52 posts tagged “frugal”

Be sure to review my original blog post.

Mark Boyle (a.k.a. Saoirse, which is Gaelic for "freedom" and pronounced "sear-shuh") set up the Freeconomy website (http://www.justfortheloveofit.org). The idea is that like-minded people sign up, list their skills and donate them to others. In return they receive favours back. For instance, a hairdresser may give a mechanic a haircut and in exchange the mechanic would fix the hairdresser's bicycle. No money ever changes hands. The website appears to have been successful. Boyle says 4,200 people with 900 different skills from 85 countries have signed up.

This is a really cool widget. Kudos to Savings Advice. Every time you visit my blog and refresh this page, you get a new money saving tip!

Be sure to join the programs above the tip. They are legitimate money makers.

We use a local produce stand for fruits and veggies year round. We also use a distributor of Amish products we met at our local farmers market (keep clicking the picture below to see the great products and 10% discount). The only time we use Family Dollar or the grocery store is for paper products, vinegar, laundry detergent, and milk.

Invoice

Original Article

New labels listing the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of foods, from whole wheat pasta to fast food burgers, are appearing on some grocery items and restaurant menus around Sweden. The same concept is being proposed across the EU.

Besides causing massive consumer confusion, the emissions impact of, say, a carrot, can vary by a factor of 10, depending how and where it is grown. Who is going to determine and regulate this? Will small farms & cattle ranchers be exempt? Will this lead to even more consolidation in the food industry?

All one can say at this point is the cost of producing food will be going up and producers will try to pass on that cost to consumers. I encourage my readers to grow their own food. Then take steps to learn how to can, freeze, and dehydrate that food. Even apartment dwellers can do simple gardens with the Topsy Turvy and Chia Herb Gardens

Happy-birthday

All I did was sign up for newsletters and submit my date of birth. Look what I got this week:
$5 off from my local butcher
$10 off my food/beer bill at Rock Bottom Brewery
Free Blizzard from Dairy Queen (a $3.73 value)
Free swirl shake from Arby's (a $2.60 value)
Free Chinese buffet (an $8.50 value)

Total Savings = $29.83! :<))

If you want to save this kind of money on a weekly basis, be sure to follow me on Twitter or subscribe to my RSS feed on Twitter.

• Think vertical – just keep a step stool handy
• Hang stuff – use pegboard or hammer nails between floor joists (in the basement) and hand stuff that has a handle/hole
• Think square – square containers can be stacked and don’t waste volume like circular containers do
• Be creative – use the space under a couch, under a bed, or under the stairs for your non-perishables – use a storage trunk as a coffee table
• Keep track to avoid duplication through labels, writing on boxes, and arranging items logically
• Buy foldable furniture like futons, card tables, folding chairs
• I have found that I double my freezer space simply by taking the frozen contents out of the boxes that they are purchased in
• When saving things for future use, save only the small, useful parts like screws, nuts, bolts, springs, and washers
• Buy things that have multiple uses – a bike can be both transportation and exercise
• Clean house every spring and have a yard sale – if something doesn’t sell, call the Salvation Army

I put all my quick tips in one post. Should save you about $500 to $800 dollars per year. Share the wealth I've given you by ordering my seminars or joining any of my programs (swagbucks, youdata, sponsored tweets, inbox dollars, or Zecco) in the sidebar. Happy savings!

• Don't use the canned air method to clean keyboards - it's expensive. Plug in your hairdryer and blast away.
• Candles last longer if you freeze them prior to burning
• For headaches, take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead
• Got an itchy mosquito bite, try rubbing soap on it
• Use scotch tape to pull out a splinter
• Wrap celery in aluminum foil then refrigerate. It will last for weeks.
• Cut you S.O.S. pads in half – no more rusty, smelly pads
• To get a little more life out of worn out soles, try filling in the cracks and holes with hot glue.
• Covering a pot with a lid reduces cooking time and energy use. For extra energy savings, be sure to match the pot size to the burner size.
• If you’re shopping for appliances, check with the salesperson to see if there are any back room bargains. Sometimes a stove has a slight dent or a washing machine is scratched.
• Use GoDaddy to register a domain name (web site).
  
