Looking for frugal living tips and ways to save money? We have a huge list to show you an easy way or two to save extra money. Whether using gift cards to save money, saving money at the grocery store, at thrift stores, we have creative ways and the best frugal tips.
Tips For Frugal Living
Would you love to know 50 ways to save money?
Here are some general tips on how to be frugal, ways to save money in your household, with your kids, and when feeding your family. Do you have a tip for frugal living?
What does it mean to be frugal?
Frugal living is a lifestyle where you actively learn ways and go out of your way to not spend as much money and save money through the different aspects and areas of their lives. Through budgeting, using less, going without, or changing how you use things and spend money will allow you to live a more frugal lifestyle which will make more comfortable in the long run.
How To Be Frugal
To be frugal means use less money. Whether it’s a good deal or learning to use what you have, like they did in the great depression, a frugal person will avoid spending a lot of money, avoid food waste, and learn basic life skills that will help them buy less.
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Best Frugal Living Tips
1. Goal Chart
Make a goal chart and as you save the amount of money or pay off debts, mark them off and reward yourself. (Ex: we can’t get that camera until our car is paid off). The expense of the camera is minor compared to the interest I’ll save by paying off debts early.
2. Budgeting System
We do the packets budgeting system. All spending money we take out at the beginning of each month. We then pay for everything with that cash, when it is gone there is no more till the next month. This budgeting method works for us, find one that works for you!
3. Wait Before Making Large Purchases
Wait for a minimum of 24 hours before purchasing any pricey item. Oh, and see if you can find something comparable used first!
4. Fix It Before Replacing
If something breaks try to fix it or do without before going out and purchasing a replacement. Try not to hire someone to fix things, rather swap services (see Craig’s list).
5. No More Impulse Buys
To curb impulse buys, create a 30-day list. When you want to buy something, other than a true necessity (medicine or food, for example), put it on this list, with the date you added it to the list. And make it a rule that you can’t buy anything for at least 30 days after you put it on the list. And stick to it. You’ll find that you buy a lot less with this system.
6. Surround Yourself With Frugal Minded Friends
Surround yourself with frugal-minded folk. If you don’t have any friends who are willing to make a frugal journey with you try looking online, maybe get a great frugal book, or browse the websites One Income Dollar or the Prudent Housewife. Both great inspirational blogs. We found it is easier to save when we’re not surrounded by spend-happy folks.
FRUGAL TIPS FOR GROCERY SHOPPING
7. Price Sheets Comparing Prices
Use a price sheet so that you can know if a sale is really a bargain or if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.
8. Buy Manager Special Meat and Freeze It
Buy meat that is on Manager Special (expiring that day or shortly after). Cook that day and eat/freeze.
9. Make Meat Go Further
Mix ground beef with an egg and several handfuls of quick oats (makes the meat go farther). Use in meatballs, meat loaf, etc.
10. Bake Your Own Bread
Bake your own bread “ let the yeast sit in sugar water till it smells fermented and use half the yeast (the most expensive ingredient in bread). Artisan bread is the cheapest to make per loaf.
11. Make Your Milk Last Longer
If you are big milk drinkers, buy whole milk and a box of dry milk and make your own mock-2% milk by mixing half whole, half non-fat dry reconstituted milk. You have two gallons for a fraction of the cost.
12. Go Meatless A Couple Nights A Week
Go meatless 1-2 nights a week. You can substitute dry beans. They are VERY cheap and filling.
13. Make A Meal Plan
Meal plan and coordinate so that leftovers can be utilized fully, yet keeping variety. (Ex: Tacos day one, use left over taco meat day 2 for stuffed peppers).
14. Stretch Your Groceries
Try to stretch as much time between shopping trips. The fewer times you go shopping, the fewer chances you have to impulse buy.
15. Make A Shopping List and Stick To It
ONLY shop from a list. If it is not on the list DO NOT BUY IT. It is best to make a check off inventory list of all things you could need and highlight what you’re out or low on.
16. Eat Before You Shop
Eat something small before you go. It is harder to resist the temptation to over buy when you have an empty tummy.
17. Keep Your Change
Keep your change (dollar bills and coins) use this as your fun fund.
18. Buy Generic
Buy generic “ many times this is considerably less than the alternative even if you have coupons.
19. Use Coupons
Use coupons if you prefer something name brand and only if you buy that item regularly. Also, ask if your grocery shop has double days.
20. Ask If You Can Clip The Coupons From Library Newspapers
Rather than buy a newspaper for the coupons, go to your library, usually they do not mind allowing you to clip the coupons you need ¦ and your kids can attend story time at the same time! If you are new to couponing, then this book is a helpful start.
CLEVER WAYS TO SAVE MONEY AROUND YOUR HOME
21. Do You Dishes By Hand
Wash your dishes by hand. I have a hard time with this one, I know it saves water/energy, but I love the convenience of my dishwasher!
22. Air Dry Your Clothes
Wash clothes in warm water and only if you have a full load to do. Dry your clothes on the line and if you don’t like the crunchy feel, stick them in the dryer for 5 min with a wet rag after they’ve hung out.
23. Wash Your Clothes Less
Wash your clothes inside out so they will look nicer longer and only wash if something is truly dirty.
24. Save Fabric Softener
If you like fabric softener, put some on a towel and throw it in with the dryer. A quarter size spill on the towel can do about 3 loads “ a great way to save softener! Also, to make your detergent go farther, add a tablespoon of baking soda to the load and use half the detergent. Baking soda is a soap booster and is cheaper than Arm & Hammer.
25. Use Your Dryer/Stove To Help Heat Your Home
In the winter, use your dryer and stove during the early evening to help heat your home. In the summer, use them in the very early morning (or not at all) to help keep your home cool.
26. Long Term Meal Prep
Cook all your meals for a 2-week period (esp. in the summer) so that your oven only has to do the work one time for multiple meals. Keep meals in the freezer and re-heat with the microwave “ uses less energy, and you save time. Also, having home-cooked freezer meals cut down on the tendency to order take-out when you’re having an exceptionally busy day. It is possible to do this with a refrigerator’s freezer.
27. Turning Your A/C Up
In the summer take a cold bath/wash rag to help you feel cool before bed, and keep the thermostat as high as possible or the A/C off if possible (we live in TX “ its not possible). Each degree change can save up to 3% on your energy costs!
28. Lighting A Room With A Mirror
In a room that has a tendency to be dark, put a mirror near the light to refract the light around the room. One light bulb has the power of two with this trick!
29. Unplugging Appliances
Unplug items (toaster, shaver, cell phone charger, TV) when not in use. Small amounts of electricity are still being used even if they are off, but plugged in.
30. Buy From Garage Sales Or Places That Sell Used Items
Use Craig’s List to purchase used items (furniture, etc.) or freecycle or go to garage sales. We’ve even gotten a number of items from the curb on trash day!
31. Buy Paint From The “Oops” Counter At Home Depot Or Lowes
Buy paint from the oops counter at Home Depot or Lowes. Also, if the color of your walls allows, add a faux finish over the existing color. This uses a lot less paint and allows you to spruce up more rooms at a fraction of the cost.
32. Use Cell Phone Or House Phone Not Both
Cut your cell-phone or house phone, you don’t need both. If possible, become a single-phone family. For long distance, calling cards are great! You can usually find cards with under 2 cents a min! Pay-as-you-go cell phone plans are great if you are not a big phone user.
33. DIY Cleaners
Make your own household cleaners. Vinegar, baking soda, Hydrogen peroxide, borax & bleach are all really cheap and you can make any and every household cleaner from laundry detergent to the equivalents of Windex and Comet from mixtures of those ingredients.
34. Shop Around For Insurance
Check your insurance. We were able to save $600 a year when we switched companies, combined our house and auto onto the same plan, and added $500 to our deductible.
35. Get A Programmable Thermostat
Get a programmable thermostat for your household heat and water heater. You can turn the temps down an hour or two after you go to bed, or during the warmer times of the day, or the times when you typically don’t use your hot water. No reason to heat what is not being used!
