Miserlymoms.com | Living Well On Less In A Tough Economy

Miserly Tips_Page 4::

May I offer several frugal gardening tips that are free:

1. I get free stones and rocks to line my beds and mulched areas from a local cemetery. They have an enormous pile from when they dig up graves and all are free for the taking,

2. To cut down on grass areas that need to be mowed I mulch with free mulch from a tree service. (You have to make sure that the mulch is not from diseased trees and that you use a thin layer so as not to damage existing plants). I've used this in areas with existing stable, healthy shrubs. (The shrubs are all "volunteers" that showed up in various placed in my yard and were transplanted).

3. For the past 5 years I've held a "Plant Exchange" where friends bring plants and we all trade. I serve light refreshments. I encourage "dug up" plants because this is inexpensive (read: free) for everyone involved. Most of the plants in my yard come from this event. Many of the plants are perennials and most are self-spreading. If the plants can survive being dug up one day and then plopped in someone else's yard then they can withstand my frugal garden.

We've had several years where folks bring back cuttings from previous year's plants they took home. It is one of the best things I do all year.

Submitted by: Suzan Nyfeler

I haven't read through your entire tips section (BIG!!!) but I feel I have good idea for people living in the Southwest; desert particularly, or any warm climate. One of the most beautiful and dramatic landscaping plants is the prickly pear cactus. It lives through snow, drought, obviously very high heat and grows literally before your eyes. EASY to propogate! Just snip off one of the "pads" (use gloves!) and dip in rooting hormone, pot it in decent but well-draining soil, and it will take off. One thing, this cactus really does need a decent amount of water to thrive. If "pads" look thin and anemic, water very slowly. I water my 5' plant about twice a week in the summer and much less seldom in the winter. I keep a close eye on the plumpness of the pads-this is your watering guage. Also, give it a light fertilizer a few times a year. Guaranteed, you'll be delighted. My boys love cutting and planting these wonderful cactuses and seeing them take on their own life.

Oh, and if you happen to get some of those very pesky, fine thorns in you, use the strongest adhesive tape you can find. Lay it over the affected area and pull. Works great.

Submitted by: Holly, Yucca Valley, CA

If you are interested in gardening or landscaping your yard...one of the best tips my mom ever gave me was to start with seeds. Not only are seeds extremely inexpensive (many seed packets are around $1.00 per pack) but you get a tremendous amount of seeds per pack and in many more varieties than are available at the garden center. If you can get a few friends together and share seeds, there will not be any wasted and you all will have many different plants for very little out-of-pocket cost. Also, if you accidentally murder your plant..or the dog or kids do it for you, you are not out as much money...it's a great way to experiment with new types of plants...and veggies...one sunny window sill and a basket planted with herbs or salad fixings...can cost well under $10.00 to create, while you get months worth of fresh veggies....healthy and cheap. Rewarding project for the kids to get involved in too. Happy gardening!

Submitted by: M.Gibson, Fort Benning GA

Here are some interesting gardening tips from my Mum in Alaska...
Have old tires a desire to grow potatoes? Take 3 old tires, fill the first one with dog food (we use the same stuff we feed our puppy) and some dirt. Put your potato pieces in there and water. (The potassium in the dog food really helps with the potatoes!) When the first sprouts start to shoot up, put a second tire on top of the first and fill it full of dirt. As the sprouts begin to show put the last tire on and let the potatoes grow. When it comes time to harvest the potatoes just remove each layer of potatoes and shake out the dirt! Harvest time has never been easier!

Do you like cherry and plum tomatoes but hate tying them up? Why not let them hang down! Take a plastic 5 gal clothing soap tub and put a hole in the bottom of it. (Make sure you wash it out REALLY WELL before you use it for this!) Next take your seedling tomato plant and put it in the tub upside down so the greens come out the hole in the bottom. Fill the rest of the tub with dirt and hang up. As the tomatoes grow down the stems will not break and the tomatoes will grow fuller. Not enough? I have noticed that the amount of bugs that eat at the plant has gone remarkably down since I started hanging my tomatoes! Happy gardening!

