Ridiculous

[uppy]

Not so much of a gauntlet-throwing as a self-flagellation-- what's the most ridiculous thing you do to save money? I'm talking about something that, when you add it all up, probably doesn't save you squat and yet you still do it rather compulsively because it "feels" like saving money or being thrifty in some way?

For me it's definitely washing and re-using plastic ziplock bags. It is SUCH a pain in the ass. I hate doing it. Then I hang them up to dry, it takes forever...with all the time I've wasted on this over the years, I could have just bought new ones. Still, good to know I have spent nearly nothing on them for a long time.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I used to do that, too! But these days I just don't use plastic bags as much. Got more creative with using reusable glass and plastic dishes. I do wash out the fancy freezer bags that I use for freezing beans and rice, but they cost a lot more so they seem more worthwhile to wash.

For me, my ridiculous thing is probably spending too much time trying to get the very last bits out of the peanut butter jar, hummus container, shampoo bottle, etc.

[mrsggrowsveg]

I find myself doing both of those things and spending way too much time.

My most ridiculous things (especially in the eyes of others):  Driving right at 55 on the highway (there isn't much traffic so I feel ok doing this) and not washing my hair very often to save on shampoo and water.  I also am obsessive about not spending too much on diapers.  The daycare makes us use disposables, so I bring him in a cloth diaper and then change him when we get there.  I'm really not sure if we even save any diapers doing this.

[Peanut Butter]

It is SUCH a pain in the ass. I hate doing it. Then I hang them up to dry, it takes forever...with all the time I've wasted on this over the years, I could have just bought new ones. Still, good to know I have spent nearly nothing on them for a long time.

Sea turtles thank you!

What I do to make washing baggies not such a chore (other than trying to limit using them at all) is I clip them to the upright "prongs" on the top rack of the dishwasher with plastic clothes pins so the openings are down. Then when they come out of the dishwasher I hang them upside down on my clothes drying rack. No muss, no fuss.

[greenmimama]

It does save you money, it is about $30/hour according to a breakdown in the tightwad gazette which is at least 20 years old :)

[lifejoy]

When I buy hand soap or dish soap, I use a little, and then fill it up with water ;) HAHA! I'm probably saving myself $2 every year or so... but something about it is very satisfying to me! Watered down soap works really well! Especially when you're re-filling a Bath & Body works foam dispenser :)

[catccc]

I personally don't think it is ridiculous, but I bet many people do... I use cloth wipes for #1s instead of toilet paper.  We stock TP for #2s.  My DDs, 2 & 5, also do this, but DH does not participate.

I think this is a little ridiculous, but I like to do it:  I affix the nearly done soap sliver to the new bar of soap instead of tossing it.  It takes a few hand washings to coax the sliver into the right shape and stick properly.

I don't reuse plastic baggies, and I would caution against this because plastic can break down and leach into food.  If you are paranoid about hormone disruptors and the like in you or your kids' systems.  Otherwise, wash and reuse away...

[Jamesqf]

For me it's definitely washing and re-using plastic ziplock bags. It is SUCH a pain in the ass.

Why do you think it's a pain?  Flip the bag inside out when you empty it.  Wash with the rest of the dishes, rinse, and let dry.  No more of a pain than washing any other dish.

[uppy]

It is SUCH a pain in the ass. I hate doing it. Then I hang them up to dry, it takes forever...with all the time I've wasted on this over the years, I could have just bought new ones. Still, good to know I have spent nearly nothing on them for a long time.

Sea turtles thank you!

What I do to make washing baggies not such a chore (other than trying to limit using them at all) is I clip them to the upright "prongs" on the top rack of the dishwasher with plastic clothes pins so the openings are down. Then when they come out of the dishwasher I hang them upside down on my clothes drying rack. No muss, no fuss.

Wait...you can put them through the dishwasher??! You may have just changed my life.

I know you shouldn't use plastic like that re. leaching etc., but I never use them with hot foods, only sandwiches and stuff. And I use them bc I like to bring my lunch to work and tupperware (esp. glass ones) are too big and heavy.

