Some of my favorite money saving techniques don’t seem that money saving. I don’t shop around every week and “save up to $400” on my auto insurance. I’m not a serious coupon clipper. Since we are two disabled veterans on a fixed income, money does get tight around here though. Our savings ends up being a few bucks here and a few bucks there, but those bucks add up and we don’t feel like we are suffering in the process.
Frugal Fix #1
Replace your fabric softener with white vinegar.
Add ½ to ¾ c of white vinegar to your rinse cycle or just fill up the fabric softener side of the dispenser. Vinegar is ridiculously inexpensive when compared to fabric softener sheets and even more so when compared to liquid fabric softener. Vinegar doesn’t reduce the fire retardant properties of children’s sleepwear, like fabric softener does. Fabric softener buildup has also been known to affect the absorbency of towels. And once our clothes are dry, no one has EVER walked up to me and said, “Yum, you smell like a whole family of pickles.”
Frugal Fix #2
Use a menu planner.
There are many out there to choose from. In the past, I have used both The Fresh 20 and eMeals. I have heard good things about one called BuildAMenu. If you can afford it, these are great. I recommend looking for a Groupon, LivingSocial, or waiting for one of their “Get A Month Free” sales. If you still can’t afford it, get a piece of paper and write it out. My personal list is a piece of paper cut in half. The top half is my shopping list area and the bottom half is divided into seven squares for the menu area. Make your shopping list based on what you will be eating. You will get your food budget under control, you will free up your weeknights, and you will reduce those frustrating (and expensive) trips out for fast food, because you don’t have anything to make for dinner.
Frugal Fix #3
Control your temperature.
The two largest energy consumers in the home are the AC unit and the hot water heater. There are so many tips and tricks to helping with these two appliances. I am only touching on the tip of the iceberg here.
During the summer if you turn your AC warmer, my research states you can save anywhere from 2% to 8% per degree on your electric bill. The recommended temperature inside is 78. WHAT!? Yeah, right let’s get real. Our thermostat is usually programmed to around 85. During the height of summer, that is still 30 degrees cooler than outside. With our ceiling fans on and drapes closed, we aren’t getting heat stroke. During the winter, it is not a crime to wear a long sleeve shirt or a sweatshirt inside. If it is December and my family is walking around in shorts and t shirts inside, I know I am wasting money.
The optimal temperature of the hot water heater is 120. That will not scald the kids and it is just a generally good setting. Around 130 is recommended for cleaning clothes and killing bacteria. Now it have had a few issues with shrinking clothes before, and wash day is once a week. I am not paying for 6 days of very hot water, so I can have it for one day a week. If we have been sick or there was a sick kid at school, I will go out to the garage and turn up with thermostat on the hot water heater. It takes a flat head screwdriver and about 30 seconds. When I am done with the wash, I go out and turn it back down. Too easy.
Frugal Fix #4
Make some of your own things.
In my Recipes section, I have some ideas for cleaners and a nice body scrub that you can make at home. In the past, I have tried to make some things that turned out to be Fat Frugal Flops. Be patient with yourself and know that the recipes on Third In Command have been tried and tested.
Frugal Fix #5
Reuse it.
A few years ago, a certain company introduced a no touch soap dispenser and I knew I had to have one. I got a coupon and waited for a sale and picked myself up one for a fair price. Now I am seeing them for close to $20 and the soap refills are selling for almost $5! EEEKK! Well lucky for me, Captain Stud got his tools out and reverse engineered that little soap container. Two flathead screwdrivers under the lid and a disposable container is now a refillable container. I got 9 refills out of one container and then the little tabs broke off. A container will last me, on average, about 6 refills, so I count that as a savings of $30.
I would love to hear what some of your favorite frugal fixes are. Leave me a comment and lets tame our budgets together!
Frugal Fix #1
Replace your fabric softener with white vinegar.
Add ½ to ¾ c of white vinegar to your rinse cycle or just fill up the fabric softener side of the dispenser. Vinegar is ridiculously inexpensive when compared to fabric softener sheets and even more so when compared to liquid fabric softener. Vinegar doesn’t reduce the fire retardant properties of children’s sleepwear, like fabric softener does. Fabric softener buildup has also been known to affect the absorbency of towels. And once our clothes are dry, no one has EVER walked up to me and said, “Yum, you smell like a whole family of pickles.”
Frugal Fix #2
Use a menu planner.
There are many out there to choose from. In the past, I have used both The Fresh 20 and eMeals. I have heard good things about one called BuildAMenu. If you can afford it, these are great. I recommend looking for a Groupon, LivingSocial, or waiting for one of their “Get A Month Free” sales. If you still can’t afford it, get a piece of paper and write it out. My personal list is a piece of paper cut in half. The top half is my shopping list area and the bottom half is divided into seven squares for the menu area. Make your shopping list based on what you will be eating. You will get your food budget under control, you will free up your weeknights, and you will reduce those frustrating (and expensive) trips out for fast food, because you don’t have anything to make for dinner.
Frugal Fix #3
Control your temperature.
The two largest energy consumers in the home are the AC unit and the hot water heater. There are so many tips and tricks to helping with these two appliances. I am only touching on the tip of the iceberg here.
During the summer if you turn your AC warmer, my research states you can save anywhere from 2% to 8% per degree on your electric bill. The recommended temperature inside is 78. WHAT!? Yeah, right let’s get real. Our thermostat is usually programmed to around 85. During the height of summer, that is still 30 degrees cooler than outside. With our ceiling fans on and drapes closed, we aren’t getting heat stroke. During the winter, it is not a crime to wear a long sleeve shirt or a sweatshirt inside. If it is December and my family is walking around in shorts and t shirts inside, I know I am wasting money.
The optimal temperature of the hot water heater is 120. That will not scald the kids and it is just a generally good setting. Around 130 is recommended for cleaning clothes and killing bacteria. Now it have had a few issues with shrinking clothes before, and wash day is once a week. I am not paying for 6 days of very hot water, so I can have it for one day a week. If we have been sick or there was a sick kid at school, I will go out to the garage and turn up with thermostat on the hot water heater. It takes a flat head screwdriver and about 30 seconds. When I am done with the wash, I go out and turn it back down. Too easy.
Frugal Fix #4
Make some of your own things.
In my Recipes section, I have some ideas for cleaners and a nice body scrub that you can make at home. In the past, I have tried to make some things that turned out to be Fat Frugal Flops. Be patient with yourself and know that the recipes on Third In Command have been tried and tested.
Frugal Fix #5
Reuse it.
A few years ago, a certain company introduced a no touch soap dispenser and I knew I had to have one. I got a coupon and waited for a sale and picked myself up one for a fair price. Now I am seeing them for close to $20 and the soap refills are selling for almost $5! EEEKK! Well lucky for me, Captain Stud got his tools out and reverse engineered that little soap container. Two flathead screwdrivers under the lid and a disposable container is now a refillable container. I got 9 refills out of one container and then the little tabs broke off. A container will last me, on average, about 6 refills, so I count that as a savings of $30.
I would love to hear what some of your favorite frugal fixes are. Leave me a comment and lets tame our budgets together!