Submitted by: April Katona

For the garden, I submitted my name to the "seed swap" section of my favorite gardening magazine. (You don't even have to be a subscriber.) I traded seeds with people and saved a ton of money. I will buy only a few seeds this spring. Just be prepared to receive a few strange letters.

Church-owned thrift stores are the cheapest, but you do have to keep checking to find the good stuff. I buy my jeans for 50 cents -$2.00 and kid's clothes for 10 to 50 cents.

To make the kid's look cute, I buy plain shirts and pants and embroyder designs on them. Everybody asks me where my son gets his cute outfits with elves and nature scenes embroidered on them! A book of iron-on patterns is usually 5-7 dollars and they can be used several times, then the equipment to "draw" them on can be bought from a craft store. When friends have babies, I embroider a thrift-store layette that looks like new for less than $3.00 and everybody loves it!

Submitted by: Alanna from Norman, OK

Two things have worked very successfully for me in the past. Do your research, a lot of it, about the shrubs etc that grow well in your area. My husband and I sometimes drive through old neighborhoods here in central Oregon just so we can see for ourselves what survives the test of time. Weather patterns cycle. It is expensive to have things die because of snow or drought. Find out which plants can be divided easily. Lilacs grow beautifully here and I can get starts from them easily. Other plants/trees can be a bit harder, an expert can help you. Many of the plants that grow in my yard started out in someone else's. Also, I often ask for plants for Mothers' Day, birthdays etc. My children have learned that they can't go wrong with buying a outdoor plant or tree for me. They help me plant them, and I have tender memories of these times. I like to check out books from the library to help me keep up on local varieties and to get new ideas. Hope this helps!

Submitted by: Signe

Here's another tip for getting plants for your yard. Go to a local wholesale nursery, not the store kind but where they grow the plants, and ask if you can have their cast-offs. Once the plants get too big for retail, or are replaced with the new years model, the old plants are often thrown onto a dump pile and burned. My husband works on a nursery and we have relplaced several azaleas this way.

Submitted by: Karen in Oregon

I just wanted to let you know that in our town, the dept. of Public Works offered composters this year at an incredible rate. By taking orders & buying in bulk (for a whole town) they were able to offer us $80 home composters and a how-to book for only $30. I don't know if any other towns are doing this, but it's worth a call to your public works dept. to see. It benefits everyone since ultimately it will also reduce the amount of dump space that the town will need to have.

Submitted by: Lois, Laconia, NH

Just a note to the person inquiring about low cost plants. Some of my suggestions:

Volunteer at a local botanical garden. Try a county extension for agricultural information, i.e. what grows well.

A fruit tree will provide shade and fruit and flowers.

Ask other gardeners for clippings of plants that can start from roots. Offer to help when they are digging up their spring bulbs, or dividing their iris or day lilies. Often they will share some of their bounty (extra bulbs) with you. Peonies are also started from cuttings. A runner from a forsythia or lilac bush can easily be transplanted into your yard.

Many home and garden centers offer free classes in xeriscaping to save on water bills.

Improve your soil by making your own compost and then working some into the soil around bushes and flower beds.

Submitted by: A friend

We live out in the country now and I have become an avid gardener on very little money. Our city of Fort Worth gives compost away by the truck loads...yes gives it away. I have amended the soil in all my flower beds and garden for free by doing this. Mulch can be found the same way as well. I get my plants several way. One is to hit places like Lowe's or Home Depot right before one season starts. Like summer to fall will get you many discounted spring plants that they want to get rid of. You go in and ask where the discount plants are located (these will be half dead and not looking to good) and then rake in many plants for pennies on the dollar. I only get certain plants at this time too. The ones that I can divide up and get multiples out of and perennials. I also use a web site where you can exchange plants for free at http://www.gardenhere.com and just get anything you want.