Catccc: that is a great idea, actually. I never know what to do with that little sliver. Usually it ends up in the bathtub drain until it melts away, and it always feels wasteful. Will have to try that!

[mxer54]

My wife cuts every bottle in half (ketchup, salad dressing and toothpaste) once it's empty to get every single last drop out.

You'd be amazed how much she gets out of there.

She also puts any unused dressing back in the container if we pour too much.

[bikebum]

I reuse my dirty dishes. Not to save money though. Just feels weird to send a dish through the dishwasher after only one use.

[NinetyFour]

My husband prefers bags, so I use the bread bag and twistie for his sandwich.  I just cut off the excess plastic.  That way, it gets one extra use before tossing. 

Why just one extra use?  I haven't purchase plastic bags in years--I have more than I can possibly use--I get many extra uses out of many of them.

Off topic, but a friend of mine has challenged herself to bring no plastic into her home.  I need to check in with her and see how it's going.  Seems like it would be nearly impossible, but she reminded me that 200 years ago or so, plastic was not an option.  So we obviously were able to live without it once!

[dude]

My wife cuts every bottle in half (ketchup, salad dressing and toothpaste) once it's empty to get every single last drop out.

You'd be amazed how much she gets out of there.

She also puts any unused dressing back in the container if we pour too much.

HA!  Yep, I do this too!

[Nancy]

To answer the OP, I have spent countless hours of my life procuring items that I want from craigslist/freecycle. This does save me money, but only because I don't put a dollar value on my time. The real reason I do it is because I prefer to extend the life of something that already exists as opposed to buying new.

I think it would be nice to start a spinoff thread on using plastic. I wash and reuse plastic ziploc bags and find it no more difficult than washing the rest of my dishes, but I'm trying to eliminate plastic in my kitchen and reduce it in the rest of my life. If you're interested, check if your area has plastic film recycling drop-off areas. At a lot of grocery stores, you'll find a recycling collection bin for plastic  shopping bags since these are not usually (check your area's recycling capabilities) allowed in curbside recycling (the thin bags get stuck in the machines). The neat thing is that most of these plastic bag drop-off locations also accept other forms of plastic film like plastic bread bags, cereal bags, produce bags, and packaging (like the plastic wrap around toilet paper or Costco purchases). You can check plasticfilmrecycling.org for locations. (Sorry if that came across as a PSA...GI Jooooeeeee)

[payitoff]

my pre K teacher complained to me that my kids backpack is too small, they had to fold the folder to fit it with their lunch boxes, i just smiled :) its a gift and the boys never complained it, they will get big kid backpacks when they go to kindergarten, thank you :P

[kolorado]

 Oh I've got a million of these!
 I cut up old athletic socks and sew them into cleaning cloths.
 I turn off the water between wetting my hands, soaping them up and rinsing.
 I use a speck of natural toothpaste on my brush at night, just enough for flavor, and plain water in the morning.
 I re-use coffee grounds and tea bags. I'll even drink just a plain cup of hot water to save money.
 I too wash baggies, about 10 per week. I hang them upside-down overnight on a pants hanger. In the morning I give each bag a good shake to get it open to the air and clip on a multi-pants/skirts hanger. They are dry in a couple hours.
 I keep the entertainment equipment on a power strip and only switch it on when we are about to use it and off again immediately after.
 I cut down the edges of my kids' artwork and use the blank scraps for lists.
 Nearly everything I sew......like this week it's a laundry room rug out of canvas and old t-shirts.
 I iron tissue paper and use it again. Gift bags and bows too. I also make cloth wrapping out of t-shirts and old jeans.
 I go around making sure every cabinet and closet door is closed when the heater is running, which can be a challenge with three kids at home all the time.
 I keep the thermal curtains closed unless the sun is shining on that side of the house(winter)and then close them again as the sun moves away. Multiply X10 daily for all our window areas.
 I coast to red lights waaaaaaay too early.
 All our bulbs are CFL but I'm still obsessive about turning them off and using natural daylight as available.
 I save the juice from canned fruits to throw in recipes or a slow cooker meal.
 I cut apples around the core and freeze the core. When I have enough cores, I make applesauce.
 If there are meat juices left after the meat is gone, I throw it in the freezer to flavor soup or stir-fry.
 Our family uses cloth for dishes, noses, cleaning, napkins, diapers(but not now as all are potty trained) and feminine articles.
 I'll keep a $5 item in my Amazon cart for months waiting for the price to drop before I buy it.
 Like I said, I really have a ton of these. Each one in and of itself may save only a little, but all together as a lifestyle, we do pretty well on one income because of these habits.
 