Frugal Living: Saving Money on Personal Errands
36. Learn To Cut Hair
Get a hair cut kit and cut your hubby’s hair. I have been cutting my husband’s hair for over 20 years which has saved us conservatively $5000. Cut your kid’s hair! For yourself, if you don’t trust your husband or friend to cut your hair {I don’t}, be aware that longer hairstyles do not need to be maintained as frequently as shorter ones.
37. Buy Used Clothes
Buy clothes for your kids used “ they grow out of them so fast new is not worth it! And used usually look just as good!
38. Buy Less Toys
Limit the number of toys your children are able to have in the house. This will lower the clutter, increase the value of the toys you currently own, increase your children’s creativity as they learn to play with less, and also will decrease spending on toys.
39. Try Home Remedies For Minor Illnesses And Injuries
Try home remedies before Doctor visits. Those co-pays can add up and its amazing how a humidifier, Vitamin C & some good ole ™ rest will make the bugs go away!
40. Make Gifts For Holidays
Make gifts for holidays and birthdays, often these mean more than ones purchased at the store as they show you put time and effort into the recipient.
41. Make Your Own Personal Hygiene Products
Make your own personal hygiene products (or do without).
42. Use Cloth Diapers
Cloth diaper your kiddos. If you use this cloth diapering method your whole stash can cost less than a hundred dollars and can potentially be handed down to future kiddos. Cloth diapering also encourages early potty-training!
43. Make Your Own Baby Food
Make your own baby food by pureeing what the rest of the family is eating, or you can use dehydrated and powdered veggies “ if you like the convenience of those pricey jars.
HOW TO BE FRUGAL WITH ENTERTAINMENT
47. Don’t Eat Out
Eat out rarely if ever! If you do eat out, only drink water. Also, check your newspapers for discounts and grand openings; you can usually get more for your buck then.
48. Have Get Togethers At Home
Invite people over to your home rather than meeting them at a restaurant. You’ll have more time to chat and if you plan your meal well, will save a bundle too!
49. Watch Movies At Home
Get movies for your Friday night from the library or Netflix. They are free or a small monthly charge much less than cable/satellite. Amazon has many movies to stream for a dollar.
50. Make Popcorn At Home
Make your own homemade microwave popcorn bags! They taste better and are both cheaper and healthier!
51. Eliminate One Of Your Bills
Either eliminate or see if you can combine any of the following: Internet, Television, Long-Distance, Cell Phones “ We found that a calling card saves us tons on what would have been a long distance phone bill, and we get the TV shows we want through online streaming for free.
52. Baby Sitting Swap
Set-up a baby-sitting swap with a friend who has children. You’ll save money and know that someone experienced is watching your kids.
53. Find Events For Date Nights
Find dates that are more events than just going out to eat. These can sometimes save your budget and are usually more memorable.
54. Skip The Zoo Go To Cabella’s
See if you are near a Bass Pro shop or Cabella’s. We take our kids there instead of the zoo. It’s free to walk around and the stuffed animals don’t move so you actually get to see them! Call ahead of time and be there for the fish feeding.
BENEFITS OF BEING FRUGAL WITH MONEY
What are the benefits of frugal living?
- Less debt
- More money saved for emergencies
- Learn to choose experience over stuff
- Learn to appreciate what you have
- Waste less
- Practice life skills
- Will learn how important a budget is
- Will have a tendency to be more generous
And there are many other benefits as well!
FRUGAL LIVING FAQS
The 50/30/20 saving method is a budgeting technique that divides after-tax income into three separate spending categories:
1. 50 percent of income should be spent on needs like rent or mortgage payments, groceries and utilities.
2. 30 percent of income can be spent on wants like dining out, entertainment, travel, and clothing.
3. 20 percent of income should be saved for long-term goals like retirement or saving for a down payment on a house.
The 30-day rule helps people avoid impulse purchases. The 30-day rule is a strategy to help you save money by creating a buffer between the purchase decision and your actual payment. Under this method, when you want to make a big purchase, stop and wait at least 30 days before pulling the trigger. The 30 day time frame allows you to assess if they really need or want the item, if there are cheaper alternatives, and if you really can afford to make the purchase.
Yes! You actually can save money even if you already are leading a frugal life. Here are some things that might have been overlooked:
-Sticking to your budget.
-Cutting back on luxuries or finding cheaper alternatives.
-Automate your savings with automatic transfers.
-Maximizing your use of discount and loyalty programs.
-Cut out unnecessary recurring expenses like gym memberships, cable subscriptions, etc.
-Barter, negotiate and shop around for things you do want to buy.
-Find extra money with a side hustle or freelance gig.
Frugal behavior involves making informed decisions about spending and managing money.
MORE FRUGAL LIVING TIPS FROM KIDS ACTIVITIES BLOG
Looking for more money saving discounts and tips? We have some more! We hope these tips help you and your family save money this year. We have a few more ideas on how to be frugal. Take a look at these additional ideas for frugal living:
- Save Money on Free Educational Apps for Kids
- How to Be Frugal on Vacation
- Teach Kids about Frugal Living
- Meal Planning can save you so much money.
- 12 ways to save money with kids.
- How to save money as a stay at home mom.
- These budgeting tips can help you save money.
- Save money while school shopping!
- Check out these piggy bank tips for kids!
What money saving tip do you have? Share it with us in the comments section!
What nasty comments. That’s upsetting to me. There are some great tips here! I use(d) cloth & can’t tell you how much money I saved (I could of been more frugal here using only prefolds & covers, but I couldn’t resist some cuteness & ease of others- there are different options available, clearly people need to research)
I love the tip about the milk! We go through so much & only buy organic so this will def. help!! I love the waiting 24 hours before making a purchase, impulse buying is hard! 😉
And going meatless is a wonderful tip, coming from a vegetarian!
Keep sharing what works for you b/c even if it helps one person that’s all that matters!! 😀
Thanks for the post!
I appreciate the list of ideas. I was happy to learn that I already do many of these things. To the rude critical individuals who felt compelled to post nasty remarks; no one said you had to agree or to do everything on the list. “IDEAS” mean things to ponder, things to consider. Some of them are better ideas than others, and some work better for some people than others. If they don’t work for you, THEN DONT DO THEM. In the mean time, learn some manners and the old adage, If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. Danielle…I think you should start your own blog since you have so much to say.
Ok, I just have to say that I don’t normally comment, but I have to. First off, THANK YOU for taking the time to compile this list for everyone to read! And to everyone else who had horribly rude comments- BE QUIET!! If you don’t care for what someone has taken the time to post, then stop reading it. Don’t be rude and condescending, there is no need for that. Seriously people, are we in highschool here? No, we are all adults, trying to save money and have fun and help each other out. So THANK YOU for this post and the time you put into it. AND YEY FOR CABELLA’s!!!
I agree with u Mandy. Alot of negativity is so unnecessary.
Some of these are the most horrific, and blatantly incorrect, ideas for saving money. Bass Pro Shop should NEVER be an acceptable alternative for the exotic animals and learning experience you can find at the zoo. I can’t say I’ve ever seen an elephant at BPS, nor have I ever seen live monkeys there. Making your own personal hygiene products, to me, is not an acceptable means of saving money. Hygiene is too important to risk, and the last thing i’d want is to make some shampoo that would destroy the color i have dyed into my hair, and have to end up going back to the stylist to get it done even sooner. For people with colored hair, using a shampoo that is designed for treated hair can help hold your color better, and this may stretch out the time between visits to your stylist. Encouraging people to talk to their local pharmacist to see if there is an over-the-counter treatment (NOT Google searching, but talking to a licensed pharmacist), is a good way to save money in SOME cases. Not all cases can be treated over-the-counter, and sometimes by waiting to go to the doctor too long, a patient can incur a higher cost in the end, because now they have more medications, or stronger ones that may cost more (I work retail pharmacy. I see this problem frequently). Washing dishes by hand will cost more in both soap and water, if you’re washing them with clean water and rinsing them with clean water (my undergraduate work is in microbiology. dishes can be a very gross thing when washed a sink of water that has been used on 10 grimy dishes already). Cloth diapers are the same, too. To maintain the amount of hot water that would be necessary to appropriately kill bacteria that may be in the fibers of the diaper, you’d have to spend more money than usual, not to mention do more laundry than usual. As for long distance, most companies (at least in Ohio) offer free long distance now. Making gifts for holidays and birthdays can actually cost more than if you purchased a gift for the individual (not always, though!). This I know from personal experience. I decided to scrapbook for my boyfriend for his birthday and Christmas, and ended up spending about $75 for each of them (if I was an avid scrapbooker and had lots of items that i’d collected while on sale, etc. it would have been cheaper!). Even better than checking the thermostat for the water heater is switching to the new “on demand” water heaters. They are expensive at first, but will save you a tremendous amount of money, and they may still be giving a tax credit to those who purchase this “green” item. Instead of filling a huge tank full of water and having the gas CONSTANTLY run to keep it a certain temperature, this only turns on the gas when you call for hot water, heats the water as it passes through the pipe, and then turns the gas off when it’s done. SO much more efficient on your bill!
