Foo - Extreme frugality

I'm looking for ideas to cut down our budget. For example:

Sharing toothbrush amongst family members to save money.

Any other ideas?

I'm looking for ideas to cut down our budget. For example:

Sharing toothbrush amongst family members to save money.

Any other ideas?

I hope you're starting at the bottom of the list, sorted from most sensible to least.

I hope you're starting at the bottom of the list, sorted from most sensible to least.

I'm open to all suggestions.

Beans 'n rice makes for cheap, healthy meals. Make sure to add a green veggie for a balanced meal.

Ride a bicycle rather than drive a car or take public transportation.

Get rid of the television.....it uses electricity and tempts you to spend money when you don't need to.

Considering the cost of a toothbrush, I think it's extreme (and gross) to share one amongst everyone.

When I began austerity measures in our household, we dropped cable TV (and oddly enough, my apartment was burglarized a month later, which took care of that problem of no cable or TV, ha) dropped our internet speed from a high MB package to basic (ATT basic dsl is 20 bucks a month), and started shopping at Aldi (which it appears you guys don't have in Canada.)

Those little changes alone netted me almost $300 extra per month. Now, whether or not you can live without a television and cable is another entirely different question. My friends and co-workers have looked at me like I had two heads when I tell them that I own no television. The upside is that it forces me to talk to my wife more, and as it turns out, she is pretty cool. :D

Get some hair clippers and learn how to use 'em.

Get some hair clippers and learn how to use 'em.

My wife already cuts my hair. Must have saved thousands of dollars over our 20 years of marriage.

Considering the cost of a toothbrush, I think it's extreme (and gross) to share one amongst everyone.

When I began austerity measures in our household, we dropped cable TV (and oddly enough, my apartment was burglarized a month later, which took care of that problem of no cable or TV, ha) dropped our internet speed from a high MB package to basic (ATT basic dsl is 20 bucks a month), and started shopping at Aldi (which it appears you guys don't have in Canada.)

Those little changes alone netted me almost $300 extra per month. Now, whether or not you can live without a television and cable is another entirely different question. My friends and co-workers have looked at me like I had two heads when I tell them that I own no television. The upside is that it forces me to talk to my wife more, and as it turns out, she is pretty cool. :D

If I could find a better alternative to cable TV, I would. Over-the-air sucks in our area. Some shows are available online, but not all. As soon as something better and cheaper comes along, I'm ditching cable.

Beans 'n rice makes for cheap, healthy meals. Make sure to add a green veggie for a balanced meal.

Ride a bicycle rather than drive a car or take public transportation.

Get rid of the television.....it uses electricity and tempts you to spend money when you don't need to.

Don't be ridiculous. What makes you think I'd ever ride a bike.

How 'bout showering only every second or third day??? Might be worth a try. Think of the water and electricity savings.

Did you know that your cable-TV box is probably using more electricy than your refrigerator, even when "off?" Unplugging it when not in use could save you a bit.
http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=557278e9-fd30-48e3-aa8b-da82864b9c43

How much is your electricity bill, anyway? Can you reduce your thermostat? How about shorter showers and turning down the flow when lathering up? I try not to heat my apartment beyond ~52°F/11C in the winter, I just wear some extra layers. This keeps my power bills down to around $25-30 per month (it helps that I'm on the 2nd floor). I also have a $20 electric blanket so I don't have to plunge into a cold bed and shiver.

Shopping at a thrift store for clothing helps too.

I get by with hulu and borrowing DVDs from the library. Maybe a couple of Redbox DVDs a month.

Summertime I sometimes shower 3x per day. Wintertime 5x per week.

I didn't have cable in my last apartment, but I did have an old tube TV and DVD player. My new place includes cable in the rent, which is a bad temptation.

Oh, as for the toothbrush, you can save even more money by not brushing at all. Tear up plastic shopping bags and cover your teeth with the plastic before you eat. When you're done, just throw out the plastic.

Did you know that your cable-TV box is probably using more electricy than your refrigerator, even when "off?" Unplugging it when not in use could save you a bit.
http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=557278e9-fd30-48e3-aa8b-da82864b9c43

How much is your electricity bill, anyway? Can you reduce your thermostat? How about shorter showers and turning down the flow when lathering up? I try not to heat my apartment beyond ~52°F/11C in the winter, I just wear some extra layers. This keeps my power bills down to around $25-30 per month (it helps that I'm on the 2nd floor). I also have a $20 electric blanket so I don't have to plunge into a cold bed and shiver.

