Comments on: you know you’re frugal when…

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:33:08 +0000

I’ve heard many good things about the Keeper. I really ought to try it. It’s funny, I’ve dealt with horse, cow, sheep and chicken poo, but when it comes to using pet poo…

By: Cath

Cath — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:00:12 +0000

As far as feminie hygeine products, I love my Keeper. It’s a reusable silicone cup that just gets a rinse twice a day, then re-inserted. At the end of it’s use for that month, it gets a gentle vinegar scrub.
I originally got it for the enviro benefits and for camping trips, but am loving the cost savings too and it’s all I use now. Plus (trying to not be too TMI here), it’s ‘nicer’ and not as ‘drying’ as the other internal options.

It takes a little getting used to, especially in getting the knack in inserting to the right location, but once you’ve got it, you’ve got it. Super comfy and convenient

I’m also interested in the doggie poo composting!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:10:14 +0000

I don’t do some of these things on the list – it was a little tongue in cheek.

By: Cash Queen

Cash Queen — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:23:15 +0000

Thats a pretty big list.

Dont get me wrong I love to save but, theres a lot of things on that list that are a little too hard for me to accomplish.

Who knows…maybe over time i will pick up on being frugal with some of those more harder things on the list.

Whoever said frugal is easy, clearly isn’t frugal enough. It’s certainly no easy task…but if it saves me money, I’m willing to try anything and everything for an extra cent!

Thanks again for this post. I have a feeling i’m going to be referring back to it a lot in the next few months!

Cash Queen

By: Melissa

Melissa — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:20:49 +0000

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.

By: Ophelia

Ophelia — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:04:38 +0000

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.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:22:15 +0000

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!!

By: maria

maria — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:33:41 +0000

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!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:57:05 +0000

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.

By: maria

maria — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:37:40 +0000

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!