What are your best "extreme" frugality tips?

Go Galt and live off the grid?

Shop for private label items (aka store brands, instead of nationally advertised brands)

Re-use your Zip-Locs, Grow your own herbs, ingest more nutritious foods and find inexpensive entertainment. Can you bicycle instead of drive? Do you need more than one phone?...

@libkay5 I absolutely love growing my own food. It’s freeing.

I grocery shop using a list: one that is pre-printed. I initially started using it because I was constantly forgetting something like ketchup. After the third time forgetting the memory was loud enough that it stayed for the next three shopping trips and we ended up with 3 ketchups. Very annoying. So I created a list in word and printed it out and hung it on the fridge. If we run out of something it gets checked off.

In doing this we ended up saving hundreds of $$ and not because we saved on all the duplicates. We don’t buy anything that is not on the list. No impulse buys.

Try cutting a fair amount of meat out of your diet. I’m a vegetarian and I save a lot of money on food because I’m not buying meat.

Don’t just compare prices, compare amounts as well. If this jar of sauce is 5 dollars, it may seem cheaper than the jar that is 6 dollars but look at the amount. The 5 dollar jar has 20 ounces and the 6 dollar has 30 ounces. The more expensive jar is a better deal.

There are a lot of little luxuries that you can do without and barely notice. Do you really need to color your hair? Does your shower really need to be that hot or long? Do you really need to separate your whites and your colors? Do you really need fabric softener?

Take in a boarder. One you like.

I think our next step is to get off the grid. At least for power. I’m looking at solar cells for the apartment and they’re not cheap. We’ve already done the CFL thing, the thermostat thing, the ceiling fan things.

Hubbs commutes by bike every day, we use the car once a week and pool all the trips into one, I wash our laundry by hand, bake our own food, grow some food. It’s getting slim pickings to find more to save on around here.

ETA- boy, rereading that it sounds kind of snippy somehow. I don’t feel that way and appreciate every single answer. These kinds of discussions help me out immensely and it’s a good conversation to have.

Do you know about Hillbilly Housewife? ?
Do you know about The Family Homestead? They have recipes to make things like homemade laundry soap
There are also tips for homemade household cleaners

I am sure you already know about packing his lunch instead of eating out and things like that. You can shop yard sales and thrift stores but I’m sure you already do. I am not sure what is beyond the glaringly obvious stuff. I will think on this a bit.

Where is most of your money going to? Which of those things can be altered? That might be the big question to sit back and think on.

@gemiwing: Careful about the solar panels. A friend of mine a chemistry major so I trust his information told me that most solar panels aren’t all that efficient. Apparently only around 2% of the energy can be used. What about the power of your own bodies? You could hook up a bike to some appliances and pedal to power them. I’m not entirely sure how that works but it would save you money and you could get into better shape.

Edit to add: Just curious, are you just trying to save money or are you trying to go green as well?

Rinsing out condoms.

Shampoo & conditioner diluted with water.
Cold water only washing machine.
Hanging most clothes to damp dry rather than dryer.
Dishwasher on short cycle with no heated dry.
No buying soda, juice, milk or alcohol.
Cutting out as much meat as possible.
Consignment stores and discount stores (not outlets) for clothes.
87 octane gas instead of premium, my V6 isn’t dead yet after 5yrs of scrimping.
Cloth handtowels instead of paper towels.
Cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
Cut each sink sponge in half before using (they fit inside glassware better this way).
99 cent stores for fresh produce.
Fresh & Easy stores (Tesco) for discounted fresh produce and meats.
Drink a glass of water when you first wake up then again before you eat a lunch and dinner meal.

@cockswain, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

@Neizvestnaya: That water thing sounds interesting. What does it do?

Use both sides of your TP,look over your glasses so you don’t wear them out,carpool on drive-bys,,you might be able to consolidate them with other people in the hood,save on transportation by learning to hot wire cars or buy a valet type jacket and hang out at businesses !

I’m looking to save money so we can afford to survive without taking another handout. So please, do me a personal favor and stop mocking the idea of having to save money. To be honest, I would laugh but it’s been so long like this that it isn’t funny to me anymore.

