Frugal Friday

[ecosophia]

Welcome back to Frugal Friday!  This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which have changed as we've proceeded. (As things have settled down to a nice steady conversational pace, for example, I've deleted the rules about only one tip per person per week and about limiting the length of comments; I was worried early on about people flooding the forum with too much too fast, but I think we're past that risk.)

Rule #1:  this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc.  I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2:  this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3:  please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about.  Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #4: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

With that said, have at it!

Comments

Buy Nothing Facebook Groups

[(Anonymous)]

John Michael, may you and Sara be blessed during this difficult time. I'm grateful that moderating here is a welcome distraction for you.

For those who use Facebook, I want to share about Buy Nothing Facebook groups. These are regional groups now all over the world where neighbors gift each other unwanted items of all kinds all for free. I recently received a case of canning jars for a project I am working on. Last year, I got all of the supplies necessary to make soy candles. I also got empty milk jugs for winter sowing of seeds. It's a great source of clothing, shoes, games, puzzle, books etc. You can both offer things up and ask for what you need. And it's a fun way to get to know your neighbors.

Re: Buy Nothing Facebook Groups

[(Anonymous)]

I also have had marvelous experiences both gifting and receiving on a Facebook Buy Nothing group. But for those who are (understandably) social media averse, some Buy Nothing groups run through a dedicated app, you can check on the website which ones do. Also, Freecycle.org is an alternative platform with similar intent, and it runs via their website.

Re: Freecycle

[baconrolypoly]

We use Freecycle and I've had good experiences with it, both giving and receiving. I love that the main rule is that no money changes hands, so it's truly free.

Don't know about anyone else, but when a stranger comes to the door after arranging to pick up an item, I get a burst of both joy and excitement and a strong feeling that this is how things should be. The interactions can be surprisingly thrilling and it's clear that it cuts both ways. There was the nice lady who wanted rid of a lovely old drop-leaf dining table that we relieved her of and the man who went away delighted with the full length mirror he had for his daughter's bathroom. Everyone I've come across during these interactions seems to genuinely enjoy them and it makes me wonder what happened in the past and what we've lost.

Maybe it's like being a child again, before people learn to be selfish. This boy giving his twin sister a biscuit illustrates it well: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefildutchtwins/video/7174882272162630917