Frugal Fever?

Everyone seems to be trying to save money these days.  And the more they save the more they seem to catch the Frugal Fever…This is what I call it when people go a little overboard with their savings…Now don’t get me wrong…if they are saving money that is great, BUT when people sit around and tear apart their 2-ply toilet paper to make two rolls of 1-ply…that is a bit much.

So here are a few ideas that I think make you frugal, without the frugal fever..

• Do you have things that you don’t use anymore?  Why not trade them with friends and family…Kids toys, clothes, etc. are good examples, but think out of the box…do you rarely use your blender?  Trade it…you can always borrow it when you do want it…
• Use dishrags instead of paper towels.  You have to do laundry, so you can throw your dishrags in and no extra cost…paper towels are expensive…and instead of using paper napkins…use cloth napkins…again, you’re gonna be doing laundry…
• I remember my mom saving all of her cool whip and butter container and using them to store leftovers…I thought she was crazy, but now I know she was ahead of the game in saving money…and the earth…After all…who is going to see the containers?  People don’t usually invite people over for leftovers…
• Don’t be afraid to repair it yourself!  You can find how to fix just about anything on the net or in a book…it really isn’t as hard as you think!  And if you are like me…there is always a friend you can talk into helping you out…and you might be able to ‘trade off’ with your friends…can you cook?  Maybe you can talk a friend into fixing your toilet and you can make them dinner…???
• Having a party or cookout?  Don’t buy a bag of ice…make your own.  Fill your ice trays and when you have ice, dump it into an old bread bag…keep doing this until you have enough ice for what you are having…
• And for my last frugal tip…you have to trust me on this one…empty half of your shampoo into an extra empty shampoo bottle and then add water to both…you should have half a bottle of shampoo and add enough water to make 3/4 full.  Shake lightly to mix…now you have two bottles of shampoo instead of one…and it works with conditioner the same way.  Don’t believe me…fine…do this…Mix two Tablespoons of shampoo with one Tablespoon of water…wash your hair with this (use only the amount you would normal use)…you won’t see a difference in the lather, etc.

So are you frugal?  Or are you suffering from Frugal Fever?