@KatawaGrey Thanks for the info. It’s not something we could really afford (solar panels that is) but we were looking into joining a co-op that offers them on payments. I’m glad to know they’re not all they’re cracked up to be so we can concentrate on other areas. I really like the idea of setting up a bike generator. We’re handy with a wrench and used bikes are everywhere for free. Plus- exercise! I’m going to look into it.

@escapedone7 I’m in love with Hillbilly Housewife. Although I refuse to join the pay forum on principle. I haven’t heard of the other one- I’m off to look at it now, thank you! Most of our money is going to housing and medical. Our rent is the cheapest we could find in an area that won’t exactly lead us to getting shot. I’ve switched meds to the cheapest I can get them. They don’t work as well as my old meds but we do what we need to do.

@gemiwing: I think the initial technology to do it might be a bit pricey I have no idea though but it will save you money in the long run. Also what @cockswain said was not entirely off the mark. If you don’t want to get pregnant but do want to have sex, condoms are actually cheaper than birth control pills. I have a friend who also had an IUD installed and, once again, it’s an expensive initial cost but once it’s installed, you don’t have to pay anything else. Also, along this same vein, there are alternatives to sanitary pads and tampons that are permanent that have to be washed out but are cheaper in the long run than continuing to buy consumable products.

Buy a membership in a warehouse store that gives out free food on the weekends. Yes, with the lower prices and eating food samples, you will make your initial investment back in a couple of months. Re-use everything you possible can, the tips on washable personal products saves a lot of money.

Take your lap top to the free wireless access places, such as the mall and some fast food places. You can actually sit in your (car)(see below) and use their internet access, you don’t even have to go inside.

Give up your house and car and buy a motor home instead. It will save a ton of money in the long run.

@KatawaGrey Oh yeah, the free condoms are a god-send. Thank you planned-parenthood!

@YARNLADY Do you live in a motor home? That’s Hubbs and my retirement plan. Grab one and tour the country.

@gemiwing No, I share my home with other people, however, my brother, my sister and my Aunt and Uncle each have given up their homes and are living very happily in their motor homes. My sister practically raised two of her children while living in one.

Eliminate recurring expenses such as phone features, CATV extras, bank fees
Buy in bulk
Buy online eliminating sales tax (can save a lot on big box items). Always check for online coupon codes too. Also, use a credit card that gives you an extended warranty.
Do things yourself (wash car, nails & hair, clean house, tax prep, home repairs, pet grooming)

Cut up your credit cards. Only buy it if you need it. Many things are mere vanity items that you can live without.

Use salt instead of toothpaste.
LIne-dry your clothes. Eliminates all dryer expenses, and helps your clothes to last longer.
Hand-wash your dishes in a bleach/cold water mix (something like a tablespoon’s worth of bleach).
Buy a smaller refrigerator. They use less power and are easier to fill.
Maintain your lawn with a push mower.
Walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible, or else bum rides off of friends.
Avoid the credit card.
Visit junk stores and antique malls for old tools: they’re inexpensive, fairly durable, do not depend on batteries, and do not easily malfunction.
Make do.
Repair instead of replacing.
Buy used instead of new, look for quality where you can, and do not fear the dollar store.
Make instead of buying.
Save on haircuts by having the kids at the barber college practice on you.
Save on dental work by letting the kids at the dental school practice on you.
Become well-versed in the symptoms and treatments for common ailments and forgo the doctor.
Try to do without the Tylenol.
Read books.
Buy raw beans, rice, grain, etc. in bulk.
Look into small-game hunting. .22 ammunition is insanely cheap (less than $0.03/round in bulk), and squirrel is pretty good. As a bonus, you can skin them and use the skins for making slippers, doilies, coasters, hats, book jackets, upholstery, and so on. Oh, and you’ll be helping the environment.
Turn off all computers, appliances, lights, etc. when you’re done with them.
Use mirrors to illuminate dark spots of the house.
Collect rainwater.
Paint your house a light color.
Go as long as possible before turning on the heater/air conditioner. Your ancestors managed, so can you.
—If you have a basement, consider moving into it for the summer.
—Buy a duvet for the winter.
Find and buy a little book called “Urazawa!” which is full of simple, unlikely solutions to problems.

