What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[Sally PB]

If we ever have to replace ours, I'm going to look into a Bosch. Thanks!

 

[gtaus]

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!

I have free Prime shipping, but it always seems to show up on the same day as free shipping. No advantage anymore to the Prime shipping as far as I can see. They don't even pretend to say Prime shipping in 2 days anymore. The only advantage is that I can order less than $35.00 minimum required for that free shipping.

Dear Wife likes to look at those flash sales and order stuff that is going out of stock fast. If you wait on those products, you lose. So, if she sees something on a quick sale that she likes, we can order it immediately with Prime. If we had to wait to build up the list to over $35.00, most of those items she wants would be sold out by then.

As for me, I could easily wait on my stuff till I had over $35.00 on the list and still get everything. My stuff rarely, or ever, goes on those quick sales.

 

[gtaus]

I ran my dishwasher after the Thanksgiving meal. Last time it was used was several months ago.

I always heard you should run the dishwasher enough, so the gaskets don't dry out.

Here is what I found online....

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You should run your dishwasher about once a week, even if it’s empty, to keep the gaskets supple and the mechanical parts moving smoothly.

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Why Weekly Use Matters​

• 
  
• Gaskets and seals: Running the dishwasher keeps the rubber and silicone seals moist, preventing them from drying out and cracking.
• 
  
• Motor and pump seals: These rely on water circulation to stay lubricated. If left idle for too long, they can stiffen or leak.
• 
  
• Spray arms and valves: Regular cycles flush out minerals and prevent buildup that could clog moving parts.
• 
  
• Odor prevention: A weekly rinse cycle helps avoid musty smells and mold growth inside the tub.

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Expert Recommendations​

Frequency	Effect on Dishwasher	Risk if Ignored
Weekly	Keeps seals flexible, parts lubricated, prevents odors	Very low risk
Monthly	Still acceptable, but seals may start stiffening	Higher risk of odor and mineral buildup
>1 month	Seals can dry, pumps stiffen, mold develops	Increased chance of breakdown

Sources note that running the dishwasher at least once a week is the best practice to maintain motor seals and prevent mechanical issues dishwasherfixer.com GreenyPlace.com houseandhomeonline.com.

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Bottom Line​

Even if you don’t have dirty dishes, it’s wise to run a quick rinse cycle once a week. This small habit keeps the gaskets, seals, and moving parts healthy, and avoids the problems that come with long dormancy.
Sources: dishwasherfixer.com GreenyPlace.com houseandhomeonline.com

Handwashing is much quicker and uses less water.

We wash our pots and pans, and most plastic containers by hand. But I not so sure about handwashing uses less water. Dear Wife leaves the water running constantly while handwashing the dishes. I use the fill the sink method, then rinse. Still, I think both handwashing methods takes more water than our dishwasher.

We have a well system, so the water is not metered. But we still have to heat our water, and the more hot water we use the more we have to heat cold water. I think we save money money using the dishwasher. Especially if you have metered water that you pay for.

Anyways, here is some online info to consider what might work best for you....

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A modern dishwasher typically uses 3–5 gallons of water per load, while hand‑washing dishes in a sink can use anywhere from 20–27 gallons per load. In other words, dishwashers are usually far more water‑efficient than washing by hand The Spruce CNET.

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Water Usage Comparison​

Method	Typical Water Use	Notes
Modern dishwasher (Energy Star)	3–5 gallons per cycle	Designed for efficiency; full loads maximize savings
Older dishwasher models	10–15 gallons per cycle	Less efficient, but still often less than hand washing
Hand washing (running tap)	20–27 gallons per load	Continuous flow wastes large amounts of water
Hand washing (basin method)	8–10 gallons per load	More efficient than running tap, but still higher than a modern dishwasher

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Why Dishwashers Use Less Water​

• Recirculation systems: Dishwashers spray and reuse water during the cycle, rather than continuously draining.
• Controlled cycles: Sensors and efficient pumps limit water use to what’s needed.
• Energy Star standards: Require dishwashers to meet strict water and energy efficiency benchmarks.

