Frugality

Found some great, simple tips in frugality on Crystal's Blog.

So here are ways we practice frugality in our home.

-I wouldn't have thought of this as money saving, just something I never considered a neccessity... I also use moisturizing body wash for shaving :D

-Like I said in my "Let's Talk Laundry Post" we are very careful about wearing clothes until they are dirty and cutting back on towel laundry by using our terry towel bathrobes after baths.

-we raise our own lamb, and will get our first steer this spring. The future plan is to raise all of our own meat.

-we have never been subscribers to cable or sattelite or any extra phone features

-we get movies from the library rather than rent, or the odd time rent rather than go to the cinema, only go to the cinema once a year maybe, as a special treat (which happens to be tonight!)

-We don't have a cell phone, calling card is MUCH cheaper, and pay phones abound....

-We never buy NEW clothes, excepting socks, underwear and shoes unless I happen to stumble across a really wicked sale where new costs the same as used. God has always blessed us with amazing hand me downs and/or great finds at second hand stores.

-Despite being an absolute book lover I don't buy NEW books, excepting home school curriculum. One of my favourite leisure passtimes is fingering through my used bookstore haunt for old favourites and new reads at one to two dollars a pop.

-We are very careful about gas mileage, we don't commit to anything that will require us to be on the road more than once a week, and try to never make two trips to town on the same day or to the city in a week. (With two 8 passenger vehicles, gas adds up!)

-I got my first magazine subscription *ever* this year when the local school was having a fund raiser. Usually we don't subscribe to any magazines or papers.

-Dh does all of our reno's/repairs on house, outbuildings, vehicles, you name it. He's the best.

-We have never bought anything we had to borrow money for or pay interest on (including vehicles) except for the mortgage on our first two homes. We are now mortgage free, debt free and don't lose one penny interest to our name.

-I design and dh makes much of our furniture, anything that can be built of wood and wrought iron that is...