| Your Frugal Tips | |
Here are some frugal tips that other stay-at-home parents have shared with us.
1) Clean out all of your closets, and bring anything you have not worn in a year, or that does not fit to a consignment shop. Kids clothes sell especially fast. When your clothes have sold, use store credit to buy clothes for your child. (I have done this since my son was a baby, and very rarely do I ever have to spend money on clothes for him- the old clothes pay for the new ones!)
2) Go yard sale shopping and pick up anything that you see that is in like-new condition regardless of size and take it to your consignment shop. I know people who do this for fun and make a few hundred dollars a month in profit!
From Janice:
Dont throw out baby bottles; when finished use them for paint bottles. The brushes fit in well and you can use the disc to seal the top when not in use.
From Kerry:
To give a nice finished look to a picture or needlework you are framing for yourself or as a gift, cut a piece of brown paper grocery bag a bit bigger than you need to cover the back of the picture once you have the picture or needlework all inserted and held in place, etc. Run a bead of white glue around the back edge of the frame. (It doesn't take a lot of glue but it does need to be continuous) Then dampen the paper and place it on the glue. If there if printing on the bag you want that down so it doesn't show. Let it dry and it will be as tight as a drum when it has dried. Just take a bit of old sandpaper (finest grit you have laying around) and rub it gently on the edge of the paper against the frame edge. It will cut through the excess paper and trim it really neatly. This method looks really neat and professional as if you had taken it to a framer.
From Ashley:
Two tips to take advantage of consignment shops:
From Jen:
My sister swells when she gets bee stings so we usually mix baking soda with water to draw out the poison and it also soothes and reduces the itching.
From Kerry:
Another obvious tip: Don't buy ice. I am amazed at how much money is spent on people buying ice when it is something anyone can make ahead and have ready with a little planning. For block ice you can use an ice cream bucket and with the lid on it won't leak as it melts and spoil anything in the cooler. (At the gas bar I work at part time people pay $2.09 for a block of ice!) Ice cubes can also be made ahead and saved in an old ice cream tub in the freezer and will stay fresh there.
I want to thank everyone for their tips and hints, and please keep them coming!
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