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Practical Takeaways​

• If you have a modern dishwasher, it’s almost always more water‑efficient than hand washing.
• If you hand wash, using a filled basin instead of running the tap continuously can cut water use by more than half.
• For maximum efficiency, always run the dishwasher with full loads — partial loads waste the advantage.

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Bottom Line​

Running a modern dishwasher saves 15–20+ gallons of water per load compared to washing dishes under a running tap. Even compared to careful basin washing, dishwashers are usually more efficient.
Sources: The Spruce CNET

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We bought an Energy Star dishwasher this past year and it works well. I think it saves us money. It takes us anywhere from 7-10 days to fill the dishwasher, but I run those much smaller 20-minute rinse cycles about once per day, usually after we load up the dishes from our supper. You don't need to use hot water for the dishwasher rinse cycle. On my dishwasher, it uses 2-3 gallons for that rinse cycle. But it does a great job in getting stuff off the plates and bowls so when we do have a full load, the dishes come out really clean.

 

[gtaus]

But dishwashers that are not used have the seals dry out. That ruins them. It happened to dh's aunt. I don't know how often they need to be run, though, or how much things like the temperatures and humidity of the climate matter. I wash things in ours every two to four weeks because of this.

They recommend running the dishwasher at least once a week. If it takes you longer than that to fill up your dishwasher for a full load, you might want to run a short pre-rinse cycle every few days. Keep the food from drying out on the plates and bowls.

Hubby wanted to get me a new dishwasher. At first, when I had to manually fill it 4 times, I said heck yes! Then I realized that I use that time to clean up the pans that might be dirty, hand wash what can't go in the dishwasher, and ever better, read a book! So I hope this dishwasher lasts another 35 years.

Our original dishwasher lasted 25 years. I hope our new dishwasher will be just as good.

they know I can cook or I can clean, but not both, and they enjoy my cooking!

That's the way to do it!

We had a dishwasher once, in a duplex rental. Hardly ever used it.

Back in the day, when I was living on my own, I never needed a dishwasher. But then again, I hardly ever ate at home. If I did, it was a TV dinner or something like that with a disposable tray or bowl. Lots of sandwiches on a paper towel or napkin worked fine for me. Ate potato chips out of the bag. Life was pretty simple.

But I got married. Dear Wife is an excellent cook. I'm eating real food on real plates and bowls now. Cooking pots and pans need to be washed daily. Plastic leftover storage containers are always being used. We end up handwashing stuff at least once a day, but usually at least twice after lunch and supper for those things that don't go into the dishwasher. We have a full load of dishes in the dishwasher about every 7-10 days, but it saves us some time not having to wash everything after every meal. We could live without a dishwasher, but it just makes things a little easier for us.

 

[gtaus]

Are Department Store Credit Cards Worth Anything?

A few years ago, I signed up for a Menards credit card. It offered a 2% cash rewards for purchases at Menards. But those rewards could only be used at Menards. Still, it was a better cash rewards program than my main credit card at 1.5% cash rewards....

Recently, I got a new main credit card that gives me 2% cash rewards wherever I make a purchase, and those cash rewards can be used anywhere. So, I think my Menards credit card will be put into cold storage. Maybe the special financing option with 0% interest has value if you are buying something over $599.00. That's not me. Plus, I pay all my credit cards in full every month. If not, those APR fees can kill you.

Ditto for my Harbor Freight credit card...

I signed up the Harbor Freight credit card when they opened in our town. I bought about $300 worth of stuff and got that +10% off first purchase bonus. Normally, you get 5% cash back in Harbor Freight Money for your purchases, but sometimes they have special sales, and you get double points on your purchases. Every year, they send me out a bonus of about $10 around my birthday just for having the card. So, that is nice. But again, all that money has to be spent at Harbor Freight.

I have not had any real problems with my Harbor Freight credit card, but I know others have. None of the employees that I know working at Harbor Freight use the Harbor Freight credit card! That tells me something. Again, I pay my credit card balance full every month. If not, stand by for those high APR fees!

