20 Controversial Frugal Hacks That Are Borderline Unethical
Get ready to explore some eyebrow-raising frugal hacks in this video! We're diving into 20 controversial tactics that some people use to save money, even if it means toeing the line of what's ethical.
These hacks might make you raise an eyebrow or two all in the name of saving money. While some folks see them as clever ways to stretch a dollar, others argue they're too close to crossing a moral line.
As we go through each hack, take a moment to think about where you stand on the ethics of extreme frugality. And just a heads-up: we're not endorsing any of these tactics, just sparking a conversation.
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I always decline rounding up. I'm not making a donation that mass retailers can use as a freaking tax break.
Exactly! People who donate to charity more than likely donate more than they would just rounding up. Now that's a good argument for the human cashiers who ask if you want to donate. Tell them I want to donate in my own name where I will definitely give more than just change.
I don’t think there is a tax benefit to the corp because they also have to claim the revenue. However, they do get the goodwill that you are paying for, so it depends on whether the company is one you really want to support. For me? Walmart, no. Local quilt shop, maybe.
This! They get to claim it and you do not.
I’d rather make the donation myself and get the benefits.
it is not a tax break to the company. there is zero effect because the money in equals the money out.
Taking food from a buffet and hiding it a zipper bag to take to eat at home is totally unethical. I'm sorry that is not being frugal, that is stealing! Buffets are meant to eat there in one sitting, not to stock your fridge. And the loss gets passed onto the customer in higher buffet prices.
And it's hard to blame the restaurant if your ziploc of food sits too long out of refrigeration and you get sick.
Bingo! I agree with you 100% There is a difference between frugal and stealing....as well as class vs lacking class.(you don't have to be rich to have class.)
I make up for one person. I spend 20 bucks for a buffet and eat maybe 5$ worth of food.
What about the people who go to the buffet and go back 4-5 times ? I have seen people heap their plates high,dump half, get new plate and go back again and again. You think that doesn’t the cost? Where I live there is a popular buffet that sell take by the pound. For about $10/pound. I tried using that option once. Unless you are planning on eating whipped salads and jello you won’t be getting much. That is this buffet’s cash cow. I don’t dine there anymore. I don’t eat enough to make it worth the $20+ for the food & drinks are extra. That aside, it’s the few that act like sharks in a feeding frenzy who apparently were never taught basic manners.
@@linklein7270 i get one small plate. I am not them. Don't wag that finger at me
Rounding up is complete nonsense! I volunteer at my local food bank. I don’t trust Walmart to direct my money to charity.
Walmart (or any other company) is also reporting those donations on their taxes as a corporate donation to the charity. Now, an argument can be made that as long as the money goes to help, it doesnt matter, but why give the store a tax break when I can make a direct donation and (if I want) get the tax break myself?
@@JB0528 plus the interest earned on the holdings of the money over the year is also money made for the company
@@JB0528Exactly! Came here to say this.
Yes. The business gets the charitable deduction not the giver.
Agreed
I used to avoid buying used items but then I realized every time I stayed at a hotel or ate at a restaurant,, I was using things many other people had used before. These items were washed and cleaned before each use and that didn't bother me, so why not the same with used clothes or home goods? Now I own a successful business reselling preowned items and make sure everything I sell is clean and in excellent condition for my customers.
Yes! When I was in high school i became more clothes conscious. I often brought clothes at my church’s thrift shop (used clothing). I found some amazing clothes
Well done. Most people do not think about that nor bother to wash new clothes when those have been tossed around the factory, and many hands have touched them as well....lol.
I was the same way. Then I reflected upon it some more and realized that thefibers of the highest quality textiles all had some rather unsanitary origins! Cotton is grown outdoors - often in dry, dusty areas. Silk comes from the cocoons of caterpillars which insect must be separated therefrom. Wool, mohair, angora, cashmere and alpaca all come from animals - and before the fibers can be spun, they need to be washed and have insects, dander and debris removed. Wool in particular is laden with oil (lanolin); all the creatures whose coats these come from are quite smelly! So whether washing the dirt, animal feces, insects and plant matter from fibers before they’re made into garments - or laundering human sweat, skin cells and soil from items after they’ve been turned into garments …to me, there’s really no difference….
I always throw all textiles in the washer as soon as I get home from the thrift store. Even if they appear clean, they always smell so strongly of febreze, etc, that I can't stand it. So in sure I'm not going to be bringing lice, or any other bad thing, into my home.
I guess I had a hard childhood. I never thought that buying anything used or thrifted was a hardship of any sort. I wash everything we bring home, no matter where it came from; no matter what it is. I was raised that way, as well as on a limited income (military) and have always budgeted, bought at resale, made my own, and learned where to go to get good deals. I just washed a pack of socks (socks and underwear are the only things that I insist on buying new) that just came out of the package because - well, how did they get there? Everything you buy, food, clothing, housewares, garden shop, has been handled by a number fo different people before getting to your store, let alone before you get it. It baffles me that people don't understand the supply chain or the harsh realities of our systems of goods. Unless you make it yourself, always assume everything you have has been touched by at least 5 people before you buy it. If you're buying fiber arts supplies, then it's still been touched by at least 5 people, but you can wait to wash it (except for fabric - always prewash fabric) until you're done making the thing.
