Dicing morsels for chocolate chip cookies so they'll go further. A former friend of my wife's father made her mom do this.

(Oh, Rochester! Rochester!)

LOL...my mom would do things like that! She would tear a napkin in half to share with my dad. Too funny....she did many things like that, good memories!

Here's the kicker--DH brings them home from work--free!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. :-)

I often tear a paper towel in half for use as a napkin.

I save old sox for really nasty things...checking the oil, changing the oil, applying Armorall, Brasso, etc. I cut them in half or smaller, not needing the 'whole' sock. When I check the oil, I often stuff the used 1/2 sock somewhere under the hood for future use. It seems the mice often get to it b4 I do though.

Seems my sock bag is getting quite full. They will also be good for use if/when I get around to doing some furniture stripping.

I also cut my steel wool pads in half (the ones for the kitchen that have the soapy stuff in them). Often they only last the one time b4 totally rusting and being of no use. I do however save the used one, in the hopes of getting another use or two out of it. It is kept in a little carton under the sink.

Waste not-want not...

Sue

Waste not want not! I use a papertowel to clean my glasses until it's gotten so many holes in it that DH throws it away.

I think it's more a matter of not being wasteful instead of cheap. I think it's great that you took the time to cut them up and doubled your supply. That is tomething I would do in a minute, and my DH would laugh at me, esp if the item was free! But to me, it's the principle!!

Right now if I spill something small, I'll tear off a corner of a paper towel to use, instead of wasting the whole thing.

I've also cut my dryer sheets in half.

I bring my own bags (nylon or canvas) to the grocery store. They pay me 3 cents per bag, and I don't come home with 10 new plastic bags! 3 cents isn't going to buy me a new car, but hey it adds up each week/month/year!

Teresa mentions grocery bags. Whole Foods plans to discontinue offering plastic grocery bags within a year because of environmental problems. (They will still have paper bags, which are easier to recycle).

I have several tote bags, but in the past have not taken them grocery shopping. Our local Ralphs gives us 5 cents credit if we bring our own, but I still wasn't bringing bags. My husband was recycling the grocery bags, but still...

Finally, this past week, I grabbed four tote bags and put them in my car. I went grocery shopping and the clerk actually thanked me for bringing my own bag and looked impressed!

I don't know why I wasn't doing this before. I had even lived in England in the past, where it was customary to bring one's own bags to the market.

Just a new habit to learn, I guess.

Have you tried the select-a-size/pick-a-size paper towels? We like them because it's easy to use half a sheet if that's all we need.

Reading all the responses is too funny. About 10 years ago we visited our cousins in Georgia. We were all gathered together for a barbecue and my cousin was using paper plates for dessert. She proceeded to cut them in half since the dessert was brownies and not messy. We all howled, especially when we found out she does this on a regular basis with her immediate family.
After we returned home from our visit, which was one of the most fun times ever, I purchased a ceramic plate, brought it to a tile shop, and had them cut it in half. I decorated it with their names and embellished it and sent it to them as a rememberance of the wonderful time we had. They still proudly display that plate on their kitchen wall.
Thanks for bringing back the memories ;o)

I'm thinking the same as OKWriter - isn't your husband stealing from his employer? If he gets caught, you might not be so 'frugal'! I know someone to whom this happened - he actually lost his job - it was a 'no tolerance' company policy if caught stealing.

"DH brings them home from work--free!" Is everyone allowed to take them home "free"?
I keep a roll of paper towels on my desk for small cleanups and sometimes to blow my nose or clean my glasses.LOL I tear them in half,sometimes smaller depending what needs to be cleaned.If you tear them in the right direction (seam to seam)they will tear in even pieces.My mom use to wash paper towels out after using them and hang them to dry to be used again.To me that is defeating the purpose.I would never do that.LOL

No, he's not stealing. He doesn't work at a store, they're given boxes of these. He also has several shelves full of work clothes in our closet--brand new, never worn--because he doesn't use them up as fast as they give them to the guys. Probably a couple of years worth--and they're his to keep, even when he leaves the company. Also not stealing. Don't worry, he's not losing his job over a box of tissues--even as large a one as this is.

LOVE the plate story--that's great.

I wasn't necessarily pointing fingers...just making a "Hmmmmmmmmmm" comment about what I read and wondering why a company would buy those wipes for their employees to take home and use however they want to on tasks that aren't job-related. I suppose somebody -- somewhere down the line -- is paying. And I've also known someone who was fired for stealing removing things from the workplace.

