2 things I have been doing.... I bought a treadmill, an exercise bike, a yoga mat and a set of small dumbells... cost me the same as 1 year gym membership! Now I exercise at home and don't have to drive anywhere. No more excuses. I live in a very small, walkable small town. I made a rule that from now on, I walk to the grocery store. This way I save gas, and buy less because I don't buy more than I can carry! I only drive once a month, when I am buying the heavy bags of dog and cat food and litter. I am getting in better shape than I was, and I am down to only buying gas for the car once a month.
Baby boomer here: I have all kinds of very fine Irish linens that nobody wants and will outlast me. I cut them into kitchen and cleaning cloths as needed. I use paper towels only for filthy messes I’m not willing to do anything with except throw in the garbage. It’s a pleasure to use these sturdy, elegant fabrics and that remind me of my family, of life and times gone by as go about the ordinary tasks we all do ❤️
Aw i adore irish linen, i have some very old tableiths i use them frequently, i love pressing them i adore them and its really really hard to get new ones
I bought the Walmart delivery program for $45/year. I get grocery/household item delivery every week which is very helpful. I don't buy everything there but I get heavy and bulky items so I don't have to carry them. It saves me effort and money because I rarely go to Walmart anymore. I used to wander at least once a month and waste money on things I don't need. I buy fruit and the sale items I want from other stores after I look at the sale flyer on Wednesday. I'm 64 and am really glad I don't have to lug everything by myself anymore.
If you schedule a delivery of items from your local store, a tip is expected. However, there is an assortment of items that you select shipping and the Walmart algorithm decides to have a person in a car locally drop it off from the store. Those items receive no tip and have no place to put a tip. You don't know they're being locally delivered until they show up in a bag from the store vs with a UPS label. Ex: sometimes when I order seltzer via shipping, it is shipped and sometimes it is dropped off at my door by a human who couriered it from the local Walmart.
My father stopped smoking with my twin brother and I were two years old because he said he wanted to see us grown. He also figured out he was spending enough money in a year to buy a used car every year
I air dry my clothrs all Summer. Also, I keep a toilet paper roll in my kitchen cabinet. If I want to clean a small spill on counter, instead of using a whole paper towel, i use one sheet from the toilet paper roll.
I don't think this is variable but it comes to mind. To save on garbage bags, I save cereal bags to throw stinky garbage away. There's nothing that irritates me more than having a clean bag then throwing something stinky in there like shrimp shells. So I either take it right outside or use one of my saved wax bags, wrap it up, and even put a bit of tape to close it up well. This way, I don't need to throw the bigger bag out with only a little bit in there.
I buy a large pack of white cotton washcloths and use them for bathing, dishcloths and as napkins. I bleach them when mecessary and they last for a year or two before needing to be replaced. I also wash my clothes in a five gallon bucket in the tub and hang them from the shower curtain to dry. I have been doing this for over seven years when a rude neighbor complained about cat hair in the washers in my apartment laundry. Even though others had pets in my building, she blamed me. Now she can blame someone else since i dont use the laundry room. I get my walmart and amazon memberships at half price because of my income and get everything delivered. I am 75 and no longer drive so this is a godsend for me.
I was born and raised in the Philippines and growing up I hand-washed my own clothes and line dry it. Living here in America for more than half my life now and not having to do the old ways serves me convenience and I’m grateful for that but I would still do the old ways every now and then.❤
Living in the mountains of Central Europe has its charm, but it comes with some challenges too. Since moving into our new house, we've relied on a dryer for convenience and because we can't dry clothes outside. One of our neighbors uses portable drying racks and often dries clothes inside, even in the summer. Sometimes they take them outside, but it’s a rare sight. While we know using a dryer might shorten the lifespan of our clothes, it makes life so much easier for my husband and me. We save money in other ways, like using our solar panels to power the dryer and other chores during the day. The solar panels have been a game-changer, especially in the summer!
Your number 1 suggestion about TP could apply to many items we use daily or weekly such as laundry soap, dish washing detergent, shampoo, paper towels, etc.
I'm in the Philippines and we have dryers here but we only use them during the rainy season---it's mostly sunny here so our clothes are usually sun-dried ;)
Pre-cooked "convenience foods" like casseroles & other healthy options have been a game changer for people like my self who have chronic pain or other debilitating and exhausting medical conditions. Since buying these healthy pre-cooked meals; I have stopped buying take away. I'm getting healthier ingredient & free up some energy for other essential tasks. Yes I understand it's a waste of money for healthy people! Different strokes for different folks!
Absolutely! I mention in the video not every tip works for everyone's different stages of life. I'm so glad those meals work work for you and help you with yummy good meals. 🤗
Hum- most packaged food is highly processed and unhealthy. Try to opt for the least amount of processing, as possible. The ingredients list can help determine how “real” the food is verses how fake (or processed) it is.
I never waste money 😂😂, I live a perfect life on social security…if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you! 😂. I’ve been frugal for as long as I remember, got it from my parents. But I buy things or spend money on something and wonder why I did it. Don’t beat yourself up, just try and remember not to do it again.
😂 you are funny. I try to be frugal but sometimes I want something and by golly I AM GOING TO GET IT! Most of the time when I get to that point I think that is worth it. However going through the drive through at a fast food restaurant half the time I am half way through the line , usually after I have paid, and I wo Der what I am doing
@@jessicacanfield5058 I’m probably right behind you in the fast food drive through. 🤣 I’m kind of a fast food junkie. 🤷♀️ I wanna try Jack in the box $5 meal deal. I’ve tried McDonalds, the double burger is disappointing, get the chicken sandwich.
I love the tip about using one cleaning product for everything. I do this and use vinegar/ baking soda mixture, and who knew that soap and water on mirrors works better for me than Windex!
I heartily agree about the need for a list when leaving the house. My list builds up over a week or two depending on which direction I go to run errands.
I don't run the washer unless I have a full load. But I don't use the dryer unless necessary for underwear. You're correct, clothes last longer not going through the dryer. I can't hang my clothes out where I live, but I have a Euro hanging rack for underwear. It lasts twice as long. It doesn't sound like much, but every little bit helps.
