# What is the super cheapskate habit you have?



## Jondalar7 (Mar 3, 2021)

I was just shaving and realize I use a razor until I can actually see pits and holes in the blades and then I scrape my face with it one more time.
EDIT ...As an afterthought,  I can't edit the heading but this is more about the silly things we do to be FRUGAL.


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## Kathleen’s Place (Mar 3, 2021)

Hmmm... I really can’t think of anything. (My condolences to your poor face )


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## jujube (Mar 3, 2021)

I can't bear to throw a toilet paper roll away if it has ONE square of toilet paper on it.  So I'll tear off that last one or two squares of toilet paper that's stuck to the roll and stack them up on the back of the toilet tank.  There they sit until I get tired of looking at them and throw them away.  OK, there's no understanding some compulsions...….


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## Murrmurr (Mar 3, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I was just shaving and realize I use a razor until I can actually see pits and holes in the blades and then I scrape my face with it one more time.


They'll last about 3X longer if you keep them in a small jar or cup with a little baby oil in it.

That's my cheapskate thing. After the first use, I store my so-called disposable razor in a small, oval jar I found outside, with just enough baby oil in it to cover the blade. Keeps the blade clean and sharp for weeks, and I don't even need shaving cream or any kind of skin lubricant.


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## Keesha (Mar 3, 2021)

None! I’m not a cheapskate with anything and exceptionally generous with others. In fact, I have a real pet peeve with cheapskates since my entire family were. Sorry if that offends anyone. It’s not meant to. I’m just being honest.


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## win231 (Mar 3, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I was just shaving and realize I use a razor until I can actually see pits and holes in the blades and then I scrape my face with it one more time.


Me, too.  And here's a useful tip that greatly extends the life of a blade:
When the razor is dry, run it along your arm or chest hair (wherever you have the most hair)_ in the opposite direction you would use to shave with. _ The hair sharpens the blade.  You won't believe how many more shaves you'll get out of the blade.


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## J.B Books (Mar 3, 2021)

I try to know where the cheapest gas is. I don't drive that much anymore but it's a habit.
I look at the grocery store flyers that come in the mail every week to see what's on sale.
A few energy related things and that's about it.


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## Lee (Mar 3, 2021)

ohhhh  I am not admitting to anything unless someone else does the same thing.


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## hollydolly (Mar 3, 2021)

I can't think of anything..I'll be back if I do.....


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## Murrmurr (Mar 3, 2021)

Lee said:


> ohhhh  I am not admitting to anything unless someone else does the same thing.


Lee, you little tease. Come clean. No judgement, we promise.


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## Liberty (Mar 3, 2021)

Lee, what's the difference between being a cheapskate and just plain "frugal"...lol

Oh, I know, a cheapskate is someone whose misery or stingy and doesn't pair their fair share of the cost.

Nope, not a cheapskate...could be called frugal though,  not liking to waste anything thats usable, usually and 
want "value received for my hard earned money...ha ha.


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## win231 (Mar 3, 2021)

Lee said:


> ohhhh  I am not admitting to anything unless someone else does the same thing.


You must reveal everything.  It's required by law.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 3, 2021)

I save plastic bread bags so I don't have to waste money on sandwich bags, freezer bags, etc...

I remember when we were kids our mother used to save the plastic bread bags and we would wear them over our socks before we put our snow boots on.

_"I would rather have people laugh at my economies than weep for my extravagance."_ - King Oscar II of Sweden


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## Kathleen’s Place (Mar 3, 2021)

win231 said:


> Me, too.  And here's a useful tip that greatly extends the life of a blade:
> When the razor is dry, run it along your arm or chest hair (wherever you have the most hair)_ in the opposite direction you would use to shave with. _ The hair sharpens the blade.  You won't believe how many more shaves you'll get out of the blade.


But then don’t you have a strip that looks like a lawn mower ran thru your chest or arm????


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## asp3 (Mar 3, 2021)

I work to get the last little bits of shampoo, toothpaste, etc... out of the containers before opening a new one.

I use bars of soap in such a way that it's easier to "marry" them to a new bar so I use up each bar of soap completely rather than have them fall apart as they get too thin and have the bits go down the drain.


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 3, 2021)

I use plastic grocery bags as trash bags. In the kitchen I get an occasional gal who thinks they are to small and buys tall kitchen for awhile. But that leaves trash in the house longer.  
Yes, Frugal would have been a better word. The only time I would call someone a cheapskate is when they stiff someone on a tip, bill or do not pay their share.


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 3, 2021)

asp3 said:


> I work to get the last little bits of shampoo, toothpaste, etc... out of the containers before opening a new one.
> 
> I use bars of soap in such a way that it's easier to "marry" them to a new bar so I use up each bar of soap completely rather than have them fall apart as they get too thin and have the bits go down the drain.


I laugh at myself when I keep saying there is one more dab for my toothbrush tonight, I just need to slide it over the edge of the sink to flatten it out a little more and then push right behind the hole and 'wallaaa' there is still more for another day. I use baking soda in the morning and I use the one I took out of the fridge when I put the new one in there.


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## asp3 (Mar 3, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I laugh at myself when I keep saying there is one more dab for my toothbrush tonight, I just need to slide it over the edge of the sink to flatten it out a little more and then push right behind the hole and 'wallaaa' there is still more for another day. I use baking soda in the morning and I use the one I took out of the fridge when I put the new one in there.



I do the same thing, but I also use one of those devices where you roll up the rest of the tube as you use it.


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## win231 (Mar 3, 2021)

Kathleen’s Place said:


> But then don’t you have a strip that looks like a lawn mower ran thru your chest or arm????


LOL.  Only if you go the wrong way.  The hair is not cut when the razor is moved in the opposite direction than you shave.  And, only do it on the longer hairs on the arm or chest.  Demo at 3:18 of this video:


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## Gaer (Mar 3, 2021)

Mine is, I don't buy Kleenex.  When my allergies start up in the Spring, I wipe my nose on toilet paper or paper towels!  hahaha!

Oh!  and sticky notes.  I SHOULD  buy them because i leave notes for myself all over the place!  I'm too cheap!


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## win231 (Mar 3, 2021)

jujube said:


> I can't bear to throw a toilet paper roll away if it has ONE square of toilet paper on it.  So I'll tear off that last one or two squares of toilet paper that's stuck to the roll and stack them up on the back of the toilet tank.  There they sit until I get tired of looking at them and throw them away.  OK, there's no understanding some compulsions...….


That one or two squares left on the roll are perfect for drying between toes to prevent fungus or in belly buttons where I sometimes get an itchy rash.


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## win231 (Mar 3, 2021)

You'd be surprised at how many more shampoos you get when the bottle is "empty" if you put a little water in the bottle & shake it.  At least 9 or 10.
Edited to add:  Shake the _bottle_; not anything else.


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## Jules (Mar 3, 2021)

Waste not, want not.

I can’t stop myself from being thrifty.


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 3, 2021)

With all the women here, there is always some shampoo or conditioner that they do not like and so I get all the hand me downs. I have not bought the stuff in years.  We have a designated spot on the bar that is for hand me downs and I keep a close eye on it.


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## StarSong (Mar 3, 2021)

Since we don't eat meat, I rinse out most ziplock bags, air dry them and reuse.  I hate wasting perfectly good bags.  

During the summer DH and the grands love a bit of Minute Maid Pink Lemonade splashed into their water. Maybe 1/4 soda 3/4 water. I rinse the 2 liter soda bottles and for drinking water storage (in case of an EQ). I fill them with water from our Brita. Early summer I dump a couple in the pool (or on some plants) each day, recycle any that look iffy, then refill them. Within a few weeks I've freshened them all and am good for another year. 

As some others said, I'm frugal, not cheap. There's a difference between the two.


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## PamfromTx (Mar 3, 2021)

_Honestly, I don't think I am frugal or a cheapskate.  I can't think of anything.  I am quite giving though.  I'd rather buy a gift for someone than buy myself something... hence the worn out elastic on my granny panties.  Just kidding._


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 3, 2021)

None of my cheapskate practices are the result of me looking to cut costs and preserve the household budget, I do what I do frugally, because I loathe waste on all levels.

If something has use left in it, you can be rest assured that I will dedicate myself to garnering every last stitch of use out of whatever it is that I'm looking to get every last stitch of use out of, and then and only then will you see me retire the item or thing or send it off to never-never land (the landfill).

- I've used, and still use safety pins and diaper pins for fixes/emergency repairs, especially when it comes to holding up old sweat pants where the drawstring snaps and the elastic waistband no longer has any stretch.

- Same for panties. A safety pin to get me by until I buy new ones.

- When my kids were babies I used to safety pin their old worn-out rubber pants on like a diaper when the elastic waistband would go (learned the trick from my mom). Looked hideous, and was a pain at changing time dealing with an extra diaper pin or two, but it helped me achieve my goal... _keeping extra plastic and waste out of the landfill._

- Been hand-washing plastic bags along with Ziploc bags for a good two decades now. To dry, I pin them up on the outdoor clothesline. Looks weird... I still haven't warmed to it, but at the end of the day those same plastic bags are sitting back in the plastic-wrap/tinfoil/wax-paper/Ziploc bag drawer in my kitchen, _not in a garbage pail or sitting in the landfill._


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## Ruthanne (Mar 3, 2021)

I have to be very frugal because of my income.  I try not to throw any food away and plan on my meals accordingly so that I eat most of it.  I did lately though end up throwing some veggies away that I thought started to turn but didn't feel bad about it because I don't want to get sick from them.

I only wash my hair one time instead of like the bottle says twice to save on shampoo.  My hair still comes out clean and looks good.  

I try to plan my errands so that I get everything I need to do done in one day and save on gas.

I don't skimp on heating in the very cold months and my heat bill shows it but since it's getting warmer I can turn the heat down a bit now and save on the gas bill.  I turn lights off when leaving a room to save on electricity.  

I do many things to save money so that I can afford the things I really need.


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 3, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> I have to be very frugal because of my income.   I turn lights off when leaving a room to save on electricity.
> 
> I do many things to save money so that I can afford the things I really need.


Not turning lights off when you leave a room is my pet peeve. It is only a few cents but it is a lazy waste of money.


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## Wren (Mar 4, 2021)

When the toothpaste tube is nearly empty, cut it across an inch or so from the closed cap and prise it open, they’ll be enough for another week 

Most containers will yield more content  if stood upside down or a  little  water added when they seem empty 

I’m not a cheapskate but I’m not stupid either


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## timoc (Mar 4, 2021)

When I get out of a taxi I always give the driver a tea-bag and say, "Have a drink on me."