Subitted by: Teaka in Texas

When my nieces and nephews were young I made cassette tapes reading their favorite books which I checked out from the library. Then when our daughter was born they all got together and made a tape of stories and songs for a gift for our daughter. These cost very little to mail and they provide a lot of fun for the listener. Most cassettes are only around 3 oz and can be mailed for 83 cents. If you send a collection of cassettes or if you send CDs you can send them Media Mail which after you get up to around 7 oz costs less to mail than first class mail, but you want to pad them sufficiently because they might be in with some heavier packages. The cassettes with stories and songs done by kids make great entertainment for riding in the car or quiet play times. Most little ones would also like cassettes recorded by mom and dad or grandma or grandpa especially if they are their favorite stories that have been read to them by the person doing the recording. There is a wealth of material at the public libraries. If your child likes a particular children's author consider getting other titles by the same author that they have not heard before. Often they will like these stories because they like the style of writing of a particular author.

Submitted by: Julie Lawyer

About 1 year ago I had a serious run-in where I had gashed my left knee in quite deeply to the point where I had to go to the hospital even though I did not think it was all that bad. [ I live in an apartment complex where there is wall to wall rugs.] I had bled onto the carpet accidentally in several different places and when I got back from the emergency-room, I had my carpet to clean up or I would have to pay for the damage out of my own pocket .

So I called my manager up in the main office and asked her what you could use to get blood stains out of a carpet, and she told me to take an ice-cube, set it onto the stained marks and let it set for a moment and then, scrub down into the blood-stain as hard as I could and that should bring all of the stains` right out in no time!

Well it really did work ! And I was totally amazed at what I saw, mainly because, I never thought they would actually come out. I also thought that this would be another unique way to remove any bad stains, save burnt in cigarette marks.

You have a very neat column that I like to read every single day! Keep your good tips coming and I will be sure to keep right on growing as I read them ! Thank you for your taking a moment to read this idea. I am absolutely positive that many of your readers will be able to use this one.

Submitted by: Brian5

For years my mother has been using "Spray & Wash" on her shower doors and walls. Clean well first, (I guess), and spray on surfaces after each shower. It leaves a clear, unseen film that prevents spotting. Her shower doors have looked spotless for years!

Submitted by: Sheryl Toback

We love our cats, but their upkeep gets really expensive. We can save money on their food though, which is especially important since we have a baby on the way and are gearing up for my husband to be an at-home father. The Humane Society in our town sells cat and dog food for 10 cents a pound. Considering we were paying $8-$13 before, this adds up to considerable savings. And it goes to a good cause!

Submitted by: Brandy, Grand Junction, CO

Did you know that you can get decorations for free? One year my son was into Toy Story the movie. Everywhere I looked there where displays about this movie. At Blockbuster Video you can request them to save the displays when they are done. I received many compliments on my sons room. We also did this for Jurrasic Park. WE had a dinosaur that had 3 d effect in my oldest son's room. Many companies will save posters and store displays if you just take the time to ask.

Submitted by: Dewilia in Beach Park,Il.

My 8 year old son wanted to begin showing animals for 4-H. Given the amount of space and cost for each animal option (steer, hog, sheep or rabbit), we decided on looking for a cheap rabbit. Mentioning this to a friend at work I was able to get 2 rabbits,( with cages, feeding dishes, and starter supply of food) from her aunt for free.

Before picking them up, we needed to have an area for the cages that would keep them out of the elements and away from other animals such as our dogs. My husband constructed a 3 unit rabbit hutch out of an old wooden picnic table and benches that was a bit on the wobbly side. Cost of materials....FREE.

Not only does my son now have inexpensive animals for show, but I now have an endless supply of fertilizer for the yard, garden and flowers. Rabbit droppings are weed free if fed pellets and can be applied either in the natural form or put through a shredder. If applied in the natural form, it will not burn, and we have the most beautiful yard and flower bed around. The demand for my sons "rabbit fertilizer" has grown so much, that he scoops it into unwanted seed bags from the local grainery ( again, FREE) and sells it to local gardeners. This in turn provides the money to buy his rabbit feed. We have also traded rabbit fertilizer for eggs, rabbit feed, and fresh produce from his "customers". Total cost of my son doing animals for 4-H......FREE.

Check with your local 4-H groups to get some rabbit fertilizer!

