Thrifty Thursday

Grits

It seems like pretty much everyone has money struggles at some time. Mine are all the time. LOL

We go for the obvious things first--fast food, coffees/sodas from the convenience store, and general shit we don't need. The next to go is brand names on everything, from tortilla chips to tacos, if the store brand is cheaper, we buy that instead. When shit really gets deep, we recycle the hell out of anything we can find. Mostly steel and aluminum.

So how do you trim the fat when times get tough? What's the most
creative thing you've ever done to either save or make extra money? Inspire me ladies! I can always use some new ideas about how to save cash!!

momofeveryone

i bought a breadmaker at goodwillfor 8 bucks. i make my own bread,buns, rolls, stuffings, ect. i buy 6 bucks in bread flour and off brand yeast at aldis. it saves me tons bc we are big bread eaters.

i got rid of cable/internet/phone for a while too. we just got it back a few weeks ago.

i alsomakemy kids finish the food on thier plate before and snacks. or leftover mealis snack :)

BeerWench

I'm a Dave Ramsey die hard :)

Emmasmom04

there's lots of things I have done in the past year to cut down. Make sure I plan my meals, and I can use leftovers for other meals. I shop at salvation army (just got 2 brand new shirts for dd yesterday for a total of 3 bucks!), I shut off my cable that was costing me 88 bucks a month and now have netflix that is only 8 a month. I make sure I shut the lights off when they are not being used, keep the thermostat at a low temp ( about 65).

Grits

@momofeveryone, do you really save that much? I know bread ingredients are fairly inexpensive, just wondering dollar for dollar how much you save like that. I've thought about it, but didn't know if the bread maker purchase was justifiable...

theprincessmommy

Ramen casserole 3 bags of ramen cooked and drained add cheap frozen veggies, generic cream of whatever soups and if we were feeling fancy cheese. stir bake and serve filling and terrible for you buy cheap.

Grits

@BeerWench we've done that! That's the primary reason we were able to move into a better home. We don't really make enough to throw at savings like the program recommends, but hopefully some day!
[-O<

undercoverbanana

once when i got really desperate to make some money, i went to one of those super cheapo stores ($7 or less, bought 6 dresses) and with needle, thread, scissors, glitter, fabric glue, etc i had in the house, and and sold/customized stripper dresses. stripper dresses are ridiculously expensive.

salt dough christmas ornaments. for a $ apiece. made them look like cookies. everyone's favorite were the ones that had a "bite" taken out of them, and were screaming. (my son's idea, of course)

i am making 30 specialty cupcakes for a neighbor for $30 bucks next week. i am going to doctor up cheap cake mix and make homemade frosting. (will cost me 6-7 bucks.)

Hoppitu

@momofeveryone, I do too! My kids HATE leftover breakfast/lunches as their snacks, but its the rule and they know it!

I buy off brand food items or use coupons for name brand if its a better deal then the off brand.

I shop goodwill for household goods and clothing.

No cable/internet (just cell phones with internet access)

We have a family video in town and they have free kids rentals (no paid rental required), so we watch a lot of free kids videos.

I walk the kids to/from school vs. driving them.

carriejo

I buy off-brand everything. Thank God for Aldi! I also stretch whatever we're having for dinner to make lunch for my self & hubby for the next day.

sandy2622

Yup, leftovers, if not enough for an entire meal for the whole family, are after school snacks! A rule in our house too. Netflix ad Hulu are waaaayyyy cheaper than cable! Thrift stores and garage sales are a very important part of my life. You would not believe what some people will just throw in a free box at a garage sale, LOL I have gotten first edition books and sold them on ebay for a nice profit! I don't have any tried and true plan to save, but what ever comes my way I will try to take advantage of!

LLB

Hmm... Where do I start.

For groceries, cleaning products and paper goods I shop sales and use a ton of coupons. I buy when the items are cheap and stockpile them. I pay pennies on the dollar for all cleaning products and health and beauty products just by waiting for sales and store promotions to match the coupons with.

Nearly everything we own from electronics to furniture to clothing is pre-owned. I love second hand stores. We have some really nice ones here.

I buy stuff secondhand and sell it on eBay for profit. My phone has web service so I can verify the value before buying items. I've been doing this for 7 years though so I'm pretty good at decifering the junk from the stuff with value.

I cut dh's, dd's and ds's hair. Dh or my mom trims mine.

Ill try to think of more...

ChristyJ

@Grits, I have an old bread maker we never use anymore. Maybe a little too much to ship, PM me and remind me of your city and next time we are out that way I can just drop it off to you. I haven't had to travel for work so much lately, but we will see.

Grits

ChristyJ said:
@Grits, I have an old bread maker we never use anymore. Maybe a little too much to ship, PM me and remind me of your city and next time we are out that way I can just drop it off to you. I haven't had to travel for work so much lately, but we will see.

That is so cool of you!! Sending PM now!!

