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Nifty Thrifty:  Frugality & Thriftyness  |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 1:21:34 PM
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I consider myself a very frugal person. I cut old bath towels to use one more time as washcloths, and then they become dustrags. I have a "bucket" in the freezer that leftover veggies go into, so sometime down the road they can be thawed out to make soup. I reuse envelopes and any kind of containers. I save greeting cards and tear then apart and make post cards out of them. The list could go on and on...I wonder how much money I have saved over the years making something out of nothing?
I'm curious...How frugal are you?
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
Edited by - harmonyfarm on Sep 08 2010 9:08:17 PM |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 1:53:02 PM
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I never thought about the post card thing. Thats cool! I have the vege bucket and I have a broth bucket. I use it for gravies and soups. I have found places to get free sawdust, manure, and scrap wood to do all our gardening and build projects like the compost bin and such. I never buy a book till I've read it from the library and then I never buy it new. I keep my old towels for cleaning up spills of the floor and puttin in front of the shower to catch the drips. I still am usin towels that were given to my DH and I at our wedding almost 13 years ago!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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Diane B Carter
True Blue Farmgirl
1270 Posts
Diane
Blasdell
N.Y.
USA
1270 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 1:57:01 PM
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If a card can be hand delivered it will be that way the person recieving the card will be able to send the card to someone else as I don't write on the card or envelope. I have always gift wrapped gifts in news paper the funny section because its more colorful. I do that because my parents always did it for me. My daughter-in-law wrapped a gift for me and made me the most beautiful name tag. It was like getting 2 gifts in one. I am told I am very frugal Christmas gifts are usually things that the family needs but cost, my family is used to recieving a big box of laundry soap, new toothbrushes & paste. Oil for cars ect..They like it and then they feel they can buy a new shirt or something with the money they don't need to spend on things I gave them. It works for us.
Hope all your days are Sunnydays.
dianebcarterhotmailcom.blogspot.com |
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katrina
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
Katrina
The Dalles
Oregon
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 2:08:32 PM
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We're getting better at being frugal, that's for sure. We reuse whatever we can think of, and we make our own laundry soap and cleaners. Leftover veggies go to the ladies in the henhouse.
I love the postcard idea! I'll have to remember that one.
www.WorkOfArtCreations.com |
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emsmommy5
True Blue Farmgirl
1547 Posts
Angie
Buckley
WA
USA
1547 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 2:38:41 PM
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I try to use things up, fix them or remake them before they run out of life. I typically buy used clothing when I actually *need* something. I usually either make or remake clothing for me. I get most of my art supplies at the thrift too. It's a different kind of being frugal, but I get the things I want without having to pay retail because someone else was getting rid of things. It's always a work in progess, but I think there are many ways to be more frugal to have money left over to do the things we love to do.
Do what you love, love what you do. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 3:35:19 PM
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I just hate throwing things away, I will dis-assemble things and keep all the parts for a someday project, I have buckets and cans with nuts and bolts, screws and washers, all according to size. I have made many garden junk decorations out of roadside trash, I've had many a old bedframes for flower beds, and even some old baby cribs for flower beds. I save and gleem old barn wood, and old wooden fenceing, along with unusual wire/metal gates. No kinda food gets tossed, since we have 5 dogs, to many cats to count, chickens and pigs that will all eat any kind of left overs, plus a large compost pile. Most of my clothes come from the thrift stores, caus eI am very hard on them, tear them up quick and if I had bought it new, I would have cryed. I could go on and on, but I'm sure you all get the picture,lol...
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Violets November
True Blue Farmgirl
342 Posts
Violet
Exeter
California
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 9:01:43 PM
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Some of my frugal ways, I cook almost everything from scratch, bake all our bread, wash and re-use zip locks, save coffee cans for all sorts of jobs that use small buckets, make my detergent, make my house hold general cleaner. My hubby's lunch for work us usually from dinner the night before.
