2011 Frugal Living Challenge! - Week 15 Challenge Posted in #222!

[foggierbard9]

Last weeks challenge(dryer sheets), we don't use dryer sheets. We were using liquid softener and I would mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with water(in the bottle) to save. Now we are using the Purex crystals, and I fill it 1/2 way to the 1 line and it works great. I am loving the crystals over any other softener.

That article/email definitely makes a lot of sense. Our grandparents didn't have all the convenience so what they did wasn't "green" it just was the way it was. I WANT to live more like that.

I didn't can beans(because we don't have a pressure canner, though will when we get the house) but I did cook up 3lbs of dry pintos and made refried beans...now the freezer is stocked with enough for 4 or 5 meals!!

[Shelly527IN]

cody, does this mean you have one car (a truck)?

I had thought about going to one car at some point because we can't afford a car payment and my husband's car is getting older (it's 12 years old now).

Wow....the newest car I've ever owned was 10 years old! The one I have now is a 1989. I've never own one from the 1990's or 2000's!

[5kidsmama]

totally late to the party, but wanted to comment on the 1st week, electricity....

your biggest savers will be to check the temp on your refrigerator, see if you can raise it a degree.

I hang my clothes on a small rack, in the winter, i hang overnight. The dryer uses around 3-5 kwh.I strive to hang at least 1/2 my laundry

and turning down the thermastat as much as you can, your air handlers are electric. We keep the heat on 65 turn it down to 82 , and the air at 74. and change it if we are gone for hours during the day

[cjpsmom]

I do the same thing kind of. I try not to go to the store too often just to use coupons unless the savings pays for the gas plus some. Gas is so high it cost me atleast 65 to fill up. One of the reasons I stockpile that way I save in the long run and don't have to run to the store to pick up something I've run out of.

This is basically what I've been doing lately...I may not have the bigger savings but I definately use less gas.

your biggest savers will be to check the temp on your refrigerator, see if you can raise it a degree.

This is such a losing battle for me...why did they put those knobs where everybody can see them.



On this weeks challenge...been thinking....I think my "biggest waste trying to save" would be both the dryer sheets and I used the dryer and dishwashing det to use the dishwasher....what I should be doing is hanging my clothes (which has totally no appeal to me) and handwashing dishes with liquid det. I got for free.....spoiled, I know.

[saving-n-va]

I forgot to think about what I do that I think is frugal but probably isn't. LOL.

I think sometimes we forget to add our "cost of labor and time" into the formula. Our time is important and sometimes its better to go buy something than to spend the time trying to do it yourself.

Make sense?

[cjpsmom]

Total sense...

[angeliainwonderland]

Kinda of behind on this but don't the swiffers have tabs that you put cleaner cloth in? I reitired mine while back but I always used an old tshirt that I sprayed with pledge. Worked perfect. Use it few times then throw in the laundry.
Dryer sheets : I do cut em in half. ( learned that on another thread on HCW)
Use a used dryer sheet to do a quick dusting. Really grabs the dust.

[tiger_fan3]

Any new challenges???

[jenrose]

MSD Has been offline for a while dealing with real life. I'm sure she will be back soon with a new slew of challenges to keep us all busy.

[cjpsmom]

We miss you MSD! We'll be here!!:)