Submitted by: Jean Boone

Here are a few tips I am glad to pass on to all of my other frugal friends. Ha, now there is a web site name for someone. I would love to have a chance to chat with some frugal pals as I am just getting the hang of all this miserly-ness. I think though that I won't have much time to spare as this "all" has me hopping most of the time ( I have 4 kids and a DH). Ok, here goes, awhile back I discovered a web site called topsecretrecipes.com and found they gave wonderful "clone" recipes free over the internet. Then last week I found in the library Todd Wilbur's book TSR Lite. Wow, as we are ever searching for fat-free or greatly reduced fat recipes this is a great find for me. Wanted to pass this on.

Submitted by: Pamela Harris

I was raised living in the city, but my husband and I have made our home in the country. If you need to save water, ask anyone with holding tanks how to cut back. If you need to cut your water useage, a good place to start is in the bathroom -- buy a "low-flush" toilet -- our former one used 5 gal/flush and now we are down to 1.6 gallons. When the dog needs a bath, re-use the kids bath water -- just check the temperature before you start -- might need a little warm-up. Before I run the shower, I always run it from the faucet first to get to the warm water. Before that I grab my humidifier tank or a bucket -- as you run the water to warm it up, save the "cold" water for the humidifier, to water plants or for the pets drinking water. When it came time to buy a new washer and dryer, we found that the front loading model saved about 40% of water usage. INVESTIGATE before you buy appliances.

Something I learned the hard way -- I loved to use the toilet TANK tablets that kept the bowl clean and actually kept the bathroom smelling fresh -- Until I found out that they eat the gaskets out of the tank and caused water to leak through the system.

And my laundry tips, some for time, some for $$...Yes, I reuse my dryer sheets many times, only run full loads of laundry, and when appropriate only use the "short wash" which uses less water. I take clothes out of the dryer still damp and hang them to finish drying. My favorite time savers are that I wash my dark colored work pants first and hang them, then wash the shirts next and hang them over the pants -- in the morning I just grab a hanger and its all ready. When I buy socks I buy lots of the same ones, no colored stripes for the boys -- plain white. This way they all match each other so if one gets ruined you only lose one, not the whole pair. Problems sorting underwear for two girls who wear almost the same size? One gets prints and the other gets solids.

Submitted by: Michelle in Green Bay, WI

I have been a SAHM since my daughter was born two years ago. We lived in a cold climate that didn't allow for much playtime outside during the winter months. When my daughter was old enough to be interested, I bought a giant (20pound?) bag of rice at SAMS Club for about $4.00 and dumped a portion of it into a plastic sweater storage box. I added a few fun things like kitchen utensils, funnels, and measuring cups, and let her have a little "sandbox" in the kitchen. I'd sweep up the mess afterwards and put the lid on the box and store it under her crib. She loved it. (Additionally, I didn't run out of rice for meals for quite some time!)

Now that she's 2, I thought she was ready for a "real" outside sandbox, so I purchased 100 pounds (2 bags) of play-sand at Home Depot for less than $2.00 each. I poured them into a gigantic Rubbermade storage container trunk with a lid that we no longer needed for storage (because we simplified and got rid of most of our junk!). I put tape over the air holes to keep the bugs out. It is the perfect size for her to fully sit in and play with all kinds of toys, the sand stays clean and mostly stays inside the container because of the high sides, and the lid never blows off like some of the other sandboxes that I've seen that cost a small fortune. This sits in the corner of the patio, out of the way and I can move it into the sun on nice days. My daughter is looking forward to this summer when it will be warm enough that she can put on her swimsuit and play in it---there's probably enough room in there to invite a little friend!

Submitted by: Michele, Albuquerque, NM

I purchased 37 summer outfits for my 16 month old daughter (who wears 24mo or 2T) for only $159. Which averages about $4.30 per outfit! I did so at a second hand children's clothing sale at a local Catholic church. If you get there early you can get some really nice clothes and because at this age they don't wear them for very long they look practically brand new. Part of the proceeds from the sales go to Catholic charities as well.

Submitted by: Pam, Memphis, TN

I have 5 children under the age of 9. In the hopes of promoting good sibling relationships, I wanted my children to give birthday and Christmas gifts to each of the other siblings. Add up all the gifts over the course of a year for all 5 of them and this was going to be a big expenditure for Mom since the children are rather young to be earning their own money for this purpose.

