| Your Frugal Tips | |
Here are some frugal tips that other stay-at-home parents have shared with us.
1: When I moved for grad school I couldn't afford to rent a truck to move my things (mostly books and clothes, no furniture). So, I simply mailed them to myself through UPS. Not only was it very cheap, they brought the stuff right to my door (up two flights of stairs) which made it very easy for me to move.
2: I save paper bags from the grocery store and use them to wrap parcel packages. That brown paper costs a great deal when you buy it in a roll.
3. To keep my pantyhose from getting runs while in drawers I put each pair in the leftover cardboard rolls that hold toilet paper. Works great.
Also, I recycle my ziploc bags whenever possible (I don't if they've had meat in them, though, or something really smelly). I just wash them with the dishes and dry them on a bottle drying rack, and they're fine. I haven't been as good about this one lately as in the past, but using cloth napkins also saves a bundle.
For birthday gifts, I keep my eyes open all the time for good deals -- pretty journals at Ross or Marshalls for $3 each, a box of 5 colored picture frames at Costco for $10. I've even started buying my greeting cards in the big assortment box at Costco. They may not always be the style I would have chosen, but people care more about what you write inside than what the outside says anyway.
From Karen:
My husband and I have three children, ages 11 and 3 yr old twins. When we go out to eat we all order water. It is not only free but the little-ones are not filling up on soda. We have found they eat better. At $1.00 or more per soda was are saving over $5.00.
From Leigh:
Here are tips that helped me save money:
From Erica:
It takes time, but I ALWAYS comparison shop for groceries. When the circulars for the two big chains near me come out, I sit down with them, a calculator and a pen and decide what to get where. Also, don't assume that the bulk wharehouse places are always cheaper; sometimes they're not. We have a Costco and a Smart & Final (restaurant supply) near us, and Smart & Final is almost always cheaper than Costco (except for meat). I've managed to get my grocery bill down to about $70 every two or three weeks, which is about half of what I spent when we first got married and had two incomes!
From Diana:
I save a lot of money by borrowing videos from the local library. They have a children's selection and an adult selection. There is no charge and the videos can be kept for 7 days. Also, my 9 yr. old daughter loves to play office. She searched yard sales until she found a nice adding machine for $5.00. I save all my junk mail for her, and when she says she's bored, I hand her the mail and say, "Here, why don't you play office?" She likes to fill out the forms and use the envelopes. Often, she finds stickers, note cards, etc. in the mail which makes it even more fun. It keeps her busy for quite a while.
From Jenny:
When refrigerating celery, green onions, carrots and even lettuce, try wrapping them in foil. It keeps them fresh and crisp for very long periods of time.
I want to thank everyone for their tips and hints, and please keep them coming!
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