Frugal Mania

Once upon a time, all people had to get themselves clean was a stream and a hearty chunk of homemade lye soap. We have come a long way since those days and the personal care / bath and body care aisle at the local store will back that statement up for me.

Since you are reading this, I’m going to go out on a limb and toss out the idea that you might not be either willing or able to pay for the latest European discoveries in skin rejuvenation. Even still there are people with special skin care needs or simply just those who want to make themselves feel pampered once in a while.

Is it possible to have frugal bath and body products that are actually budget friendly and still work well? The answer, my friends, is a resounding YES! (more…)

First, let me say that I received this question a few weeks ago but my own experiences yesterday has led me to mention it today.

Yesterday I bit the proverbial bullet and went to the eye doctor for a long overdue eye exam.  I write approximately 12 to 14 hours per day, sometimes 7 days a week and my eyes have taken a beating as a result.  I knew that I would need some sort of vision correction for the first time in my life and was just never truly willing to admit it to myself.  The constant eye strain and headaches finally forced me off my rump yesterday and though I did leave with eyeglasses, I am very happy I did.

Now, on with today’s reader question.

Michael,

Both my husband and I wear eyeglasses, as do two of our four children and because of an eye condition my prescription changes almost every year.  The frugal side of me wishes there was something I could do with the old eyeglasses but I have never really come up with a good idea.  What do you suggest?

Beth in Tacoma, WA

Beth,

While I don’t know of any frugal uses for eyeglasses that will help around the house, I do have a good recommendation for you and for everyone else who might be reading as to what to do with old glasses when they are no longer useful to you.

Donate them!

Here are a few ideas for you:

Lions Club – The local Lions Club will accept donations of old eyeglasses and has done so for years.  Visit the web site to locate a nearby center for more information.

Ask at your optometrist’s office.  Most of them accept used eyeglass donations and will distribute them appropriately to people who cannot afford glasses on their own.

This is the first in a series of everyday products being used in ways you may have not heard of.  In today’s post we will look specifically at the areas of health and personal care.

Old time sore throat cure – Mix up a small batch of your own homemade sore throat cure by combining 1 part vinegar and 1 part honey and taking a tablespoon once every three to four hours.  The vinegar acts as an antiseptic and kills the bacteria that causes a sore throat.

Quick fix for puffy eyes – This one has been used by stage performers and drag queens the world over for years; All you have to do is dab a touch of hemorrhoid cream (like Preparation H) under the eyes being careful to avoid the eyes themselves of course.  These creams are vasoconstrictors and will instantly shrink the tissue when rubbed in.

Toenail fungus gets the boot -  Got unsightly toenail fungus and don’t want to spend the extra cash on an expensive remedy that you are unsure will work in the first place?  Soak the affected toe(s) in Listerine!  It is still one of the most powerful  antiseptics on the market and chances are you have some in the bathroom already.

Bruise B Gone – I’ve mentioned frugal uses for vinegar in the past, but did you know that soaking a cotton ball or clean cloth in vinegar and applying it to a bruise will lessen the discoloration and help the bruise to heal more quickly?

Have an idea for a future edition of And I bet you didn’t know?  Leave Michael a comment and you might see your’s included next time!

I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

I was in North Carolina recently visiting my father for Father’s Day (for the first time in 18 years, but that’s a story for another time) and when I got to his house to pick them up for dinner, I saw one of the strangest sights I’d ever seen - and this from a guy who grew up in the South.

As I walked up to the front door, there on one of the posts was stapled a ziploc baggie full of water.

I have to admit that I laughed. I thought to myself that this had to be some sort of southern voodoo ritual of which I was not yet privy and it even took me almost half an hour to ask about it. When I did, I was told that this is an old home remedy for flies swarming at the door. Still not convinced, I had to step back outside and take a look for myself.

You know what? I didn’t see a singled darned fly! Like I said before, I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. It actually worked.

I got home and just yesterday my roommate’s grandfather told him the same solution, since we now have our own problem with figuring out how to get rid of flies at my home. I’m going to the store to buy some ziplock backs. See you tomorrow, you frugal maniacs!

What do you do when despite all of your best efforts to scrimp and save and make the most out of each and every little thing you have, your spouse, roommate, child, pool boy, mistress (hey, who am I to judge who lives under your roof?) may simply not understand your frugal nature.

