Extreme Frugality: What Are Your Most Insanely Frugal Habits?
I’ve never been a fan of “extreme” frugality. Of course, I have been working on (and succeeding at) eating out less, buying things used or on sale whenever possible, and practicing common sense conservation. But I doubt I would ever go through others’ trash, split one roll of 2-ply toilet paper into two rolls, or use old dish water to flush my toilet. That said, in today’s economy, I wouldn’t blame some people for trying these or other extreme ways to save money. So I want to know, what’s your most “extreme” frugal habit? Let me know in a comment!
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A good one from Qvisory I received on Twitter: using coffee grounds for more than one pot of coffee. Something I could never do, I’m too much of a coffee snob. It also reminded me that my grandmother used to use her tea bags to make multiple cups of tea throughout the day. Definite extreme frugality there.
To make my kitchen sponges last longer, I put them in ziploc bags after using them and keep them in the fridge. This may also reduce germs.
Lol, I’ve reused tea leaves when I’m making cups of hot tea — but I thought that was just common sense! I don’t use bags, though. Loose is cheaper and tastes better. My husband also makes us big batches of tea to keep in the fridge, but we don’t really reuse those leaves since he makes plenty at once. We do compost the leaves, though, along with most of our other food scraps.
During the day, I try to avoid turning on lights. At night, my husband and I use a single bulb lamp instead of the 4-bulb overhead whenever possible. It makes it rather cozy and helps me start feeling sleepy, so it’s been good. We also save electricity by unplugging stuff and not using the heat and AC too much.
I have been known to eat weeds and even transplant them to our back yard, lol, but I think that’s more from curiosity than saving money.
We have two hens for eggs which probably is pretty weird around here (though our neighbor inspired us by having hens, too). Not sure that we’re going to recoup the cost of the coop (no pun intended) any time soon, but DANG those are some good eggs.
We have a box for reusable printer paper, like if one side is blank and the other side doesn’t have sensitive information on it. We try to use that instead of new paper whenever possible, though we don’t print much stuff in general.
Anyhow, I’m sure there are more tips that seem natural to me. So, please check out FruWiki.com if you’re looking for more!
I don’t think I’ve gotten extreme yet…well, there is my current “experiment” of growing potatoes in a bucket in my living room. Before you laugh it was really cheap to do! I just let 2 potatoes sprout and planted them in a clean bucket with dirt. I see them peaking though and in anothe 45 days or so we’ll see what I end up with.
Other than that I water down juices without telling the family. I figure they won’t miss the sugar and wouldn’t you know it, they haven’t realized.
We’ve started shopping at a hallal market that caters to immigrants from Africa. since we adopted a daughter from Africa this year and I spent some time there, I’ve learned to cook some of the food. Highly nutritious, yummy and low-fat. Oh, and really, really cheap. Tonight’s big dinner is about $6 for our family of 4 and will net leftovers. All of the staples are in the store, and not much of the junk food we can live without (pretzels, fruit snacks, beer…)
Speaking of leftovers, if they’re not enough to make another dinner or snack, mix them with tomorrow’s leftovers. Don’t throw them out.
I don’t think this is extreme, but it is not mainstream: I don’t have cable TV and I got rid of my home internet. The savings really adds up
My roommates and I make home made laundry detergent, it lasts forever and is super cheap. We also line dry our clothes as much as possible. We made it through the Oregon winter with space heaters heating only the rooms we were using.
Drink tap water.
definitely tap
AFTER you boil it for at least 10 min. and strain it through cheesecloth like the native islanders in jamaica and other such places where they know more about living naturally and socalled frugality is a way of life known as NOT WASTING AND RESPECTING THE PLANET
I’ve consumed tap water for over 50 years, without boiling it or using cheesecloth, and it hasn’t hurt my health any. …Just a tip for those who may think boiling and cheesecloth are too much of a bother.
I sold the car and got a car co-op memership. I also bought a bike. (and now I don’t need the Gym membership)
I grow my own herbs and other veggies.
Build my own furniture.
I also got rid of the TV.
I turn the heat off when no one’s home.
My favorite crazy frugality habits:
-Rinse and re-use ziploc bags
-Use toilet paper as kleenex (cheaper, equally effective)
-Put your pillowcase in the freezer for half an hour before bed in hot summers (you won’t need the air conditioning up as high. trust me.)
Ha ha! I love the pillow case idea. I wish I’d thought of that so many summers I’ve gone without AC!
I live in the San Antonio area. Upon purchasing my 1,732 sq ft house in May of 2007, I instantly replaced all of the lightbulbs, except in the bathrooms, with CFL (compact fluorescent lights) and set the water heater to *120 degrees, maintain the thermostat at *80 during the summer and turn it off during the day, set the thermostat to *70 in the winter.
