out there who will adopt families, and nobody should be too proud to accept Christian charity. A church we used to attend worked with a city organization every year. We had a giving tree, a large paper cutout...
Getting Rid of Junk Mail
I do this with old credit cards that are expired. Ill cut them up and then throw the pieces away at different time. For junk mail, anything with info that might be important goes in a shred sack, and every few months our city will offer a shred day. Everything...
3, 2, 1 Cake
Ive been making this for years, and Ive used all kinds of cake mixes. I mix the two cake mixes in a large plastic ice cream container with an airtight lid. Tupperware would work, too. Since theres two of us, I do 6 TBS. mix, 4 TBS. water (1/4 cup), and one...
Use Fingernail Polish to Repair Ceramic Paint
I keep a bottle of inexpensive bright red nail polish just to fix Christmas ornaments. I use clear polish as glue to fix any ornaments that get broken.
"Twas the Day After Christmas"
Ive been known as the aunt who gives books, I know. I used to have a couple of aunts who did myself. I gave them this poem a few years ago. A MERRY LITERARY CHRISTMAS by Alice Lowe When Christmas shopping time draws nigh' And I am faced with gifts to buy' I...
Donate Plastic Bottle Caps
Back when the Lang catalog sold Bobs Boxes, I got a nice treasure/jewelry box. My bathroom counter is long, so I use it as my dresser. I didnt want water getting to the bottom of the box, so I glued marbles to the corners to keep it lifted off the counter. But...
Liquid Bandage For Covering Pimples
Liquid Bandage also works on skin tags. If one is appearing, Ill coat it with LB 2 or 3 times a day. Peeling it off removes a layer of skin, and within 3 or 4 days, it will turn dark and fall off. You can also find a store brand of LB that is cheaper, usually...
Hiding Valuables?
When our house was burglarized, they dumped out the clothes and used the hamper to hold the stuff they stole.
Back To School Supply Sales For Home Office Needs
Its been a long time since Ive had to buy school supplies, but back when I did, I found that I could find the necessary supplies at office supply stores that were cheaper than places like Target. Certain things could be carried over from year to year. There...
Stopping the Itch from Chigger Bites
When I know Ive been exposed to chiggers, I run a little bit of water in the bathtub and add maybe a half cup of bleach. I quickly run a washcloth over me from the neck down while sitting in the water. Then I stand up, let the water out, and take my regular...
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Ive been making brownies this way for a couple of years now. The first time I did, my husband said they were the best brownies hed ever had. He loves good food, so I know it was true. Once or twice, Ive taken a can of sweetened condensed milk, boiled it unopened...
Reuse Plastic Food Containers for Storage
Our church has a lot of potlucks. When I get a nice to-go box from a restaurant, I use it to take my potluck dish. That way I dont care if I get it back or not. I save the Rubbermaid containers that lunch meat comes in for sending food home with my son when...
Keeping Flies Away From the House?
I was attending school in Mexico years ago, and flies (moscas) were everywhere. But at a nice, outdoor restaurant there werent any. They had large bags of water hanging on posts. When we had a big dog outside, flies were awful, so I hung large zip-lock bags...
How Do I Get My Toddler to Take Medicine?
When my son was about 3, we found out he was anemic. His pediatrician prescribed some liquid iron medicine that was horrible-tasting. I started putting the dose in a teaspoon of Grenadine, and he was able to get it down.
How to Chop an Onion
I dont like onions and Im allergic to them, but if I absolutely have to chop them, I put them in a blender. I leave them out of recipes and the dishes turn out just as well without them.
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
If you dont want something, then its not a treat for you. But if you really want something, an occasional splurge wont hurt. I dont drink coffee out, either, because I make my own cold-brewed coffee at home and its not bitter like coffee from specialty shops...
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
Unfortunately, in some places, not running your AC is dangerous to your health. Every year in this area, north Texas, we hear about elderly people dying from the heat because they dont have AC or refuse to use it. When it hits 90 or above, and you dont feel...
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
My mother still plays my fathers tapes in her head, though hes been gone 5 years. All their lives, if she wanted something, hed say, You dont need that. Shes living in a nice, new little cottage, and when it was being built, (on my brothers land) I told her...
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
I havent been without a dishwasher since 1971 when I got married the first time. I could do without a lot of things, but not that. Today, my husband is retired, so we eat most of our meals at home, and the dishwasher is only full after about 6 meals. So 3-4...
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
I have to share the story about how much my neighbors frugality has cost me over the years. She was definitely penny-wise/pound foolish. We used to walk every morning before work, and one day she was telling me that she had bought 20 lbs. of bananas the day...
