Frugal Living Today

For years now it has been a prisoner of the kitchen cabinet.  It may be used once or twice a month in most homes, and even then only sparingly.It is vinegar and I want you to know why you need to dust off that bottle and start pouring!  Here are five uses for vinegar that you have probably never heard of before:

1.  Cold vinegar takes the sting out of sunburn and can also be used to prevent other burns from blistering.

2.  Marinating tough cuts of mean in vinegar will make them more tender.  Marinating fish in vinegar will sweeten the flavor and take away the ‘fishy’ taste.

3.  A strong vinegar solution wiped on your walls will prevent and eliminate mildew and dust buildup.

4.  Vinegar and water mixed in a spray bottle is the best window and glass cleaner you will ever use.  Use newspaper instead of paper towels for a streak-free shine.

5.  1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vinegar.  Blend together for homemade sour cream.

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A report on CNN today revealed that consumer spending was the lowest in the first quarter of 2008 since the previous recession.  Not a startling or surprising revelation, to be sure, and yet it does illustrate the problems of everyday people here in the United States.  Regardless of how the current administration wishes to spin it, the average person is in a financial bind now more than ever.

The Social Security Administration has been quoted as saying that as many as 85 out of 100 Americans who reach the retirement age of 65 will do so with less than $250 in the bank.  Our senior citizens who have survived the Great Depression are now faced with the very real prospect of being forced to ration the medications that keep them alive and healthy and even go without other necessities like food and even heat in the winter months just to be able to afford to live.

If that isn’t enough of a downer, check out this article that tells the story of a man who has been evicted after paying $30,000 for his rental home, because the home he is living in is being foreclosed on.  The landlord, it seems, has not paid the mortgage since he moved in last August and though the renter has paid what was due regularly, he is soon to be homeless and without the security deposit of nearly $8,000 that he paid when he took possession of the property.

And to think, people ask me why I am obsessed with frugal living and teaching other people to live on less and be happy at the same time.  The news is grim, folks, and it is up to each and every one of us to find joy in everyday life.  Despite the people who are against what I stand for, I have found that joy.  I live a reasonably comfortable and happy life even though the average price of gas is higher than ever and shows no signs of going down this year.

Why am I frugal?  The real question you should ask yourself is why are you not.

If you have kids you no doubt find broken bits of crayon all over the house. It can be especially annoying when you don’t find them before the vacuum cleaner or worse – the family dog.

Kids don’t like crayons anymore once they are broken and they tend to leave them wherever they happen to be at the time, but here’s a way to keep those broken chunks of color rounded up and get the kids to help you do it!

Crayon Crafts to the Rescue!
Broken crayons can be shaved down and turned into great arts and crafts projects for you to share with your kids. My favorite involves shaving several colors (keep them separated by using paper muffin cups) and letting the kids spread a thin layer on a sheet of waxed paper.

On another piece of waxed paper draw a simple shape such as a heart or a star. Place this sheet atop the crayon shreds and apply a warm iron, using smooth strokes until the shreds have melted. Allow the project to cool completely, then carefully cut the design out.

Peel the waxed paper away from the wax and you can add a simple hanger made with a paper clip. This new artwork will look great in a kitchen window and your kids will have the satisfaction of knowing they helped to create it!

Color Your World
For a more adult craft project, collect broken crayons in a few similar shades. The next time you make candles, use plain uncolored wax (which is cheaper) and toss in a few broken bits of crayon, allowing them to melt and color the wax. There’s a lot of coloring agent in those bits, and you can play with the shade you want by adding a bit of this color or that one.

It is time for yet another Hot Deal at Frugal Living, I just hope you can handle it!

According to a television commercial I saw while enduring Adventures in Babysitting recently (please, just don’t ask), True Value Hardware is offering a coupon on their website for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more.

if your house is anything at all like mine, there is always something breaking down or needing to be replaced. What better time to do it than when you can save a little cash at the same time?

To get your coupon, all you have to do is visit truevalue.com and click on the coupon (it is in the right hand column). When you do, you’ll be prompted to enter your email address and zip code.

The really cool thing about this particular site is that when you enter your zip code, the coupon page also shows you the nearest True Value stores to you. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Sometimes I wonder what people think about my frugal ways.

I should clarify my point and let you know that I don’t really care what they think, I’m just curious from time to time as to what goes on in their non frugal heads when they watch me in the supermarket with a calculator and my price book, for example. Or the folks who drive by when I am working in my garden - which happens to be in my front yard this year because it gets the best sun and has the best soil.

Sometimes my frugality surprises even me. I spent $40.06 at the supermarket the other day and came home with:

1.99 1 Gallon 2% Milk
4.99 3# Lean Ground Beef
.75 hamburger buns
.75 hot dog buns
2.49 24 count bun length hot dogs
.99 loaf of whole wheat bread
1.49 2# broccoli crowns
1.29 1 doz. large eggs
.99 4 ears of corn on the cob
5.49 3# boneless, skinless chicken breasts
.99 2# carrots
1.99 5# Green Giant baking potatoes
.90 2 cans chili beans
1.19 1 large can peaches
.95 1 can seasoned greens
1.19 jar, minced garlic
.99 jar, spaghetti sauce
3.38 10# sugar
1.96 5# corn meal mix
1.66 12 pack of ramen

That was without coupons at all, since I was shopping at ALDI (which recently opened in our area) and they don’t carry many name brands. I realize that several items could have been had for cheaper with the right sale at the right time, but all of these were regular prices! In addition I have two coupons for the grand opening - one for $5 off a $35 purchase and the other for $10 off a $40 purchase.

The store is in an area that is financially challenged and yet even the people who obviously had less money than I were looking at me strangely as I punched in the prices and carefully added to my price book.

A part of me really wanted to share what I was doing with a few of them in the hopes that they would catch frugal fever, but I decided that maybe they were just looking at me strange because I have two earrings in each ear and a head full of bleached hair.

Just a quick note to my loyal readers that as of tomorrow the posts here will no longer be titled “Frugal Living Tip of the Day for…”. In an effort to make it easier for people to search and locate posts on various topics.  Unfortunately I cannot edit old content, otherwise I would in order to get everything tagged) I will from now on be titling posts based on the actual content.

Novel idea, I know.

Thank you, drive through.

Happy Memorial Day from Frugal Living Tip of the Day!

By popular demand, I am bringing you another money saving tip today for your gas tank.

While there isn’t a darned thing I can do about the mind numbing price of fuel (and believe me when I tell you that I wish I could), what I can do is offer you a few ways to find the least expensive gas that is in your area.

CNN recently had short feature during their daily news that mentioned several very useful websites for people who are low on both gas and money - and really, who isn’t these days?

GasPriceWatch.com - Click on the link to the left, enter your location (your zip code, city and state or even an exact address) and the website will bring up a list of fuel prices reported in your area.  The site will even tell you how recently the price was updated so you are less likely to be surprised when you pull up to the pump.

GasBuddy.com -  Similar in idea to the previous site, this one is far more advanced in the search features that it offers, allowing you to select the state, the county and then specific cities and areas.

Cell Phone / Mobile Device Options

We can’t leave out our mobile friends!

Just type in FuelMeUp.com and GasBuddyToGo.com  on your cellphone, PDA or other mobile device to get connected to the lowest fuel prices in your area!