Shopping at a thrift store for clothing helps too.

We still have analog cable, so we don't use a cable box. We typically keep our thermostat at:

Winter:
21 C in the day and 15 deg C at night

Summer:
25 C in the day and night

I commend you on your 11 deg C setting in the winter. That's nasty cold, but I'm sure you save lots of money.

Sell everything and occupy.

Oh, as for the toothbrush, you can save even more money by not brushing at all. Tear up plastic shopping bags and cover your teeth with the plastic before you eat. When you're done, just throw out the plastic.

Hmmm, save money on the toothbrush and toothpaste ... not bad. Inventive ... but sounds like a bit too much work applying the pastic to my teeth.

Sell everything and occupy.

See my post above regarding thermostat settings. Occupy is not in my future.

What does occupy mean? Occupy what?

Shower with a friend.

Shower with a friend.

We're all over that one :D

Turn off the water to the toilet and go outside.

Turn off the heater and start chopping down the trees around you and burn them for heat.

Only wash your clothes if you can stand them up in the corner.

Eat only raw food.

Kill it yourself.

How 'bout showering only every second or third day??? Might be worth a try. Think of the water and electricity savings.

Get yourself a porta potty instead of using a flush toilet. No more flushing money down the drain!

Shower with a friend.

Seems every week new words pop up that I've never heard before.

I'm looking for ideas to cut down our budget. For example:

Sharing toothbrush amongst family members to save money.

Any other ideas?

For "extreme frugality" I'll assume you've already done things like disconnected the cable TV, telephones etc and sold your motor vehicle(s). From there:

Turn off the heating completely. Make sure you've drained the radiators so they won't burst in the winter.

Don't bother washing your clothes. Not only will you save money on laundry but sooner or later nobody will want to be anywhere near you, reducing your social expenditure to zero.

Eat roadkill. It's cheaper than buying meat.

What's all this nonsense about showering and brushing teeth?

You might also touch base with your insurance agent and see if there's any discounts or coverage changes that would work for you.

Insurance?

Use wax paper instead of toilet paper. You can rinse it off between uses.

Use wax paper instead of toilet paper. You can rinse it off between uses.

If he's really frugal, he won't have the running water to rinse it off.
Leaves are free.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13843274

See my post above regarding thermostat settings. Occupy is not in my future.
Are you going to be a leeetle poosey or man up and save money? Now, go grease your car tires to reduce the friction coefficient. :)

Unplug those vampiric devices when not in use...coffee makers with clocks, DVD/blu-ray players, anything with so much as an LED "yes-I'm-on" light.

My Mom grew up during the Depression Era so she raised her seven kids to make the most of the seemingly smallest things. E.g. She still will stick a used piece of masking tape on the side of the drawer where she keeps the tape.

I don't know if they make them anymore, but my Mom still makes use of her Suds Saver. It holds used soapy water for use in another load. Wash the whites, save the suds in the Suds Saver, reuse those suds for the colors.

Wash clothes in cold water only. Make your only detergent. Get a front load washer, they use far less water than top-loaders. And most of the energy for clothes washing is for heating the water anyhow.

Wash dishes by hand. No automatic dishwashers.

In the summer, take advantage of cooler night air. Stuff a box fan in a window, open a second, and purge that warmer air outside. I've been in the south since July and I cannot believe the waste I see occur on a regular basis down here. People still running their AC and it's freakin' 40F at night, 60+ during the day. WTH!?

Reuse envelopes that bills and whatnot come in for scratch paper. No buying sticky notepads.

No more buying pens, pencils. "Borrow" those from the bank and other businesses.

Poop at work = less water use for flushing. And if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down at home.

No eating out. Invite friends over for meals and they do the same. You still get variety and social interaction.

Turn your water heater down as low as you can stand. FTR, dishwashers supposedly need hotter water to do their job effectively...another reason to do them by hand. Washing dishes by hand after cleaning the bike tranny will do a good job of cleaning under your nails. Also turn your water heater to its "vacation" setting when out of town or on vacation even if it's only for a weekend.

.Food budget: No convenience products. Buy your food in the simple forms and cook it like your grandmother did. Much cheaper. And you'll probably eat better.

Drive slower. I need to make a 45 mile drive every week sometimes twice a week. Amazing difference how much gas I save going 45mph instead of 65 mpg.

Clothes: Shop at thrift stores. Esp. for an adult or little kids. Very low cost there.

