Okay, this may be the thriftiest of all my Thrifty Nifties... Like, super thrifty/frugal.
1. Don't use a full dryer sheet in the dryer. I tear mine in half, and only use one half at a time. Totally works. My mom taught me this one.
2. Wash your windows with newspapers. Save your paper towels. Spray your window cleaner - scrub with your newspaper! This is what we did as kids, and I just started doing it again so I wouldn't have to use my pricey paper towels. When I was first married I used to buy them on sale for less than 50 cents a roll... Every now and then, WITH a coupon I can get them to about 50 cents a roll....
3. My Grandma once asked me if I washed out and reused my zip lock bags. I, of course told her no, and she replied with, "Well, that's why you're poor..." Yes, that's my Grandma. But, Grandma would be proud to know that I have started washing out my zip lock bags. Why was I throwing them away again when they were only a home to some bread?????? Look, how green I've become... My husband on the other hand is not so excited to be washing out plastic bags... He's not very excited about being green, and based on Grandma's standards he also likes being poor. :)
Do you have some more Thrifty Nifties for me? Please share!
Showing posts with label Thrifty Thursday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thrifty Thursday. Show all posts
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thrifty Thursday
Here are my Thrifty Nifties today:
1 - On Sunday, I discovered something amazing... maybe you already discovered it, and maybe you should have shared that idea with me, say, oh, four years ago??
I was picking out Mallary's tights for church, and I found a good pair (meaning no picks, nubbies, fuzzies, you know what I mean...), and then realized they were wrong side out. The right side, however was filled with all of the above. So, you guessed it Mallary just wore her tights wrong side out, JUST LIKE NEW!
Big deal? You've already been doing that? Well, I thought it was brilliant, and why hadn't I thought about it before!?!?! Usually I just toss them or save them to cut up to use to tie up my tomato plants in the summer. (That's right, TWO thrifty nifties in one! Use your torn up panty hose and tights to help stake your tomato plants.)
2 - Don't be afraid of Dry Clean only or Hand Wash. On Monday, I saved at least 25 bucks washing some stuff I had been saving to take to the dry cleaners. I don't know why I waited so long to wash it myself... I worked at a dry cleaners as a teenager and learned a few things about labels and dry cleaning. A company can only put one label on your clothes, so they are going to choose what might be safer for the complete silly person out there that would put wool in the dryer (not intending to make felt mind you), which is by default, dry clean only.
Hand wash - For example, if a clothing item says this, my sister won't buy it. Half of my clothes I bought last year are hand wash only, but you won't ever catch me hand washing anything... Take advantage of your washers hand wash setting! (Usually that item needs to be air dried though) I've never had a problem. I know people throw away dirty baby toys. Who's going to hand wash those? Not me! Throw them in the washer!
Dry Clean - The trick is to look at the material and use common sense. Is it mostly cotton? Wash it in cold - to be safe, just don't dry it (in case it has a lining then the cotton will shrink, but the lining won't, making your item of clothing uneven). Just don't wash silk. The only time I've been burned actually, because I didn't look at the tag. I thought it was some kind of washable taffeta. Men's ties? I've washed TONS of these. Obviously don't wash the pure silk ones, but you have to wash these on delicate, so they don't get beat up in the washer. Maybe toss them in the dryer for a few minutes, then hang to dry the rest of the way.
Most likely, half the clothes you dry clean you can wash in your washer.
Now, maybe with the money you saved on not having to buy new tights and not dry cleaning you can go catch a movie! Or come visit me!! :)
1 - On Sunday, I discovered something amazing... maybe you already discovered it, and maybe you should have shared that idea with me, say, oh, four years ago??
I was picking out Mallary's tights for church, and I found a good pair (meaning no picks, nubbies, fuzzies, you know what I mean...), and then realized they were wrong side out. The right side, however was filled with all of the above. So, you guessed it Mallary just wore her tights wrong side out, JUST LIKE NEW!
Big deal? You've already been doing that? Well, I thought it was brilliant, and why hadn't I thought about it before!?!?! Usually I just toss them or save them to cut up to use to tie up my tomato plants in the summer. (That's right, TWO thrifty nifties in one! Use your torn up panty hose and tights to help stake your tomato plants.)