[greenmimama]

You can also just throw your baggies into the washing machine with your other kitchen towels, they come out pretty clean, you just have to hang them dry, always hang them dry inside out, so if there is a little part that is still wet, it won't be on the inside of the bag.

[Nancy]

Oh I've got a million of these!
 I cut up old athletic socks and sew them into cleaning cloths.
 I turn off the water between wetting my hands, soaping them up and rinsing.
 I use a speck of natural toothpaste on my brush at night, just enough for flavor, and plain water in the morning.
 I re-use coffee grounds and tea bags. I'll even drink just a plain cup of hot water to save money.
 I too wash baggies, about 10 per week. I hang them upside-down overnight on a pants hanger. In the morning I give each bag a good shake to get it open to the air and clip on a multi-pants/skirts hanger. They are dry in a couple hours.
 I keep the entertainment equipment on a power strip and only switch it on when we are about to use it and off again immediately after.
 I cut down the edges of my kids' artwork and use the blank scraps for lists.
 Nearly everything I sew......like this week it's a laundry room rug out of canvas and old t-shirts.
 I iron tissue paper and use it again. Gift bags and bows too. I also make cloth wrapping out of t-shirts and old jeans.
 I go around making sure every cabinet and closet door is closed when the heater is running, which can be a challenge with three kids at home all the time.
 I keep the thermal curtains closed unless the sun is shining on that side of the house(winter)and then close them again as the sun moves away. Multiply X10 daily for all our window areas.
 I coast to red lights waaaaaaay too early.
 All our bulbs are CFL but I'm still obsessive about turning them off and using natural daylight as available.
 I save the juice from canned fruits to throw in recipes or a slow cooker meal.
 I cut apples around the core and freeze the core. When I have enough cores, I make applesauce.
 If there are meat juices left after the meat is gone, I throw it in the freezer to flavor soup or stir-fry.
 Our family uses cloth for dishes, noses, cleaning, napkins, diapers(but not now as all are potty trained) and feminine articles.
 I'll keep a $5 item in my Amazon cart for months waiting for the price to drop before I buy it.
 Like I said, I really have a ton of these. Each one in and of itself may save only a little, but all together as a lifestyle, we do pretty well on one income because of these habits.

The Earth thanks you! You rock!

[zachd]

Oh I've got a million of these!
 I cut up old athletic socks and sew them into cleaning cloths.
 I turn off the water between wetting my hands, soaping them up and rinsing.
 I'll keep a $5 item in my Amazon cart for months waiting for the price to drop before I buy it.
 Like I said, I really have a ton of these. Each one in and of itself may save only a little, but all together as a lifestyle, we do pretty well on one income because of these habits.

Ha, you sound like you are ready to be off the grid/ready for an apocalyptic event, and I mean that in a positive way :)

I can relate to some of the things in this thread.  I have tried re-using ziplocks.. it does seem really wasteful to use them once.  I found it hard to keep up with IE they end up in my bag or in my desk at work which is probably not very sanitary.  I try and go with glass tupper ware containers now days when I can and just use less bags all together.

Here is a good one for you water savers...

I usually have a shot glass in the bathroom for brushing teeth.  I fill it up and then dip my brush in it, brush teeth, then rinse with the water.  I don't know what $ it might save, but when you thinking of just running water on your brush.. you only need a few drops to wet it.. and then if you drink from the faucet like I do if I don't use the glass...  it's probably using about 1/10 of the water to use the glass vs. the old way.  When thinking of how much water actually just runs down your sink.. water that's perfectly good that could be used for watering plants outside (or drinking!).. it seems the way we use water now is extermely wasteful and will change in the future.

I'm starting to try and just run a little water to wet my  hands, then wash, then rinse.  That water just running on your hands isn't really doing a lot when you think about it!