• Buy a battery tester and test “dead” batteries before tossing – lots of times its just one “dead” battery causing the trouble
• When your printer says your ink is low, pull out your cartridge and shake it to get another few days out of it
• White vinegar and bleach are great cleaners
• Drying your disposable razors (blades) extends their life – just use a towel
• Why keep a porch light on for hours when you can buy a battery powered push light  and use rechargeable batteries?
• Use a faraday flashlight
• Increasing the deductibles on auto and home insurance can save hundreds of dollars on premiums.
• Buy prescription eyeglasses at zennioptical
• To make your own miniature greenhouse, take an old egg carton; fill the individual sections with soil and seeds. Cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap. Before you know it, you will have the makings of a beautiful garden.
• Wad up some tinfoil and use it in your dryer instead of chemical coated sheets to get rid of static cling
• Grow your hair long for Locks of Love - a nonprofit organization that makes wigs for children who've lost their hair.
• "Feeder goldfish" cost less than 10 cents. Their food is around a $1 and lasts many months. One can use any type of glass bowl or antique canning jar to keep them in.
• Use honey for lip balm before you go to bed.
• Use un-waxed, unflavored floss to slice any soft cheeses, layer cakes, or homemade cinnamon buns from a roll.
• Bring your own water bottle everywhere. Refill the water bottle at water fountains.
• Camping Cooler - buy bottled water and freeze enough to fill your cooler. You won’t have to buy ice until four or five days into the event (when everyone else is making almost daily ice runs)
• Take produce into your office and have a "Take Some and Leave a Quarter" cup next to them. Use proceeds to buy plants for next year.
• If the A/C goes out in your car, try the $20 can of recharge from an auto parts
• Clean your windshield wipers with vinegar to extend the life of them
• Always stop at a local pawnshop when considering a new tool purchase, bicycles, vacuum cleaners, etc
• Slip those plastic grocery bags over your shoes when entering your garden, tie at the ankle. Keeps shoes nice and clean
• Bigger isn’t always better, buy only what you need if it is a perishable product
• Don’t bring the children shopping. You will accomplish the task quicker; you’ll avoid spending extra on stuff “seen on TV”.
• Shop secondhand stores for toys
• Some fifteen states offer tax-free days or tax-free weekends, with most coming in August. That’s an automatic savings of at least five percent in most cases, so plan accordingly.
• Consolidate your student loan.
  
• Don’t use another bank’s ATM
• Kick the (fill in the blank) habit. If you stop using alcohol, tobacco, and junk food, you’ll save thousands of $$$ over your lifetime and probably live longer and healthier!
• Use a voltmeter to check all batteries and make sure they are “dead”.
• For cash gifts, consider a payment plan like 10 checks for $10 with each dated a different month.
• Ask you dentist, doctor, and hair stylist for their old magazines – read recipes, cut out coupons – then recycle them
• Buy used eyeglass frames at thrift shops and then have new lenses made for you prescription
• Have your kids make a homemade kite
• Use local police auctions or Internet-based ones to get bikes, jewelry, cars, etc.
• For urban dwellers taking public transportation, ask your employer for a transit check, a subsidy employers get for alleviating gridlock
• Use Styrofoam peanuts to re-fill a beanbag chair
• Place wanted signs (instead of for sale signs) on bulletin boards for furniture, cars, and other big ticket items
• Turn empty matchbooks into a portable sewing kit
• Make you windshield wipers last for one more season by lightly sanding the rubber edge with sandpaper
• Your bed mattress will last longer if you “spin in the spring, flip in the fall”
• Bread tabs can be used to mark electrical cords at the outlet/power strip
• Remove shelves from a dead refrigerator and mount shelves in the garage/basement
• Use a wine cork to replace missing pot handles – attach with a screw
• A broccoli style rubber band makes a great jar opener
• Bubble wrap is great cushioning for people who must stand while on the job
• Use garlic powder to keep the varmints out, It’s a wonderful natural plant protector
• Ask elderly relatives and neighbors who are unable to drive if they need a lift to the supermarket – they’ll offer to pay for your gas
• Check rent – to – own stores for cosmetically damaged or otherwise non rentable items
• Call area attractions and ask if they have any “free to the public” events scheduled or regular “free admittance” times 
• If you re a senior citizen, always ask about senior discount everywhere you travel, shop, eat, or lodge!
• Check with local high schools that have shop classes. Often they sell wood scraps left over from student projects
• Inquire with dry cleaners about left items for sale
• Inquire about abandoned TVs, VCRs, Stereos, and DVD players at local repair shops 
• Use mesh bags (the kind turkeys/onions/potatoes are packed in) as scouring pads
• To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
• Cut old bread bags in half and use the bottom half as sandwich bags
• Old hangers make good pegboard hooks
• If an envelope is over one ounce but under 2, you don’t need 2 first class stamps, have it weighed for exact postage
• Your dog will love “dead tennis balls” left at public tennis courts
• Serrated edges from aluminum foil boxes (or a wax paper boxes) can be made into picture frame hangers
• Save you old pickle jars and the liquid inside. Slice up cucumbers and re-pack. In four days – pickles!
• Put a teaspoon or two of baking soda into the shoes before you wear them. Great odor eliminator
• Use 100% cornstarch instead of Baby Powder
• Change your own motor oil
• Cut old bread bags in half and use the bottom half as sandwich bags