Using Applesauce Instead of Oil?
Ive used applesauce in place of oil for years and never really noticed a difference in taste, but from now on, I plan to use melted butter instead of oil. The only oil I buy anymore is olive oil, and I doubt it would taste good in cakes. Recently, I made a...
Frame Calendar Pictures
My husband worked for a paper company and got some beautiful samples of paper with artwork and calendars. I saved a really big calendar with a beautiful photo of flowers, lots of red in a black vase. I ordered a bunch of old gold wooden frames on ebay and found...
Reuse Glass Microwave Tray
I use mine when I need a tray for a pot-luck. I figure if it gets broken or I don't get it back, 'no big deal. My 22-year-old microwave probably won't last much longer, and then I'll have two trays.
Using Leftover Soap Pieces
I do this, and I sort of eyeball it--its probably 25% soap and 85% water, and then 15% blue Dawn. Every time I add soap to the containers Ill fill them less than half full, add hot water, and then a squirt of Dawn. Then I add more hot water to the mason jar...
How Can I Stop Biting My Nails?
I bit my nails until I was about 15 and got braces on my teeth. After that, it was practically impossible, so I lost the habit.
Alternate Uses for Dental Floss
The ideas for using dental floss to cut cheese, reinforce button holes, etc., are good. But I hope nobody is reusing dental floss. Gross!
Alternate Uses for Dental Floss
Whatever you do with dental floss, dont flush it down the toilet. Throw it in the trash. Years ago, my husband and I had separate bathrooms, and his toilet kept stopping up. I knew he wasnt flushing the same things I was, and mine never did, so we couldnt figure...
Uses for Newspaper Plastic Bags
I made my own barf bag by putting one sleeve inside another to carry in the car when I was pregnant and had all-day, everyday morning sickness. Thankfully, I never had to use one.
Reuse Food Containers
When we eat out, I nearly always bring home a to-go box, since restaurant servings are too big. I can nearly always get two more meals out of it. If I get a nice one, I wash and save it. Our church has a lot of potlucks and a large to-go box will hold quite...
7 Year Old Won't Eat Healthy Food?
I realize this is old, but some of this is just mean. Forcing a child to sit at the table until he takes 3 bites? Telling him to clean his plate or no dessert? Youre setting your kid up to be fat. Food should never be used as a reward or punishment. As far...
Snowball Payments to Get Out of Debt
I know this method works great, but first I need to get my husband to stop flipping out his credit card whenever he wants something. If I see a book I want at someplace like Barnes & Noble, Ill go to HalfPrice Books or come home and see if I can find it on...
Grammar Tip: "Stationary" vs "Stationery"
I used to tell my students that stationary means it stAys put. Stationery means a lEtter.
Washing Silverware in the Dishwasher?
I know this is an old, old post, but washing dishes by hand uses a lot more water than a dishwasher. A dishwasher will use maybe 3 gallons total, but youll use 3 gallons in a few minutes if youre washing by hand. Plus, you dont have to rinse ahead of time anymore...
My Frugal Life: Learning from the Tightwad Gazette
Ive always wondered if anybody ever followed up with Amy D.s children. Have they chosen to live the same kind of life? I remember reading about one of her daughters saying that shed never had a new pair of shoes, never even been in a J.C. Penneys store. I thought...
Getting Ready for Winter
Im in North Texas, and here we can shovel snow with a tablespoon, but Ill remember these hints if I ever move up north.
Keeping Halloween Safe
Please check snopes before believing that there are examples of people poisoning candy, razor blades in apples, etc. Theres only one documented case of poisoned candy, and it was in Houston, TX, when a man poisoned his own kids, wanting their life insurance...
Shrinky Dinks From Recycled Containers
Back in the late 60s, one of my distant cousins was working at Kentucky Fried Chicken and he and his co-workers found out they could put the lids from small containers in the oven and theyd shrink into a hard medallion of plastic, with the picture of the Colonel...
Prepare for Tax Time
I used to put everything for our checking account on Quicken, and then Id print out totals for anything deductible when we did our taxes. Since we bank on-line, Ive found that I can get those reports myself on my bank site, and theres no reason to put everything...
Using All Of Your Lipstick
I bought a tube of Revlon lipstick, Cherries in the Snow, and realized it just didnt look good on me. So, I use it as a base. I put it on, let it set for a minute or two while I do my eyes, and then I wipe it off. I outline my lips and fill them in with lip...
Relearning a Frugal Upbringing
I learned to sew in high school and made most of my clothes for years, including maternity clothes. Ive used those clothes for scrap for all kinds of things. Unfortunately, sewing wont save you money anymore, unless you can find the fabric for free. Its cheaper...
