Have your attempts at frugality ever cost you dearly?  A couple of years ago, after I finished mopping, I saw how filthy the mophead was, and thought, "I can save a couple of dollars by washing this instead of buying a new one!"  (Stupidest epiphany I ever did have!)  So, I threw the mophead in the washing machine with a batch of whites.  It fell apart, long strands of the yarn clogging up the machine.  Before I was aware of the damage done, the machine had revolted, spewing water out all over the place, which leaked through the floor down to the basement.  I ended up having to replace the washing machine, the linoleum upstairs, and the ceiling downstairs.  Most expensive mophead I ever replaced! *-*

Ouch!!   Sorry that happened to you.

This one is from my sister:

You know you're frugal when you have the urge to keep the nice white box after your father-in-law's ashes have been removed. She said it would make a good box for Christmas gifts...  

Pat:

This one is from my sister:

You know you're frugal when you have the urge to keep the nice white box after your father-in-law's ashes have been removed. She said it would make a good box for Christmas gifts...  

 I think that's a whole new level of frugal .

Melbo19:

 I think that's a whole new level of frugal .

 

LOL! I kind of thought so... but it does make sense, you know?  

I work for a home builder. Both my boss and his wife are very frugal. Just a few...

We built our office. It is very well insulated. The air stays set on 78 and rarely runs. The heat never goes above 68. (and we're a business with customers coming in and out)

We have an unspoken 3 sheet TP rule.

We have a cabinet with hand towels in it for employees to use, so we don't waste paper towels.

All paper gets used on both sides.

We reuse any envelope that we can.

My boss indulges in coffee from the corner store every morning, only he reuses his cup until it falls apart, so he can get the refill price (48 cents)

He sent the office a memo on getting gas - get gas before you are at 1/2 tank, never pump at full speed, and get gas in the morning. All allow you to get more gas by reducing the fumes. Gas is measured by the fumes recaptured.

We save any bubble wrap, peanuts, boxes, ect that we receive to reuse.

The a/c must be shut off on all vehicles before the engine is killed.

When he goes to conventions, he packs a pb&j sandwich and eats between classes so he doesn't have to purchase a lunch.

I know there are plenty more too.

 

Debbie

Pat:

LOL! I kind of thought so... but it does make sense, you know?  

Very true.  I save every box that we get; dh got irritated with me when we were packing up to move to the house because I had stacks of shoeboxes....but you never know when you're going to need to sort/organize things or need a box for a gift, and those are just as good as any, IMO.

Last year, I decided that the pretty pictures of Christmas Cards had another use rather than give away or throw away the magazine. I cut out the pictures, used the glue stick and stuck them to an 8 1/2 X 11" piece of computer paper (white paper). I then cut around the picture, punched a hole in the top left corner, put a piece of gold cord string through it, knotted it, ole a "Christmas Present Tag". I was then able to write on the back of the white paper, "To: From". I've done this with magazines other than Christmas ones. People think my tags are so  unique!

 Hi:

  I wonder if your boss could purchase a coffee mug from a gas station/convenience store where he pays for plastic coffee mug with handle and top, about $2.50, and all the refills are free. The mug "never wears out". One such deal is through Wilco, a station I see from SC up through Virginia. I have a few others too, just can't think of which ones now.

  Some of my most frugal deals are at the end of a season or after a holiday at CVS, Walgreens, Eckerd or Big Lots. If the item was $1.00, such as a child's swim ring, and it is on sale at the end of the season at 90% off, it is $.10. I bought such a ring this week for a friend's grandchild. The Grandmother was delighted. I just had to tell her "They were on sale for $.10!" I bought 20 lbs. bags of charcoal at the end of summer at Big Lots for $1.50. Locally, we have some Yahoo groups where we share local sales. Sure helps us save money.

  I also save a lot of money using coupons, talk coupons to anyone who will listen. I ask them if they use them. They might say, "I cut out a few that I use." I ask them what they do with the rest and if they say, "Throw them away", I ask that they give them to me and normally they do. When I get multiples of good free coupons, it is so much fun to go to the grocery store, buy many items and pay $.02 for all. Most of the cashiers are amazed, especially the younger ones, but some of them know me and expect me to save a lot of money.
 

 My "thing" is frugal food that is of great quality.

I knew I was a freaky kind of frugal when I finally hunted down a farming co-op that raised organic, pastured raised chickens.

Because A) I wanted really fresh, humanely raised chickens but also because B) I wanted to make large batches of chicken stock and need more carcasses and bones than my pitiful stash would supply.

I found out from one of the farmer's at the co-op that they keep back the carcasses to sell as dog food to those feeding their dogs a raw food diet.

The carcasses can also be sold for stock making but there is something about USDA slaughtering standards and selling the feet for human consumption.

He asked what I needed them for so, I told him the truth.....chicken stock a la Julia Child...I MUST have the feet to get the right amount of cartlidge in the stock so I will have a rich chicken "jelly" when I'm finished.

That's when he told me he could only sell me the feet if I was using them for dogfood *wink* *wink*. I replied that yes, the Pugs do get some of the chicken broth so, technically I guess I was purchasing the feet for dogfood *wink* *wink*. 

Now when I call the farm to place my orders I remind him to save the feet & carcasses for .....dogfood..yea..that's right...hummmm,....dogfood.

So,.... I eat DOGFOOD I'm so darn frugal!