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## mrstime (Mar 4, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I was just shaving and realize I use a razor until I can actually see pits and holes in the blades and then I scrape my face with it one more time.
> EDIT ...As an afterthought,  I can't edit the heading but this is more about the silly things we do to be FRUGAL.


Yard sales, I love buying books cheap, but I really gotta stop because I have more books than I can read in the rest of my life. But then there is something so satisfying about buying books for so much cheaper than the original cost!


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## hollydolly (Mar 4, 2021)

timoc said:


> When I get out of a taxi I always give the driver a tea-bag and say, "Have a drink on me."


lol...don't lie....


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## terry123 (Mar 4, 2021)

I have small trash cans in all rooms and use the grocery bags to line them.  I dump the contents in the large kitchen trash can and reuse the plastic bags again.  They do not need to be washed since they do not hold anything wet.  I am frugal but not cheap.  I try to give away things I don't need on free cycle instead of selling them.  However I do plan on getting things together for a Salvation Army pick up soon.


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## hollydolly (Mar 4, 2021)

All of our charities post Charity bags through our letterboxes  to encourage us to donate anything we don't want.. you can use any of them to donate to another, for example, salvation army bag could be used to fill a Cancer foundation bag, or a British heart foundation.. or help the aged... it can be left on the doorstep and their vans will collect on a designated day.. or you can take your donations to the store yourself.

I donate all the time, I think it's not me being cheap, in fact it's probably the opposite.. me giving all my good quality things  that I've replaced..  to a good cause

Also at our Waste site we have a recycle shop , so rather than throw good condition items ..furniture , kids toys,  etc into the waste bins .. we can give then to the shop who sell them on for a nominal price...


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## Lee (Mar 4, 2021)

Nobody has mentioned this one yet....am I the only one that does this?

I use paper towels to cut up fruit on or to hand dry my good knives. After use the wet towel goes on a little rack inside the cupboard to dry and be used again to mop up a greasy frying pan and then it gets thrown out.


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## hollydolly (Mar 4, 2021)

Sorry laughing Lee...but drying a paper towel...? that's got to be the most thrifty thing I've heard yet... ...


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## hollydolly (Mar 4, 2021)




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## timoc (Mar 4, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> lol...don't lie....


Only little white ones.


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## timoc (Mar 4, 2021)

Years ago, my Missus asked me to put 8 coat-hooks on the back of 2 doors (4 on each), but I only had 7 nails so she had to make do.


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## katlupe (Mar 4, 2021)

I cut the bottom off of plastic containers, like body lotion comes in to scrape out every last drop. The pump stops working and there is still a good amount left in the bottom. If you do this, be sure to cover it or put it in a zip loc bag it will dry out.


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## timoc (Mar 4, 2021)

I used to polish the windows with my old underpants and my wife's old knickers, she used to do her nut and grab them from me. I still don't understand why.


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## Lee (Mar 4, 2021)

I will say that I certainly do not do this but have a cheapo cousin that does. Second cousin, just so you know that it does not run in the immediate family.

She reuses dental floss.


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## hollydolly (Mar 4, 2021)

Lee said:


> I will say that I certainly do not do this but have a cheapo cousin that does. Second cousin, just so you know that it does not run in the immediate family.
> 
> She reuses dental floss.


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## horseless carriage (Mar 4, 2021)

I can, and do, get the last scrap of toothpaste out of the tube. Also. we use liquid soap, the type that has a plunger dispenser. When the bottle is all but empty and won't dispense, I unscrew the top, then unscrew the top of the replacement bottle and balance the old one upside down onto the new one so that every last drop of soap gets used.


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## fmdog44 (Mar 4, 2021)

I keep paper towels in my kitchen and when I spill a couple drops I don't use the towel to wipe them up rather, I tear a small piece of a towel to clean the spill. I use white vinegar to clean a lot of my surfaces.


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## win231 (Mar 4, 2021)

Cheap?  I knew a guy who sent his girlfriend into bars alone so other guys would buy her drinks before he walked in.
When he takes out a dollar, Washington squints at the light.


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 4, 2021)

win231 said:


> Cheap?  I knew a guy who sent his girlfriend into bars alone so other guys would buy her drinks before he walked in.
> When he takes out a dollar, Washington squints at the light.


Sounds like the same guy that can squeeze a nickel so tight, he makes the beaver poop.


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## StarSong (Mar 4, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> I keep paper towels in my kitchen and when I spill a couple drops I don't use the towel to wipe them up rather, I tear a small piece of a towel to clean the spill. I use white vinegar to clean a lot of my surfaces.


I rarely use paper towels - maybe go through a roll every two months.  I just never developed the habit of using them.  

My (approximately) 30 terry cloth and other kitchen towels, plus sponges and dish cloths manage nearly all spills and cleanups.


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## Serenity4321 (Mar 4, 2021)

I reuse make-up  removal 'tissues'. They are pretty strong and can easily be used more than once..when finished I wash them and let them dry. The next time I put a little make-up removal lotion on the tissue and wash off make-up again. Saves on wash cloths too


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 4, 2021)

I get max life out of the kitchen sponges with the scrubby on the back. I run them in the dishwasher to sterilize them once in awhile and when they look a little ragged it goes to one of the bathrooms. When it leaves there it gets another cleaning then goes to the greenhouse or paint closet.
They are usually pretty done when the hit the trash can.


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## Liberty (Mar 4, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I laugh at myself when I keep saying there is one more dab for my toothbrush tonight, I just need to slide it over the edge of the sink to flatten it out a little more and then push right behind the hole and 'wallaaa' there is still more for another day. I use baking soda in the morning and I use the one I took out of the fridge when I put the new one in there.


Funny true story...a toothpaste company had a contest for employees  for a sizable cash prize - on how to "increase usage" of the product.
A elementary age kid  won the contest by saying simply "increase the hole"!


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## Jules (Mar 4, 2021)

StarSong said:


> I rarely use paper towels - maybe go through a roll every two months. I just never developed the habit of using them.
> 
> My (approximately) 30 terry cloth and other kitchen towels, plus sponges and dish cloths manage nearly all spills and cleanups.


This is how I do it too.  

I used to line my fridge vegetable crisper drawers with paper towel.  Then I realized that a dish cloth or towel worked better.


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## Liberty (Mar 4, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> I have to be very frugal because of my income.  I try not to throw any food away and plan on my meals accordingly so that I eat most of it.  I did lately though end up throwing some veggies away that I thought started to turn but didn't feel bad about it because I don't want to get sick from them.
> 
> I only wash my hair one time instead of like the bottle says twice to save on shampoo.  My hair still comes out clean and looks good.
> 
> ...


Very good Ruthanne...wish I could get hub to do the same.  He's an EE (electrical engineer), yet leaves all the lights on every room he goes into and leaves.  When I call him on it he says "they're LED's."  But, when I tell him to be more frugal on something else, he'll say "seriously, we won't spend the money we have before we die you know".  Ha ha. 

Its an ongoing "kidding"session.  He calls me "tighter than the bark on the north side of a cherry tree" and I call him
a spendthrift. LOL.  Sometimes I tell him "here, Jim, got something in my pocket for you".  

Can you guess what that is?


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 4, 2021)

OK I'll bite What is in your pocket??


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## StarSong (Mar 4, 2021)

My guess.... Five fingers, with the middle one displayed prominently.


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## StarSong (Mar 4, 2021)

@Liberty, a favored expression in my family during moments like that is "Bite Me."


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## StarSong (Mar 4, 2021)

Jules said:


> I used to line my fridge vegetable crisper drawers with paper towel. Then I realized that a dish cloth or towel worked better.


I do exactly the same thing!


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## Ruthanne (Mar 5, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> None of my cheapskate practices are the result of me looking to cut costs and preserve the household budget, I do what I do frugally, because I loathe waste on all levels.
> 
> If something has use left in it, you can be rest assured that I will dedicate myself to garnering every last stitch of use out of whatever it is that I'm looking to get every last stitch of use out of, and then and only then will you see me retire the item or thing or send it off to never-never land (the landfill).
> 
> ...


I too wash and reuse plastic bags.  They can be expensive at the store.


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## timoc (Mar 5, 2021)

If anyone claims to use both side of toilet paper, I won't believe them.


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## win231 (Mar 5, 2021)

timoc said:


> If anyone claims to use both side of toilet paper, I won't believe them.


LOL.  I wouldn't shake hands with them, either.


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## Chet (Mar 5, 2021)

The car wash costs two dollars but you can put more quarters in for more time which I don't. I run around the car quickly with the soap spray and then switch to rinse and let the pressure with the rinse drive the dirt off. Some people let the soapy part drive off the dirt and rinse later. It takes more quarters that way.

My mother, having lived through the depression was a master at cheapness. She saved remnants of what was left of a bar of soap, and when she had enough pieces, she made a new bar.


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 5, 2021)

Ruthanne said:


> I too wash and reuse plastic bags.  They can be expensive at the store.


Good on you, Ruthanne!

My mom did, too, and I've driven past neighbourhoods where I've seen plastic bags hanging up and drying on outdoor clotheslines.

We are not alone.


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 5, 2021)

timoc said:


> If anyone claims to use both side of toilet paper, I won't believe them.


If you do ever come across someone claiming that they use both sides, I wouldn't be shaking hands with them! LOL!


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## Gary O' (Mar 5, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I laugh at myself when I keep saying there is one more dab for my toothbrush tonight, I just need to slide it over the edge of the sink to flatten it out a little more and then push right behind the hole and 'wallaaa' there is still more for another day.


My lady's got you beat
She cuts open the tube
Lasts a week or two longer (I try not to keep track)

She also marries the thin bar of soap to the new one
Fortunately, I use different soap (Irish Spring only, for me...my bars stay single)

She's the self confessed cheapskate in our house

I'm the one who stocks up (price ain't the first consideration for me...quality is)


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## Gaer (Mar 5, 2021)

More cheapskate stuff from me:  I buy the cheapest coarsest single ply TP  and paper towels,
I keep painting over my canvasses instead of buying new ones.
I buy the cheapest laundry detergent.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 5, 2021)

My hubby loves stuffing whenever we have chicken. I don't buy the boxed stuff but I save all the ends from loaves of bread and freeze them. When I have enough I cube it and make my homemade stuffing.
I've also dried the bread for bread crumbs and croutons. 
When I buy oranges I forbid anyone from eating one before I get to grate the zest which I then freeze. Same with lemons. 
And like a lot of you have mentioned I wash out plastic bags. I just found one that was labeled ,extra charger for the cell phone, as long as it hasn't had rat poison in it I'll wash it.


