Frugality?

[liskeardjane]

I live cheaply because I'm and Old sting pot! ride my bike, burn waste wood, grow veg in old sinks and bukets - how about a topic of 'what I do to save money'? What do you do to make the old wage slip/student loan/whatever last longer?

[crowsashes]

i turn my old jumpers ( ones that have holes in) in to new things by unraveling the yarn and re-knitting it into something new.
i have an energy monitor ( really does help you keep track) i cut tubes open to get the last of the stuff out! i even refused to replace my tv and free view box after they broke ( at the same time would you believe) so no more tv licence and ive found better things to do.

im meticulous at keeping the store cupboard and fridge in order and cooking meals based on what needs to be eaten rather than what i fancy.

i forage, cant find much at the moment but im still working my way through the blackberry jam i made in aug/sept. (only cost was for the sugar and lemon juice)

i patch everything up! and turn unsalvageable fabrics in to patches for quilting and repairing damaged clothes ( you should see my favorite blanket, so many patches to cover the holes!) the only problem is i now have too many scraps that im thinking of making a rag rug.

[liskeardjane]

i like what I'm hearing crowsashes! can't be more selfsufficientish than that! common everyone - what do you do? how do you stretch the old pound and live lightly?

[Millymollymandy]

Oh goodness, there's probably been various threads on this over the years - might be something in the 101 lists section.

I don't think it is worth opening a whole new section just for the subject frugality as so much of what we do is fairly frugal anyway.

No harm in starting new threads to list frugal ideas every now and again though. I'll have a think about what I do.

[Minnesota]

I read this book, years ago, called "Eating Cheap".
the last chapter said something like
you know you're real cheap, if when you die,
there isn't enough assets in the estate to pay the undertaker.

[indy]

I shred all my newspapers into animal bedding
darn all my clothes to within an inch of their lives
Feed my chickens on veg scraps from garden
Always have a stewpot on the go in the rayburn
Use lots of pearl barley..what great stuff
Forage for pine cones and kindling in the forest
Grow my own wood supply..ash, hazel and willow at the moment


Sure I will think of more

[Thomzo]

I save all my junk mail and waste paper, shove it into the cat food boxes, tissue boxes or loo roll tubes and use them on the fire.

Scraps to chickens

Never waste food

Buy clothes from charity shops and remake if necessary.

Love sewing so make my own stuff.

Make presents for friends.

Is that being frugal or just having fun?

Zoe

[crowsashes]

oh i forgot to add i have a ball of wool that is made up of all the bits of thread cut off from finished projects and its slowly being crocheted into a blanket for my son to use in the garden!

[citizentwiglet]

I make my own cards - you can afford to buy some pretty essentials from craft-shops and STILL save a fortune on buying the things. I use a lot of recycled materials too - other cards, ribbon, sweet wrappers, foil, wrapping paper, feathers, string, pressed flowers and herbs.....

Making jams and chutneys (chutneys are easier!) - it all looked very difficult until I tried it; but they make great gifts, especially when packaged with some homemade biscuits. The computer means you can make lovely individual labels cheaply, without buying labels.

Meal planning - I have barely thrown a scrap into the composter. Which may be why I'm not making much compost! When you peel potatoes, if you do with a knife rather than a peeler, you'll get thick-ish peelings that you can cook in the oven, coated in a little oil and herbs, which make a lovely accompaniment to dips (if you have the wherewithall to put the oven on!! Mine only goes on once a week, but I cook loads at the same time). Put an apple in with your spuds in the cupboard to stop them sprouting.....when you make vegetable soup, whatever is left over can be added to hot oil and spices to make a lovely veggie curry the next day.

Freeconomy - Google it! I'm making two cards in exchange for a nice man coming and cutting my berberis hedge for me (and taking the trimmings away) ; and I'm ironing 4 blouses in exchange for 6 freerange eggs.

Turn all your heating off, and wear jumpers / use blankets. Never use the cooker on the same day as you use the washing machine (you can watch the meter happily spin round!) - nightmare for me with two messy kids, one of whom wears reusable nappies, LOL! Casseroles can be cooked on the hob, with a decent pan with a fitted lid, even if the packet says cook in the oven. Similarly, ovenchips can be cooked under the grill, as long as you are prepared to watch them.

If you are on a prepayment scheme for your energy - do you own meter reading via your energy company's website - the energy companies are b%stards and base far too much on estimates - our 'estimate' was £124.00 a month (they average your usage over the year in 'convenient' monthly payments of the same amount - it's only convenient for them, really!) - actual usage was £63.00 a month in the depths of winter - £29.00 per month in Spring/Summer/Most of Autumn (electric only- we don't have gas, white meter heating only on in one room, but supplemental use of timer-set oil radiator heated from mains to warm up boys' room, and occassional blast of three bar fire; but washing machine is on most days because of nappies - I do clothes/sheets/towels one day, then nappies next day, then hopefully a break day to catch up with the ironing, then more nappies) - yes, you DO get your money back at the end of the year, but why the hell should that money be earning THEM interest when it could be earning you interest?

If you buy mushrooms, tomatoes, punnets of fruit, margerine or yoghurts from the supermarket; you will never need to buy another pot for growing seedlings. Beans and sweetpeas can be grown in the inside of toilet-roll inners, squashed into one of the blue tubs you get mushrooms in. Newpapers are great for laying down as mulch for a no-dig border - just lay it down as you would plastic you would normally buy.

Freecycle for clothing. Great for children's clothes. For adult clothes, if they are not to your taste you can always turn them into something else - peg holders / nappy stackers for carboot sales, quilts, cushion covers.........

My God, have I rambled enough???

[MuddyWitch]

We use rainwater to flush our loo now & it's slashed our water bill by a third! (that's £95 per year saved!!!)

MW

[bonniethomas06]

OMG can't believe I have never thought of the potato peelings...will try that.

I can't think of anything to add other than to say that getting organised with the food shopping has made a massive difference to our bills. Apologies if I have mentioned this in another thread - but I am fastidious in planning what we are going to eat now - and we order and pay for everything - veg boxes, meat, storecupboard stuff and cleaning stuff on payday - which means that we avoid buying stuff we don't need when we go to the shops and markets. I can't believe the difference this has made - it is so easy to spend an extra £25 a week on things that you just don't need and don't miss if you don't see it on the shelf.

[Thomzo]

I'm lucky enough to live within a 10 minute walk of a Co-op. I always walk there which means that I can only buy what I can carry.

It saves me a fortune as I can't impulse buy.

[crowsashes]

i live not fare from a co-op, its great as i can pop up there about 5-6 ish and see whats reduced and plan my dinners around that, organic soup and milk the other day for less than 50p each and a loads of eco laundry stuff reduced right down between £1- £3 instead of the usual £3- £6 ! i stocked up as i knew i would use them, have enough to last the summer ( i hope)

i always have a list of things i need soon but not right now and i buy them when i see on offer. such as store cupboard stuff thats almost out, i brought a big 5kg sack of rice the other week for just a few quid ( reduced as it was being discontinued )

[Sky]

I use my scooter instead of my car to get to work these days, I work at a farm and a staff perk is free meat and free milk which saves me heaps on the shopping bill.