My solution was The Attic Store. I yard sale in the spring and purchase good quality books, games and craft supplies for under a dollar a piece. I also go to the yearly library used book sale where books sell for 25 cents. These items go into boxes in the attic. When one of the children has a birthday, the others get a trip to The Attic Store to choose a gift for him/her. The recipients love getting gifts from all their brothers and sisters, and the gift-givers take great pride in choosing and wrapping the presents.

Submitted by: Anna in South Jersey

I am a SAHM of two toddlers, as we all know they can out grow clothes very fast. We have a consignment store in our area that allows me to trade clothes in for a store credit. This allows me to get the clothes I need for my kids without breaking our budget.

Submitted by: April, Woodland Park, Colorado

Like most people we cherish our pets, but they can be an expense, esp when an illness comes into play. We recently found out our Great Dane Emily needed a "orthopedic" bed bed. After checking the pet shops and surfing the net, it didn't take long to figure out we couldn't afford it-esp for the size Emily needed. I remembered we had one of those foam "egg" crates they use on hospital beds from when my mom had surgery. I got it out, cut it twice the size I thought Emily needed, doubled it and made a cover for it out of an old flannel sheet, complete with ties at the end so it can be rolled up and put away or carried with us as needed. Our cost was zero, but I have seen these crates at Goodwill for about a quarter and even new, they are not that expensive. It sure beats pet shop prices!!

Submitted by: Melissa , Bryan, TX

I'm not a mom...yet, but have learned a couple things that help me be frugal. The first is a way to make your soap (facial, body) last longer. If you take it out of the wrapper a week or better before using it lasts longer! I doubted it when I read it but it really does work. My soap lasts at least twice as long. Also, it doesn't have that slimey film on the bottom that sometimes accumulates.

The second idea is to invest in a Foodsaver or similar product. This is a way to be able to buy in bulk things like cheese & meets for $$ savings and not have them go bad. There are special bags or containers to buy but they can be reused. This method keeps food fresher much longer and allows you to buy things when they are on sale. You can also make foods ahead of time, casseroles, pies, even cookie dough and freeze without worrying about freezer burn. Best investment of my money I've seen in a long time.

Submitted by: DeAnne, West Linn, OR

I have making almost all my own cleaners for over a year now. The ones I make are generally completely nontoxic, more pleasant to use, work as well (or better!) than the commercial types, and are much, much more economical. I won't mention all of them here, but one of the best is to put plain club soda in a spray bottle and clean windows with it. Fantastic! I would very highly recommend the book "Clean House, Clean Planet" by Karen Logan on this subject. She teaches you how to make a homemade, natural cleaner for just about anything. It's a treasure trove!

Submitted by: Desiree, Salt Lake City, UT

I did not want to purchase yet another camera, we have at least 2 at home with the digital camera being very
popular nowadays. I found a site at www.snapfish.com that will put the pictures online and even develop one set of films for free and I only had to pay less than $2.00 for shipping and handling. This also allows me to share photos of my first born among relatives from all over the world. I also go to www.photoisland.com and frame all my digital photos and these framed photos have been used as great gifts for Holidays and all of which are just sent thru e-mail.

Submitted by Maria, Naperville, Illinois

Using only half of the amount of laundry detergent works just as well as using the full amount per load. I also cut my dryer sheets in half and that works OK also. This cuts my cost for laundry detergent and dryer sheets in half, plus I only buy with coupons when the detergent and dryer sheets are on sale.

Submitted by: Kelly, from Baltimore, MD

I was a stay home mom for nearly 3 years after the birth of my daughter. She was born 2 months premature and at 3# at birth, and 4# one month later when I brought her home, she was not a candidate for full time daycare.