Now that I seem to have most of the tools and goods I need from Harbor Freight, I am not buying as much stuff from them anymore. You have to buy $100 worth of stuff from Harbor Freight to get $5.00 back in Harbor Freight money. At my current purchasing rate, that can take me 4 or 5 months of the small purchases I make. I might retire that store card as well.

I also have a couple Home Depot cards. They don't give me anything back in cash rewards. But they used to run a first time special of $25 or $50 on a qualifying purchase. After that, you don't get any cash rewards....

Of course, I took advantage of that initial bonus off a qualifying purchase. After that, not much use for it. However, if I buy a power tool at Home Depot, I will use the Home Depot card just for the 1-Year Hassle Free Return in case the tool dies. That 1-year return has more value to me than the 2% I can get back in cash rewards on my main credit card. Since I pay the balance in full every month, the special 12-24 months financing does not have any value to me.

I just got a notice in the mail today that I have not used my Home Depot credit card in the last 10 months, so I have to make any purchase in the next month to keep the account alive. I'll probably buy another 20 cents carpenter's pencil like I did last year just to keep the account active. Other than that, I really don't use my Home Depot credit cards anymore.

Well, I'm at a stage where those store credit cards are getting to be less and less value to me. Just wondering how others view those dedicated store credit cards and if you have ever gotten any good deals from them? I am thinking about cutting back on my store credit cards in the near future. I'm just not using them much anymore and I don't have need for those special financing options for higher dollar purchases.

 

[Sally PB]

I have a MasterCard. That's it paid, in full every month. Oh, and my HSA (health savings account) card, but that's for medical expenses only.

I don't shop at stores with their own credit cards enough to want one of their cards. I just don't want more pieces of plastic in my wallet. I get 1.667% back on anything I buy with my MC, and the cash gets deposited into our savings account every month. Not a lot, usually, but something.

My biggest purchase on my MC recently was the down payment on our car. The salesman had a note tacked up on his wall that you could put up to $2000 down on a car on a credit card. More than that, and they tacked on a 3% fee.

$33.34 into savings on that transaction. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have $2000 to pay it off when the bill came. We were going to put $2000 down on the car anyway, paying with a check, when that note caught my eye.

 

[Molpet]

I Originally got a Sears store cc that I got to establish credit. Sears turned their CC into discover CC and then it spun off on its own. It's what I mainly use. Paid off every month.
I have a Amazon and GM that I use enough to keep open.
I used to have a Menards, home Depot and Cabela's. But I didn't use and they closed. My credit score took a hit when these were closed. It really took a hit when I paid off the house. Went from 845 to 710...

 

[fuzzi]

They recommend running the dishwasher at least once a week. If it takes you longer than that to fill up your dishwasher for a full load, you might want to run a short pre-rinse cycle every few days. Keep the food from drying out on the plates and bowls.



Our original dishwasher lasted 25 years. I hope our new dishwasher will be just as good.



That's the way to do it!



Back in the day, when I was living on my own, I never needed a dishwasher. But then again, I hardly ever ate at home. If I did, it was a TV dinner or something like that with a disposable tray or bowl. Lots of sandwiches on a paper towel or napkin worked fine for me. Ate potato chips out of the bag. Life was pretty simple.

But I got married. Dear Wife is an excellent cook. I'm eating real food on real plates and bowls now. Cooking pots and pans need to be washed daily. Plastic leftover storage containers are always being used. We end up handwashing stuff at least once a day, but usually at least twice after lunch and supper for those things that don't go into the dishwasher. We have a full load of dishes in the dishwasher about every 7-10 days, but it saves us some time not having to wash everything after every meal. We could live without a dishwasher, but it just makes things a little easier for us.

Running a dishwasher weekly just to keep it in good working condition seems like a waste of resources.

Just mho.

 

[fuzzi]

We had several store credit cards when my dh and I first were married, and we got into financial trouble. Got rid of them. I have a major credit card that I use for travel, and fuel, and online purchases, but now I pay it off every month. I got tired of seeing those interest rates eat up my money.