We are talking about the different standards of squeamishness that people have when practicing a frugal lifestyle. I’m curious to know where you stand in these areas. In the last article, we covered everything about food. Click here to read: The Frugal Gross Factor. Now, we’ll go on to clothing and food.
Clothing
We have no problem with used clothing. I frequently shop at the thrift stores and garage sales and gladly take hand me downs for my family. I confess that unless the clothing comes from a trusted friend or relative, I wash it thoroughly, no matter how clean it seems. Sometimes I even wash the clothing from friends and family members, if it has been sitting in a basement and needs airing out, for example. One time I did come across some great children’s clothes curb-side, and since it was in a bag by itself, I was able to take it. I still haven’t made the leap to dumpster dive. I also don’t have the patience to refresh heavily-stained clothing or repair torn used clothing. And I draw the line at used underwear. It is probably okay once washed in hot water, but I can’t get over the squeamish factor.
Sanitation
Sanitation for me is where I get really squeamish. I like to have a clean environment and a clean body. The compromise here for me with frugality, is that I try to wipe down surfaces with mild cleaner or just water on a regular basis, saving myself on all of those expensive sanitizing products. Again, our germs are communal, so I usually only disinfect the inside of the bowl once a week.. And the thing about sanitizing a toilet bowl is that the first time that it is used, it is full of germs again. I will disinfect more often if someone in the house is ill, if a child happens to miss the bowl or if we have overnight guests.
I have been making an effort to wear clothing for longer periods between washings, but I still struggle with this. I just assume that if it is worn then it should be washed. Of course, this not only costs more money in laundry, but it also wear out clothing faster. Two days of light wear for an item is as far as I can go. Any suggestions?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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