After looking at your frugal recipes, I have some suggestions. I used the La Leche League's cookbook "Whole Foods for the Whole Family". It tells you how to make EVERYTHING yourself (BBQ Sauce, ketchup, White Sauce, I mean Everything!!). In addition, in the interests of saving $$$ I decided to change my diet to exclude most meat. Meat was the single most expensive item on my grocery list, so I just ate a whole lot sell of it, and substituted tofu, and other sources of protein for the meat. I read "Diet for a Small Planet" and bought the "Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen, and "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison, and the "Moosewood Daily Special" Cookbook by the Moosewood Co-operative. I also avoided processed foods entirely! No canned soups, no premade or frozen meals, no boxed meals. I read the labels and if it had more than one ingredient that I could not pronounce, I did not buy it. I did buy good quality fresh veggies and fruit, and canned tuna. I grew my own yogurt with a yougurt machine I got at my local Goodwill Store for $2.00. I was given a nice Bread Machine for Christmas, and made my own Bread. I could afford to buy King Arthur Flour (which was worth the extra $$ becuase it always turned out so well) by finding a source for bulk Yeast--saving $30 and $40 over the small packets at the grocery store.

I was able to take the time to cook all this terrific food because I was home all day. I took walks with a friend and her daughter every day in all weather. My diet improved, and my weight dropped ( I started my pregnancy at 5' 4" and 160#, was over 200# when I delivered my 3# baby -- I have returned to work now that my daughter is 3 1/2 years old and loves her daycare/preschool-- and I now weigh in at a svelte 130#!!) I admit that time is shorter now that I work full-time, but by cooking extra large meals, and freezing and cooking like mad on weekends I have kept that healthy diet.

I also educated myself on the marketing practices of supermarkets. They really use psychology to get you to buy the most expensive foods (that are usually the most unhealthy, and processed ones). I was able to avoid their manipulation, and saved big $$ at the grocery store!

The money that I saved on food, and daycare, and the expenses associated with working (lunch, gas, wardrobe, car, exhaustion, fast food for dinner, etc) enabled to spend 3 very precious years at home with my daughter. I will admit that it was not always easy to make ends meet, and my family shopped at Goodwill for most of our clothing, but it was soooo worth it!!!

One other suggestion I have for the neophyte stay-at-home mom: Find a support system!! I got involved with la Leche League, and had a friend with a daughter 6 mos. younger than mine, with whom I took daily walks and went to the park, and had play dates.

Good luck to all those who stay home with their kids!! You do the best work: nurturing our future generation!

Submitted by: Annie Longoria

Our family likes fresh bread alot and we utilize our bread machine as much as we can. We have found that you can buy yeast much cheaper in a health food store than buying it at a grocery store. Also, yeast sold in large packaged quantities in the grocery store are really designed to be used within 7 days for the best results. I actually emailed Fleschman's regarding this and they indicated that it could be used for consumer's but would possibly not yield the best results. I recently bought yeast for $1.25 for the same amount that I would have paid for the jar in the store...roughly $5.25. Also, the yeast can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Submitted by: Julie in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

My first tip is about toddler clothes: I noticed some hints about buying dark or brightly colored clothing for children, but after many stained shirts, I decided the easiest color to wash is white. As long as it's a good cotton without colored detail, I don't have a problem bleaching my 2 year old daughter's shirts after she spills orange juice, ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, or anything else down the front as needed. After treating the stain, I just throw all the bleachable whites in the wash and everything comes out perfect. Plus these shirts go with almost every pair of pants, overalls, and shorts she has! Similarly, all of my husband's athletic socks and underclothing are white, and so are many of my towels and sheets, so it is very simple to do one or two white loads (rather than several colored loads separating all the different degrees of color, using different water temps). And as long as I don't bleach every time, the clothing doesn't wear out any faster, looks good much longer than faded colors do.

