Category: Frugal Living Tips

This may not be very frugal unless you buy the tools on sale like I do. Some people are lucky enough to find people selling their tools at yard sales or in the paper. Buying used out the paper isn’t always cheaper than buying new ones on sale. We purchased a nice set of air tools for $200 that came with a hard case to keep everything inside neatly. We received a brad nailer, framing nail gun, angle nailer, and a staple gun. We used the staple gun to put up our screens on the porch. We were quoted $350 for the same job that we did ourselves. That was just for labor and didn’t include materials. We saved $150, and now have a great set of tools that will last us for many years. We have several projects planned for this year using our new tools.

Today’s thrifty living tip is use use recipes from old cookbooks. I prefer to use the ones from the 70’s and before. My favorite one to use is Better Homes and Garden that is dated from the 1960’s. I like it since there are great tips that many people don’t use anymore and I’m not bombarded with name brands. Of course we no longer have to sift our flour, but I find many of the recipes are easy to make and are timeless. Another reason I like them better is they are usually obtained either free from a relative or very cheaply at a yard sale or thrift store. I bought the one I use often for a buck, and it’s still in wonderful condition. I also like that it was made in a binder style so the book stays open and it’s easy for me to read it while cooking. I have also found some really great recipes on the internet. I recently made pizza dough from scratch that was very delicious. My husband and son loved it. My next projects is to experiment with making bread from scratch.

Today’s thrifty tip is buy your wrapping paper and gift bags now for next year. It’s not always easy to find solid colored items, but I do find a few which is great to use for birthdays and other occasions. I really like the gold and silver for wedding presents. I also buy my greeting cards for next year. Many stores are offering 50% and, if you wait until next week, then you can get 75-80% off. Of course they are picked over more and less good items to choose.

Today’s thrifty tip is make some handmade gifts this year for Christmas. Not only does it save money, but you can give a gift that is more personal and better suited to the recipient’s taste. It’s also nicer since it comes from your heart. The best part is it can be anything. If you have a great talent, then use it to make gifts. If you have a loved one that has small children, then make a coupon to babysit one night or day for them. It could be a gift basket filled with items that you know someone would really enjoy. You can also make gifts in a jar like mixes and just write the directions on a nice card attached to the jar. There are many different kinds you can make from hot chocolate to soups, and even candy mixes. You can also do this with bath salts or milk bath. I made this over the weekend with my mom to hand out small samples in our Tupperware containers. All we did was combine powedered milk with a box of Calgon or store brand powdered bath. Make sure it’s not bubble bath and powdered form. Just combine the two in equal parts in a container. Just be creative and it’s amazing what you could come up with when you do.

I was helping my dad clean out his garage over the weekend. It’s amazing the things this man still owns. We found boxes of old computer components, games, and even a couple of tape drives. He also had boxes of comic books from when he was a kid and baseball cards. I’m helping him to sell his treasures on ebay. It was a nice trip down memory lane. I even found a couple of my old items I had as a kid.