thequeenofthecastle's commentsComments On: Everything Articles Blogs Journals Photos created by: Everyonethequeenofthecastle Secret Sources of Free and Low Cost Paint29 Sep 2011 06:04 AM We bought our house new in a new neighborhood/subdevision and we were one of the first houses on the block. I watched them build all our neighbors houses. There was a lot of waste in general, because speed was the first priority and they couldn't slow down to conserve. I haven't tried this, but I imagine you could talk to a local builder like this about picking up their leftover paint at a building site. It's worth a try. Are Store Brands Second Best?18 Mar 2011 06:39 PM I think that store brands are especially an easy decision when you are buying staple items like sour cream, eggs, milk and flour. If I notice a difference or a preference for name brand it's usually one of the more elaborate items like a certain type of cookie or maybe a cereal. The basics are basics, there isn't much way to vary them anyways, so why pay more for a name. That's my two cents. :) Autism and a Gluten-Free Diet05 Jan 2011 08:46 AM I worked for 2 years with an autistic boy when I was in college and he had such anxiety and pickiness with eating, which I believe is pretty common. One of my concerns with this unsubstantiated dietary restriction is that it puts even MORE pressure on already taxed parents. A gluten free diet can be expensive, complicated and time consuming to provide and I hate to think of these parents who's lives can already be quite stressful, putting this on themselves as well. Especially if it isn't really going to deliver any real results. Organizing Tasks that You Can Do While Watching TV05 Jan 2011 08:39 AM We have a ottoman/toy box in the living room and on most busy days all the toys get thrown in there even if they belong somewhere else. Once in a while I will go to both my children's rooms and collect up all the bins from their shelves for "blocks, legos, cars, ect..." and lay them all on the floor and sort toys out of the toy box into the right bin while watching some TV. When the show is over all the bins go back home to their shelves. My kids are always amazed and excited about all their organized toys they had forgotten they had. :) Baby Buy This Not That to Save23 Jun 2010 10:34 AM I also think that if I had it to do over again I would have just bought one of those portable travel booster seat/high chairs and skipped the other big bulky one. That way you consolidate two items into one. We really did love having a portable one. We use to take it to ball games and strap it to the bleachers and placate the baby with goldfish. I often had passing fans comment that it was a great way to bring a child along. :) 5 Quick ways to Save23 Jun 2010 10:28 AM For anyone who frequents frugal.families, you know I'm a huge fan and a big frugaler myself.. however.. I have worked in retain before and I have to admit. The first one, never paying full price for anything, doesn't quite sit well. I remember customers coming in and finding some reasonable imperfection with an item and then demanding a discount. While cashiers usually have the power to give out these discounts at their own discretion, I often felt a bit bullied by customers into giving discounts I didn't really feel were validated. Just be careful that when your "negotiating" you are being reasonable in asking for a discount and not putting an employee under the gun. Setting the Goal of Always Getting Used12 Jun 2010 08:04 PM I've been trying to move towards this goal for reasons other than stricktly financial. I have been increasingly more conscious of both just how much we consume in materials and resources through buying new and mass produced, in addition to the ethical concerns of how workers are being treated by large corporations. As a thrifty person it's hard to figure out a way around this since I'm not ready to pay much larger prices for free trade, exclusive, handmade boutique in all situations. It's just not manageable. So, thrift stores and second hand have been a huge source for me. I've also just decided to think a little extra hard about whether I need something at ALL, new or used. If I minimize my purchases maybe I can afford to purchase less for more and be more ethical and conscientious as I buy. High Tech Stuff with a Low Tech Budget14 May 2010 12:46 PM I think you can also justify some of your technology expenses by using it to it's full potential. We pay for a faster speed internet, because we use the internet CONSTANTLY. It is a source of SO much information. I recon clothes, make my own house wares, look up cleaning and gardening recipes, find kid crafts, find tips for lowering my carbon footprint, find homeschooling supplies, free sewing patterns, teach myself new skills from how to videos, and learn about how to be more frugal! :) I imagine the internet saves us huge money over a years time. Oh, I forgot one.. any time anything breaks we always look it up online first to see if we can fix the problem ourselves before calling in a technician. At the very least we can be more educated when talking to them about what's wrong and we are less likely to be taken advantage of. Free Family Fun at School!12 May 2010 09:34 AM We live in a university town and the university is an awesome resource of free activities as well. If you have a College near by you can usually find all kinds of events happening on campus to participate in and as a bonus, most of them are very educational. PS... I've been surprised at how many of these activities are specifically targeted at families and kids. I guess it's a way for the university to give back to the community, so don't assume that the college activities are just for the students and staff. You would be surprised. |
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