I am not saying I have never done anything illegal and/or unethical. But I don't consider your actions "frugal" just because you got something "free." :-)

I'll shut up now. HEY! I heard that applause! LOL!

I wasn't pointing fingers either,just wondering.And as Okwriter said,someone down the line has to pay.

Put me in the waste not-want not column. Learned that at my mother's knee.

For a long time I wouldn't use paper towels because it seemed wasteful to me. Somewhere along the way I started using them, always Bounty, and very cautiously. Then Select-a-Size came out. One was usually enough for whatever I needed. Recently I had a $1 coupon for VIVA towels. They are a lot better than Bounty! They are the half size and are so soft and tough, I find myself tearing them in half crosswise. I think I will "convert" to VIVA.

About cleaning eyeglasses, I learned this from my Dad. Use a paper bill to clean your specs. I was cleaning mine once with a $5 bill and someone questioned about it, and asked if it had to be a $5. Duh!

About companys supplying the tissues, uniforms, etc., maybe they shouldn't be quite so generous. They have to pay for them, which is then passed onto the customer.

Sue

I would do the same thing, I like making twice as much of something from something else. I also tear paper towels in half if I have a small job to do. And I use TP for my runny nose if I need a tissue, instead of a good Puffs Plus. I save those for when I get a cold. :)

My car has a holder for a certain size tissue box. When I couldn't find the size I needed, I folded tissues and layered them to fit inside it, I LIKE doing stuff like that. As soon as I did it, though, I found the Kleenex Travel size boxes. lolol

Waste not, want not.
I've had the same stocking cap since I was in my early teens. (I'm 52) Okay, the 16 years I spent in New Mexico it didn't see alot of use but otherwise it gets worn almost everyday in the Winter. Yes, it's getting pretty faded and worn looking. DW even knitted me a new one a few years ago but, it just isn't as warm as the old one. Dad and Mom drive by my house on the way home from the grocery store. One day last week I was just getting the mail when they cruised by. Dad slows down, Mom rolls the window down and sarcastically says "I see you 're wearing your new hat." I replied "I learned from the best." I don't think either one has ever thrown out a piece of clothing until it had more holes than fabric.

Ron

in answer to your ??

Ya,its possible..you should meet my b/f!!!!LOLOL

Since we pay for all water coming in to this house as well as going out, I have a large jug sitting in the kitchen I let water go in, when I want warm/hot water. That cold water gets used later during a washing machine filling, or watering plants, or even filling the tank at the toilet.

I hate just letting it flow out... I pay for it. I want to use it.

Moni... who is using an old linen napkin for cleaning glasses.

I think it's great that you've doubled your supply by sizing them to your needs.

Some things I do:

I've been using canvas shopping bags for years, but sometimes I need to ask for plastic bags to have on hand for messy cleanups like cat litter. The bags are also useful for library books, videos, catch-alls for road trips, etc.

I have stacks of kitchen towels, and I use them for almost everything in the kitchen, including spills, so I don't use up paper towels very frequently, maybe a roll every other month. Old kitchen towels get cut up and used as rags.

A few years ago when I had horrible itching problems, I switched to fragrance free detergent and ditched the dryer sheets. I now use cut and hemmed 1 foot squares of old bed sheets, and spray them with a diluted mixture made from organic fabric softener. It's very economical, I think I've bought maybe one small bottle of fabric softener per year.

I also use a soft microfiber cloth to clean my glasses -- I heard from an optician that paper towels and napkins can lightly scratch the lenses over time.

Any new ideas developed over the past 6 weeks or so?

I keep pens and pencils in a soup can.

When erasing pencil marks, these new polymer erasers work well if you rub back and forth, but if you roll them around in a circular motion, they'll form a ball and that ball rolling over pencil marks, though very black, cleans the paper up nicely.

Not that that'll be of much use to me, as I have about three of them, located in different places (one used to prop up my keyboard so that it doesn't bounce) but I think that my previous eraser has lasted for about 15 years, and isn't all used up yet.

Have an interesting weekend, including some novel experience.

ole joyful

LOL I am tight too....Brian keeps telling me to lighten up but I cant I am turning into my MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK STACY

LOL I think MsMarion takes the cake with someone else having to throw away the used up towel. But then using half a paper plate comes reeeeal close. These are too funny!

