What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[saysfaa]

I think I will make two online orders this year. Unless Amtrak tickets count.

The one already done is diapers and diapering things from a company that does only diapering things. I saved a little by getting the color they are discontinuing. And somewhat more by getting "seconds" which didn't have any defects I could see. The website said the most common reason for being seconds is the size isn't within spec.

A quick look on Amazon shows I paid about the same per item for the things I could find (happened to not be the things that were discontinued or seconds)... some were a dollar more, some were a dollar less per package. Free shipping from both places.

I may not have saved money ordering from the diaper company instead of Amazon but I am confident I got top quality items. I found the diaper website much easier to use - Amazon persisted in showing multiple things I did not want between things that resembled what I asked for). And I got good information about many aspects of cloth diapering.

The online order I expect to do soon is a sit stand desk. I have a Vari desk and monitor arm picked out. I'm just waiting for dh to choose his desk so we can decide between them. We want them to match. Then we will order directly from the Vari website (or Flexi, maybe). The prices is exactly the same as Amazon. Shipping and returns are free from Vari. I found Vari website much easier to use and more helpful.

 

[saysfaa]

Oh. I might order colored pens online too. I'm thinking of setting out the Spirograph as the craft this year. The newer Spirograph has bigger holes than original but I doubt mine spirograph sets are the newer ones. The web has lists of kinds of pens that work well in all the games. So far I haven't found local sources that carry those pens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Trying something new tonight, will see how it goes. Fingers crossed. A friend showed me this. Instead of dishwasher pods, she put what looked like a couple Tbsp of baking soda in the little soap cup along with a small squirt of Dawn dish soap. Then she dumped maybe half a cup or so of white vinegar in the bottom of the washer. Now you've got to be careful with this, just use a TINY bit of Dawn! Too much will surely blow out the seal of your washer and it will make too many suds and they'll force their way out. (Ask me how I know, lol!) But I had noticed that her glass tumblers were sparkling and bright, while mine are cloudy and dull, as though there is a film on them, so I'm hoping. I've also noticed that some of my "dishwasher safe" plastics have a residual odor of the dishwasher soap and I don't like that..

Another thing I do is when I have a pan with stuck-on crusty food and nobody wants to scrub it clean - I fill it with water and throw in a couple of 3-minute denture cleaning tablets. You heard me! Efferdent or any similar brand, just keep a box in your kitchen cabinet. Let it soak while you do the other handwash items, then come back to it. You'll be surprised, you can just wipe it clean with a washcloth now!

 

[Sally PB]

with a small squirt of Dawn dish soap.

I have heard of using liquid dish soap. The amount was described as "2-3 drops."

I can believe that. When I rinse out a greasy plastic jar/bottle for recycling, 2 drops makes a LOT of suds. A lot-lot of suds.

@saysfaa, I want to hear how your dishes came out. I have some glass storage containers with that same film on them.

 

[Sally PB]

As for Amaz-con, I would rather order from almost anyone else before I order from them. We have had good luck so far, but sooooo many stories of bad experiences make me wonder when it'll be "our turn" for problems.

I probably won't be ordering anything from any company until spring. It is such a hassle to get anything delivered any time of year, and now we have not-very-good roads. Drivers use any snow as an excuse not to drive back here, and we had 7" a week ago. Then I have to try to get them to change the delivery to a store in town that takes packages. I did that once; it was a hassle too.

Frugal also applies to my time.

 

[fuzzi]

I try to buy local as much as possible. Amaz0n and other big online retailers offer discounts, but when the local stores can't compete, and close shop, you'll have little to no choice, have to go with A.

I do use other online retailers, even if their prices are a little higher than Amaz0n. I want good customer service available, and right now Chewy has very good CS. I use eBay, too.

 

[saysfaa]

...

@saysfaa, I want to hear how your dishes came out. I have some glass storage containers with that same film on them.

No film whether I wash by hand or with the dishwasher. I use the dishwasher detergent that comes in the box (not the pods) when using the dishwasher. That is a lot less expensive even if I put the recommended amount in. And a bit more convenient to use since I put it in a Wishbone salad dressing bottle - lighter weight, easier to grab, easier to store, easier to control the amount poured out.

I think the no film is partly that we have very good water - not the hard water and iron we had at the last house. The good water tipped the decision to choosing this house instead of a newer house in an arguably better neighborhood that was our next best option.

And partly that we added rinse aid in the dishwasher. I would skip it but dh thinks it important.

Maybe also partly that I usually buff the dishes at least a little with a dish towel even if they are mostly dry. I don't want to risk putting damp dishes in the cupboard and swelling the shelves. And it is part of the routine of doing the dishes from when we had hard water and no dishwasher; we got film then even with the hand washing.

 

[Molpet]

Trying something new tonight, will see how it goes. Fingers crossed. A friend showed me this. Instead of dishwasher pods, she put what looked like a couple Tbsp of baking soda in the little soap cup along with a small squirt of Dawn dish soap. Then she dumped maybe half a cup or so of white vinegar in the bottom of the washer. Now you've got to be careful with this, just use a TINY bit of Dawn! Too much will surely blow out the seal of your washer and it will make too many suds and they'll force their way out. (Ask me how I know, lol!) But I had noticed that her glass tumblers were sparkling and bright, while mine are cloudy and dull, as though there is a film on them, so I'm hoping. I've also noticed that some of my "dishwasher safe" plastics have a residual odor of the dishwasher soap and I don't like that..

Another thing I do is when I have a pan with stuck-on crusty food and nobody wants to scrub it clean - I fill it with water and throw in a couple of 3-minute denture cleaning tablets. You heard me! Efferdent or any similar brand, just keep a box in your kitchen cabinet. Let it soak while you do the other handwash items, then come back to it. You'll be surprised, you can just wipe it clean with a washcloth now!

Soda and vinegar are ok for an occasional cleaning.
How to Clean Your Dishwasher With Vinegar | HGTV https://share.google/U86HMvI3ANPPUKkx5
but if you use it every time you'll be like my cousin who needed a new machine after a couple years.

 

[Molpet]

I don't pay a company for the privilege of spending my money on their products.

So far with Amazon and Walmart if I order over a certain amount it has been shipped for free, so long as I can wait a few days. I have seen the Amazon site say if I pay extra (prime) it would come a day or two sooner, but the free shipping showed up on the prime day anyway.

I have tried to order stuff directly from the small business listed on the Amazon site...and some have been shipped using Amazon logistics and shipping.

Right now I am waiting on FedEx with a Walmart delivery, go figure.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Same. I always opt for free shipping a few days later - and it always shows up on the Prime delivery day anyway. Shhh! Don't tell!