Very interesting. My first job was at a small dry cleaner. I didn't use many chemicals, but we did test buttons to see if they needed to be removed. I am caring for my grandmother who has dementia. She was an interior decorator and worked in furniture stores for years. I knew the chemicals on all of the new textiles were bad, but I hadn't thought about the suits she wore all those years.
Thankyou for these great pointers. Im 65 and am Australian. Grew up on a Sugar Cane Farm that was an extended family business so my mum was given a small wage to make good all household expenses. She was a genious at making money go further. And even though she was well off financially, she continued some of these habits into her senior years till she passed away. I learnt much from both her and my Mother-in-law as to how to be efficient in the home and in life. I have a dryer but only use it in very bad weather. I love to hang my clothes and linen in the sun as it kills germs as well. Lived most my life without an aircon and I live in the Tropics and it does get hot. We recently put one into our bedroom only. We have fans and an airy styled home. I make my own cleaner which I use almost everywhere. I use a stronger one occasionally for some spring cleaning jobs. MY CLEANER: I mix 1 part Vinigar and 1 part kitchen detergent. I put some into a spray bottle and add essential oils pertaining to what Im cleaning. I love cooking so I freeze extra stuff and make all kinds of dishes from leftovers. I Keep veggie trimmings in a zip lock bag in the freezer to add when making chicken or beef stocks. I freeze the stock for future suops and meals.
I buy seasonal decor at 75 to 90 percent off if I want them. I purchased fall items on clearance at hobby lobby last fall. I also limit how much seasonal decor I will store. Some of those same items are now on the shelves at regular price. I also purchased extra items for a church basket raffle in September.
I don’t buy clean up cloths. I repurpose T shirts, old towels and cloth napkins. We also use cloth napkins. We reuse our own for about a week or sooner. They work better than paper towels. After washing I hang them outside on our umbrellas clothes hanger. The sun bleaches and sterilizes them. I have noticed that even older stains are fading. We bought the solar dryer at the beginning of the summer. A terrific investment. 😊 Another bonus, the first wash towels and towels are rougher. More absorbent and exfoliating!
When it is cooler at night we put window fans in the windows of each room, pulling in the cooler air. When we wake up it may be a little bit chilly (today it was 68 degrees) but it keeps the house cool throughout most of the day and often the air-conditioning doesn't turn on at all. Saves us so much on the electricity bill!
Batching my errands ever since you mentioned it in a previous video! Something so seemingly obvious but you really do need to be intentional about it. This has saved me time and money because I give myself exactly how much time I need at each location and this minimizes browsing. Thank you!
Toilet paper replacement is the family clothes. I use it for #1. I have a Berkey water filter system. It has a start up cost, but depending on the size of your family that will be paid off in 3 years or so. I have reusable cloths and paper towels occasionally. I use a roll in 3 to 4 months. # 9 sometimes per made, per package convenience foods are needed. Parents with busy schedules need them, they are better than fast food.
For the last 10 years I have been using personal cloths or reusable toilet paper. I use flannel that I cut the same size as two squares of toilet paper. I use a lovely yellow pattern and a solid brown. Very economical. I also hemmed some soft fabric squares for hankies. Alas, paper towels are still a staple in my home, but will eventually replace those.
I have a clothes line in my garage. I use it all year round. Clothes dry super fast. It works like magic. I hang my tops in their hangers, pants in the clip hangers. Put them away next day when I hang next load. Drying the clothes in their hangers saves space and time when putting them away. Exceptions to this are jeans, towels and thick duvets. I dry those in dryer. Another tip is to always wash clothes in cold water. Love your videos. Just payed off our student loans after many, many years. Now tackling car loan and soon mortgage. Thanks for all the tips.
All good tips! We eat more at home, and also I stopped buying food that is bad for me or my family, like soda, fast food, processed food etc. I also switched to a healthier choice when we do eat out, and I became a member with a salad food chain that offers free food after multiple purchases... I buy generic clothes, my favorite jean for now is a $3 jean on sale from Walmart! They fit me so well, i could not believe it. Shop around for your groceries, to get more quality for less money... compare shopping, I found shrimp in Target r more expensive than same shrimp at WM. Groom your pets yourself, my dog may not look her best, but instead of spending $120 every other month, i bought a professional clipper for the same $ years ago, and it,s less stress 4 her and 4 me... shop around for veterinary services, usually more expensive areas offer very expensive vet services as well. Shop around 4 every thing before buying..❤ ✌️
Drying clothes reminds me of when my husband and I moved into our first home (still here). We were so excited to be able to dry clothes outside. We didn’t know how windy and dusty our area is and I swear the clothes were dirtier than they were before the wash 😂 We now hang dry on a rack we bought on Amazon inside.
Crystal, yes, a dusty area is certainly not ideal for outside line drying. I'm glad you found a solution. They make some really cool indoor drying contraptions these days.
When we lived in Edmonton our local library branch was the best library I've ever been to. One of the librarians said they love it when people give them lists of books they want the library to buy --- each year the library gets a set amount of money to buy new books, and they want to get books that people really want to read. I then started giving them notes whenever I heard of a book I wanted to read. Very often, that book would then appear within a few weeks. And I could tell that someone else was also interested in a craft I enjoyed and had asked for the books because the library had a remarkably good range of books about that, and the subject was a skill that wasn't widely done. So there's a good chance your library will be glad to get the books you want.
When buying fresh veggies, select ones you can use "tops and bottoms". For example, red beets. Roast, slice, pickle the beets then wash and destem the tops ( like kale) and use as another form of lettuce. They are so delish! 2 for 1!
My tip is for special diets. Food for special diets is VERY expensive. A 16 oz tub of dairy free yogurt is $9 or $10! I can’t eat wheat or dairy. I made my own almond bread. I’m learning to make almond milk (so much cheaper and better tasting), yogurt, and cheese. I live in Southern California, and people have been really trying to save water. People have ripped up their lawns to save water. So what happened? The water companies are saying that they didn’t make enough profit so they are raising rates.
