Frugal Habits

[vigilant20]

How do you collect it? If you wash by hand like I do, and you live on the second floor (plus not having a garden, but that's irrelevant), I suppose it would be possible but heavy to lug all that water down the stairs.

I've heard of people using those big shower water collecting buckets and toting that outside in manageable sized buckets too. I think most means of collecting indoor water is going to be a big old pain.


I put foam weatherstripping around my back door to stop the draft I found.
I made one of the DepressionCooking with Clara recipes, Pasta with Peas.

[Gnarly]

How do you collect it? If you wash by hand like I do, and you live on the second floor (plus not having a garden, but that's irrelevant), I suppose it would be possible but heavy to lug all that water down the stairs.


Well, luckily for me, I have an old fashioned house with the laundry outside of the main house. Unluckily for me, the garden and fruit trees that are suitable for grey water are WAY away from the house.

I lug heavy buckets of water across the whole yard and onto the trees etc, and it is a pain, and if I do like 2 loads of laundry in a day, the next day my shoulders really hurt. :D If m laundry was inside, I guess I'd get the Man to rig up some kind of drainage pipe system to drain it out of the house. I guess that's still possible on the second floor? Maybe not legal though...

So in conclusion, it's a pain and quite time consuming* and difficult depending on circumstances, and I actually have nothing valuable to add.


*It takes me between 3 and 6 hours to do a load of laundry in my twintub, mainly because the spinner is broken and I have to wring everything by hand, but also because I have to drain it into buckets, then empty the buckets, then drain the rest of the tub and empty buckets again before I can put the clothes back in.

But it sure beats washing by hand.... I did that for a long time before I found this washer.

[megbot]

- I'm wearing my boyfriend's sweaters since he doesn't wear them, so I can wait longer to do laundry, and not have to go buy my own very soon. Unsure how he feels about it, but the grey one is particularly comfy :)

- I'm debating about not showering today. My hair looks decent enough and I don't feel dirty. I'm usually neurotic about showering everyday... meh.

- I've been doing good about not buying bread and making our own

- I'm making myself wait until February to buy a bento. That gives me time to decide if I really want one and will use it, or if I just want a cute pink hello kitty something or another

- I'm convincing myself the rice cooker I have now works fine, and I really don't need the hello kitty rice cooker. I might need more convincing

- I made my poor boyfriend stand with me for ~45 minutes while I rummaged the pillaged Linens n Things the last day before they closed for good. I found a bed skirt, a set of curtains, and a pillow sham for about 10 bucks. Woot!

[vigilant20]

- I'm making myself wait until February to buy a bento. That gives me time to decide if I really want one and will use it, or if I just want a cute pink hello kitty something or another

- I'm convincing myself the rice cooker I have now works fine, and I really don't need the hello kitty rice cooker. I might need more convincing

hehe the cute is addictive :)

I went to Big Lots today and spent now to save later.

I got a big water bottle to take to work.
I got a cheap can of coffee to start making my own now that work is charging per cup :(
I went to the library to get the women and weights books that were suggested to me instead of buying them.

[shineonyou]

Maybe some of you already do this? When I think I'm running low on a toiletry item that comes in a plastic tube (sunscreen, acne gel, soaps, lotions etc.) and I can't possibly squeeze anymore out of the tube, I cut it open with some scissors and there's usually a ton left in there that I can scoop out with my finger.

[vigilant20]

Oh I forgot to check in!


I installed a valve on the shower head so I can turn the water off while I soap and shampoo. It’s rather chilly to do at this time of year though, so working on making it a regular habit may end up waiting until warmer weather. (I already had a lower flow/higher pressure head on there to conserve water)
I kept my clothes in good repair by sewing on a button and restitching some elastic to make them last longer.

[Skylark]

Oh I forgot to check in!


I installed a valve on the shower head so I can turn the water off while I soap and shampoo. It’s rather chilly to do at this time of year though, so working on making it a regular habit may end up waiting until warmer weather. (I already had a lower flow/higher pressure head on there to conserve water)


:confused: Doesn't just turning the water off do the same thing?

[Digger]

:confused: Doesn't just turning the water off do the same thing?
Actually no, at least not in my case. Turning the water off means shutting off both the hot and cold valves, then turning them both back on and having to readjust the water temperature before turning the shower knob. Being able to shut it off at the nozzle is both more convenient and water-saving and preserves the temperature mix.

[codemonkey]

My grocery store is having a case lot sale right now so I bought a ton of canned beans. They have a big sale like that once every few months so I got enough to last me until the next sale.

[Skylark]

Actually no, at least not in my case. Turning the water off means shutting off both the hot and cold valves, then turning them both back on and having to readjust the water temperature before turning the shower knob. Being able to shut it off at the nozzle is both more convenient and water-saving and preserves the temperature mix.