SnugglePuss

I shop Mom2Mom sales and buy pretty much both of my daughters' entire wardrobes at them. Other moms rent a table at whatever facility, church, high school gym, etc, and sell their children's clothes for dirt cheap. I've gotten many good deals.

hippiekins

I seem to always go through conditioner faster then I go through shampoo and end up with a billion bottles of half used shampoo and when times get extra tough I've used those bottles of shampoo as body wash,dish soap and laundry soap lol.

hippiekins

I also cut all of our hair.

Mom_o_Cass

My local library rocks. Besides the books, movies and music you can borrow, they have a ton of free fun nights for kids as well as adults. They have a used book store and nothing costs over 2 dollars. Lastly, they offer free or discounted passes to a bunch of museums and our local aquarium! Coolness.

Furball1980

I do yard sales, and stockpile kids clothes a size or two ahead, I also get home decor there too

Netflix here too, take advantage of your local library(and I'm not saying that because I'm a librarian lol. )

Buy generic, I don't do the coupon thing because most of the time it's for items not needed or lacks nutrition.

I'm a thrift store junkie too! Especially for temp use items like children's books and maternity clothes.

I recently invested in a toaster oven that bakes, cuts down on the stove use immensely

I mentioned in another post on cooking from scratch, try some of your ethnic grocery stores like a Mexican market(if one in the area) a lot of those places you can get stuff for cheap.

Boy Scouts is free, get kids involved in 4h, cheaper than sports programs and will be more of a pathway for a job later down the road. :)

Hope some of this helps!

babablacksheep

We grow our own garden and can and freeze.

We raise our own pigs to butcher, and chickens for eggs....I haven't the heart yet to butcher a chicken as that was not their intended purpose when I bought them.

My husband works on a farm and their milk goes to Cabot. Twice a year we order cheese and butter in bulk and freeze it. We also get a whole cow.....I have 2 refrigerators and 3 freezers.

I just rediscovered my bread machine and am loving it!!!!

I try to cook most foods from scratch.

I coupon!!!!!! And stock pile things when I find them for real cheap. I don't spend hours and hours but I do spend some time putting together my shopping trips. And I don't always go every week. Some weeks we just don't have the extra money and I only get what we really need.

I garage sale and thrifty shop. If I find something for the kids at a great deal and its too big I will buy it and store it.

I try not to drive all over hell! Make one trip out instead of many as much as I can.

I hang clothes out on the line all summer long as much as I can.

Sometimes it's still not enough to get us by financially but at least we try!

momofeveryone

@Grits for us it is some good savings,and much healthier. i can make 8 rolls/buns, 6 sausage rolls/12hotdog buns, or 3 soup bowls from one 'loaf'. one loaf costs me about 1.50 because i use whole wheat flour with a high protien content. i make 3 loaves of bread a week in addition to some of the other stuff. i dont mind if all my kid eats for breakfast/snacks/side because i know its healthier then alot of the proccessed junk.

it really comes down to if you use it, it will pay for itself. the model i had been looking at was 110.00 plus tax and shipping. i would have had to use it 2x a week for about 7 months for it to pay for itself when all was said and done. i got mine for 8 bucks at good will and its got all the bells and whistles. i thought i would use it a few times a week,but i use it almost daily because its really easy.

i use the heals for bread crumbs too,i think i need a life lol

justkeepswimming

I too use netflix and library, and shop generic brands.

I keep the heat low and if we get a bit chilly encourage slippers and blankets (makes a cozy feel too)

and I also discovered my local Facebook yardsale pages. There is one for kids stuff only, and one for anything at all. The moment something is outgrown (whether it be a DVD or clothing), not being used, etc... I post a pic with the price, someone interested comments, and we agree to meet at a nearby Dunkin's or something. It has worked out great in the past. They are usually closed circuit too so either someone has to add you, or you request and the host approves you and tracks you, so it is safer than Craigslist IMO.

I also pet sit and dog walk, people will pay GOOD money. One client pays $30 for a weekend of feeding her rabbit. I had guinea pigs for a week in my home, just had to keep food and water full, and had to clean their cage only once - $70. $15-$20 (depending on how far you have to drive to get there) just to walk a dog one time. I currently have an extra cat in the house (I have 3 of my own so 1 more is no biggie) for a week. She shares with mine the food and litter box, and when she gets picked up, I get $200. It may sound like work, but it's really not a lot of effort, and the money adds up. The best part, is I don't have to provide tons of luvin if I don't feel like it because my kids are thrilled to!!!!!

Grits

@justkeepswimming I do the FB yard sales, too! I have unloaded a few things on there that got snapped up in no time. I like that better than craigslist because you at least have some idea of who you're meeting on FB.

justkeepswimming

@Grits Exactly! Thank you for backing me up ;)

PDXcoco

I use a website called thredup for clothing. You can send off for one of their postage paid bags and fill it up with the clothes your little ones no longer fit into. You get credit towards purchasing clothing. Super cute stuff! I have purchased a bunch of dresses for my toddler and they are so great!

Grits

PDXcoco said:
I use a website called thredup for clothing. You can send off for one of their postage paid bags and fill it up with the clothes your little ones no longer fit into. You get credit towards purchasing clothing. Super cute stuff! I have purchased a bunch of dresses for my toddler and they are so great!

Seriously?? I have never heard of it! I'm going to check it out now!!

