What have you done frugal Jan 22 - 28

[babybugmama]

Okay what is the absolutely most frugal thing you have done to date?

Give us ideas on what we can do to live frugally.

I tried the extra spin on the washer before drying. I really need a drying rack. I wonder if I could get dh to make me one? I probably could do it, it doesn't seem that hard, just an investment into the wood and screws.

I did not cave to my desire for take out pizza - I made a DELICIOUS homemade pizza, my best ever.

[momadance]

subbing...

continued to use cloth napkins. stopped buying paper towels. continued to use cloth diapers and using my diva cup and cloth pads when needed.
planned menu around seasonal veggies.
no take out or eating out in about 2 weeks.
got a video from the library.

[Hollysmom]

Subscribing....I am pretty new to being frugal so I don't think I have done anything spectacular yet.

We are switching dd to training pants from pull ups in an effort get her trained and save money.

[acystay]

getting ready to make another batch of yogurt and more bread. Just so that I know how often I need these 2 things, I've been writing down when I make them. That way next month, I'll write down on the calendar a day so that DD age 4 can be prepaerd w/ what we need to make for the week.

eating muffins today for breakfast. I made the tightwad guide ones w/ left over oatmeal. They are yummy! I made a double batch and today will freeze these so that we have them for later this week.

Dh realized air filter is a little dirty. His reminder didn't go off for last month so he said instead of changing it now he's waiting until the end of feb since that would be the next time. We're still on schedule and not wasting it.

Nearly have all my laundry done. This week I plan on purging clothes, cd's, and old rags (too yucky ones). My goal is to get just what we need in laundry so that I'm not in pile constantly and so that laundry is less therefore less water/gas being used. then my laundry room will be cleared so that dh can install the drying rack for me.

Turned off sanitize and heated dry feature off of my dishwasher. After I'm done w/ the kirkland brand of dishwashing detergent will try lessen the amount of detergent used. This one if you use less, it works horribly.

Had to turn up the heat though from 65 to 68. Baby is too cold and it's very cold in the am. Oh well, it's better than my 72-75!

and of course, cd'ed and bf!

[KimberMama]

We went for a walk late this morning (free exercise). Thought we might eat lunch out, as we still have money in the envelope and we're doing really well with our budget this month. But we didn't; we came home and made lunch here.

I'm planning some meals and making a grocery list today. Things I always do, but I am *thinking* about things differently now. How can I buy organic but spend less? How can I reduce packaging? How far did the food have to travel to get to me? I will, of course, take my canvas shopping bags with me.

DH is going to a Laker game tonight. My first impulse was to ask him to take the 4Runner out of the garage so I could take the boys to dinner (my treat, so it wouldn't impact the budget). But I decided that we would stay in, and that I'll make vegan whole wheat pancakes for dinner. DH isn't a breakfast-for-dinner kind of guy, so it will be a treat for the boys and me. We save gas, and I keep my personal savings account intact. More importantly, I reinforce the idea that eating at home is the best thing to do.

I've been turning the heat down from 68 to 66 during the day.

Today I'm going to look through my yarn stash and plan my next scarf/project. Having a scarf nearly finished made it possible to give BIL a homemade gift for his birthday (I finished it yesterday morning) and keep the gift budget down. But now I need to get started on another one! I also need to make more cotton dishcloths; I gave 3 to DH's cousin for her birthday.

This week I'm going to work on decluttering the office. When it is clean and organized it is far easier to make greeting cards, which definitely saves money. I've also decided to sew some cloth t.p. wipes/handkerchiefs, so I need my desk surface cleared so I can pull out the sewing machine.

I have a couple pairs of jeans I no longer fit into (yay!); I am going to start cutting squares and hopefully by the end of the year (I am losing weight) I will have enough to make a nice big denim quilt. I haven't decided if I will keep it or use it as a holiday gift.

[phathui5]

I skipped all the tempting post-holiday sales at Target. Not going into stores = saving money.

[dachshundqueen]

Frugal

BF
CD
turned heat off yesterday, still off
roasted 2 chickens tonite, using the carcasses to make stock
starting to use cloth in the potty for me
didn't cave and go out to eat for lunch
switching to "green" cleaning items
Liz

[flapjack]

Stew is in the slow cooker: I'm worried about it, though, it doesn't seem to be one of my best.
Cloth nappies, homemade bread, as before.
I gave money away though: I had a typo on my ebay listing and one of my buyers sent me double what I wanted in postage, and I didn't feel right about keeping it. So I didn't.
I made papier mache bowls with the boys this afternoon, which we'll fill with plantpots and give as imbolc presents (we planted the bulbs last year.)

[HydeParkB]

:

- I packed breakfast, lunch and dinner at home, hopefully avoiding the vending machines when I go to class tonight.

- Planning to make some crockpot chicken soup overnight tonight for lunches. I put it in containers and freeze, so I don't have to worry about spillage on the way to work.

- Going to pump after this post.

I signed up for a Parent & Tot 'swim' class yesterday. But at $45 for nine weeks, it didn't seem to bad to me. Plus, it's incentive for me to exercise before I have to get in my swimsuit.

[Allie2]

Subscribing!

What great ideas, Mommas!

This week so far I've fed the freezer a meatloaf. I stretched my beef into two loaves with a little extra bread and carrot.

I made a pot of soup for lunches with leftovers and some veggie stock that I had frozen.

I used 1/2 the soap in the laundry and hung 1/2 my loads to dry.