When that happens (and it will if it hasn’t already), how do the frugal deal with the backlash?  Is it possible to live frugally while being surrounded by friends and family who are of the mind set that they should be able to get what they want when they want it?

I know you can’t even get them to put the toilet seat down, but it is possible to bend their wills toward the frugal – even if it is just a smidgen now and then.  In fact, there are frugal ideas that can be incorporated into your collective lives without their knowledge so that the wasteful ways of the uninitiated members of your frugal household are lessened.

Children are much easier to work with (go figure), because the easiest way to make them understand frugality is by using the powerful lesson of money.  For every dollar they help you save for example, you might give them x number of ‘house credits’.  A frugal house credit is a unit of exchange – think home currency – that your kids can save up for things they want.

How you work your house credits is up to you, but I suggest involving your children in the creation of the incentive program in order to bring them around more quickly.  If they get to pick the incentives (from very small to substantial) they are more likely to begin paying attention to those small details that can end up saving you big.  They may even surprise you by finding new ways to save money and live more frugally!

Want to make your own compost but can’t deal with the headaches of having a large outdoor compost bin that you have to maintain constantly?

Let your kitchen scraps become worm food!

Worms serve a purpose beyond fishing bait and causing little girls (and some grown men) to scream - they can also make some of the richest and easiest compost available with a minimum of effort on your part. Before I go into explaining the how of vermiculture (composting with worms), I’m going to give you a few reasons why it just makes good sense:

1. Putting the brakes on landfill waste.
The less you put in the garbage bin, the less you are contributing to the disposable nature of our society. Vermiculture makes it easy to turn vegetable-based waste into something beneficial.

2. Free nutrient-rich compost.
Did you see that? I said free. Aside from the (minimal) startup costs, running a small worm farm won’t cost you much of anything at all.

3. No more rodents in your garbage bin.
The reason rodents, insects and small animals are so attracted to the garbage bin outside is because of the scent. When your worms eat your kitchen waste, the outdoor critters will leave your bins alone.

If you’re worried about odors or the containers being dirty, don’t. They are amazingly clean and you won’t have an issue with odor either.

Next week we will go deeper and you’ll learn how to have your own worm farm that is so compact it can fit comfortably under your kitchen sink. Until then, check out this article by my friend Shelly Wilkerson at one of my sister blogs, Natural and Sustainable, where she tells you how to make your own easy homemade compost bin!

See you next time, my frugal maniacs!

If there is one thing I absolutely hate during the summer months – especially here in the south – it has to be mosquitoes. To put it bluntly, mosquitoes suck!

If there’s two things I absolutely hate during the summer months, the first would be mosquitoes and the second would be allergies. Both suck.

In that spirit, I want to bring you two coupons that may help. The first is for OFF Power Pad Lamps which may not be frugal on the surface, but A) they really work, and B) they have more repelling power than 15 citronella candles or buckets combined, so I don’t waste money on citronella anymore.

To get your Buy One, Get One Free coupon for OFF Power Pad Lamps , visit http://www.offprotects.com/mosquito-repeller/. Once there, look at the upper right hand side of the page where you will find a link to get your coupon.

As for my fellow allergy sufferers, the first thing I suggest is getting your hands on some raw, unfiltered honey from a local beekeeper. Two tablespoons a day has helped me to kick my Sudafed habit (especially now that it takes an act of Congress and a Driver’s License to get the stuff) in about a month.

This home remedy only works with natural unfiltered raw honey from your local area, because it is made from the pollen that is in your local area. It may sound odd, but I am a true believer after being a skeptic.

If that doesn’t work for you, Claritin is incredible, and on their website they are offering several coupons as well as a free children’s booklet called “Caseys Allergies” at http://claritin.com/claritin/global/savings.

There is a popular misconception these days that plants exist for the sole purpose of being pretty. Houseplants are great (as long as you remember to water them), but they do not have to be just something to look at.

An herb garden in your kitchen is not only attractive; it is also cheap and extremely cost effective. If you doubt this fact for even a moment, take a quick look at how expensive fresh herbs are the next time you go grocery shopping. I can’t understand why anyone would pay two or three bucks for a tiny packet of fresh herbs when they could grow their own for about the same cost.

I bought a rosemary plant at a clearance sale and dropped it into the ground outside my mother’s house. That was three years and countless recipes ago and still the plant is nearly three feet tall and just as fragrant and beautiful as ever.