I'm a movie goer so look for those lower prices on Mondays or Tuesday (senior days). I belong to Alamo Club $20 a month and I see more that 4 movies during the month. Never buy the snacks at movies go on a full stomach, I always have nuts and water with me.
I stocked up AC capacitors in the winter when Amazon sells them for $15 -$20. In the summer I have seen prices doubled. I also learned how to replace them myself. Super easy and saved $200 not having to call a HVAC tech.
You mentioned cloths as an alternative for paper towels. For the the thrift store shoppers in your audience how about cloth napkins instead of paper towels? I also cut up tshirts that aren't fit to donate for disposable (or non-disposable) rags.
I buy seasonal home decorations after the season when everything is marked down 80 percent. Hobby Lobby and Michaels have great after season sales. Great tips.
Love these tips! Re the cleaning cloths- I refresh my facecloths when they get thin or stained (makeup). The old ones go in the rag basket. Either make a sharpie mark on them or snip a corner with scissors. They fit perfectly in a Swiffer mop to wash walls, windows, shower stalls and floors as well as mop up spills like a paper towel would. I always have white fluffy new looking facecloths to use - and I’m actually saving. Some places use them as single use hand towels- toss in a basket when used. A ton of them fit in any wash load. I wash towels and sheets on a hot cycle to kill germs.
My bills for gas (heating and cooking) are largely different in the summer and in the winter, so I always write down (each month) how much I spent on my bills and I try to calculate how much money I will need during the whole year on average for gas. That way I can always "pay" the same amount, each month. I simply pay myself in the summer and to gas guys in the winter. I do the same with car insurance (once a year), with water bills (every other month). And about drying clothes - the idea of not being able to wait one or two days for clothes to dry is... well... let's say - I cannot understand it. Why do you NEED, absolutely NEED your clothes to be dry in an hour?
You have such great suggestions! I am turning each one over slowly, and figuring how to apply them in my life. Oh, and also kidney stones! My husband was having them so frequently as was his cousin. My husband went to two nephrologists, one at Ohio State and one at Cleveland Clinic. They both told him drink lots of water, but also, a glass of lemon with water, every day. Or, to take calcium citrate or magnesium citrate . Most stones are calcium based, and the kidneys are not producing enough citrate, to stop the formation of stones. The citrate in the lemon juice, or in the calcium, or magnesium citrate tablets will put an end to that problem! Upon doing that, neither my husband, or his cousin ever had another kidney stone again to this day. You can look it up, or talk to a nephrologist. I believe they will tell you the exact same thing! I hope you never have to go through that misery again!
Instead of buying tennis shoes new I look for gently used at the thrift store I've got an almost brand new pairs of shoes for $50 that are $100. What I found out is that often times people will buy a pair of running shoes and if they don't fit right they end up not taking them back but just donating them. I've had Skechers with tags on.
When my clothes aren't completely dried. Instead of put more time in the dryer I can some clothes in my walk-in closet or sheets between the chairs in the dining room.
Our biggest saver is because of our allergies 😂. We use vinegar to wash and maybe stain spray. For drying we use citrus oil on dryer balls. We added it up and spend about $60 a YEAR, not counting water and electricity, for a family of 4 on our laundry.
I use all those cloth napkins every day now and not saving those for special occasions. I also use old washcloths as rags, I also cut up old towels for rags.
I go to flea markets and Goodwill and I buy old cloth napkins. People used to use in the olden days and use them instead of paper towels and they’re cheaper than paper towels or you could cut up and use them. I don’t buy paper towels. I also hang my clothes. I dry my towels, but I hang up all my clothes. I do not put them in the dryer. I might have to iron, but it won’t cost as much as running that dryer gas and making the hot the house out. I also started using my crockpot pots and my microwave more instead of using my stove which heats up the house.
Just found your channel. Love it already! I have a couple ideas I’ve been doing for months. I make my own laundry detergent. I mix equal parts boxed laundry soap, boxed borax and I grate a bar of ivory soap and even use some Linen scented essential oil( needs to be clear). I store it in a big jar and use a cute little wooden scoop. It has saved so much money. Also, better for earth. Colored laundry bottles are not recycle able. Plus they are heavy and take up room and they are now linking the blue and green dyes to cancer. I also save the little ends of the grated soap and when I have a bunch I boil them and make my own liquid soap. I also use bar soap only and it lasts forever.
I exclusively hang dry all my kids clothes and most of my clothing. Once my kids outgrow their clothing I opt in to do one of those big kids weekend consignment sales. I get to choose the price I sell them for and I make 75% of the profit. Then I use that profit to buy them clothes in their current size. But hang drying really keeps their clothes at optimal reselling value! Rarely do they have any pilling
About the subscriptions - if I want to try something with the free trial, I place the order and cancel it immediately. I still get the free week or 3 days or whatever and have not to care about canceling in time. And if it is amazing, I want to buy it for a longer period of time I do it the same - buy and cancel the subsccription. You still can use it for the days you payed for, but without having to care about the date. I have ADHD, my focus is very changable and this makes my life much easier.
I have two variations on these tips: For books, I buy the kindle version instead of the hard copy. The royalties pay better to the writer and oftentimes they’re on sale for $0.99 or $1.99. For every Colleen Hoover or Steven King, there are thousands of writers who can’t afford to write without these royalties. My other tip is to sub paper towels with burp clothes-they are made to be absorbent and you can find patterns, colors or textures that really fit your kitchen.
I’ve been price comparing household staples (I am just a couple minutes into this video so perhaps you end up mentioning this later), and if I can get them for the same or less on Amazon, I take note of how often I use the item and I put them on subscribe and save for that timeframe. This way I don’t end up running out leading to an unnecessary trip to the store. I get things like dishwasher soap, shampoo and body wash, dryer sheets, etc etc. I’ve also done sub and save for dry food items.
