frugal ideas:)

[um_hanna]

you can cut the fabric softner into 3 then you get 3 x's the value cut them, dont tear because it doesnt work and will get stuck on the clothes

[loreliloalyn]

That's a great idea. Another thing: Don't buy spray cleaner
in a spray bottle. Buy by the gallon (which is consentrated) and
dilute it and poor it into your own spray bottle. Like lysol all
purpose cleaner. About 3$ for a litre or 3$ for a spray
bottle. The litre makes about 8-10 spray bottles full of all
purpose cleaner.



Of course, even cheaper than that is using vinegar to clean things.

[billw]

here's a few car ideas, which we all need right now because of the gas prices [img]smileys/smiley19.gif[/img]


1. Check your tire air pressure at least once a month.


2. Get that junk outta the trunk! No extra unnecessary weight.


3. Regular tuneups including the air filter.


4. Sitting still and idleing wastes gas. Try to leave earlier or change your route to work to avoid any unnecessary traffic jams. Of course this isn't always possible! [img]smileys/smiley29.gif[/img]


Of course there are the ones we all know, like running the vent instead of the air conditioner when possible, combining errands, etc...


Bill

[loreliloalyn]

Drug store items like tylenol, aspirin, Pediolyte, ect.. all have
competing store brands. The store brands almost always have the
EXACT same active ingredients. The only difference is the
packaging. Always check the ingredients in the things you buy and
compare them with the store brand. You will be pleasently
suprised by how much money you can save. Don't pay for companies
to advertise.

[loreliloalyn]

How to get the best price for things you buy online:



Lets say you see an awesome "something" online that you just have to
have. Follow these steps to find the best price on that item.



First, copy the item name/description headline. Most companies
use the same decription for items. There was a dress I bought
once... the title of the dress was "Arwen Dress Style c532" or
something similar. I copied this and plugged it into www.froogle.com



Froogle isn't perfect, but it does help you find more than one site
that offers the product and shows you the diffrent prices they sell it
for.



Once you find the cheapest site copy the site's name and plug it into
google, adding the words "Discount coupon code" or "online coupon code"
or "online discount code" to find if there are any promotional codes
for the store. Buy doing this I found that the store that had my
dress cheapest also had a 5% discount code as well.



You have to check out the shipping charges to make sure you are saving money and not getting jacked on shipping.



If you have an Upromise account (or something similar) then you buy
your item from the store, through their site so you can get cash back
(or what ever your shopping site offers.)



By doing this my 85$ occasional dress went down to 45$ plus 5% off,
plus 10% back through upromise, making the dress cost half as much as
it would have if I had just bought it at the first place I saw it.


Edited by: loreliloalyn

[NolaBelle]

These are some really good posts


Kia

[loreliloalyn]

To avoid the evils of credit cards... Do your holiday shopping
all year round. When ever you see an awesome "something" on sale
that might fit one of your friends or family buy it and stick it in the
closet. Same thing with stocking stuffers. Ten bucks here
and there all year round is much easier on the family budget than
$200-$400 between Oct. and Dec. Plus you can take your time and
wait for items to go on sale. AND you won't have to fight the
crowds at the mall.

[loreliloalyn]

Save on spices. Buy fresh herbs from the discount rack at your
local produce store (usually around .39 cents a bundle here) and hang
them to dry in your house. They may be wilted when you buy them
but it doesn't matter because you're just going to dry them anyways.
Then crumble them up and put them in your spice jars. Spices cost
between 1$-4$ so it's a big savings.

[lexibethr]

If you haved a prescription plan with your Med insurance, ask you Dr.
he/she may be able to prescribe pain relivers, decongestiants, etc so
you can get them cheaper than buying OTC.



Write to the address on the back of goods you purchase, voice your complements or your concerns and they will send you coupons.



Instead of scrubbing your dirty pots with SOS pads and heavy duty
cleaners let them soak over night in water with a used dryer sheet in
it the gook will wipe right off the next day.



If you have a problem with ants sprinkle Cayenne pepper around the
barrier of your house it fights them off great and is alot cheaper than
and sprays and traps.

[Ocean]

In regards to tha ant's issue I have also heard that buying Borax and
mixing it with suger is great for sugar ants.....but I'm unsure of
where to buy it from. Does any one know where you can purchase this,
and what aisle it would be in? I'm pretty sure its a detergent, but I
was not seeing it anywhere.