I can’t imagine you’re very good at saving money or going without. Are you?
Depending on the size of your family and how long you run the hot water, an on-demand water heater can wind up costing more in the end. It’s really something you need to do a lot of research on before you buy so you can decide what is right for you.
Really, all of these tips fall into that category. Before everyone gets their panties in a bunch and starts blasting Rachel, just remember that these are HER ideas that she likes to do. What works for her won’t work for all. Do your research, find out what will and will not work for you, and maybe you can make your own list for you and your family.
Ditto Joe!! These are just suggestions people. If you disagree dont do it.
Thank you for taking the time to make the list. Some of us do appreciate your efforts 🙂
You should check out http://www.mercola.com. He talks about the hygiene products. The soap actually washes off the special fat from our skin that absorbs the Vitamin D from the sun. Besides, doesn’t it make more sense to make your own natural products that won’t fill your body with chemicals that the body can’t break down?
I am a hair stylist and shampoo is a joke! It’s bad for your scalp, fades your color and empties your bank account. Yes, even the “for color treated hair” ones. Believe me, if you want your color to last STOP shampooing. Everyone is starting to get a clue and going to products like Wen and NoPoo but soon enough they too will realize that these products are just light conditioner.
Thank you so much for these ideas.. we actually use most of them. Cloth diapering saved me alot of money!! we have an energy efficient washer and hung dry. I was blessed in that I used the same diapers for both of my kids..
To Danielle…. If you are going to a hairstylist to get your hair colored and not doing it yourself at home, you are probably not looking for ways to be frugal…or its not important enough for you to be scrimping and saving to even try some of these ideas.. I make my own shampoo etc with Castile soap which goes really really far and you can use it all over your body, hair, face etc. it is 100% natural and gentle.
the zoos here are not inexpensive and we regularly go to Cabelas and Petsmart just to get away from the house. Some of the animals may not be alive, but they get a whole lot closer…oh and its air-conditioned. sometimes a 40 minute drive fighting traffic and paying $$ to walk around the zoo at 100 degrees is not realistic with a 5 and 2 yr old…..
I disagree with many of these “ideas”. I’m not knocking the person who wrote it, they make work well enough for them that they’re happy with the result. We’re ordinarily VERY frugal people, we do freezer cooking, coupon weekly, buy our children’s clothes used(and about 90% of ours when they reach rock bottom clearance or used as well!), buy food on sale/markdown(well I basically look for everything that way but still). We don’t run our air/heat unless it’s an absolute necessity….but some of the ideas above are just not money savers. My second child was disposable diapers, I probably spent $120 total in the three years she wore them, if that. I sold my last five packs off, so really less than that. but it cost me so little because I couponed my way into them and every time I came across a common size(3, 4, 5) on a great clearance, I stocked up. Is it the ever popular phrase “environmentally friendly”? No. But we’re not exactly in a place where that could be our concern then, at that point it was doing what we could afford.
The dishes thing….I will not wash my dishes in filthy water that I’ve cycled 15 other dirty dishes through. my dishwasher is low flow(like the rest of my water components in our home-management got a nice tax cut for setting us up and benefitted us all!), it does a wonderful job and I still hand wash the items that need my attention the most. But for cups, plates, silverware and bowls, there is no reason not to use it and enjoy it’s energy saving abilities(it’s fairly new in that department as well thankfully).
Oh and BPS or Cabelas……I guess that’s a preference, but both of those are actually twice as far from my house as the zoo. So I would spend $40 driving there instead of $20 to the zoo. I also spent $64 for a year’s pass into our local zoo, which supports the state funded animal shelters with some of that money, as well as the animal rescue program the zoo has.
For those saying “well I hunt!!”…well good for you. I highly doubt you’ve shot an elephant, zebra, lion, giraffee, or albino alligator that my children can see at the zoo. I applaud you for taking care of your own meat in this way, but what you’re talking about has zero to do with the conversation about viewing and gaining education about animals. The zoo(most zoos, ours at least) has well trained staff, great informatin stations, and education based days that for non-members are free! So while I concede your point that you’re not evil because you hunt, you really don’t have a point in this conversation either.(beyond correcting the disgusting part of the animal displays, I don’t like them, but I don’t object to them either)
Again, I am not slamming the person who wrote this, I just believe it should be taken with a grain of salt and before trying anything or assuming that a list you found online is right, do your research. She’s got lots of great ideas, and a few I believe are misinformed or simply may not work for all families out there. Either way…have a good one.
While I applaud your bargain hunting abilities, you need to understand that not everyone has your time to hunt for coupons for diapers. I do not have children but I can see where using cloth diapers for some people is more reasonable than taking the time to search for coupons. On the other hand, however, I understand your point in the fact that if you can use disposable diapers and it isn’t costing you and arm and a leg, why not (other than the environmental issue others have stated, to each their own).
Now, you obviously are ignoring that fact that other people were commenting on the hunting issue before the people who hunt said they were offended by some of the remarks. I understand you didn’t see the point of that discussion, but you dont need to say they had no place to speak when they were obviously being belittled. They were not saying they were hunting zoo animals, just stating that it’s a natural part of life and showing support of BPS having their different kind of animals. They have just as much right to say what they said as you had the right to write this.
Don’t be such a hater. Not everyone has the same opportunities as you do in your area, unfortunately. While I agree to take this with a grain of salt, do your research and find what will work best for you; it should by implied when reading someone else’s blog or what have you that it isn’t always going to be true to every person. You don’t need to criticize what works for them and what makes them happy.
I agree with Amy, although I would like to add: I can’t imagine making it through graduate school without knowing how to form a paragraph or use proper grammar. These are suggestions; get over yourself!
“dishes can be a very gross thing when washed a sink of water that has been used on 10 grimy dishes already” Seriously? Do you think your dishwasher washes each dish individually with sparkling water? Sounds like you’ve never had to get your hands dirty.
Oh, maheck. Calm down.
Well I agree with you, for the most part. Some of these I suppose could potentially cost more. Like the on demand hot water heater. I guess if you had alot of people showering and lots of laundry dishes etc you could end up using more because you wouldn’t have to wait for more hot water. But then I think how nice it would be if I could take a shower while running the dishwasher and a load of clothes : ) Idk about the cloth diapers, I’ve never tried it but I’m about to have three kids in diapers come August and if I switched them all over to cloth diapers I can’t imagine that not atleast doubling my laundry. more soap, more water, more time, more waiting on more hot water. Plus, I’d say (just guessing) that the cloth diapers wouldn’t last as long at night without leaking so add washing sheets more often to the laundry as well. I totally agree with the thing about treating illnesses with OTC instead of going to the doctor. Both of me and my kids are on our second round of antibiotics now, with a return trip to the doctor for each of us because I tried to treat “colds” with otc. Now we all have bronchitis that won’t quit, we’ve spent $240 in copays, plus however much for the meds, plus all the money wasted on the otc stuff that didn’t help. I’m sure a lot of the things on this list are helpful if done right but it’s not as simple as do it or don’t. And for that matter, sometimes saving a little time and sanity is worth an extra $20
I have to totally agree with you! I respect that some of these things may work for some people, and some of them are good and normal, like eating before you go to the store, but some of these suggestions sound insane! Lose your friends if they spend too much money? How about a lil self control instead. Keep a long hairstyle? A comfortable style can be acheived without tons of money. Save money somewhere else. Dont use hygeine products? What the heck? And dont even feed me crap about how normal soap kills cells, etc. I believe in saving money, dont get me wrong, I just didn’t realize being frugal meant doing things that I consider to be ridiculous. It’s one thing to be frugal, another to be too cheap to spend $1. And for most people, the cloth diapers DO take much much more work AND hot water than they even realize. Unless you are super mommy or something. Just because a diaper smells clean doesn’t mean it came out clean. It’s great if you want to cloth diaper, just dont act like it is the ‘only’ way to be green.