My average electric bill in the summer is about $90 and in the winter about $110. I have electric heat, not gas. All my appliances are new and energy-star rated.
As far as other really frugal habits that may border on the extreme, for my driving habits I shift at 2,000 rpm to maximize my mileage (4-cylinder subcompact) and use the A/C sparingly. I never drive over 60 mph, even on the highway if I can safely avoid it. Thankfully I work where I can park in a garage, shielded from sunlight. In the summer, I can often make it home without having to turn on the A/C, but on those really hot 90+ degree days, I turn it on briefly. I go to work before the sun rises, so I save by not having to use the A/C in the car. I use synthetic oil in my car and change it once a year (I only travel about 7,000 miles a year).
I’d gladly give up the expensive cable tv but my wife watches different programs, and I would rather have a happy spouse than a few extra dollars saved. I cannot give up the broadband because I often work from home (when I’m not at work 12 hours a day!).
Back when I was in High School, I worked in a tire store with this guy named Bruce who was Uber-frugal. He saved the bottles of oil we’d dispose of when doing oil changes on customer cars. He would place the bottles upside-down into a funnel that fed into a larger bottle. After a few weeks of collecting the drippings, he’d have a free oil change.
Shop at Aldi!!! You will save atleast 20 percent on your groceries.
The pillow case idea is brilliant.
I’m museumaholic. I purchased a family membership at a museum in New Mexico that gives me access to over 250 museums world wide including several in my home state of CO. It cost me $60. A few years later I found that exact same membership at a museum in WY for $50. I went halfers with a friend of mine. We now each have a card. We take all of our kids and friends kids with us when ever we can. I am planning a trip to Chicago next month. All my museums for this trip are included under this membership. Also to consider CityPass. It gets you to the front of the line in most places. Time is money especially when on vacation.
What is the name of the pass? Where di you get in for $50.00?
Thank you
my heated a large brick thwn wrapped it in newspaper fr her foot warmer in winter. she raised lushy tomatoes in an empty lot next to her apartment and built up the cinder from a coal stove with grass clippings and weeds from that patch all composted and then share many curious neighbors and lots left to can for winter, no jars ever spoiled. she found beautiful dresses at a church bazzar for the needy and remodeled them for dress-up for church, all vegie trimmings went to a compost pile that was soon ready for the garden. for shut-ins she grew cosmos for flowers to take to shut-ins on her street, my grandmother made homemade soap that was mild enough for bathsoap.
Read my neighbours newspaper — walk their dog in exchange; use old newspapers -not paper towels–to clean greasy pots before washing them; plastic shopping bags in waste baskets; after-bath water to flush toilets; no poisons, fertilizers of any kind on my lawn (I love the small lizzards or bees too much to murder them day after day); driving an old car “into the ground”; no sweets (do not like them anyway); doggie bag meals next day after going to a restaurant. Most is driven by environmental concerns or health habits–rather than money –but saving money motivates me too–no doubt..
Those newspapers are good, too, crumpled up especially, for using to clean your windows. My Mom had us do that for years. Never bought “Handi-Wipes”, etc.
Sounds like the story of my life. But as always, I live month to month.
stop paying interest
No a/c at all when at home. Buy everything at the same warehouse store, close to where I work anyway. When at home, Pee outside to save flushes. Skip lunch altogether, I gradually lost the potbelly and needed to. No TV, using public computer. Read instead of watching TV. Never use cell phone but three times a week. Never pay ATM fees. Eat foods that can be microwaved in less then three minutes. Drink the free soda my employer provides. Go one calendar year without buying new clothes. Get rid of the credit cards….dont miss them. Live in a place with no grass to mow. Do laundry at sister’s house as payment for babysitting services.
You also may want to make your next home (or be thankful if you already have) one that uses electricity instead of gas. It’s slower in the kitchen, but cheaper.
My Aunt takes greeting cards that she receives, cuts off the page with the original signature, and mails the remaining part as a post card. My Dad says that is tacky, but one of the reasons she is very rich.
raised a cow on pasture and put in our freezer, instead of grocery store prices and tainted meat. raised our own goats for milk and cheese and butter. grow our own veggies and apples, red berries, grapes, black berries, strawberries, and blueberries. We have 40 chickens for eggs. Ya for sustainble living! No Tv here. We don’t pay for entertainment. We hike, go to the beach, picnics, camping for free too, play family games, can our fruits and veggies.
You may also want to raise rabbits to put on the dinner table, like we did. Just don’t give them names or play with them. They’re not pets. They’re food.
Extreme : moved to a home just out of the city , life is now quieter and more peaceful lol also the stores sell at cheaper price than at the city so saved money
Stopped cable tv.
Use my neighbour’s internet access [he offered].
No A/C.
Stopped all credit cards. saved me healps.