2 - Don't be afraid of Dry Clean only or Hand Wash. On Monday, I saved at least 25 bucks washing some stuff I had been saving to take to the dry cleaners. I don't know why I waited so long to wash it myself... I worked at a dry cleaners as a teenager and learned a few things about labels and dry cleaning. A company can only put one label on your clothes, so they are going to choose what might be safer for the complete silly person out there that would put wool in the dryer (not intending to make felt mind you), which is by default, dry clean only.
Hand wash - For example, if a clothing item says this, my sister won't buy it. Half of my clothes I bought last year are hand wash only, but you won't ever catch me hand washing anything... Take advantage of your washers hand wash setting! (Usually that item needs to be air dried though) I've never had a problem. I know people throw away dirty baby toys. Who's going to hand wash those? Not me! Throw them in the washer!
Dry Clean - The trick is to look at the material and use common sense. Is it mostly cotton? Wash it in cold - to be safe, just don't dry it (in case it has a lining then the cotton will shrink, but the lining won't, making your item of clothing uneven). Just don't wash silk. The only time I've been burned actually, because I didn't look at the tag. I thought it was some kind of washable taffeta. Men's ties? I've washed TONS of these. Obviously don't wash the pure silk ones, but you have to wash these on delicate, so they don't get beat up in the washer. Maybe toss them in the dryer for a few minutes, then hang to dry the rest of the way.
Most likely, half the clothes you dry clean you can wash in your washer.
Now, maybe with the money you saved on not having to buy new tights and not dry cleaning you can go catch a movie! Or come visit me!! :)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thrifty Thursday
Before, I get into this weeks deals and steals, have you started your Christmas shopping??? Here's my thrifty nifty that can benefit you for years to come:
Shop for Christmas ALL YEAR LONG!
For real.
That's no fun, you might say, but it really is - and then November through December are a little less stressful. I promise.
Here's the thing. There are some staples that I can shop for that I know my kids will be getting every year at Christmas - like pajamas. So, all the pajamas have been purchased. In fact, Jonah's pajamas were purchased last year in February for like 3 bucks! Gotta love Old Navy clearance! (I've told you my rule on not spending over 5 bucks on pajamas right? Don't spend more than 5 bucks on jammies!!! I promise, it's do-able. I do it all the time!!! I just bought Mallary's princess jammies at Kohl's. I had a 10 dollar coupon off any purchase, plus an extra 15% off, and the pajamas were half off already - so I payed 5 dollars for her 35 dollar jammies. Score!)
Also, end of season clearance at all stores provide the best stocking stuffers! TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Old Navy, and The Children's Place have the best end of season clearance items. Let's just say Santa already has some stockings stuffed... Woo hoo!
Also, Ross Dress for Less carries a lot of the same stuff that you will be buying at WalMart and Target for HALF THE PRICE. Last year, we scored Star Wars, Transformer, and Lego stuff there at half the price I saw it for at the major stores.
Last but not least, DO NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING FULL PRICE! It's kind of my rule. (Except at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross, or other discount stores where the price is rock bottom anyway.) Anything I have bought online lately, I google for a coupon, and I have lucked out every time! At Kohls online, I found these forty dollar shoes that they didn't have in the stores, after some discounts and googling for a coupon, I got them for 13 bucks including shipping!
Anyway, moral of the story - you can get great deals without even working hard. AND save lots of money Christmas shopping all year around instead of forking out all the money in one month!
So, because those tips were so long here is my shopping list this week:
Super double coupons at Harris Teeter this week! Shop away!
Shop for Christmas ALL YEAR LONG!
For real.
That's no fun, you might say, but it really is - and then November through December are a little less stressful. I promise.
Here's the thing. There are some staples that I can shop for that I know my kids will be getting every year at Christmas - like pajamas. So, all the pajamas have been purchased. In fact, Jonah's pajamas were purchased last year in February for like 3 bucks! Gotta love Old Navy clearance! (I've told you my rule on not spending over 5 bucks on pajamas right? Don't spend more than 5 bucks on jammies!!! I promise, it's do-able. I do it all the time!!! I just bought Mallary's princess jammies at Kohl's. I had a 10 dollar coupon off any purchase, plus an extra 15% off, and the pajamas were half off already - so I payed 5 dollars for her 35 dollar jammies. Score!)
