5
Feb
you know you’re frugal when…
If you spend just a little time on frugal or personal finance websites, you know that there are some habits that seem to symbolise frugality. These habits have taken on an elite kind of status to be used as a yard stick against which to measure whether or not you’ve made it in the frugal world.
Yes, I’m being tongue in cheek here. What is frugal to me isn’t going to be frugal to you and vice versa. But I thought I would share some of the more popular habits that get touted as frugal.
You know you’re frugal when…
1. You bake your own bread / make your own yoghurt
Baking your own bread seems to be the ultimate sign that your a frugal superstar, closely followed by making your own yoghurt. Of course, a true frugal person doesn’t own a bread machine or an easio jar. 
2. You make your own laundry detergent
I’m a big fan myself of making my own detergent, mostly because there are less chemicals and I’m a bit wary of the amount of chemicals we are exposed to in our home. I’ve done the maths, and it is actually cheaper for us to buy regular bulk laundry detergent (on special), but then that’s not ‘eco’.
3. You make your own soap
This is something that I want to do this year. I’ve been putting it off for years (I bought a soap maker book when I was a teenager), but this year I’m determined.
4. You wash your plastic baggies
Washing baggies was popularised by Amy Dacyczyn in The Tightwad Gazette
5. You grow your own veggies / keep your own chooks
This is our ultimate dream actually. To have enough yard to do this well. Since the financial crisis, growing your own veggies, according to the media, has become a more popular pass time again.
6. You have a drawer full of knitted dish cloths
A little while back I never really got knitted dish cloths – until I tried one! I’ve changed my mind.
7. Your cleaning cupboard is complete with vinegar and bicarb soda
Two of the most frugal and awesome cleaners, complete the package with a little pure tea tree oil.
8. You brown bag it to work
What better lunch is there than leftovers?
9. You have 101 uses for dryer sheets and dryer lint
This is one you see a lot on American personal finance sites particularly ones who are anti-frugality. My response – what’s a dryer?!
10. The spatula is the most important kitchen utensil
How else can you scrape the last morsels from the jam jar?
11. Your favourite shop is Sally’s or Vinnie’s
Or op-shops / charity stores if you’re unfamiliar with the names.
12. You use wee wipes
Ok, this one comes from someone on the Simple Savings Forum and yes it means what it sounds like. Go totally disposable-less and cut up old rags to replace (yep, you guessed it) toilet paper. Don’t forget the bucket beside the toot so that you can wash and reuse your wee wipes (yeah, I’m not going to be doing this one any time soon either).
I can think of a few more, but now it’s time for you to share. What are your ultimate frugal habits?
11 Responses to “you know you’re frugal when…”
February 5th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for a good laugh this morning. I remember reading a description in the “Debt free, cashed up and laughing” book by Cath Armstrong of a frugal person and laughing like crazy because I could tick 90% of the boxes!
My DH won’t let me wash the “baggies” I am serious, he gets very hostile if he sees them in the drainer. Thinks it is most unhygenic to recycle these for the kids lunches. I have purchased some sistema tubs and little “boxes” for them now but as they are still plastic and still get washed and dried I don’t really see what his complaints are about the baggies!
When I saw the pic of toothpaste tube, I have a little brown key with a hole in it that I’ve had for years that squeezes every last drop out. I use butter wrappers to grease cake pans etc. I also make my own soft butter mix from butter, powdered milk made up and rice-bran oil. I’m sure there are lots more things frugal I can add, so I will add more later when I think of them. I do however draw the line at wee wipes!!! I’ve seen on simple savings where people discuss them but not for me!
Kaye
February 5th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I have to admit I’m just learning to be frugal and recently made the transition to vinegar and bicarb cleaning products. Not only is it frugal, it seems to do a better job than the chemical products and makes baby-proofing the kitchen so much easier now that my 6month old is showing signs of wanting to crawl. Other things I do are compost, cut up old clothes for cleaning/dusting rags, freeze meals extensively and strategically ‘re-gift’ every now and then. One of my favourite past times is to hunt around op-shops for fabulous bargains, though sometimes I get carried away. I love Kaye’s idea of a little brown key to squeeze out the toothpaste, I will keep my eye for one of these on my next Vinnies visit. I’m also discovering just how closely being frugal ties in with being green, which is a good feeling.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
We compost all our veggie and fruit scraps, we even have a compost on the go (separate of course) for the dog poo!
I also am very careful when upwrapping pressies as I also reuse wrapping papper, gift bags etc.
I also buy birthday cards etc in bulk as they are much cheeper that way, 50cents compared to some cards which are $6 plus for something most people never keep!
I cut up old clothes for rags (I also draw the line at wee wipes, yuck!).