PDXcoco

It's so awesome! If you order your bag through their mobile app it's totally free! I got a bunch of Gap and Gymboree dresses for super cheap!

morewithlessmom

I am trying to cut the number of things we buy. Every month the list gets reevaluated for a cheaper or reusable alternative. If you don't buy stuff you get to save those dollars for something else.

Instead of small trash bags we use pillow cases from the dollar store, and just throw them in the wash if they need it (not for kitchen trash, ewww). Keeping an eye out for pretty embroidered ones at some granny's yard sale.

I make my own powder laundry detergent for WAY cheaper, and it doesn't irritate anybody's sensitive skin.

I use rags and cloth napkins all over the house, so I'm not paying to throw paper away. Somebody was getting rid of their grammy's linens on eBay and I got a great deal.

I save recipes and stuff I print out for scratch paper for the preschooler's art.

I got cute dryer balls off Etsy (easy to make yourself if you don't have carpal tunnel). These double as preschooler toys, apparently.

I only use vinegar and baking soda to clean, which eliminates a whole array of products to buy. I will buy magic erasers from the dollar store.

For my long, curly, frizzy hair I only use coconut oil. I was using PALMFULS of conditioner and still wasn't happy. At first I had to use a lot of coconut oil and I was worried it would get expensive. But once my hair got happy I only needed to add a tiny spray to maintain.

I reuse lots of containers and cover them with pretty papers.

I wash and reuse bread bags instead of zip bags.

I pop popcorn in brown paper lunch bags in the microwave.

I cook at least one chicken (or turkey) a month and make my own stock.

I ALWAYS combine errands. The nearest store is $7 in gas away, I'm not willing to pay $10 for a gallon of milk, which is what you pay for the trip total.

I also evaluate convenience foods to see if I can make my own. I make my own condiments, like chocolate syrup, hot cocoa mix, pancake mix, salad dressings, barbecue sauce. I will save the package of a store bought item to refill. And woe to the teen boy who throws out my not-trash bottle!

I plan our meals for the month. We do a major shopping at the beginning of the month. Once a week we shop for produce/sale items to stock up on. We do not get nuts about sticking to the meal plan, but I always know I have enough food for the month.

I use my breadmaker a lot. I got a large capacity one at a rummage sale. I have carpal tunnel AND always forget the dough, so this is the only way I can get homemade bread done.

I save things to recycle for crafts for the kids. Toilet paper rolls, milk jug lids, egg cartons...

pdxmama

@pdxcoco @grits thredup is an awesome idea. I've bought stuff from there for decent prices. As far as sending stuff in, it just doesn't pay nearly enough Imo. I think you're much better off finding a children's resale or consignment shop that offers trade or cash for clothes on the spot. Even better, though it's not something you can do spur of the moment are the big yearly consignment sales. You can take all of your outgrown kids stuff, not just clothes but toys, baby gear like playpens, highchairs, etc, shoes, bikes, whatever. It's a bit of work, you have to tag and organize everything and haul it to the sale, but you set your own prices and the sale owners take care of everything once it's there plus they have done all the advertising. You usually make a straight 65% of whatever your total sales are, but if you work volunteer shifts at the sale you can make upto 85%. I do one particular sale every year with dd's clothes and any big stuff we don't use anymore. Ds wears his clothes till he blows the knees and elbows right out of them, but hers still look practically brand new after she outgrows them, so I can usually sell those easily. Also, I've been to garage sales where they had baby/kids clothes for 25¢ apiece, so I bought 5 bucks worth, and was able to sell them for 2-3 dollars each. I don't have the time or energy to do more than one, but I've met people there who do it 8 times a year. (Each sale generally has one spring event and one fall event) They spend the rest of the year hitting yard sales, thrift stores, etc. stocking up on stuff then put it in all the sales. They put a lot of time into it, but they make some good money.

PDXcoco

@pdxmama I love the consignment sales! Great deals on everything you can need in terms of kids!

babablacksheep

I bought a shirt from Thredup for my son for school, it had a hole in it. I got a free $10 so I wasn't too worried about it. I thought the shipping was outrageous!

pdxmama

@pdxcoco, aren't they awesome! I actually got my kids some great Christmas presents at the one a few weeks ago! I found one of those Little People dollhouses that make all the sounds for $7. I see them on ebay all the time for $30.

PDXcoco

@pdxmama What a great deal! I found a Loving Family Dollhouse at the Lloyd Center Goodwill for $10! I love good deals!

LiquidPeppermint

We all wear Goodwill/garage sale/Freecycle clothes.

I cut DH and DSS's hair. A $25 Wahl trimmer has lasted us 7 years now and saves us about $15/month in haircuts. DH cuts my hair, because it's just a straighten-up trim every three months, but saves us $20 every time.

We have a solar heater that keeps heating bills to a minimum, and a swamp cooler instead of an air conditioner for summer time. But we live in a dry, temperate area which makes the swamp cooler pretty much all we need.

I cook many double-sized meals and freeze them in single portions for nights when we're not all home and would be very tempted to eat out. So much cheaper to just pull some spaghetti from the freezer than to hit Taco Bell.

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