Please post frugal living tips

[porcupine kate]

I'm always looking for great ideas on how to reduce my cost of living.  I also love practical ways of doing things myself instead of paying someone else.  Also reusing stuff or finding new uses for things is a great way to save money and time in a lot of cases.

I would love for people to share there ideas on how we can live better for less money.

[Puke]

Shave your head. I've purchased two trimmers since joining the Army in 2000. A cost of about $70.
I haven't paid for a haircut in 6 years. 

[Tom Sawyer]

We save alot of money using a bread machine. You just need to get the yeast in the bulk 1 lb size, the grocery store price for the little amounts is prohibitive.

The fresh baked stuff makes the whole house smell good.

[Puke]

Drink water. It's practically free.
Don't eat out often. That's very expensive.

[Insurgent]

Shave your head. I've purchased two trimmers since joining the Army in 2000. A cost of about $70.
I haven't paid for a haircut in 6 years. 

I can't even begin to calculate how many hundreds of dollars a year that I save using this method. Every two weeks I mow the clipper over my hair and beard, and I get giddy thinking about saving that money. I don't have to buy shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse, combs, brushes, curlers, picks, hair-dryers, dyes, highlights, foils, tints, or extensions. Time spent doing my hair every day?  <1 minute 

[Recumbent ReCycler]

I started pedaling (at least part of the way) to work.  http://newhampshireunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=12330.0  I've probably saved close to $100 in gasoline in the last month and a half.  I usually ride a little over 3 miles each way and take the bus the rest of the way to work, although one day when I missed the bus, I rode about 23 miles. 
Another way to save money is to use a deodorant stone instead of those deodorant sticks that leave an uncomfortable funny smelling film on your arm pits.  The deodorant stones are made from mineral salts, and in my experience, tend to last a couple years or so each.  I use mine in the morning after taking a shower and it keeps me stink free for over 24 hours.  You can usually find them at health food stores and herbal pharmacies for around $5-$8 each.  Instead of just masking the odor with something that smells somewhat like perfume, deodorant stones are odorless and work by killing off the bacteria that expel the odor.

[SethCohn]

I can't even begin to calculate how many hundreds of dollars a year that I save using this method. Every two weeks I mow the clipper over my hair and beard, and I get giddy thinking about saving that money. I don't have to buy shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse, combs, brushes, curlers, picks, hair-dryers, dyes, highlights, foils, tints, or extensions. Time spent doing my hair every day?  <1 minute 

Hey, Time spent doing my hair every day <1 minute   (hmm... I need a bearded afroish smiley)
Though the occasional haircut and cheap bottles of shampoo cost a few bucks a year... but certainly no more than $100 total.

Let's NOT end up with a mostly bunch of bald liberty folks, ok?  It's hard enough keeping people from calling it a cult.

This is not a political comment. 

[Insurgent]

Another way to save money is to use a deodorant stone instead of those deodorant sticks that leave an uncomfortable funny smelling film on your arm pits.  The deodorant stones are made from mineral salts, and in my experience, tend to last a couple years or so each.  I use mine in the morning after taking a shower and it keeps me stink free for over 24 hours.  You can usually find them at health food stores and herbal pharmacies for around $5-$8 each.  Instead of just masking the odor with something that smells somewhat like perfume, deodorant stones are odorless and work by killing off the bacteria that expel the odor.

This is interesting; do you have any more information available about the products you use? I'm particularly interested because it seems like over-the-counter-deodorants can sometimes cause rashes and itchiness.

Do these deodorant stones cause any irritation?

[dysurian]

Drink water. It's practically free.
Don't eat out often. That's very expensive.

Not eating out is an amazing savings, if you eat out with any regularity. I used to eat out with extreme regularity, but stopped a few months ago and have suddenly saved up a thousand extra bucks. Not eating out is what's going to allow me to move to the free state even sooner!

Making stuff yourself is often a cheaper route to go (coffee, bread, computers), but just be sure the giddiness associated with DIY projects doesn't take over. I learned to knit from one of my college professors and was about to embark on a knitting project to make a warm blanket before I realized that it would cost me about $100 more than it would to just buy a really nice blanket. 

[SethCohn]

This is interesting; do you have any more information available about the products you use? I'm particularly interested because it seems like over-the-counter-deodorants can sometimes cause rashes and itchiness.

Do these deodorant stones cause any irritation?

Normal deodorants cause rashes because of the aluminum chlorhydrate... next to your lymph nodes, especially combined with triclosan, it's a bad bad thing... I got swollen nodes as a result.

http://www.rense.com/general64/triclo.htm

The various stones are usually potassium salts, such as Potassium Alum, or Potassium Sulphate.
So your reactions (and the odor causing bacteria) will vary.

I tried the stones but they didn't work well for me.  I ended up going with Zinc Oxide.  A tube is cheap, easy to find, and works really well, on the same principle.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

This is interesting; do you have any more information available about the products you use? I'm particularly interested because it seems like over-the-counter-deodorants can sometimes cause rashes and itchiness.

Do these deodorant stones cause any irritation?

Normal deodorants cause rashes because of the aluminum chlorhydrate... next to your lymph nodes, especially combined with triclosan, it's a bad bad thing... I got swollen nodes as a result.

http://www.rense.com/general64/triclo.htm

The various stones are usually potassium salts, such as Potassium Alum, or Potassium Sulphate.
So your reactions (and the odor causing bacteria) will vary.

I tried the stones but they didn't work well for me.  I ended up going with Zinc Oxide.  A tube is cheap, easy to find, and works really well, on the same principle.

I've never experienced any irritation from mine, and I've been using them for about 12 years.  Here's some more information: http://www.kombuchapower.com/deodorant_stone.htm
The one I prefer is similar to the ones sold here: http://www.outletnutrition.com/086449330007.html
It looks like a smooth oval translucent crystal.  Mine, (as long as I don't drop and break them) usually last 2-3 years each.  If they break, you can take the pieces and dissolve them in warm water and put it in a spray bottle, just make sure that the concentration is high enough that it will start to recrystallize at room temperature.  Then you can use that as a spray-on deodorant, although it will leave you a little damp.

[Dave Ridley]

grow wheat sprouts.
they cost about 25 cents a pound.  and are very very good for you.  also wheat makes a good survival food.

i can show you how if need be its pretty easy  lemme kno

[Fluff and Stuff]

Use rechargeable batteries. It is better for the environment, also.

Buy in bulk.  I'm single but I still buy things like printer paper, cranraisins, printer ink, and contacts at a warehouse club.

If you are going to buy books (cept from liberty loving authors that you are friends with or that speak at NH related events), buy them used.

[KBCraig]

Let's NOT end up with a mostly bunch of bald liberty folks, ok?  It's hard enough keeping people from calling it a cult.

Some of us are going the opposite direction: saving money by not getting haircuts at all. Don't even have to buy the clippers that way. (Of course, Mary has boxes of clipper and blades, if you don't mind dog cooties.)

I stopped using shampoo; just water and conditioner. If we didn't have heavily chlorinated water, the conditioner might be optional.

[Lloyd Danforth]

We save alot of money using a bread machine. You just need to get the yeast in the bulk 1 lb size, the grocery store price for the little amounts is prohibitive.

The fresh baked stuff makes the whole house smell good.

Machine?