Also, end of season clearance at all stores provide the best stocking stuffers! TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Old Navy, and The Children's Place have the best end of season clearance items. Let's just say Santa already has some stockings stuffed... Woo hoo!
Also, Ross Dress for Less carries a lot of the same stuff that you will be buying at WalMart and Target for HALF THE PRICE. Last year, we scored Star Wars, Transformer, and Lego stuff there at half the price I saw it for at the major stores.
Last but not least, DO NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING FULL PRICE! It's kind of my rule. (Except at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross, or other discount stores where the price is rock bottom anyway.) Anything I have bought online lately, I google for a coupon, and I have lucked out every time! At Kohls online, I found these forty dollar shoes that they didn't have in the stores, after some discounts and googling for a coupon, I got them for 13 bucks including shipping!
Anyway, moral of the story - you can get great deals without even working hard. AND save lots of money Christmas shopping all year around instead of forking out all the money in one month!
So, because those tips were so long here is my shopping list this week:
Super double coupons at Harris Teeter this week! Shop away!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Thrifty Thursday
Nothing too exciting at the grocery stores this week except 93% lean ground beef at Harris Teeter for $2.99/lb. I already stocked up.
So, I thought I would share another little thrifty nifty with you. My friend, Jen, tipped me off on this one! She blogged about finding jeans at WAL-MART! That's right, Wal-mart! So, back in the spring, on a Wal-mart trip I stopped and tried on some jeans - and they were great!
I just went back last week and got two new pairs (because I'm finally down a size! yay!)!
Here's the skinny: They are Faded Glory Jeans - $13.88. Yep, you read that right.... THIRTEEN DOLLARS AND EIGHTY EIGHT CENTS!!!!!! They have the perfect amount of stretch, the perfect length, which is hard for me to find (they have lots of lengths to choose from), and I think they make my butt look good. Come on, you know that's important to you too! They also have jeggings in case you are interested. I think I'll check out all of their jeans for the whole family! They have some really cute washes.
I also tried on some Levi's while I was there - and they fit good too!! They even come up a little higher which is good for my post baby belly! They are a little bit more expensive, but still super cheap for jeans!
Anyway, I was super impressed, I think you will be too! Thanks Jen!!
So, I thought I would share another little thrifty nifty with you. My friend, Jen, tipped me off on this one! She blogged about finding jeans at WAL-MART! That's right, Wal-mart! So, back in the spring, on a Wal-mart trip I stopped and tried on some jeans - and they were great!
I just went back last week and got two new pairs (because I'm finally down a size! yay!)!
Here's the skinny: They are Faded Glory Jeans - $13.88. Yep, you read that right.... THIRTEEN DOLLARS AND EIGHTY EIGHT CENTS!!!!!! They have the perfect amount of stretch, the perfect length, which is hard for me to find (they have lots of lengths to choose from), and I think they make my butt look good. Come on, you know that's important to you too! They also have jeggings in case you are interested. I think I'll check out all of their jeans for the whole family! They have some really cute washes.
I also tried on some Levi's while I was there - and they fit good too!! They even come up a little higher which is good for my post baby belly! They are a little bit more expensive, but still super cheap for jeans!
Anyway, I was super impressed, I think you will be too! Thanks Jen!!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Thrifty Thursday
There really aren't a whole lot of screaming deals this week - but here are a few deals on my staples.
Food Lion
Green Peppers - 2/$1
Lowes Food
Boneless/Skinless chix. breast - 1.77/lb
Seedless red grapes - 1.47/lb (I usually only buy grapes when they are $.99/lb, but this is good too... I know, I'm hard core...)
Bounty Basic Paper Towels - 8 roll - $5.49
Harris Teeter
Sweet Potatoes - $.79/lb
Angel Soft - EVIC 2/$10 limit 2
I know there are a lot of coupons out there, but I haven't bought a paper in quite some time - but if you have coupons there are some other deals on laundry deteregent and such.
