How do you pinch pennies?
@GardenGerty (160978)
United States
April 15, 2016 2:13pm CST
We like the pennies we earn as well as those we pinch. I scrape the peanut butter from the jar to make one more sandwich, etc. I do not like to waste.That is just a small thing, though.
Early in the morning, as soon as my husband leaves for work, I go through the entire house turning off lights. He usually has six to eight lights turned on. In addition to not using money for lights we are not needing to use, as the weather gets warmer we will appreciate not generating heat. We do have one lamp on in the bedroom, rather than using the power to turn the overhead on and off each time I go do something in there. I chose an LED bulb for the lamp so that it uses less power.
Of course we buy energy star appliances when we buy new.
My other big thing is laundry. I use the coolest setting that will work for the dirt. Then I hang the clothes out. It has gotten to where it seems the dryer takes hours to dry things. It should not, it is brand new. I think we will need to do something about the vent. I bet it is clogged. Even so, I will probably hang clothes out as often as possible. That is just another way that I pinch pennies.
Growing our own food is good as well.
So what kind of advice do you have about that?
I understand that during WWII a common saying was "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Maybe we should also say "keep it up" to remind us that maintenance saves money. Anyway we are all here to earn and learn.
29 people like this
34 responses
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
16 Apr 16
Well, I have to live on very little money. If I never did anything to earn any more money, I would never buy anything new unless it was something I HAD to have. I'd only shop the dollar stores. I'd make my food bank food last a lot longer to go farther for me. Right now, between selling off things on ebay and doing some writing here, I end up with a little bit of spending money so I can get something I want once in a while. But I never buy books. I get them all from the library. Totally free and I never run out of reading material. Food bank is great so I spend a lot less at the grocery store. And when I do shop, if it's not on sale, I generally don't buy it.
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
When I can I go in to my favorite grocers in the mid morning hours. That is when you find marked down produce. Usually around three in the afternoon they mark down the meats, and they are not out dated.Meat gets marked down two days before the "use or freeze by" date.
2 people like this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
16 Apr 16
@GardenGerty wow that's a great find! Thanks for sharing that one!
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
16 Apr 16
@GardenGerty
they mark down items in the evenings here about 5pm then i check what l need then another reduction comes saturdays
@lovebeingmummy2 (806)
• Aberdeen, Scotland
15 Apr 16
I grow a lot of our vegetables and that saves money
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
That saves money and can also save your health.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
@mom210 And you get fresh air, sunshine and exercise producing them.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51412)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
We keep our appliances in good working order or replace them as they seem to suck too much power otherwise. We just had a fancy eco system installed last summer. It is a tankless hot water heater, so you only heat the water as you need it, and a wonderful new boiler, small enough to hang on the wall! It cut our monthly heating bills down several hundreds of dollars.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
Yes replacing energy hogs is a win win situation.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51412)
• Canada
17 Apr 16
@peavey What you have to consider is the fact that you only heat the water once, as you need it, so therefore your costs are lower, so the initial cost of the item pays for itself pretty quickly. And if you're smart, when you run a load of dishes in the dishwasher, run a warm cycle wash in the washing machine, you'll take a hot shower, because the water is being heated anyways, and you'll never run out of hot water, its pays to do it all at once.
1 person likes this
@farbuoloxusy (1164)
• United States
15 Apr 16
I drive my husband and close friends crazy they all say I am super cheap. I am constantly saying, "can't you just make that much cheaper?" I coupon, turn the lights off and unplug everything every night (except the fridge and things that need to be plugged in), usually eat at home, cook on the wood stove or a fire outside as often as the weather permits, and try making things I can make.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
We need to get the grill up and going soon. Less kitchen clean up as well.
1 person likes this
@farbuoloxusy (1164)
• United States
16 Apr 16
@GardenGerty We have a fire pit out back that stays all year long. We do bon fires back there so the little grill that goes over the fire just hangs out back there. Then the normal grill never gets put away either but I am not the hugest fan of stuff cooked on there.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Apr 16
I pretty much follow your lead. People may scoff the old saying "Waste not, want not" but it's a golden rule. I hear people complain all the time about being hard pressed for money as they toss away their half drunken cup of Starbucks. I have been mocked for pinching pennies yet shown envy when I vacationed in Paris and total incomprehension that penny pinching got me there.
