I've had great comments on the recent 'Graduation' posts. I thought they were too good to wait until September to share! It looks like you all have graduated to a higher level of frugality yourselves. Congratulations!
Karla: You mentioned baby shower gifts and one of the things that is my standard gift to new mommies is a package of diapers in the next size up from newborn. This makes it easy to use coupons and get them on sale ahead of time. Just thought I'd share.
Another tip for winter months that my mom used to do. After using the oven for baking, she'd open the oven door a bit to let the heat escape into the room after it was turned off.
Gramma D: I keep a don't need to buy list, a buy next month list and buy when you go shopping list. The don't need to buy list is so I don't have a stockpile of things that I may not use for a while. For instance, if I find a really good sale on shampoo and buy several I put it on the don't buy list. If I notice something that I don't need right now, but might need soon that goes on the next month list so I can watch for sales, coupons, etc. Saves that old finding something at the back of the cupboard that should have been used a while ago to be at its freshest. When I make my list I always consider cheaper options. This is a good way to save a bit. If I write down a certain kind of cereal but I know there is another kind I like just as well that is what I get unless I have my mind made up I need a certain item, nothing else will do and it is well worth the extra. It seldom is.
Debbie: Great posts and ideas! I was wondering about your internet provider. Did they offer you a discount because of their shoddy service? We found that our DISH TV, which we also bundled with our internet and phone service, gave us a lower price because of their "outages".
Our phone service did NOT offer a discount for service outages, not even when asked and that was another reason we left them. I have had that courtesy extended from DirecTV for outages to our service, which is why we've been with them for many years.
Sew Blessed Ma: Our grandchildren are getting older , so gift giving is hard. We need to sit down and decide on an amount for the ages.. I do buy clearance clothing , accessories for them, through out the year, and put in my gift boxes. It was easy and fun, when they were small, and I could go after Christmas was over and buy all their toys on clearance for a little bit of nothing and put away for the next year.
On my shower gifts, I buy boy/girl clothes/blankets/etc. on really good clearance and put away for when I need them. I found adorable sleepers with hats and hand warmers last week, for $1 each.
Terri, I also try to stockpile candles/smell good items for the home, when they go on clearance after the seasons. I never pay full price for them. I love to use them in my home... so this saves lots of money.. I bought Glade candles at Dollar General after Christmas on clearance for $1.00 each, and they let me use a coupon for buy3 candles for $2 off. So my candles were 33 cents. I bought as many as they had, that I had coupons.. ha
This is the only things, I can think of right now..
On my shower gifts, I buy boy/girl clothes/blankets/etc. on really good clearance and put away for when I need them. I found adorable sleepers with hats and hand warmers last week, for $1 each.
Terri, I also try to stockpile candles/smell good items for the home, when they go on clearance after the seasons. I never pay full price for them. I love to use them in my home... so this saves lots of money.. I bought Glade candles at Dollar General after Christmas on clearance for $1.00 each, and they let me use a coupon for buy3 candles for $2 off. So my candles were 33 cents. I bought as many as they had, that I had coupons.. ha
This is the only things, I can think of right now..
Melonie: Glad to see that someone else has spotted the savings in doing the speed limit! Our local highway limit is 60 and I see people in small cars go flying past all the time. I lumber along in my diesel truck right at 60 (where possible with traffic) and get excellent mileage. I can't help but wonder if the folks flying past wonder why they have to fill up so much. ;) I've even beat my husband's MPG in our truck - and took a picture to prove it, as he thought I was getting it only in highway miles, though my average factored in city driving as well.
If you'd like other ideas for how to increase your MPG, look up "hypermiling" - I don't do all of it, but the things I have done are great for my MPG and also better on my vehicle. Stopping short and taking off at a zoom from lights and stop signs may make us feel like we're getting somewhere quickly, but I've learned that I'm not *actually* going faster, plus it made me more stressed, and increased wear and tear on my engine, breaks, and more. As a reformed speeder (with tickets in my youth to prove it LOL), I can vouch that I generally feel calmer when driving now. I let everyone else rush on by and just enjoy my increased following distance and lower stress levels.
Lana:
One tip about making homemade ice cream is that we put it in 4 ounce containers for the freezer and it is easy to take one out and eat it. When we froze the whole batch it got so hard that we could not scoop it and often wasted it. I can also hand the small portions to the grandchildren with a spoon and they love it.
A friend of mine purchases whole turkeys and thaws them in the fridge just enough to cut them up and then freezes them in pieces. She saves up the wings and then does them like chicken wings. I prefer to just thaw and cook the entire bird and package out the cooked meat. But, for me I will mostly not do turkey at all since it requires the big roaster and all that. I stick to chicken breasts on sale for the most part as it is just easier for me.
Forget to say that Brandy's granola is wonderful. I don't mix in the cranberries but add them as I eat it. They tend to dry out and get chewy if added and stored. One time when I made it I forgot to add the vanilla and I could not tell any difference so I no longer put it in since it a whole tablespoon of vanilla I can use somewhere else. I also sub 5 T brown sugar and 1 T water for the honey since I don't like honey and that saves money too. I keep it in a canning jar and it will keep for 6-8 weeks that way.
