Frugalty "hacks" that worked for you?

[bitterhope]

The same size boxes can probably be had for free by walking into your nearest 24h big box store late at night and inquiring if they have spare ones.

Yep. Free boxes can be found in multiple places including Walmart or grocery stores. Most stores are happy to give them out to anyone that asks for them. Many will even tell you what days and times they will have more boxes available. Craigslist and bookoo are other sources of free boxes, or at least very reduced priced boxes. I have never once paid for packing supplies for a stateside move. There are far too many free options and none of them are hard to track down.

 

[ToeInTheWater]

Using money when time isn’t really an option has been the best frugal hack for our household. Trying to DIY when we didn’t have the time to learn the skills from nothing cost more money over and over again than seemingly more expensive approaches.

If you have more time than money, then using your time more often is more frugal. But if you do have more money than time, it’s often cheaper for you to just delegate and outsource as needed.

Certainly there are cases where delegating winds up being cheaper. And when it comes to improving one’s financial situation, there is only so much you can do so by reducing consumption if you don’t increase income. Some people work in fields where it is easy to simply pick up some overtime shifts, and spending one’s time working such a shift and hiring a professional to handle some household task, will indeed be more “frugal” than not taking that shift because you have to stay at home doing it yourself.

Some find that getting a second, part time job, or changing one’s current employment altogether, is a more efficient way to improve one’s bottom line than to obsess over coupons, making one’s own cosmetics, etc. But of course, “just get a better job that pays more money” is easier said than done for many people.

I certainly think there are some pitfalls to a “frugal” mentality if people go about it in a “one size fits all” manner. Buying giant sizes of something such as mayo, lotion, etc. only is “frugal” if you’re actually going to use it all up before it goes bad.

Also, some people certainly have hoarding tendencies, and I admit I am one of them. For me, a “stockpiling” strategy can easily deteriorate into disorganized “hoarding”. There have been many cases when I bought something only to find out later I had bought the same item before - once I even bought a shirt “on clearance” from a website only to remember later that I’d already bought the exact same style and color before!

Or even more frustrating, that I know I bought something on sale a month ago, but can’t remember where I put it, and I wind up having to buy it again because I need it ASAP and it’s faster to go to the store than look for it at home.

ETA: Regarding getting used shipping boxes from a store for moving purposes, I have done that. I also save most of the boxes I get goods shipped to me in, so I can reuse them to ship goods to others. However I am becoming more selective about which ones I keep because now I have all sorts of empty boxes and I am running out of space to keep them.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Haven’t read entire thread. Has anyone mentioned The Tightwad Gazette?

 

[Bonnie]

Haven’t read entire thread. Has anyone mentioned The Tightwad Gazette?

I’m surprised I didn’t think of that! I had every one of her newsletters, then I bought the books. Amy is a fun writer & very inventive. Some of the ideas may be dated by now, but at the very least she can get a person thinking about possibilities.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I’m surprised I didn’t think of that! I had every one of her newsletters, then I bought the books. Amy is a fun writer & very inventive. Some of the ideas may be dated by now, but at the very least she can get a person thinking about possibilities.

I love them, and revisit them often. Even if not-everything-is-for-me, it does get you thinking. And her illustrations were great!

 

[Bonnie]

I love them, and revisit them often. Even if not-everything-is-for-me, it does get you thinking. And her illustrations were great!

What really attracted me was that she had so much fun doing it! And she involved the whole family. I still remember their popcorn “popoff” to find out which was faster - old fashioned on-the-stove popping or electric popper. I don’t remember which won.

 

[ToeInTheWater]

Haven’t read entire thread. Has anyone mentioned The Tightwad Gazette?

This is the first time I heard of it, but I looked up the author and her story is pretty inspiring, she and her husband raised 6 kids on 1 income. Here’s a page where you can “meet” her courtesy of a YouTube video that was likely made in the late 1990s or early 2000s as she mentions never paying more than 5 dollars for CDs, seems this was an interview for some TV “newsmagazine”.

thefamilyceoblog.com/2011/08/what-ever-happened-to-amy-dacyzyn-of-the-tightwad-gazette/

Though I would issue one caveat about one hack she mentions of picking up furniture that other people threw out. I’d personally be wary of doing so if the furniture is upholstered, and I certainly would never pick up a mattress from the curb. I’ve heard too many horror stories of people doing that who wind up with bedbugs and paying a lot more to the Terminex guy than they would have to buy their couch or mattress at full price!