I do keep a 'rag bag' of old socks or underwear to use for cleaning stuff. 

I got this from my dad, when the ketchup is low to run a tiny bit of hot water in the bottle and shake it up really good and like magic you have more ketchup.

Sometimes I try and rip a tiny piece of a paper towel off because I just want to wipe up a spec of something.. but it isn't big enough.. so I go back and I'm ripping off a slightly bigger piece of paper towel... it can feel ridiculous sometimes like OP said.

[PindyStache]

This is a great thread! At first I was thinking "I do all of this too" but then Kolorado came and kicked all of our asses!

To add a few:

I will measure water first, then put it in an electric kettle to heat, instead of just heating a full kettle and using a portion of it.
I enjoy trying to get around the house when it's pitch black without turning on lights (hazardous with a 2-year-old, but luckily I still retain some catlike skills from my own childhood days of doing this).
I will shower at the office even on days when I don't ride my bike.
Today my toddler ate about 2 bites of a (homemade) muffin for breakfast. I just threw it in a tupperware for part of my lunch.

[Hedge_87]

My wife cuts every bottle in half (ketchup, salad dressing and toothpaste) once it's empty to get every single last drop out.

You'd be amazed how much she gets out of there.

She also puts any unused dressing back in the container if we pour too much.

I need to try this. We balance them upside down in the fridge and every time I want one it is in the back. So I normally cause a land slide of mostly empty salad dressing containers and probably waste more electricity taking the time with the door open to get them all to stand back up. Same thing in the shower with shampoo bottles.

[The Money Monk]

I never understood the ziploc washing. Just use tupperware! You can get it at garage sales for a quarter and it will last much longer than ziplocs )decades, even) and is a lot easier to clean!

Work smarter, not harder!

[CommonCents]

I never understood the ziploc washing. Just use tupperware! You can get it at garage sales for a quarter and it will last much longer than ziplocs )decades, even) and is a lot easier to clean!

Work smarter, not harder!

It takes more space to store the tupperware and in a small apartment, space can be precious!

[uppy]

I work outside and use a little fanny pack to hold all my stuff for the day, so tupperware won't fit. Hence the ziplock bags. We do use glass tupperware mostly for leftovers in the fridge, etc.

Wow -- you guys are all awesome and put me to shame!

I will add one other thing I do. I have also gotten my GF to do this though she scoffed at me at first. Now she's addicted.

We drink a LOT of tea, so of course we use an electric kettle. But it's hard to boil just the right amount of water. So we boil a whole kettle in the morning, then pour whatever's left in a big vacuum thermos we keep on the counter. So throughout the day/night (it stays near-boiling all day) we just use the water in the thermos, boil more as needed, fill 'er up again. Thermos cost about $10 and we've had it over 4 years -- saved countless watts boiling water. This also works for dishwashing water if, like us, your hot water takes forever to come out of the tap.

[The Money Monk]

I never understood the ziploc washing. Just use tupperware! You can get it at garage sales for a quarter and it will last much longer than ziplocs )decades, even) and is a lot easier to clean!

Work smarter, not harder!

It takes more space to store the tupperware and in a small apartment, space can be precious!

How many could you possibly need? Besides, they nest inside each other.

[TreeTired]

Fortunately we rarely get caught acting on this,  but my wife gets far too worked up about 1 or 2 penny differences in the per gallon price of gas.  If we fill up at 3.26  and we pass a station 2 miles down the road that is at 3.24.... oh the humanity!!!   I have to remind her, we just put in 11 gallons and the difference would be 22 cents!!!   Chill!   

[Hedge_87]

Fortunately we rarely get caught acting on this,  but my wife gets far too worked up about 1 or 2 penny differences in the per gallon price of gas.  If we fill up at 3.26  and we pass a station 2 miles down the road that is at 3.24.... oh the humanity!!!   I have to remind her, we just put in 11 gallons and the difference would be 22 cents!!!   Chill!