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## Nathan (Mar 5, 2021)

Two cheapskate tendencies:   I grocery shop for as much generic / store brand goods as possible.    And, I bend over backwards to conserve water, almost to the point of obsession.    Of course, I DO live in a desert area that has been hit with drought conditions, presently, and repeatedly over the last 30 years.


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## StarSong (Mar 6, 2021)

Nathan said:


> Two cheapskate tendencies:   I grocery shop for as much generic / store brand goods as possible.    And, I bend over backwards to conserve water, almost to the point of obsession.    Of course, I DO live in a desert area that has been hit with drought conditions, presently, and repeatedly over the last 30 years.


I'm the same way about water, Nathan.  I was visiting friends in NJ and was horrified at how much water they wasted and had to continually remind myself that it rains roughly twice a week there so water isn't a precious a commodity to them.  It was difficult to stay mum.


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## Gary O' (Mar 6, 2021)

StarSong said:


> I'm the same way about water, Nathan. I was visiting friends in NJ and was horrified at how much water they wasted and had to continually remind myself that it rains roughly twice a week there so water isn't a precious a commodity to them. It was difficult to stay mum.


Heh...when first living in Houston, I'd run the tap water for it to get cold.
It never got cold.
Learned the fridge water trick


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## Meanderer (Mar 6, 2021)




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## fuzzybuddy (Mar 6, 2021)

Peanut butter jars. It doesn't matter how empty a jar of peanut butter looks, there's enough to make a sandwich. It may take 15 minutes to scrape every molecule of peanut butter out of jar, and maybe there's not much to make a sandwich. BUT to throw out the jar, with maybe one, or OMG!! even two atoms of peanut butter left inside is a crime. Got to save it for next time.


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## Meanderer (Mar 7, 2021)

Gary O' said:


> My lady's got you beat
> She cuts open the tube
> Lasts a week or two longer (I try not to keep track)
> 
> ...


I'm an "Irish Springer", myself!


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## Gary O' (Mar 7, 2021)

Meanderer said:


> I'm an "Irish Springer", myself!


Good choice, Sir Jim
Of course they couldn't leave really good alone
Had to come out with *aloe*, and* icy blast*, and *moisture blast*, and some sorta *charcoal*......????

Gotta keep on yer toes when shopping these days


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 7, 2021)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> My hubby loves stuffing whenever we have chicken. I don't buy the boxed stuff but I save all the ends from loaves of bread and freeze them. When I have enough I cube it and make my homemade stuffing.
> I've also dried the bread for bread crumbs and croutons.
> When I buy oranges I forbid anyone from eating one before I get to grate the zest which I then freeze. Same with lemons.
> And like a lot of you have mentioned I wash out plastic bags. I just found one that was labeled ,extra charger for the cell phone, as long as it hasn't had rat poison in it I'll wash it.


What is zest? how do you use it?


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 7, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> What is zest? how do you use it?


Zest, comes by way of the very outer peeling of citrus fruit. 

It's used for added flavour when cooking and baking.

I just so happen to enjoy a little orange zest in my coffee from time to time. OMG, so yummy!

I also use orange zest occasionally in a chow-mien dish I make.


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## Gaer (Mar 7, 2021)

I don't go to hair salons, never had a massage, don't get nails done, never been in a sauna. 
I feel those are extranious indulgences.   I USED TO  get haircuts but I've just let my hair grow since the China Virus.


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## cookiei (Mar 7, 2021)

I do many of the things mentioned in this thread plus reuse glass/plastic food containers that have lids on them.  Here are a few from pretzel, ice cream, mashed potato containers that I use to store sugar, flour, rice, ...  The mashed potato containers and others with similar size are my tupperware.


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## debodun (Mar 7, 2021)

Where can I begin? Scrimping has become a way of life for me. I have made thriftiness into an art form.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 7, 2021)

@Jondalar7,zest is the fine outer layer of  the peel from an orange or lemon. you can't go to far when grating it. Getting into  the white part will make the grated peel taste bitter. You can also dry the grated peel and store it in a jar. I have a big freezer so I just freeze it. I think it tastes fresher. I use it in baking for flavor or for chicken or fish recipes. 
Bottled grated peel in the store is very pricy.


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## win231 (Mar 7, 2021)

fuzzybuddy said:


> Peanut butter jars. It doesn't matter how empty a jar of peanut butter looks, there's enough to make a sandwich. It may take 15 minutes to scrape every molecule of peanut butter out of jar, and maybe there's not much to make a sandwich. BUT to throw out the jar, with maybe one, or OMG!! even two atoms of peanut butter left inside is a crime. Got to save it for next time.


That slim silicone spurtle is perfect for that.


----------



## SetWave (Mar 7, 2021)

Actually, for me, it's rather basic. I just don't spend money unnecessarily. That way there's more to spend when the time comes.


----------



## Mora than you can handle (Mar 8, 2021)

Keesha said:


> None! I’m not a cheapskate with anything and exceptionally generous with others. In fact, I have a real pet peeve with cheapskates since my entire family were. Sorry if that offends anyone. It’s not meant to. I’m just being honest.


I am only cheap when it comes to myself. I am usually generous with anyone else.  Strange?


----------



## Keesha (Mar 8, 2021)

Mora than you can handle said:


> I am only cheap when it comes to myself. I am usually generous with anyone else.  Strange?


No! Not strange at all. I think most people who are frugal are generally frugal with themselves. 
The people I have pet peeves with are those who will always expect others to pay the restaurant bill or never pay for coffee at work when it’s their turn. We all know someone like that.


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## Sliverfox (Mar 9, 2021)

*I save   coffee grounds,, they go into flower beds.*


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## JimBob1952 (Mar 9, 2021)

Not so much a habit, but...I bought two pairs of gym and workout shorts from LL Bean in 2001.  I still wear them, three or four times a week at the gym.  They look just fine.  

Clothes from LL Bean are reasonably priced and essentially indestructible.


----------



## Lara (Mar 9, 2021)

My mother had a nice house, nice clothes, investments, etc.....yet she would go to the dollar store to buy toothpicks and break them in half before using. She'd also buy the cheapest toilet paper until I convinced her that it was so thin she had to use twice as much so she might as well buy the best soft tissue.


----------



## win231 (Mar 9, 2021)

Lara said:


> My mother had a nice house, nice clothes, investments, etc.....yet she would go to the dollar store to buy toothpicks and break them in half before using. She'd also buy the cheapest toilet paper until I convinced her that it was so thin she had to use twice as much so she might as well buy the best soft tissue.


HAHA - "Cheap toilet paper."  Reminds me of those restrooms in some restaurants that have those faucets that only dispense a little water that shuts off every few seconds & you have to wave your hands under it over & over to activate the motion sensor.  After the 5th time, when all the soap is rinsed off, the water stays on while I'm drying.


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## Jondalar7 (Mar 9, 2021)

I was raised by my grandparents who farmed through the depression, sugar stamps and not much at the store. They learned to live well, save everything and spend nothing. I learned from them and when I lived with mom and we had little we made it do just fine. I still save and repurpose everything, I feel sorry for my kids when they inherit my home and all of my saved treasures.


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## StarSong (Mar 9, 2021)

When it comes to TP, I use Costco's Kirkland brand - not the cheapest, not the most expensive.  It's kind to my body and kind to my bathroom pipes.  When it comes to facial tissues, I've tried cheap brands and returned to Kleenex.  It's bad enough to have a head cold - using cheap, scratchy tissues adds insult to injury and inflames the tender skin on and around my nose.  

I've learned that price doesn't matter for some things, but others are worth plunking down an extra couple of dollars.


----------



## win231 (Mar 9, 2021)

StarSong said:


> When it comes to TP, I use Costco's Kirkland brand - not the cheapest, not the most expensive.  It's kind to my body and kind to my bathroom pipes.  When it comes to facial tissues, I've tried cheap brands and returned to Kleenex.  It's bad enough to have a head cold - using cheap, scratchy tissues adds insult to injury and inflames the tender skin on and around my nose.
> 
> I've learned that price doesn't matter for some things, but others are worth plunking down an extra couple of dollars.


And that's one of the few brands that is still 4.5 inches wide.  Most other brands narrowed the roll to 4 inches to cut costs & you have over an inch of spool on either side.  "Quilted Northern" offers a 4.5 inch, but you have to pay extra for it; they call it "Extra Wide."


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 9, 2021)

Surely I can't be the only mom that did this... (pinning those rubber pants on when the elasticized waistband wore-out).

By the way, "cheapskate" had absolutely nothing to do with why I used old-fashioned cloth diapers.


----------



## Gaer (Mar 9, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Surely I can't be the only mom that did this.
> 
> By the way, "cheapskate" had absolutely nothing to do with why I used old-fashioned cloth diapers.
> 
> View attachment 153948


Oh Yeah!  My parents lived through the depression too and a lot of these things stuck with me.  "Use waxed paper to wrap sandwiches instead of tin foil.  Foil is too expensive."  When you  use a plastic bag, rinse it and turn inside out to use again".  If you open the refrigerator door,close it right away!  It uses too much electricity!"  "Use everything untilit falls apart."
The one thing myMother would not dois darn socks, or wash walls.  "It's easier to repaint!"


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 9, 2021)

Gaer said:


> Oh Yeah!  My parents lived through the depression too and a lot of these things stuck with me.  "Use waxed paper to wrap sandwiches instead of tin foil.  Foil is too expensive."  When you  use a plastic bag, rinse it and turn inside out to use again".  If you open the refrigerator door,close it right away!  It uses too much electricity!"  "Use everything untilit falls apart."
> The one thing myMother would not dois darn socks, or wash walls.  "It's easier to repaint!"


I had a sneaking suspicion you did the same, Gaer!

Yes, I know all too well about being raised in a poor home, and just as in your home, wax-paper was used for sandwiches in ours (both childhood and when I became a mom), plastic bags were always reused (both childhood and our home), lights off when not in use (same), "_don't leave the fridge door open_" were famous words of mine to my kids, and I used and still use everything until the very last drop!

No darning of socks happened in our home either, but my mom and I washed walls more times than I can count. LOL!


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## Liberty (Mar 10, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> OK I'll bite What is in your pocket??


Starsong nailed it!


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## Liberty (Mar 10, 2021)

StarSong said:


> When it comes to TP, I use Costco's Kirkland brand - not the cheapest, not the most expensive.  It's kind to my body and kind to my bathroom pipes.  When it comes to facial tissues, I've tried cheap brands and returned to Kleenex.  It's bad enough to have a head cold - using cheap, scratchy tissues adds insult to injury and inflames the tender skin on and around my nose.
> 
> I've learned that price doesn't matter for some things, but others are worth plunking down an extra couple of dollars.