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

This is the first time I heard of it, but I looked up the author and her story is pretty inspiring, she and her husband raised 6 kids on 1 income. Here’s a page where you can “meet” her courtesy of a YouTube video that was likely made in the late 1990s or early 2000s as she mentions never paying more than 5 dollars for CDs, seems this was an interview for some TV “newsmagazine”.

thefamilyceoblog.com/2011/08/what-ever-happened-to-amy-dacyzyn-of-the-tightwad-gazette/

Though I would issue one caveat about one hack she mentions of picking up furniture that other people threw out. I’d personally be wary of doing so if the furniture is upholstered, and I certainly would never pick up a mattress from the curb. I’ve heard too many horror stories of people doing that who wind up with bedbugs and paying a lot more to the Terminex guy than they would have to buy their couch or mattress at full price!

I wouldn’t touch anything upholstered either, but I have grabbed wooden, metal or plastic lawn furniture that people were throwing out. Lawn chairs make great plant stands.

Thanks for the link, I’ll have a look later!

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Oh…one hack I lifted from those Youtube videos really works: using hot glue to re-tread slippery or worn shoes.

 

[UbiCaritas]

Oh…one hack I lifted from those Youtube videos really works: using hot glue to re-tread slippery or worn shoes.

Yes!

Also, here’s a plug for using your local cobbler if you have a good, comfy pair of shoes whose soles are wearing out. A couple of years ago, my favorite and oh-so-comfy Sunday heels were getting too shabby on the heels to wear much more–I’d gone through the rubber tips and the plastic beneath was showing, plus the leather at the bottom of the heel was getting loose and chewed up from contact with the ground. The local shoe repair place charged me a mere $8 to restretch the leather and re-heel the shoes, and voila! They’ll last another 3-5 years, I estimate.

(Do get a quote for this kind of thing first, though–DH had a really battered pair of loafers that he loved, so I looked into getting them mended and resoled. The cobbler looked askance at them and recommended that I just get DH a new pair, as while she could technically fix them, it would run me $90-$100 because they were in such bad shape. If I watch sales, I could buy three new pairs of loafers for that!)

 

[Xantippe]

Yes!

Also, here’s a plug for using your local cobbler if you have a good, comfy pair of shoes whose soles are wearing out. A couple of years ago, my favorite and oh-so-comfy Sunday heels were getting too shabby on the heels to wear much more–I’d gone through the rubber tips and the plastic beneath was showing, plus the leather at the bottom of the heel was getting loose and chewed up from contact with the ground. The local shoe repair place charged me a mere $8 to restretch the leather and re-heel the shoes, and voila! They’ll last another 3-5 years, I estimate.

(Do get a quote for this kind of thing first, though–DH had a really battered pair of loafers that he loved, so I looked into getting them mended and resoled. The cobbler looked askance at them and recommended that I just get DH a new pair, as while she could technically fix them, it would run me $90-$100 because they were in such bad shape. If I watch sales, I could buy three new pairs of loafers for that!)

Yeah.

 

[DarkLight]

One that came up for me on another forum:

Beware of health trends. There’s a tendency for the latest exotic food to be wonderful and healthy and all that. Right now it’s “ancient grains” - but really our old friends whole wheat and oats are just as healthy.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Yes!

Also, here’s a plug for using your local cobbler if you have a good, comfy pair of shoes whose soles are wearing out. A couple of years ago, my favorite and oh-so-comfy Sunday heels were getting too shabby on the heels to wear much more–I’d gone through the rubber tips and the plastic beneath was showing, plus the leather at the bottom of the heel was getting loose and chewed up from contact with the ground. The local shoe repair place charged me a mere $8 to restretch the leather and re-heel the shoes, and voila! They’ll last another 3-5 years, I estimate.

(Do get a quote for this kind of thing first, though–DH had a really battered pair of loafers that he loved, so I looked into getting them mended and resoled. The cobbler looked askance at them and recommended that I just get DH a new pair, as while she could technically fix them, it would run me $90-$100 because they were in such bad shape. If I watch sales, I could buy three new pairs of loafers for that!)

There is, unfortunately, no such thing as a cobbler/shoe repair place here any more (and I used to take good shoes to be re-heeled/soled). Now i’m on my own.

 

[Bonnie]

There is, unfortunately, no such thing as a cobbler/shoe repair place here any more (and I used to take good shoes to be re-heeled/soled). Now i’m on my own.

They’re hard to find. The last shoe repair shop here closed a couple of years ago, but I found out the man who owns a saddle shop in the next town does some shoe repairs.

