If you missed the first five days of this series, click on the links below to catch up on all the frugal living and saving tips!
I love reading all your feedback on the tips! Remember, we are all learning together and your input helps me out so much! What might work for someone else may not work for you. That’s okay! We find what works for us and work it to the best of our best abilities.
With that said, let’s get to the next 100 posts! Don’t forget to leave me some feed back and any ideas you may have for the remaining 400 tips!
First and foremost…
501. Take a deep breath- you do not have to take it all on at once. With posts like this, I worry that some of my readers may being getting a bit overwhelmed. I encourage you to try just a few things at a time before you jump in with both feet. A lot of the frugal tips I have shared from my own life I did not come about all at once; slowly but surely, the Lord began working on my heart. I became more and more motivated to step up the self discipline in my life and began living more and more frugally. God is good, if you are feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of frugal life, take those concerns to Him. “Delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart!” Ps. 37:4
502. Symptoms of financial problems. This article was one of the first articles I read at Crown.org almost a year ago now. Some of the points in this article just stabbed me in the heart! I realized who I did not want to be and also how I was becoming that person in certain areas of my life. This article is a good read and a great, *humbling* reminder. Click HERE to read it.
503. Do you have a support system? I’ve mentioned before the power of accountability. I believe in this! But what about your friends? Do they encourage you to save? Or to spend? Do they support your frugal living choices, or scoff at them? Find a support system that builds you up in your efforts to be obedient to God in your finances. Church home groups are a great option for you! I also find a lot of support and encouragement in blogging!
Stretching out your food budget!
504. Embrace the potato! The bean is your first best friend, the potato is your second best friend! Potatoes can be served at some compasity at every meal! Potatoes can be served as fillers to extend your meats! Potatoes make great soups! Potato skins contain tons of vitamin C! Can’t afford an orange? Buy potatoes!
505. Shake the water off those veggies! If veggies are being sold by the pound, shake the water off a bit. I imagine this only saves pennies if that, but hey, money is money!
506. Use store websites as coupon resources! I printed off some great coupons from safeway.com yesterday! I have also used the printable coupons from Walgreens before too! Most major stores have a link that says “coupons!”
507. Going to Target? Print off the Target coupons from the kiosk and save ink and paper!
508. Check your cereal boxes! I went to open my box of cereal this morning only to be greeted with a free after rebate form on the box! Wowee! And, I bought the cereal with a coupon! That means I’ll actually make a little money having this cereal! The cereal I bought was Kellogs Smart Start. I’ve heard that the new blueberry flavored mini-wheats have this rebate too! (There is an online printable for both of these cereals!)
509. Double check your receipts. I do this every time I get out to the car just to make sure everything worked out and that none of my coupons were skipped. If you shop at a store where you have to bag your own food, watching the scanner becomes a challenge. Checking the receipt before you go home is a great option!
510. Confused by the concept of register rewards at Walgreens? It can be overwhelming! Nicole at being frugal is fabulous put together a wonderful post that details the ins and outs of taking advantage of this fabulous program! Click here for more.
511.Take the pantry challenge! Once you get your stockpile really going, take the challenge to live off of your pantry for 2-3 weeks without going to the grocery store! Crystal over at money saving mom ran a challenge a few months back. In fact, it was that challenge that truly spurred me on to build a stockpile in the first place! Do you think you could try it? Maybe you could let yourself go to the store for fresh produce and dairy only?
512. Save those extra ketchup packets! They are free at restaurants, save what you have left over and use them at home! (You’ll never have to buy ketchup again!)
513. While you’re at it, grab some extra napkins! I also keep some in the car for little spills.
514. Use ebay for coupons! I would only suggest doing this if there is an amazing sale on something and you will for sure use each coupon. I bought some pillsbury coupons once and got biscuits for pennies!
Make your own…
515. Pie crusts! Scroll down a little to read the recipe. I think per pie, this would be a bit cheaper. I currently buy crusts at Wal-Mart for $1.76. Click HERE for more!