Lol my friend works in another town where gas is pretty consistently $0.02 cheaper. More often than not she will be running on empty when she gets home. So before she goes to work she stops and puts just enough in to make it to work and then will fill up after work all to save ~25 cents. For me not having to stop and fill up twice is $0.25 cents well spent.

[ender]

Driving across town to save $1.00 is the best!

err.. definitely would qualify as ridiculous :)

[Emg03063]

This doesn't really save me money, but I recently fired a roommate that was running up my utilities.  Sometimes peace in the home is worth a financial hit.

[Roses]

His sandwiches are natural PB, and it tends to smear on the bag. If it didn't smear, I will reuse it. We don't seem to run out of bags to reuse for this purpose (18 times a month, approximately).

The no plastic idea is nice. We had eliminated plastic containers in the kitchen once upon a time. However, my kids have since broken a lot of jars. We now use a mix, but don't buy much kitchen plastic.

We are also on a no-plastic kick (inspired by the zero waste home lady).  I save any jars that come into the house and I've also purchased glass tupperware.  I use glass containers for everything that is stored at home or frozen and we occasionally take glass on the go - even for the kiddo, haven't had much of a problem there.  But I did stock up on some metal containers for my son's lunches and snacks.  They don't microwave at his school anyway so it's no big deal.  The metal is light weight so my husband also takes his lunches to work in them (by bike and weight is not an issue).  For sandwiches we simply wrap in a cloth napkin or dish towel.  I also have a good stock of different types of non-disposable baggies that take the place of ziplock.  I have a friend who makes cloth baggies with velcro closes, I've found mesh bags with pull ties that are great, I have Japanese bags with long tails that you knot to close.  In short, there are tons & tons of options to replace plastic.  We tend to reuse these cloth items several times before they need to be washed.  If a pb&j smears we just wash that spot or throw the whole thing in the wash if necessary.  I do occasionally succumb to buying bread in plastic bags and in those cases I keep those bags for as many reuses as they'll take.  So I guess that's my extreme thing. 

Oh and no paper in the kitchen either.  Just cloth napkins, designated rags for floor and messy clean up, others for counter cleanup, drying fruit, etc...  Next up cloth TP, inspired by some folks on this forum!

[uppy]

I haven't used paper in the kitchen for a long time. I forget paper towels exist. We use old socks and rags!

[CommonCents]

I never understood the ziploc washing. Just use tupperware! You can get it at garage sales for a quarter and it will last much longer than ziplocs )decades, even) and is a lot easier to clean!

Work smarter, not harder!

It takes more space to store the tupperware and in a small apartment, space can be precious!

How many could you possibly need? Besides, they nest inside each other.

As I've shared on other threads, my husband leaves his at the office and I can't "retrain" him to bring them home in a timely fashion (say, before they start to turn colors).  So, actually, I need a lot.  Plus, not all tupperware nests.  You have to get the same type for that to happen.  (We got married later in life and each came to the marriage with a full apartment worth of stuff, including our own mish mash of tupperware.)  You asked for a reason why people use bags rather than tupperware, so I was just providing one reason.  You don't have to agree with it.  I happen to like bags for some things and tupperware for other types of things I bring in, and I wash out both and reuse.  Bags are easier to squish and fill spaces (in a larger bag/briefcase etc.), when I don't want the hard shape of a tupperware container.

[kolorado]

I never understood the ziploc washing. Just use tupperware! You can get it at garage sales for a quarter and it will last much longer than ziplocs )decades, even) and is a lot easier to clean!

Work smarter, not harder!

For me it's about BPA. Old Tupperware, pretty much any older plastic containers, will contain BPA. Ziploc baggies do not.

As for longevity, I find I get about 15 uses out of my baggies before they start to look cloudy, zippers break down or a hole develops. This probably has mostly to do with time in the freezer than actual uses.

I do have glass containers for leftovers. I have some BPA plastic containers I bought a few years ago for $10(deep discount). I use mason jars a lot too(free from my mom).

Space is a big + too. There's nothing that beats baggies for loading up our freezer to the highest capacity. Baggies are much easier to tetris into a freezer and much easier to retrieve what you are looking for than containers. And you can't shatter a baggie when you accidentally drop it when removing it from the freezer.