~Violet~
Farmgirl Sister #1669
My blog, http://hiddenacre.blogspot.com/
Our Organic Jewelry, http://www.etsy.com/shop/GaelicForge |
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Lin
True Blue Farmgirl
807 Posts
Lin
Sioux City
IA
USA
807 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2010 : 9:58:37 PM
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My daughter has a book called "The Great Bubble Trip" and it's so much fun. The great bubble carries the little boy to a special place named "Mr. This and Thats" and you girls sound just like him, especially you Teresa! He built a flying machine out of "this and that" and took the boy on quite a ride!! I can learn much from you all and even though I think of myself as "conservative" I can use some work, so thanks to all of you for some great ideas and motivation to be more creatively frugal!! Lin
"Our beautiful earth is worth saving"!! |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 05:22:28 AM
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Great topic  I too, consider myself frugal. . . really comes in handy when things are tough. I do a lot of the things already mentioned, along with wild harvesting. I search the fields and woods for everything I can find. Right now it's wild blueberries, raspberries and black berries. Peppermint is just about ready to harvest in two different fields. Wild apples and crab apples for apple sauce, apple butter, pies, candy and jelly. The list goes on
Joanna #566
"Keeping Traditions Alive A Stitch At A Time"
JojoNH
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CountryCents
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 06:19:24 AM
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I love this topic and am always looking for different ways to save :)
We also search for free food. We glean from our neighbors and strangers too! If I see a fruit tree that appears to have no one harvesting, I will ask if we can. I have never had anyone say no and I always give a pie or jam to the owner.
I am not a seamstress but remember reading this idea in Tightwad Gazette. A reader wrote in that she saves 100% cotton sweaters and repurposes them into wash rags. She cuts squares from the front and back, stitches them together and stitches cotton binding on the outside. She gives these with homemade soaps and bath salts. I thought that was neat:)
I am hoping to learn how to sew this year. I save fabric from old clothing (that is beyond donating) and make yoyo's and I have some strips to make rag rugs with. Certain materials get used for rags for washing the truck, polishing shoes, etc.
I make everything from scratch including condiments. That saves alot right there.
I shop at the Thrift Stores first (with the exception of undergarments and socks). I recently found an Eddie Bauer Dress for $1.50. A Talbots dress for $1.50. My best find was a pair of new Vasque leather hiking boots for $5.00. When I am there I also look for packing materials, books, magazines and craft supplies along with baskets.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
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katrina
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
Katrina
The Dalles
Oregon
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 07:01:02 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Calicogirl
I shop at the Thrift Stores first (with the exception of undergarments and socks). I recently found an Eddie Bauer Dress for $1.50. A Talbots dress for $1.50. My best find was a pair of new Vasque leather hiking boots for $5.00. When I am there I also look for packing materials, books, magazines and craft supplies along with baskets.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/
I never could bring myself to buy used undergarments. Just too personal.
My big thrift store find was a shirt for my hubby. My SIL was getting married, and all the groomsmen were wearing Patagonia shirts that cost around $70. I found one at the thrift store for $2.00
I also found a pair of those "Seven" jeans that are triple digits to purchase new. Unfortunately, try as I may, I couldn't make them fit a real person. 
www.WorkOfArtCreations.com |
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Ingrid
True Blue Farmgirl
432 Posts
Ingrid
BC
Canada
432 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 07:17:37 AM
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I bake most of the stuff we use, have raspberries, blueberries, apples and plum, cook from scratch, compost, use spare wood to build what we need, try to walk or bike instead of drive, reusable coffee mugs, all my friends know to ask me if they are getting rid of metal gates and that kind of stuff, a friend gave me two "trellis" that were actually metal corners from a gazebo that got destroyed from the wind, now I have beans on them. Reuse towels for rags, old sheets and pillowcases for ties on my tomatoes, and the list goes on. Shop at thrift store. I want to be more frugal and trying every day.
