So I’ve been flipping through the pages of the Tightwad Gazette in the hopes of finding easy ways to save a little extra money each month. I have been known to do some pretty frugal things in my day. When I first got out of college I was often broke. (Not because I blew all of my money, just because I couldn’t afford much on my measly salary). One morning I cut off the edge of a tube of toothpaste and jammed my toothbrush inside the tube to get the last morsels of toothpaste remaining. I’ve certainly been known to water down all of my soap products, shampoo, detergent, dishwashing liquid. Just add a little water to the bottle and swish around. You really can get at least one or two more washings that way.
But the tightwad gazette is way too extreme for me. The author washes her baggies in the dishwasher, has been using the same boxes of aluminum foil for years, and digs in the trash for treasure. I give the author credit. She has been able to feed, cloth, and shelter a family of 8 by using these techniques without running up credit card debt. Both she and her husband stay at home, and it sounds like their only income was his military pension, so it seems her tips and techniques have helped them achieve their goals. And I tip my hat to that.
Essentially the book demonstrates that you can attain a pocketful of savings from ingenuity and frugality if you try hard enough. The moral being that it isn’t just the rich that can save lots of money each month, and that in fact the rich should still try to be somewhat frugal.
These are a few of the items that are worth considering when trying to save a little extra money each month.
— Use a clothes line to air dry clothes.
— Cancel collision on old cars.
— Buy staples like pasta, rice, etc. in bulk.
— Drink water instead of soda and other beverages.
— Make meatless meals as often as possible.
— Use shades and blinds to regulate temperature in a home.
— The washing machine/dishwasher doesn’t need as much soap as one might think.
— Be creative. With a little creativity you can throw a party w/ very little money.
— Eat at home as often as possible.
— Try to make your own seasoning mixes, like Taco Seasoning, Onion Soap Mix, etc.
— Don’t think that buying in bulk is always cheaper.
— Instead of shopping with a grocery list, create a menu based on what’s on sale.
— Buy a freezer to store goods when they are on sale.