10 Lesser Known Ways to Frugalize

 

Want to pare down your spending even more? Here are some good ideas. 

Walk: Everyone has their limit on how much they can comfortably walk, but if you can spend an hour at Costco, or walk the dog, you can go without transportation for short trips. Use one mile as a limit marker.

When we were very little, our school was exactly a mile away. I remember my mother in her heels walking us to and from school. 

In Texas it's almost impossible to walk because everything is so far away from each other. The exceptions are big cities where they still maintain a neighborhood (walking) vibe. 

Streaming: There are many free streaming services such as Tubi, Crackle, YouTube, and Pluto TV. 

Another thing to try is to get a streaming subscription--but only temporarily.

We're big scifi fans and love watching Star Trek, Strange New Worlds. I wait until Paramount runs a special (usually around Christmas). I join for 3-4 months, then cancel. This way we can binge our favorite shows for the year and can move on to somewhere else that runs the shows we like.

Heating or Cooling: We learned during those roaming blackouts of Winter 2022, that the easiest way to heat or cool the house is to limit yourself to one room. Make a tent out of blankets and keep yourself, or the kids snug and cozy. 

The same applies to staying cool--stick to one room. If no AC is available, run a fan with two ice bottles in front of it. It will instantly cool the air even further.

Buy clothes at a thrift store or garage sale. This is especially good advice if you have kids that are growing all the time. Why spend full price for clothes that will only last them a few months? As for me, I've found thrifted clothes tend to be better quality. Anything of lesser quality never makes it to the thrift pile. 

Learn to negotiate: I'm a quiet person. I don't go out of my way to interject into conversations--unlike my better half Greg. So when I start talking, negotiations turn into a steely game of Blink. 

• Always start with a firm number on what you're willing to pay for something.
  
  
• Allow for a back and forth. People don't like to be railroaded into a price. If you give them wiggle room, all parties will feel like they made out. 

Before you go to the grocery store...clean your fridge. Not only do you get a clean fridge, but a reminder of what got hidden behind the salad dressing bottle. It's like taking a mini inventory. 

Take a seasonal job before Christmas. This way you can splurge, and still afford it. 

Take advantage of FREE. Go to the zoo or museum on Free Day. Borrow books, music, dvds, and sometimes even art from libraries. Some libraries also offer free seeds. 

• Sign up for emails from your favorite restaurants and get free desserts or appetizers on your birthday. Coffee shops usually give you a free birthday dessert or coffee.
  
  
• By accident, I found out sending a tech to my home (for internet) had a $65 fee, but when I told them I had just had knee surgery, the agent transferred me to their disability department and got the charge waived to free. It never hurts to ask. 

Give homemade gifts. I'm not much of a baker, but I've perfected my pumpkin and cranberry breads to the point that people would rather have that than any store bought gift. People love them! I'll post my pumpkin bread recipe next month. 

Run your errands in batches. Since we live so far from town, we try to put all our errands on one specific day of the week so we're not wasting gas or time. 

Bonus: After every day, drop your change or small bills into a jar. It's an easy way to create an emergency fund without realizing it. If nothing else, it might make for some mad money when you really have a craving for pizza.

Bonus+: I buy in bulk. Rice, flour, other grains, and some spices. If I find it on clearance, even better. I freeze dry a lot of food, especially herbs and veggies I grow myself, but you can also plain freeze these things. I always freeze my flour and grains for at least 3 weeks before putting them in airtight containers.

Because of where we live, it's a pain in the keester to run out of stuff. A well stocked pantry eliminates the dreaded dash to the store. 

 

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