The Housewife--Stretch a Buck

Use a little, use it all, use it up, wear it out, make do, patch it, fix it, buy only what you need, spend only cash, keep it clean, keep it working, do without, make it from scratch, sew your own, stretch a buck...

So, now you know how I was raised. I always say I was raised during the Great Depression. That's because my mom was raised by my grandma who survived the Depression. My dad owned his own business and sometimes, we didn't have very much money coming in. Because of this, I learned how to stretch a dollar well.

I definitely have cheapskate tendencies. I hate to spend money if I don't have to. I love shopping at thrift stores and garage sales. I almost always buy the cheapest item at a grocery store. I'm thrifty and I'm really proud of it. It's allowed us to do so much more with our money than just merely subsist.

I've been challenging myself for the last two weeks with not purchasing any additional shampoos or conditioners. Why you might ask? Well, it's because I just took a good look at our linen closet, noting the overflowing bin of sample size hair products that we've collected from vacations, free samples, and from D's work travels. It's just been sitting there and I decided I needed to just dive in and start using it. So far, I haven't even started with the samples. I've been trying to see how far I can stretch my last full bottle of shampoo. But, I'm anxious to get going. I want to see how long I can make it last.

Knowing just how much of any product that you need is really critical to saving money. Looking closely at a laundry detergent bottle can be really eye opening. They often only recommend a very small amount. But, how many of us just fill the cap or measuring device without even thinking about it? It's the same with shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc. You really don't need very much to do the job.

I challenge you to start using products wisely and using them up. All of these little things really do add up to big savings and now, more than ever, we need to be more conscious of where our money is going.