Hey! I can get two weeks of cleaning my glasses with one paper towel. When we use paper plates everyone gets a whole one. I'm not cheap I'm frugal. LOL

I use "Scotch Bright" green scrubbies, or the generic equivalent. As soon as I bring them in the house I cut them in half. The smaller sizes are easier to handle and give twice as much scrubbing with half the waste.

I tear paper towels into halves, or quarters, as the job dictates.

I've chopped chocolate chips and nuts to make them go further in cookie recipes, too!

I've bought two dozen bar-mop type dish rags for the bathroom; they've replaced 90% of the paper towels I use in the bathroom. I use them for the the daily "swish and swipe" cleaning mirrors, etc., let them dry, and toss them in with the weekly towel laundry.

Back to the USAF days, our admin person saved all the unclassified "trash" printer/computer papers and cut them into quarters. These were stacked and used as memo pads.

I use 2 1/2 gallon jugs of bottled water to make my tea. When a jug is empty, I slice the spigot end off, turn it upright and it becomes a handy-dandy bucket with a handle. I use them for mopping jobs, trash containers, mixing fertilizer, all sorts of things.

As soon as I have my sewing room set up I'm going to make an assortment of canvas shopping/tote bags and keep a few in the car at all times.

I've never cut a paper plate in half, though. That should win the "savings of the day" award.

I've become a fan of the select-a-size paper towels. I don't use 1/2 a paper plate for something like brownies but I do for other things. I think it's better to use either a napkin or a 1/2 paper towel for non-drippy type things, then I shake the crumbs into the wastebasket and have a napkin, facial tissue or wipe if I need it so I get more than one use out of a lot of them.

I thought I was unique by cutting, well, tearing paper plates in half. Guess I'm not. But does anyone tear them into quarters?? LOL Yes, I do! When I give the cats canned food or special treats. Easy to use the "grabber" to set it down and pick them up afterward. And I've been known to reuse them a few times too! They get licked so clean that I'm not too worried about bacteria.

I noticed Cub has the nylon bags for $1 each. Was thinking about picking up a bunch to leave in the vehicle when I go to Aldi. Although I do leave a bag full of bags in there now and usually find boxes there to use so I'm not sure if the reuseable bags would be such a great thing. I still reuse the paper and plastic bags for garbage, recycling, when I bring things somewhere, etc. I don't wind up with a huge stack of bags like some do.

I too use the microfiber cloths for glasses. I cut one into little pieces and spread them around so there's one handy. You don't need a big cloth for cleaning glasses! My sister told me how much better they cleaned and I was skeptical at first. Tried it. No doubt, quicker and cleaner. Those things are great.

I'm testing different types of paper towels. I do not like the Bounty Basic, but regular Bounty is fine. I've always liked Brawny and Scott. I picked up a roll of Walgreens brand in the choose-a-size to try out so we'll see how they work out. They looked like decent towels from what I could tell. But I've cut down my paper towel usage dramatically.

And the hat story reminds me of being at a cousin's place recently and he was telling me I had to throw out my T-shirt because the neck hem was pulling away. Well I said there's lots of mileage left in that shirt! Not until the armpits are worn out! Guess I won't be using it as my Sunday-go-to meetin' shirt anymore though!

One other frugal, reduce-reuse-recycle thing I do is save the chipboard backs from legal pads and tablets. A binder clip and some scrap paper flipped over and I have a perfectly useable clipboard for various things.

This is a really great thread! But speaking from personal experience and "expense" I can say, paper towels and kleenex will scratch and scruff your glasses. Had to replace a pair of those expensive polycarb lens for that very reason....
here's another frugal tale..my hd and I have animals that we buy bags of feed for. these bags are closed at the feed mill with a line of thick white thread stitched neatly across the top of the bag....my husband was taught as a kid that this tread should be reused and he did tie many pieces of it together to use as kite string when he was a kid! old habits are hard to break i guess, because I still find little balls of white thread from the feed sacks statched everywhere in his closet! Now to find his kite......

I once knew a lady who would beat an egg and then divide it in half, using one half for her small batch of cornbread, and putting the other half in the fridge for later.

Cynic,

Yeah - those back-plates from pads plus a clip make good clipboards.

Rustybucket (not to say, "old"),

Those stitching threads from feed bags can be used to darn white cotton socks.

