Just curious who else is living super frugal

[newfoundland]

Yes the prisoners of war did also work on the farms. My uncle, who as a young by was evacuated to the country, remembers going to the village shop for them to buy tobacco. At Christmas time many of the men made simple wooden toys for the village children. I'm sure they must have been missing their own families particularly at Christmas. It is so true about being self sufficient but of course this depends a lot on the natural resources that you have. The biggest impression it makes on me is to realise that people were really tired by 1943, were getting less and less to eat, and of course had no idea when it might all end. When they finished their day job, they had about an hours turn around before they went out on fire watching duties or guard duties. They volunteered in hospitals, even my grandmother in her seventies was put to work rolling bandages and preparing dressings. No matter how desperate the times they could still find something to smile about and never forgot to count their blessings. To me, they are heroes all!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Back to the living frugal subject, EYEGLASSES!

If you need them , you know how expensive they can be.  I get mine from www.zennioptical.com.  You need to know your prescription, and the distance between your pupils (PD measurement) which is easy to do with a friend.  I got no-line tri focals, with good looking frames, and photo-chromic (darken in the sun) lenses for about $49, and a spare pair of single vision reading glasses for $9.  Shipping takes about 10 days to 2 weeks and costs about 5 bucks for the whole order.  If you have kids, you've GOT to check them out!

~S

You can also get a FREE pair of glasses from http://www.coastal.com/glasses/cCouponEligibleGlasses.html?ilid=microsite for 1st time customers. All you pay is shipping. I ordered my FREE pair about 6 months ago and I all I paid was shipping which was about $9.00. You just have to make sure you have your prescription. The code to use after checkout is FIRSTPAIRFREE. I received my glasses and they are GREAT! They will help you measure distance between pupils. EXCELLENT customer service. They are patient and will answer ALL of your questions.

There was another site that was also offering FREE eyeglasses for 1st time customers and I also got a free pair from them. I only paid shipping which was $7.00. Here is the website. Not sure if they are still free or not. I received my glasses from them and they are GREAT!

http://www.firmoo.com/

So, I bought 2 pair of VERY nice eyeglasses and only spent $16.00. You may want take a look at these sites as well.

 

[LazyQ]

Hey Frugalists.
I been needing a handle or knob to pull my chicken coop doors open with. Something easier than sticking my old numb finger in the wire and pulling the door open.
So I got to thinking about a cheap way to do it.
Then I remembered something my Grandfather did 65 years ago.
He nailed a wooden thread spool to the chicken pen door.
Well I took up quilting a few months ago and had several empty plastic spools on my desk.
Saturday I grabs my cordless drill and screwed one on two of my coop doors.

 

[galanie]

My mother used to use spools in all sorts of oddball ways. They're great! course the old wooden ones could do more but you don't see thread on those any more.

I have not used a mixer in years. I mean 25+ years. I always preferred washing a fork or a spoon over messing with washing mixer stuff or having it on the countertop. I could and still can beat egg whites with a fork so they're stiff peaks but since I've had Carpal Tunnel surgery, I've finally decided I need to go a little easy on these old hands and wrists. But I refuse to buy an expensive machine to mix up cake batter. So. I still have a few mixer beaters, just not the machine.

In comes my latest kitchen gadget: My 18V cordless drill! LOL! Pop a mixer blade in that thing and it works perfectly! I realize it won't grind meat like the Kitchen Aid will. But it does grind grain - I use my hand crank Family Food grinder with it. Only have the grain attachment but I can get a meat grinder for it too. For that, I took a large allen wrench that fit the grinder's handle hole and cut off the L part, making it a straight shaft. Bingo. Powered flour mill.

Love that thing. Yeah I'm probably a little too minimal sometimes but I get the job done.

 

[MamaRoo]

Was at Costco yesterday getting "lunch" and saw them giving free cookie samples from these really cool tins. Asked if I could have a couple and walked out with four nifty tins! I'm thinking of using a couple as 'wrapping' for a gift basket of homemade jams for the relatives.

BF says "don't forget to mention the TWO bonus cookies that were left inside!!"

 

[CoopChick719]

Lol that the same recipe that i use. Hubby calls it snott...it looks so gross but works way better then a lot of the over the counter stuff. For cloths with really tough stains i just throw them in the bucket for 24 hours and just throw them in the wash. 90% of the time it works. Save a few heavy soiled shirts from the trash can by doing that.

LOL...snot!! It does look like a bucket full! My kids were grossed out when I sat in the living room with the 5 gallon bucket & some old laundry detergent bottles to transfer it into. This was before I found the smaller recipe to use in the gallon jugs. They said I'm not using that on my laundry. I said Well it's going to be the only stuff in the house so unless you want to buy your own...this is it! I've had no complaints since except for the fact that is unscented. I started using the powder recipe recently and have to say it's faster to make. Also can be used immediately as opposed to waiting overnight for the other stuff to gel up. I also use vinegar in the rise as a fab softner & to get more soap out of the clothes.

 

[CoopChick719]

Wow, thanks CC. Definitely gonna try that! Does it work well using cold water? I've gone to using cold for all my laundry. Most of our clothes don't get really filthy (although when gardening they do get some mud...but I try to hose most of that off outside).

Now, we just need to find a recipe for fabric softener, LOL I hang most things out during all but winter...except jeans and towels...those always come off the line stiff as a board. Nothing like fresh sheets from the line on your bed though!

Hi Mickey,

I have used it in cold water and it seems to work fine. I agree with you on Nothing like fresh sheets & pillowcase straight from the line! Love that smell! I used to work part-time in the school system with summers off. I started hanging out as much laundry as I could to save some on the electricty & gas bill. Actually found that hanging laundry is relaxing to me. I try to fold it as I take off the line so I can head straight for the bedrooms rather than having a pile of clothes waiting to be folded. Doesn't always happen but is nice when it does!

 

[mickey328]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Definitely gonna make me up a batch for use when the current bottle is empty. It really irks me to have to spend such ridiculous amounts on detergents...and I always deliberately look for unscented. By the time you get your deodorant and some perfume on, you have more than enough conflicting smells, I think. Plus so many people are allergic that I don't even wear much scent any more. Just walking down the aisle in the store makes me sneeze...and I'm not even allergic!

 

[galanie]

Oh yes! I started making my own for the very fact that my preferred soap was unscented and way too expensive. I can't stand scented laundry soap. I want it to smell CLEAN. That's the only scent it needs. I, too, started out making the "snot" but prefer powdered. Easier to make and easier to get into the washer. Lots less mess.

 

[FlaRocky]

Oh yes! I started making my own for the very fact that my preferred soap was unscented and way too expensive. I can't stand scented laundry soap. I want it to smell CLEAN. That's the only scent it needs. I, too, started out making the "snot" but prefer powdered. Easier to make and easier to get into the washer. Lots less mess.

Hello, Can you please share how you make the powder??? Frugal minds want to know...... I know I do...umbup:umbup:

Maye

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