Hub should own stock in "Puffs"...he's maniac about that brand, sans lotion!


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## katlupe (Mar 10, 2021)

I am not sure if this falls under the category of "super cheap" or not. When I moved to an apartment in the city, I had to deal with water. I got one of those water dispensers that you buy those big clear water bottles that fit into it and you dispense a glass of water from the spout. My boyfriend has spring water at his house (in the country) and he refills the bottles for me. I only had to buy one in the beginning. I keep it in my bathroom so it is out of the way.


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## Remy (Mar 12, 2021)

I'm probably not super cheap but I like to shop in thrift stores. Most of my clothes, all of my dishes are from thrift stores. Went shopping yesterday. Bought 5 items, spent about 13 dollars. No clothes.


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## JimBob1952 (Mar 12, 2021)

Remy said:


> I'm probably not super cheap but I like to shop in thrift stores. Most of my clothes, all of my dishes are from thrift stores. Went shopping yesterday. Bought 5 items, spent about 13 dollars. No clothes.




Also good for the environment!


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## win231 (Mar 12, 2021)

Lara said:


> My mother had a nice house, nice clothes, investments, etc.....yet she would go to the dollar store to buy toothpicks and break them in half before using. She'd also buy the cheapest toilet paper until I convinced her that it was so thin she had to use twice as much so she might as well buy the best soft tissue.


Speaking of toothpicks, these are great:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Doctors-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PG0MEFZ809PCW3P48ZJ0


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## Ruthanne (Mar 15, 2021)

StarSong said:


> When it comes to TP, I use Costco's Kirkland brand - not the cheapest, not the most expensive.  It's kind to my body and kind to my bathroom pipes.  When it comes to facial tissues, I've tried cheap brands and returned to Kleenex.  It's bad enough to have a head cold - using cheap, scratchy tissues adds insult to injury and inflames the tender skin on and around my nose.
> 
> I've learned that price doesn't matter for some things, but others are worth plunking down an extra couple of dollars.


I agree about the luxury of Kleenex--I also buy them over the generic for the same reasons--softness and they don't tear so easily either.


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## hollydolly (Mar 16, 2021)

I buy Aldi ''Softly' Tissues, they're even thicker than Kleenex and cheaper...


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## timoc (Mar 16, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> I buy Aldi ''Softly' Tissues, they're even thicker than Kleenex and cheaper...


They sound good, there's nothing worse than when you blow your nose with a thin tissue and you get a hand full of snot.


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## StarSong (Mar 16, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> I buy Aldi ''Softly' Tissues, they're even thicker than Kleenex and cheaper...


I haven't seen their "Softly" brand.  Only "Willow."  It's well named, I swear some bits of branches are in the tissues.


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## hollydolly (Mar 16, 2021)

StarSong said:


> I haven't seen their "Softly" brand.  Only "Willow."  It's well named, I swear some bits of branches are in the tissues.


No way..OMG !!!


----------



## fmdog44 (Mar 17, 2021)

win231 said:


> Cheap?  I knew a guy who sent his girlfriend into bars alone so other guys would buy her drinks before he walked in.
> When he takes out a dollar, Washington squints at the light.


That is one of the greatest stories I have heard in ages. Where is that guy now?


----------



## fmdog44 (Mar 17, 2021)

Watch *Extreme Cheapskates* on The Learning Channel if you can. I cannot because I want to strangle all of the people featured.


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## Robert59 (Mar 17, 2021)

I know of a man that will not buy any vehicle and instead walk or get ride from a friend before spending money. He has money but is real tight. He never had a vehicle in his life. Never been in a restaurant by himself. Eats only food pantry. This man is 75 years and in good health. I know of other people that is super tight but he's takes the cake.


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## Murrmurr (Mar 17, 2021)

Robert59 said:


> I know of a man that will not buy any vehicle and instead walk or get ride from a friend before spending money. He has money but is real tight. He never had a vehicle in his life. Never been in a restaurant by himself. Eats only food pantry. *This man is 75 years and in good health*.


Probably thanks to a less stressful life.


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## Robert59 (Mar 17, 2021)

Murrmurr said:


> Probably thanks to a less stressful life.


The only thing he does have is that very bad skin cancer that you die from if you wait to long for treatment. One time he waited 6 months for from VA for free treatment and almost died.


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## Aunt Marg (Mar 17, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> Watch *Extreme Cheapskates* on The Learning Channel if you can. *I cannot because I want to strangle all of the people featured.*


I know exactly how you feel, FM.

So many of the episodes seemed fake to me, a put-on specially concocted for the show.


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## StarSong (Mar 18, 2021)

Robert59 said:


> I know of a man that will not buy any vehicle and instead walk or get ride from a friend before spending money. He has money but is real tight. He never had a vehicle in his life. Never been in a restaurant by himself. Eats only food pantry. This man is 75 years and in good health. I know of other people that is super tight but he's takes the cake.


Ugh... I'd be giving this user the air after a couple of experiences.


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## maybenot (May 5, 2021)

The only cosmetic I've used for years is Garniers BB creme ... I usually buy 2 at a time when I see it on special, it''s packed in a tube and when running out, I cut it off at the seam and scrape the remnants out, usually get at least a week and  more uses out of it, I then seal the open end with a bulldog clip.


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## Mr. Ed (May 5, 2021)

Saving left-overs


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## katlupe (May 5, 2021)

I used to have a leftover night by heating up all the leftovers together on a cookie sheet in the oven. So we would get a bit of this and that. I saved even the tiniest leftover for this.


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## StarSong (May 5, 2021)

katlupe said:


> I used to have a leftover night by heating up all the leftovers together on a cookie sheet in the oven. So we would get a bit of this and that. I saved even the tiniest leftover for this.


LOL - I'd forgotten about doing something similar when the kids were growing up.  We used to call it our "little of this and little of that" dinners. Some were heated in the oven, some lent themselves better to the stovetop or MW, some were foods meant to be eaten cold.  It was a great way to clear the fridge of leftovers!


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## Old Dummy (May 28, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> I was just shaving and realize I use a razor until I can actually see pits and holes in the blades and then I scrape my face with it one more time.
> EDIT ...As an afterthought,  I can't edit the heading but this is more about the silly things we do to be FRUGAL.



I do a lot of cheap things, but this is probably the best (or worst?)

When bar soap gets real thin, I rub it into a new bar while sudsy and let it dry so I can use it all up. I figured in 50 years I’ve saved about $1.38.

Dial, because of its curved surfaces, works the best.


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## Pappy (May 29, 2021)

Switch off the water heater at night. I have a switch in the house that does this. Saves a couple bucks a month.
We buy a lot of BOGO items at grocery store.


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## Bellesfleurs (Jun 4, 2021)

Liberty said:


> Funny true story...a toothpaste company had a contest for employees  for a sizable cash prize - on how to "increase usage" of the product.
> A elementary age kid  won the contest by saying simply "increase the hole"!


A number of years ago dishwashing liquid mfgrs adopted this "trick" for their bottle tops so you always ended up using more than you wanted or needed. As a result, I switched out the top and am still using the same smaller-hole dispense for my Dawn from like nearly 20 years now, I think. Fifteen for sure.


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## StarSong (Jun 5, 2021)

Bellesfleurs said:


> A number of years ago dishwashing liquid mfgrs adopted this "trick" for their bottle tops so you always ended up using more than you wanted or needed. As a result, I switched out the top and am still using the same smaller-hole dispense for my Dawn from like nearly 20 years now, I think. Fifteen for sure.


Very interesting!  I have a dishwashing pump dispenser built into my sink and refill it from the giant bottle of Dawn.  However, I will remember this little story.  In my RV I use one of those little sample size bottles and refill it before we go out on a trip.  I'll have to check the hole size on it.  

Ah... the evil geniuses that abound in capitalistic societies.


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## katlupe (Jun 5, 2021)

I pour Dawn from the big bottle into a little sample bottle (that I have had since 1997). I think it makes me use less because I don't want to have to refill it soon. 

I have always cut my paper towels in half before the manufacturers started making "select-a-size" ones. Now I tear the half size into a square...........don't know why I started doing this, but it seems wasteful to use a larger size than I need.


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## hollydolly (Jun 5, 2021)

katlupe said:


> I pour Dawn from the big bottle into a little sample bottle (that I have had since 1997). I think it makes me use less because I don't want to have to refill it soon.
> 
> I have always cut my paper towels in half before the manufacturers started making "select-a-size" ones. Now I tear the half size into a square...........don't know why I started doing this, but it seems wasteful to use a larger size than I need.


I do the same thing with the Washing Up liquid ( our best seller Fairy)...dispense the Huge bottle which I get for much cheaper than a small bottle...and refill the little bottle..

I bought 4 Giant size bottle for £2.00 each.. the smallest bottle is £1.25 each.. the giant bottle holds around 750ml...I haven't had to buy Fairy for over a year.. and I still have 2 Giant bottles in the Store...


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## StarSong (Jun 5, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> I bought 4 Giant size bottle for £2.00 each.. the smallest bottle is £1.25 each.. the giant bottle holds around 750ml...I haven't had to buy Fairy for over a year.. and I still have 2 Giant bottles in the Store...


I generally buy the 90 oz size from Costco (2.6 liters), but during the pandemic hoarding episode I was running very low and (of course) the Costco Business Center where I happened to be shopping that day ran out of that size.  I wound up buying the gallon size for $15.  (Dawn is one of the rare brands I'm loyal to.)  

The 90 oz. size is $12, so the bigger one worked out a little cheaper per ounce. Fortunately I have a place to stash this lunker in my garage, but I won't be needing more Dawn for quite a while... 



p.s.  If you've never visited a Costco Business Center and there's one near you, it's worth the trip to get a look-see.  Only about 50% of its merchandise is the same as a regular Costco.  You can enter with any Costco card.


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## StarSong (Jun 5, 2021)

I just looked it up.  (God bless Wikipedia.)  Fairy Liquid and Dawn Liquid Dishwashing Soaps are essentially the same Procter and Gamble Product.


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## hollydolly (Jun 5, 2021)

StarSong said:


> I just looked it up.  (God bless Wikipedia.)  Fairy Liquid and Dawn Liquid Dishwashing Soaps are essentially the same Procter and Gamble Product.


well waddyaknow.........and I just checked my Big  £2.00 Bottles and they are 1150ml each not 75 ml as I said before ... which 1.15 litres...

