The one tip that always reminds me to be frugal is "Never take more than what you need."

That is a philosophy of Native American peoples that shows respect to Mother Earth. Like when gathering sage I take only what I need for a particular purpose and no more.

I agree Phyllis! They were ready to sell me a pallet of binders for $5. I didn't need that many. Just enough to fill with algebra, my college classes, and a few for kids who can't afford a binder. I like to have a few "just in case."

As humans, we have desires. Sometimes you need to reward yourselves too. For me, I'd put aside money for savings first, then spend the rest accordingly. If I have something in mind to buy, then I'd dig into "the rest" rather than depend on the "savings". If there's no extra for that month, then I won't get the item. Exercise self-restraint!

Here is something i have been very excited about - using old tires!

You can get them free from any tire shop - just ask for the ones they are throwing away. You are doing a good deed by keeping them out of the landfill, BTW.

So far I am using tires for my compost bin (stacks of three or four), my potato mound, as cold frames for overwintering carrots, winter greens and radishes, and as a 'bucket' for a sand/oil combo for cleaning and preserving garden tools.

Tires also make good swings for kids.

I think the best tip I had was to decide to wait 24 hours before buying an item. This helps separate an impulse purchase or one made because of good salesmanship by the seller from an item that I truly need or at least want a lot.

Anne, that is a super smart tip. I often do something like that. I will shop and put things i like in my basket. When I am done, I start looking at what I have and taking things out.

I only keep what I decide I actually need or will get a significant amount of use out of. Everything else gets put back. I figure i now know where the thing in question is, and can always go back for it if necessary.

So far i think i've gone back for an item like twice.

So far I am thinking the best thing I do is use less utilities. I am very specific about what i'm using with all of them. I've even eliminated a few. To me, chopping off regular monthly expenses is the best and first place to look into saving money.

I'm not sure if this is considered a frugal tip. When my husband and I were just starting out we didn't have a lot of money and it was difficult to pay the bills. At the time, I wasn't working so we only had one paycheck.

To get a handle on paying bills, I wrote down the dollar amount of our yearly expenses and divided it by 26 (this is how many paychecks we had in a year). Each payday I put that amount in an envelope for that expense. If there wasn't enough money to go around, I skrimped where I could, usually on groceries or clothing. I never borrowed from the acutal bill money. I also included an expense amount for savings.

I am very frugal these days. My tips are to think carefully before you buy anything, buy only what you absolutely need, and comparative shop for the best prices. Don't waste, and recycle what you can.

Jenny, I love that idea! It seems like a no-fail way to make sure every bill is paid. And then you can clearly - cash in hand - see what is left over for anything else.

If i had to cancel my checking account, I would do just this and be on a cash-only system.