I love threads like this!

I saw a gorgeous sweater - but it was $100! So I found a pattern online, got yarn for $10 and made it myself. Well, it's not quite done, I need to trim it and make the belt. But it's really warm, fits great and it's just the right color.

So the next project is going to be an awesome wrap I saw - $80! - that I can crochet for about $8 for Christmas gifts. One for mom, one for MIL, one for the gift exchange.

Herekitty - bless you for giving your *freebies* to others! Very cool idea.

:cool:

I shared tomatoes and apples with the seniors where my mom lives, but never thought of what you're doing. Which reminds me I'm over due for seeing if I have any books to donate to them.


Yeahbut - I'm gonna try making a hat for the grandbaby. I might have to try mittens too. Thanks for the idea.

this really IS a great thread...so many awesome advices...

how'd I miss this one?? ;)

thanks, everybody... :D

Here's another one:

I get freebies all the time. I go to several different websites daily and skim their lists of free samples and when I find something I use or I want to try I get a sample. I also do followups on the samples I try out, and they always send manufacturers coupons for a free full size or large amounts off of the product I review.

These sites also have loads of listings for sales on stuff, hot deals, ways to combine for more savings, coupons, etc! If anyone knows of any more, post them!

www.slickdeals.net
www.dealtaker.com
www.fatwallet.com

I end up with bags of samples and I never have to buy toothpaste or shampoo! I rotate the samples out by giving them to the teen in college, dropping them off at the local food kitchens, cupboards and closets.

I love this thread already! For most of my life I've been one of those guys who would never use coupons or discount cards because I believed that other people would think I couldn't afford the regular price. Now my financial situation's a little different, and I've started using those things. I've been amazed at how you can get two boxes of cereal for the price of one, or seven cans of beans for a dollar if you do it on the right day and you have a coupon or member card! I know that in the last few months alone I've saved a hundred dollars. It's too bad I didn't see the writing on the wall before. Then maybe by now I could have bought myself that dream car I've always wanted! :D

I mix a pound of good coffee (whatever is on sale) with a pound of cheap coffee and it's just as good as using only the good stuff.

Keep an eye on the grocery store flyers in the papers. The stores around here have started offering triple off on coupons or honoring expired coupons a couple times a month.

We planted about 6-8 tomato plants, but more than that came up (seeds from last year). So we had plenty, gave a ton away and still had more. We peeled them, bagged them, and have enough in the freezer for probably the whole winter. Good for chili, soups and stuff like that.

Also grew assorted peppers and dried them in a dehydrator. Plus snagged end-of-the season deals on more peppers at the road-side stands. You can buy bagfulls of them about now for like a buck. We have enough dried pepppers for the winter to feed the whole county.

:p

And hand soap. I bought two dispensers, but I don't throw them away when empty. I buy the big refill for $2 - that's less than the little dispensers! And it'll fill both of the little ones about 5 times.

BTW, I finished my sweater yesterday, and made that baby hat, which if I do say so, is so stinkin' cute.

I'm one of those people who saves the bottle for liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. and pours half of the new bottle in it and mixes it with water. It works just as well!

Oftentimes a full pump of the soap is too much, or a full serving of the shampoo or conditioner isn't needed because you wash your hair often.

I hate to waste water since it all goes to my septic tank and I don't want to overwhelm the tank or pollute the lake outside my door, either, so I really don't use a lot of most products. Believe it or not, you only need about half of what the manufacturer recommends, be it for showering, doing laundry, washing dishes and general cleaning.The manufacturer's recommendation is usually jacked up...so they can sell MORE of their product!

I also usually only use the old standbys for cleaning. Baking soda, ammonia, bleach, (never mix ammonia and bleach together!) Ivory soap for rubbing on stains on laundry. I've even made my own laundry soap and yes I have a recipe!:p

Will you share your recipe with us here? :D

To make homemade laundry detergent, grate a bar of Fels Naptha soap. Mix in an airtight container with one cup each Borax and Washing Soda. One tablespoon is enough for most loads, use two tablespoons for tough loads. You can scent it with a few drops of any essential oil. I use lavendar oil. Be sure to put detergent in washer first to make sure it dissolves.

For the first time, I checked my *cash back rewards* on my credit card.There are a few things we use the card for and dh keeps it paid up, but I still get rewards.

I had earned a few bucks!

:)

I can get a gift card worth even more than the points to a toy store, which will come in handy for Christmas shopping for that grandbaby.


:yahoo:

Free Cabbage Patch babies!