I have also started keeping all the plastic plant pots from new plants so that I can start taking cuttings so I can have my own little plant nursery at home
February 5th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Hi again,
I just wanted to ask April about composting the dog poo. We have a new pup at our house and my DH has been putting her poo in a plastic bag and throwing in the bin!! I have now been collecting it in an old bucket with bits of leaf litter etc when we scoop up and thought maybe it could be composted. We already have a fruit and veggie compost pile and I know you cannot put it in there! The thought of putting it in the rubbish bin was a bit gross though. What can you use the compost for and do you use sawdust or anything else with it. Sorry for all the questions, I just want to dispose thoughtfully of the waste.
Kaye
February 6th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Hi,
@Charmaine, I also love the way being frugal means being green. I never really got that until recently. When I first started using vinegar and bicarb, it was to save a buck only.
@Kaye, I used to hang the baggies on the line – would this be worse? We could probably squeeze more out of the toothpaste tube. I read somewhere the other day a hint to cut the top off, and use it as a knife sheath to protect the blade.
@April, I too am wondering about composting the dog poo. We don’t compost at the moment, living in a townhouse, and we have a cat, which is probably a different ‘poo’ altogether. I was wondering if the meat content in cat’s and dog’s diet would effect its compostability? Would love to hear also how you do it.
Do you have a method for not using the same paper with the same people? At Christmas this year I warned my inlaws as I carefully unwrapped the gifts, that they may be seeing this paper again next year!
Generally I think wee wipes = yuck, but then I thought about the cloth nappies and the reusable baby wipes that I have…
February 11th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Hi. I’m new to your website -its great. Just want to add that I have an 18month old in cloth nappies AND I use cloth toilet paper for myself (and cloth baby wipes, cloth napkins, cloth tissues, cloth cleaning rags) Yes, it seemed icky at first, but I figured that my son is getting washed cloth on his precious little tush so if its good enough for him then its good enough for me. They are made out of old t-shirts that I cut up and folded and sewed up along the edges (no need to overlock – t-shirt material doesn’t fray) Not sure if I can post the website I got the instructions to make the cloth toilet paper on……?
And because I am already washing cloth nappies it is no extra hassle to throw the wipes into the washing machine at the same time. I use the dry nappy system (a pedal bin next to the toilet) and when its time to wash nappies I pull out the inside bin via the handle and take it to the laundry and dump into the washing machine. I now hate using paper toilet paper. When you use coth you realise how much paper you actually need – you use much less with cloth. And cloth is just so soft… I laugh when I see the ad for Sorbent!
February 11th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Hi Maria, nice to hear from you.
I was also thinking about the fact that I would be using cloth wipes for bub, so why not cloth for me? But washing DH’s toilet cloths… I’m not sure about that. I have been thinking seriously about cloth feminine hygiene stuff, but have been too lazy as yet (and not necessary for the last 9 months) to follow it up.
It would be great if you share the link for the website that you found the instructions. If anyone else is interested, they can also get the instructions.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Oh, I forgot to mention that my DH doesn’t use cloth, he sticks to paper, so I have no dramas there! We still save lots of money with me and my son using cloth for everything though. I also use cloth pads and tampons (both made by myself) Here are the necessary links;
Crochet tampons
http://hyenacart.com/FernandFaerie/index.php?c=37&p=14559
Make sure that you use cotton or bamboo wool otherwise it will scratch when you try to insert and won’t absorb as well. Change more frequenctly than regular tampons.
Cloth toilet paper
http://hyenacart.com/FernandFaerie/index.php?c=14&p=47
Great menstrual cloth website
http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~obsidian/clothpads/DIYpads/DIY.html
Hope that helps other readers on the same path!
I wish you all the best on the delivery of your bub!
February 12th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Thanks for the links – I’m sure they will come in handy.
While the notion of reusable toilet wipes is a little gross and something I’ve raised my eyebrows at, I really think that we need to reassess how much disposable stuff we (I) use. I never even knew that there was such a thing as a pattern to make your own tampons! It is heartening to hear from someone who has gone down that path and had success. Thanks for sharing your experience and the links!!
February 17th, 2010 at 9:04 am
It’s summer here, so I’ve been making iceblocks (frozen treat on a stick) for my children to snack on. Mostly we just blend up whatever fruit we have in abundance, and freeze it in an iceblock mould I was given a few years ago.
The really frugal part? I ran out of popsicle sticks, so we’ve started using well cleaned twigs from the eucalyptus tree in our front yard! We break them off in about 12cm lengths, then scrape each end on the cement to get rid of any sharp bits, before cleaning them thoroughly in hot water.
They can only be reused a few times, but that’s ok because after all, they DO grow on trees.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Hi Ophelia,
Your ice blocks sound great. I read some of your fruit combinations over at your blog. Yum.
When I was a brownie we would make “twisties” I think they were kind of like pretzels and we would wrap them around twigs that we had stripped before cooking them over a fire. I don’t think we cleaned them though.
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