MegfromAllAboutAppearances's comments

6 Ways to Reduce Our Use of Paper Products - Blog Entry

09 Jun 2008 11:32 AM

My husband and I use cloth towels, napkins, and rags. We have a small hamper stashed under a small table that we're using as a kitchen island to collect towels once they get dirty. We also keep a box under the printer for paper that can be reused, especially if it is blank on one side.

However, we've learned that having those things available isn't enough. What makes the biggest difference is moving the paper towels further out of reach than the cloth ones. In fact, I'm debating moving ours even further out of reach. If guests have to ask where the paper towels are, that's fine. I can tell them to grab a cloth towel. No one has complained yet.

A New Way to Save Money on Milk - Blog Entry

04 Jun 2008 06:43 PM

In my household, we've just been using less.

I don't drink milk anyhow -- just never cared for the stuff, though I do eat dairy products. I get my calcium from dairy products like cheese and veggies like broccoli, so I've never missed it. When I do eat cold cereal, I eat it dry, but it's never been a big thing for me either. So, maybe it's a bit too easy for me to tell people that milk isn't quite the staple that some people I know assume it is (of course, some people might find it odd that I consider whole wheat couscous a staple).

My husband drinks milk, but he has started drinking more water and tea, so we've been able to buy less milk for him. He takes milk with his cereal, but cereal isn't a regular meal for him either. We also got some powdered milk to try in recipes (and maybe drinking), but we haven't gotten around to trying it.

Training the Frugal Palate - Blog Entry

25 May 2008 10:12 AM

Even my husband is noticing a change in his palate. We bought some store-cooked ribs and I ended up eating most of them (didn't want to waste them) because the ones he slow-cooks himself are sooooo much better. Of course, the ingredient list on both is a mile long, but the ones he makes are slightly cheaper and may get a lot cheaper once we make some changes to the formula.

He's also trying to use less sugar each time he makes sweet tea. It's still waaaaay sweeter than I can stand, but I hope that eventually I won't have to water mine down.

The Frugal Palate Phenomena - Blog Entry

25 May 2008 08:38 AM

I know my palate has changed lately. I've been making a lot of home-cooked stuff, eating a lot of fresh food, and splurging on quality chocolate (like Dagoba). As a result, I swear I can taste the length of the ingredient list when eating something really processed. Ick! A lot of sweets taste absolutely awful to me. I love sweets, don't get me wrong, but when people offer me a bite of something I often think to myself, "How the heck do they eat this stuff?" (and try not to show it on my face). And I have to keep reminding people to not add extra salt to things they're making because I know I will like it with a whole lot less.

I gave up soda years ago along with just about anything sweet to drink except for some watered down sweet tea or occasionally a glass of wine or a mixed drink. I still need a water on the side with those because my tastes have changed to where if I drink something sweet, I feel like I haven't had anything to drink.

Postal Increase: Stock Up on Stamps - Blog Entry

07 May 2008 10:36 AM

I've been debating stocking up on forever stamps, but right now the money is better spent knocking down our debt. Got to love those interest rates. And unless the rates really skyrocket, the money is still better off gaining interest in a decent savings account.

Alternatives to Hanging Laundry Outside - Blog Entry

02 May 2008 01:18 PM

My husband put a metal pipe above our dryer in the utility room so that we can hang clothes there. It works great. We rarely have any problems with clothes drying there. When it is really humid I try to time it so that they're in there while we run the heat or air since that dries the air. And since I hang the clothes on hangers, it actually saves me time.

Delicate knit items I dry on collapsible shelves on top of the washer or dryer. We got them at Big Lots for really cheap.

Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? 2 - Blog Entry

26 Apr 2008 09:44 AM

I read somewhere that on the bare-bones starter version of a given thing (like the simplest microwave) that Walmart is usually cheaper, but the prices jump from there. They advertise the lowest priced version, then count on you upgrading once you get to the shelf. Yet another reason I avoid Wally World. I might be using toilet paper not even labelled for residential use, but when our microwave gave a light show we replaced it with a huge model with all the bells and whistles. Of course, most of the time I just hit "quick minute" over and over, but the automatic reheat and cook buttons really do work, and it heats way more consistently that other microwaves we've tried.

Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? - Blog Entry

26 Apr 2008 09:38 AM

Sometimes I use the coupons at BB&B, like the other night when we went and got new bamboo sheets (heavenly!). However, most of the time I'm buying more than one thing, so it's still cheaper for me to go elsewhere instead of buying one thing there and then making separate trips back or elsewhere.

And don't forget that they take competitor's coupons ;)

Is Shopping at Wal-Mart Frugal? - Blog Entry

24 Apr 2008 07:41 AM

I don't shop at Walmart except for the rare 3am must have now purchase. They're definitely not the cheapest, though the products should be considering the quality. Just about every time I've bought from Walmart, it's ended badly. Target is a little better, but mostly in areas of style. They both had the same crappy DVD player, just rebranded -- but Target's was about $20 LESS! Not that it mattered because we ended up paying more for a DVD player elsewhere that actually worked.

Mostly, I shop at Sams for paper products and some bulk foods, Publix and another local grocery store for other food items and sometimes toiletries, Walgreens sometimes for toiletries, Ross and T.J. Maxx for clothes, online for miscellaneous stuff, and a local kitchen store for kitchen supplies. And speaking of price, it turns out that the local "expensive, overpriced" kitchen store is cheaper than Bed Bath and Beyond on at least a few items we bought recently. My husband and I were very surprised!

The Less is More Philosophy - Blog Entry

20 Apr 2008 10:55 AM

I agree with mrmnmom82 on "more time". I can't believe how much time I save just by shopping less! Turns out, even making/fixing stuff myself usually takes less time then buying a replacement.

I definitely believe in the "Less is more" philosophy in many areas of life including cooking, fashion, home decor, gift giving, etc. It's just to easy to clutter things up to the point where we don't appreciate what we have. That whole "less is more" philosophy is why I organized FruWiki around using less, buying less, spending less, replacing less, and throwing out less.