Thanks for taking the time to put together this list – Most of them were excellent ideas! Thank you!
Hand dishwashing is NOT cheaper or more efficient than a dishwasher you can google all kinds of info about this, including a study at Bonn University in Germany, but simply put new (made in the past 10 years) dishwashers with energy star ratings are more efficient with water and energy than handwashing. they also sanitize dishes by using water hotter than possible with handwashing.
I own a dishwasher–but I’ve been handwashing my dishes for more than 3 yrs now because it saves water and electricity and time. (PS. I use a small cap full of bleach to the water to kill the germs!) I can wash a whole sink full of dishes in 10 minutes…a dishwasher uses 45 mins to do the SAME job! I have a well so handwashing is the best option for me–so the well doesn’t dry up!
do you realize that using bleach is bad for you? it gets absorbed into your skin and well as leaving a residue on the dishware that then seeps into your food. even in small amounts, you should never use bleach! there are so many natural alternatives.
I understand from many things I’ve read that the dishwasher does save water. It’s true that you might be able to handwash them yourself in less time, but think what else you could accomplish while your dishwasher is doing them for you!
That is exactly what I noticed first thing. Handwashing does NOT save water & is worse for the environment than a dishwasher for water conserving reasons (but only if a FULL load is being ran).
Drop your cable or satellite & go for the over the air for free DTV. After the initial $100 or so set up cost & some time spent online researching it, we have saved upwards of $1,200-$1,500 a year. I was shocked to see you did not mention a great alternative. We get all the major networks, movie channels, kids programming, healthy living channels, music channels, weather channels & it’s all FREE!!!!!
Can you tell me more? What is over the air for free DTV? How do I get it?
I looked it up and seems it’s just a really good antenna to receive all the digital signals that are available.
DTV means digital TV. It’s the exact same thing that you used to get with an antenna stuck on the top of your house, only now it uses a digital encoding system, so you have to have a digital tuner. Any TV bought within the last 2-3 years will probably have it. Check the specifications in the back of the manual or online to see if you have a digital tuner.
It’s not going to get you as many channels as cable, and you’re still going to have black-outs and problems with the weather, just like old antenna TV.
It’s the modern day version of rabbit-ears.
I would like to know more also
It depends on where you live. We don’t pay for cable or satellite, but stream Netflix via our Wii. We have an antenna, but live in a dead zone as far as tv is concerned. I get the local PBS stations from about 30 miles away and nothing else. Where we lived previously we also got major networks, but none of the extra premium-like channels.
I am so interested in this – how can I find out more? I Googled “Over the air for free DTV” and nothing really came up! Can you please email with this information?
we have a digital converter box that we got at a pawn shop along with an old tv and antenna for about $40 and we just set that up Now we have about 50 channels including all the major networks free (abc, cbs, fox, nbc, cw, pbs ect..) You can get those things new at walmart or best buys something like that. It’s great in our area and cost nothing more then equipment. i heard with newer tv’s you don’t need the converter box or annetna you can just hook the antena cable to the wall outlet.
I would like to know where to go to get kids programmimg for free. We just shut of out Dish and have had it for 5 + years. We now have a little one who loves nick and disney jr. That really is the only thing I miss about dish!
I really liked this ….every little bit helps and my son loved Cabella’s the fish are very much alive…
My kids LOVE BPS. they ask to go. It is much closer than the “local” zoo, too. We go any time we can, especially when the weather is bad and other “frugal” ideas aren’t possible.
Lighten up people.
BTW, I agree with Emily. We are hunters, too. It is a great “frugal” sport, because we eat what they shoot.
yay! someone i agree with! i love bps and cabelas and always have, their is more to do than people think, it’s not like the animals are bloody and gross. it’s not really a good replacement for a zoo, i guess, but it’s fun. all those other people must be peta freaks. (signed a farmer and a hunter!)
You are damaging your children. Your are teaching them that killing for fun is ok. They will grow up to be serial killers or mentally disturbed. Really sick outlook. Animals are living beings and deserve respect, not to be slaughtered by some uneducated, psycho with a weapon. I hope you become enlightened soon. You need to spend time on the website for PETA.org. We do wonderful work against freaks like you. I urge you to repent and stop teaching your children such twisted values.
I almost do not have the words to respond to this post. This is one of the most offensive things I have ever read. I grew up in a hunting family. I fired a rifle when I was 7 years old. I did it in the guiding arms of my grandfather. I grew to respect the weapons as well as the animals and woods. Hunting in no way turned anyone in my family into an “uneducated psycho with a weapon”. We ate the meat and sold the pelts to be used.
For many, hunting wild game is a way of life, in some parts of this world, a source of life. Please do not bring yourself to belittle those who have different lifestyle choices or cultures.
And a response to the topic – What do you think you’re looking at in the Smithsonian? Or Museum of Natural History? Taxidermically preserved animals are wonderful things for children to see. I love to see them now, and I’m almost 30!
Alexis is a trolly trolly trolllllllll … or if she isn’t, she’s a name-calling uneducated freak herself. Ten to one, little princess wears leather. As it turns out, the animals she wants us to respect deserve more of it than she does.
This is ridiculous. I grew up hunting, and I am not “mentally disturbed” or an “uneducated, physco with a weapon.” It’s a way of life. I was raised if we don’t hunt, we don’t eat….it’s that simple. Why is there a need to repent? The Bible says nothing about killing animals….they killed animals to eat and to sacrifice…
Umm… Alexis I’m pretty sure your mentally disturbed. You don’t speak in a way that is going to gain you any respect from anyone, there is a much better way to express your opinion. 1. Recognize that it is just that your opinion and everyone is entitled to have their own and 2. recognize that this is a blog on frugal living and not an appropriate platform for moral debate.
i am 100% for animal rights, and i’ve been a vegetarian for 18 years (i’m 28) but PETA is just about the most awful, ridiculous hypocritical organization ever. do some research, find out just HOW many dogs and cats they kill per year. find out how many families frantically call their local shelters just HOURS after their dog or cat has gone missing, to find out it was destroyed for no reason by PETA. also, anyone who needs celebrities and outlandish tactics to prove their point doesn’t deserve my respect.
Alexis, if it wasn’t for hunting, life wouldn’t prosper. God created animals for the purpose of hunting as a way of nourishing our bodies. Teaching your children to hunt is NOT a bad thing! It is just teaching them to take advantage of the resources God provided for them and to be humbled by learning how people got their food many years ago. Hunting is a way of life that is in no way immoral, it keeps people alive.
Alexis- I dont normally reply to these things but heaven help you because you sure do need it.
To the one who actually post the list, some of these are neat ideas, and good luck with them! I use some of these, but others I dont, and I am sure that those who stopped at the list and didnt read some of these totally inappropriate comments will get way more out of it then those of us who got sucked in reading, in shock, how utterly idiotic “people on the internet” can be… well, at least it was halfway amusing. but come on people. getting offended on the internet? grow up.
Oh goodness, where to start. I do know where you’re coming from because I used to be an anti animal killing vegan… until I moved to the country & began to learn the circle of life & our part in it… my 3yo daughter & I found a bird dead in our water trough the other day, we took it out looked at its body parts, talked about its family that will miss it & now it’s going to be food for other little bugs. She cried a little & I told her it IS sad when something dies, I WANT her to feel that. But I also want her to understand the necessity of my husband killing opossums that carry dangerous diseases for our horses. It IS sad, but we love our horses & wouldn’t want to have to put one of them down.
