What is one everyday thing you think is THRIFTY, but your friends/family think is CHE

Kickernick

Recycles dryer sheets
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May 29, 2014
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My friend waters down the Soft Soap he puts in his bathroom soap dispenser because he thinks the kids use too much. CHEAP!
 
I've been known to do that too, especially in the last few months when I had a hard time finding liquid hand soap!!

I have washed and re used zip lock bags, which has gotten me looks from my kids.
 
Multiple meals out of a whole chicken, including making broth from the bones; use the library and it’s digital accesses. Call cell phone and internet providers annually to keep costs down. We went from a two car family to one. We live frugally to reach FI !
 
I do a lot of my home maintenance. I do my own housework, lawn work, small repairs, and painting. My house is 111 years old and I am not sure I could afford to live here if I had to hire out for everything. I am 63 and DH is 69. He can't do very much, so I'll do it as long as I can.
 
im just here loitering looking for better ideas. I already dilute my soap and I also water down most beverages bc I find them too sweet and too caloric, but it also saves money.
 
I asked DH this year to install dual flush toilet valves in all 3 of our bathrooms to save on water use. He initially protested as it being unnecessary, probably more because he knew who would be the one installing them.
 
Hi, I’m a self-made multimillionaire and I like those paper towel rolls with the half sheets.[emoji857]
 
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Hi, I’m a self-made multimillionaire and I like those paper towel rolls with the half sheets.[emoji857]

I've begun to tear the half sheets into two pieces. DW refers to me as "Old quarter sheet"
 
I've begun to tear the half sheets into two pieces. DW refers to me as "Old quarter sheet"



It only makes sense! Full sheets and full strength hand soap must be meant for the lah-de-dah private jet crowd with diamonds on their shoe laces.
 
I asked DH this year to install dual flush toilet valves in all 3 of our bathrooms to save on water use. He initially protested as it being unnecessary, probably more because he knew who would be the one installing them.

I wonder what the payoff time is? Well, time to Do The Math (tm).

Our most expensive water (Tier 3) is about $.012 / gallon. (Our cheapest water costs about a third of that.). Assuming you save 1 gallon per liquid waste flush, that means that each flush saves about a penny. We currently have three toilets and three people in the house. Assuming 5 flushes per day per person with a 60% "liquid only" flush rate, that means we would save about $.10 per day.

A dual flush toilet kit is $20, and I would need three of them. so $75/.1 = 750 days to payoff the valves. Not too bad, actually.

Now I need to factor in the cursing tax, the dropped a tool on my foot tax, and the multiple trips to the hardware store when I break something tax. So lets call it a 5 year payoff ;-)

Might be good eco-friendly reasons to make the change, but for me the payoff probably is not there. The equation changes dramatically if you have more people in the house, more "frequent flushers", or higher cost water!
 
I've been called a lot of things but being cheap ain't one of them.
 
Kitchen savings: Wash and reuse plastic bags, wash vegetables before peeling, cutting. Keep carrot peels, old tomatoes, ect in freezer. When I have a bowlful: Instapot cook with water, cool, filter and use this instead of store bought vegi broth. White cotton dish towels for paper towels, napkins, permanent straws. Paper towels are for dog related events. A half sheet roll will last months.

Kids tease me but I tell them saving on small things makes more dollars for big things.
 
I wonder what the payoff time is? Well, time to Do The Math (tm).

Our most expensive water (Tier 3) is about $.012 / gallon. (Our cheapest water costs about a third of that.). Assuming you save 1 gallon per liquid waste flush, that means that each flush saves about a penny. We currently have three toilets and three people in the house. Assuming 5 flushes per day per person with a 60% "liquid only" flush rate, that means we would save about $.10 per day.

A dual flush toilet kit is $20, and I would need three of them. so $75/.1 = 750 days to payoff the valves. Not too bad, actually.

Now I need to factor in the cursing tax, the dropped a tool on my foot tax, and the multiple trips to the hardware store when I break something tax. So lets call it a 5 year payoff ;-)

Might be good eco-friendly reasons to make the change, but for me the payoff probably is not there. The equation changes dramatically if you have more people in the house, more "frequent flushers", or higher cost water!
I had to install a new toilet recently and didn't know it at purchase, but it is a dual flush toilet and I like it, I didn't even know there was such a thing.
 
I had to install a new toilet recently and didn't know it at purchase, but it is a dual flush toilet and I like it, I didn't even know there was such a thing.

I always thought you had to replace the entire toilet to get a dual flush, then I saw the valve assembly at a hardware store. It was really more a desire to save water due to the frequent drought conditions in my area. I recall the aghast expression of a German man who exclaimed, "Americans use drinking water to flush their toilets!"
 
Years ago, I went without a text plan on my cell phone. Since I only got a text or two a month, why pay $5 or $10 when I can pay 25 or 50 cents? Then I met some new friends I skied with. They'd text "Hi!" then "are you there" and so on, and I said, "You know, that costs me a quarter for every text. No big deal, but maybe combine messages into one?" Nope, I'm cheap. A while later, but not right away, I was getting enough texts to go with a plan.
 
I, too, make my own veg, meat & bone broths + Bouquet garni. I hate to waste veggies/ herbs & composting is too much trouble for us (we buy our organic mulch from a local source). I save foil if it is clean and reuse baggies if they are easily cleaned (no meat ones).

When we have a bunch of random things in our freezer/ fridge that need to find a home (frozen 2 months or more), I make what I call our "Pu Pu Platter". We have had some really weird small plate dinners, but it's always good & makes my DH & DM laugh when I make the announcement. We do actually order REAL Pu Pu Platters from our local Chinese place. I like small plate meals.
 
Hi, I’m a self-made multimillionaire and I like those paper towel rolls with the half sheets.[emoji857]
Is this LBMYs Anonymous? :cool:

Hi, I'm a self-made multimillionaire and I tear a tiny corner off my half-sheet paper towels when I have a drop of something to clean off the counter. Or I'll put a half sheet that's only been used to wipe up water on top of the paper towel stand to dry.

I also spend a lot of time calculating unit price or other cost, and buy a lot of anything that will not go bad quickly, such as when our local grocery store had boxes of Whoppers half off, or a dollar each, I bought 10 boxes...each time we got groceries! I think my family got sick of hearing how for $1, each box was enough for a dessert treat for me for at least 4-5 nights. :2funny:
 
I've been known to do that too, especially in the last few months when I had a hard time finding liquid hand soap!!

I have washed and re used zip lock bags, which has gotten me looks from my kids.


I thought I was the only one who did that?
 
I cut my own hair (did it even before the pandemic). I never could find a stylist who would cut it the way I like so I figured it was just a waste of money.
 
I cut my own hair (did it even before the pandemic). I never could find a stylist who would cut it the way I like so I figured it was just a waste of money.
Wow, that's impressive! I cut my own, but it requires zero skill:

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Can the turning the underwear inside out comment be far away?:D

As for me, I religiously monitor the credit card spending across 5 CC's to maximize the rewards points.
 
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