Frugal flops? Post them here!

[CerridwenLorelei]

I was down to my last bits of 7th generation. The big box lasts me 4-6 months even with my big family and a lot of laundry. dh is picky about certain clothes for work so off to the wellhouse I go.
After reading the make your own recipes on the hs board I thought I would get some washing powder to stretch my 7th gen out (seeing as its a booster)-see the place I usually get it here locally has stopped carrying it. I don't always get next town over to get some soo..

I used it. And instead of fresher clothes etc it made my clothes STINK and faded some things !
so that was a bust!

[mama23k]

I ran out of dishwashing detergent one time and thought, "I'll just use dishwashing liquid. It all washes dishes, right?" and filled both cups full . . . Need I say more? :LOL I've never seen a dishwasher actually sweat soap suds.

[umami_mommy]

beware cheap tomatoes at farm markets

got an entire bushel of roma tomatoes at the farmer's market. they were SO watery that i cooked and cooked and cooked (just how much propane DID i use??) and finally they get thick and i was able to can about 9 PINTS of sauce.

those were the worst tomatoes EVER. i could have bought CASE of ORGANIC pasta sauce for less propane and hassle.

:

[Shiloh]

1. buying in bulk - same bottle of shampoo still using it two years later...
sure we got use out of it but I often wonder if we'd have saved money buying what we need instead of $25 up front. Now I figure out the real costs of buying ahead, spending $2 a month might have been cheaper.
2. moving homes to save money BEFORE working out the real costs - moving, extra utilitites, longer drives to doctor's.
3. Selling our stuff, as weird as that might sound it took so much time to unload alot of our 'stuff' and then postage etc. I often wonder if it would have been cheaper just to drop it off!
4. Believing "I" was the one who was worse with money and allowing dh to take control of our finances (the enron of personal finance)
5. Interest free loans from family members often more costly than you think
seriously even in terms of money because we owed them money we felt we needed to visit more = more gas etc.

[Goddess3_2005]

Hmm,
Ok making my own deoderant. Umm yeah I had to leave church one day cause DH said he could smell me 3 seats over. :

Going with out shampoo, um yeah my hair was grungy, dull, and just plain yucko.( I may have done this wrong and I know it works for some other gals, but not me!)

Buying in bulk before you've tried something. I get burned buying something that seems like a good deal only to get it home and realized I HATE the product. Then I have to go out and spend more $ to get new stuff.

Birth control, ran out of condoms and decided to be frugal with saran wrap, well umm, use your imagination.
:

[AngelBee]

Cloth diapers.....I have spent way more than I planned on :

[alsoSarah]

Originally Posted by Goddess3_2005

ran out of condoms and decided to be frugal with saran wrap

I cannot stop giggling!


alsoSarah

[traceface]

Birth control, ran out of condoms and decided to be frugal with saran wrap, well umm, use your imagination

I am cracking up too! That is so funny

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by Goddess3_2005

Birth control, ran out of condoms and decided to be frugal with saran wrap, well umm, use your imagination.
:

: :

are you pregnant? (just teasing)

[EFmom]

Birth control, ran out of condoms and decided to be frugal with saran wrap, well umm, use your imagination.

On the bright side, it was probably a better choice than aluminum foil. :LOL

[Goddess3_2005]

No not preggo, we realized it wouldn't work pretty quick :LOL

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by EFmom

On the bright side, it was probably a better choice than aluminum foil. :LOL

[morebabies]

what a great thread! Sometimes we have the best intentions...I'm sure I have a bunch of frugal flops, but none are coming to mind at this moment. I am new to visiting frugality and finances, I still consider myself new to MDC and I'm still have plenty to check out on this site. I will definately be frequenting here because I LOVE to hear how others save money. It takes such immagination and creativity! I'm on a super tight budget, part time wfh mama and my husband is a full time grad student. I feel SO great when I figure a way to save a few bucks, heck a few cents!

[LeosMama]

Roflmao!!!!

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by Goddess3_2005

Birth control, ran out of condoms and decided to be frugal with saran wrap, well umm, use your imagination.
:

OMG! Can't stop laughing!

[Shiloh]

Saran Smith is that your real name sir?

lol yes my other one was dying my hair with the real henna and all the leaves... the mess everywhere!

cloth diapers weren't such a flop I have kept only what I am using and have sold/given the others away....and am trying to keep my stuff 'small'.

[bendmom]

Buying is bulk has been more expensive for us.

Costco bucket of laundry detergent left chunks of it in the diaper wash even after two loads =expensive water bill

So much food that it went bad or got freezer burn ( dh and ds like organic bulk oatmeal, refused to eat the ten pounds of oatmeal in box from Costco etc )

Knowing that my alltime favorite cd is Motherease AIO, having plenty of them, but spending hundreds anyway on spendy handmade systems that failed in the end, did not make enough in reselling them.

[aprons_and_acorns]

I spent over $100 on supplies to make Christmas and birthday presents and then never made them. Plus I ended up buying presents for the people anyway. :

Oh I feel so much better after getting that out.

[Belleweather]

Originally Posted by Rowdypea

I spent over $100 on supplies to make Christmas and birthday presents and then never made them. Plus I ended up buying presents for the people anyway. :

Oh I feel so much better after getting that out.

Me too.

That's why we gave in and brewed booze for everyone this year -- it was more than my life was worth to confront DH with one more unfinished holiday project.

[kayjayjay]

I know I have lots of flops, but the most recent is buying bulk organic peanuts to make peanut butter, then having to throw out the peanuts plus a lot of my other dried goods because they were infested with these evil little moths. I keep most of my dried bulk food in the freezer these days.

I also bought several yards of hemp fleece to make prefolds, only to find that when you wash hemp it shrinks up so that it doesn't work with either pins or snappis. My current plan is to cut them up and make doublers. Now we'll see if I ever get around to it.