I buy about $7 worth of baggies a year and mark the date on the box. I haven't used any new from the last boxes I bought three months ago.

[reginna]

What a great thread to start the week. Thank you all!

[AtlStash]

We use glass for most things except freezer items.  I like the idea of cloth bags for sandwiches and snacks.  We will have to try it. 

My wife thinks one of my driving habits is ridiculous.  I always park at the first spot in the parking lot when I pull in. I then walk the rest of the distance no matter the weather.  I started this when talking to my facilities manager who told me our lot at work was almost 1/2 mile long. I was driving nearly 1 extra mile per day. At around 223 work days per year and 31 mpg, saved me 6.37 gallons per year just at work. Now I stop at the first spot everywhere, even the mall. One day I will get rid of the clown car but for now every little bit helps.

[galliver]

I use them bc I like to bring my lunch to work and tupperware (esp. glass ones) are too big and heavy.

How many uses would one of these need before it broke even with ziplocks? http://www.amazon.com/LunchSkins-Reusable-Bags-Large-Sandwiches/dp/B009G5LYGO/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&srs=3034239011&ie=UTF8&qid=1391469358&sr=1-2&keywords=lunchskins They're even listed as dishwasher safe.

I will wash ziplocks used for food and save them for packing. They're a great way to organize socks and other small items. Or I'll put my tupperware in them if I'm afraid it will leak (I have the nice kind with rubber gaskets, too!).

[kolorado]

How many uses would one of these need before it broke even with ziplocks? http://www.amazon.com/LunchSkins-Reusable-Bags-Large-Sandwiches/dp/B009G5LYGO/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&srs=3034239011&ie=UTF8&qid=1391469358&sr=1-2&keywords=lunchskins They're even listed as dishwasher safe.

Well most Ziplocs are about $.10 each. Figuring conservatively 10 uses from each bag makes the cost per use $.01. You'd have to use each reusable wrap almost 1000X to break even with Ziplocs.

Also take note what these washable wraps are made of. It's PUL. It's a fabric that has been coated in a poly-vinyl to be used mainly for waterproof pads and diaper covers. It has NOT been tested or approved as food safe. If this doesn't bother you, head on over to the fabric store and buy a cut of PUL and make some yourself. You can make two wraps as pictured for about $4. There are plenty of free online tutorials and patterns to follow.

[galliver]

How many uses would one of these need before it broke even with ziplocks? http://www.amazon.com/LunchSkins-Reusable-Bags-Large-Sandwiches/dp/B009G5LYGO/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&srs=3034239011&ie=UTF8&qid=1391469358&sr=1-2&keywords=lunchskins They're even listed as dishwasher safe.

Well most Ziplocs are about $.10 each. Figuring conservatively 10 uses from each bag makes the cost per use $.01. You'd have to use each reusable wrap almost 1000X to break even with Ziplocs.

Also take note what these washable wraps are made of. It's PUL. It's a fabric that has been coated in a poly-vinyl to be used mainly for waterproof pads and diaper covers. It has NOT been tested or approved as food safe. If this doesn't bother you, head on over to the fabric store and buy a cut of PUL and make some yourself. You can make two wraps as pictured for about $4. There are plenty of free online tutorials and patterns to follow.

I use tupperware mostly, in part because I don't do many sandwiches. When I do use them for sandwiches, I use the super thin ones and toss them because I'm a bad person. I was just thinking of alternatives for OP that are perhaps easier or more pleasant to wash than ziplocks. :)  Are they allowed to market them as food storage products if the material isn't food-approved?

[vivian]

I reuse baggies but never thought to wash them. I guess it depends on what you put in them, but a little peanut butter from a few days ago is not going to hurt you. I just reuse them for a few weeks until the baggie seems too worn. Or until I misplace it, which usually happens first.

Another thing that I do is refill travel Kleenex pouches. Those little plastic pouches that hold about 10 tissues. I have a toddler so always need clean tissue with me for runny noses and rather than keep buying them I fold up tissues from the big box and stuff them back in.

