Comments on: Do Not Touch the Egg

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:34:48 +0000

It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Check out Amy Dacyzyn’s Tightwad Gazette books at the library or see if you can find cheap copies on Ebay. There’s three volumes of compiled newsletters about frugal living crammed full of tips, recipes and ideas.

Not all of them will apply to any given situation, but they’re inspirational and really get you into the creative mindset of how you can save money. That doesn’t sound like much, but it really is a whole new way of thinking to get used to for most people. The books definitely help!

By: Scintillio

Scintillio — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:15:32 +0000

So I will simply agree with you that “frugal” is sexy… keep up these good habits developed during lean times throughout the periods of abundance and you will truly be able to build quite a nest egg.

Wow! My kind of woman… :)

By: Peong

Peong — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:37:39 +0000

Discover Hydrogen Peroxide! Besides cleaning cuts you can use it (diluted) in place of mouthwash, for removing bacteria and fungus from counters and shower, in place of bleach in your laundry, for cleaning vegetable, and all other sorts of things. And a bottle cost about $1. Do a little looking around online and you can find all kinds of uses for it.

By: Gill

Gill — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:30:33 +0000

I’m dieting at the moment and on a budget. Fresh fruit and veg is so expensive here in UK, but I balance the books somewhat by cutting down on meat and getting my protein from dried beans and pulses, lentils etc. They’re so much cheaper than meat with excellent protein values, and of course I can buy them in bulk-ish quantities. They keep for ages, too, and all I have to do is remember to maybe soak them overnight for stews, casseroles, and soups. Your little ones probably won’t even notice if you replace a half to 3 quarters of the meat you’d normally use in stews/casseroles with lentils or a mix of lentils and small beans, like cannelini (sp?) beans or similar.

You’re already buying your rice in bulk, but look for big, cheap generic bags of pasta and porride oats too. It’s a bit more potchy to make your babies and yourself real porridge for breakfast instead of sugary cereal, but oats are supposedly THE super food healthwise, so it is worth it. More importantly it’ll keep you warmer and fed for longer without blood sugar crashes.

All the best with it! It really does become a game to play with yourself to see how much you can save, and when you treat yourself (and you must) it’s a wonderful feeling :)

By: lydia

lydia — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:37:05 +0000

Everyone has really great suggestions. I must second getting WIC for your babies. There’s no shame in it, you’re a taxpayer like the rest of it, and it will save you a bundle on the staples you have to buy all the time. Also, if you know someone who is in the military and shops at the military commissary, have them keep an eye out for what are called ‘case lot sales’. You can get diapers, paper goods, detergent, canned goods, and much more, for a fraction of the cost you’d usually pay. Also PLEASE try to beg borrow, or steal a deep freeze. I bet you could find one on Craig’s List or your local wanted adds.

By: LeFreak

LeFreak — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:09:24 +0000

I just recently came accross a website that offers all kinds of ways to fix ramen http://www.mattfischer.com/ramen/
it is so cheap but with a few extra ingredients its a totally differnet meal.
I also endorse freecycle we even got a fridge from it that works great also if you can bike ride or walk to anywhere thats possible not only do you save on gas but you sneak in a little excersize.

By: Chaucer's Bitch

Chaucer's Bitch — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:30:34 +0000

home insulation is an awesome idea but can be an expensive initial investment, but i found a nice little way to insulate drafty windows for not much money.

if you get drafts though cracks around your windows, go to any major hardware/DIY store and ask for the plastic shrink-wrap thingys that go over your windows. It’s a special, purpose-made plastic sheeting. You put double-sided tape (inlcluded in the packet) around your window, stick the plasit sheeting to it and press it firmly, then take a hairdryer and heat the plastic to make it shrink and pull tight over the window. it’s clear, you can’t see it when it’s done properly, and when i did it paid for itself in the first month with the money i saved on heating my apartment.

my other suggestion for frugal living is learning how to cook. i appreciate that a single mom has little time and engergy for cooking, but if you can manage it (or better yet, learn to enjoy it) you will eat more food for less money that tastes better and is better for you than pre-packaged stuff. become a recipe hunter. comb the internet for easy recipes. learn about spices and seasoning. if you know how to alter the flavor of things with spices you can make simple foods of a huge variety without getting bored. ingredients are always cheaper than pre-prepared. if a tub a coleslaw costs $2.50, you can buy a head of cabbage, a few carrots, a jar of mayo, a bag of sugar, and a bottle of white vinegar for the same price and have enough coleslaw to feed an army. don’t buy boneless, skinless chiken breasts. buy the whole chicken and carve it yourslef. essentially, don’t pay people for labor you are capable of doing yourself. this is how i manage to live and thrive (and eat awesome food) on an imoverished student budget in the middle of one of the UK’s most expensive cities.

By: Anastasia

Anastasia — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:23:37 +0000

I would (years ago) buy endless branded chemical ‘wonders’, and when I moved out, I remembered the old days of being single and living alone. I used methylated spirits to remove pen stains, bicarbonate of soda to remove the smells that can accumulate in the refrigerator, and the one-in-all stain remover Napisan (diaper soaker) for every stain (spaghetti sauce to yellowed white clothes).

By: Carrie

Carrie — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:26:57 +0000

Libraries are great, but I use a book swapping site called paperbackswap.com. You list books you can bear to part with, other members request your titles, and you send the books media mail (which costs about $2.13 per book), which usually for me arrives in about a week. Then you get to request your own books from other members and receive them in the mail for free. This site has DRASTICALLY reduced the amount of money I spend at bookstores (I had quite the habit).

I also visit a freebies website called http://www.mysavings.com every day. it takes about two seconds to sign up for freebies and there’s loads of freebie lists to pore over.

By: The Friend Around the Corner

The Friend Around the Corner — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:34:59 +0000

Feh! I say FEH to the bread machine. Nothing is more satisfying than making bread with your own hands. It’s magic to feel the dough change under your touch when it’s been kneaded just right. And pulling it out of the oven is heavenly when the steam fills the kitchen.

Best part though: Slicing off the heel of the bread, slathering it with butter and sugar and popping it back in the oven for a moment to toast. Excellent treat for you and the babies.