Homemade Remedies For Toothaches?
My grandmother told my mother (both non-drinkers) that rubbing whiskey on a babys gums while its teething will help with the pain. When I had a tooth that needed a root canal, I carried a dropper bottle of whiskey in my purse. When the throbbing pain would...
Frugal Trick or Treating
Buying candy on Halloween night made me laugh because it reminded me of what happened 36 years ago. I was hugely pregnant (he came 12/5) and had worked all day. I stopped by my regular grocery and the shelves were stripped bare. I was too tired to go to another...
Selecting and Carving Pumpkins for Halloween
At our previous house, we'd have truckloads of trick or treaters every year, so I'd go to the Methodist church and find their biggest pumpkin, plus one or two smaller ones. Once the big one was carved, I'd set it on a cinder block and put legs on it (black...
Alternatives to Easter Baskets for Teenagers
Back in the 70s, when we were decoupaging anything that didn't move, I had two stepdaughters. One Easter, I decoupaged two wooden box purses for them. I filled them with Easter grass, candy, and Easter eggs. I can't remember the pictures I used'', might have...
Use Hard Boiled Egg Water For Houseplants
You dont even have to use water to get hard-boiled eggs. A couple of years ago, I heard about baking eggs. I nearly always had one egg or two break while I boiled them, but the only time Ive had one break while baking was when I left them in the oven too long...
Frugal And Loving It
I know this is an old post, but the idea of only taking two showers a week? Ick. I grew up in a house with no indoor plumbing, other than cold water in the kitchen sink. We took baths once a week. If I cant afford to take daily showers, Ill try to find a job...
15 Year Wants to Sleep at Her Boyfriend's House?
Since the original question is from about 2007, twelve years ago, it would be interesting to hear from the OP to see what happened. Reading through the old, and more recent, answers, its interesting to see the range of opinions. Somebody commented that a 15...
Teens and Thongs?
She could be wearing sweats or even a burka. If a dirty old man is there, hes going to leer, no matter what. Dont blame the female for the perversion of the men. Whatever happened to bikini panties? I used to wear them all the time, but as I got older I only...
Curfews for College Age Children?
I gave my son a curfew after he graduated from community college and moved back home. Guests had to leave by midnight, and he had to be in by 1 or 2 a.m. I thought surely hed move out, because I wouldnt have let somebody tell me what time to be in when I was...
My Frugal Life - Lessons From The Amish
Aside from the fact that our HOA would have a cow if we put up a clothesline, my husband woud have a hard time with his allergies if I hung clothes, sheets, or towels outside to dry. Where I live is notorious for pollen levels. We didnt have a clothes dryer...
Frugal and Tightwad Living
I realize this is an old post, (VHS players?) but it reminds me of a TV show from a few years back called Extreme Cheapskates. Even if she was only getting $500 per child, that was $3000 a month, plus what her husband sent, etc. And she mentioned going to work...
Frugal and Tightwad Living
Im not sure who you were referring to when you said the original LW, 12 years ago now, was being attacked, or mocked. Questioning why she has to live so frugally when shes getting money from the state, her job, her husband, plus all the free stuff, is hardly...
Asking Family To Not Exchange Gifts?
Our church choir used to have an after-Christmas party with a white-elephant exchange. We called it a Chinese Christms, but one year I was in a store and the clerk was Chinese. I asked her if shed ever heard of it, but she looked puzzled. People would find...
My Frugal Life: Dealing With Big Bills
I drink grape juice, about 4 oz., several times a week, but I dilute it with water, almost half and half. I find I prefer the taste like that now. We serve grape juice for our communion at church and even though its in those tiny cups, the taste is too strong...
Sharing Thanksgiving Dinner
Since this was from 2009, it would be nice to have an update to see what the LW wound up doing. One of my late cousins would have her dinner on the Sunday afternoon before Thanksgiving so that her son and later his children could spend the actual day doing...
Being Frugal and Single on Low Income?
I know this is an old post, but I believe that dishwashers are more economical than washing dishes by hand. I can do 2 days worth of dishes at once, for less water than Id use by washing dishes myself.
Remember Your Neighbors
I just made some homemade kahlua that I put in small, pretty bottles with pretty labels. I called my neighbors ahead of time to make sure theyre okay with drinking and then delivered them. Its good with half & half or cream, or even whole milk. Or in coffee...
Crafts With Glass Flower Vase?
A friend gave us something like this years ago, but the potpourri did catch on fire! Luckily I was close by and able to put it out without any damage.
