There are some frugal living tips that are pretty basic (making a budget, cooking at home), but there are some zany frugal living tips that are only for the people who are really committed to saving money.
These zany frugal living habits are ones that only people who are really into saving do. How many of these have you done? Would you consider doing them?
1. Use Coffee Grounds Twice
There’s still a lot of life in coffee grounds once they’ve been used. Use them twice to save half of what you pay for your coffee.
2. Use Leftover Cooking Water To Make Soup or Broth
Cooking water can have a lot of flavor in it, so don’t let it go to waste. Make something delicious with it.
3. Turn Old Clothes Into Rags or Quilts
Once clothes are finally completely worn out, you can use them as wash rags. For quilters, they’re a great source of fabric.
4. Raise Chickens for Eggs and Meat
Chickens are inexpensive to keep, and they can give you a lot of food for a long time. This is especially true now when the cost of eggs is getting higher and higher.
5. Air Dry Laundry
Air drying clothes is one of the best ways to reduce energy usage without spending any money.
Instead of spending a lot of money on tumble drying your clothes, get drying racks or improvise a clothesline and start saving money.
Also, sun drying your clothes will not only save you money in terms of reduced energy consumption but can also help reduce the cost of cleaning products. The sun naturally serves as a bleach and fabric conditioner for your clothes. When you start drying your clothes on a line, you can easily use less cleaning products.
6. Cook Efficiently
Start by planning your meals for the week and cooking in batches. You can then store the meals in small portions to use them throughout the week. The energy used to heat an oven will be the same whether you cook small or larger amounts. This is why cooking in batches will help those pennies in your pocket.
Other recommended ways to save energy while cooking include going for frozen vegetables, using a slow cooker, preparing all ingredients before cooking, boiling just the needed amount of water, and investing in energy-efficient appliances.
7. Reuse Containers
Reusing containers is good for the environment and your pocket. Get mason jars, reusable glass containers for food storage, and water bottles to avoid buying new items every other time.
Also, think twice before immediately disposing of plastic containers such as yogurt and ice cream. Some come with very tight seals, and you can give them a second life. You could use them to store food, such as pasta, or to freeze food.
You could also use the plastic bottles and containers to garden in your yard and on your balcony.