This may be a little TMI, but since this thread is about extreme frugality:

Instead of grabbing a handful of toilet paper for each...ahem...wipe, tear off a strip and fold it in half. Use it, then fold it in half the other way, use the fresh side, then fold the whole thing in half, use it, fold in half again, etc.

If no one is home throughout the day, I guess you could actually turn off the breaker for your water heater, then turn it on when you get home from work. Of course, this is assuming you won't need hot water as soon as you get home from work. Also it may not work well if you shower in the morning and not at night.

Speaking of that, if you shower just before bed instead of in the morning, your bed sheets will feel cleaner a little longer, so you won't have to wash them as often.

In the winter when you're not likely to sweat, and on days when you haven't really done anything active, you could probably skip the shower or at least just hit the spots that are more likely to sweat (armpits, etc).

Use wax paper instead of toilet paper. You can rinse it off between uses.

OK, that's brilliant. Off to see how much wax paper we have.


If he's really frugal, he won't have the running water to rinse it off.
Leaves are free.

I ain't using leaves :notamused:

Are you going to be a leeetle poosey or man up and save money? Now, go grease your car tires to reduce the friction coefficient. :)

Don't you think I should over-pressurize them first?

Wear pajamas and a hat to bed. Sheets stay fresher longer, and since you won't be washing big loads as often you are relatively the gainer for it.

Learn to live within your mind. Learn a language, teach yourself calculus, take up birdwatching. One hell of a lot better for you than 50 hours a week of Warcraft.

Unplug those vampiric devices when not in use...coffee makers with clocks, DVD/blu-ray players, anything with so much as an LED "yes-I'm-on" light.

Those little LED lights are the only thing preventing me from breaking my neck late at night.


I don't know if they make them anymore, but my Mom still makes use of her Suds Saver. It holds used soapy water for use in another load. Wash the whites, save the suds in the Suds Saver, reuse those suds for the colors.

Wouldn't you save the second set of suds for grey water usage?


Wash clothes in cold water only. Make your only detergent. Get a front load washer, they use far less water than top-loaders. And most of the energy for clothes washing is for heating the water anyhow.

We only use cold water for laundry.


Wash dishes by hand. No automatic dishwashers.

20 years of marriage and never had a dishwasher. I think we should win a medal or something :innocent:


In the summer, take advantage of cooler night air. Stuff a box fan in a window, open a second, and purge that warmer air outside. I've been in the south since July and I cannot believe the waste I see occur on a regular basis down here. People still running their AC and it's freakin' 40F at night, 60+ during the day. WTH!?

In Canada, the night time temps dip to well below freezing every night. Leave the windows open and you'd freeze to death :innocent:


Reuse envelopes that bills and whatnot come in for scratch paper. No buying sticky notepads.

That's just plain cheap :rolleyes:


No more buying pens, pencils. "Borrow" those from the bank and other businesses.

Are you suggesting I steal pens from the bank :eek: ..................... actually not a bad idea.


Poop at work = less water use for flushing. And if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down at home.

I'm a bit of a germaphobe ... no mellowing the yellow at our house ... and no using the work washrooms unless it's an absolute emergency..


No eating out. Invite friends over for meals and they do the same. You still get variety and social interaction.

Great idea ... got to start practicing my mooching skills.


Turn your water heater down as low as you can stand. FTR, dishwashers supposedly need hotter water to do their job effectively...another reason to do them by hand. Washing dishes by hand after cleaning the bike tranny will do a good job of cleaning under your nails. Also turn your water heater to its "vacation" setting when out of town or on vacation even if it's only for a weekend.

We do the vacation setting thingy.

I have problems paying for two things, labor, that I am capable of and finance charges. Learn to do things on your own. I see more people paying painters, handymen, auto mechanics, appliance repairmen etc when all the info you need is available with a few keystrokes.

I owe for nothing, have no debts and borrow no money. I bank where fees are minimized and save where my money works for me. I have been out of work for 5 months and am looking, but can afford to take my time to find the right opportunity. Life is good. Oh, everyone in my family gets a free toothbrush at their 6 month dental checks so no need to share. :)

.Food budget: No convenience products. Buy your food in the simple forms and cook it like your grandmother did. Much cheaper. And you'll probably eat better.

Drive slower. I need to make a 45 mile drive every week sometimes twice a week. Amazing difference how much gas I save going 45mph instead of 65 mpg.

Clothes: Shop at thrift stores. Esp. for an adult or little kids. Very low cost there.