I know you are trying to be fair and kind here when you talked about shrinkflation and raising prices on foods. Have you checked the profits of these conglomerate companies? If you do you will see they are making astronomical profits right now. There is no explanation for shrinkflation except greed.
Supply chain issues, government overspending, tax increases, government policies (like here in NJ where the Governor increased minimum wage without requiring increase in skills) require businesses to walk the tightrope between increasing prices or shrinking staff and/or packaging just to cover costs and stay in business. That’s why we keep losing small businesses and some of our larger old time favorites. Today is a good day to write your representatives and tell them to respect a fair, balanced budget.
My little "Gaz- habit": I always fill up Gaz Monday or Tuesday evening. This is the time its the cheapest where I live and I avoid buying Gaz in the weekends. By doing it once a week, no matter how low the tank is - feels cheaper than filling up when its empty and I pay full price for a whole tank full. Especially because I never know how much Gaz I need for a month. I live far away from my job and each week is different if I go 1-3 times a week to work - And my job requires me driving some distances for meetings, where I a small refund for the trips I make at work.
I have been using Kendra Adiche's advice (The Lazy Genuis) about "decide once" and it's really helping me with my spending habits. One example is book purchases. I realized I was wasting a lot of money by not having a clear goal for my home library. I decided I'm going to only collect hardcover books in scifi and fantasy (my fav genres). Then I realized most older books aren't sold in hardcover anymore so instead of buying these books at outrageous prices i will just treat myself to a new release once a month (which won't be at my library anyways). Everything else I can get as an ebook for the cheaper price and I don't need a pile of them just sitting around so I will save money that way as well since i will only be buying books to read immediately and not "just in case". Also many books never come out in hardcover so that narrows it down even more. By the way I am also reading books from the library, I am just very picky about what I'll read because it's my main hobby so I also don't want to waste my life reading random things just because they are there.
We use water to wash our bottoms we don’t use toilet paper Some of our bathrooms have bidet And some of my bathrooms have a big jug I use that while on the toilet to wash down there.
I love letting my laundry dry outside but have to check the pollen count before putting anything out. Not fun wearing clothes that are wearing things I am allergic - which is a lot of the plants in my area.
I was told 20 years ago that dry cleaned clothes should be aired out for at least 2 days because of the chemicals used. Which is the reason I have always refused to spend money on any clothes that had dry clean only.
Regarding your question about dryers, most washing machines in India have the washer and dryer function in one machine. After the wash cycle the machine automatically moves to the drying cycle. No moving around of clothes from the washer to the dryer is needed. However, the dryer only partially dries the clothes. They dont drip water and if you tried to wring them by hand no water would come out...but they still need to be line dried to finish the job.
I am a female senior living alone and in good enough health. I only eat organic food so I spent about $375. total monthly at Whole Food Market, farmer’s market, Sprouts Market etc. How can I cut cost and still eat healthy?? Thanks
I dont have a clothes dryer. Rarely do i need to dry clothes by putting a clothes horse inside. I have started to hang tops on clothes hangers outside to dry too.
2 things I have been doing....
I bought a treadmill, an exercise bike, a yoga mat and a set of small dumbells... cost me the same as 1 year gym membership! Now I exercise at home and don't have to drive anywhere. No more excuses.
I live in a very small, walkable small town. I made a rule that from now on, I walk to the grocery store. This way I save gas, and buy less because I don't buy more than I can carry! I only drive once a month, when I am buying the heavy bags of dog and cat food and litter.
I am getting in better shape than I was, and I am down to only buying gas for the car once a month.
Cathy, that is awesome!
This is awesome!!!
Baby boomer here: I have all kinds of very fine Irish linens that nobody wants and will outlast me. I cut them into kitchen and cleaning cloths as needed. I use paper towels only for filthy messes I’m not willing to do anything with except throw in the garbage.
It’s a pleasure to use these sturdy, elegant fabrics and that remind me of my family, of life and times gone by as go about the ordinary tasks we all do ❤️
Aw i adore irish linen, i have some very old tableiths i use them frequently, i love pressing them i adore them and its really really hard to get new ones
I bought the Walmart delivery program for $45/year. I get grocery/household item delivery every week which is very helpful. I don't buy everything there but I get heavy and bulky items so I don't have to carry them. It saves me effort and money because I rarely go to Walmart anymore. I used to wander at least once a month and waste money on things I don't need. I buy fruit and the sale items I want from other stores after I look at the sale flyer on Wednesday. I'm 64 and am really glad I don't have to lug everything by myself anymore.
That’s such a great idea if you are older or disabled ❤ thank you for sharing
Curious, do you tip the delivery person?
Lauren, that is a fantastic idea! You definitely save a ton of time, too.
If you schedule a delivery of items from your local store, a tip is expected. However, there is an assortment of items that you select shipping and the Walmart algorithm decides to have a person in a car locally drop it off from the store. Those items receive no tip and have no place to put a tip. You don't know they're being locally delivered until they show up in a bag from the store vs with a UPS label. Ex: sometimes when I order seltzer via shipping, it is shipped and sometimes it is dropped off at my door by a human who couriered it from the local Walmart.
@@Midwestmomvolunteer365 Walmart does not accept tips. That’s why you pay ahead for the service
My father stopped smoking with my twin brother and I were two years old because he said he wanted to see us grown. He also figured out he was spending enough money in a year to buy a used car every year
I air dry my clothrs all Summer. Also, I keep a toilet paper roll in my kitchen cabinet. If I want to clean a small spill on counter, instead of using a whole paper towel, i use one sheet from the toilet paper roll.
Great idea
Great tip!
I use my dish cloth and rinse it out.
My dryer broke over a year ago. I use 3 large dry racks and outside clothes line when good weather 😊😊.
We live in part of Australia similar climate to California, never have owned a clothes dryer.
I don't think this is variable but it comes to mind. To save on garbage bags, I save cereal bags to throw stinky garbage away. There's nothing that irritates me more than having a clean bag then throwing something stinky in there like shrimp shells. So I either take it right outside or use one of my saved wax bags, wrap it up, and even put a bit of tape to close it up well. This way, I don't need to throw the bigger bag out with only a little bit in there.