On another note, I’ve never seen a well-raised country boy point a gun (real or not) at any person. My city friends, however, think its “cute” when their boys “play shoot” at each other…. Country boys learn from a very young age the responsibility of handling a gun… just as seriously as we teach our children their vehicle is a “weapon” that can kill.
There is something very deep in teaching our children to respect all of God’s creations, & that direct consumption is one of the least wasteful ways of nourishing our bodies. This argument could (& will) go on & on… we all really need to respect each other for having a well-thought out opinion & know that we’re never all going to agree on everything, thsts what makes this life interesting!!!
I’m not saying don’t go to the Bass Pro Shop. Go, have fun, enjoy. We visit the Humane Society (even volunteer to walk the dogs and visit with the cats every week) as a way to enjoy and interact with animals. I’m just saying that he Bass Pro Shop isn’t a substitute for the zoo. It’s seriously an apples and oranges thing!!
if its such a great sport, why don’t you participate?
Bass pro instead of the zoo? That’s really stupid. Sorry to be blunt but children deserve to see live animals. Our okc zoo has many many free days throughout the year. Take your kids to the zoo, not a store to view stuffed animals that were murdered. That’s just my opinion.
Dido; what kid wants to see dead animals on the wall? I live near a bass pro and it truly is disgusting.
Ugh! That’s what they have at Bass Pro? Yuck! Who wants to see dead animals as a fun family outing? Maybe a hunting family? There are a lot of farms and parks that have animals you can visit for free. At least in NJ we do. There are many free activities if you just do a search in your town.
I also don’t normally comment but come on! Hunting and mounting is a part of life. The kids can get closer and see a lot of things that they don’t see in the zoo! I simply disagree completely with your point of view, just speaking my mind as well!
are you kidding me?! do you really think young kids are going to enjoy seeing their favorite furry animals dead on a wall!? …as opposed to watching them run and play in a zoo? and hunting and mounting isn’t a part of life…its a part of life to people who don’t respect the lives of other species and need to kill and mount an innocent animal in order to feel big and proud. give me a break.
My grand-daughter introduced me to Bass Pro Shop after she went with family friends. She loves it and loved showing me around to see all the animals. She can really study them up close. They also have live reptiles (snakes) that we watch for long periods of time. We live in Texas & zoos are fun in the Spring & Fall but summer can be really miserable and tiring for the kids and the adults. Bass Pro Shop is a great ADDITIONAL animal observation experience.
Really? What did you think they would have at Bass Pro Shops? It is a hunting and outdoors store
Wow, I normally don’t comment on things, but I have to say I am completely offended by your use of the word “murdered” when you refer to animals who have been harvested by hunters. My husband and both my sons are hunters and we eat everything they bring home. I respect the fact that you may be anti-hunting, but please respect our choice to be hunters. Using terms like that only make you seem ignorant. Please don’t misunderstand, there are hunters who are just out of the kill, but know the majority of them love nature just as much as you.
If we do not hunt the animals, they soon will have not land to live on because there will more of them then the land. Most hunter use the all the parts they can. They do not just go out to kill they kill to feed their family. You are buying killed animals every time you get chicken, pork or beef from the store and those animal are caged. So should we eat only caged animal. I say lets let them all go free and see who lives and who dies. They will win. So do not hate my family because we hunt, because are just are just as much a hunter too.
if we do not breed animals in slaughterhouses for murder then we wouldn’t have any of these problems, not everyone contributes to the murder of innocent animals… many people live a vegan lifestyle. I will agree with you though that it is no better, worse even to eat animals out of a cage. I stopped eating animal products because of the way that it is harvested, but unfortunately I have seen several hunters who hunt for sport. In the case of mounting animal heads and stuffing the animals- they are NOT using all of the animal, clearly, and they are ignorantly showing off a murder that they committed. It’s possible to live without killing animals. As far as who will “win”, what is winning exactly? Animals attack people because their land and their food is being taken. If nature was how it should be there would be a balance, no winning. And right now aren’t we all losers?
Most of the animals put in retail hunting stores were mounted after dieing natural deaths, or were baught from collectors or garage sales, and some are even manufactured. In addition to this, we don’t judge or dump talk your life style choices, and yet at every chance you get you trash talk ours. Some people live off the land, which includes the animals on that land, as was intended. Hunting = organic meat, gardening your own food = organic veggies. If you have never lived this or experienced it, you do not know what you are talking about.
Thank you Scook
Don’t know that it’s true in all parts of the country but I know in Northern Michigan hunting deer is actually helpful to the animals (hear me out before you freak) There is such an enormous population that in the winter there would not be enough food to sustain them all and many of them would simply starve to death…hunting trims back the number of animals trying to make it through the winter on what food is available. There are laws of course that limit the number of doe that can be killed and there are no fawns by hunting season. I actually have a great deal more respect for those that hunt their food than those that just go down to the corner store and buy whatever comes wrapped in plastic. I don’t support hunting for sport but hunting for food – absolutely
You eat bears?
Yes.
Regarding the murdered animals by Hunters here. It sickens and is terribly sad that people on here are teaching their children to murder animals. Hunting is murder. Hurting animals is wrong. Teaching your children to do that sort of senseless murder, is helping them grow up with zero moral fiber and learn to be nothing more then serial killers. I wish your families could go in the forest and be subject to being chashed, tortured and murdered by brutish gouls with weapons. Then you could understand, hunting is murder and if you do not want to be criticized about it, do not advertise it on the internet. What a sick family !
Wow. Just wow. My dad and I both hunt, and we eat everything we kill. In NO way am I a “serial killer with zero moral fiber.” Hunting saves me money throughout the year – we process our venison, and that is what my family eats during the year. It also enables my parents to operate a family farm, growing blueberries, blackberries, apples, etc. without losing product to wildlife eating it. It’s a part of life that just happens – if you don’t like it, fine – don’t hunt and don’t eat any form of meat. But don’t go around calling hunters murders and ASSUMING that they have no moral fiber and are serial killers. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but name calling is uncalled for and childish.
tricking a deer with fake deer piss (which they sell at bass pro shops, conveniently) so they will come close enough to you so you can kill it, is pretty damn immoral if you ask me.
I would want to be on your side if it ever came to survive off the land or die! It sounds like you come from a good family with a good moral upbringing which a lot of people are lacking these days.
Are you kidding me? Hunting is not murder, nor is hurting animals for the benefit of providing your family with something to eat wrong. Where I am from, deer are an animal that litterly needs to be killed off. They are so rampant that they destroy the farmers crops, therefore in turn costing you more $ to buy produce. And another thing, if I have no way to feed my family, you would rather me rob the local store to get food than to use Gods natural resources to provide a bountiful amount of food for my family?
um, no one said anything about robbing stores… i’m pretty sure all you pro-hunters are getting the wrong impression here. i totally believe in small farmers who breed, care for, raise and QUICKLY and HUMANELY slaughter their meat for their families or local community. however, hunting is a terrible way to trick animals into an often slow, petrifying death. also, when an animal is in a fear-filled state of mind immediatly before death, they release certain chemicals and hormones into their body (and meat) which you, incidentally, eat. and that isn’t good for you. or them.
Alexis, if hunting wasn’t allowed then there would be an overwhelming amount of deer in my part of the country, and less meat in my freezer for that matter. You will then no doubt hit a deer with your car which already happens too much with the deer population the way it is. And when YOU hit a deer with your car, I will point at you and call you a murderer. I’m sure you will also enjoy the money it will take to pay for the car repairs…or maybe even the doctor bills.
Haha LOVE IT!!
