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

[Amethyst]

Heck, I did this with newspaper bags as an adult, for shoveling snow (or just walking in it)! Also comes in handy if you need to shower with a cast on.

I thought everybody used bread bags in their boots! How else would you keep your hand me down socks dry?

 

[jcfradio]

Here's my grandmother's favorite thrifty trick. Never, ever, waste bacon grease. Throw a slice of bread in the pan, soak it up and eat it. Not ready for that? Save the grease and use it on your bread for an afternoon snack.

Part of a great British breakfast is frying both sides of the bread in the bacon grease after the eggs have been cooked. Don't knock it till you've tried it, it's absolutely delicious and comes out crispy.

I must be cheap/thrifty since many of the tricks shared here are what we have always done.

I think that the fried eggs on bacon grease fried bread is called "Adam and Eve on a Raft". It was introduced to me by my British grandfather who served in the army in World War 1. That and bacon and stewed tomatoes ---yummm, one of my favorite breakfasts!! Old British army fare.

 

[Boho]

My shopping list, on the smallest piece of paper possible that I tear off from the bottom of a sheet. And my note taking is in pencil and I erase old notes to make room for new ones.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

+1, the free grocery store plastic bags have been my bathroom trashcan liners for as long as I can remember. I live in California and now we have to pay 10 cents for "reusable" bags that are a little thicker. My states effort to cut down on plastic waste backfired on them when Covid19 came along and we were no longer allowed to use these reusable bags in the stores and the stores had to buy more of the cheap single use trash bags again.

A few of the stores I go to are now letting customers bring their own bags again, as long as they keep the bags in the cart and pack their own groceries.

 

[JoeWras]

My late husband was born in 1938 and grew up very poor. Bacon grease was "seasoning" to pour over cooked vegetables. They mostly had cabbage because it was cheap. As an adult, DH refused to eat boiled cabbage.

My heritage is N. Europe. This is true judging by my grandparents from both sides, different countries. No offense to Polish-German grandma, but I found her cabbage disgusting because of the grease.

Now my Dutch grandma made a salad that consisted of lettuce (alternately cabbage), bacon grease and soft boiled eggs. It was actually pretty darn good.

 

[Amethyst]

When I was little, my mom saved bacon grease to make French fries. They were the best French fries you can imagine. She stopped making them, unfortunately, after Dad had a heart attack, and was found to have high cholesterol.

I use the bacon grease to cook the sunny side up eggs.

 

[jim584672]

Avoid pre-processed food, cook from raw whenever possible.
Fast food, save unused packets.
Android phone with no cell plan, use WiFi for access. Use flip phone for phone.
Stopped using aluminum foil for cooking sheets or wrapping food.
Use glass cups and dishes, metal utensils, no disposables!
Use store free plastic bags for garbage. Throw out daily.
Boil water and Brita filter it a few times instead of bottled water.
Use regular soap, never buy shampoo. Stopped using bar soaps, wasteful and messy.
Library for movies. OTA for TV. Capture device for DVR.
Refurbs for computers.
Starbucks - never.
Use pool bleach instead of Clorox, same chemical but more concentrated, and its cheaper.
Stopped using paper, everything is scanned or digital.
Cut own hair.
Walk to store instead of drive. Good exercise and saves on gas. Don't drive unless you need to.

 

[Markola]

Avoid pre-processed food, cook from raw whenever possible.
Fast food, save unused packets.
Android phone with no cell plan, use WiFi for access. Use flip phone for phone.
Stopped using aluminum foil for cooking sheets or wrapping food.
Use glass cups and dishes, metal utensils, no disposables!
Use store free plastic bags for garbage. Throw out daily.
Boil water and Brita filter it a few times instead of bottled water.
Use regular soap, never buy shampoo. Stopped using bar soaps, wasteful and messy.
Library for movies. OTA for TV. Capture device for DVR.
Refurbs for computers.
Starbucks - never.
Use pool bleach instead of Clorox, same chemical but more concentrated, and its cheaper.
Stopped using paper, everything is scanned or digital.
Cut own hair.
Walk to store instead of drive. Good exercise and saves on gas. Don't drive unless you need to.

I think we have a winner! [emoji322][emoji322]

 

[kgtest]

Ways we are frugal:

-Rarely eat out but when we do we eat well
-Conserve energy and water
-Leverage buying in bulk
-Family plans wherever cheapest
-Doing our own repairs
-Limiting alcohol
-Think 24 hours before a large purchase
-Budgeting before large purchases
-Comparison shopping
-Creating our own, Borrowing things or renting in lieu of buying
-Bundle up errands to save time and money
-Reduce our monthly subscription costs as much as possible

I'm sure there are a few others. We usually don't buy name brand, but it just depends on what is a better value.

