<p>Thanks for the link. These recipes look yummy!</p>
<p>boomting, great link. Those recipes look delicious… and simple! :)</p>
<p>Whilst we’re on the subject of more good links, the cheapest food is that which you already have in your cupboard, and which needs using up before it goes off. This website lets you search for recipes that only use ingredients you already have </p>
<p>[Supercook:</a> recipe search by ingredients you have at home](<a href=“http://www.supercook.com/]Supercook:”>http://www.supercook.com/) </p>
<p>In further penny pinching news, I’ve already started next year’s Christmas shopping in the January sales!</p>
<p>Nice find & excellent blog.</p>
<p>There is a great book, fun read…called The Tightwad Gazette. Even if you don’t want to do the suggested things, it is still fun to read. One really good an inexpensive tip I got was to use baking powder instead of cleanser. It works well for practically nothing.</p>
<p>oh yeah, I like baking powder. I use it on my drip pans from the stove top. I just pour a little in, get it a little wet and let it sit. After awhile, I use a scrubby and they are shiny clean. Vinegar is also a good cleaner, it gets rid of soap scum and cleans out the insides of coffee pots very well.</p>
<p>I love vinegar for cleaning. My fiance hates the smell and always freaks out when he sees me using it because he thinks I will make everything smell like vinegar, so I wait until he isn’t looking. He has no idea most of the house and all of his laundry is washed with vinegar. 
His workout clothes are so stinky they come out of the wash still smelly and vinegar helps a lot, as well as helping to cut down on lint and brighten the colors.</p>
<p>I would really like to try making some of my own cleaners, is it really, truly cheaper? I find so many DIY projects on pinterest that are supposed to be “cheap” but by the time you buy all the materials necessary it is NOT cheap anymore, and/or the materials are difficult to find just anywhere. Are the homemade laundry detergents good for sensitive skin? I am allergic to anything made by Tide and we always use the All Free and Clear (or spartan brand) detergents.</p>
<p>I am becoming more and more frugal .There are some products I buy for indulgence sake and some out of necessity that I now make on my own ( jar candles and bug repellant are two things I started in the last year ) Also, I discovered accidentally that rubbing alcohol that I use sometimes to clean windows also kills flies. At the end of the summer, early fall we get them in the house and they are a pain to get rid of…it’s better than any commercial spray, let obnoxious than fly paper and it cleans the windows.
When I buy chickens, I do not waste a single scrap. I try to max out all of the meat I buy for meals, soups, salads…
I buy root veggies at the end of the farmer stand’s seasons ( squash, sweet potatoes ) and make soups and freeze them. I always have a supply of soups, and they do not come in a can. I roast and freeze tomatoes.
I am always looking for new ways to be cheap and practical</p>
<p>lje could you share how you make the bug repellant? Does it work well? Does it smell?</p>
<p>@Thumper1—I love that series and have the originals, now with duck-taped spines. Dump soup and refrigerator bread are still in rotation at my house. We use the sneaker method, too–new tennis shoes for current exercise, next oldest for errands and oldest pair for yard work, painting, etc. Some of the savings suggestions are a bit out there, like unrolling 2-ply toilet paper—umm, not doing it, as not worth the time and effort. Back in the early-mid 90’s, Mary Hunt was a popular author regarding saving large sums of money in a very short period of time. Her family paid off like $100K in debt in 5 years, and why I know that a family, although for some through extreme measures, can save $20K in a year. </p>
<p>@bajamm—I use all homemade cleaners outside of dish and laundry soap. It only takes a few minutes to mix up a gallon of daily or window cleaner or a couple of seconds to use baking soda as a scouring powder. </p>
<p>@emnahevul07—a few drops of essential oil in the vinegar/water/soap mix takes away the smell, and yes, homemade cleaners that use the 9 basic ingredients are cheaper than store bought cleaners. Here’s a link with list and recipes: [ONLY</a> 9 Ingredients You Need To Clean Your House | Life from the Land](<a href=“Loading”>Loading)</p>
<p>@lje --I would love the bug repellant recipe, too.</p>
<p>One thing I did that really saved me a lot of money was start my kids on an allowance when they started high school. At first they both said, “Oh, we don’t need this much money” as they knew I had a lot of debt because I had just started a new job after being unemployed for most of 2 years. My response was “Oh yes, you do as the ATM is closed.” The ‘can I have $10 for the movies’ or ‘I need to go to the mall’ days were over. In the early months they often underspent or overspent, but over the years it seems to have come out right. I buy the clothes they need, they buy the clothes they want. I pay for most sports registrations and training costs, but they pay for the t-shirts and ribbons and fun stuff. One daughter has a job now, but she still gets her allowance because she’s expected to save at least 50% of her earnings.</p>