516. Pizza crust! This post claims to be ridiculously thorough! I agree! Click HERE for more!
517. Yogurt! I gotta tell ya, I love this idea! Nate and I are cutting out most sugars and especially high fructose corn syrup this month. I read the label of my favorite yogurt…yup! High fructose corn syrup! If I make my own, it may be much cheaper and I won’t have to worry about what’s in it! Check out this site, makeyourownyogurt.com!
518. Jam! I’m thinking about trying the orange marmalade recipe! Click HERE for more!
519.Pudding! This is surprisingly simple! I have all the ingredients too! Why spend $1 on a mix when I can make some myself with cheap ingredients I already have? Click here for more!
Concerning cars…
520. Have you thought about switching to a scooter? I have noticed that trend rising here in Vancouver; even the old ladies do it! I liked this gentlemen’s perspective on his scooter, even if the gas prices are a little outdated. How would you like to get 90 miles to the gallon highway? Obviously this would be an initial investment, but worth considering if you have a gas guzzler! Yes please! Click here to read more.
521. Parking economics #1: If you can park in a spot where you can pull through and not have to back up, you will save a teensy bit of gas skipping the back up each time.
522. Parking economics #2: It amazes me how long people will drive around the parking lot in order to find a spot close up. Park a little farther away and walk to the door. Don’t waste your time and gas driving around and around!
523. Parking economics #3: The secret parking lot as I call it! You know that lot that is on the side of the store? Its fairly close to the store and usually closer to the entrance/exit to the lot. I try to park in these places as often as I can– I know those teensy things I do to save gas add up.
524. Trade in your old tires! Nathan and I did this at Les Schwab and got $10 per tire! We put it towards our brake service and it significantly helped us!
For the home…
525. Dumpster dive! I wouldn’t normally post this as this is another no duh in my book, but today I saw a TON of furniture in our trash area at our apartment. Three families moved out over the weekend and left their stuff. If I didn’t already have a coffee table, I would have gone for it! If you live near a college, move at time at the end of the school year is money in the bank! I got so much free stuff during that time back in the day!
526. Book covers. Remember making these in junior high? Well, they really do keep your books looking nicer and keep their resell value up. With Nate back at school, we are doing all we can to help recover our text books costs. Don’t remember how to make them? Click here! All you need is a paper bag and some tape.
527.Reuse cereal box liners for wax paper substitute.
528. Save on postage! Post cards cost less than sending a letter!
529. Reuse toilet paper tubes! This is a smart idea, insert your cords into the tube to keep them from tangling up! Great for storage!
530. Add wrapping paper tubes to your vacuum! According to what I read, you can duct tape the tube to the vacuum and use it as an extending piece!
531. Store posters in wrapping paper tubes as well! This makes for crease free storage.
532. Make a rag rug! I wonder if I can do this, I’d really like to try. I think a rag rug would look cute in our kitchen. I found a tutorial HERE!
533. Make a rag wreath! Use fabric scraps and tie them over and over again around a wire frame. An old wire hanger will work well. The turn out pretty cute– the fuller the better!
534. Uses for worn out pantyhose #1: Keep onions in the leg of your old pantyhose! From what I’ve read, this keeps them fresher longer!
535. Use nylons to strain through your vacuum cleaner for those little things that got sucked up!
536. Use nylons as shoe buffers after polishing!
537. Use cut up nylons to take off your nail polish! From what I’ve read, these work great with a little remover.
538. Bottom part still good? Cut them off and use them as trouser socks! They do tend to roll down a little, so be ready for that.
Concerning water and energy conservation…
534. Clear tape. Use clear tape to seal off the edges of unused doors in the winter time.
535. Bathroom fan issues. When you turn on that bathroom fan, you are allowing heat to get sucked out of your house! I heard that you can use a blow dryer to dry off your mirror after showering instead. Also, in the dry winter weather, the extra moisture in the air will do your dried out sinuses a world of good!
536. Stove fans. Our stove fan does the same thing. In fact, when I’m standing over the stove cooking, I can feel the cold air blow through! I’m considering taping a towel over the vent when its not in use.
537. Electrical outlets. To a much smaller degree, electrical outlets also let in cold air! Plug them up with safety plugs! Safe and frugal!