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
That gives all of us a goal to shoot for. You do well. I like my home made coffee fresh and hot and just the way I like it.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Apr 16
@miniam That is exactly what we have to do. When you want to travel badly and have little money, you have save pennies and give up momentary pleasures.
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
16 Apr 16
Way to go.Awork mate asked me recently how i can afford exotic holidays.While she goes for haircuts and coloring every month i do mine rarely, she goes for coffee every break time,i bring my own or just dont have. Coffee at work cost $4 a cup converted.All these really add up
1 person likes this
@Ruby3881 (1963)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
We bake a lot of our own soups and baked goods like bread, and buy very few prepared foods. We buy in large formats or shop in bulk if it saves money. And yes, I also scrape the PB jar! I use the soap that gets stuck on the lid of the dish soap bottle too 
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
I do buy bulk or if a coupon makes sense use a coupon. I have a large bottle of Dawn dish soap I got at Sam's, but I have small bottles to fill with it because I get coupons for 25-55 cents off and buy a 97 cent bottle.
1 person likes this
@Ruby3881 (1963)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
@GardenGerty We do the same thing. If the smaller items are less expensive when you look at the unit price, we just buy more of the small ones.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
15 Apr 16
that saying actually came from the depression era I do not leave on lights here in our room as although the owners pay the utlities I bet if they went up our rent could be increased. the dirty little thing they do here is to up the rent every time some years we got a cost of living raise so the rent went up the amount of the raise lol
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
They want you to pass your raise on to them, crafty.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
15 Apr 16
@GardenGerty yes is it not we are real money to them on the hoof lol
1 person likes this
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
15 Apr 16
Normally we have a plan, but sometimes I slip up and buy unnecessary things. I am putting myself on a strict budget this time. Oh and I scrape the peanut butter jar and spread it thin to last. My brother picks on me saying "Nice sandwich skils, MOM!" He says mom, referring to my step mom who did the same thing.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
My mom was picky about portion controls and that did not hurt me a bit. I also rinse out mustard bottles using pickle brine. My husband likes to buy a variety of mustards. The mustard sauce that comes from rinsing the bottles makes a good marinade for meats.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
@cupkitties I also heat it and pour it over things like cauliflower and carrots for a summer salad.
1 person likes this
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@GardenGerty I like to drink pickle juice. Guess now I've got another use for it. Thanks for the tip.
@vandana7 (100606)
• India
15 Apr 16
@sharon6345 ... No ...this one has a special technology. The pads smell like fish..lol. But it is a choice..lol
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@vandana7 Growing up we used a water cooler or evaporative cooler. It had pads that you kept wet. It works well in a dry climate. Is that what your cooler is like?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@sharon6345 I know you love to keep your costs down as low as possible.
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
Every penny you can save can be spent on something for fun... at least that's what I tell myself! And yeah... another lady who hangs out their laundry. It just makes sense but so few people do it!!
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
There are some places and home owners associations that do not allow it. I think that the wash smells good, and I often fold it as I take it down and so I finish my work with it faster. I was taught to basically sort it as I hung it, too.
1 person likes this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
16 Apr 16
@GardenGerty
We are not allowed to hang out clothes where i live
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
16 Apr 16
yeah, deff get that dryer looked at, esp if that new! We have triple curtains to keep out summer sun heat. I dump water outside on plants when draining bottles or glasses
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
You are in a pretty arid place. I used to set a bucket in the shower to catch water to put on plants.I could do that again. The soap helps kill pests on plants and acts as a surfactant so that the water soaks in better. I think the thing with the dryer is that the vent and duct work goes UP from the dryer and probably does not work as well as it would if vented straight out. And there may be lint caught in the duct.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
16 Apr 16
@GardenGerty I have also had my washer drain into the backyard, back when I lived in Eastern Oregon, which is high desert. great for watering the grass
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
16 Apr 16
I was thinking about what we used to do when I was a kid when it came to food. If we had left over pancakes they weren't thrown out. The were put in the refrigerator and later ate like bread. Many of the leftovers were reheated in a frypan.
