Readers' Tips

Dining With Unfrugal Friends

My family occasionally dines out with others, and this issue is never a problem. When the server arrives to take your order, simply tell them, "Person 1, Person 2, etc." will be on one ticket, and "Person 4, Person 5, etc." will be on the other ticket. Enough said. There is no room for debate, and everyone knows exactly where their bill will stand before they order! This is not rude at all, and you will not leave with the feeling of annoyance for covering others' extravagances. Additionally, if you go with only a certain amount of money for dinner, you are easily able to stay within your budget, according to your own preferences. In the case of dining at a "pay before you eat" establishment, such as a buffet, simply go to the cashier, pay for "Person 1, Person 2, etc.", and then step aside as the remaining in the party do the same.
A.

more suggestions on how to handle going out with unfrugal friends at www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011231a.cfm

Favorite Frugal Resources

I love the Simple Living website. My favorite part of it is the discussion board section. There are 28 boards and they are all very active with fascinating discussions going on all the time. To go directly to the discussion boards, go to www.simpleliving.net/discussion_boards/introduction.asp
Daniel M.

many more favorite frugal resources at www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011231b.cfm

Fabric Softener

Here's a tip for those who like liquid fabric softener, but don't like paying an arm and a leg for it in the store. You can make your own fabric softener by mixing one cup of liquid glycerine per gallon of water. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to fragrance the mixture. Shake each time before pouring, and enjoy!
Sharon P. in Birmingham, AL

Just a Little Bit

A couple of dentists recently told me that despite the toothpaste ads where they use a line of toothpaste across the entire brush, we really only need a much smaller amount. One of them even suggested I apply the toothpaste across the width of the brush, telling me I only need a pea-sized amount! I personally use half a brush full, but even with half a brush full, the toothpaste will last twice as long, and one will only need to buy it half as often.
Amy G.

"Designer" Water

Do you have city water that is less than palatable? Here's an inexpensive solution. Our water is very hard and has a chlorine taste to it. For years we had ten 5-gallon jugs (at a deposit of $5 per jug) that we drove 46 miles round trip to have filled with artesian water. When the price for a refill went up from $2.50 to $3.00 per jug, I reevaluated the situation. I went to the local supermarket and bought two 2-gallon jugs for $7.99 each. I filled both with the tap water after adding a tablespoon of lemon juice concentrate to each. I store one jug in the closet, ready to replenish the crock when the first jug is empty. The chlorine dissipates when sitting, and we now enjoy delicious lemon water like you would find in the finest restaurants. The jugs are much easier for me to handle and the water is fresher when used. I find we are drinking much more water because it tastes so good.
Janis

Emergency Savings

My husband and I are working toward collecting money for an Emergency Fund. To make sure we don't spend this money on anything but an emergency, we put it into a CD and we vow not to spend it unless my husband loses his job. Once it is in the CD, it is much harder to get out and it takes a lot of talking between us before we will consent to opening up a CD. CD's are not hard to get your money out of early. Both banks that we have gotten CD's through give us a penalty when we withdraw early. (Something we have only done twice in the last 5 years.) The penalty is usually equal to the money you would have made on the CD if you left it in for the entire quarter. On a thousand dollar CD, that is less than 30 dollars usually. If it is a real emergency, you will be willing to forfeit the $30. If not, it isn't an emergency. We are also opening several CD's. This year, every time we get $1000, we will open another CD. We hope that eventually, we will have a CD coming due every month. In the event of a real emergency, i.e. my husband loses his job, we will most likely spend less money and we will have another CD coming available for use every month. Before you try to get money out of a CD early, however, check with your bank or credit union to see what their penalties are. We have also found that Credit Unions offer a better rate than Banks.
P.H. in Utah

Make-Up Stretcher

I like to use at least basic make-up every day, but even the cheapest make-up still seems too expensive. The item I go through the fastest is loose powder, and I finally found an economical (and dare I say safer) alternative. Every 7 or 8 months, I get a cheap brand of very dark loose powder (the darker the shade, the better). I pour a small amount into an old container, and mix it with cornstarch, until it is the correct color. I noticed that the primary ingredient in most powders is Talc, which is supposedly not so healthy for babies to breathe in as baby powder, and yet here we are applying it to our noses several times a day! Making the proportion of talc smaller is undoubtedly healthier. An alternative, of course, would be to use straight cornstarch, but I like the tint of powder. I "powder my nose" about three times a day. This tip has saved me close to $75 over the past year. You could probably do the same thing with loose powder blush. Seems petty, but it adds up.
MR

editor's note: anytime that you're dealing with something that you're going to apply to your skin make sure that you don't set up a circumstance where bacteria could grow. Also be careful about what you're breathing in.

Upcoming Wedding?

This is how I saved a bundle on wedding decorations. I took advantage of the after Christmas sales. There are a lot of decorations that are white and work perfectly in a wedding atmosphere. I was really lucky because my colors were white and hunter green. I had doves, bows, ribbons, table coverings, and the list on all at 75% to 80% off! If you plan ahead and use a little creativity this is a great money saver!
Michelle

A Healthier Commute

One great way to save commuting dollars is to ride a bicycle to work. I know that not everyone can do it, but there is a good chance that YOU can. Streets go where people go and with a little planning you can commute by bicycle an average of two-plus times a week. I started with Desert Storm by making a personal pledge to commute at least once a week, (1 workday out of five or 20%) and I am now up to an average of over 2-plus days a week. It is amazing how commuting by bicycle will increase the number of days between visits to the filling station, and the benefits are geometric.

I leave several changes of clothes at my work site. No, you do not really sweat on the ride to work in the cool of the morning. I park my bike next to my desk. No one says a thing, unless they mention how they would like to be able to ride by bike to work. I use city streets for my 6 mile commute. I have commuted 9 miles to a work site for three years on a previous job. I do not ride in bad weather, but that is not a problem since I am riding for average, not as a martyr. Due to my bicycle commuting four other employees have decided to give it a try with mixed results, but are still working at it. My work site has about thirty members, so that will work out to over 10% helping themselves, the environment and the community, just for this one place of employment. What a difference it would make if all companies had ten percent- plus of their workforce encouraged and accommodated for bicycle commuting.

The key is to remember is that commuting by bicycle is doable! with proper planning. It is a problem solving exercise. When I commute by bicycle I often say, "Wow, what a great ride to work I had this morning!" I never, and I doubt you, dear reader also, ever said that when driving in to the job. For more tips contact the League Of American Bicyclists.
Gary P.

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