Ah, OK. I'm generally not a fan of buying something new to save money, electricity, water, etc, when it does the same as just putting out a small bit of effort does. I'm all for reducing our consumption of any product, and that includes the "energy-saving" ones, too.

[vigilant20]

Actually no, at least not in my case. Turning the water off means shutting off both the hot and cold valves, then turning them both back on and having to readjust the water temperature before turning the shower knob. Being able to shut it off at the nozzle is both more convenient and water-saving and preserves the temperature mix.

Yeah the temperature is a biggie. I have a single knob that only lets me adjust temperature. So the valve also allows me to slow the flow, which I couldn't do before. I've been doing that for now, since shutting it off completely causes me to freeze my biscuit off in winter!

[vigilant20]

I turned down the thermostat another couple degrees now that I'm used to it being a little cooler (61 during the day and 55 at night)
I have some veggie broth from scraps going in the crockpot so I can make more soups.
I started freezing pb&j sammiches for lunches again, so I'm back to washing and re-using the freezer bags they are stored in.
I stopped eating raw to cut my grocery bill in half.

[sunshinegal]

I turned down the thermostat another couple degrees now that I'm used to it being a little cooler (61 during the day and 55 at night)
I have some veggie broth from scraps going in the crockpot so I can make more soups.
I started freezing pb&j sammiches for lunches again, so I'm back to washing and re-using the freezer bags they are stored in.
I stopped eating raw to cut my grocery bill in half.


wow, that cut your grocery bill in half? I am starting to eat more fruits and veggies and found it hasn't killed my bill just yet. I also bought a lot of soy products that are more expensive though so it may even out. Those are great strategies!

[vigilant20]

wow, that cut your grocery bill in half? I am starting to eat more fruits and veggies and found it hasn't killed my bill just yet. I also bought a lot of soy products that are more expensive though so it may even out. Those are great strategies!

I had been working on lowering my grocery bill for a long time, and had gotten it down to $25 a week before I went raw. Then it popped up to just about $50. But yeah, if you buy some more expensive things normally I've heard people say that it actually went down a bit as they got less specialty products and more produce.

[Amira]

I haven't used paper towels or paper napkins in 20 years. I wonder how much I've saved by using old towels and cloth napkins. Probably, $1000.

[sunshinegal]

this reminds me, I have been wanting to get some cloth napkins so we stop using up so much paper. I recycle anything I use, but it would be nice to just save the money and the recycling process. I am going to add it to my list for looking at today when I hit up the stores.

[Amira]

You can look for things on sale but don't buy too many. Once people know you use cloth, they use it as a gift idea and you get cloth napkins for Christmas, etc.

Also, you just throw the dirty napkins in with your regular wash so you aren't even using extra water to keep them clean.

[sunshinegal]

You can look for things on sale but don't buy too many. Once people know you use cloth, they use it as a gift idea and you get cloth napkins for Christmas, etc.

Also, you just throw the dirty napkins in with your regular wash so you aren't even using extra water to keep them clean.

haha, thanks for the tip. I will start with enough for two days. I do some sort of wash every 2-3 days. :)

[Digger]

Napkin? What's that? :p

[Amira]

Digger...Digger...Digger...:whack:

[singing hinnie]

this reminds me, I have been wanting to get some cloth napkins so we stop using up so much paper. I recycle anything I use, but it would be nice to just save the money and the recycling process. I am going to add it to my list for looking at today when I hit up the stores.

If your in the Uk try "Free Cycle" as people are allways passing on different sizes and makes of nappies. It's also a good way to "try before you buy" diferent brands and sizes as there's so many out there to choose from.

[Skylark]

Freecycle exists worldwide AFAIK. It's worth finding out of there's a group in your area wherever you are.

[sunshinegal]

If your in the Uk try "Free Cycle" as people are allways passing on different sizes and makes of nappies. It's also a good way to "try before you buy" diferent brands and sizes as there's so many out there to choose from.

I am not in the UK, but will see if it is worldwide! This will definitely be a change but I think a good one. :)


Freecycle exists worldwide AFAIK. It's worth finding out of there's a group in your area wherever you are.

Thanks! I will google it.

[vigilant20]

Made some italian bread in the machine to serve as a filler with meals.
Ate one of my oamc meals
Made a huge batch of mashed potatoes and froze them in one cup servings
Starting a no spend week

[Tori~CL]

this reminds me, I have been wanting to get some cloth napkins so we stop using up so much paper. I recycle anything I use, but it would be nice to just save the money and the recycling process. I am going to add it to my list for looking at today when I hit up the stores.

I just look at it as it gives more laundry to do. :p I use paper towels for lots of cleaning.

Seriously though, I use way to much paper products. I buy paper plates all the time because I don't feel like running the dish washer everyday with my family.