So, you don’t want to deal with the headaches of having a full-fledged garden. You can grow delicious cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket on your front porch. Not only will it look great, it will add a home grown flavor to your favorite salad.

The fact is that there are tons of hybridized vegetable plants these days that are made specifically for growing in containers. Why not have a few plants on your porch that actually earn their keep for a change?
Don’t hand me the tired old excuse that you don’t have a green thumb. The only difference between someone with a green thumb and someone without one is that one of the two have taken the time to educate themselves.

Search engines are easy to use, and information for neophyte gardeners is plentiful on the ‘net.

No excuses, get out there and grow something!

Vinegar has been around for centuries and although relegated to the confines of the kitchen in today’s society it has enjoyed a great number of uses of which there are many you may never have heard of.

In that vein, I would like to share my top 10 uses for vinegar you never knew:

1. Wiping down your walls with a strong vinegar solution will eliminate mildew and the collection of dust.

2. A solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle will make a strong and impressive window cleaner, just without the cost and artificial coloring. If you replace the paper towels with old newspaper, your windows will be streak free.

3. Soaking fish in vinegar before cooking will make them more tender and flavorful.

4. Soaking tough raw cuts of meat in vinegar will make the meat more tender.

5. Vinegar applied to the skin can relieve dry, cracked and chapped areas quickly.

6. Rubbing vinegar into your pet’s fur will remove the odors left over from a chance encounter with a skunk.

7. Adding vinegar to your laundry’s rinse cycle will eliminate any residual soap and brighten your whites.

8. Cold vinegar will take the sting out of sunburn and can also prevent incidental burns from blistering.

9. Make your own sour cream by blending together 1 cup of cottage cheese with ¼ cup of milk and a teaspoon of vinegar.

10. Keep cheese fresher longer by storing it wrapped in a cloth soaked in vinegar (keep it in a sealed container, of course).

We are all guilty of neglecting our precious plants every once in a while. Even the most forgiving of houseplants can look a little worse for the wear after a week with no water, but what can you do if you are always forgetting to give your lovely leafy plants a drink when they need it?

Should you invest in one of those expensive self-watering contraptions in order to save the life of your plants? You should know by now that I am going to respond with an emphatic “no!”, but the good news is that there is another way.

Thankfully, I have come across a frugal solution that uses what I already have and still keeps everyone happy, plant and human animal alike.

If you have a plastic water or soft drink bottle, you have a frugal slow-release watering solution at your fingertips!

Here’s how I do it:

NOTE: It is important that your bottle have a plastic screw top lid.

1. Drill or nail a few small holes in the lid of your bottle.

2. If you are working with a plastic bottle, use a sharp knife to cut off the bottom of the bottle, making what appears to be a funnel shape.

3. Cut a small piece from an old pair of stockings and place it over the drinking end of the bottle, and secure it in place by reattaching the cap. This will ensure that no dirt or debris clogs up the holes you drilled in step one.

4. Place the inverted bottle into the pot with your neglected plant, burying the cap and another inch or so of the bottle to keep it stable.

5. Fill your new self-watering bottle with water and relax. The water will release slowly, keeping your plant well watered and happy.

This is an especially effective solution for people who are away from home for a few days at a time. In my case, I am growing tomato plants in 5-gallon buckets outside this year, and one of the easiest ways I have found to keep them well-watered is to use an old 2-liter plastic bottle. Since I have seen the occasional small bird stopping by for a drink or a splash, I am working on a DIY birdbath, since the cement option in my yard is cracked and will not hold water these days.

When I do it, you can bet it will find its way here, for all the frugal maniacs to enjoy!

In honor of Mother’s Day (which is tomorrow in case you missed the memo), I wanted to offer you some money saving tips for wrapping that gift I know you’ve already bought. I mean…you have got her something already, right? If not, here’s an easy to make gift that any mother would surely love, courtesy of Shelly at Wax & Bubbles. What mom wouldn’t adore lavender hand cream?

Okay, assuming that you have a gift, you need a way to wrap it without overspending, so here are a few of my favorite ideas:

Brown Bag It
One of the easiest ways to wrap a gift is to use a plain brown grocery bag. All you need to do is cut it open along the folds and wrap your gift with the label side facing inward. If you happen to have a roll of brown craft paper (also sometimes called “deli paper”), that will make it even easier.

