Category: Frugal Living Tips

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.

No matter how bad the economy gets, people will still have babies and get married. You don’t have to spend thousands to have that wedding of your dreams. The first step is to figure out a realistic budget. You don’t want to start out your new life still paying on your wedding years later. We saved a lot of money by doing many things ourselves. We had a buffet style lunch, which is actually very common in this area, and we were able to buy the items at a good discount through a food distributor. You can save money on alcohol by getting kegs of beer and boxed wine or skip it completely. I know some people have saved money by having a cash bar.

There are many great sites that have quality wedding invitations at a fraction of the cost. Many of these sites also have wedding favors like napkins and such. You can buy your dress on clearance or it might be cheaper to have it made. Of course this would be cheaper if you know someone that might offer a discount, and if you want a simpler design. We also saved money by skipping the limo since the hall was so close to the church. You can also save money by doing the bouquets yourself or someone you know. You might be surprised at how many people have a talent that can help you. Many people will offer a nice discount or do it for free as a wedding present. I got our wedding cake this way. My mom had a cousin that owned a small bakery, and we asked her to do my cake. She offered to do it for free as a present to us. All we had to pay for was the topper which cost us $25 at her cost. I also saved money by using a tuxedo shop that offered us a great special. If we rented 10 tuxes, then my husband got his free. That wasn’t a problem since we had 8 groomsmen, and both the dads also wanted to rent a tuxedo. We did pick simpler tux but it still saved us $80. There are many great ways to save money and still have a wedding you will never forget.

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.

My husband and I haven’t had a vacation since our honeymoon. That was well over 10 years ago. We are planning our first family vacation next year to Walt Disney World. I thought it would be wonderful to have a nice weekend getaway, just the two of us, for our anniversary next year. I have never been to Las Vegas and would love to go one day soon. We aren’t really into gambling, but there is so much to do and see on the strip. The best part is there is usually a great special combining air fare and las vegas suites to make the deal even sweeter.

Today’s thrifty living tip is extend the life of your clothes with simple alterations. What I mean is cut long sleeve shirts into short sleeve or jeans and pants into shorts. Of course you would either need some basic sewing knowledge or know someone that could do this for you. My mom is an excellent seamstress and does sewing jobs for me. I do know how to sew but I don’t have a machine, and I don’t really enjoy sewing like she does.

I mainly do this for my son’s clothes. This is really great for uniform pants so I don’t have to buy shorts since the pants are usually too short for the next winter. They will still fit nicely in the waist so this is ideal. I know I save at least $20-30 by doing this plus I donate them so less in the landfills. My mom does an excellent job hemming and you can’t tell they weren’t bought this way. I also have done this with his winter pajamas and jeans. I have bought a couple of knit shirts that were on a great sale, but I really wanted short sleeve. I paid $3 each and I wear short sleeve more since weather is warmer more during the year. Wear your favorite item longer with a simple alteration.