Making   3.45 litres £6.00

Compared to your Big Dawn.. at 3.87 Litre... we're getting our ''Fairy'' at around 1/2  of the price you paid for yours... .. Proctor & Gamble are making more money from the US housewife than here ...


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## StarSong (Jun 5, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> well waddyaknow.........and I just checked my Big  £2.00 Bottles and they are 1150ml each not 75 ml as I said before ... which 1.15 litres...
> 
> Making   3.45 litres £6.00
> 
> *Compared to your Big Dawn.. at 3.87 Litre... we're getting our ''Fairy'' at around 1/2  of the price you paid for yours... .. Proctor & Gamble are making more money from the US housewife than here ...*


US consumers are paying through the nose?  Gee, what else is new?


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## RadishRose (Jun 5, 2021)

Dawn is known to be expensive. It works well, but Ajax does too.

I rinse the bottles to get *all* the soap.


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## StarSong (Jun 5, 2021)

RadishRose said:


> I rinse the bottles to get *all* the soap.


Yup.  Me, too. Same with laundry detergent, shampoo and conditioner.


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## Pappy (Jun 5, 2021)

We don’t do it here, but I remember my grandma adding a little water to the ketchup bottle to make it go farther. The depression era and WW2 makes one conserve a bit more than we do.


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## hollydolly (Jun 5, 2021)

RadishRose said:


> Dawn is known to be expensive. It works well, but Ajax does too.
> 
> I rinse the bottles to get *all* the soap.


as it's the same as our Fairy, I wonder why it's so expensive in the name of Dawn... for you in the USA.. 

@Pappy my father did that with the tomato ketchup bottle too..sometimes he would pour cold tea straight out of the teapot into it


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## RadishRose (Jun 5, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> as it's the same as our Fairy, I wonder why it's so expensive in the name of Dawn... for you in the USA.


I saw both are from the same company but that doesn't guarantee the formula is the same. 

However, it's more likely that Americans don't know.


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## StarSong (Jun 5, 2021)

hollydolly said:


> I wonder why it's so expensive in the name of Dawn... for you in the USA..


You don't want to know what we are charged for various prescription medicines and medical procedures... Dawn soap and its ilk is the tip of the iceberg.


RadishRose said:


> I saw both are from the same company but that doesn't guarantee the formula is the same.


According to people who've lived in the US and the UK, it's very nearly - and possibly exactly - the same formula.  
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Alternative-to-Dawn-Dish-Soap-in-the-UK.html


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## hollydolly (Jun 5, 2021)

StarSong said:


> You don't want to know what we are charged for various prescription medicines and medical procedures... Dawn soap and its ilk is the tip of the iceberg.
> 
> According to people who've lived in the US and the UK, it's very nearly - and possibly exactly - the same formula.
> https://www.thriftyfun.com/Alternative-to-Dawn-Dish-Soap-in-the-UK.html


In England for anyone over 18 and under 60.. a prescription ( one item) costs Just over £9.00.... for those who are 60 plus...  unemployed or under 18 ..  the prescription is free..


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## Jules (Jun 5, 2021)

I always considered Dawn a bargain product.  I bought it at a dollar store ($1.25) for a medium size bottle.  Considering it didn’t suds up much, I‘ve wondered if it’s fake.  Maybe lack of suds is part of what makes it safe enough to wash the wildfowl with.


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## hollydolly (Jun 5, 2021)

Jules said:


> I always considered Dawn a bargain product.  I bought it at a dollar store ($1.25) for a medium size bottle.  Considering it didn’t suds up much, I‘ve wondered if it’s fake.  Maybe lack of suds is part of what makes it safe enough to wash the wildfowl with.


hmmmm that makes it different then to ''fairy'' because fairy does sud up lots.. and really cuts through grease of any kind...


----------



## Aunt Marg (Jun 5, 2021)

Dawn Dish Detergent... absolutely loathe it!

Dawn, along with one or two other brands of dish detergent was all that was available for a time last year when the pandemic was bad, and so I caved and bout a bottle. Made my dishcloth smell rancid!

Went back to using Palmolive again when available, sour dishcloth odour went away immediately.


----------



## Sassycakes (Jun 5, 2021)

*When my husband and I got married he was in the Navy. When he got out and got a job we were out shopping and I saw an outfit that I liked. He told me to buy it. I said I would buy it later when I needed to go someplace special. He yelled "That's what I mean about you! You're cheap !" I snapped back and said, "If I wasn't cheap, you wouldn't be able to buy ."
a $200.suit." That shut him up !*


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 5, 2021)

Hubby and I practice sailor's showers.

Don't know if that's being cheap or simply conserving water use (or both).


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## Jules (Jun 5, 2021)

I get upset just thinking about buying something that’s not on sale.


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## Jules (Jun 5, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Dawn Dish Detergent... absolutely loathe it!
> 
> Dawn, along with one or two other brands of dish detergent was all that was available for a time last year when the pandemic was bad, and so I caved and bout a bottle. Made my dishcloth smell rancid!
> 
> Went back to using Palmolive again when available, sour dishcloth odour went away immediately.


The best thing about the pandemic was that I convinced DH that it was imperative that I wash the dish clothes daily.  

I think our regular dish detergent is Sunlight.  It might be Palmolive.  It’s whatever is on sale.  

Absolutely nothing that has an added scent.


----------



## bingo (Jun 5, 2021)

i  call that being frugal....I save ziplocs  if clean..aluminum  foil...water..oh lottsa stuff


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## Twilighttyme (Jun 5, 2021)

I'm frugal, I'm thrifty, I'd drive you nuts. When a catsup bottle is empty, I turn it upside down on the new one to get every last bit out of the bottle. This is my style. At this time of life it is pointless and I'm trying to stop. Wish me luck!


----------



## AprilSun (Jun 6, 2021)

Twilighttyme said:


> I'm frugal, I'm thrifty, I'd drive you nuts. When a catsup bottle is empty, I turn it upside down on the new one to get every last bit out of the bottle. This is my style. At this time of life it is pointless and I'm trying to stop. Wish me luck!


I do that too so you're not alone in doing this.


----------



## Della (Jun 6, 2021)

Hey, @Twilighttyme, you're my favorite song!

We  like to think we're generous people when it comes to tipping, charities, gifts etc. so I wouldn't say we were cheapskates, but we are _very_ frugal.  We do the shampoo bottle and soap sliver things, too, but we're  most frugal on the front end, we don't buy very much to begin with.   I just have one coat, four pairs of shoes and a really basic wardrobe. I'm still driving my 1998 Neon. 

 It helps that we hate shopping.


----------



## Jim W. (Jun 10, 2021)

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this because I just don't have the patience to read through 6 pages of this thread, but.... 

I never buy paper napkins. Whenever I eat at a fast food place, I grab a big stack of them out of the napkin dispenser and take them home with me. Why should I buy something burger places give away free? I literally haven't bought napkins in four decades. 

Another thing is, I don't pay to watch TV. I gave up cable/satellite TV 18 years ago and put up an antenna. I figure I've saved over $20,000 by not sending money to the cable/satellite company.

Oh, and I also do the paper towel drying thing. So does another guy I know. We'll both even rinse them out first prior to hanging them up to dry. Sometimes you can get three uses out of one. More even....


----------



## oldiebutgoody (Jun 20, 2021)

Some call it being a cheap skate but others call it thrift.  Examples:

✔ put tiny pieces of soap, squeeze them into a ball and use the remaining soap until it is all gone

✔ my large shopping bag is worn out but I keep sewing it  so that I don't have to buy a new one

✔ wash paper towels, hang them to dry, and re-use them in order to save $ from buying new ones

✔ going to the library and borrow books & movies so as not to buy or rent them

✔ use boiling water to remove labels from spaghetti & other bottles - then use labels as collage & decorate the walls or doors

✔ neighbors always share food bank goods e.g. fruit juice containers, beans, rice ~ will add to or take from occasionally


----------



## oldiebutgoody (Jun 20, 2021)

Jim W. said:


> I gave up cable/satellite TV 18 years ago and put up an antenna. I figure I've saved over $20,000 by not sending money to the cable/satellite company.





I watch international online sports networks in order to watch pay-per-view professional fights, soccer, or other sports. Been doing this for over 10 years and saves me trucks loads of money.


----------



## oldiebutgoody (Jun 22, 2021)

Twilighttyme said:


> I'm frugal, I'm thrifty, I'd drive you nuts. When a catsup bottle is empty, I turn it upside down on the new one to get every last bit out of the bottle. This is my style. At this time of life it is pointless and I'm trying to stop. Wish me luck!





That makes you a wholesome all American gal!

Thrift is an AMERICAN value to be cherished.  Here's the man who said it and proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt:


ben-franklin-industry-frugality-thrift-bw.pdf (americanvalues.org)


----------



## Colleen (Jun 22, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Dawn Dish Detergent... absolutely loathe it!
> 
> Dawn, along with one or two other brands of dish detergent was all that was available for a time last year when the pandemic was bad, and so I caved and bout a bottle. Made my dishcloth smell rancid!
> 
> Went back to using Palmolive again when available, sour dishcloth odour went away immediately.


Another thing we're "connected" on, Marg!

My mother used Palmolive dish soap for years so that's what I've always used. I was in a cross stitch FB group (not on FB any more!) and someone asked how to get out a stain of some sort on their linen they were stitching on and everyone said soak in Dawn so I figured I must be missing something (I usually am). I splurged and bought a bottle of blue Dawn and I absolutely hate the smell of it!! I'm putting it in the cupboard to use ONLY in an emergency and getting my Palmolive back out. I also only use Ivory bar soap in the shower. It's what my mother used (and Palmolive) and I like the smell and it doesn't have a lot of ingredients. No fancy soaps for me 

I'm also "frugal" with just about everything. Some times it works out to be a good thing but sometimes it doesn't. Just ask my husband. Here's an example:

Our sweeper died about 2 months ago and when I tried to find the same one to buy, it's no longer made. No surprise there. So....I found a "similar" one at a "frugal" price. Hated that vacuum! It didn't clean the carpet and had such a small tank that I'd have to empty it a couple times when I ran the sweeper. Either we're really dirty people or that tank was so tiny that it didn't hold much. We have a whole house that is carpeted except the bathrooms, kitchen and dining room (they're tiled but need vacuumed also). So, a sweeper in this house gets a workout. Besides, we have 2 long-haired kitties that shed...especially during the summers here in AZ. Anyway....that sweeper killed my back pushing it and it weighed a ton. The Amazon reviews must have been submitted by someone stronger than me and had no carpet or pets. It was boxed up (we save all our boxes) and we dropped it off at ARC for someone else to struggle with. It had low mileage on it so it should last someone for a while.