I skipped the grocery store this week and only went to the bread outlet and the fruit and veggie stand so I spent $40 (including milk and eggs) instead of my normal $100+ I spend when the grocery store brainwashes me.

[snowbunny]

Well ... besides the day-to-day regular stuff (BFing, ECing etc.) we saved 47% on our grocery bill through watching in-store sales and with about $20 in coupons.

Then instead of tossing Friday night's leftovers, I made fried rice with it on Saturday which should feed us for lunch for a few days.

[sciencemama]

For a while, I've been struggling to decrease paper towel use and I finally found a solution! I have plenty of rags and old flat diapers to use-- the trouble was that here in hawaii, if I leave a damp dishtowel hanging around, it attracts bugs. So I got a medium zippered wetbag for the kitchen. I just stuff all the used dishtowels in there and wash the whole thing when I'm ready, including the bag.

I've been taking dd to the library every week.

Also made homemade pizza this weekend instead of ordering!

[Belleweather]

DS has been leaking through his diapers lately and we were worrying that the ones we have weren't going to work for him anymore - he is in this horrible stage where the current size doesn't have enough absorbancy for him, but he's far too skinny for the next size up. Instead of looking for new diapers, I found some terry on sale (50% off) and whipped up a set of soakers to get us through until he's big enough for the next size.

[PajamaMama]

We ate the last of our 'feed the freezer' food this week, so my freezer is empty of everything but some odds and ends...1/2 bag veggies, some popsicles, etc.

Sooo...I cleaned out my pantry, made an inventory, and made a shopping list for my next all-weekend cook-fest

I also made two loaves of pumpkin-walnut-raisin bread with a can of pumpkin puree I must have missed at the holidays, about 1/2 package each of leftover raisins and walnuts.

Instead of buying my older dd new furniture like she thought she needed, we found a way to make what she already had work better for her. We're both happy now and her room is clean, bonus!

I put my roll of paper towels out of sight. I feel I need them for the occasional toddler poop gone astray, thing the dog brought in from the yard, etc. but I see my family using cloth almost exclusively and it makes me

[kathirynne]

So far this week...

This morning I made a featherbed and pillow for my dd's doll cradle. (She uses the cradle all my babies slept in for her dolls.) It cost me nothing!! (And I am keeping my resolution to make/buy at least 1 Christmas gift every month-starting in January-so that I can enjoy the holidays this year, instead of frantically trying to finish my shopping at the last minute!!)

I used an old down pillow that I have been too cheap to throw away (even though it was torn and leaked down everywhere! : ), a past-its-prime feather pillow that a friend gave me when she bought new ones, and an old, wearing-out flannel blanket my mother made for me when I was about 10. (The bonus is that there is enough left-over material and feathers/down to make 2 throw pillows for my bed! )

I also had pizza and went ice skating for free on Saturday, courtesy of the credit union where my kids have their savings accounts.

[KimberMama]

I bought a nice Advent calendar for next year at Barnes and Noble for 75% off, so it was $2. We didn't have one last year because I was too cheap to pay full price. I also got a weekly calender/planner for $2.49.

DH likes baby greens. I can buy a 1 lb. package, but I still hate the packaging. I went back to buying head lettuce. What DH really likes (besides the yummy variety of greens in the spring mix) is having the lettuce washed and ready to eat. So I washed a head of lettuce, spun it dry in a pillowcase, and tore it into bite-sized pieces.

Friends were going out to lunch today after our field trip. Boys and I came home and ate here.

I ordered compact fluorescent bulbs for our bedside lamps. They are just about the last two lights in the house without fluorescents. I had to order them as I couldn't find bulbs that are made in the USA at the big boxes I frequent.

We're making lemonade for dinner from lemons that were given to us.

Last night I cleaned out the fridge and fed the dog the leftovers that were nearing their end. She had brown rice, a beans and spinach dish, and some steamed broccoli and cauliflower. She didn't need her kibble last night.

[jentilla]

Used leftovers for a yummy breakfast casserole for dinner and a loaf of banana bread.

Am using B-day money for groceries so it doesn't come out of money that needs to go to bills.

Went to the library
CD'ed
making more cloth dishrags
had my serger serviced -free since it is under warranty

[Haydee]

Here's my list:
1. I'm working on making bread for the first time.
2. Decided to live off leftover food in my pantry by doing searches online to find a use for the stuff I don't know how to use that the food pantry has given us. My goal is to not step foot in a grocery store until at least Wednesday.
3. Decided to shut off the home phone and live off my cell at the end of this month. (Why was I paying for both again? I do need the cell as expensive as it is, I'm a student and when I'm at school my children are at school, so they need to be able to get ahold of me)
4. Worked on some handknit gloves/mittens for the family

I'm so proud of myself!

[mama_b]

I made a big pot of chili that will feed dh and I for dinner for 3 days. I have resisted the temptation to buy food at the store to eat while dh is at work. I have decided to eat up the food in the cabinets instead. I have been eating a lot of packaged soups and peanut butter with bread. Not the healthiest thing in the world, but I figure that eating it up is better than throwing it out or having it sit in the cabinets forever. I am rounding up stuff around the house that we no longer use to sell on ebay. That's all I can think of right now.

[HydeParkB]

I've got some chicken noodle soup started in the crockpot - it'll cook overnight. It's an attempt to use up some things in the freezer/fridge/pantry, especially the chicken, peas and noodles.

The soup will be frozen for lunches.