You can freeze trash (bloody meat items) and throw it out on trash day.
Great tip!! Going to start doing this, thanks!
I've done this too n use the plastic bags from Walmart or Publix for trash bags, plastic head bags when conditioning my hair, put smelly food in.
When a t shirt is stained beyond repair, I cut it up for rags- no need to purchase cloths from the shop.
That is a good idea. But what do you use them for because they are not very absorbent
I buy a large pack of white cotton washcloths and use them for bathing, dishcloths and as napkins. I bleach them when mecessary and they last for a year or two before needing to be replaced. I also wash my clothes in a five gallon bucket in the tub and hang them from the shower curtain to dry. I have been doing this for over seven years when a rude neighbor complained about cat hair in the washers in my apartment laundry. Even though others had pets in my building, she blamed me. Now she can blame someone else since i dont use the laundry room. I get my walmart and amazon memberships at half price because of my income and get everything delivered. I am 75 and no longer drive so this is a godsend for me.
Good tips!
You have to be careful drying outdoors if you’re a super allergy sufferer. My mother was a dry cleaner she’s 81 and her mind is clear as a bell. 🛎️
I was born and raised in the Philippines and growing up I hand-washed my own clothes and line dry it. Living here in America for more than half my life now and not having to do the old ways serves me convenience and I’m grateful for that but I would still do the old ways every now and then.❤
Living in the mountains of Central Europe has its charm, but it comes with some challenges too. Since moving into our new house, we've relied on a dryer for convenience and because we can't dry clothes outside. One of our neighbors uses portable drying racks and often dries clothes inside, even in the summer. Sometimes they take them outside, but it’s a rare sight. While we know using a dryer might shorten the lifespan of our clothes, it makes life so much easier for my husband and me. We save money in other ways, like using our solar panels to power the dryer and other chores during the day. The solar panels have been a game-changer, especially in the summer!
When I buy something online, I leave it in the cart for at least a few days. Often I find that I don't want to buy most of the things after all.
I do this. My wish lists and save for later lists are out of control on so many websites and that's just fine with me
Your number 1 suggestion about TP could apply to many items we use daily or weekly such as laundry soap, dish washing detergent, shampoo, paper towels, etc.
Absolutely!
I'm in the Philippines and we have dryers here but we only use them during the rainy season---it's mostly sunny here so our clothes are usually sun-dried ;)
Pre-cooked "convenience foods" like casseroles & other healthy options have been a game changer for people like my self who have chronic pain or other debilitating and exhausting medical conditions.
Since buying these healthy pre-cooked meals; I have stopped buying take away. I'm getting healthier ingredient & free up some energy for other essential tasks.
Yes I understand it's a waste of money for healthy people!
Different strokes for different folks!
Absolutely! I mention in the video not every tip works for everyone's different stages of life. I'm so glad those meals work work for you and help you with yummy good meals. 🤗
Hum- most packaged food is highly processed and unhealthy. Try to opt for the least amount of processing, as possible. The ingredients list can help determine how “real” the food is verses how fake (or processed) it is.
Hi Jen, no dryers for me, nothing can beat the smell of laundry drying on a fresh air😊.....also dryers are not so common in Europe.....lots of love!❤
I never waste money 😂😂, I live a perfect life on social security…if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you! 😂. I’ve been frugal for as long as I remember, got it from my parents. But I buy things or spend money on something and wonder why I did it. Don’t beat yourself up, just try and remember not to do it again.
😂 you are funny.
I try to be frugal but sometimes I want something and by golly I AM GOING TO GET IT! Most of the time when I get to that point I think that is worth it.
However going through the drive through at a fast food restaurant half the time I am half way through the line , usually after I have paid, and I wo Der what I am doing
@@jessicacanfield5058 I’m probably right behind you in the fast food drive through. 🤣 I’m kind of a fast food junkie. 🤷♀️ I wanna try Jack in the box $5 meal deal. I’ve tried McDonalds, the double burger is disappointing, get the chicken sandwich.
I love the tip about using one cleaning product for everything. I do this and use vinegar/ baking soda mixture, and who knew that soap and water on mirrors works better for me than Windex!
I grew up without a dryer. I hate, hate, hate hanging clothes. The dryer is a splurge for me!
I hate, hate, hate using a drying :) I'm from Australia and most people hang their clothes on the line outside or on a rack. I LOVE my rack.
I heartily agree about the need for a list when leaving the house. My list builds up over a week or two depending on which direction I go to run errands.
I don't run the washer unless I have a full load. But I don't use the dryer unless necessary for underwear. You're correct, clothes last longer not going through the dryer. I can't hang my clothes out where I live, but I have a Euro hanging rack for underwear. It lasts twice as long. It doesn't sound like much, but every little bit helps.
Add an extra shower curtain rod in the shower about the shower head. I hang towels to dry on the main bar and extra bar.
Very interesting. My first job was at a small dry cleaner. I didn't use many chemicals, but we did test buttons to see if they needed to be removed.
I am caring for my grandmother who has dementia. She was an interior decorator and worked in furniture stores for years. I knew the chemicals on all of the new textiles were bad, but I hadn't thought about the suits she wore all those years.
Maria, I am so sorry your grandmother is going through that. Hugs 🤗
Thankyou for these great pointers.
Im 65 and am Australian. Grew up on a Sugar Cane Farm that was an extended family business so my mum was given a small wage to make good all household expenses.
She was a genious at making money go further. And even though she was well off financially, she continued some of these habits into her senior years till she passed away.
I learnt much from both her and my Mother-in-law as to how to be efficient in the home and in life.
I have a dryer but only use it in very bad weather. I love to hang my clothes and linen in the sun as it kills germs as well.
Lived most my life without an aircon and I live in the Tropics and it does get hot. We recently put one into our bedroom only. We have fans and an airy styled home.
I make my own cleaner which I use almost everywhere. I use a stronger one occasionally for some spring cleaning jobs.