@ Alexis
How do you think your great great great grandpartents survived?? By killing animal to eat. same goes for adam and eve all the way down to today. we kill animal to eat. What do you think of your self hen you are eating chicken beef or any meat for that matter. They were killed just the same to put a meal on your damn plate.Geez
I sincerely hope you are a 100% vegan family if you feel this way. If not, you are a sick hypocritical person! Hunting is the REASON animals are here. It is the most natural and humane way to eat the meat provided for us. If you buy meat from the store, you are buying animals that were bred, fed hormones, lived in cages, and died piece by piece. YOU are the sick person. How do you think people prior to 50 years ago ate meat? Stupid, ignorant idiot.
I agree with you on the reason animals are here. Hunting does save money on meat products and the majority of hunters use safe and humane means of hunting. However, I would like to point out, as beef cattle producer, I would like to clear up a few points. Yes, my cattle are bred to be meat animals. Meaning I carefully select bulls to breed to my cows based on a number of factors. I want healthy animals, and breeding allows me to help control things like genetic defects. It also allows me to breed animals that eat less, and are still able to grow. Selective breeding allows for less land to be used to feed my animals. Personally, I do not feed hormones. I am not oblivious to the fact that it is used (and backed by a lot of extensive research). Perhaps talking to a local producer that avoids the use of hormones and buying from him or her may be an option for your family. (Many producers like working this way and may cut you a deal on bulk!) Many animals do live in cages. However, laws are there to protect these animals. Plus, animals in tight conditions do not grow well. All farmers/ranchers want their animals to grow well…so they do know the amount of space needed to maximize growth. This also protects the animal from other harm…like the environment. Finally, animals are humanely harvested. That is to minimize pain. Many many many years of research has been done (and continues to be done) to do this in the most humane way. I do value your opinion, just like I hope you value mine. Here is a suggest for everyone wanting to save money on a family activity: VISIT A LOCAL FARM! Did you know that approximately 98% of American farms are family owned? My family is included. Most farms (mine included!) are happy to open their doors to your family. Plus, they don’t charge. And what better way to let your kids know where the food you buy in the grocery store comes from?
I live in Alaska and we hunt and fish for our food! It’s not murder, it is a way of survival! My husband, myself, and our 3 children all hunt and fish. We don’t have a zoo here, our zoo is our backyard or wherever we decide to walk. We don’t kill for the sport we eat what we shoot! Saves us a lot of money and we don’t let anything go to waste. Love visiting Cabela’s stores because we don’t have one here in Alaska!
So does that mean any carnivorous animal is a murderer? Wolves, lions, tigers, bears, coyotes..? How can you say its murder for is to provide food for our family, but an animal can go do the same thing and it doesn’t matter? We’re not doing anything different, if anything we do more. We don’t pick at what we want, we use it all. So unless your going call the meat eating animals of the world murderers and having no morals..don’t call us it either. And don’t try the whole “well we can choose to not eat meat” you obviously have no clue how unhealthy it is to cut meat out of your diet. And if its so unnecessary for is to eat meat, why don’t they feed all animals in the zoo veggies? It’s what we should do, stop killing and eating meat. So just switch everyone over, oh wait.. its unhealthy! That’s why.
Oh My! I cannot believe the lack of intelligence and education that people have about hunting. I mean seriously calling it murder! I happen to have studied Wildlife Biology and yes, we are all about conserving nature and part of conservation does include harvesting. In many areas Whitetail deer are so abundant they actually end up eating so much food that they create what is referred to as a browse line. A browse line will literally be a line in the trees that is approximately six feet tall that has no vegetation below it. Think about that, no vegetation or plants for ANY animal to eat all winter! That means any animal that eats plants will starve to death. A slow, painful death. Not to mention the carnivores that feed on the animals. Part of actually keeping animals healthy means that you have to remove some from the population and yes, that means hunting. So I do not really see how you think that allowing animals to starve all winter long is better than hunting. Just seems pretty ignorant. But keep in mind you have to have a license to hunt. So if those of you who are bashing hunting like to go to parks, what do you think helps pay for those parks? Guess what it is hunting and fishing licenses! The majority of revenue generated for parks is from individuals who enjoy hunting and fishing. I can guarantee you will not find better stewards of the land than those who “murder” if you will, animals. Many belong to additional organizations such as The Wild Turkey Federation, which promotes conservation through the wild turkey. They donate money and attend many benefits to raise awareness. Yes, I am a young female and I happen to have one of the “stuffed animals” hanging on my wall and its meat in my freezer and I have dedicated my life to educating others about the necessity of conservation. So before you get on your soap box and tell me how sick and depraved it is maybe you should get all the facts straight. I hate to think how many less animals we would have if we did not allow hunting, yes, I said less! I think you are the one that is sick and depraved. I can guarantee my children will be conservationists, not immoral murderers, because people who actually understand the land, are the ones that care about it the most.
Wow! Alexis! What kind of moral fiber, or competent judgement for that matter, are you exhibiting by labeling all hunters as “serial killers” and accusing them of a lack of moral fiber? You would not be here as you are if it were not for hunters throughout history. People all over the world would starve if it were not for hunting. Are those with nearby supermarkets only subject to your assessment of morality? It is a flawed line of thought to think hunting is murder. If you truly knew hunters you would know their respect for nature, their observance of life, and their understanding of how the world works. Hunters are not blood-thirsty, thoughtless, and/or passionless beings.
I wish people would have this same outrage over unborn babies being murdered, but our society is so twisted in its thinking that animals are more important than human life. When a mother murders her unborn baby it is a choice, but when a hunter kills an animal for food it is murder. What is wrong with people?! Animals are not people! Murder applies to people not to animals (“murder – The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice” freedictionary.com) Animals are food. I’m not for the wholesale slaughter of all the animals in the world for no reason, but I will not condemn someone for eating meat or for killing an animal and processing its meat to feed themselves and their families.
Thanks! We too hunt and eat what we kill. My kids LOVE Cabela’s! Maybe it depends on where you live. To us, that’s normal!
Yeah I also have to disagree with the Bass ProShop. Our local zoos are very inexpensive, we paid $90 for a year pass for a family of 3. We park a few blocks away to save on parking and bring our own food. We go once a month, we don’t feel rushed to do the whole zoo in a day because we can always come back!
Most zoos are not expensive, and the passes make amazing christmas or birthday presents. Plus this is a great gift idea for grandparents. That’s how we got ours, we asked my parents only for passes to the zoo as a present for all of us, they were thrilled to do it.
Many of our friends also have them, so it makes for really exciting play dates!
St. Louis Zoo is amazing and FREE! Enjoy it any day of the year.
Live near STL and we Love the zoo! I hope to be able to stay close enough to bring my future kids there some day. Though I must say, when I went to Bass Pro when I was little. I LOVED it.
I thought the same thing. I think we should teach children the value of life – not traumatize them by showing them what someone bigger and tougher can shoot. Thanks but if I’m just gonna get to see dead animals, I’d rather just go to the library and look at pics of live animals.
Sarah… if you want to see dead animals… just drive down our highways in Texas (and many other states)… we counted 27 dead deer on the sides of the road driving back to Austin recently… that is 27 deer that is wasted meat that some family out there could be fed for many days had a hunter taken it down than an automobile who crashed into it and left it on the road, in pain, suffering and dying.
Our responsible, Texas Hunters do not let the deer suffer. They hunt the deer and use the meat to feed their families.
And, by the way… how many automobile accidents have happened here in Texas, as in many other states, when that deer stepped out onto the highway, causing an accident, and in some incidents deaths. The deer are rampid here in many areas of Texas. I personally had a big buck step out in front of me on the highway one night. I tried to miss it, but couldn’t – ended up both hitting him, and damaging my car. Thank God I was not injured, but I could have been. Had other vehicles been close to me, this could have been a disaster of a pile up where this happened. I do not hunt, but do support those who do.
And… another thing, before I get off my soap box, have you ever been to a chicken slotering house where they prepare the chicken that you eat during slottering time? Like I said… Our Texas Hunters are more humane than some of those who “raise the animals for meat”.
Isn’t it clear that to teach the value of life you have to teach the reality of death?
I agree about the zoo…. libraries have free passes that u can check out for the day. they also have some to museums. Also NEVER eating out?! That’s a little crazy, there are so many different types of foods out there and experiencing the different cultures and foods is a great for kids and adults…. being frugal does not mean not living life! I appreciate many of the tips, but i feel that some of these are a little over the top and i feel bad for your kids!
