Frugal Tool Kit (Part One)

Lately there has been a lot of emphasis on using coupons. Not just using them to save a little money, but in EXTREME ways. I must confess to being too wrapped up with couponing at one point in time. After becoming too focused on the next bargain, I began to widen my focus on other frugal efforts. Everyone needs to save more and spend less. Not long ago we finished a year of a significant salary cut. There are certain tools that we used to help us make it through. Coupons were actually only a very small part of that effort, and I wanted to share some ideas that others might find helpful too.



Stop thinking everything is disposable. Several years ago, before grocery shopping, I took a look at my list in order to see if there was anything that we didn't need. Paper towels and paper napkins stood out to me. I had to have these in the house, right? We have kids and pets for goodness sake. I began to look for alternatives. First, we became cloth napkin users. I found them on clearance, dug them out of my attic and made some myself. I never noticed any extra laundry because of them. They don't match and some aren't pretty but they do the job. Next we said goodbye to the paper towels. We use newspaper for windows, mirrors and really messy stuff. I chop up old t-shirts into squares to reuse. I purchased a big bag of shop type microfiber rags and have used them for years. Occasionally, if paper towels are free with a coupon, I will pick up a few rolls. Paper products are definitely scaled down to a minimum, and are certainly no longer a part of our budget.

Then I began to look at re-purposing other things that we would usually toss without thinking. My favorite "freebie" would be the plastic bags inside cereal boxes. For real. We open them a little carefully, rinse and dry them. They are used for storing leftover bits of this and that (secured with a clothespin). I cut them in squares and use them to separate portions of meat when freezing. They are great for tenderizing meat, or coating chicken with crushed corn flakes to make baked nuggets. I toss them if they are used with meat, but if they aren't we wash, allow to dry and reuse. They are pretty thick and durable actually. Free storage bags work for me.



We've started to look at everything to see if it has a second purpose. Plastic meat trays are great for painting. Small glass jars are snatched up for my husband in the garage. A valance hangs in our youngest daughter's room made from old clothes. Cutting up t-shirts into rags while you are watching a TV show with your kids doesn't take a whole lot from your day, but it translates into a nice little savings.



Tomorrow's post will be about the one thing that irritates the MOST to spend money on. Seriously.