- Sharpen a pair of dull scissors by folding a scrap of aluminum foil in half two or three times and then cutting it with the scissors several times.
- You can make a cheap, natural all-purpose cleaner by soaking orange peels in vinegar. Add peels (only peels, no juice or pulp) to a jar as you eat oranges, and just cover with vinegar, adding more vinegar as you add peels. Make sure you cover the peels completely, or they'll start to get moldy and gross. Let it fill up, then let the whole thing soak at least overnight (preferably a day or two) from the last peel you add. Strain out the peels, and put the orange oil infused vinegar in a spray bottle. Use as an all-purpose cleaner (not on wood).
- Knowing how to cook is an absolute must if you want to save money on your grocery bill. Even if you usually clip coupons for convenience food, you never know when an unexpected windfall-- a neighbor who hunts has excess meat, a friend with a garden has a bumper crop of squash, etc. You want to be able to take advantage of those when they come, and that means having at least some basic skills in the kitchen. A good-quality general cookbook like the New Better Homes and Gardens cookbook or this one have basic tips and techniques for cooking from scratch.
-Buy a rubber spatula. It's awesome for reducing food waste, and makes bowls and jars easier to clean.
-Thrift stores are your friend, especially when it comes to children and baby clothes. I can buy a shirt for $2 that costs $15 or $16 new. Children grow out of or ruin clothing so quickly that it's worth it to look for what you need there. And I can usually find good-quality name brands like Carter's or Gymboree.
- Use a clothesline or drying rack for clothes. This can mean more of a time investment, but it takes a LOT of energy to run a dryer. It can make a fairly substantial difference to your electricity bill.
-Be open to scavenging. This one is more outside of common practice, but stick with me here. We've picked up furniture from a clean out of an abandoned house (with the owner's permission), a stroller and high chair from the side of a city street, and a children's chalkboard from the midst of a trash pile in the country. This is all stuff that was totally free (sans a time investment thoroughly cleaning it), and that we use on a daily basis.
-Stop recreational 'browsing', both in brick and mortar stores and online. If you see it, you're going to want to buy it, even if you don't need it. Note that this is different from price comparison or research on an upcoming purchase, mainly because in that case you know what you're looking for already.
- If you start feeling embarrassed about being 'cheap', or don't know how to describe how you live to your friends, realize that what you're doing is also good for the environment, and probably your family's health too. Almost any practice that cuts down on chemicals, energy use, or use of new materials is good for nature. You're not only saving some money, you're saving the Earth.
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