To personalize your plain brown wrapper, use stencils or freehand some simple designs across the paper and finish it off with a piece of ribbon and a faux flower.

A Tisket, A Tasket
Here’s another great idea – why not place your gift inside a pretty basket? Chances are you have several of them stowed away in a closet somewhere anyway, so why not use them.

Shredded junk mail can be used as filler, and a few small knick-knacks, some ribbon and a glue gun will finish it off perfectly.

It’s Only a Dollar…
If you are just hell bent on spending money, just stop by your local Dollar Store. They always have a good selection of wrapping papers and gift bags and if you’re going to spend money, at least you can be cheap about it!

You know all that stuff sitting in your garage that you don’t use, don’t want to throw away but just can’t seem to get around to taking to a local charity’s donation center?

I’ve got the perfect solution for you – Freecycle it!

Freecycle is one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen in ages, and as a member myself I can personally attest to how great it works. The entire premise is perfect for frugal types like me. When you visit the website, you can search for the mailing list of the group in your area.

If you need something, you post to the mailing list in your area telling the other members what you need. Likewise if you have something to give away, you can post about that too. The only hard and fast rule is that all items have to be free, though the specific rules for posting to the list may vary depending on your local area, so be sure to read the details that you’ll receive in your welcome email!

If you’re anything like AntiChristy over at Urban Ecoist, you have tons of stuff that would be perfect for Freecycling!

Stop buying expensive, toxic cleaning products!

There is precious little that cannot be easily cleaned with just a handful of items that most people already have. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Homemade Window Cleaner (Cost: Pennies)
  Add 2 Tablespoons of vinegar to clean spray bottle (I always reuse mine) and fill will tap water. It won’t be blue, but it also won’t cost you two or three bucks! For particularly dirty glass, you can add a squirt of liquid dish detergent to the bottle.
  
  
• Ditch the Paper Towels (Cost: Free!)
  Paper towels are a waste of money, plain and simple. Keep a collection of old (clean) rags handy, and when you use one, just toss it in the laundry. As for windows, old newspaper does a much better job an doesn’t leave streaks.
  
  
• Homemade Scrubbing Cleanser (Cost: Pennies)
  In a small bowl, mix baking soda, a squirt of liquid dish detergent and water to make a thick paste. Apply with a damp rag. Unlike many commercial products, this cleanser won’t leave the first sign of residue!
  
  
• Antibacterial Cleaner (Cost: Pennies)
  For all of you who buy into the whole “antibacterial” craze, numerous studies have proved that a simple 5% solution of distilled vinegar and water can kill 99% of bacteria and 80% of both mold and mildew.

Ever have a problem with your towels being sour even after a wash? Stephanie at Household Tips offers some great suggestions on how to deal with it.

If you are reading this you either think you can’t afford to decorate (or redecorate) or you don’t want to waste any money when you do redecorate. Due to our busy schedule, my husband and I have owned our home for four years and not gotten together about the decorating of it until recently. For nearly four years we have lived here with the same white walls that the seller so nicely painted for us so we would have a blank palate on which to add our favorite colors and decor. Finally, at the end of the summer we started talking color!

Our oldest two sons’ rooms were the first to be done. I did each room for under $50! For my middle son’s room, his favorite color green (Lily pond green, to be exact) was painted on the walls, covering the ugly wood-colored molding at the top and creating the look of a higher ceiling. The paint is the Color Place brand from Walmart in a satin finish (easier to clean) and was $12 per gallon. I bought SpongeBob appliqués to decorate the walls for $10.00. He already had a SpongeBob comforter. I bought a set of SpongeBob sheets and because he doesn’t like to sleep under a flat sheet, I use the fitted sheet for his bed and the flat sheet was made into curtains. The sheet set cost $17.00. His room is bright and colorful and he loves it. It only cost me $39 to decorate.

My oldest son loves his Thomas and Friends comforter, so of course we went with that theme. The walls were painted Nimble Blue (or Thomas Blue as I called it immediately when I saw it). Appliqués were applied. I couldn’t find Thomas sheets, but I found Thomas fabric to match his comforter and for $12, I made two curtain panels.

My dining room will be complete with color, cushions and a table cloth. My living room needs color and throw pillows. We’ve recently rearranged it to bring new life to the room.

Decorating does not have to be expensive. A few touches and PAINT! can give your room a new look for very little money.

Read about National Kitchen and Bathroom Month.