 

[Aerides]

-Think 24 hours before a large purchase

This is a biggie for me. Especially cars and stuff like that. Have to sleep on it. And yet the dealers always try that "what can I do to get you in this car Today?" stuff and I look at them like they have 2 heads.

 

[kgtest]

This is a biggie for me. Especially cars and stuff like that. Have to sleep on it. And yet the dealers always try that "what can I do to get you in this car Today?" stuff and I look at them like they have 2 heads.

And then the options, clear coats, protective wraps, corrosion protection, upgraded tires and rims, extended warranties...

The last vehicle I bought I called them and said $500 deposit, be there Friday to pickup, we are coming from 6 hours away so have it ready. They did have it ready, but spent at least the next 5 hours mulling around the shop sending various "pitchmen" our way. At some point I just busted out my work laptop and started working...they asked what I was doing and I said I gotta work guys, someone around here does...let's move this truck chop chop.

EDIT to add we had already in writing confirmed the purchase price, so it should have literally been no haggle...but but..

 

[JoeWras]

I think we have a winner! [emoji322][emoji322]

Not unless he stopped shaving too!

 

[Gumby]

Not unless he stopped shaving too!

I shave every day and it costs probably two cents. Just a $3 cake of shave soap every 6 months or so and a new badger brush every 5 years (the ones I like are about $60).

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I shave every day and it costs probably two cents. Just a $3 cake of shave soap every 6 months or so and a new badger brush every 5 years (the ones I like are about $60).

I shave the badger myself - save 60 bucks.
I draw the line at gathering bee pollen though, knocking those little balls off the hind legs without getting stung is tricky.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

OK, here is one I actually do - resole hiking and running shoes if the uppers are still good.

 

[jim584672]

I shave every day and it costs probably two cents. Just a $3 cake of shave soap every 6 months or so and a new badger brush every 5 years (the ones I like are about $60).

You shave with a straight blade?

I saw some people talking about old safety razors, but I will stick with the Target double blade knock offs.

 

[Gumby]

You shave with a straight blade?

I saw some people talking about old safety razors, but I will stick with the Target double blade knock offs.

Yes, I use an old fashioned straight razor. (I actually have 7 of them and rotate). I sharpen them myself when needed.

ETA: Here's a photo of my razors. Most came from ebay. Two are from antique shops in Maine.

 

[JoeWras]

When my dad passed, we found some old, dull straight blade razors. I doubt he used them since the 40s. He was an electric guy.

I'm surprised nobody here is re-purposing sardine lids to be used as razor blades.

 

[Dtail]

Simple electric razor for me twice a week. Part of the retirement mode vs. every day shaving.

 

[Dreamer]

I have done several of these in the past. I still use plastic grocery bags for cat litter and bathroom garbage cans.

I have seen how my daughter and son's families spend money. I am not saying that it is wrong, just different than how we normally spend money. They eat out and buy more high end stuff than we do. They are our heirs. I have decided that we need to enjoy our money more than we do. We have not used any of our retirement savings. We are fortunate that our pensions and social security are more than our expenses. I am waiting for the pandemic to be over and I am going to start spending more money on ourselves. It will be difficult, because I have always been more frugal, but I am going to try. It will not be hard for my DH at all.

 

[Dtail]

When I was little, my mom saved bacon grease to make French fries. They were the best French fries you can imagine. She stopped making them, unfortunately, after Dad had a heart attack, and was found to have high cholesterol.

Yeah, McDonalds used to have the best fries when they used to fry them using beef tallow.

 

[bolt]

We regularly shop at Goodwill. Some of our friends are skeeved out about the prospect.

But, but, but, they have "one of a kind", personally exclusive name brand sometimes, one of a kind inventory.
Shops as such w/other similar repurposed, overstock, bankruptcy liquidation, closeouts, outdated inventory, etc. have been my favorite shopping locations since becoming self reliant.

I tee shirt for $45.00 on Nantucket, or for $1.00, 30% off on discount Tuesdays @ 0.70cents beats most other offerings imo.
Except one that fits you find on the Long key bridge @ 0.00.

I must be quiet.

 

[swakyaby]

You know that water you let run down the drain while waiting for it to get hot when you take a shower or wash dishes? In the bathroom I'll collect it in a bucket and use it to flush the toilet once. :

Our bathroom is located the furthest away from the hot water heater in the garage, so it normally takes a long time for hot water to warm up the water pipes in the winter. But this house has a hot water recirculater, so that 10-15 minutes before running the shower, hot water runs through the pipes and back again, so that the water comes out of the shower hot within 5 seconds instead of 2 minutes. It’s quite a water saver.

 

[travelover]

I eat my road kill, but I never swerve on purpose to get it.

 

[GravitySucks]

I eat my road kill, but I never swerve on purpose to get it.

Ha!