Give thanks to yourself everyday for all the wonderful things you do! |
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mellee
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
melissa
hampton
va
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 07:20:55 AM
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| my favorite keeper is got to be bacon grease. i season so many recipes with it i cannot believe they haven't bottled the stuff. i too am a big thrift store gal. with growing kids it is a godsend. i so look forward to moving back home where it is "okay" to have a clothes line in the backyard; will save a ton in electricity. |
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pnickols
True Blue Farmgirl
808 Posts
Patricia
Parma
Ohio
808 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 07:29:52 AM
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| I'm getting better, shopping at thrift stores, using old t-shirts as dust rags, bake from scratch, we stopped buying books and videos and use the library for everything, I knit my dishcloths and sew what I can. Can't remember the last time I bought anything at the mall. It's funny, but once I started cutting down and paying attention I just can't shuck out the money for overpriced stuff now. |
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AuntieM
True Blue Farmgirl
151 Posts
Marjorie
Holly Springs
NC
USA
151 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 08:19:10 AM
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| Great tips, ladies! DH and I do mostly everything listed, but one thing I did was to cut down on yard sales and trips to the thrift store! Although, if I NEED something that's where I shop first, I found I was spending just a little too much just "browsing" to kill some time, only to wind up with a lot of stuff that, in the long run, I neither needed nor wanted. |
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sue5901
True Blue Farmgirl
122 Posts
Sue
Wellingborough
United Kingdom
122 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 11:43:03 AM
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There are some really good comments on here
AuntieM - I know so many people who buy things because they are on offer or cheap in a thrift store but they don't really need them so they are not saving money.
I also find it strange that people say they are going to start being frugal and shop in thrift stores for their clothes - if you are just starting to be frugal surely you have a whole wardrobe full of clothes already from your prefrugal days. I would doubt most people actually NEED to buy any new clothes for several years from thrift stores or anywhere else - they could use what they already own and not buy anything - that's really being frugal!! Clothes for growing children are an exception of course. Just a thought!
Speaking for myself I have so many clothes already I think I could live for 15-20 Years without buying a single item of clothing (except perhaps underwear) I might start to look a bit shabby at the 10-15 year mark but I would still be decently clothed.
Sue
Dance like nobody's watching! |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 1:18:32 PM
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Sharon reminded me of a story. A few years ago, I was shopping at the local grocery. I was watching the produce guy as he was loading up a display of peaches. He was removing the peaches that had just a little thumbprint bruise on them. After watching him load up a box, I walked over and asked him what he was going to do with them. He said he was putting them in the dumpster. After I put my eyes back in my head, I asked him if I could have them for my pigs. I didn't have any pigs, as I figured there would be some problem if they were reused for human consumption. Well, I took those peaches home and spent the next two days making peach jam & preserves. I can only imagine how much food goes into the dumpsters at major markets. I got in good with that produce guy and went every week to get boxes of lettuce and other veggies for my rabbits. I actually did have rabbits then...and Sharon, of all the things I know how to do, sewing is at the top of the list. I love sewing more than anything....except eating chocolate.
Thanks girls for all the tidbits...they are inspiring!
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 1:23:40 PM
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one more thought....back when DH and I got together, on most days we didn't have two extra nickles to rub together, so frugality was mandatory! But as the years went by and the paychecks got bigger, I still kept my sense of frugality. When times get tough, frugal people just get a little more frugal and creative. I'm not so "high-and-mighty" that I haven't walked th ecounty roads looking for pop cans to exchange for gas money. People who live "high-on-the-hog" hit rough times and they panic. I feel sorry for them.
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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MissLiss
Farmgirl Legend Schoolmarm
322 Posts
Melissa
Corona
CA
USA
322 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 2:42:09 PM
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I agree, some people think it's beneath them to be frugal. But I say, why spend that money if you don't have to? I'd rather have a little money left at the end of the day for emergencies or maybe a nice family trip, then drive that super expensive car and have that really fancy pair of jeans but be in debt up to my eyeballs because I want to have what "those guys" have. So silly.
Melissa ~ Farmgirl #724
Mother Hen to The Knitty Gritty Farmgirls of the Inland Empire
http://fabulousfarmgirl.blogspot.com/ |
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patchworkpeace
True Blue Farmgirl
478 Posts
Judy
Jackson
Michigan
USA
478 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2010 : 06:34:17 AM
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Wow! What a great thread. I already do a lot of the things mentioned but there are some great ideas here. Like Angela, I read a lot but never buy a book until I have read it from the library first. Then, it almost always is a reference type book first so that it will be used over and over again.
The greeting card postcard idea is clever. a wonderful way to use those beautiful greeting cards. I also cut up some of my greeting cards into book marks - particularly ones that have decorative edges that naturally make an attractive bookmark. Used Christmas cards often can be made into tags for presents if there is no print or writing on the back of the area cut out. I embellish some of them with ribbons or sparkly glue. It is a nice highlight as "snow" to the tags.