We do not eat out that often. However, I am pretty experienced in cooking and I can cook most anything that I can find a good recipe for. Sometimes we have Chinese food, sometimes Mexican, sometimes Italian, sometimes homemade pizza! We’re able to let our kids experience different types of foods without the high cost of eating out. We don’t feel that skimping on eating out deprives our kids at all.
Not eating out does not equate to not living. Spending money does not equate to “living”. I don’t feel bad for her kids for her showing them how to be satisfied with a life based off of smart money management, living creatively, and being content with less. That is true happiness in life. I feel bad for kids that grow up in a home where they are taught the only way to “live” is to go and splurge on an activity that they will only come to expect and feel entitled to later. Now, that’s not to say it’s not okay to once in awhile go out, but after all, this article is entitled “50 tips to be frugal”, in which not eating out would definitely be an effective solution to saving money, and certainly not harmful for the families involved.
Bass Pro Shop instead of the zoo? What are you thinking?? Clearly you don’t live anywhere near San Diego, or you’d realize that nothing compares to the zoo!! Do your kids a favor, and splurge a little. A trip to the zoo is more than worth it!!
I agree with CHart- The zoo is a fabulous place for children. There are so many cool things to see and do and its relatively inexpensive. They allow you to bring in a cooler so you can picnic and there is a wonderful playground! Bass Pro and Cabela’s don’t hold a candle and may upset kids when they figure out those cute animals are DEAD!
I agree with this too. I split an annual pass with a girlfriend, and we can go on our own, don’t have to be together. I can still get in two named guest and all my kids, plus 3 extra, that’s the best deal! 1/2 the price and as many times as we go, it’s worth every penny. Plus my kids all go there on field trips every year, so I can go and don’t have to pay.
get a membership to the zoo. this not only saves you money at your local zoo, but also saves you money at most other zoos around the US.
We take our daughter (who is only 17 months) to Petsmart. She loves the birds and fish. When she is older we will take her to the zoo, but she’s still a little young for that kind of thing.
I take my 2 1/2 year old to the zoo all the time (we have a membership) but he is seriously just as happy going to the pet store or even (and this is ridiculous) looking at the live lobsters at the grocery store! And he seems to think that rainforest cafe is the same as the zoo and is just as happy walking through the gift shop there too. So until they know better the pet shop is a great idea!
I agree with Lane Baker about the kids being able to get a closer look at Bass pro shop, and that’s probably kind of neat for them BUT I don’t think it’s really the same as going to zoo. There is (hopefully) a much greater variety of animals at the zoo and the kids can see how they act not just what they look like. I don’t see anything wrong with taking your kids to the zoo or Bass Pro Shop but I hardly think they are comparable.
F.Y.I. Animals cannot be murdered but killed. Anyway I agree it is stupid to take your kids to see stuffed animals instead of live animals. It’s ridiculous! Lol! However on that same not I don’t think it’s stupid if it’s something you go see in addition to the zoo. I do think it’s good to save money and spend wisely but don’t be a cheapo at the same time. You need to weigh out what is important for your children.
The bass pro I used to live by had live animals…I’m pretty sure all of the ones I’ve ever been to had real ones…Not sure why everyone is complaining about the kids just seeing stuffed ones. I used to love going to Bass Pro to see all the animals! Jeez, people.
Some zoos are actually free. Like the Cape May Zoo in NJ, and it’s a really nice zoo. Also, the Philadelphia Zoo offers free summer passes for teachers. Do some internet searches and find a free zoo near you!
It is interesting to me that so many people are against their children seeing stuffed animals on the wall, but you will however take them to see caged animals that were never supposed to be kept in such confined spaces. There are many studies that show the neurological damage of such animals being held in zoos. I for one, am for hunters who use all of what they kill, and I will NEVER visit a zoo or a circus. For being such animal lovers, you are monetarily supporting animal abuse at its worst. Do your research and stop going to zoos and circus’. And all those people against hunting, you had better vegetarians.
St Louis Zoo is free at all times. The train, children’s zoo, and food are not free, but you can still spend the entire day there for free. Thankfully we lived about 15 minutes from the zoo when my kids were young, every week a child could pick two exhibits they wanted to see and we spent maybe and hour or so there. Quick, easy and free. Gave the kids an outing the enjoyed without becoming exhausted and without spending a dime. No need for food if you are there an hour or so.
BassPro Shop is a fun trip for us, too.
But, I would never sub tha for going to the Zoo.. Good grief.
If your local zoo doesn’t have family fun days with discounts, you should check with a county library and ask about a rental DVD that’s a walk-through of the zoo. Our Library lets you rent one, one time per year per family and onreturn – you get a coupon for four admission (2 adult, 2 children) that must be used within seven days.
Our zoo isn’t free ever. And Zoo Atlanta is a little proud of their tickets (and they should be. Our animals rock). And as for food being expensive, pack lunches! I don’t ever remember going to the zoo and paying for a meal. A rolling cooler with fruit, sandwiches and water/juice for four doesn’t have to be huge. For that matter- take a wagon with ya. A good place for kiddo’s to rest if they get too tired.
I just think it’s a little bit ridiculous that you’re willing to omit a trip to the Zoo. I shop at bass pro shop, and our daughter (3) loves to see the fishies. However, there is nothing that could compare with her face the first time she saw a real, live chimpanzee. And bass, alligator gar, and brim ain’t got nothing on lions, bears, birds, snakes, lizards, crocs, gators, (etc – surely you get it) that you can find at the zoo.
Honestly woman, I understand bein frugal. Trust me, I get it! And if you don’t want to spend the money on the zoo, that’s your own decision and right as parent. However, don’t reason it by saying to substitue going to the zoo with going to see the over stimulated fish tank at bass pro shop. And you really should think about it before you tell your children- I would definitely resent my mother for that. Period.
I do disagree with #42. I have four children (5, 3, 3 and 1) and I have found that cloth diapering actually cost me more money. When my twins were babies I made my own diapers (I’m a sewist) and the cost that it took to a) raise the temperature of my hot water heater 20 degrees…you must have hot, hot water to get them truly clean) and b) pay for the water to wash them (cold rinse then a hot, hot wash…it’s a lot of water) actually ended up raising my heating/water bill. With amazon mom I can get great deals on disposable diapers and it frees up my time to save money else where in my house that actually pays off.
I agree, Not only did my cloth diapers leak, it was a pain to wash them all the time, buy special detergent, etc. I’ll stick with the disposables!
I disagree, using cloth diapers was the one thing I would recommend to anyone, Using disposible diapers cause severe diaper rashes to one of my children. I found a cloth diaper business that delivers diapers once a week, takes them back dirty washes them and everyweek your never with out clean diapers. I don’t know if they have them any longer but you should check it out. For me cloth was always the way wether i had diaper service or not.
If you weigh out the price versus the convenience of cloth and disposables diapers you will find that in the grand totalwill cost you about the same, but yes it is more inconvenient to use cloth. But on the other hand look at the sanitary difference between the two. I would rather change my child more frequently and wash their diapers than to put the disposables ones on their bottoms and let them set in their own waste for hours at a time because “they stay dry”. Even though the diaper may keep you dry it doesn’t erase the fact that they are still sitting in their own urine or poop. Poor babies. I had two girls and it was never a problem to soak their diapers in borax and then wash them. I always dried them on a clothes line and never used fabric softeners because it made them less absorbent.
Love the tips and yes anytime your are not using power it will decrease your power bill. If you really want to save money quit watching tv, play outside with the kids, eat simple, quit buying snacks (make your own their healthier), stay at home and save gas, play games with the kids, stay away from fast food (its cheap, but its killing you) go to bed earlier (more energy is used at night when people are wake than any other time of the day (this is why daylight savings was started)) Wash only full loads of clothes.
