Frugal Friday or How to Survive Poor-ish

That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.

*Henry David Thoreau

I have been learning to live more frugally then I have in the past. Partially out of necessity and partially because I like to see how much stuff I can get for as little as possible. I learned from my grandma and aunts how to find a good bargain and the fine art of haggling; a rare gift indeed!

I remember being just a kiddo, tagging along with them from thrift sale to thrift sale; one tante with a penchant for cookie jars and antiquities, the other, clothing and everything cute. I just loved to look at all of the little trinkets and bobbles that other people didn't want or need anymore. I would carefully look through everything as to not make a "hasty" decision. Then, after careful consideration (and many second guesses) I would choose my treasure. Reaching my little hand into the pocket full of change that grandma had given me, I would pick the exact coins and hand it over. How grown up that always made me feel! Looking back, I cannot imagine having much more then a couple of dollars worth of quarters, dimes and nickels but I felt like a Rockefeller nonetheless! Even if I didn't find something at a particular stop I was certain that out there somewhere on a picnic table or hidden in a garage, was the perfect "thing" that would make my whole day.

To this day, every time I see a "thrift sale" sign I am tempted to just "pop in real quick" and have a look-see.

Being in the situation I am in (continuously cash strapped and hounded by creditors---damn you UWEC!) I am a huge fan of all things free or cheap.
I have stopped going to Yankee Candle weekly (sob) and have been making my own for over a year now.
I have become quite the seamstress and have managed to sew myself 3 dresses in the last 2 weeks; dresses I will actually wear in public. Dresses with seams that won't blow out of while I am standing in line at the grocery store. Dresses that are symmetrical. Dresses that are actually dress-looking =D
I learned from a friend how to make my own bath salts and other spa products; and now pamper myself daily! (
I learned from other hippies (=D) how being green isn't only good for the environment but also free/cheap for you.

I am trying to learn how to do as many different things as possible because I am so over the consumer mentality of this country! I want to be able to be totally self sufficient eventually. Hopefully. Just in case there is a zombie armageddon (which if you know me, you know that I am 100% certain it will happen in my life time :/ ) or if Israel gets a little too excited with their missiles. Some of the tips will be fun, some will be good for the enviroment, all will save you money! So after a 150 year long intro I would like to introduce :drum roll: Frugal Fridays. I am going to try and share what I have learned or used that have made a positive impact on both the environment and my pocketbook!

So off we go!

It is about mid summer and gardens are starting to yield their bounty so here are a few tips I learned from my own gardening granny!

Tip 1: Reuse dishpan water on garden beds. Even the suds. Place a dishpan under your faucet to catch H2O from washing your hands or cleaning the counter.

Tip 2: On the subject of H2O--- Instead of letting the cold water that precedes hot water out of the faucet run down the drain, catch it in a pot or kettle for later use. I do this for nightly my tea or the coffee maker!

Tip 3: Use veggie scraps or bones (broccoli stalks, celery greens, cauliflower centers, you get the idea!) to make vegetable or meat stocks for soups and stews. Freeze the

stock until you need it!

Well there you go! Let me know if you implement any of tips or if you have any of your own! I am always eager to learn new ways to save $$$$!

Stephanie Lynn