About 5 years ago I bought a new energy efficient manufactured home. I installed all LED lights. And I did one big money saving thing last fall. Our electric company installed solar panels in a field which we could, in a sense, rent for five years. Over the five years the estimated saving in electricity for me will be $1,800. At last report the panels were generating more electricity than estimated therefore saving more money.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
17 Apr 16
There is some talk of doing the same in this area. It is good to hear how it is working for you. That might incline me to participate. I NEVER throw away a pancake. I freeze them and reheat them as breakfasts during the week.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
17 Apr 16
@GardenGerty I never thought about freezing my leftover pancakes (mainly because I normally only have 2 or 3 left).
People in this area didn't sign up for the panels as fast as the electric company thought they would. The original plan was to draw names out of a hat of all who signed up. That didn't happened because not enough people signed up so everyone who did sign up got the panels they signed up for. Then they went to a first come basis. They offered the panels in August and they didn't get them all "rented" until the middle of March.
@cindiowens (5120)
• North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
15 Apr 16
I like that saying, lol.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
I heard that from a boss when I was in college and had a work study job.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
In my living rooms there is enough light from the north to do what I want to do at the computer.In the kitchen it is a good strong south light.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
16 Apr 16
@GardenGerty On a sunny day I don't need a light in the daytime at my computer, but on a cloudy day I do
@maezee (41988)
• United States
15 Apr 16
Very cool ideas. I especially like the growing your own food one. It's cool to see what you've created help sustain you. I don't really pinch pennies as much as I should, I just earn some extra money online. Which sort of defeats the purpose - it feels like if I could reduce spending, I wouldn't have to try to earn so much online. Ha ha. Oh well.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
I like to save what I can so that when I am earning on here, for instance, it is more fun and less desperate. I do not then feel like I have to earn at places that are not as much fun.
@maezee (41988)
• United States
15 Apr 16
@GardenGerty indeed. I agree. I put all my online money in a savings account. Its awesome watching it grow!
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
15 Apr 16
I do the recycling bit.
I have boxes and cans for all the recyclable containers that we go through. I've already differentiated it in their different sizes. Once a month, we gather up everything and bring it to the recycling depot. Most containers are just worth a few pennies each, but they do add up.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
The only thing that we can recycle and get paid for is aluminum cans. I pick them up when I walk. I am using all our cardboard in the community garden and under my new garden frames I am going to start.
@DanieGirl80587 (2713)
• United States
15 Apr 16
I try not to go out to eat so much since it saves money to just cook and make sandwiches. Turning off all the lights is something we do as well.I also literally save my pennies and all my change. After a while it adds up pretty good. Me and the husband just rolled up all the change we saved for 6 months and it was over $100. So very happy! :-)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
They say to save your change for a special goal and it makes it more fun. We are cutting down on the out to eat, but still do it more than we need to.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
You probably are more frugal than you realize. If you cook from scratch and grow stuff in your garden even if it is flowers rather than veggies you are saving money. The beauty of your flowers is priceless.
2 people like this
@mom210 (9115)
• United States
15 Apr 16
We have to clean out our vent from time to time. I also hang my clothes out and make my own detergent. Most things get washed in cold water. I not only turn off lights but unplug chargers and parasite type devices. way to go on saving money
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
16 Apr 16
My chargers stay unplugged.Hubby does not believe me when I tell him that they use power.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
15 Apr 16
For lots of grinder things like that it is suggested to put a slice of bread through. Then use the bread crumbs. I do agree, and I admire you making mayo, I have not ever done that.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (61648)
• Centralia, Washington
15 Apr 16
@GardenGerty When we use the old meat grinder we put a stale piece of bread in at the last. Its different with the blender. I found a super easy way to make mayo and have gone with it over the years. Tasty stuff and simple. Plus if I want I can change the taste by adding herbs or cayenne etc.
1 person likes this