My second tip is about "rags": I found a pack of white economy washcloths--I got 48 in a pack-- at SAMS Club for about $9. Although that's $.19 a washcloth, and paper towels cost maybe $.02 each, you can wash and reuse the cloth towels over and over (I've had mine for almost 2 years now), whereas you are throwing out the paper towels! When they start to get too ragged looking, I use a permanent marker to write an X on the tag, and I know these are just for cleaning. I store the cleaning rags in my laundry room and use them for cleaning the bathroom, or for messy jobs (washing the car, blotting up stains on the carpet, etc). The rest I use as napkins for my toddler, and for mopping up spills in the kitchen, washing dishes in the sink, cleaning mirrors and glass, and so on. These were ESPECIALLY handy when my daughter was an infant and just learning to eat solid food. It was so easy to grab a cloth to wipe her hands and face, clean up the mess, then wash her highchair tray with. I always had plenty on hand, so I didn't worry about spreading germs from using a cloth that had been sitting out forever

My third tip is about kitchen towels: I found a bundle of 12 terry cotton square "shop towels" in the automotive section in Target for half the price of 2 or 3 terry cotton rectangular dishtowels in the kitchen section. These are great for drying hands in the kitchen, drying dishes, and lots of other things. And again, with bleach, they look great, and I always have plenty on hand. Although I still buy paper towels in bulk to use for cleaning up meat and poultry spills and the like, I find that I use far fewer of them now, so I think I'm saving a little money, and not adding to the landfill as often!

Submitted by: Michele in Albuguerque, NM

Recently I have gone through my children's closets and weeded out a lot of unnecessary clothing. Some of my children had 10 to 15 pieces of each type of clothing! Whew! So I narrowed it down to about 4 to 5 pieces per item for play clothes, and about 2 to 3 pieces per item for church/dress clothes. Also, especially with my very young children, I left mostly only dark or bright colored clothing. It has always been a lot of trouble to treat all of the stains on laundry day. With dark clothing, they can wear the same outfit two or three times in a row, depending on how dirty they get. It saves a lot of washing because before , when they would wear a light colored outfit, it would have to be washed after the first wear, even if they only wore it a couple of hours!

Another helpful thing I found to do is to buy each person in our family a large package of socks in the same color for each person. My son loves to get in the dirt a lot, so I bought him all black socks . It really helps to know which socks go together, and dark socks don't show the dirt. I'm thinking about dark knee high socks for my girls, because I hate how grungy white socks look after a few wears.

Submitted by: Jeanetta in Jacksonville, Fl

Submitted by: Julie in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I am a SAHM of a 9 month old girl. My daughter was a large baby and by the time she was 3 months old was wearing 6 month old clothing. Now at 9months she is 12-18 old month stuff!
I have bought a few sewing patterns, in the half price sales, that feature basic easy to make separates in several sizes. Then I hunt through the remnants bins in the fabric shops for cheap material. It is amazing what you can make with under a metre of fabric!

Another idea for cheap fabric is to use your old clothes, or hunt through the 2nd hand shops for useable items in good condition. A friend of mine used to buy sweaters at garage sales and 2nd hand shops, unravel the wool, wash it carefully and then re-knit it into sweaters ad scarves for her kids.

Submitted by: Pippa from Auckland, New Zealand

I rarely buy ground beef anymore. Instead, I buy frozen ground turkey in 1-pound tubes. I pay around $.75 for each tube, and the meat is 97% fat-free. That's a substantial savings of both money and fat-calories over beef, which is usually $2.50 or more per pound, even for the packages which are only 80% lean. (Hint - if meat is only 80% lean, that's the same thing as 20% waste!) The turkey can be used in virtually any recipe that calls for ground beef, and the flavor is just as good. It also saves time because I don't have to drain away any grease after cooking, and because the meat is pre-measured into exact one-pound packages.

Submitted by: Jean from Iowa

Every year at Christmas Time and Family Birthday Parties everyone laughs at me and my sister-in-law. When everyone is done with opening gifts we always collect the wrapping paper and split it between the two of us. We have found that by doing this we can always save money during the year on purchasing wrapping paper. Occasionally I get to receive all the papers or she does but it does even out in the end. If the paper turns out to be really small then we have discovered that by cutting out the pictures individually and gluing them onto a small lunch bag we can create some beautiful little gift bags to hand out at our own kids birthday parties. The kids really seem to love these treat bags. I even have a couple that she had made and vice versa. I know that personally it saves me about $70.00 a year.