An article I ran across this AM about figuring out what your grocery budget should be: http://thriftylittlemom.com/2014/07/23/how-much-should-you-spend-on-groceries/
Kathy: I like money saving mom's lazy granola http://amysfinerthings.com/crystals-lazy-granola
Sarah: Many bloggers have said they get celery to last a very long time by wrapping it in aluminum foil. I like the heavy grade for this purpose.
Have you seen the replaceable white plastic tops for canning jars? Walmart has their own brand of them + Ball brand. That way the rings do not get rusty in the refrigerator or freezer. They of course cannot be used for actual canning.
Liv: Just wanted to share, Kroger has big tubs of blueberry yogurt. I buy them for my kid and pack small Rubbermaid container.
And there you are. I hope these tips from other readers will help you all as much as it did me.
If you'd like other ideas for how to increase your MPG, look up "hypermiling" - I don't do all of it, but the things I have done are great for my MPG and also better on my vehicle. Stopping short and taking off at a zoom from lights and stop signs may make us feel like we're getting somewhere quickly, but I've learned that I'm not *actually* going faster, plus it made me more stressed, and increased wear and tear on my engine, breaks, and more. As a reformed speeder (with tickets in my youth to prove it LOL), I can vouch that I generally feel calmer when driving now. I let everyone else rush on by and just enjoy my increased following distance and lower stress levels.
Lana:
One tip about making homemade ice cream is that we put it in 4 ounce containers for the freezer and it is easy to take one out and eat it. When we froze the whole batch it got so hard that we could not scoop it and often wasted it. I can also hand the small portions to the grandchildren with a spoon and they love it.
A friend of mine purchases whole turkeys and thaws them in the fridge just enough to cut them up and then freezes them in pieces. She saves up the wings and then does them like chicken wings. I prefer to just thaw and cook the entire bird and package out the cooked meat. But, for me I will mostly not do turkey at all since it requires the big roaster and all that. I stick to chicken breasts on sale for the most part as it is just easier for me.
Forget to say that Brandy's granola is wonderful. I don't mix in the cranberries but add them as I eat it. They tend to dry out and get chewy if added and stored. One time when I made it I forgot to add the vanilla and I could not tell any difference so I no longer put it in since it a whole tablespoon of vanilla I can use somewhere else. I also sub 5 T brown sugar and 1 T water for the honey since I don't like honey and that saves money too. I keep it in a canning jar and it will keep for 6-8 weeks that way.
An article I ran across this AM about figuring out what your grocery budget should be: http://thriftylittlemom.com/2014/07/23/how-much-should-you-spend-on-groceries/
Kathy: I like money saving mom's lazy granola http://amysfinerthings.com/crystals-lazy-granola
Sarah: Many bloggers have said they get celery to last a very long time by wrapping it in aluminum foil. I like the heavy grade for this purpose.
Have you seen the replaceable white plastic tops for canning jars? Walmart has their own brand of them + Ball brand. That way the rings do not get rusty in the refrigerator or freezer. They of course cannot be used for actual canning.
Liv: Just wanted to share, Kroger has big tubs of blueberry yogurt. I buy them for my kid and pack small Rubbermaid container.
And there you are. I hope these tips from other readers will help you all as much as it did me.
5 comments:
Gramma D-I love the do not buy list. I need to that too. When we thought we were moving I started looking at what I have stockpiled here and it is way too much for two people.
I've noticed some of your posts are left-justified, like this one. Others are center-justified. I don't know if it's blogger, or what as I've noticed the center-justified posts on other blogs. However, when text is center-justified for more than just a title, it's very hard on the eyes to read ... especially, some of your longer posts, which I enjoy very much. Our brains are taught to read left to right, return to the starting position on the left side, and begin the next line. When text is centered, the brain isn't sure where to start the next line and has to search each time. It makes the reader tire more easily.
Not a criticism in any way! Just feedback from a special education teacher :)
Chris
I have seen people on blogs list all the things they no longer have to buy because they make them themselves. It is a good feeling when you actually realize how many things we do make. Whether it is cloth napkins or tartar sauce. Detergent and cleaners or salsas. We do a lot more than we actually realize to save money because we don't have those things on our grocery lists anymore. After a while we take it for granted but it is a big help to our budgets in actuality. A bit of grocery independence!
There are so many good cookbooks and make your own products books on the market. Also there are many women out there like Terri who share their lives and ideas with us all and we can with her. Such a huge help!! Books are great and I love them, but to share with other real women who love their homes is even better. Since the neighbor women next door is not always next door anymore we take to our keyboard and do the next best thing. We are blessed to be able to share and learn from each other. I thank you all for enriching my life. Terri, without you making and maintaining this blog that would never have happened. Sarah
Christina, her blogs come through just fine on my tablet and computer. Maybe there is a setting on your computer that needs changed? Gramma D
I know just what she means, Dorie. It's to do with my putting up photos before I start a This Week In My Home post. It throws every thing off. I can remedy that by typing the post in first then adding photos second. I'd noted it doing that and noted too that it was 'off'. If I were more savvy with computer I could fix it but I'm not so I'll do it the way I know how.
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