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[CindyLouWho]

Free excedrin.....just answer a question.  Full size product.

[Janetplanet]

We learned how to save money by cooking from scratch.  We make our own pasta, ravioli, pesto, onion soup mix, etc.  Bread dough is a basic now and we have learned how to make recipes using the basics.  We also burn wood and don't own a dryer, use our clothesline in the summer and our Amish built rack in front of the woodburner in the winter.  Keep our furnace on 54 while we are in bed and gone and 57 when we are home.  Nobody is suffering - just snuggle deeply under the covers.  Use our local library and don't buy magazines or books.  Had a huge garden this past summer and harvested pounds and pounds of potatoes (we still have some in our garage) - canned tomatoes, V8, vegetable soup, salsa, dilled beans, hot pepper mustard, pears and froze peppers, pesto, brocolli and brussel sprouts.  Dehydrated sun dried tomatoes and have been eating the harvest ever since.  Good luck with your Penny Pinchers Club.  I am right there with you.
Janet

[NightmarePatrol]

Life was looking to do some co-op bulk purchases of flour and stuff like that. Maybe you all need to collaborate a list up and work something out when the time s right.

[Kimmi]

These are all great ideas.  I will be looking into the soap ideas on here.  And the underwire fix - genius!! Nothing irritates me more than that! 

I have changed salons.  I save $15 on my haircut and $5 on my wax. 
I'm trying to cook more so I have leftovers for a couple of days or freeze the extras.  I'm trying to eat healthy so produce is killing me.  One of the local stores gives out 20% off coupons in the mail weekly.  I use those.
I'm looking into putting a garden in this spring.  I know it is a ton of work, but I don't really mind.  Plus it will give me lots of extras I can freeze.  I'm thinking about getting a small freezer soon.  This will help with bulk purchases too. 
I'm a water drinker so I don't spend too much on drinks for home unless it is juice. 
I look at the price per unit cost when I'm buying paper products especially.  TP, paper towels, and garbage bags are amazing in the difference of their price per unit. 
I only go out once a week, if that. 

[Sunny]

Gave up shopping at W-mart 2 years ago, unless absolutely necessary. It was amazing how easy it was to throw down a minimum of $200/week just for groceries (plus the plethora of 'add ons'). Now do majority of shopping at Aldi's.

Before buying big purchases, we always check out Craigslist, Freecycle, EBAY, and classifieds first. Also sell things on Craigslist to replenish.

Huge thrift store, consignment shop & yard sale shopper. Taught the kiddos to donate 1 possession for every new purchase. You can find really good deals at the Goodwill & Salvation Army on family days.

Never make an online purchase without Googling "free shipping code" or "promo code".  There's almost always a discount code out there. 
 
Also subscribe to several MommySavers forums for shopping tips, coupon codes, freebies, etc.

[Kimmi]

Yes Sunny ALWAYS look for the promo code for the particular company you are buying from!! 

I sometimes use this website:  http://www.retailmenot.com/

[Zipper]

We are pretty frugal normally. It's tough to save money when buying the raw materials to make something costs as much as to buy it outright.
 
I do try to stock up when I see a good sale, and avoid buying the items that are marked up to compensate for the sale items in the stores. For example, soup will be on sale, but paper products will be higher that day. I make a lot of my own soups and freeze them but sometimes opening a can is quick and easy.
 
Oh... here's a good tip:
 
I seldom ever use paper towels. I bought the kind of paper towel holder that has a wooden dowel through it... like this...
 

 
and mounted it on the wall. Then I took some pretty kitchen towels, folded them in half and sewed a straight seam with the fold leaving room large enough to thread the dowel through. (like a curtain rod)
 
I keep one by the sink to dry wet hands, and when it's dirty I toss it into the laundry.
 
The thing is, I don't know per unit how much it's saving or causing me to do more laundry, using more energy, or what, but I hardly ever have to buy paper towels.
Another good tip:
 
A yard of anti-pill fleece can be cut up into 6 inch squares, (no sewing any edges necessary) and they make the best dusting cloths or dishwashing cloths, or spray a bit of fabric softner on one and toss it into the dryer instead of dryer sheets.
 