Another savings idea was when we redecorated her sons room. We went through all our scraps of wrapping paper and cut out cars, trains, airplanes, buses, etc. and then glued them onto the walls as a border. It took us a while but my nephew was so happy with his room that he had to show everyone how great it looked. We have even gotten a few side jobs to do the same for some of our friend's kid's rooms. Next year we might have to really fight for all that wrapping paper. ha ha.

Submitted by: Michelle in Dowagiac, MI

I love to garden, but the prices for indoor and outdoor plants are often too expensive for my family to justify buying them. I learned a few tips that helped us to save money, and they will hopefully help your readers. Other writers have mentioned starting a seed group where the members get together once a year and split up the seeds. Often there are too many to plant in one year, and you save a great deal of money. I took this a step farther with bulbs. I purchase my bulbs through catalogs or on the internet. While garden books say that discount bulbs are often discount quality, I have never noticed a difference--nor has anyone else that has visited my home. If you purchase the bulbs in large quantities, they are usually cheaper per unit. I started sharing the order with a friend at work, and now my seed group is planning on doing so this fall. And don't forget--bulbs come back each year and many multiply after two or three years.

For houseplants, I learned a tip on TV. You can grow your own plant by using a little root hormone (about $5 for a bottle) and vermiculite. Simply soak the vermiculite in water and drain the excess out; add to a shallow bowl or saucer. Take one of the longer leaves of your plant and clip it at the base. Shake some of the hormone into a sleave of paper and dip the end of the stem into the hormone. Submerge the stem into the vermiculite and cover the entire bowl with a clear jar (bell jar if you have one); this keeps the humidity up. In a few weeks the stem should root, and you can plant it in loose dirt. You can do multiple leaves in the same dish to save time and effort.

For herbs, I have learned that many will root themselves in water once cut. Basil works great--you have a new plant in about a week.

Submitted by: Gabrielle, Knoxville, TN

One of the best things we did for our home heating costs was to purchase a programmable thermostat. Because nobody is home during the day except the dogs this works great for us. We also turn it down at night when we are sleeping and add more blankets. We have saved almost 30% on our heating bill. Programmable thermostats will cost from $30 to $100 depending on how many zones you have and if you have air conditioning. It is as easy to install as a light switch. You can get them at any hardware store and the clerk will help with any installation questions. Remember to be safe this is electricity.

Submitted by: Brenda, Denver, Colorado

Save your coins for a rainy day! My husband and I began saving all our pocket change, but we took it a step further. When you go to the register to pay for ANYTHING, only pay in dollar bills - don' t pull out exact change. Every day or two, pull out the change and put it in a large jar. We use Christmas 'popcorn tins' and cut a slit in the lid. You don't really miss the change - it's not a large chunk of your budget.
My husband and I managed to save over $800 in a year this way. We were able to purchase new computer equipment when we needed it, and it's amazing how many times we could 'dip in' when we had car problems or just a very tight week. Tip - don't go to the machines at the stores that count your change, they take a portion out each time. Get wrappers from the bank for free. The kids really enjoy helping to sort the coins, count, and stack them. You can do it in one evening while watching TV.

Submitted by: Stephanie in Apex, NC

Save a lot of time and money by freezing burritos. Make some cheap Spanish Rice (I use Better Homes and Gardens), buy in bulk some flour tortillas, refried beans, and cheese. (I add chopped olives when they are on sale). Set up an assembly line and make 30-50 burritos at a time, wrapping each individually in plastic wrap. A couple of drops of a good hot sauce does wonders. As you run out the door in the morning grab one; it will be thawed out by noon, and just a couple of minutes in the microwave makes them perfect. So much better tasting and for you than frozen ones at the grocery store. No more fast food either!

Submitted by: Michelle in San Diego, CA

My children and I had several outfits that we really liked and were in good condition, but had faded. I bought Rite fabric dye in the original color of the outfits and dyed them in the washing machine. They came out looking brand new. I dyed1 dress, 1 shirt, and two pairs of pants. It took 3 boxes of dye @ $1.47 per box. For less than $5.00, I saved having to replace 4 items. I saved around $90.00 by not having to replace these items. Be sure to follow the instructions
on the box exactly.

Submitted by: Debbie in Achille OK