MY CLEANER:
I mix 1 part Vinigar and 1 part kitchen detergent. I put some into a spray bottle and add essential oils pertaining to what Im cleaning.
I love cooking so I freeze extra stuff and make all kinds of dishes from leftovers. I Keep veggie trimmings in a zip lock bag in the freezer to add when making chicken or beef stocks. I freeze the stock for future suops and meals.
I use old cut up t shirts etc for rags. I also get most of my clothes at thrift stores, second hand stores and yard and estate stores.
Batching errands,no spend days, coffee at home, and leftovers!🥳 love the video Jen!
I buy seasonal decor at 75 to 90 percent off if I want them. I purchased fall items on clearance at hobby lobby last fall. I also limit how much seasonal decor I will store. Some of those same items are now on the shelves at regular price. I also purchased extra items for a church basket raffle in September.
I bought the best microfiber towels at a car mechanic shop, like Pep Boys.
I don’t buy clean up cloths. I repurpose T shirts, old towels and cloth napkins. We also use cloth napkins. We reuse our own for about a week or sooner. They work better than paper towels. After washing I hang them outside on our umbrellas clothes hanger. The sun bleaches and sterilizes them. I have noticed that even older stains are fading. We bought the solar dryer at the beginning of the summer. A terrific investment. 😊 Another bonus, the first wash towels and towels are rougher. More absorbent and exfoliating!
I put my towels in the dryer. I like fluffy towels.
When it is cooler at night we put window fans in the windows of each room, pulling in the cooler air. When we wake up it may be a little bit chilly (today it was 68 degrees) but it keeps the house cool throughout most of the day and often the air-conditioning doesn't turn on at all. Saves us so much on the electricity bill!
Great list, Jennifer. I use plenty of these money saving points. I use my library audio books, which saves time and money since I'm in a book club.
That's a great idea!
Batching my errands ever since you mentioned it in a previous video! Something so seemingly obvious but you really do need to be intentional about it. This has saved me time and money because I give myself exactly how much time I need at each location and this minimizes browsing. Thank you!
Maria, that is fantastic! 🤗
Toilet paper replacement is the family clothes. I use it for #1. I have a Berkey water filter system. It has a start up cost, but depending on the size of your family that will be paid off in 3 years or so. I have reusable cloths and paper towels occasionally. I use a roll in 3 to 4 months. # 9 sometimes per made, per package convenience foods are needed. Parents with busy schedules need them, they are better than fast food.
For the last 10 years I have been using personal cloths or reusable toilet paper. I use flannel that I cut the same size as two squares of toilet paper. I use a lovely yellow pattern and a solid brown. Very economical. I also hemmed some soft fabric squares for hankies. Alas, paper towels are still a staple in my home, but will eventually replace those.
I could not do that because I have to go to the Laundromat
I have a clothes line in my garage. I use it all year round. Clothes dry super fast. It works like magic. I hang my tops in their hangers, pants in the clip hangers. Put them away next day when I hang next load. Drying the clothes in their hangers saves space and time when putting them away. Exceptions to this are jeans, towels and thick duvets. I dry those in dryer. Another tip is to always wash clothes in cold water. Love your videos. Just payed off our student loans after many, many years. Now tackling car loan and soon mortgage. Thanks for all the tips.
All good tips! We eat more at home, and also I stopped buying food that is bad for me or my family, like soda, fast food, processed food etc. I also switched to a healthier choice when we do eat out, and I became a member with a salad food chain that offers free food after multiple purchases... I buy generic clothes, my favorite jean for now is a $3 jean on sale from Walmart! They fit me so well, i could not believe it. Shop around for your groceries, to get more quality for less money... compare shopping, I found shrimp in Target r more expensive than same shrimp at WM. Groom your pets yourself, my dog may not look her best, but instead of spending $120 every other month, i bought a professional clipper for the same $ years ago, and it,s less stress 4 her and 4 me... shop around for veterinary services, usually more expensive areas offer very expensive vet services as well. Shop around 4 every thing before buying..❤ ✌️
Drying clothes reminds me of when my husband and I moved into our first home (still here). We were so excited to be able to dry clothes outside. We didn’t know how windy and dusty our area is and I swear the clothes were dirtier than they were before the wash 😂 We now hang dry on a rack we bought on Amazon inside.
Crystal, yes, a dusty area is certainly not ideal for outside line drying. I'm glad you found a solution. They make some really cool indoor drying contraptions these days.
When we lived in Edmonton our local library branch was the best library I've ever been to. One of the librarians said they love it when people give them lists of books they want the library to buy --- each year the library gets a set amount of money to buy new books, and they want to get books that people really want to read. I then started giving them notes whenever I heard of a book I wanted to read. Very often, that book would then appear within a few weeks. And I could tell that someone else was also interested in a craft I enjoyed and had asked for the books because the library had a remarkably good range of books about that, and the subject was a skill that wasn't widely done. So there's a good chance your library will be glad to get the books you want.
So where do u live now just curious as I currently live in edmonton
I grew up in Argentina, and never had a dryer or a dishwasher. Now, in the USA, I still don't use them.
When buying fresh veggies, select ones you can use "tops and bottoms". For example, red beets. Roast, slice, pickle the beets then wash and destem the tops ( like kale) and use as another form of lettuce. They are so delish! 2 for 1!
Also like to add: here in F L we take, fresh veggie root part is like a seed to plant n grow in the garden or a pot.
My tip is for special diets. Food for special diets is VERY expensive. A 16 oz tub of dairy free yogurt is $9 or $10!
I can’t eat wheat or dairy. I made my own almond bread. I’m learning to make almond milk (so much cheaper and better tasting), yogurt, and cheese.
I live in Southern California, and people have been really trying to save water. People have ripped up their lawns to save water. So what happened?
The water companies are saying that they didn’t make enough profit so they are raising rates.
Profit...on water...a human right. Omg capitalism
I'm a movie goer so look for those lower prices on Mondays or Tuesday (senior days). I belong to Alamo Club $20 a month and I see more that 4 movies during the month. Never buy the snacks at movies go on a full stomach, I always have nuts and water with me.