I find if you really want to save money think about the way our parents lived and their parents. We have to many things and to many times we have to entertain our kids rather than playing with them and teaching them to be creative. Kids deep down truly just want our time. By the way, the meat thing is a great idea. I owned a butcher shop and by the FDA regulations that meat has to be sold by that date due to regulations not because it is going bad. Meat has a lot longer life that that. Actually aged beef is by far better than fresh. If you go out the an expensive steakhouse, the beef is aged longer than that. I love my family and would never do anything that would hurt them. I am a biologist and have studied bacteria for years. Little do you realize you have a larger chance of getting food poisoning eating out.
If you want to keep down food poisoning and salmonella poisoning clean wooden utensils and cutting boards with bleach and use a bleach solution to clean all the counter services in your kitchen. I also use a small amount of bleach in my dishwater or washer to kill bacteria. Its cheap and the most effective cleaner there is. Just watch your clothes.
Many great comments posted from everyone. I agree with lisa, especially in regards to cloth diapers. Their benefits far out weigh any inconvenience. ™ It just takes a little planning and organization, but well worth it.
I cloth diaper. I love it. I followed a debate like this with my first baby, and sadly I was convinced cloth diapering wasn’t worth it. Now I make my own natural laundry soap for pennies a load, and I potty train earlier than most (I don’t deal with diapers at all past 18 months).
Obviously when using hand me downs from baby to baby the savings magnifies.
I agree with you too. I could never stomach the idea of cloth diapers. I am now pregnant with my 4th child and both this baby and my 3rd child, I couponed the heck out of diapers and wipes. I would get packs of diapers for free or at most 2-3$$. I get boxes for $8. You honestly can’t beat that. Some people enjoy cloth diapers, but I would rather search for deals on diapers. I stock up when I find deals, so that when I NEED them, I don’t have to pay full price. I already have 3 floor to ceiling stacks of mostly boxes of pampers diapers and some packs of pampers and huggies for the new baby that won’t be here for 5 months. I typically can get 1-2 boxes each grocery trip and still be well under grocery budget. I used to buy store brand, but got much better deals on the name brand, why not buy those?
Where do you find all the coupons? The best I can find are like 1-2$ off the price!?
Shop local deals.. we always figure the price per diaper. We also signed up at Huggies.com and they send us coupons regularly. Online has some great deals as well… shop around a bit… The lowest we have ever paid is 19 cents per diaper.
But, all those diapers will now sit in a landfill. Floor to ceiling… for one baby. :o( It will be her problem to inherit. It’s not convenient to cloth diaper, but it’s not for me that I do it. Just something to think about. :o)
My husband and I started a debate through one of our local radio stations… Disposable vs. Cloth… Disposable did win… there are now bio-degratable diapers that can be purchased and will have less of an impact on the environment if you are trying to go green… on the other side of green is conservation. I live in a prominent agricultural/farming area and water conservation is HUGE… for me it was a no-brainer.
Why do moms need to buy wipes? What’s wrong with good old fashioned wash cloths?
I’ve babysat for a woman that used wash cloths. It was the nastiest thing I had ever done. I know it’s just their mess, but it’s still horrible.
I also used wash cloths. We did not have baby wipes for my first 2 children. They came out when I had my third. I found I had to use so many to clean one little behind. I used toilet paper first, then a wash rag. As for disposible diapers, those were used for when we went somewhere. While at home we used cloth.
What about how disposable diapers affect the environment? I believe that alone is reason enough not to use them.
Cloth diapering IS actually less expensive, better for the environment, better for the child. I used to use a combination of cloth and disposable. My cloth were incredibly cheap and badly made (Gerber), so I recently decided to upgrade to the new and better cloth diapers. For my two youngest children who both will need to be in cloth at the same time, I’ve spent less the $300 on cloth diapers. It seems like a big chunk of money at once, but average it out over the whole time I’ll be diapering and it comes out to so much cheaper (average about two a half years per child comes to). It ended the poop explosions and leaks we got with disposable. If we have leaks, then I know we need to add more to the diaper, not a problem. The detergent isn’t hard to find once you know what your looking for (none of the bad stuff that’s in most detergents). I’m not filling a landfill, or exposing my children’s bottoms to chemicals. Averaging out my extra time and it’s about 15 minutes of work a day (instead of looking for diaper coupons). One more load of laundry every other day does not make for “all that laundry.” So yes, all that together I most certainly do enjoy my cloth diapers. My kids can thank me someday that I’ve taken the time to protect them and our Earth.
I CD and I also love it. For my family, this is our first child and we made the decision to use cloth all in one diapers. We didn’t buy newborn to save money we wouldn’t use and we had gotten lots of free diapers from showers, or people giving them to us that their children outgrew. in the 11 weeks we went through 7 boxes and 3 bags of diapers. Our duaghter does happen to HATE disposable and wants it changed almost a soon as she goes. Once she fit into the CD, she LOVED them, slept all night, didn’t cry at diaper changes, didn’t really fuss regardless of what was in her diaper, and honestly, she LOVES getting her diaper changed. We only have 18 of them, and paid for one 5lb box of detergent, three wet bags in different sizes and one diaper sprayer. We spent about $350 on all of this. After one month and 14 days we had paid for them in using them and not disposables, including the water. Our water only went up $9 for three months, and that’s not even including the extra showers/baths and tons of visitors. We wash every night and move to the dryer and i wake up and fold/restock. We only buy wipes, and that is sometimes and with coupons. No diaper rash, no trouble. Even my husband loves them. I never have a problem with her leaking, and if you do, then you probably didn’t strip them when you first got them, which needs to happen in order for maxium obsorbancy to happen. Plus, we are able to keep our smaller garbage bin compared to the 95 gallon most other families have to have in our area tha use disposable. We love them, and after 7 months of CD’s we are happier and happier each day!!
I love cloth diapering and the money it saves us! We haven’t had to crank up our water heater at all and my diapers always come out clean and smell free, we also have a well so no worries about a water bill. Not only am I not exposing my son to any chemicals through disposables I am helping the environment! They also help me stay up on ALL laundry!
I’m curious, what chemicals are in diapers and what do they do? And, aren’t we supposed to conserve water, too? So what’s worse for the environment? Obviously there are some strong opinions on both sides of this matter and it’s hard to know what to believe. Am I really harming my baby by putting them in diapers? It seems to me like cloth diaper moms seem to think they’re better than disposable diaper using moms… so I don’t know what to believe.
One disposable diaper takes 500 years to biodegrade. If that doesn’t make you change your mind then nothing will.
for diapers you can also participate in diaper studies and actually get paid to do it.
Yes, disposables are more convenient but all conveniences, as we have come to learn, come at a cost, if not now then later. I love the 7th Generation creed. I love cloth diapering. I don’t understand the hot water, hot water thing. Urine is sterile, washing them as all other clothes is fine. As for the dirtier ones, soak them. There are a lot of ways to clean without using chemicals. Do a little research, they really knew what they were doing in the old days (that are coming back by the way). One of the best things you can do for diapers is hang them in the sun.
I respectfully disagree. I bought cloth diapers for my first little one in generic colors and my next two wore the same diapers. I bought one-size diapers so once they all hit 8 lbs, they could wear them until potty training. I wash them in cold water with homemade detergent which gets them perfectly clean and hang them to dry on a drying rack that sits over the bathtub. Thousands of dollars saved with my three children from this trick, and we use cloth wipes with homemade cloth wipe solution, another saver. Even people who don’t like cloth diapers can get behind cloth wipes, as they can be washed with normal laundry (assuming no solids are left on there.)
I calculated the cost, and it will be about $30-40 a month to wash diapers, while buying disposables would run about $150/month – of course come November we’ll be diapering 4 kids – 2, 1.5 and newborn twins.
Most of the diapers were gifts and we’ve had them a few years b/c we first used many of them on our 3 yr old. And I made cloth wipes out of old receiving blankets – very cheap.
I know this is an old old thread but … One TON (tonne) of diapers per child over it’s lifetime into the landfill. Math is not my strong point but just knowing that I would be contributing one tonne of waste to the planet is more than enough reason not to do it. Why? There’s so many other options out there. 1 ton of waste, 500 years per diaper to degrade – times millions of children. So disgusting.