So, I didn't save any money by being "frugal". I had to buy another sweeper. So it actually cost me twice as much as if I'd just bought a good one in the first place... SHEESH!

Just a short addendum....everyone has mentioned ketchup bottles, etc., so here's another thing I'm "frugal" on. When we have spaghetti, I add the sauce to my meat and then I add a little water to the jar; put the lid back on and shake it to get all the sauce out of the jar. Then I add it to the meat mixture.


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## Colleen (Jun 22, 2021)

oldiebutgoody said:


> I watch international online sports networks in order to watch pay-per-view professional fights, soccer, or other sports. Been doing this for over 10 years and saves me trucks loads of money.


I've threatening for the last 5 years or so to cut the cord (we have satellite) because we don't watch anything except the evening news...which we can get on our Roku. We don't watch any tv at all. We watch Netflix or Prime for movies every night. The ONLY reason I've kept satellite is because my husband is a NASCAR fan and he likes to watch the races. I can't find anywhere else but FOX (hate them!) and CBS (I think) that televises the races. An antenna doesn't get any reception in my area here in the desert. If you know anywhere else I can get racing for him, let me know, and then I'd cut the cable in a second.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 22, 2021)

Colleen said:


> Another thing we're "connected" on, Marg!
> 
> My mother used Palmolive dish soap for years so that's what I've always used. I was in a cross stitch FB group (not on FB any more!) and someone asked how to get out a stain of some sort on their linen they were stitching on and everyone said soak in Dawn so I figured I must be missing something (I usually am). I splurged and bought a bottle of blue Dawn and I absolutely hate the smell of it!! I'm putting it in the cupboard to use ONLY in an emergency and getting my Palmolive back out. I also only use Ivory bar soap in the shower. It's what my mother used (and Palmolive) and I like the smell and it doesn't have a lot of ingredients. No fancy soaps for me
> 
> ...


I love it, Colleen! 

So much of my frugal ways are the result of my own mom... watching and helping her do things from the time I was young enough to remember, frugality just stuck with me.

Waste... anything waste related bothers me something awful, just eats at me, always has.

We don't have much in the way of fancy soaps and things in the house either. Years ago, like maybe 8-9 years ago, hubby and I started using liquid body-wash... used bar soap before that, and we both like liquid body-wash, so we've stuck with that, but I buy Pears Glycerin Soap (has so for many years now), and for laundry I use Gain, and for dishes, Palmolive.

One area where I have never been frugal on is making my own household cleaner, I just have always loved store-bought household cleaners, so that's what I use. Back in the day when Pine-Sol still made their cleaner using real pine nut oil, that was my favourite, but when they quit making it with real pine nut oil the scent turned me off, so I switched to Lysol, and occasionally will buy a bottle of Mr. Clean, just to switch it up a little. For scrubbing sinks and bathtubs I use a sponge and VIM lemon scent cleaner.

My mom was big on vinegar and water for washing floors, and I just couldn't get into it, though moms floors were always spic-and-span clean! Her reasoning was protecting the shiny finish of her linoleum/vinyl floors, and I totally got that.

Ziploc bags, plastic bags, if it can be reused, I reuse. Wash by hand and hang on the line.

I still get down on all fours to wash the floors... bucket of water with cleaner and a cloth, though my knees just don't have the staying power that they once used to. I sure feel it afterwards, doesn't last, but one more sign that I'm not a spring chicken anymore.

Was always a stay-at-home mom, and in keeping with being the frugal and stay-at-home mom that I was... I put all of my children through good old-fashioned cotton-fold diapers, diaper pins, and rubber pants. Washing machine laundered and hung to dry on the clothesline. The very thought of filling the garbage with dirty diapers (disposables) never sat well with me.

Have had what I refer to as a rag-bag hanging in my laundry room since the dawn on time that I put all old socks, cotton t-shirts, rags, and towels in to use as general purpose cleaning and dusting rags. Holey ones that reach their end are passed along to dear husband to use for this and that.

Oh yes, your method of getting to the bottom of jars and bottles has been my method for ages! HP Sauce, ketchup and mustard bottles, a little water added, a good shake, and out comes a surprising amount more of the product out of the bottles!

Love your sauce idea!!!


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## oldiebutgoody (Jun 22, 2021)

Colleen said:


> I've threatening for the last 5 years or so to cut the cord (we have satellite) because we don't watch anything except the evening news...which we can get on our Roku. We don't watch any tv at all. We watch Netflix or Prime for movies every night. The ONLY reason I've kept satellite is because my husband is a NASCAR fan and he likes to watch the races. I can't find anywhere else but FOX (hate them!) and CBS (I think) that televises the races. An antenna doesn't get any reception in my area here in the desert. If you know anywhere else I can get racing for him, let me know, and then I'd cut the cable in a second.




please check conversations


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## dobielvr (Jun 22, 2021)

The only thing I can think of that I do is...I'll dilute the Dawn dish soap.  I buy a bigger bottle then I'll transfer a little at a time in to my smaller bottle and then fill it the rest of the way up w/water.  It's still real sudsy.

And, of course I'll let my used paper towels dry so I can use them again.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 22, 2021)

dobielvr said:


> The only thing I can think of that I do is...I'll dilute the Dawn dish soap.  I buy a bigger bottle then I'll transfer a little at a time in to my smaller bottle and then fill it the rest of the way up w/water.  It's still real sudsy.
> 
> *And, of course I'll let my used paper towels dry so I can use them again.*


Holy smokes, Dob, you have me beat by a country mile!


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## Jules (Jun 22, 2021)

Washing paper towels doesn’t make any sense to me.  Just keep a rag under the sink and when it’s dirty, toss it in with the rest of the wash.  You’re not running water to rinse out a paper towel.


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## StarSong (Jun 23, 2021)

Jules said:


> Washing paper towels doesn’t make any sense to me.  Just keep a rag under the sink and when it’s dirty, toss it in with the rest of the wash.  You’re not running water to rinse out a paper towel.


Exactly.  I cut up old towels, use them as rags and then throw them in the laundry.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 28, 2021)

Jules said:


> Washing paper towels doesn’t make any sense to me.  Just keep a rag under the sink and when it’s dirty, toss it in with the rest of the wash.  You’re not running water to rinse out a paper towel.





StarSong said:


> Exactly.  I cut up old towels, use them as rags and then throw them in the laundry.


Did either of you ladies utilize what I refer to as a "rag bag"?

A bag with all of your household and general purpose cleaning rags/cloths?

Or did you/do you fold and stack your cleaning cloths and store them away?


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## StarSong (Jun 28, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Did either of you ladies utilize what I refer to as a "rag bag"?


I've always folded and stack. Never had a rag bag.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 28, 2021)

StarSong said:


> I've always folded and stack. Never had a rag bag.


Embarrassed to say rags are one area where I slacked on, into one big plastic bag they went.

Learned that from my mom.


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## Jules (Jun 28, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Did either of you ladies utilize what I refer to as a "rag bag"?
> 
> A bag with all of your household and general purpose cleaning rags/cloths?
> 
> Or did you/do you fold and stack your cleaning cloths and store them away?


Definitely had/have a rag bag.  It actually was a ’rag’ bag.  When it too became a rag, I switched to a tall laundry hamper with a lid.  The old towels, cloths, etc go into it.  The towels are used for car washing etc.  For under the sink, I keep fibre cloths.  They’re not rags, just called that from history when they were the raggedy dishcloths,

Paper towels are only for dirty, greasy spills.


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## dobielvr (Jun 28, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Did either of you ladies utilize what I refer to as a "rag bag"?
> 
> A bag with all of your household and general purpose cleaning rags/cloths?
> 
> Or did you/do you fold and stack your cleaning cloths and store them away?


What'd you call me?


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## StarSong (Jun 29, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> Embarrassed to say rags are one area where I slacked on, into one big plastic bag they went.
> 
> Learned that from my mom.


I learned to fold and stack them from my mom.  It never occurred to me to gather them in a bag.  



Jules said:


> Definitely had/have a rag bag. It actually was a ’rag’ bag. When it too became a rag, I switched to a tall laundry hamper with a lid. The old towels, cloths, etc go into it. The towels are used for car washing etc. For under the sink, I keep fibre cloths. They’re not rags, just called that from history when they were the raggedy dishcloths,
> 
> Paper towels are only for dirty, greasy spills.


I also keep a fiber cloth (and a sponge) under each sink. 
Ditto on my paper towel use.


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## Aunt Marg (Jun 29, 2021)

StarSong said:


> I learned to fold and stack them from my mom.  It never occurred to me to gather them in a bag.
> 
> 
> I also keep a fiber cloth (and a sponge) under each sink.
> Ditto on my paper towel use.


Our house was always super busy, so while my mom was fussy about keeping home, she did have a few areas where she cheated, and the rag-bag was one of them.

No folding, no stacking, just into the rag-bag.


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## dobielvr (Jun 29, 2021)

I sometimes buy those bar towels they sell at Walmart.  I can use them in the kitchen, or for cleaning.  They're cheap and useful, and I don't feel bad if I have to throw them away.  They're small too, so I can use them easily in my hands.

Also, in my linen closet , on the top shelf...which I can barely reach I'll throw towels up there that have passed their prime. Like, if I've stained them or they've torn or something.


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## oldiebutgoody (Jul 4, 2021)

The local food bank drops off food every week in the large tenement I live in.  This week they left behind a few large re-usable cloth food bags. I took them, gave them a good washing, and will now use them when shopping rather than buy new shopping bags.


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## Remy (Jul 9, 2021)

dobielvr said:


> The only thing I can think of that I do is...I'll dilute the Dawn dish soap.  I buy a bigger bottle then I'll transfer a little at a time in to my smaller bottle and then fill it the rest of the way up w/water.  It's still real sudsy.
> 
> And, of course I'll let my used paper towels dry so I can use them again.


I don't rinse paper towels but I will re-use. For example I keep a empty oatmeal container next to the sink and if I used a paper towel to eat, I put it in there and then can use it to clean up something on the stove or to clean the sink. 

@Jules I have plenty of fabric so I made some re-usable wipes for the kitchen and some re-usable napkins. I even made a pair of thrift store pants into shorts for around the house and hemmed the fabric I cut off for kitchen rags. Because I don't use my dryer in the summer and don't like the lint on them from towels, I keep them separate and wash separate. 

I buy recycled paper towels and try to use them mostly for cleaning up after the cats and for cleaning the feed and water dishes for the ferals I feed at work.