One advantage to using homemade cleaners is that if natural ingredients such as vinegar, etc is used its not unhealthy for pets. We have a cat that is sensitive to chemicals and homemade cleaners have made her life more enjoyable.
All the ideas shared have inspired me so much!
Judy
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
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momdrinkstea
True Blue Farmgirl
180 Posts
Elizabeth
Ozark
AL
USA
180 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2010 : 8:12:30 PM
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Here's a tip for thrift store shopping...
I keep a list in my purse at all times, it has all the
things I'm searching for on it - it keeps me from buying
unneeded items, and helps me remember what I'm LOOKING for.
Just got a breadmaker, looks like new, last week for $3.00.
Crossed it off the list! :)
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2010 : 09:19:16 AM
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I'm with you Elizabeth. I keep that same notebook in my purse. Only now I've added things to use for Christmas gifts...just can't seem to find that perfect black blazer though....but I'll keep looking.
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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Cherime
True Blue Farmgirl
1222 Posts
Cherime
Wasilla
Alaska
USA
1222 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2010 : 1:21:04 PM
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While I sit here in my $1 jeans and $1.50 shirt at work, I am reading this and yep, I wash ziplock bags, save bottles, jars and etc that can hold food. This weekend my son and were working on getting the bathroom of the old cabin hooked up to water that I did not have to run out and go get. We reused 2X4 and pieces of 4x4's left over from the interior remodel for the legs on the shower stall platform, etc. The vanity cabinet was about 8 years old and the door, covered in some kind of vinyl was going. It now has a new door I made out of an old piece of plywood that I saved and an old handle that was in my hardware drawer in my tool box. I had a couple of pieces of 1/4 inch wood that I had ripped off of a 2x4 that needed to be custom fit and that old cabinet has a door with mitered trim decoration and a new paint job from left over white paint. Made something really nice out of scrap.
CMF |
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knittingmom
True Blue Farmgirl
665 Posts
AnneMarie
Edmonton
Alberta
Canada
665 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2010 : 1:33:55 PM
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You gals are an inspiration. We do shop at thrift, more and more. i am trying to reuse more of the things I sent to recycle.
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world" |
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momdrinkstea
True Blue Farmgirl
180 Posts
Elizabeth
Ozark
AL
USA
180 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2010 : 4:06:23 PM
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My hubby brings home scrap lumber and pallets, old displays, etc. that
were headed for the dumpster at work. We built all of our farm buildings
with it + some purchased screws, nails & chicken wire. I want to start
picking up free curb windows to make into some cold frames this fall!
We also scarf up bagged leaves at curbsides to use as mulch, and I
reuse the garbage bags they're in too! How nice of the homeowners to
bag mulch up for us, and give us free bags! LOL
My mom wraps plastic grocery bags around bread/meat before freezing it,
to give it an extra layer of protection. I use them to line wastebaskets.
My litter box is a dollar store dishpan, and we use sand instead of cat litter,
it breaks down faster! Even if you buy the sand, it's cheaper!
By the way, when I worked at a mall, they throw out the most amazing stuff! The kitchen stores were the best! I've found dented items, scratched furniture, old displays, and new-in-the-box items! NONE
were in the dumpster, just sitting by the side of it. I think they
know people will pick up the good stuff - besides, they have to pay by weight for everything in the dumpster!
Great tips everyone! Love to hear them all!
"CURBSIDE QUEEN"
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein |
Edited by - momdrinkstea on Aug 30 2010 4:12:47 PM |
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patchworkpeace
True Blue Farmgirl
478 Posts
Judy
Jackson
Michigan
USA
478 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2010 : 07:07:09 AM
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Elizabeth,
Great ideas! I've been wanting to build a cold frame, too, but didn't know where to get the windows from. We'll have to drive around and see what we can find. Who knows, maybe we can find some reusable wood for the frame, too. Judy
Success is measured not by the position one reaches but by the obstacles one has to overcome to reach it. Booker T. Washington |
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Nifty Thrifty: Frugality & Thriftyness |
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Frugality & Thriftyness
