Do you have a limit? - Page 3

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by ZanneMom

I wouldn't buy a used mattress either - unless it came from someone I knew personally.

Both our king sized mattresses came from a hotel that was getting remodeled. :

[Fuamami]

Originally Posted by karne

We routinely do this because my kids love to unroll A LOT of tp at a time. What else are you going to do with it?

I draw the line at undies-good ones for everybody. Not sure why this is actually important to me, but it is.

OK, sure, when they unroll it a big wad and you're right there to ensure that none of it has actually gone in the toilet.

Would you ask that of your company, though?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Apricot

I won't give up my paper towels for soaking grease out of hamburger meat.

I pour that grease off into a cup and use it to fry eggs! Saves me money on butter/oil.

I do reuse plastic bags that had veggies in them, I don't reuse foil - well, if I'm making something that day I will, but I won't save it to reuse it.

I won't buy a used mattress - it's actually illegal in this state to sell used mattresses.

I won't switch to cloth for cleaning up cat messes. But we have switched to cloth for everything else (although DH won't use the family cloth).

There's a lot of things that I can do that are eco friendly and frugal, but there are certain things I will not compromise my family's health and sanity for.

I won't drop the thermostat below 60.

I won't ask DH to give up coffee.

I won't go vegetarian.

I won't buy the Dirty Dozen conventional.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by mama2elisabeth

Oh heck no! I'm not giving up my coffee...and I refuse to drink cheap coffee either.



I refuse to give up Internet access, although that would save a lot. We don't have cable TV, satellite or even Netflix, but I must be in touch with the WWW to survive .

I refuse to turn the heat down past 68. I don't mind to dress like it's winter, but I'm not wearing umpteen layers to stay comfy in my home. Plus DD refuses to wear socks, so I don't want her feet to freeze.

yep, to all these. I'll have to think of some more. Though, we do have netflix. That, I could get rid of.

The re-using the meat tray package thing is just wrong. Yuck!

[orangefoot]

Well I might have thought there were lines but I have crossed most of them at one time or another.

When push comes to shove some things are just wrong (unhealthy or toxic) so no, but others are just all there is left when you have nothing.

[ABrez]

I won't set my heat below 74. Because I work from home it's 74 24/7. Any lower and I'm frozen and miserable. Plus I have a two year old who likes to be naked most of the time. But my gas bill is only about $150 a month. I see people keep their heat lower with higher bills.

[bobandjess99]

We have a lot of ways we could be more frugal but just choose not to be.

Right now, my biggest splurge, on both a frugality front and an environmental front, is paper plates.
I know, they are awful for the environment, and money that totally does not need to be spent, but not having to do dishes all teh time every day makes my life SOOOOO much easier.....it saves me both time, and a huge amount of annoyance, since I HATE doing dishes. It is totally worth it to me.

[hanno]

I thought reusing ziplock bags was normal. Most people I know who are not even superfrugal do it. There are even bag dryers for them.

[Jane]

I guess my frugality limit is probably long hot showers. We have a large hot water heater - a huge one. My husband loves long hot showers - sometimes 30 mintues at a time. We have a flow restrictor to make it more effecient, but there's nothing effecient about a 20-30 minute shower. But it's his splurge.
I take a normal 3-5 minute shower.

[karne]

Originally Posted by Fuamami

OK, sure, when they unroll it a big wad and you're right there to ensure that none of it has actually gone in the toilet.

Would you ask that of your company, though?

Well, I understood the pp to say the the person who experienced this was a boarder in the house, which I think is differently from a guest visiting for a shorter time. So, if I had a boarder I would probably find some way to talk about TP use, especially since we're on an aging septic system. It tends to be not only a frugal, but save the septic at all costs measure, here. We haven't done family cloth, so this is where I draw the line at the moment.

Now, I don't routinely talk to friends, dinner guests, etc about their TP use, so. For me, I wouldn't feel OK about that, and one overuse of TP is going to kill my system.

[freespirited]

My aunt lives in England as she married a Brit and he grew up in the era of the war so everything is about frugality for him. First their two girls would take a bath, then their mother would get in and take a bath in the same water, and THEN her husband would get in after her and bathe in the same water! He didn't care if it was cold. He wasn't aware of the existence of deodorant as he never bought anything but basic needs. He knows about it now but sees no need for such a ridiculous item.

I try to be frugal but I am not going to wash ziploc bags. I will re-use one, if dry, to store crayons and things in, and I don't buy trash bags, I just use grocery bags. I don't cloth diaper. I am was always interested but never seemed to have the start-up cash for it. I won't turn the heat down lower than 68. 68 is pretty much our nighttime level but I turn it up during the day to 69-70. I don't buy used clothing unless it looks new. I am a little proud that way, I don't like faded clothes on my girls even though I really don't have the budget for new ones. I usually compromise by buying like news ones on Ebay.

I focus more on the BIG things and forget the little things like the ziploc bags, etc. We drive old vehicles, but I love my 95 Explorer and I do not need a newer one. My husband drives a 25 year old vehicle. Some people might draw the line at that, lol. He doesn't feel ashamed at all. It isn't a classic either, it looks like a junker sort of. I also draw the line at homemade gifts. No offense to anyone who does that, it just isn't my thing. Unless I was really talented at something and knew my gift was going to be around in someone's home for a good while. That's all I can think of right now.

[Tizzy]

I think it was already mentioned here? I won't take something overly healthy/organic to a public function, or even extended family sometimes.
It's expensive and they just don't appreciate it.
I know I should lead by example, but honestly, when the marshmallow jello salad goes over so well, then so be it.

[EFmom]

I don't dumpster dive.

Family cloth is a non-starter in my house.

I'll wash out some zip top bags, but not others. If they've had meat in them, forget it.

I didn't use cloth diapers. In my particular situation, they didn't make economic sense.

I don't take particularly long showers, but I want to have them and I want them hot. I grew up in a huge family with a small water heater and it's one of my issues. No reused bathwater in my house. Ick.

I do clearance sales, but not thrift shops. Mostly because I just don't have the time to pick through things, and the thrift shops around here are dreadfully disorganized.

[leavemealone]

I won't buy something that doesn't work as well just b/c it's cheaper/better for the environment/etc. I'd rather pay more or use a product that actually works rather than waste time, money, and resources on something else.

I also don't reuse foil or most ziploc bags. If I've had something like chips in the bag and I know I'm going to need a bag for the same item the next day, I'll reuse the same bag, but not otherwise.

[ewp11100]

Man I don't have many lines, lol. My kids wear hand me down undies, lol. We use family cloth (except hubby who thinks I'm nuts). Paper towels are used for greesy meat but since we don't eat that a lot, we have been out of pt for a month and I haven't remebered to buy them. I 2nd the used matteress, wouldn't do that. I can save tons of money with out eating boxed mac and cheese, that being said we eat a lot of rice and beads, soups and homemade bread. we wash all but meat ziplocs, thermosat is down to 62 (which was hard for dh) but we try to keep the fire going so it's always warmer in the living room. My kids share bath time and I only shower @ the gym work. We use cloth everything (daipers, napkins, tp), eat a lot of meatless or very littel meat nights and no organics. I've dumpster dived a little my husband is around them at job sights more then me, I havent found a good spot so I don't do it often. Coffee, internet and a 2nd car are things I would be hard pressed to get rid of