Tie around fold-down tops when they are opened to vertical position on cardboard box to keep them from flopping around and getting in the way

o j

I have to agree that it's not frugal to use a paper towels to clean glasses for a week. That's pennywise and pound foolish, in my book. Paper towels should NEVER be used on optical glass (eye glasses, camera lenses, etc) because they have impurities in them that can damage those expensive lenses. Even when you use the appropriate, delicate task wipers, they should be used only ONCE because the dirt you're cleaning off can become imbedded in the paper and scratch the lenses if you reuse the paper. I'm cheap--but my glasses retail for $800-1000 (I pay about $200 for them at cost, have an 'in')--it's not worth ruining them by using the wrong product to clean them, in the wrong way.

How weird is this?--as I'm typing this, a report came on about stretching cleaning $$$. The gal is recommending microfiber, reusable cloths instead of paper towels. Baking soda instead of pricier cleansers. I've been using baking soda for years--it's more effective, antibacterial, deoderizing, non-abrasive, cheap, you have it on hand. It's miraculous for cleaning those burned on speckles you get on the range and your skillets.

I think my neighbor beats all of you... She used to send her kids to the neighbor's house when they had to go to the bathroom. That way, they wouldn't flush the toilet so much and the TP lasted much longer!

I had an ex-boyfriend who was super duper cheap. The first time I ever went to his place for lunch, he served me brown salad. He always made a giant salad at the beginning of the week and ate it till it was gone--and I went to his apartment on a Saturday, so we ate brown salad.

After we stopped dating, we stayed in touch for a while. One day he told me about going to one of those real estate promotions where they try to sell vacation property. The gift for going was a pendant with a miniscule diamond chip. He said he wanted to save it so he could have the diamond reset if he ever got engaged.

He did get married eventually. I always wondered if he gave the woman the chip in a ring.

Ruth

Okay for those who use the metal soaped scrub pads they last a long time if you wrap them in plastic wrap once they're wet. By stopping the air getting at them, they don't rust and last much, much longer.

I wouldn't consider it cheap...I'd consider it SMART!! why waste something when you can make it last TWICE as long!!

I never thought about cutting the soap pads in half, but you can get the ones that don't rust. Even Brillo doesn't rust now. I do save the string from bird seed bags. I keep all used printer paper and use it for memos.

I think the one that tops them all, and even beats halving a paper plate, is "chip-chopping"! LOL

Sue

Well i guess i'm even cheaper than the original poster.I wet and soap up my hands with plain ol dove soap,wet my glasses then rub the soap all over them and continue to rub for a minute or so,then rinse very well and dry with a clean soft lint free cloth.I swear they seem to be so much cleaner than those little glass cleaning wipes get them,that DH buys at costco,and it's certainly a Whole lot cheaper.
Kathi

Copy, paste, read and laugh...

http://money.aol.com/special/cheapestperson05

When I used to use Scotch Brite pads, I'd cut them into quarters. (Now I use the sponges with the scotch brite attached.)

I wash out and reuse zip-lock bags.

I save shoelaces from shoes we throw away. And I cut the buttons off old shirts before putting them in the rag bag.

I save rubber bands, twist ties, pieces of wire.

I wear the same pants in the garden for several days. I often wear my "good" jeans several times, too.

I reuse bows and wrapping paper that are still in good condition.

I cover empty Pringles cans with decorative paper, fill them with pennies or sand, and use them as bookends.

Love lemons with steamed spinach, when I eat out.
Always get 3 or 4 wedges for my green stuff, and put them in a plastic bag to FRESHEN MY GARBAGE DISPOSAL!

My husband works for the county prison and when the towels that the inmates use start to get holey, the county purchases new ones and throws the one ones away. My husband collects them before they go to trash and brings them home. (Garbage bags full) We rip them up and use them for rags for things like washing the car, washing windows, dusting, cleaning the grill etc. By the way, he does bring these from work but he has approval to bring them home instead of having them thrown away.

As for me, I work at a hospital. Whenever we get a new patient, they get a welcome pack that includes a large water cup with a lid and anti-embolism stockings. A large amount of the patients don't even open the bags that they come in so when they get discharged, if the bags are still sealed, I take those two items home for use. (I ask my nurse manager first!) I give away a lot of those items to friends and family. The stockings are terrific and cost 10 to 15 bucks at the store.