I stocked up AC capacitors in the winter when Amazon sells them for $15 -$20. In the summer I have seen prices doubled. I also learned how to replace them myself. Super easy and saved $200 not having to call a HVAC tech.
You mentioned cloths as an alternative for paper towels. For the the thrift store shoppers in your audience how about cloth napkins instead of paper towels? I also cut up tshirts that aren't fit to donate for disposable (or non-disposable) rags.
Definitely!
I buy seasonal home decorations after the season when everything is marked down 80 percent. Hobby Lobby and Michaels have great after season sales. Great tips.
I hand wash my dry clean only items and have a drying rack and hang clothes on the doors frames. I miss a clothesline.
Love these tips! Re the cleaning cloths- I refresh my facecloths when they get thin or stained (makeup). The old ones go in the rag basket.
Either make a sharpie mark on them or snip a corner with scissors. They fit perfectly in a Swiffer mop to wash walls, windows, shower stalls and floors as well as mop up spills like a paper towel would.
I always have white fluffy new looking facecloths to use - and I’m actually saving. Some places use them as single use hand towels- toss in a basket when used. A ton of them fit in any wash load. I wash towels and sheets on a hot cycle to kill germs.
Thanks for sharing!!
Funny you mention the toilet paper. Nowadays I rethink about how wasteful I am being when the paper goes around my hands too many times.
Lists are such a good way to stay on track!,
My bills for gas (heating and cooking) are largely different in the summer and in the winter, so I always write down (each month) how much I spent on my bills and I try to calculate how much money I will need during the whole year on average for gas. That way I can always "pay" the same amount, each month. I simply pay myself in the summer and to gas guys in the winter. I do the same with car insurance (once a year), with water bills (every other month). And about drying clothes - the idea of not being able to wait one or two days for clothes to dry is... well... let's say - I cannot understand it. Why do you NEED, absolutely NEED your clothes to be dry in an hour?
As always your tips are very helpful and useful. I can benefit from several of them!👍
You have such great suggestions! I am turning each one over slowly, and figuring how to apply them in my life. Oh, and also kidney stones! My husband was having them so frequently as was his cousin. My husband went to two nephrologists, one at Ohio State and one at Cleveland Clinic. They both told him drink lots of water, but also, a glass of lemon with water, every day. Or, to take calcium citrate or magnesium citrate . Most stones are calcium based, and the kidneys are not producing enough citrate, to stop the formation of stones. The citrate in the lemon juice, or in the calcium, or magnesium citrate tablets will put an end to that problem!
Upon doing that, neither my husband, or his cousin ever had another kidney stone again to this day. You can look it up, or talk to a nephrologist. I believe they will tell you the exact same thing! I hope you never have to go through that misery again!
Thank you Jennifer! Fab video ❤
Thank you!
@@THEJENNIFERCOOK have you seen the FITT cube? I invested in one last week because it was on sale. It’s a game changer
Instead of buying tennis shoes new I look for gently used at the thrift store I've got an almost brand new pairs of shoes for $50 that are $100. What I found out is that often times people will buy a pair of running shoes and if they don't fit right they end up not taking them back but just donating them. I've had Skechers with tags on.
When my clothes aren't completely dried. Instead of put more time in the dryer I can some clothes in my walk-in closet or sheets between the chairs in the dining room.
Gardening! Especially herbs, so expensive to buy, so easy to have in pots
Love my basket of microfiber cloths! Work way better than paper towels. We save those for gross clean ups 😂
I only wash my clothes and then use the metal rack to dry them, plus I use a shower rod to hand my other clothes, I'm saving money.
Jennifer, I enjoy your videos so much. You have great ideas and even if we use 1 or 2, it is money saved! Thanks so much.
I upcycle my family and i’s clothes, I sew a lot. And I no longer have a microwave, and that has helped purchasing “easy” meals
Our biggest saver is because of our allergies 😂. We use vinegar to wash and maybe stain spray. For drying we use citrus oil on dryer balls. We added it up and spend about $60 a YEAR, not counting water and electricity, for a family of 4 on our laundry.
I’m a quilter. I use leftover fabric to make cloth napkins. We rarely use paper towels or napkins.
Oh my goodness with Halloween decorations! I’ve never done home decor and don’t have any interest because it’s always looked like a waste of money
I agree. And Halloween decor is especially distasteful.
I use all those cloth napkins every day now and not saving those for special occasions. I also use old washcloths as rags, I also cut up old towels for rags.
I go to flea markets and Goodwill and I buy old cloth napkins. People used to use in the olden days and use them instead of paper towels and they’re cheaper than paper towels or you could cut up and use them. I don’t buy paper towels. I also hang my clothes. I dry my towels, but I hang up all my clothes. I do not put them in the dryer. I might have to iron, but it won’t cost as much as running that dryer gas and making the hot the house out. I also started using my crockpot pots and my microwave more instead of using my stove which heats up the house.
Just found your channel. Love it already! I have a couple ideas I’ve been doing for months. I make my own laundry detergent. I mix equal parts boxed laundry soap, boxed borax and I grate a bar of ivory soap and even use some Linen scented essential oil( needs to be clear). I store it in a big jar and use a cute little wooden scoop. It has saved so much money. Also, better for earth. Colored laundry bottles are not recycle able. Plus they are heavy and take up room and they are now linking the blue and green dyes to cancer. I also save the little ends of the grated soap and when I have a bunch I boil them and make my own liquid soap. I also use bar soap only and it lasts forever.
