Well it's time again to list some of your newest Tightwad Tips. One I have been trying for a while, is to use only half as much. Of what you ask? Of everything!!! Try using half as much detergent, bleach, half of a fabric softener sheet, half as much tootpaste, shampoo, dish soap or dishwasher detergent. Use half as much water. Like if you are scrubbing only fill the bucket half as much as usual. When you are washing dishes use only half of a sink full of water.

I have had some succes with this method. As some of you know I was a little perturbed at my increasing water bill. By trying to use half as much, I was able to decrease my bill by $14 during this billing cycle.

Everyone feel free to list your tips here!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 21, 2002

Answers

Melissa: Can you divert your washing machine rinsewater to a tub and reuse in the next wash cycle? You use between 6 and 12 gallons of water for each load. I doubt you can because I specifically looked to see if you had a laundry tub in your laundry room and didn't see it in the picture. Im going to do this in my next house and someone suggested using an inexpensive plastic handpump to pump the water by osmosis (?) back into the washer.

Also, I am thinking of stopping up the tub when we shower and use the water via bucket to flush the toilets.

I am planning to get some free/inexpensive 55 gallon drums from the local bottling plant to use as water catchers from my roof--for watering the garden (maybe animals?).

just some water tips.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.

Ann, I do have a sink in the laundry room, it just wasn't in the picture. I do use my wringer from about April through November, until it gets too cold outside to stand it. This helps a lot. I try to only use the lowest water amount on my washer. But I know the washer uses the most water of anything. Except maybe when Kadia is getting a shower!!! I would like to uy one of those front loading washers, they are supposed to use much less water.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 21, 2002.

When we buy, we always buy top-of-the-line, because I don't want to replace every few years. I did this with my frig and my washer/dryer when we bought them. Unfortunately, we bought them just after the new front loading machines came out, and we didn't want to spend the extra money for what we weren't sure was that much better!! I wish we had! That is the one thing I regret about my washer, it uses SO MUCH water, and even though it has different settings, its "small" is not nearly small enough to suit me!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 21, 2002.

This isn't water-related but, the last time that we were grocery shopping, we were in the baking aisle and picked up a can of Pam, spray oil. It was $3.29! I remarked to my husband that it was ridiculous and he said why can't we get a sprayer and make our own spray oil. So, I found a small hot pink liquid sprayer for 99cents and filled it with vegetable oil, so now we can spray our cookie sheets and pans with something cheaper.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 21, 2002.

We are on a well, so we don't have a water bill, but we are allways looking for water conservation tips. We are going to use our tax return money for one of those new washers(I just hope my old one will hang on until we get that refund!)

Here's a kind of strange tip-what do you have laying about the house that can be returned? For example-Suppose you bought a particular kind of light bulb for a lamp and when you got home it was the wrong kind and it was only a dollar, do you return it or stick it on a shelf somewhere?

I found some range plugs, still sealed in thier package that we bought TWO YEARS ago and they were the wrong type, but somehow we never returned them-they were from Lowes which is some distance away. A few weeks ago, I had to be in that town so I thought-I'll just see if they would take them back. Because I didn't have the reciept, they wouldn't give money back, but they would apply it towards a purchase-that came to eight dollars, plus the two dollars for the light bulbs that didn't fit, and I had enough to buy one of those wire shelves for my frount hall closet.

I went to WalMart and returned a skein of yarn-I had bought too much for a project. If it had been a basic color, I might have kept it but the project was for someone else-I din't care for the color that much, plus, I brought in an old car battery and recieved a five dollar core fee return. That was almost nine dollars right there. I returned an action figure to Dollar General, I had gotten for my son for Christmas and my sister bought him the same thing. The cost for none of these items was very much, but alltogether it was twenty dollars that I "found" laying about the house!

-- Kelly(KY) (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 22, 2002.

Good idea Kelly! Another one is to watch your receipt. Last week I went to Wal-mart and bought some odds and ends, along with a pair of sewing scissors. since Cale was with me, I was more distracted than usual, and wasn't paying attention. When I got home, I looked over my receipt, as I had made some food purchases and wantd to write them down. They charged me for 2 pairs of scissors, which added $9 to my costs!!!! I am going to take ot back and tell them baout the mistake. Hopefully they will give me my money back, if not that was a costly mistake.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 22, 2002.

Love Christine's idea about top-of-the-line appliances. My washer and dryer are so old, perhaps I can get one of those front loaders. Very expensive, I hear. Guess they use less detergent, spin drier so you have less drying needed, also. My old freezer is about 35 years old and still in great shape.

Our toaster is at least 40 years old and still shiny & beautiful. It's a Sunbeam Model T35. Had it adjusted for a few dollars. Repairman said he'd never seen one of those go out, best ever made.

The most practical thing we ever got was an All-Grain wheat grinder, electric. Grinds slowly, so flour isn't damaged. Flour is super fine. It is 35 years old.

Is my age showing??

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), January 22, 2002.

Buy a toaster oven and that way you have both a toaster and a small oven. We haven't owned a toaster in years.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 22, 2002.

Be sure to check Consumer Reports before you indulge in new appliances. The most expensive isn't always the best, and if I remember correctly, that was true in the case of the front load washers. My daughter bought a front loader a year ago (not the spendy one) and she has been more than happy with it.

Also, I know it costs a lot of money for a new freezer or refrigerator and we tend to nurse those old ones along as long as we can keep them running, thinking we're saving $. That is not usually the best option. My grandma's refrig went out so my dad replaced it with a new one. Then my mom & dad's freezer went out and they bought a new one also. Both my folks and my grandma are saving $15 per month on their electric bill, although they live in 2 different states. My folks' "old" freezer was probably 10 years newer than mine. We had to rethink the value of not replacing our freezer - we are going to replace ours ASAP.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), January 22, 2002.

I know Lennette, the new appliances are so much more energy efficient. While our frig is about 8 years old, our freezer is even older. The main problem with the refrigerator is that it is just too small! Probably we should just think of buying both a refrigerator and a freezer.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 22, 2002.

Melissa

I strongly urge you to call Walmart today and talk to a Manager. Tell them about their mistake, and ask them how it could have happened! Don't sound appologetic either.

Get the managers name and ask them to document the conversation in a log book or in the office somewhere, to make your refund easier when you return.

If there were any items thats you didn't see on the receipt that you brought home- they might have had the wrong SKU number, and might ring up wrong again as a price check, if they don't believe you. And if they don't, keep asking for the next up in the chain, until you are satisfied.

-- Rick (WV) (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.

Here's another site:

http://www.tipking.com

Don't go there unless you have time. Lot's of ideas. <<<>>>

-- Jo (countryjo16@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.

Jo, Thanks for Tipking website. Will definitely take a lot of time exploring that one!

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), January 23, 2002.