Frugal Ideas and Household Hints

[Moll Flanders]

I'm going to try the orange vinegar thing too as I am using vinegar for cleaning but the smell is starting to make me feel sick! I just saw a programme where they were saying that you can use the netting that citrus fruit comes in as a scourer for washing up. I always throw the netting away away but I will try that next time.

I'm about to buy a clothes airer for the garden as the weather is getting better and so it will stop my from using my tumble dryer as much. I got sent a free cloth bag the other day and I'm going to use that to hold the pegs.

 

[thefadedone]

Mine is done brewing. I've been using it daily. I'm way too excited over this but I love that I actually made something myself, however simple it may have been. I am usually very poor at following through on stuff I say I am going to do.

It's working really well? Is the citrus scent strong?

 

[ledboots]

It's working really well? Is the citrus scent strong?

I made one and have been using it a lot. I used grapefruit rind instead of orange (I cannot follow directions ). I like it; it smells way better than the vinegar dilutions I've been using for 20 years.

My only gripe is the sprayer got a little clogged a couple times, with grapefruit stuff, I guess, but easily unclogged.

 

[thefadedone]

I made one and have been using it a lot. I used grapefruit rind instead of orange (I cannot follow directions ). I like it; it smells way better than the vinegar dilutions I've been using for 20 years.

My only gripe is the sprayer got a little clogged a couple times, with grapefruit stuff, I guess, but easily unclogged.

That's a good idea though! I would have never consider grapefruit as an option.

 

[ledboots]

That's a good idea though! I would have never consider grapefruit as an option.

I just had some grapefruit and no orange. Smells nice and clean though.

 

[KLS52]

I made one and have been using it a lot. I used grapefruit rind instead of orange (I cannot follow directions ).

You rebel, you.

 

[silva]

I've had about 40 oz. sitting with mostly clementine peels for the last month. It does smell orangy, and IS orangy.
I couldn't tell until I put some on a rag, I better be careful how I use it!
Next time- lemon

 

[KLS52]

I've had about 40 oz. sitting with mostly clementine peels for the last month. It does smell orangy, and IS orangy.
I couldn't tell until I put some on a rag, I better be careful how I use it!
Next time- lemon

The 'recipe' I have says to dilute it with water (50-50 I think, but I'd have to check), so it isn't that strong.

 

[thefadedone]

I'm going to do this but **** it, I'm going to be all crazy and not dilute it. I think a strong orange scent would be nice . I'm also the person that has scented plug in warmers in every room, frequently burns incense and scented candles, and uses room spray deodorizers. I'm pretty sure my sense of smell is warped.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I am doing the vinegar thing with lime peels in a glass jar, it still smells really vinegary as I only started it yesterday.

I was reading tips on how to save money and a person was saying to save using electricity when she vacuums her whole house she hoovers her pet's fur instead.

 

[shyvas]

I am doing the vinegar thing with lime peels in a glass jar, it still smells really vinegary as I only started it yesterday.

I was reading tips on how to save money and a person was saying to save using electricity when she vacuums her whole house she hoovers her pet's fur instead.

Mine would be petrified.

 

[Amy SF]

Energy Conservation Tip

Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket, especially if it’s in an unheated area of your home. The blanket could save you up to 10% of water heating costs. You make a difference!

Backstory: I used to work at a county hospital. Whenever I logged in on my work computer, there were always announcements and tips on the home page. I copied and pasted the above into a Word document, and when I knew I was leaving that job (it was a temp position), I copied all my personal Word documents to my flash drive, and then saved the documents to my personal computer. I was just going through those documents and found the above tip.

 

[Amy SF]

I had a thought: Do you have some stuff in your home that you don't want anymore but can't sell, donate to a thrift store/charity shop, give away or you can't bear to just throw it out? Do you know of anyone near you who offers art classes? It can be an art school, an art studio, a regular school, college or university or even a senior center or nursing home. These unwanted items could be donated for use in these art classes. Just ask them and see if they're interested in the items. Someone might even have a "wish list" of items or raw materials they would love to have donated for use in art classes. After all, all kinds of materials can be used for the purpose of art.

 

[Amy SF]

Also if you're couponing, whether you're new to couponing or a seasoned couponer or you've just moved to a new area with unfamiliar stores, be sure to check out the coupon policies on the websites for the stores where you plan to shop. For supermarkets you should be able to find a link at the bottom of the main page. Knowing all that information beforehand is better than being in the store and trying to find an employee so you can ask if they double coupons or whatever. (All the mainstream supermarkets in my area used to double all coupons routinely. Then they limited the doubling value to $2. Then they put a limit on the number of coupons they were willing to double. Then they put a limit on the number of days they would double coupons. Now, nobody doubles coupons at all. Ever.)

 

[Moll Flanders]

Yesterday I was going to buy some storage boxes and baskets as I still have too much clutter in my house but I managed to repurpose other containers I already had in my house to store things.

Pinterest

I just saw this on Pinterest which was a way of using old aluminum foil holders by covering the box with wrapping paper and using it to give homemade cookies as gifts.

I'm going to use this idea to hold all my make-up. I don't have much make-up so it will probably all fit in one foil holder. It might be the right type of size to hold spices too.

 

[Clueless Git]

Frugality tip #1:

Never buy anything on the day you first find/see it.

Ferkin' amazing how much stuff you really-really-really need that isn't even worth the bother of going back to the shop the next day for.

Frugality tip #2:

Always buy stuff you really-really-really need on the day you first find/see it.

Ferkin' amazing how much money you can save by not having to go back to the shop the next day to buy it.

Frugality tip #3:

Never take frugality tips from anyone who may be suffering from frugality tip schyzophrenia ..

 

[Calliegirl]

 

[SummerRain]

That's brilliant!

 

[Dropkick]

Cut one's own hair... everyone's free.

Not everyone is talented in that area. And I think it's probably easier for men than it is for women.

I've been cutting my own for years also.

When I started cutting my own hair I was just trimming with scissors in between cuts and every few months using electric shears to give myself a crew cut, but a while back I decided to see how hard it would be (and how bad it would turn out) if I just had scissors. I figured I could crew cut away any bad results. I was surprised how easy and how well it turned out.

All I do is hold my hair between the fingers of my flattened hand and trim off whats sticking out. It's easy to control the length and I don't make a mess of it. It's easy to tell what portions still need cutting just by feel, and the whole job is over quickly.

I still cut it fairly short (about 1 inch to an 1 and 1/2 inches), but it's no longer a crew cut and no one can tell I haven't been to a barber.

Disclaimer: shaving the short hairs on the back of your neck and getting a straight edge is very difficult without a lot of practice. It's much easier done with a helper or ignored (but then your haircut doesn't look professionally done from the back). -I've always meant to make a protective cover I could hold back there out of thin plastic (milk carton?) so I could "bowl cut" the back with my shaving razor.

 

[SummerRain]

I cut my own hair. My hair is fine and wavy. So if I went to a hairdresser they'd cut it blunt anyway (i.e. cut straight along the ends) and anything uneven you can't tell. I wouldn't cut my own hair if it was thick and/or dead straight.

I also don't have a complicated 'do. It's just long and I cut layers up the sides (but not around the back). Usually I do it over a few days if I want to get it right (i.e. cut a bit, see how it looks the next day, adjust).