I will add to this daily!

Make puppets for your children by cutting open old stuffed animals, remove the stuffing and cut off the legs evenly so a child's hand can fit inside. Kids love puppet shows and will play for hours with these virtually free toys. Everyone seems to have a surplus of old stuffed animals. Plus you can store many of these in a small box, instead of the bulky area a big stuffed animal takes up.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), October 06, 2001

Answers

Hope this doesn't gross anyone out, but how about using "The Keeper" or cloth menstral pads for the ladies monthly time. I've been doing it for 3 years now. Also using bleach, baking soda and vinegar to clean with instead of all those storbought cleaners. Shop yard sales, buy clearance items ahead of time for Birthdays and Christmas, great your childrens friends parties. This requires careful planning and budgeting, haveing extra cash on hand, when needed. Make your own party favors and cakes for your childrens B-day parties. Limit large freind parties to every other year, on alternate years just have a small family party.

-- Carol in Tx (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), October 06, 2001.

Carol, this is exactly what we do for Birthday parties, every other year. The year they don't have a party I take them out ot lunch anywhere they want just me and that child. They really like that.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 06, 2001.

Hello Melissa, We plant a heirloom garden so we can re-use the seeds from some of the selected plants year after year. This, plus being completely organic gives us free gardens year after year.

Melitza (my wife) makes all our soaps. She figured out the cost per bar (10 cents). A big savings over the cost of store bought bars!

Cooking all your meals from scratch is usually a big savings where food is concerned.

Since we do not have garbage pickup, we have learned to recycle almost everything before we throw it out. The things that we do have to throw away are usually items that can be sold for scrap at the nearby salvage yard....aluminum, tin, etc. You can get more mileage out of your vehicle's tires if you rotate them every 10,000 miles. It doesn't cost anything to rotate them and you will get thousands of extra miles if you do.

Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), October 06, 2001.

Gift Giving (It's time for all of us to think about that) I have designated about 3 drawers in an extra dresser for this. If I see a good deal, I get it. If someone gives me something I'll never use, I label who gave it to me and who might like it. I also keep a small list for xmas & what I plan to give them. All this goes into those drawers. I am ready for xmas or any surprise occasion. I usually see my sister once a year or someone visits from there. We don't mail, whenever we visit, that's xmas and it's fun.

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), October 07, 2001.

Make homemade paint for the kids. My daughter makes this all the time. Using Ivory liquid dishwshing soap or the generic equivalent (it is thick and white), add food coloring to a small amount of soap (about 1 tablespoon) until it reaches the color you want. This makes a paint that dries a little glossy, and is easy to clean up. My daughter has used this for paintings tha won her prizes at our county fair. We can buy a large bottle of soap for $1 and it only takes a drop of food coloring. Have any of you bought the paste colorings? They are a little costly for the initial investment, between $1.50 and $2 a jar, but they will last forever! I keep mine in an egg carton in the back of the frig, and some I have used for 10 years. A decorated birthday cake can cost from $12-20 so you can recoup your w costs after 2 home-made cakes.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), October 07, 2001.

List all of the things you buy weekly or monthly and plan how you can make or grow as much of that as possible.

List all the paper products, plastic wrap, and foil you use, and see what can be replaced by cloth and plastic containers. For instance, we use cloth napkins and store leftovers, etc., in plastic margarine tubs which we get from someone in our church.

Dry laundry outside when clear (even if it's cold) and inside on racks if it's stormy (or if you get 4 foot snowdrifts under the clothesline like we do). Put the racks over a heat vent or in front of the wood stove. One winter we put clotheslines up in the kitchen to dry in the heat of the wood stove. We went three years without a dryer, and only have one now because someone gave it to us.

Get excited when some one gives you hand-me-down clothes, especially if they're in nearly new condition. The donor will see you as a good taker and will give you not only their own old stuff, but other people's stuff as well. Go through it as soon as you get it, though, or it will quickly pile up. What you can't use can be passed on to another family or taken to Salvation Army. What you don't get in hand-me-downs, get from yard sales or the thrift shops. Try to do your shopping near military bases or in the ritzy part of town-- that's where the best stuff is. Then if you still need clothes, sew your own. I list this last because of the time involved in sewing and because of the high cost of fabric. I found a fabric warehouse in town that is having an indefinite, 50% off sale on all their fabric. This place is nicer than other Canadian stores, because they will figure the cost in yards as well as meters, and I am more used to yards.

Save all the worn-out jeans your family produces. Use them for patching and for making bed quilts. A friend of mine is using her family's jeans to make a rug for the doorway. She also has a floor runner in front of her kitchen sink.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 07, 2001.

I forgot to mention Christmas and birthday gifts: Get your children to go through their stuff to find NICE things they don't use or play with anymore. They can wrap it up and give it to a younger sibling, cousin, or friend. My little ones have been thrilled to receive a much-coveted item from an older brother or sister. They don't care that it's not new.

I could write a whole series on a tightwad Christmas, but I'll just add this one thing. We got an "end of the roll" of newsprint from the local newspaper which we have been using for drawing paper. I plan to cut some of it up and have the children print their own wrapping paper with cut-up sponges dipped in paint.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 07, 2001.