And, you know you could always price match these prices at Wal-Mart - even though I don't do that anymore, just because I don't go there as often as I used to...
On slow sale weeks like this I really save on my grocery budget!!
Happy shopping!
Food Lion
Green Peppers - 2/$1
Lowes Food
Boneless/Skinless chix. breast - 1.77/lb
Seedless red grapes - 1.47/lb (I usually only buy grapes when they are $.99/lb, but this is good too... I know, I'm hard core...)
Bounty Basic Paper Towels - 8 roll - $5.49
Harris Teeter
Sweet Potatoes - $.79/lb
Angel Soft - EVIC 2/$10 limit 2
I know there are a lot of coupons out there, but I haven't bought a paper in quite some time - but if you have coupons there are some other deals on laundry deteregent and such.
And, you know you could always price match these prices at Wal-Mart - even though I don't do that anymore, just because I don't go there as often as I used to...
On slow sale weeks like this I really save on my grocery budget!!
Happy shopping!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thrifty Thursday
I have people say that they wish I would do their grocery shopping for them all the time!! Or they ask if they could follow me around, or just copy my grocery list. So, here it is people.
On Thursdays I will give you a list of a few of the deals I plan on picking up this week (or technically, I do my grocery shopping on Wednesdays, so I'll give you a list of what I already picked up!) These are all things I use, I don't just buy them because they are on sale.
Here's my grocery list lingo (how I actually write it down, if I do, usually I print it up):
Harris Teeter
Food Lion
So, we just got a BJ's near us! We have a Sam's Club membership, but it is farther away, and it expires next month. I went to BJ's yesterday and found these deals:
Random Tips in case you didn't know...
If I could do your grocery shopping for you, I would... (maybe I should start a business...) But, this is the next best thing! Feel free to share some other deals you find with me!
Happy Shopping!
On Thursdays I will give you a list of a few of the deals I plan on picking up this week (or technically, I do my grocery shopping on Wednesdays, so I'll give you a list of what I already picked up!) These are all things I use, I don't just buy them because they are on sale.
Here's my grocery list lingo (how I actually write it down, if I do, usually I print it up):
- I always put the brand if it's store brand, I abbreviate it (HT = Harris Teeter)
- To say Buy something get something free I use B1G1F or whatever the numbers are
- To say 2 for $5 I write 2/$5
Harris Teeter
- HT Black Beans - 2/$1 (sometimes you can get these at grocery stores for .33 cents a can, but if they go on sale for .50 I usually buy some too. I don't pay more than .57 a can for any beans.)
- Northland Juice - B2G3F
- Certain Kellog's Cereals - 1.97 each (EVIC Limit 4) (Plus $1 off coupon for this)
- Boars Head Trio Special from the deli - 1/2 lb turkey, 1/2 lb ham, 1/2 lb American cheese - all for 9.99 (this is a super good deal, usually the meat and cheese by themselves is 9.99/lb!!)
Food Lion
- All Laundry Detergent - 2.99 (I don't spend more than $3 for detergent anymore - I buy all major brands and just buy it on sale and with a coupon)
- Tangerines - 2.99/3lb bag
- Red potatoes - 2.99/5lb bag
- Bird's Eye Steamfresh Vegetables - 10/$10 (I always stock up when they are this much!)
So, we just got a BJ's near us! We have a Sam's Club membership, but it is farther away, and it expires next month. I went to BJ's yesterday and found these deals:
- Milk - 2.35!!!!!! (no artifical growth hormones added) (for all you westerners that pay less, I don't want to hear about it - usually the regular price here is about 3.99)
- 3 dozen eggs - less than 4 bucks! great!
- GAS IS CHEAPER THERE! YAY!!
Random Tips in case you didn't know...
- Don't throw away your expired coupons! Sometimes they work! I tried it yesterday, and it had already expired and saved a dollar!
- When there is a sale for example 10/$10 - you don't have to buy 10 to get the sale! I have random people asking me that question in the grocery store all the time.
- When an item is B1G1F - you don't have to get two to get the deal. They just charge you half the price for one item.
If I could do your grocery shopping for you, I would... (maybe I should start a business...) But, this is the next best thing! Feel free to share some other deals you find with me!
Happy Shopping!
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