[sheepstache]

Ah, okay, I finally thought of one.  Take printed-on-one-side paper that's going into the trash at work.  Cut into quarters (few sheets at a time, badassity doesn't have to be neat).  Stack together and stick on binder clip.  Free notepad!
(related project: hipster PDA)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_PDA

[CommonCents]

Another thing that I do is refill travel Kleenex pouches. Those little plastic pouches that hold about 10 tissues. I have a toddler so always need clean tissue with me for runny noses and rather than keep buying them I fold up tissues from the big box and stuff them back in.

Travel stuff is great, paying travel sized prices is not.  I have a free travel sized antibacterial hand gel bottle I fill up from the larger one (also got free, thanks bath & body works).

[AtlStash]

I love the travel idea CommonCents.  I travel a lot for work. Time to start refilling, tooth paste, etc.

[CommonCents]

I love the travel idea CommonCents.  I travel a lot for work. Time to start refilling, tooth paste, etc.

Also - pay attn and target and P&G both sometimes offer travel/sample pouches you can order for free. I will order to our house and my MILs (and she'll give to us).

[Shor]

Another thing that I do is refill travel Kleenex pouches. Those little plastic pouches that hold about 10 tissues. I have a toddler so always need clean tissue with me for runny noses and rather than keep buying them I fold up tissues from the big box and stuff them back in.

Ugg.. shamefully... I do the exact same thing! Except I hold on to used tissues... and they're more like napkins... and instead of a tissue pouch they just sits crumpled in my pocket until I need to reuse it....
Das just unsanitary!

Okay, I am disgusted with myself. *throws out a wad of used pocket napkins*

[Hedge_87]

Lol I remember going anywhere with my grandma. At the first sign of a runny nose she would pull a Kleenex out of her pocket that was more than likely weeks old. Just get a hanky if you don't want to use paper tissues.

[uppy]

Lol I remember going anywhere with my grandma. At the first sign of a runny nose she would pull a Kleenex out of her pocket that was more than likely weeks old. Just get a hanky if you don't want to use paper tissues.

People talk about spending money on hankies. I have literally 2 bandanas I use for handkerchiefs. You can fold and refold them so many times that you can use like 1 a week and wash them with the rest of your laundry. (Unless you have a cold or something.)

[Hedge_87]

Lol I remember going anywhere with my grandma. At the first sign of a runny nose she would pull a Kleenex out of her pocket that was more than likely weeks old. Just get a hanky if you don't want to use paper tissues.

People talk about spending money on hankies. I have literally 2 bandanas I use for handkerchiefs. You can fold and refold them so many times that you can use like 1 a week and wash them with the rest of your laundry. (Unless you have a cold or something.)

I'm so glad somebody else uses hankies. I thought it was just my grandpa, john Wayne, and me.

[abuzzyisawesome]

I haven't used paper in the kitchen for a long time. I forget paper towels exist. We use old socks and rags!

This is something I am still struggling with - I haven't figured out how to drain bacon (any cooked meat, really) on anything besides paper towels. Any suggestions?

[C. K.]

This is something I am still struggling with - I haven't figured out how to drain bacon (any cooked meat, really) on anything besides paper towels. Any suggestions?

Rags seem to be the answer. Paperless Kitchen has a list - http://www.paperlesskitchen.com/blogs/news/7441678-how-to-drain-bacon-without-paper-towels 

I like the idea of bacon on a George Foreman grill - the fat drains away.
http://republicofbacon.com/2011/01/26/can-the-george-foreman-grill-cook-the-perfect-bacon/

I affix the nearly done soap sliver to the new bar of soap instead of tossing it.  It takes a few hand washings to coax the sliver into the right shape and stick properly.

Do you (or anyone you know) have a run in the stocking? Don't toss it out. Cut off the foot, place new bar soap and slivers into it, tie up the end and wash hands as usual. The soap lathers through the stocking. The slivers will stick properly eventually. In the meantime, it doesn't fall too far from the new bar.

This might work with an old sock too.

[C. K.]

Driving across town to save $1.00 is the best!

err.. definitely would qualify as ridiculous :)

Ha! I have driven 40 miles to another city to save less than that on gas! It's ridiculous! But I talked myself into it because I "needed" to trot over to the more competitively-priced supermarkets while there.