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## Remy (Jul 9, 2021)

dobielvr said:


> I sometimes buy those bar towels they sell at Walmart.  I can use them in the kitchen, or for cleaning.  They're cheap and useful, and I don't feel bad if I have to throw them away.  They're small too, so I can use them easily in my hands.
> 
> Also, in my linen closet , on the top shelf...which I can barely reach I'll throw towels up there that have passed their prime. Like, if I've stained them or they've torn or something.


I too prefer the bar size towels for the kitchen. I have some I've had for years. They are stained from rinsing berries in the summer. I don't care. They still wash up. I like them small so I can change them out as I need them and they don't take up as much room in the washer since I really watch water.

I also bought some cheap flour sack towels at Walmart. They seemed too big so I cut them in fourths and hemmed them. Better size. I buy the better quality sack towels to embroider on and keep them full size.


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## Sunny (Jul 22, 2021)

My rags are thrown in a bag. I never fold or stack them.

My cheapest habit is keeping those plastic bags for carrying groceries home much too long. They say, "Use 25 times" (are we supposed to be keeping score?)  but I just keep using mine forever. This morning, I did some food shopping, and when I took the groceries out of my oldest and largest bag, I suddenly got a whiff from the bag - it really stunk!  I realized the bag was probably filthy, although it looked clean enough, but still. So I threw it out.  Those bags cost 5 cents.


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## win231 (Jul 22, 2021)

Jules said:


> Washing paper towels doesn’t make any sense to me.  Just keep a rag under the sink and when it’s dirty, toss it in with the rest of the wash.  You’re not running water to rinse out a paper towel.


I've never put cleaning rags in my washer.  I'm concerned about my clothes smelling weird.
_"Hey, your cologne is interesting.  What do you call it?"
"Pine Sol."_


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## Jules (Jul 22, 2021)

win231 said:


> I've never put cleaning rags in my washer. I'm concerned about my clothes smelling weird.


I do a special wash just for rags.  No wicked chemicals were used in the cleaning of this house.


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## StarSong (Jul 23, 2021)

Jules said:


> I do a special wash just for rags.  No wicked chemicals were used in the cleaning of this house.


Same here on both counts.


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## Murrmurr (Jul 23, 2021)

When I use a plastic straw in an iced drink, I'll wash the straw and reuse it a few times. I'm not sure why. I can get a bag of 100 straws for a dollar.


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## oldiebutgoody (Aug 14, 2021)

bingo said:


> I save ziplocs if clean..aluminum foil...water.




I do as well.  May be frugal but being penny wise is good for the economy and the environment.

Benjamin Franklin describes frugality this way: “*Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing*.”


----------



## feywon (Aug 15, 2021)

jujube said:


> I can't bear to throw a toilet paper roll away if it has ONE square of toilet paper on it.  So I'll tear off that last one or two squares of toilet paper that's stuck to the roll and stack them up on the back of the toilet tank.  There they sit until I get tired of looking at them and throw them away.  OK, there's no understanding some compulsions...….


we recycle the cardboard center to TP rolls.  Since we have a woodstove we save on 'Firestarter' things by making our own. Dryer lint loosely packed in TP roll works great, if a sheet or two still on it we'll pull them off and stuff in the roll too.


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## feywon (Aug 15, 2021)

Murrmurr said:


> When I use a plastic straw in an iced drink, I'll wash the straw and reuse it a few times. I'm not sure why. I can get a bag of 100 straws for a dollar.


We invested in two sets of steel straws. They come with brushes for cleaning. One set even had 2 short ones with a bend and 2 tall ones with a bend. Daughter takes some to work, we have some in car and some at home with utensils.


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## Murrmurr (Aug 15, 2021)

feywon said:


> We invested in two sets of steel straws. They come with brushes for cleaning. One set even had 2 short ones with a bend and 2 tall ones with a bend. Daughter takes some to work, we have some in car and some at home with utensils.


I have steel straws for drinking yerba mate`. They're called bombillas. But they're only for drinking yerba.


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## feywon (Aug 15, 2021)

win231 said:


> You'd be surprised at how many more shampoos you get when the bottle is "empty" if you put a little water in the bottle & shake it.  At least 9 or 10.
> Edited to add:  Shake the _bottle_; not anything else.


What's more most people do not need to do the lather, rinse, repeat thing--it can in fact be counter productive. As with covering whole head of toothbrush with toothpaste it's a way to sell more.  Over- shampooing can dry out scalp which makes it want to produce more natural oils. Oil tends to hold on to airborne dust etc., hair 'dirty' again faster.

When i've lived where there was soft water i didn't need conditioner, but in 'hard water areas, it's a must tho i often combined them for 1 application of product in washing. Now i buy 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioners. Due to various things i read i just put the 2in1 stuff on various sections of scalp and work it in just enough to thoroughly cover, then squeeze as much out as i can before rinsing. From having to wash my hair every other day to only every 4th day is the result.

Have to laugh at your edit, got mental image of various seniors around the world following the original instructions but shaking their booties instead of just the bottle and wondering why the water and shampoo had not mixed.


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## OneEyedDiva (Aug 16, 2021)

I reuse paper towels. Considering I probably wash my hands 20 times by the time I have breakfast and many more times during the day, I have no qualms using them twice to dry my hands after they've dried while hanging on the rack near the sink. I then use them to wipe the grease off dishes and pots that I've sprayed with degreaser and sometimes to wipe up spills on the floor. BTW, I use Kirkland (Costco brand) paper towels which are very sturdy and absorb well.


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## chrislind2 (Aug 16, 2021)

In the winter time I have my dehumidifier running and the water fills up in it about every other day or so when it's cold outside. I pour this water into a plastic jug and when the jug is full I can use that water to flush my toilet for free 2 times. Now how is that for cheap. I just like the idea of using water that is not drinkable for a good purpose and not wasting it. I'm sure it barely saves pennies.


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## StarSong (Aug 16, 2021)

chrislind2 said:


> In the winter time I have my dehumidifier running and the water fills up in it about every other day or so when it's cold outside. I pour this water into a plastic jug and when the jug is full I can use that water to flush my toilet for free 2 times. Now how is that for cheap. I just like the idea of using water that is not drinkable for a good purpose and not wasting it. I'm sure it barely saves pennies.


As someone who lives in a drought-prone area, I'm always on the lookout for how to conserve water.  Water used to boil pasta cools on the stove overnight and waters my roses.  While waiting for the shower to come to temperature, the water collects in a large plastic container for watering plants or toilet flushing.  I move the bowl out of the way when I step into the shower so it isn't a trip-and-fall hazard.


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## oldpanightowl (Aug 17, 2021)

If it breaks I can fix it.


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## Verisure (Aug 17, 2021)

Jondalar7 said:


> What is the super cheapskate habit you have?​


When the hand soap starts to get too small to handle I don’t throw it away. I press it into the new one letting nothing go to waste. It isn’t easy and it takes several days for them to become _”as one”_. Can I not just throw the used one away? Sure. Should I? Probably.


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## win231 (Aug 18, 2021)

Verisure said:


> When the hand soap starts to get too small to handle I don’t throw it away. I press it into the new one letting nothing go to waste. It isn’t easy and it takes several days for them to become _”as one”_. Can I not just throw the used one away? Sure. Should I? Probably.
> 
> View attachment 179162


I've been doing that just about my whole life.  I see no reason to waste anything, even if I can afford to.


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## Verisure (Aug 18, 2021)

win231 said:


> I've been doing that just about my whole life.  I see no reason to waste anything, even if I can afford to.


That's the keyword, waste. Cost isn't a factor. That thick sliver of soap isn't worth a cent but why throw it away unused.


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## Remy (Aug 24, 2021)

OneEyedDiva said:


> I reuse paper towels. Considering I probably wash my hands 20 times by the time I have breakfast and many more times during the day, I have no qualms using them twice to dry my hands after they've dried while hanging on the rack near the sink. I then use them to wipe the grease off dishes and pots that I've sprayed with degreaser and sometimes to wipe up spills on the floor. BTW, I use Kirkland (Costco brand) paper towels which are very sturdy and absorb well.


We're similar. I usually don't use paper towels to dry my hands in the kitchen (I use the small bar towels or cheap flour sack towels I cut in quarters and hemmed) but I re-use paper towels to their end. If I use one, or 1/2 one, I keep it and may use it to wipe the stove or counter, then it can go into the sink to wipe dishes before they go into dishwasher. So used 3 times before the trash. 

I keep part used ones in an empty oatmeal container by the sink.


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## Remy (Aug 24, 2021)

feywon said:


> We invested in two sets of steel straws. They come with brushes for cleaning. One set even had 2 short ones with a bend and 2 tall ones with a bend. Daughter takes some to work, we have some in car and some at home with utensils.


I love my stainless straws! They don't bend. I got one that came with the brush then at the health food store they hand singles in bulk. I think I have 3 now. I just put them in the dishwasher.


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## oldpanightowl (Aug 24, 2021)

Verisure said:


> When the hand soap starts to get too small to handle I don’t throw it away. I press it into the new one letting nothing go to waste. It isn’t easy and it takes several days for them to become _”as one”_. Can I not just throw the used one away? Sure. Should I? Probably.
> 
> View attachment 179162


 I do the same thing. lol


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## Packerjohn (Aug 24, 2021)

I don't have a idea what anyone here is talking about.  I'm not cheap.  I have given things away to the Mennonite Central Committee, the Salvation Army and to Good Will.  It's just stuff.  We come into this world with nothing and that is exactly the way we are going to go.


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## StarSong (Aug 25, 2021)

oldpanightowl said:


> I do the same thing. lol


Same here.


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## Joe Smith (Aug 25, 2021)

Murrmurr said:


> They'll last about 3X longer if you keep them in a small jar or cup with a little baby oil in it.
> 
> That's my cheapskate thing. After the first use, I store my so-called disposable razor in a small, oval jar I found outside, with just enough baby oil in it to cover the blade. Keeps the blade clean and sharp for weeks, and I don't even need shaving cream or any kind of skin lubricant.


It shows.


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## Mr. Ed (Aug 26, 2021)

I regurgitate my meals to make them last longer.


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## fatboy (Aug 26, 2021)

i hate waste,and also frugal.


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## Brookswood (Aug 27, 2021)

When I write messages like this I never us a colon; I always use a semi-colon to save electrons.


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## chrislind2 (Sep 1, 2021)

StarSong said:


> As someone who lives in a drought-prone area, I'm always on the lookout for how to conserve water.  Water used to boil pasta cools on the stove overnight and waters my roses.  While waiting for the shower to come to temperature, the water collects in a large plastic container for watering plants or toilet flushing.  I move the bowl out of the way when I step into the shower so it isn't a trip-and-fall hazard.


