Thriftiness

OK, I admit it. I can occasionally be a complete cheapskate. Having a husband in college has taught me to be creative about meals, shopping, and home decor. And frankly, often I find this to be more fun than spending lots of money. I'm not saying that spending is bad in and of itself. But we all have a limited amount of money, so why not save it for more important things than weekly groceries and monthly heating bills? With this thought, here are some of my favorite tricks for spending less.

1) Instead of buying a scented candle to give your home that fresh scent, mix a 1:2 solution of lemon juice and water and microwave on high for several minutes. Not only will your apartment smell beautiful, but any caked on food in the microwave can now be wiped off easily.

2) During the summer, buy lots of those cheap fruits and veggies and freeze them. Most will keep for months in the freezer, and you will save lots of time when making soup, smoothies, etc. Stir-fry is amazingly quick this way. Also, chop up that whole head of celery and freeze it. You will never have to throw out limp celery.

3) No money for books? Go through your bookshelves and find those books that you have neve read or will never read again. Take them down to your local used bookstore and turn them in for store credit. This can be a great source of books for gifts to friends (lots of used books are still in excellent condition) or simply a fun weekend outing to get more books.

4) Forget those expensive scrubbing cleaners. Use plain old baking soda to clean faucets, sinks, and tubs. Works on everything except dark mineral stains.

5) Buy tissue paper at the dollar store. You can get a huge stack for a dollar. Spend a fun half hour at the fabric store gettting 1 yard lengths of several fun ribbons. Personalize your presents by taping ribbon initials on your wrapped gifts, matching colors and styles to the recipients.