Frugal living 101 - part 2

26. plan and create your own garden.
27. preserve your food through the canning method (in the long run, costs less and reduces waste).
28. preserve your food through the freezing method (you can make more at a time, saving time, waste and cost in the long run).
29. Eliminate convenience foods (saves tons of money, waste).
30. Elimininate non-nutricious foods (saves money, waste, and health!!).
31. Choose less expensive foods.
32. Buy store/generic brands.
33. Make your own Christmas gifts!!
34. Reduce electricity cost: making pasta or hardboiled eggs: after bringing water to boil, turn off and leave for a bit longer than usual...will cook through.
35. Eat leftovers in your lunches.
36. Have a container in the freezer for perpetual soup: toss in bits of leftovers, vegetables... and cook up once a week for soup. (no waste). You could have a container just for vegetables, and when you have enough, add a binder and voila, you have a casserole!
37. Use newspaper as kindling for fire.
38. Put steel wool pads in the freezer to keep from rusting out (lasts longer).
39. Use powdered milk in cooking and baking (if cheaper in your area).
40. Cut back on sugar in recipies!
41. Develop your own cookbook. (saves space!)
42. Make pot holders out of old mattress pads.
43. Use aquarium water to water plants!
44. Use e-mail to correspond (cheaper then sending a letter - here in Canada)... although, it is special to send and receive a letter once in a while...
45. Use cold cereal boxes as magazine holders.
46. Make home made popcicles.
47. Buy a lot of same coloured and patterned socks to mix and match as they wear out.
48. Make mits out of holey sweaters.
49. Cut tips off rubber gloves (ones with holes) and use for berry picking!
50. Twist coat hangers to make hooks out of ends and hang canning lids, ribbons, rolls of tape...

Frugal living 101

Here is a GROWING list of ways to save money, re-use, re-duce, re-cycle... Take or leave the ideas for yourself... Do you see anything you do at home or that you would like to try?!

1. Pack lunches - use re-usable containers, thermos and lunch bag.
2. Cut dryer sheets into 1/4s. They are just as effective when smaller in size. Use one per load.
3. Make homemade granola or granola bars.
4. Use a price book to keep track of best prices (there is a pattern to grocery prices...quite i interesting).
5. Buy in bulk.
6. Make your own envelopes from recycled paper. (Turn buisness envelopes inside out and re-glue!)
7. Make quilts from scraps of materials.
8. Re-use baggies and other plastic bags.
9. Use bread bags as freezer bags (double them up).
10. Make your own bread crumbs, croutons, pancake syrup, apple sauce, special seasonings, salad dressing, mayonaise, soup stock ...
11. Buy clothes on super-sale (and/or second hand stores), one season ahead
12. Buy classic clothing that can be used from year to year (will not go out of style).
13. Make your own cleaning products.
14. Dry disposible razors each time used or grease them with petroleum jelly: makes them last longer.
15. Use electric razor.
16. Borrow books from the library instead of buying them.
17. Use the free Internet at the library instead of paying for the service at home.
18. Use aloevera (directly from the plant) for burn treatment.
19. Cut paper towel roll in half to extend its life.
20. Don't use paper towels!! Use rags!
21. Use mason jars as vases, to store dry foods, office supplies...
22. Make double, triple batches of muffins, Christmas gifts, canned foods... (saves time)
23. Re-use wrapping paper, use alternative wrap.
24. Cut wrapping into strips to make ribbons and bows.
25. Make your own pot holders from blue jeans.