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New Tips for Being
Creatively
Frugal
What is the best new money- or time-saving tip you’ve learned this
year?
"Our best discovery this year has been Angel Food Ministries.
A friend told us about it and we decided to try it the first month
and were hooked. The food is fabulous and it is food that we
would typically buy at the grocery store at full price. Angel
Food Ministries is the link. There are no income
guidelines to meet and you participate on month to month basis.
The food is all first quality and fresh. You can purchase the
$25 basic menu ($50 retail value) which is enough for a family of
four for a week of dinners. After that there are several
monthly specials that you can purchase if you wish to do so.
You can check the website to see if it is available in your area!
"One thing I learned this year that has saved
us money actually came to me through my husband, the official
laundry person in our home. He suggested we switch to a liquid
detergent and use only cold water to help save on costs. Then he
went a step further and suggested we ALWAYS wash on the shortest
cycle possible. Since we don't have jobs that require us to dirty
our clothes, it seemed reasonable.
I was so impressed with the way the laundry turned out and the
electric bill dropped, I employed a portion of his solution when
using our dishwasher. I always opt for the shortest cycle and our
dishes come out sparkling clean every time!" ~ Terri
"The best tip I got this year was to stop clipping
coupons! Having a coupon for an item makes me want to buy
it... whether I will actually use it or not. I was going to a
higher priced grocery store because they would double these coupons
- making me even more tempted to buy. So I was paying
more for my usual groceries so that I could save a few more cents on
coupon items that I didn't really need anyway. Instead, I've started
stopped cutting coupons all together and have started going to a
discount grocery store that is lower in price. And, since they don't
double coupons, I'm no longer tempted to cut them out
or to buy things I don't really need." ~ Ruth
"Being a SAHM with three boys,
I've been searching for money saving tips for quite some time.
This one doesn't save the most money - every little bit counts! -
but it was one of those AHA! moments for me.
I used to get annoyed at the 'thwump, thwump' sound of a 'squished'
roll of toilet paper going 'round in the holder, and would take it
off and
straighten in out. (Just a little pet-peeve!) THEN I
read somewhere that if you put that 'squish there on purpose, you
won't have anymore 'roll
overs' - piles of unused paper on the floor from over-zealous potty
training toddlers or in a hurry 9-year-olds. NOW when I hear
the 'thwump, thwump', it's sounds a little more like the jingle of
change in my pocket!" ~ Colleen in RI
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"This fall, I attended Financial Peace University, hosted by my
church, and it was the best thing for my finances, budget, and
marriage. The best money-saving tip is DON'T USE CREDIT CARDS!
This is put out by Dave Ramsey ( www.daveramsey.com)
and is very beneficial and helpful. I would highly recommend
it to anyone! You can go to the website (http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/
) and find if there is a class being offered near you, or you
can start a class yourself. It is money well spent." ~
Julie
"Here's everyone's
favorite substitution tip from my Kitchen Organizing class:
Egg substitute for baking: 1 T. soy flour + 1 T. water = 1 egg. You
can find soy flour in most health food stores, but many grocery
stores in
our area (Minneapolis) now carry it, too. It costs less, stores
longer (if kept in the refrigerator), takes up less space, and comes
in handy when you run out of eggs in a recipe for baked goods. We
have a few friends whose children are allergic to eggs, so we make
the substitution (in banana bread, for example) when we know
they're coming over. Ditto for babies, when the doctor says not to
give them eggs until a certain age. Just don't try making an omelet
out of it!" ~ Jennifer Swanson www.JenniferSwanson.com
"I discovered www.freecycle.org
which is a place to ask for things you need (clothes, household items,
toys, car parts, you name it) and to give away the things you no
longer want -- ALL FOR FREE. There are groups all over the
world just look for one in your area. I have managed to
clean out closets, and cupboards with out sending it to the dump
or landfills because someone out there usually can use what you no
longer want. You don't even have to deliver you make pickup
arrangements. This is absolutely great." ~ Debbie
"My three children
all take fluoride tablets for their teeth. We do not have fluoride
in our water. My husband's prescription plan pays $10 for each
prescription. For my three children each month it was costing me
$30 for the fluoride tablets. Upon investigation I found that
the tablets were not even the $10 co pay. I now pay cash
instead of using the prescription plan. This results in spending
just $10 a month instead of $30. Same goes for some
antibiotics. Paying cash is sometimes less than using the
prescription card." ~ Tonya
"We were spending way too much
on the water and gas bills. I put a timer in the bathroom and
we set it for 5 or 6 minutes to take a shower. In a family of
4, taking showers each day, we didn't realize how long we were
staying in the shower. Most of us were at least 10 minutes -
sometimes 15. Our water bill dropped an average of $12 per month and
the gas bill an average of $8 per month." ~ Eric
Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share
his or her ideas!
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