Try to get coupons, deals and discounts when you’re eating out (especially on a date!) and always order water.

Buy a big bottle of castle soap and use it for everything (body wash, shampoo, laundry, dishes, etc.).
Don’t buy water at a store. Buy a quality shower filter and get water from there.
Check out consignments shops in ritzy areas.
Cut your own hair.

@KatawaGrey Vegies are not cheaper than meat. Maybe its the area, but I find it just as expensive to buy tofu than chicken breast in my supermarkets.

In fact – it costs less to eat unhealthy than it does to eat healthy. $2 a Shingo Pear, $1.25 a small Mango. Chicken is $1.89/pound….

Our food supply is messed up.

McDonalds Double Cheeseburger? $1 – I mean… come on….

@Idknown Welcome to America– where the poor and unhealthy are purposefully kept poor and unhealthy.

@Idknown
You’re telling me! I like eating healthy, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays I can feed my son’s whole playgroup for $10, because it’s $1.99 Happy Meal day. And they get a toy to play with. Yes, please.

Also…

Shop the farmer’s market for produce. Grocery store: $.49 a lb for bananas. Roadside stand: $.29 a lb.
Learn how to sew. A torn, stained curtain can become a new puppy bed in about an hour, and you’ll save a $50 trip to PetCo. Instead of buying new t-shirts, I take the ones my hubby grew out of and “chickify” them. He’s a packrat, so I have about 20 years of shirts to work with.
Cloth Diapers
Get the circular. All of them. Even the grocery stores you don’t like. Yes, I’m an avid Publix shopper, but when Winn Dixie has meat for $.99 a lb, with BOGO as well, and there’s a coupon for free eggs if you get five pounds, yes, I’m going to Winn Dixie. Learn to love your junk mail.
CVS Extra Care Bucks. It’s free money if you know how to use it.
Get blackout curtains if you live in a drafty house. It’s cheaper to use a light bulb than it is to run the AC at full blast all day long for the whole summer.
Don’t buy cleaning products. There is nothing in your house that can’t be cleaned with white vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and baking soda, and the occasional squirt of Dawn dish soap. Nothing. I promise.
Get Refills. If you’re on the road a lot, stop at 7–11, and buy a Double Big Gulp. Save that cup. From that moment on, stop at Race Trac to refill that cup when you’re thirsty. Double Big Gulp with cup: $2. DBG refill at 7–11: $1.19 plus tax. Refill at Race Trac: $.85 including tax.

Cook at home. Cut up credit card.

skipping meals altogether lol

Check-out “day before Expiration date” section at your supermarket, items are usually cut 50%-90% off on bread, cakes, pastries, cheeses, fresh meat, veggies. Buy just enough that you can consume in a day or 2. Or if you have freezer space, buy extra you can freeze for the 3rd or 4th day.

Don’t some bakeries give away day old bread? It may not be at its freshest but I doubt it will be so far gone as to be inedible. Also, eat smaller, more numerous meals. You will eat less. When eating a big meal, our stomachs often get full before our brains realize it.

It may seem a bit degrading, but saving your own cans and bottles as well as collecting others from recycling bins and even friends’ homes. Does your neighborhood have bulk pickups? People throw away stuff that is in excellent condition but may have an odd thing broken. You said you’re handy with a wrench, maybe you could fix some of this stuff.

@KatawaGrey
Bread lasts for several days at room temperature. Many bakery-equipped stores donate the remainders to food pantries, but others sell their product to the day-old bread store.

Bread will last longer if you freeze it.

We already buy our food from the food salvage store, I wash all our clothes by hand, I sew and crochet clothes/potholders/scarves etc with used fabric from our old clothes/cheap yarn and I use vinegar/baking soda to clean everything from the floors to the toilet.

lol See what I mean? We’re just not finding anywhere to cut the money from. We don’t even have a credit card to cut. I’m actually laughing while I’m typing this. I guess I can laugh about it after all.