I found this out by accident. I had an old dark navy blue fleece top I didn't like, and instead of trashing it, I thought I would cut it up for rags. I grabbed a "rag" one day, and ran it across my sofa table, and because the rag was dark blue, the dust it collected showed up really well. I was amazed how much was there. So I started to use them all the time for dry-dusting.
 
Works great on the refrigerator, countertops, nice for dishwashing cloths as there's enough texture in them to help remove stuck on foods, and great for cleaning the stove top too. I wouldn't say they are very absorbent though for spills.
 
 
 
 

[NightmarePatrol]

For all you sample freaks and those of a frugal mind out there, here is a good website to start with. It more than just a sample or two, is a great jumping off point to a lot of other sites of similar interest.

[Janetplanet]

Starting Sunday 2/28/10 Quality (old Bi Lo in downtown mall) is selling chicken leg quarters for 49 cents a pound.  I haven't seen a price like that in a long time.  Last time I bought them was Valesky's for 39 cents a pound but that was over a year ago.  They are in family packs but that is ok, I will buy at least twenty pounds and bake them all on cookie sheets - remove meat - put in one pound packets in freezer for chicken chow mein, casserole or chicken and gravy over biscuits.  Will cook the bones down for a chicken broth for soup.  Great bargain.
Janet

[gore range]

....here's one that's really made a difference in the mile-high bunker-

....the bunker dates from the late 70s when the aluminum-frame therma-pane windows were in vogue; they did a fair job in their time, but over the years have been noticeably less efficient in spite of the ongoing bunker energy conservation efforts as the monthly cost of juice moves ever higher disproportionally to whatever saving efforts are made....

....I've been looking at the new vinyl windows at the Home Despot, but given the assembly line construction of my model of bunker, the old windows are a pain ( no pun intended) to remove, and then cosmetically cover the installation work of the new ones, so I was none too motivated to initiate that project; I did look at a commercial installation, but more than rolled my eyes at the 'discounted' $11 grand for eight windows.....

....then I realized I had a stash of big-sized sheets of quarter-inch-bubble bubblewrap that I saved from numerous packages received over the years....

....out came the 2" cellophane tape to piece sheets together; made up a quick frame out of scrap 1 x4  pine to fit snuggling in my widow inside-recesses; cut the sheets to fit the frame, double layered the sheets  taping them to the frame w/2" masking tape; then sealed the frame around the window recess with 2" blue painter's masking tape....

....only did it on two northern facing windows and immediately saw a significant change in savings....

....come spring, I pull the blue paint's tape, remove the frame & put them in storage until next winter....

....this year, I cut out a 2" x 4" opening at eye level in the frame-attached bubblewrap sheets so I could take a gander out the window if needed, and re-sealed those openings with a couple layers of 2" cellophane tape on both the inside and out, with no degradation in the cheap-a** storm-window function .... [/]

[Zipper]

I'd have popped all the bubbles before they ever made it to the windows.
 
 
 

[Janetplanet]

Got a chuckle out of your bubble windows.  We do put up film over all of the windows - and use a heavy gauge plastic framed on the patio door.  It does save some heat loss but I hate not being able to see out that double door.  I really know that spring has arrived when we take down the plastic and can access our back deck once again.  I heard spring was coming, but just to be sure I shot that damn groundhog.
Janet

[Amidala]

Switched over 3 more lightbulbs to fluorescents last night. Only the dining room chandelier is left and I'm having a hard time switching the chandelier bulbs over. I like my DR ambience.

[NightmarePatrol]

I hav had very spotty success with the compact fluorescents. They have not lived up to their life expectations. In fact they don't really seem to last much longer than the incandescent bulbs have. They are nice and bright once they warm up and don't burn too hot. But I  have a hard time justifying the cost/benefit. I'm waiting for the LED bulb prices to start falling. I've seem some and they are awesome but way to spendy for me.

[lifefeedsonlife]

LED lights are a cold light. Don't like 'em. Don't care for the quality of light for the Compact Flourescents either.

Ain't like I'm gonna have a choice after a while though . . . .