I have always thought that running the shower until it is warm enough to step into is a bad waste of water. Could likely fill a jug easily every morning.


----------



## caroln (Sep 1, 2021)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> My hubby loves stuffing whenever we have chicken. I don't buy the boxed stuff but I save all the ends from loaves of bread and freeze them. When I have enough I cube it and make my homemade stuffing.
> I've also dried the bread for bread crumbs and croutons.
> When I buy oranges I forbid anyone from eating one before I get to grate the zest which I then freeze. Same with lemons.
> And like a lot of you have mentioned I wash out plastic bags. I just found one that was labeled ,extra charger for the cell phone, as long as it hasn't had rat poison in it I'll wash it.


I also make my own bread crumbs.  I used to buy the crumbs in the "can", but got tired of opening up a new can and the crumbs had that yucky stale taste.  Homemade taste so much better and already paid for!


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## Sunny (Sep 6, 2021)

I tear up letter-sized paper (mail or something I don't need off the printer) into fourths, and use the blank side as scrap paper. Very handy especially next to the computer, for jotting dow things.


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## Ladybj (Sep 10, 2021)

I squeeze my tooth paste until I can't squeeze anymore out.  If it could talk it would say "I don't know about you but I'm done"...


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## Ladybj (Sep 10, 2021)

caroln said:


> I also make my own bread crumbs.  I used to buy the crumbs in the "can", but got tired of opening up a new can and the crumbs had that yucky stale taste.  Homemade taste so much better and already paid for!


Great idea!!!!


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## Remy (Sep 10, 2021)

I love going to our little volunteer thrift store that just reopened about 2 months ago and finding it's half price day! I finally stopped looking because I was finding too much. Spent about $5.60.


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## Joe Smith (Sep 11, 2021)

I like recycling paper plates.


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## Lawrence00 (Sep 18, 2021)

I found large cans of generic coffee on sale at Wal-Mart. Am beginning to fill my clothing closet with these and other common bulk items. I recently found that putting some pumpkin spice in with the coffee, in the filter has created massive new taste sensations. Maybe this is enlightenment.


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## dobielvr (Sep 19, 2021)

Lawrence00 said:


> I found large cans of generic coffee on sale at Wal-Mart. Am beginning to fill my clothing closet with these and other common bulk items. I recently found that putting some pumpkin spice in with the coffee, in the filter has created massive new taste sensations. Maybe this is enlightenment.


It's enlightenment for the month of October.  Due to Halloween.
Everything is pumpkin spice; martinis, coffees, ice cream, etc

Enjoy.


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## feywon (Sep 19, 2021)

Joe Smith said:


> I like recycling paper plates.


We buy the non-coated kind and keep used ones with other woodstove supplies. We can tear them up or leave them whole with a handful of small wood bits on them to get fire going good again when it gets low at night. We also make own fire starters from the toilet paper cardboard roll stuffed with dryer lint.


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## Chris P Bacon (Sep 19, 2021)

I read and interact with the discussions here. It saves me subscribing to paid TV services and is much more entertaining in my personal experience. Being here is like a town hall meeting, a three ring circus, exploring historical matters, a trip to the library and the art museum, all rolled up into one place. I’ve spent much more and received much less after doing so. SF has saved me a bundle! I try to come back often too so that those Google ads generate a bit of revenue to allow our host the means to keep such fine entertainment free, for a cheapskate like me.


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## Chris P Bacon (Sep 19, 2021)

dobielvr said:


> It's enlightenment for the month of October.  Due to Halloween.
> Everything is pumpkin spice; martinis, coffees, ice cream, etc
> 
> Enjoy.


Yeah, soon it will be poultry seasoning flavored coffees and soon after, candy canes. It’s an interesting world we live in.


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## oldiebutgoody (Sep 20, 2021)

I'm so d@mn forgetful that I have to write notes in order to remind myself of what the heck I have to do on a daily basis. Instead of buying note pads, I used the back of envelopes from junk mail.  Once they are filled with notes and the tasks are completed, I put the paper in the recycle bin.


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## oldiebutgoody (Sep 27, 2021)

A  long forgotten cheapskate habit I had years ago:  remember those old Book of the Month Club ads?  You could get 4 or 5 hard cover books for only $1 and could cancel your membership at any time. In those days they also had book clubs for subjects such as History, War, Science Fiction, Mystery, Classic Literature, Crime, and other topics. I would take advantage of the sale, cancel my membership, join another club, and cancel that membership as well.  Maybe a couple of years passes by and I do the same thing again. Got many really good books that way.

Still another thing I did was to go to the many used books shops we had in Brooklyn and in NYC in the old days. You could buy an arm full of books for a dollar back then.  What a time it was for inveterate readers like me!


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## oldiebutgoody (Sep 27, 2021)

this almost brings tears to my eyes:

old book stores on montague street brooklyn - Bing images



We had so many used books stores on Montague Streets and on nearby Willoughby Street in down town Brooklyn.


Montague Street Crisis: Heights Books | Brooklyn Heights Blog

A dusty, musty guide to Brooklyn's used bookstores (brokelyn.com)



*Book Row* in Manhattan:


Book Row - Wikipedia





As I wrote above, for a dollar or two you could get an arm full of good books. There was also a time in NY when a person finished reading a book he/she would leave it in a public place such as a park bench with a note which said, ''it's yours for FREE, enjoy it" or some other such message.  I got a couple of books that way.  When I finished reading it, I returned the favor by leaving the book on a bench or subway with a note containing the same message.  And if a page had been torn by the previous reader, I made very sure to tape it up so that the book would be in better shape after I used it.


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## Sassycakes (Nov 6, 2021)

*I don't remember if I posted this before, but my husband says I'm cheap. If I see something for myself that I like I say "When I need it I'll buy it." then he calls me cheap. his has been going on since we married and he was in the Navy. I would answer then that if I wasn't cheap we wouldn't be able to buy what he needed. After 50yrs this is still going on. *


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## Jondalar7 (Nov 6, 2021)

Sassy cakes    Raising a family when we were young was often a need to balance wants and needs. When it came to the kids their wants usually got higher priority than mine. Hard habit to break but that is probably why there is money in the savings.


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## Bretrick (Nov 7, 2021)

I save plastic wrap. Put it on the fridge with a magnet then any other pieces readily stick to it.
I reuse plastic sandwich bags over and over.
Same with plastic take away containers.
I reuse aluminium foil
I reuse paper plates if they are not dirty
I buy those items that are on super special because the use buy date is nigh. Freeze these items


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## StarSong (Nov 7, 2021)

I tend to make most foods from scratch - much cheaper and I control the ingredients.


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2021)

feywon said:


> We also make own fire starters from the toilet paper cardboard roll stuffed with *dryer lint*.


I just knew there had to be a use for that stuff!


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## hawkdon (Nov 7, 2021)

Just living....


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## Knight (Nov 7, 2021)

Since gas prices have gone up  I've stopped putting the last bit in the tube of toothpaste under a board & driving over the board to squeeze out that last little bit.


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 7, 2021)

This morning I used the oven on the stove for the first time in a long time.

It was cold this morning so when I finished with the stove I turned it off and opened the door a couple of inches to let the heat flow out to take the chill off.


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> This morning I used the oven on the stove for the first time in a long time.
> 
> It was cold this morning so when I finished with the stove I turned it off and opened the door a couple of inches to let the heat flow out to take the chill off.


My mother used to do that.


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## Jules (Nov 7, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> This morning I used the oven on the stove for the first time in a long time.
> 
> It was cold this morning so when I finished with the stove I turned it off and opened the door a couple of inches to let the heat flow out to take the chill off.


Me too.  It seems a shame to waste the heat.


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## dseag2 (Nov 7, 2021)

Since I retired I have been picking up extra napkins when we go out to eat.  We don't need them, but it makes me feel better!


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## dobielvr (Nov 8, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> This morning I used the oven on the stove for the first time in a long time.
> 
> It was cold this morning so when I finished with the stove I turned it off and opened the door a couple of inches to let the heat flow out to take the chill off.


I've been doing that too lately.  Open the door all the way tho, to heat up the kitchen while I'm getting the rest of my dinner ready.


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## David777 (Nov 8, 2021)

Am an expert at traveling in California legally dispersed camping, sleeping inside my Forester, avoiding paying for lodging.  During winter when it is cold, I spend plenty of time in paid Tahoe lodging while skiing.  The rest of the year it is easy to avoid though definitely more difficult along coastal regions.   The notion of sleeping parked along deserted rural dirt roads is the kind of thing that will scare many.


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## Lawrence00 (Nov 8, 2021)

David777 said:


> Am an expert at traveling in California legally dispersed camping, sleeping inside my Forester, avoiding paying for lodging.  During winter when it is cold, I spend plenty of time in paid Tahoe lodging while skiing.  The rest of the year it is easy to avoid though definitely more difficult along coastal regions.   The notion of sleeping parked along deserted rural dirt roads is the kind of thing that will scare many.


I have thoughts of camping in my Jeep JL in national parks. Need to learn more about bears, concealed carry, and avoiding human predators.


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## Shero (Nov 8, 2021)

After reading some of these posts, I am a bit ashamed of admitting to some wasteful habits. Have to look into those!


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## palides2021 (Nov 8, 2021)

Make it a habit to park the car and walk instead of parking where the meters are.
Pack a picnic and go to the park if weather is nice (instead of eating at restaurant). Or stay at home and cook.
Reuse plastic bags like many here.
Printed paper gets turned over and reused on the blank side
Turn off lights
Switched to LED lights (inside house and Christmas lights) so they would last longer - don't know if that's cheaper...
Not a fashion nut and rarely shop - comfortable with mixing and matching what I have - basic blacks, whites, beiges, browns
Use Library, Internet.Archive, and Youtube for free stuff
Take free classes online


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## David777 (Nov 9, 2021)

Lawrence00 said:


> I have thoughts of camping in my Jeep JL in national parks. Need to learn more about bears, concealed carry, and avoiding human predators.


That is a complex subject that depends on policies of specific government jurisdictions including each state.  Unlike during the era we grew up in, today there is dominant policy restricting where vehicles can park along public roads.  Such policies arose after the rise of vans in the 1970's, quickly after RV's recreational vehicles appeared, and more recently with the rise of homelessness.  Generally, lodging and tourist interests for the sake of more revenue push for such laws.  One can learn about such policies web searching with say "dispersed camping" or "boondocking".


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