Cathy, we'll start a tightwad Christmas thread later on and everyone can add their hints.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 07, 2001.

Save all you odds and ends of bread in a bag in the freezer. When it gets full, I make a stuffing casserole. Tear the bread in small pieces and sit out to dry. Add chicken or turkey broth, sometimes I use cream of chicken soup. Then add some chunks of chicken or turkey. Some spices like garlic, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning, whatever you like. Top with cheddar cheese or swiss if you like it. Bake about 35-40 minutes at 350. Add a salad, makes a great cheap meal. Could also top with chicken or tukey gravy (homemade).

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 08, 2001.

I LOVE this thread! :o) Thank you for all the ideas. Another tip, you can also save veggies that are left over in a baggie and freeze. Combine them all and make a soup when you have enough. Gardens- you can get more than one harvest off of some types of plants. My lettuce and cabbage get cut a couple inches high, and they re-grow. (Cut the main shoot on cabbage and it will branch out around it) We make our own baby wipes. Fold up soft paper towels, cut in thirds, pack in a baby wipe container, pour in a mix of baby bath and water till they are damp. (1 cup?) :o)

-- notnow (notnow05@yahoo.com), October 08, 2001.

We went to a Thanksgiving picnic today. Most of us brought regular washable plastic or camping dishes--not so much styrofoam or paper.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 08, 2001.

We also have some plastic divided plates we use for picnics etc... they had them at K-mart 4 for $1, but they were on clearance or 1/2 off. They have lasted for years and have saved us a lot of money over that time.

Save money on cleaning supplies. Don't buy any!! I rarely purchase traditional cleaning supplies. I have found I can use dish-soap and water to clean almost everything. I do use a few TB of bleach in the commodes. Other than that I put a few drops of liquid dish-soap (sometimes use scented, now they have spring flowers, citrus etc... for about a $1 a bottle) in a bucket of hot water and use this to scrub counters, floors, walls (log house). The house smells nice and fresh, but not overwhelming, and a bottle will last at least 2 months. I clean floors etc... 2 times a week on, Monday and Thursday.

For laundry I buy liquid detergent, I try to get 100 ounce bottles for less than $5, usually less. I use 1/8 of a cup per load. they rinse cleaner and I notice no difference in cleanliness. This will last me for 2 months as well. I buy a generic window cleaner for $1 a bottle. This will last about 2 months as well. I buy a bottle of bleach for $.89. Also lasting 2 months. I use lemon dish washing detergent for dishes, $.99 a bottle (last 1month) So my normal budget for cleaners for 2 months is less than $10. I'm sure some of you do it cheaper than this but I think with my 14 room house, and 4 kids that this is pretty good. This includes all laundry, dishes and general cleaning. I like to keep my house pretty clean and I am happy with this method. The key is to not let it build up but to attack messes regularly.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 09, 2001.

One big money saver, is to not waste any food! Use everything until it is gone. I am always looking for ways to use up those left- overs. Many people throw away up to half of the food they prepare. Stop this problem and your food costs will drop dramatically. I package leftovers on plates too use for lunch. Use leftover meats in stews or soups, and try to come up with something that will use whatever I have on hand. It is worth a try. My mom's husband, won't eat any leftovers and she throws away a lot of food. I try to get some of this as well!! She lives 15 miles away so sometimes if I'm visiting she will give me leftover spaghetti, stew or soup.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 10, 2001.

I used to keep a big tub in the freezer (the kind 5# of peanut butter comes in), labeled "vegetable beef soup". In it went all the little bits that weren't enough for leftover anything else: the last spoonfuls of rice or veggies flavored with the scrapings of the gravy dish and the "crumbs" off the meatloaf platter. When the tub is full, dump in a pot, add water from cooking veggies or potatoes, throw in a handful of pasta, barley, or whatever, and you have a nice stew. I believe I'll get back to this through the winter. Most of the leftovers have now been going to the chickens, but just describing the soup has made me hungry.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 10, 2001.

Okay, dump the soup in the pot, not the pot in the tub!

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), October 10, 2001.

I agree 100% with you, Melissa about not wasting food. I prepare my menus by the month and incorporate ALL leftovers into future meals. I deliberately cook more than what is needed for a single meal, wrap it good (and here's my secret) date it for WHEN I plan to serve it which coorspondes with my menu that hangs on my refrigerator. Baked chicken becomes chicken pot pie or chicken divan, pork loin becomes pork piccatti or sliced pork with gravy over rice, etc. Any scraps go into spaghetti sauce. Leftover vegetables become shepard's pie with leftover mashed potatoes on top or go into soup. I try very hard not to waste anything. Of course, we do eat rather plainly but almost all meals include homemade bread/rolls/corn bread and dessert and DH doesn't complain.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), October 10, 2001.

