A Frugal Follow Up

OK, did you know that if you mutter the word frugal people come running?  Really!  I am sometimes shocked at what you readers like to read as evidenced by the numbers on this blog any given day, but I must also admit I love that I am not alone in my quest to be frugal.  We could form a group or something, I am sure of it. And your ideas- wow, you have some great ones.  And since you left them all in numerous places for me, kind of like a scavenger hunt, I am putting them all here in one place for our little group to find easily.  Plus, I am adding a few of my own!

Here we go- Room by room, sort of-

Back to the kitchen!- From my friend Gwen (who has a large family, so she ought to know!)- 

• "I do the exact same thing but with whole turkeys on sale. I always feel that with chicken, it's just as much work to de-bone and pull apart but I get a lot less meat than with turkey.  I frequently make quiche because it's such a money-saver and they all love it (plus we have our own chickens); Cornbread and beans is another frugal family favorite; Also meat and cheese in homemade bread pockets (Bierrocks in German). They're filling but you can really be creative and frugal with the filling, but since it's encased in homemade bread, the family always loves it."

My friend Stacy reminded me of berries! 

• "We always keep an eye out at the grocery store for berries to go on sale (sometimes I can get blackberries for 98 cents for the normal size square containers). When they are on sale I buy 12-14 pkgs and then make my own jam at home. I control the sugar amount and it's way cheaper than buying berry jam in the store.   We also buy berries when on sale and freeze then in one cup batches to be used for making muffins of for quick and healthy snacks."

She also mentioned making batches of homemade waffles and pancakes and freezing them for a quick breakfast or snack, which we also do.  See why we are friends? ;)

Brad could have written a post all himself.  I was so impressed by what he had to say we read it as a family and discussed how his suggestions impacted our life! 

• "Don't rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. You're wasting water and effort. If both you and the dishwasher have to wash the dishes one of you is redundant. A good dishwasher can handle whatever food doesn't get scraped into the garbage."

Yep, my kids loved this one.  They think it got them out of dish duty.

And mixes!  Don't forget mixes.  If you are buying stuff from the grocery store, most times you are paying double for the pretty packaging.  We save a lot of money by making our own taco mix, salad dressings and onion soup mix.

House- (yes, that is a lot of rooms)-  More from Brad-

•  "Fans are a great way to cool down and much cheaper than AC. Just be sure to turn them off when you're not going to be in the room. A fan makes you cooler by whisking away your body heat. It will not cool down the overall temperature in the room.
• "Keep your blinds and curtains open on south facing windows during the winter to help warm your home with the sun.

Bedrooms- from Brad-

• "Turn down your furnace at night and use an electric blanket to warm up your bed before you get in."   

Or, just use all those blankets you have sitting around and pile them on your bed! ;)

And just a few closing words from Brad, because I like what he had to say and think you will too-

• "Never buy an extended warranty. They wouldn't sell them if they were paying out more than customers pay in. If you can't afford to replace or repair it you can't afford to buy it.
• "When you pay off your car loan keep making the payments, but send them to your savings account and don't touch that money. The next time you buy a car use cash and save thousands in financing costs. Always make the payments to yourself instead of the bank and always buy with cash after that.
• "Never put anything on a credit card unless you have the money in the bank to pay it off when the bill comes due. Then pay your bill in full - never carry a balance. No one would shop at a store where everything costs 30% more, so why pay an extra 30% or more for everything by using credit? A credit card is a great tool for building credit and for convenience over using cash or check but should never be used as a loan.
• "Build up at least a couple grand in your savings account for liquidity. It's tough to not use that expensive credit card loan unless you've got some cash in the bank to carry you through an expensive car or home repair, or unexpected dental bill. Think of your savings account like a cistern - if you want water during a drought you need to replenish it when the rain comes."

Got more?  Feel free to leave us a comment with your ideas and we will add you to our little frugal group! ;)

Blessings,