In the cloths you mentioned, great idea, however don’t use fabric softener on them or towels and such as it inhibits absorption
This is a great list Jennifer 👍 There are so many small ways we can be more frugal and sustainable- Hope you have a good week 🤗
I exclusively hang dry all my kids clothes and most of my clothing. Once my kids outgrow their clothing I opt in to do one of those big kids weekend consignment sales. I get to choose the price I sell them for and I make 75% of the profit. Then I use that profit to buy them clothes in their current size. But hang drying really keeps their clothes at optimal reselling value! Rarely do they have any pilling
About the subscriptions - if I want to try something with the free trial, I place the order and cancel it immediately. I still get the free week or 3 days or whatever and have not to care about canceling in time. And if it is amazing, I want to buy it for a longer period of time I do it the same - buy and cancel the subsccription. You still can use it for the days you payed for, but without having to care about the date. I have ADHD, my focus is very changable and this makes my life much easier.
Thank you! Which reusable cloths do you recommend in place of paper towels?
Hi Bridgette, I just use a big stack of absorbing kitchen towels I pick up from many different places.
@@THEJENNIFERCOOKThank you 😊
I switched to flour sack dish towels, absorbent and bleach well. I embroidered a small design on them. They make great gifts.
Your old linens from the linen closet. Just cut them to the sizes you need.
I have two variations on these tips:
For books, I buy the kindle version instead of the hard copy. The royalties pay better to the writer and oftentimes they’re on sale for $0.99 or $1.99. For every Colleen Hoover or Steven King, there are thousands of writers who can’t afford to write without these royalties.
My other tip is to sub paper towels with burp clothes-they are made to be absorbent and you can find patterns, colors or textures that really fit your kitchen.
I’ve been price comparing household staples (I am just a couple minutes into this video so perhaps you end up mentioning this later), and if I can get them for the same or less on Amazon, I take note of how often I use the item and I put them on subscribe and save for that timeframe. This way I don’t end up running out leading to an unnecessary trip to the store. I get things like dishwasher soap, shampoo and body wash, dryer sheets, etc etc. I’ve also done sub and save for dry food items.
I also use Walmarts pick up feature to build my list, know the cost ahead, and then I just click to move to save for later as I go.
I know you are trying to be fair and kind here when you talked about shrinkflation and raising prices on foods. Have you checked the profits of these conglomerate companies? If you do you will see they are making astronomical profits right now. There is no explanation for shrinkflation except greed.
Supply chain issues, government overspending, tax increases, government policies (like here in NJ where the Governor increased minimum wage without requiring increase in skills) require businesses to walk the tightrope between increasing prices or shrinking staff and/or packaging just to cover costs and stay in business. That’s why we keep losing small businesses and some of our larger old time favorites. Today is a good day to write your representatives and tell them to respect a fair, balanced budget.
We only shopped during Amazon Prime days
My little "Gaz- habit": I always fill up Gaz Monday or Tuesday evening. This is the time its the cheapest where I live and I avoid buying Gaz in the weekends. By doing it once a week, no matter how low the tank is - feels cheaper than filling up when its empty and I pay full price for a whole tank full. Especially because I never know how much Gaz I need for a month. I live far away from my job and each week is different if I go 1-3 times a week to work - And my job requires me driving some distances for meetings, where I a small refund for the trips I make at work.
I have been using Kendra Adiche's advice (The Lazy Genuis) about "decide once" and it's really helping me with my spending habits. One example is book purchases. I realized I was wasting a lot of money by not having a clear goal for my home library. I decided I'm going to only collect hardcover books in scifi and fantasy (my fav genres). Then I realized most older books aren't sold in hardcover anymore so instead of buying these books at outrageous prices i will just treat myself to a new release once a month (which won't be at my library anyways). Everything else I can get as an ebook for the cheaper price and I don't need a pile of them just sitting around so I will save money that way as well since i will only be buying books to read immediately and not "just in case". Also many books never come out in hardcover so that narrows it down even more. By the way I am also reading books from the library, I am just very picky about what I'll read because it's my main hobby so I also don't want to waste my life reading random things just because they are there.
We use water to wash our bottoms we don’t use toilet paper
Some of our bathrooms have bidet
And some of my bathrooms have a big jug I use that while on the toilet to wash down there.
Hey Jennifer great tips I love them all happy Sunday .
I love letting my laundry dry outside but have to check the pollen count before putting anything out. Not fun wearing clothes that are wearing things I am allergic - which is a lot of the plants in my area.
I was told 20 years ago that dry cleaned clothes should be aired out for at least 2 days because of the chemicals used. Which is the reason I have always refused to spend money on any clothes that had dry clean only.
also you can get alot of stuff at dollar where walmart is expensive
Can you give us a home tour plz
We are not allowed to hang dry clothes in yard where I live,
Regarding your question about dryers, most washing machines in India have the washer and dryer function in one machine. After the wash cycle the machine automatically moves to the drying cycle. No moving around of clothes from the washer to the dryer is needed. However, the dryer only partially dries the clothes. They dont drip water and if you tried to wring them by hand no water would come out...but they still need to be line dried to finish the job.
That sounds so cool!
Get a steam cleaner, the combo that you can use for the floor also is very helpful.
I am a female senior living alone and in good enough health. I only eat organic food so I spent about $375. total monthly at Whole Food Market, farmer’s market, Sprouts Market etc. How can I cut cost and still eat healthy?? Thanks
If you have an Aldi nearby, check out their organic selection.
Thank you! Very encouraging and great advice!
You are so welcome!
Some of my family already feared lack of toilet paper due to experiences in childhood, so our fears were just ...ballooned by 2020.
My dear sister i enjoyed your video awesome.
Dryer sheets are very reusable a number of times
Hi Jennifer 👋🏻
Hi Maria, Happy Sunday! 🤗
I dont have a clothes dryer. Rarely do i need to dry clothes by putting a clothes horse inside. I have started to hang tops on clothes hangers outside to dry too.
I changed my phone plan to Tello I now save 100 dollars a month on our phones
Great video.
Hi jennifer enjoy your videos missed the information on the nail kit you use from amazon will like that information hi from PR
Is electric bill considered variable or fix? I'm confused on this one as i know i always have a monthly electric bill but price varies.... 😊😊
Ready, good video advice. Yes not new decisions 😂.
if you go to the movies the snacks and drinks are expensive so are tickets i go to dollsr tree get everything watch free movies in comfort of my home