 

[UbiCaritas]

They’re hard to find. The last shoe repair shop here closed a couple of years ago, but I found out the man who owns a saddle shop in the next town does some shoe repairs.

This post actually gave me some insight about how common shoe repair places are near me. I’d been a bit puzzled when I saw a couple of other commenters mention none near them–I live in a relatively small town of 50K or so, and can think of two cobblers within a ten minute drive.

But…this is Texas. Where it is a Given in many circles that a Proper Texan owns Dress Boots. And dress boots are pricey. If you’re going to shell out hundreds or even thousands* of dollars for handtooled leather boots, you’re jolly well going to get them resoled or reheeled rather than replace them when the soles wear out. This could explain the very boot-themed décor at both shoe repair places, come to think of it.

A brief explanation for non-Texans: here, boots and, to a lesser extent and more in the western part of Texas, Stetson hats are items of dress that get worn everywhere. It’s part of our identity. As in, you’ll see both guys and, provided it’s not opening night, gals wearing boots at the opera, as well as out for the evening, to work (if a more casual-but-professional environment), etc. If you’re a college girl in Texas, game day wear is a sundress and boots. Etc.

Long story short: if you want your shoes repaired, come to Texas.

 

[Bonnie]

But…this is Texas. Where it is a Given in many circles that a Proper Texan owns Dress Boots.

I’ve got a few transplanted relatives in Texas. They haven’t succumbed to boots & hats, but I noticed the strong Western theme when visiting. Here boots are a big thing - we still have cowboys - but not the Stetsons, Except at rodeos.

 

[UbiCaritas]

I’ve got a few transplanted relatives in Texas. They haven’t succumbed to boots & hats, but I noticed the strong Western theme when visiting. Here boots are a big thing - we still have cowboys - but not the Stetsons, Except at rodeos.

To be fair, neither have I, but that has more to do with cheapness than anything.

Baby Sister works at a hotel here in Texas. She once had a guest leave her custom-made dress boots in a room after checkout. Beautiful, beautiful leatherwork on those things, must’ve easily run her a grand or more. When the boots were turned in, Sis called the guest to say, “hey, you left your boots, where would you like them mailed?” Quoth the guest, “Oh, I don’t want to bother with all that; why don’t you keep them?”

And thus Baby Sister became the proud owner of a perfectly-fitting pair of obscenely expensive boots. I was quite jealous!

Which brings us to another frugality lesson, ladies and gents: while it may well make someone’s day, it’s generally cheaper to have your thousand-dollar item mailed back to you at someone else’s expense than to just go buy another one so you don’t have to “bother” with getting a package from your front porch. Not that my sister was complaining, mind you!

I admit that as a transplant to Texas from the northeast originally, the idea of guys wearing pressed white dress shirts, pressed jeans, cowboy boots, and a Stetson to *opening night at the opera in a major city *blew my mind, but I eventually figured I’d embrace it as a Texas Thing.

 

[Xantippe]

This post actually gave me some insight about how common shoe repair places are near me. I’d been a bit puzzled when I saw a couple of other commenters mention none near them–I live in a relatively small town of 50K or so, and can think of two cobblers within a ten minute drive.

But…this is Texas. Where it is a Given in many circles that a Proper Texan owns Dress Boots. And dress boots are pricey. If you’re going to shell out hundreds or even thousands* of dollars for handtooled leather boots, you’re jolly well going to get them resoled or reheeled rather than replace them when the soles wear out. This could explain the very boot-themed décor at both shoe repair places, come to think of it.

A brief explanation for non-Texans: here, boots and, to a lesser extent and more in the western part of Texas, Stetson hats are items of dress that get worn everywhere. It’s part of our identity. As in, you’ll see both guys and, provided it’s not opening night, gals wearing boots at the opera, as well as out for the evening, to work (if a more casual-but-professional environment), etc. If you’re a college girl in Texas, game day wear is a sundress and boots. Etc.

Long story short: if you want your shoes repaired, come to Texas.

I once saw a photo shoot at a botanical garden in TX with a young woman wearing a wedding dress and green cowboy boots…

 

[UbiCaritas]

I once saw a photo shoot at a botanical garden in TX with a young woman wearing a wedding dress and green cowboy boots…

Sounds like SOP in a lot of Texas to me!

(NB: I went with white satin pumps, myself, but I would be, if anything, shocked if Baby Sis didn’t wear her boots when she gets married.)

 

[DarkLight]

Hey, if I could get away with boots on a regular basis, I would.

Then again, I have very fussy feet. Trying to find women’s dress shoes in a wide width with an extra-tall toebox is a challenge.