Frugal Times Tips
Usually when I'm washing dishes, I think of living skills I'd love to share with my students as they struggle to make ends meet financially, but these tidbits don't fit neatly in the boundaries of a psychology class!
We lived for a while in the beautiful state of Vermont where Yankee thrift is a virtue. An old New England saying is, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Along those lines . . .
Plastic Tubes and Squeeze Bottles
Did you know that plastic squeeze bottles -- anything from mustard to toiletries -- may be convenient but can rip you off? If you throw them out when you can't squeeze any more goo, you may be losing as much as ten percent of your purchase. Of course, the manufacturer is happy because you'll be buying a replacement!
Instead, use sturdy scissors or a serrated knife to cut the tube or bottle in half. Scoop out the remaining mustard or ketchup for your recipe. With tubes of moisturizers, you may find another week's worth of product clinging to the sides. With clean fingers, scoop what you need and put one cut end of the tube over the other, forming a cap to keep the rest clean until you use it up.
Found Money
Go through your house room by room, drawer by drawer, on a money search. You may find odd change and bills tucked in random pockets, boxes, books, etc. Also round up items you meant to return for a refund, bottles to recycle for cash, etc. Go get your money back on these things. In the search process, are you finding items you could sell on Craig's List or at a garage sale? Get busy! Now do something smart or fun with your stash of cash! Save it for your favorite goal, buy groceries, or treat yourself to something special.
Tightwad Gazette
For the homemaker who wants to be smartly frugal, I highly recommend Amy Dacyzn's three book series, The Tightwad Gazette. She published a newsletter in the early nineties, before email was big, and compiled her own ideas and many reader responses into the books, which are a treasure trove of helpful ideas for saving. Even though I don't have children, I got inspired to adapt and try a number of her ideas. Get these books at your local library or invest in used ones from Amazon.com. You'll never think of frugality as a dreaded necessity again!
We lived for a while in the beautiful state of Vermont where Yankee thrift is a virtue. An old New England saying is, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Along those lines . . .
Plastic Tubes and Squeeze Bottles
Did you know that plastic squeeze bottles -- anything from mustard to toiletries -- may be convenient but can rip you off? If you throw them out when you can't squeeze any more goo, you may be losing as much as ten percent of your purchase. Of course, the manufacturer is happy because you'll be buying a replacement!
Instead, use sturdy scissors or a serrated knife to cut the tube or bottle in half. Scoop out the remaining mustard or ketchup for your recipe. With tubes of moisturizers, you may find another week's worth of product clinging to the sides. With clean fingers, scoop what you need and put one cut end of the tube over the other, forming a cap to keep the rest clean until you use it up.
Found Money
Go through your house room by room, drawer by drawer, on a money search. You may find odd change and bills tucked in random pockets, boxes, books, etc. Also round up items you meant to return for a refund, bottles to recycle for cash, etc. Go get your money back on these things. In the search process, are you finding items you could sell on Craig's List or at a garage sale? Get busy! Now do something smart or fun with your stash of cash! Save it for your favorite goal, buy groceries, or treat yourself to something special.
Tightwad Gazette
For the homemaker who wants to be smartly frugal, I highly recommend Amy Dacyzn's three book series, The Tightwad Gazette. She published a newsletter in the early nineties, before email was big, and compiled her own ideas and many reader responses into the books, which are a treasure trove of helpful ideas for saving. Even though I don't have children, I got inspired to adapt and try a number of her ideas. Get these books at your local library or invest in used ones from Amazon.com. You'll never think of frugality as a dreaded necessity again!
posted by Ilenya Marrin, DSS @ 10:20 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home