I have a cookbook by the frugal gourmet, in it he is discussing various soups and he said that one of his aquaintances said that hearty soups were 'peasant food' to which he replied "yes, but the peasants always did know how to eat!!" Simple, wholesome foods may seem common to us, but they provide excellent nourishment, are cheap and easy to prepare and beat any fast-food fare hands down. Don't be afraid to serve common foods, many people don't get them. Just last Sunday, we had an elderly couple in for lunch. It was homemade vegetable soup, everything in it was home grown. They were effusive in their praise of this simple meal. Entertaining does not have to be expensive. Never put off getting together with family and friends because you don't have fancy foods or the right dishes. The fellowship and companionship of a meal made with love are more valuable than a perfect, fancy meal.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 10, 2001.

Try tightwadtess.com

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), October 12, 2001.

One of our greatest money savers is using a wood-burner. We cut our own wood on our place. We are clearing for horse pasture anyways so it is serving double duty to do this. We have also bought wood off of our Amish friends. These are slabs from their saw-mill that we can purchase for $5 a pick-up load (S-10). This will last us for 2 weeks, if we are burning both fires. Even factoring in a few dollars for gas, they live about 10 miles from us, this is a super cheap method of heating.

My husband built a kitchen cupboard in exchange for our wood- burner. We also bought a wood-chuck furnace for $250 last year but we don't have it hooked up yet. This is our 16th winter of marriage, so we have NOT had to spend a small fortune in heat.

There is the time factor to consider, but with 4 kids, carrying wood is quick work around here. And nothing beats the feeling of a full wood-shed. Our storage area is 30 x 14, and we keep it full as much as possible. We start using the wood on one side and after we reach the back and it is empty, we start re-filling that section with green wood. Every year we start using on the opposite side. Using this method we always have dry wood in an ample supply.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 12, 2001.

Today's Tightwad tip: Don't buy white!! I know some will disagree but hear me out!! I don't purcahse anything that is white. I buy colored towels, washcloths, socks, clothing, linens, shoes you name it. They just look nice for so much longer. I am sure many are thinking they can bleach those whites, but bleach costs money and is a fairly toxic substance. In our house children pass down there old clothes, my youngest is wearing clothes the oldest had 8 years ago that still look brand new. The same with shoes. I don't think anything looks much worse than a dirty pair of white tennis shoes. My kids uaully pick gray or black, knowing they will look much better for a longer period of time. Even though we have a low income, I like my kids to dress well. They are always clean and very presentable and one of the reasons is because we just don't buy anything white!!!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 13, 2001.

Dilute or use small amounts of things like: laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, dishwasher detergent, shampoo, toothpaste. A little dab will do ya!

Limit the minutes in a hot shower. Insulate hot water heater and pipes. Buy store brand and check the sales each week. Add beans to your meals (healthy cheap protein) Make beans from dried beans. Make meals instead of dining out. Tape movies each week instead of renting or going to movies. Yard sale,Yard sale,Yard sale,Yard sale,!!!! Make gift bags out of clothing you must throw out and use that instead of paper. Make your gifts. Save zip lock bags. Save and use large jars for leftovers instead of fancy tupperware (mayo jars will microwave if you take lid off) Learn to freeze and can. Grow a garden, make friends who have garden overflow/ Pick your own,. Go to thrift stores. Learn to make your own repairs. Compost. Use every square inch of your yard to grow food (yes a very small plot will support a family--in places like China and Croatia families use every square inch to make vegetables and keep chickens. Use the public library. Take your children to all free concerts and museums. Learn to sew (if not to make clothes--to repair or alter clothes you find at thrift stores and yard sales).

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 13, 2001.

This goes with the "don't buy white" idea: ONly buy black one-size fits all gloves. You can ALWAYS find a match!

ONly buy the same kind/size socks for the same reason.

Cut plastic (like lids from coolwhip or bacon insert) into squares. Then cut and X in the middle. USe these as sock locks to keep your socks together in the laundry or as garbage ties.

I read that the average household spends $80 a year on backup electricity--thats the hidden electricity that is used to keep your printer or vcr ready all the time. Also the electricity that is used by digital clocks on every appliance. i mean, how many clocks do you need. I am putting everything on surge protectors (which is a very frugal tip for expensive appliances anyway that can be fried in an instant by electrical surge)and cutting off the power at night an when we don;t use them.

I am going to replace light bulbs with the fuel efficient ones (heard kmart has best deal).

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 13, 2001.

Tightwad Tip for today: As your light bulbs blow out replace them with a lower wattage. For example if you now use 75 watt, switch to 60 watt. I used to use 60 watt and am switching to 40 watt. The house is a little dimmer, but not much. At the computer and kids desk we have seperate lamps, so you really don't notice the difference from the general household lighting. I don't know how much this will save, but I think every little bit helps!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), October 14, 2001.

As most families with children, we run around alot to ball games, scouts and church. I try not reduce the amount we eat out, but recognize the time it takes to clean up. When we are just having sandwiches, we use paper towels as plates instead of paper plates. It's cheaper than paper plates, but easier to clean up after.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 14, 2001.

Here's a neat frugal site:

http://www.allthingsfrugal.com

-- Jo (farmerjo@kvalley.com), December 01, 2001.