BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living What is your most useful frugal tip?

Hmm, I saw some catnip for a good price at my CVS. I think I will get some and try it. I assume it is safe for kittens?

Your dogs are gorgeous! Yes, I am totally a pet person. Right now I have a dog, at cat and a kitten.

Deb, thank you for the beta on the Camp verde feed store. I'll look into that. it would be nice to use something like that instead of toxins. Although I fear I will need toxins for the termites.

Okay, I went to the feed store today and bought the diatom earth. It was not cheap - 11 bucks for 2 pounds. But maybe for my needs a little will go a long way.

Thinking how to begin. I can rub into my kitten's fur for starters.

Okay, I just created a thread of its own for DE - frugal uses for diatomaceous earth

It needs help, please!

Wow! You guys have some great tips! Here are a few of mine...

Check the discount veggie/fruit/bread section of the grocery store. The veggies and fruit are good for cooking.

Meals for the week are usually based on what is on sale at the grocery store. This especially holds true for meat and veggies since I don�t get coupons for these items.

I make my own salad dressings, croutons and breadcrumbs. Not only cheaper, plus a great way to use old bread, but much healthier than store bought.

I keep glass jars from sauce etc. to make my dressings.

I do grow most of my spices but there a lot that are very unique that I do buy but I try to buy at a bulk spice store.

My coffee grinds end up in the garden for my roses. I believe coffee grinds are also good for tomatoes.

Like Jilly no cable � over the air broadcast, hulu and Netflix.

I just started using vinegar and baking soda for cleaning and I love it! I still use bleach in my laundry for my sheets but that is mainly because I am allergic to dust mites. (Though I do love the smell of my sheets and towels after being washed in bleach...smells SO clean).

Thought of one more...in the winter I make my own bread and rolls.

Allison,

Vinegar and Borax will was out dust mites - also - you can put down DE on your bed and pillows and then zip them with hypo-allergenic bags. That will kill dust mites, spiders, bed bugs - the whole shabam

Jilly I'm gonna post this information into this thread too so people can find it.

This is a great option for cost effective Food grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade 50 Lb

Anybody who is into green living without having to pay the green for living - this is the way to go for DE if you don't have a reasonable feed store in your area.

Jilly is also running a thread on DE in Frugal Living if anybody is looking for tips, tricks, suggestions be sure to check it out.

Allison, those are great tips! My store does not seem to have a soft/bruised fruit produce section, which i find to be a pity. I can always find uses for perfectly good fruit with a bad spot.

I do go right to the clearance sections of stores though to see what might be new. Usually there is nothing I want, but if you are persistent you can pick up the perfect deal.

I keep the food jars as well from many things. It's like getting a free jar with purchase when you think about it. I never have enough containers, it seems.

I want to come over for your homemade breads! Mmmmm. Do you have any tips/recipes for frugal salad dressings to share?

One frugal tip that I have is to know where your local recycle shops are.

In the Eastern Kansas?Western Missouri (KC) area we have a place called Surplus Exchange. They take in computers and refurbish them.They also take in stray office furniture that is looking for a home. Maybe they should be called Office Furniture Rescue! LOL. Seriously, you can get all kinds of file cabinets, executive desks, and chairs there!

I once had a principal who would not get desks for my class. He got me some tables, and the kids spent all of their time kicking and elbowing each other, because the tables were too small! I went to Surplus Exchange and bought the desks myself for about $50! Eventually, I was reimbursed.

Anyhow, I was looking for notebooks to hold my resources for Algebra classes that I'm teaching this year. I want one for each quarter, and I'm teaching 3 classes=12 notebooks.

At an office supply store, the kind that I wanted sell for $5-$11 each. Teachers don't make enough to spend $60-100 on binders! I went to Surplus Exchange, a nice little field trip that took about an hour, and bought about 20 binders. How much did I pay? $2.15! Not apiece, $2.15 total--for all 20!

Now that's frugal!

The other place that I love is J.C. Penney Outlet. I have saved thousands of dollars there.

For men's shirts, there is a little thrift store in downtown KCK. It has wonderful bargains--and new or nearly new, too.

It just pays to know where to get what!