Article on Yahoo!

Check out this article on Yahoo about good items to buy used. 

Toothpaste Squeeze

How do you get your toothpaste tube to look like this?

My husband taught me a simple way to truly get every last drop out of your tube of toothpaste.

Step 1.  Lay tube of toothpaste on a hard, flat surface.

Step 2.  Press the long handle of your toothbrush along the bottom end of the tube.

Step 3.  Applying steady pressure, slowly move the toothbrush handle up to the tip, compressing the remaining toothpaste together.

Voila!  You will be able to get every last drop of toothpaste, maximizing your purchase!

Book Worm

Though I love and use my library frequently, there still is nothing like owning your own literary classic.  So, how do you save dough when acquiring books?

• Buy at garage sales.  These are a great way to buy books, especially children's books.  Often they are only 25 cents to a $1.
• Swap with friends.
• Buy from your library.  Many libraries offer a book sale once a year offering fabulous deals.  For example, this year I scored for $10 at my library:  2 hardback Harry Potter books to finish my collection, 1 hardback Tales of Beetle the Bard, 1paper airplane book, the first three paperback books of Anne of Green Gables, box set of The Boxcar Children, hardback Oh The Places You'll Go, paperback Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (ours has gotten worn out), and several board books in like new condition.  If I had bought these new, it would have cost me well over $60.
• Check out websites like Craigslist and Amazon.
• Occassionally you can find a great deal through Scholastic school book orders, although often they're overpriced (but at least part of the money goes toward the school).

What do you do?

Inexpensive Vacation Ideas

Summer is upon us and so is vacation season.  Here are some ideas for a thrifty vacation:

• Go camping!  Once you have the gear, this is a very inexpensive vacation.  Some campsites are $7-20 per night.  Activities are free, you bring your own food, the kids enjoy playing in the dirt, and great memories are made.
• Have a "stay-cation."  Lodging is free, you provide your own food, and you know the deals in the area.  Take time to explore your city.  Some activity ideas:  hiking, biking, swimming, museums, tour factories, visit geological points of interest.  Just be sure to act like it's a vacation, rather than getting caught up in the day-to-day life of cleaning, phone calls, tv shows, etc.
• Arrange a house swap with someone you know (or meet through reliable house swap websites).
• Visit family.  Just be a good guest and help provide and prepare meals.
• If you want to vacation somewhere more grand...consider going in the off-season.  Deals are much better and your dollar stretches farther.

What are your ideas?

Watch Your Energy Usage

Today is Xcel Energy's first day of the two-tier rate system.  It continues through the end of September.  Your first 500 kilowatt hours are charged one rate.  Then anything above that is charged a rate that is practically double the first.  Now is the time to conserve electricity!!

Here are some ideas to reduce your usage:

• Unplug any unused appliances to avoid "phantom" currents.  Things like the toaster, lamps you rarely use, a cell phone charging that has already reached it's full charge, etc.
• Hold off on the A/C.  Wait as long as possible before you switch on that electricity guzzling machine. 
• Close blinds/curtains when the sun is shining directly in.
• Open windows at night to welcome that cool night air.  (But make sure your a/c is off and that you close the windows during the heat of the day.)
• Run full dishwasher and laundry loads.

Bananas, Beans, and Strawberries

I'm not sure how long this is going on, but Walmart is (or was) offering bananas for 25 cents a pound, black beans for 60 cents, and strawberries (16 oz. pkg.) for 90 cents.

Thanks to M. and N.  for the info!

SCFD free days

Planning your summer?  Check out this link.  Thanks to the Science & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) (and our tax dollars) many organizations in the Denver area offer free days.  It's a great way to experience Denver's attractions without paying for them! 

**Note:  Because of their popularity, these days can sometimes be quite crowded.  I once went to the zoo on a free day...and it WAS a zoo!  We actually turned around and went home.  The zoo is one place for me that it's worth paying.

Blinding Summer

Now that it is almost summer, here is a tip to beat the summer heat.  Keep blinds/curtains closed for windows that get direct sunlight.  The blinds will reflect the heat away from the window, keeping the interior of your house cooler.

In winter, do just the opposite, using the sun's warmth to help heat your house.

Switch to Bi-Yearly Insurance Payments

I'm not sure why, but for years we've paid our car insurance in monthly installments.  I guess it broke the cost down into easier payments.  However, the insurance company charges a $1 monthly service fee for it.  I finally got around to changing to bi-yearly payments, saving me $12 a year.  Want to do the same?  Make a call today to your agent.  Every little bit helps!

Scrap Paper

This is my scrap paper drawer.  It's filled with paper that's been printed on one side.  The paper comes from all places-- flyers, school handouts, non-needed homework, etc.--- all FREE.  We then use the unused side to print items that don't need to look very nice (like my Grocery Game shopping list).  My kids use it to draw pictures, practice writing, paint, etc.  I use it to jot down lists, map my garden, write down directions--- you get the idea.  It's a great way to save money and to recycle what you already have!

Frugality is the Latest Fashion!

On Yahoo! today there is an article about how more people are choosing to be frugal.  So now, being thrifty isn't just saving you money, it's the trendy thing to do!

Feel Great--- Donate!

This might seem counterintuitive for a thrifty blog, but I believe it is so important to donate to charitable causes.  There are so many benefits from donating:

• Most importantly, you get to help someone else.
• Helping others helps you feel good.
• It teaches you gratitude for what you have.
• It takes your mind off of yourself and your money...helping to realize that money isn't everything.
• It helps you spend less because you realize how good you have it.
• Surprisingly, there are financial benefits as well, and I'm not talking about tax deductibility.  Arthur Brooks, a noted economist, shared a study he did about how giving makes you more profitable.  And you don't need to be rich to enjoy the benefits of giving.  To learn more, read his speech here.

So donate today (your money, your items, your time) and help brighten someone else's day!!