538. Ceiling fans. If you use ceiling fans in the winter months, make sure you have them circling clockwise. This distributes heat more evenly.
539. Cold Drains! Some sites suggest using rubber stoppers in your tub drains when not in use. Cold air gets up in there and can be unpleasant to step on too! Brrr!
540. Warm up the covers! This could make it more bearable to have the heat low at night. Use one of the rice socks I talked about earlier. Heat it up and place it in your bed while you brush your teeth. Back in the olden days, they used to do this with warm bricks, water bottles, and even coals! One of my friends has her hubbie get in her side first and warm it up for her!
For baby…
541. Registering for the first time? Go with a trusted friend or family member who has recently had a baby! They can tell you which of the latest and greatest gadgets out there you will actually need.
542. Cloth diapers! My hubbie swears he will never, ever do this. I’m sure we will at least try it! Cloth diapers can even be hand made! There are so many amazing tips and thoughts on this! Here is just one example of the information available out there.
543. Make your own baby wipes! Great for little ones with sensitive bums! Click HERE for more! You can also use just damp paper towels. If your baby’s butt is anything like my little baby butt was, any chemical will cause horrendous diaper rash! This can be a great option vs. spending more for sensitive skin wipes at the store.
544. Bedding. This is your choice as parents. I watched a segment on the Today Show about the dangers of suffocation for little ones with a lot of bedding. They don’t even recommend bumpers anymore! Just use those simple, soft little receiving blankets and skip the expensive bedding purchases.
545. Formula savings! Crystal’s got the hook up! Click HERE for more!
Concerning Freebies!
546. Gas-X sample! Click HERE!
547. Pamprin sample! Click HERE!
548. Free theater night! Click HERE for more info!
549. Wedgie Free Wednesday! I sign up for this every week! I’ve gotten three pairs of panties! Click HERE for more!
550. Theraflu! Click HERE!
551. Emergen-C. Click HERE!
552. Airbourne! Click HERE!
553. Other Wal-Mart Freebies! Click HERE!
All things entertainment.
554. The Netflix debate. Some people say this saves money. Others say, no way, use redbox. Especially since you can get free codes for red box so often! We canceled ours about 18 months ago. We found that we liked watching movies that our friends and families had even more. Now that we have red box, Netflix is not a worthwhile expense. I say it boils down to your budget. Is it something you should cut? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
555. Beware of Columbia House! They have such sweet deals, right? Free dvds with such and such purchase, yeah. Well, you still have to purchase dvds at full price! When we were part of the club, it was 4. And the full price is $24.99! Or even $29.99! You can get dvds when they are on sale at Target or Wal-Mart for $5! Make sure you do the math before you sign up. We save way more without it. Oh! And look out for those dvds they just send you at random. Thats fun too. When they charge you for it is even more fun.
556. Play a game of bigger or better with a group of friends. This is a game where you go around and ask someone to trade you for something that is bigger or better than the object you started with. I’ve ended up with a toilet before, no joke! Its fun and totally free!
557. Chili making contest. Great idea for fall! Have friends over, everyone brings a pot of homemade chili– very frugal by the way! Everyone taste tests and votes! The winner gets a prize!
558. Old time photos. These can cost you up to $25 for one picture if you have a professional do this. Have friends bring “old time” costumes from home or thrift stores and use picasa or other photo editing software to switch the effect to Sepia tone! I’m sure you’ll have a lot of laughs in the mean time!
559. $5 Thrift store challenge! I did this back in Campus Crusade for Christ at EWU! We each had $5 and went to a local thrift store. We had to find the most outrageous outfit possible and wear it on the town! We voted on the best, I think our friend Charlie won. 
560. Costco it up! If you do have a membership, eat at their food court! They have yummy food for as low as $1! Nate and I would split a piece of pizza and a smoothie and spend less than $5 for the date!
561. Split a $5 footlong! For a meal out, $2.50 is a good price!
Websites that save you money…
The following is from Good Housekeeping’s September 2008 issue page 145
562. Priceprotectr.com. A site that is designed to notify you when prices on major purchases recently made have fallen. You can return to the store and get back the difference.