<p>We lived pretty frugally during the unemployed years, and we still live that way. We have vacationed and visited family, the girls have continued their sports, including camps and club teams, and live a middle class life. They do not have a car, yet all their friends do. We do have cable, cell phones (but no land line), and computers, but not top of the line. We could afford those things if we chose to, but we don’t need them. My kids knew the limits on what I would pay for college, and knew I would not take out parental loans. They have each found excellent schools where she will fit in, but they knew that cost was a factor. Neither will have to take out student loans at least for freshmen year, but one is already planning on being an RA for sophomore year to keep the costs down.</p>
<p>My daughter washes her hair with vinegar.( she has long wavy hair)
[How</a> to Quit Shampoo Without Becoming Disgusting | The Hairpin](<a href=“http://thehairpin.com/2011/04/how-to-quit-shampoo-without-becoming-disgusting]How”>http://thehairpin.com/2011/04/how-to-quit-shampoo-without-becoming-disgusting)
I haven’t tried that, but I use Ligetts soap, & I rarely need to use conditioner.( even though I go swimming 4x a week)
A good diet with the help of supplements also saves a ton of money on beauty products.</p>
<p>Great tips offered so far - I use many myself. </p>
<p>One thing that I found is that really smelly work out clothes made of synthetic fibers can be made fresh again by soaking in a few inches of hot water with 1/2 cup each isopropyl (sp?) alcohol and hydrogen peroxide added. The smells come out after a 10 to 20 minute soak. I just wring out the items and then add them to the next regular wash load to clean up any remaining soil/stains. Much cheaper than those specialized sports detergents.</p>
<p>I started using home made laundry detergent and vinegar rinse when DD1 developed a skin rash and the dermatologist suggested I do it for 3 months to help eliminate potential causes of the skin problem. I got in the habit of making the soap and found it was cheaper and easier for me, so I never went back to store bought laundry soap or fabric softener.</p>
<p>MereMom, what is your recipe for homemade laundry soap and how much is your soap per various load sizes: large and extra large? </p>
<p>Laundry soap is one of the items I still buy, and if I can quickly make laundry soap that comes to .05-.04 cents per load or less, then I would make my own. I need to see a 50% savings per load to make the switch.</p>
<p>MereMom, does that smelly clothes solution only work on white clothes? (I thought peroxide bleached things.)</p>
<p>My fiance’s workout clothes actually still aren’t totally stench free even after being washed with vinegar, it just makes it less noticeable unless you get close. I am still looking for a stronger way to remove the scent. I am pretty stunned the vinegar and detergent mixture doesn’t work, because I once saved a REALLY mildewy pair of jeans with vinegar and one wash made them like new.</p>
<p>Just discovered this thread. Thanks BunheadMom! </p>
<p>No advice because I’m one of those who need it. </p>
<p>I’ve discovered that paying cash for cars is the easiest way to buy them (and my parents had told me this for decades). When we paid cash for DH’S car, we were in and out in under two hours. When we decided to finance 1/3 the cost of my car (at 0%), it took hours and way more paperwork. I almost told the salesman to drive me to my bank to withdraw the remainder. I well never finance again.</p>
<p>Food and travel are my two biggest hurdles, as well as activity and school costs for the children. Switching S to public school would obviously save a boatload of money but I’m not confident about the local elementary and middle schools. They just switched the curriculum for the second or third time in less than ten years and he has some learning issues.</p>
<p>So I’m reading and taking in all the advice. I need to go to Aldi’s. I drive past it every day. I’m also interested in the laundry detergent recipe.</p>
<p>Food is one of our biggest hurdles. Utilites is another.</p>
<p>I know that there are many dollars that could be saved in both areas, yet, I don’t seem to make headway on either. </p>
<p>I know that sodas are an issue and I have switched to brewing iced tea…big savings there. But, H loves soda and loves those gatorade-like drinks which really add up since he can drink 2-4 of them per day. </p>
<p>Until I can get H really onboard with “New Year adjustments” I don’t think I can make as much progress as I think we really could. </p>
<p>I would LOVE to give each of us an “allowance” but I know H would flip out. lol</p>
<p>I buy very little “drinks”. Most drinks are just extra calories or artificial sweeteners. H brews iced tea (unsweetened) a few times a week - can’t get much cheaper than tea bags! </p>
<p>Every once in awhile I try to do a clean out the cupboards/freezer week. SOO much stuff in there that accumulates! So I vow to use up what is there in creative weeks and make no grocery store trips except for milk/fruit/veg if necessary. </p>
<p>Another food tip: I AVOID the big box grocery store. Find I buy less convenience/processed/not needed food if I do most shopping at just the produce market and meat store. I can get milk and bread at the market. Big box stores breed too many tempting choices.</p>
<p>edited for double post. :)</p>