We have a rule when shopping ... stick to the outside. That's where all the fresh stuff resides. Not a big fan of boxed garbage.

Can't drive slowly ... I own a Toyota Matrix. It's designed for speed.

My wife likes to buy her costuming stuff at the Thrift store. Saves a ton of money. Other than that, we're most contributers.

This may be a little TMI, but since this thread is about extreme frugality:

Instead of grabbing a handful of toilet paper for each...ahem...wipe, tear off a strip and fold it in half. Use it, then fold it in half the other way, use the fresh side, then fold the whole thing in half, use it, fold in half again, etc.

If no one is home throughout the day, I guess you could actually turn off the breaker for your water heater, then turn it on when you get home from work. Of course, this is assuming you won't need hot water as soon as you get home from work. Also it may not work well if you shower in the morning and not at night.

Speaking of that, if you shower just before bed instead of in the morning, your bed sheets will feel cleaner a little longer, so you won't have to wash them as often.

In the winter when you're not likely to sweat, and on days when you haven't really done anything active, you could probably skip the shower or at least just hit the spots that are more likely to sweat (armpits, etc).

It is far more expensive to reheat an entire tank. Just leave the gas/electric heat on but select a lower water temperature. You should not have to turn on the cold with the hot to avoid scalding.

I have problems paying for two things, labor, that I am capable of and finance charges. Learn to do things on your own. I see more people paying painters, handymen, auto mechanics, appliance repairmen etc when all the info you need is available with a few keystrokes.

I owe for nothing, have no debts and borrow no money. I bank where fees are minimized and save where my money works for me. I have been out of work for 5 months and am looking, but can afford to take my time to find the right opportunity. Life is good. Oh, everyone in my family gets a free toothbrush at their 6 month dental checks so no need to share. :)

I used to do my own car repairs. Now my free time has become more valuable to me, plus I suck as a mechanic. Home reno I do myself. Last time I hired someone to come into my house was to install our granite countertops. Wasn't willing to do that one on my own.

6 month dental checks :eek: Looks like you've got a real opportunity to reduce expenses in your budget. A person should be able to go 10, maybe 15 years before teeth start rotting and need looking after.

Buy an old cube van for stealth living in an industrial park near work, sell all your stuff and rent your house to genarate some income. Join a gym for $10 a month to shower and get in some exercise. Use free wifi for all your Internet and tv entertainment. Tell your kids to suck it up and get there own dam cube van.

This may be a little TMI, but since this thread is about extreme frugality:

Instead of grabbing a handful of toilet paper for each...ahem...wipe, tear off a strip and fold it in half. Use it, then fold it in half the other way, use the fresh side, then fold the whole thing in half, use it, fold in half again, etc.

I actually threw-up in my mouth a bit :eek: But that doesn't mean I won't try this awesome technique :thumb:

Buy an old cube van for stealth living in an industrial park near work, sell all your stuff and rent your house to genarate some income. Join a gym for $10 a month to shower and get in some exercise. Use free wifi for all your Internet and tv entertainment. Tell your kids to suck it up and get there own dam cube van.

Timber, you're forgetting I've got that John Deere snowblower I have to take care of. Living in a cube van is out of the question.

Wear pajamas and a hat to bed. Sheets stay fresher longer, and since you won't be washing big loads as often you are relatively the gainer for it.

Learn to live within your mind. Learn a language, teach yourself calculus, take up birdwatching. One hell of a lot better for you than 50 hours a week of Warcraft.

I'm already brilliant ... which also translates into knowing better than spending 50 hours a week on Warcraft. Spider Solitaire on the other hand ...

Timber, you're forgetting I've got that John Deere snowblower I have to take care of. Living in a cube van is out of the question.
Now see, I thought I had it all worked out. I forgot all about the snow blower.

I used to do my own car repairs. Now my free time has become more valuable to me, plus I suck as a mechanic. Home reno I do myself. Last time I hired someone to come into my house was to install our granite countertops. Wasn't willing to do that one on my own.

6 month dental checks :eek: Looks like you've got a real opportunity to reduce expenses in your budget. A person should be able to go 10, maybe 15 years before teeth start rotting and need looking after.

Not when I paid 5000 bucks a piece for the kids orthodontics.. I am protecting that investment.

I'm already brilliant ... which also translates into knowing better than spending 50 hours a week on Warcraft. Spider Solitaire on the other hand ...

Playing Warcraft could be considered frugal, however. That would mean you haven't bought a video game since the mid 90s. World of Warcraft on the other hand...