563. Retailmenot.com. Has over 15,000 merchants available with coupon codes and discounts.
564. Thegrocerygame.com. I’ve heard women swear by this website! (Costs $10 for two months.) The site provides you with weekly lists of the best deals with coupon match ups in your favorite grocery store.
565. Pricespider and wishradar.com. These sites help you find items on your wish list at your desired low price.
566. Goodhousekeepingrewards.com. Similar to Mypoints, this program gives you cash back for purchases you make.
I’m starting the random tidbits a bit earlier in this post– mostly because I am so scatter brained tonight! Sorry for those of you who love order!
Randomness…
567. Free color pages for the little ones! These are all over the web! I simply couldn’t pick just one site! Google “free color pages” and you’ll be good to go! You’ll never buy coloring books again!
568. Freeze anything! I read an article in Good Housekeeping that talked about freezing vs. putting things in the fridge. Almost everything they listed lasts 8-12 months when frozen. The exception, bread products. They suggest 3-6 months.P.S.– this includes blanched veggies!
569. Downsize. Do you have more home than you have money for? Selling is a challenge right now. But if you rent, consider downsizing to a smaller apartment or taking in a roomie to cut down on your expenses.
570. Got a kitty? Sometimes a simple can of tuna costs less than cat food! If so, mix some cooked rice in with the tuna for a yummy kitty meal!
571. Praying Mantis? How strange of a tip is this? Got bugs in your house? Get another bug! Get a praying mantis! They actually suggest this as a green alternative to bug killers. Hmm… I am terrified of the things personally. My husband is now telling me that they did this when he was little. (This explains a lot! )
572. Family portraits as gifts! Kids, this a great gift for parents and grandparents! My mom cried her eyes out when us kids did this for her a couple of years ago! I blew one up and framed it and put the rest in simple photo album. Don’t have anyone to snap some pics for you? Use the timer on your camera!
573. Go to the bathroom at work. Think about it. If you go before you come home each day, you will save 5-10 gallons of water a week. Times that by how many weeks of the year you are work, that’s a lot of water saved!
574. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes. These cost a fortune!! Not to mention are not the best for your health.
575. Got foot odor? Use lemons! Get your shoes wet, put 2 lemons cut open inside and let them dry naturally. The lemons take care of the issue!
576. Don’t have lemons! Use baking soda! Poor some into your shoes each night, or even a little in your shoes as you’re wearing them to absorb wetness and stinkiness!
577. K-MART DOUBLE COUPON DAYS! I’m a little bit WAY excited about this! Click HERE for more info!
578. Hang up your clothes! Right away! This prevents you from having to iron again or wash again if they get stepped on!
579. Spot clean! If your clothes just need a little bit of spot cleaning, stretch out the amount of time between washing and just tend to the little spot cleaning issues.
580. Got a Mac? Use iChat to talk with friends and family that also have macs! You don’t have to worry about using minutes or any long distance fees!
581. Speaking of minutes… Monitor your cell phone minute usage as the month goes on. Most providers allow you to do this through their websites or through texting. Let there be no surprises at the end of the month!
582. Restore your shower head! If you’re water is spraying out every which way, this is not good for water efficiency. Take a plastic baggie full of white vinegar. Rubber band it around the shower head. Let it sit for about half and hour. Your shower head should be restored!
583. Reuse old ice cube tray as little stuff organizers!
584. Teachers– ice cube trays make great counting/math visual aids. For example, fractions. Fill the ice cube tray 3/4 of the way. (8 out of 12 trays.) Put one bead in each tray, great visual for 2 x 6! I used this method in one of my math methods classes in college!
585. Going shopping ladies? Make sure to meet with your husband and talk with him beforehand about what kinds of purchases will be okay. Husbands, same goes for you! A little communication goes a long way!
