I saw a story on AOL the other day about the billionaire who used his dental floss 3 times before throwing it away. He would hang it to dry every night. EEWWWWW!

So I thought I would tell you some of the things my family does. My dil breaks off the clip parts of the hangers when she buys clothes at Walmart and uses them for chip clips! And my hubby thought this was such a good idea that he makes me save them now. She also hates wasting the middle part of the soft fingernail files so when they are worn out, she slices them down the middle so she can use the center part of the file too.

So do you have one of these in your family? You don't have to tell us if it's really you that is the tightwad. All names will remain anonymous!

Today is a good day to share this one: Back when packages used to be tied in string to be mailed, my Irish grandmother would never break the string (bad luck, big time!). She would carefully untie all the knots. Then she take all the little pieces and knot them together and wind them onto a ever-growing ball of sting. When my grandparents died, I was quite little but supposedly my mother and her sisters found 70 years of string ball all over the house. I can remember her saying that you never know when a bit of string might come in handy.

It's true, you never know when a bit of string might come in handy...lol. When we moved my MIL to the nursing home, we found all sorts of stuff that "might come in handy."

Personally, I do alot of things that I consider frugal, but others might consider "tightwad-ish" -- one of them is that I dilute my liquid fabric softener. I use the cardboard refill containers to pour into the reusable plastic ones...when I refill, I add a bit of water. For the first many capfuls I take out, I put in a capful of water. I do this until it has the consistency I want & the scent is also diluted to my preference. It still softens the laundry & gives a pleasant scent, but without being overpowering...AND it lasts alot longer!

DS2 tends to like the more expensive shampoos and I don't like to pay the price...SO, I bought the pricey one he likes & refill it with the cheaper store brand of the same type...With him being gone to work so much, I can easily do this without being caught I can't wait 'til he has kids & starts pulling this stuff on them!

I use dryer sheets. When I take the cloths out I put the dryer sheets in a drawer or under sofa cushions, makes things smell good.

Jenell....I just tried the clip off the hanger and it worked slick...lol I'm also fairly thrifty, but... it's early and not much is coming to mind.

I use cat food for dog treats...lol Now...before anyone gets all wound up (because you're NOT supposed to feed dogs cat food - because it's too high in protein)..let me tell you what I do. First off...you can give a little cat food to dogs as long as it doesn't exceed 10% of their daily intake. I asked my vet before I did this.

I have a rather wild rescue dog, and I was taking behavioral modification classes with her. Everyone there was using these expensive treats as rewards, or they boiled liver and make up special snacks. Sheeszzz...my dog weighs 89#'s and one of those little aluminum pouches of dog snackies cost a WAD. So, I got a small bag of cat food....and I don’t have to chop it up, cook it..or anything. I just give her one kitty krispie kernel and she thinks I've given her a steak..lolol I don’t have to cook it...or mess with it. I just keep it in my pocket in a baggie. Now... as I work around the house with her doing things “right”... I hand her ONE kernel of cat food. The bag has lasted me 6 months...lololol

I purchased two large boxes of high grade computer paper for $2.00 each at an office store close out years ago...and we are STILL using it. It’s the kind of paper that was designed for printers with tractor lugs so it has the removable strips with holes down the sides. Unless I’m printing up a document for work ...I use that for everything. I just tear off the strips on the side...and load the printer up. I print allllllllllllll routine stuff on it like recipes...patterns. If someone asks for some paper I never mind handing them a pile of it to draw on...or cut up. At the time I bought those boxes my hub looked at me and said “WHAT are you going to do with all that??”.. Well.....now he knows...lol

I use yogurt containers to start my seeds in the spring.

I try to live like the Una-bomber because that keeps the fabric funds alive and well.

WoW what a fun post. I have a few things people say I am picky. I make my own dog treats they love them. I reuse baggies the ziplock ones. I cook with olive oil and it cost a lot so I spray the pan with cooking spray and then add the oil. I use less oil and stuff dont stick. My dad used to squish the little soaps together when they are wet. He rolled his own smokes. And made his liquor. My Dil uses cloth diapers for dish rags. That is just a few. Laura

Jenell
Oh waht a neat thread you have started here this gives me a chuckle reading along I love coming up with frugal ways to invent new things from old have around the house stuff. The dental floss is going to far for me but to each his own. Isn't it interesting the rich seem to be the ones to cut corners and hang on to their bucks!!!

I have a back scratcher made from an old metal coat hanger, it is flexible enough to fit where I need to reach and all I did was take and stretch it out long ways from the hook and padded the handle end in paper towel and then wrapped the toweling part with some white hospital tape and it isn't sticy to the touch like some tapes are...my family has looked at it as a weird thing and hubby has laughed at it ever since I made it but now guess what...

it is his favorite back scratching tool now that he itches from his neuropathy. He has found he now has places he can't scratch either.

Maybe one day somesones trash will become your treasure too...

Okay I have to admit that I always add water to my liquid soaps. And if you get the new and old bar of soap wet, you can lay the old sliver on the new bar and press it hard it just becomes part of the new bar.

Ok you soap savers! I was at a Tupperware party yearssssssss ago and they did a deal on making your OWN softsoap. I can't remember it all, but it was putting the left over slivers of soap (or tater chips as we call them) into a blender with water and a little bit of glycerin or liquid hand lotion. Blend blend blend...and there ya go! Just remember to RINSE your blender out well... lol

Here ya go...knock yourselves out...lol

Frugal Living Tips