Thanks a lot for the tips, guys. You all have some really good ones that I’m going to use.

I’m trying to think about where the money is going and it’s going to bills. Stupid bills with their stupid lawyers on the other end of ‘em. bah It goes to food too- but I’m honestly not sure how much more we can cut that and stay healthy. And Dear God I am sick of beans! I think I need a hug and a beer.

@gemiwing

I hear you. As of right now, our only source of food is food stamps, and we’re in the twilight zone of being recertified. I am at the end of making less than $400 of food last for two months for three people and three weekends of house guests. No more beans!

@Seek_Kolinahr That’s the worst part of food stamps (other than having every bloody-minded jerk tell you what you “should’ and “shouldn’t” buy to eat). When we qualified for them it was a very scary period- that in between time I mean.

Let us rise up against the mighty bean! Well, I can’t really say that because beans have saved our tuchus! I’m just sick of the little buggers.

Ugh, that reminds me… I need to set out some to soak. Dammit.

@KatawaGrey
Drinking the glass of water in the morning when waking up and then before meals dials in the gauge of how hungry I really am versus how hungry I think I am. Kind of lubes up my system to help digest whatever I do eat too. I drink warm or hot water all day long at work to combat going to the vending machine for candy bars, chips, ice cream bars and sodas (gawds I lurve soda!). With each styrofoam cup of bland water I feel like I’m winning against bad habits that would do in my blood sugar, break me out in hives and make my gut all paunchy.

More frugality habits
No cable TV subscription, no internet on the celly and minimum minutes plan in lieu of unlimited texting which is cheaper.

Hulu.com for free TV shows and movies
Youtube.com for free TV shows and movies
Minimum netflix.com acct. for unlimited instant viewing movies. Also, with one acct. then up to three people can be logged on from different locations to watch different movies which cuts the membership down further if you alternate the credit/debit cards listed with the acct. each month.

@gemiwing I have to quibble about one thing – the only way to get bills coming to your house it to buy things, or use services (gas, electricity, water, etc). Stop buying things and stop using the services and the bills will stop.

OH! @Neizvestnaya reminded me of something.

Cancel your Cell phone! Go prepaid! Straight Talk – which is a TracFone service provided by WalMart, is $30 a month for 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, and 30 MB of data. My phone was $30. Sure, it’s not fancy, but it works! And if you don’t let your service lapse (every 30 days you add another service card), your minutes and texts keep building. I have about 57 hours of phone time available right now. ^_^ If you need more than 1000 mins or texts in a month, there’s an unlimited plan for $45.

give your T.V away to someone you hate. Cancel cable

@YARNLADY Actually our bills are medical.

@Seek_Kolinahr Great info on the pre-paid phones! I’m going to look into that this week.

@gemiwing sorry to be snippy – stop getting sick (sarcasm dripping)

@YARNLADY No problem, I didn’t specify in the details. Our wallet is crying out for an answer to the same question. “Dang human with your organs and junk- always draining me!”

My favorite frugal tips are given below:

1. Take your lunch to work as much as you can.
2. Make food gifts instead of buying something.
3. Do not waste food.
4. Take only your store card and cash into any grocery store.
5. Drink more water. And less bottled beverages.
6. Don’t even think about smoking. You know why, your money and your life.
7. Get a chest type deep freezer. You save tons of money by making meals from scratch and freezing them for later use.
8. Buy in bulk and divide it up. Store/freeze for later use.
9. Make your own bread. Bake bread for ½ day a month and freeze it all.

I love sharing money-saving-tips. Thanks.

You did ask for extreme – Sell everything you own except your car and your computer. Buy a tent and move from campground to campground (depending on their time limit). Most campgrounds have wireless access, so you can run it off your car engine, or the battery.

My brother found a totally free RV park in Southern California, and he lived there for two or three years on scavenged food.

@ArpitaBarua, i really would like to try those tips soon….........thank you very much.