586. Going organic? This article is a must read! Nate and I are working on this in our own lives. Click HERE for more!
587. Free subscription to Parent and Child magazine from Scholastic! Click HERE for more!
588. Sweet Tomatoes B1G1 coupon! This might make a fun and frugal date night! Click HERE for more!
589. In a hurry? Want to eat healthy? EatingWell.com has about 100 recipes for those of us who are trying to eat healthy, live on a budget, and work all at the same time! Click HERE for more!
590. Can you live without contacts? Nate has been just using glasses to save money on contacts. They cost a lot, and he’s not covered by our vision insurance. Just wearing glasses saves about $300 dollars a year!
591. Got old t-shirts? Cut the sleeves off to make a frugal head band! (Great for jogging ladies!)
592. Dry those razors off! After each use, dry off your razors. This will extend the life of your razors significantly! The oxidation that occurs when the blades are wet is what causes the blades to dull.
593. hulu.com! Thanks to my readers for pointing this site out to me! Its a site that allows you to watch tv for free! Really people, let go of cable. Life is GREAT without it!
594. Catch the rain! This is a great tip for gardeners. Figure out a way to catch rain water and use that water later on to water flowers!
595. Frugal Romance Tip #1: Wash each other’s feet. This may sound weird, but my hubbie and I find this terribly romantic and sweet because it reminds us of our servant hearts towards each other and the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ that is reflected in our marriage!
595. Candle light! You can get a bag of 20 tea lights at the Dollar Tree for, you guessed it, $1! Set these out around the room or bath tub and you are good to go!
596. Become sunset/sunrise photographers together! Nothing is more romantic than staring at a sunset with the one you love! Make a hobbie out of it that you can share!
597. Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Leman! A must read for all married couples! There are so many frugal romance tips in this book! Pick up a copy, seriously! (Leman is a christain!)
598.Hang those clothes up! This keeps you from having to iron again later and as I found out, will also keep muddy feet off of them. You don’t want to waste power ironing again, plu, who likes to iron? Not me!
599. Attend the ALL YOU sample event at your local Wal-Mart! Its either the 25 or 26 depending on your area. Check out the webiste or call your local Wal-Mart!
600. My bank went under!! Yes, I bank at WaMu. I am sad, I don’t like Chase. I am now in the process of researching our banking options. How do you choose a bank? I chose WaMu because my parents banked there. Its intimidating to me! Nate and I are approaching it in prayer and are thinking about going with our local teacher’s credit union. The interests rates are quite good and they take less risks than a large chain. Plus, I’m all about the added benefits from being an educator. You take what you can get!!
Here’s what I’ve learned:
*If they charge fees for simple things like checking and using ATMS, skip them!
*If the interest rates are low, move on.
*Good questions to ask…Are they a risk taking business? What is their history? Do their goals as a company match your goals/values?
*Are they close enough that you won’t waste gas driving there?
*Do they offer online banking?
Also, we had an account with $13 in it lying dormant from Nate’s pre-married to me stage. His mom called and said to close it because they started to charge Nate’s brother for his dormant account! (That was at Bank of America! FYI. )
Thank you for your patience as I work through our internet struggles! My next post will include some frugal wedding tips, holiday tips, crafting tips, and a mix of the general tips as well.
Let me know if you have any ideas!!
2 Comments
October 6, 2008 at 5:37 am
*maybe youve used it but 1800contcts is great!! i mean, its still a bit spendy, but they ALWAYS have deals (depending on the brand/type of lenses up to $60off) also i heard costo has great deals on contacts.
*random tidbit: along the lines of paper towels as baby wipes for sensitive bums, BUTT PASTE is the best for rashes!! it has a bit of zinc in it so it will actually help heal/prevent yeast infections on your little one’s bum!!
*old t shirts make amazing dust cloths!!
*(yay for sheet music!!
also, romancing your husband/romancing your wife .. cant remember the authors)
*i had an account with bank of america and closed it after a month!! i did NOT like banking with them!! we’re at wamu (because my parents were..) sad…
*free tv: go to nbc.com abc.com or cbs.com to watch your favorite shows online for free!!
October 10, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I stumbled across your blog as I was looking for budget tips and you have some amazing ideas!! Thank you for sharing!! May the Lord bless you on your journey to financial freedom!