The issues with reused water, showers and towels are self-indulgent and strange to me. Being an Aussie who has lived through bad droughts, at one stage - we had 5 litres (12 pints) per person per day for everything (drinking, cooking, bathing, toilet, laundry etc), the town dam was so low the water was turned off in the pipes and delivered instead for over 7 MONTHS. Daily body wash was a sponge bath with a small bowl of water, hair washed every 2-3 weeks or drive to another town to pay for a shower. All used water collected to flush the toilet once or twice a day. Outer clothes worn at least 3 times then handwashed in the half a bucket of water we could spare once a week - that water then cleaned the floor before flushing the toilet. P.S. Washing towels after one use was impossible. Instead they were hung outside in the sun for a UV clean and washed once a Month or so.
Hi Katy, I was so happy to read your comment. I am an American and I feel that if more Americans traveled abroad and saw how things were done in other countries we would be less wasteful.I know it has altered some of my habits in a big way .😊
When the population was smaller and more folks were on wells here in the USA, everybody on wells during drought years did similar things. There was the washcloth clean up called a spit bath and signs above the toilets that said 'if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down'. Don't need to travel the world if you can appreciate the time with your elders. There were a number of droughts during the 1970s let alone the depression era dust bowl.
Katv, I LOVE your story. Lived in the desert an aggregate 20+ years, and although I had a great well, I still never wasted a drop of water. When I finally retired and bought a place in TinyTown, Central Midwest, they sent an official out to check my electric and water meters to be sure I hadn't 'adjusted' them, bc my extremely lower than average charges made them suspicious. I hadn't, of course. But most people are abominably wasteful to where they think that's normal.
@frostyfrances4700 Thanks. It's both funny and sad (for the town) that the official came out to check on you. Wasting water is so common - shockingly a "frugal advice" person on another channel recommended maintaining a home by washing down the garden paving Daily! 😞 I imagine they either don't do that themselves or they can afford the high water bill.
The sun will kill everything, for sure.
I would much rather have a pure wool sweater that was used and no longer needed than some new polyester fluff pretending to be a nice sweater. I worked with a man who travelled a lot- he gathered the little shampoos etc and donated them to a local shelter.
Yes, this is an awesome idea. When we were traveling a lot at work, we were encouraged to get the free toiletries from the hotel so we can donate them to the local DV shelter.
Yes I worked in motels for years. You pay for the little soaps, shampoos. They are yours to take, but NOT towels, linens, etc.!!!
@@user-et8og7uc9w I came home one time from a trip and our son (7) had packed the pillow he slept on! I called them and they laughed. So kind of them.
If I had to pay full price for wool and cashmere sweaters, I would rarely wear them, for fear of ruining them. When I get them for $5-10 at the thrift store, I happily wear them frequently, and don't worry about wearing them out. When they can't be mended any more, I make them into cat beds. Far more budget and ecologically friendly than buying anything new.
I prefer to leave the little sachets if I haven't used them because they are expensive to produce and use more resources than the big bottle that I would use at home. to me it is not about whether or not I have paid for them, but what impact is it having.
Who uses a bath towel only once? That's insane!
When my bath towels get old I cut them up and make dish towels out of them. Depending on the size I can get 3 or 4 dish towels.
I have never used a bath towel more than once. Washing 10 towels at the end of the week costs the same as washing one.
@@rudymalizia8842 I wouldn't wash one towel. I let a few pile up, then wash them.
I. I use a small towel ( 30 x 50 cm) for my body after showering. I have psoriasis and there is always dandruff on the fabric afterwards. It would be disgusting to use it again or leave it in the bathroom for another member of the household to use.
@@rudymalizia8842ur comment made no sense
Picking up change off the ground pays better interest than Wells Fargo pays on my checking account each much.
Never thought of it like this...lol, somedays it pays more than the money market checking!! Lol😂
Most definitely, last year I found $100.00 bill in the street.
All joking aside, I don’t see anything wrong with picking up change off the ground. Saving spare change adds up really fast.
My kid collects about $15 a month from discarded change and aluminum cans.
Was walking with my Dad one day when he said oh look, there’s a nickel on the ground. I was shocked to watch the man who made me clean the yard for a penny casually walk past the nickel. I asked why he didn’t grab it and he replied the risk of throwing his back out for a nickel wasn’t worth it. I am decades older than my dad was then, but I will push you out of the way to grab a penny off the ground! 😂
Having worked in retail, I've seen how messed up clothes get from folks just trying them on. I have no problem buying used. Just wash stuff before you wear it.
I worked for a high end department store for about a year - customers can be awful!
I worked for a small privately owned retail store. If you give a customer a discount to create "goodwill", it doesn't work. That customer will now think that they're "special" and will want a discount every time they come in. And, as soon as they don't get a discount anymore, they'll go looking for another store thst will. Happened to us all the time, because people think that small businesses will do literally anything to keep customers...discounts on floor models, discounts for cash sales, discounts for damaged packaging (that doesn't affect the item), being allowed to return final sale items, being allowed to return items they damaged, being allowed to return items bought from other stores, price matching prices of larger chain stores when it means we'd lose money...but don't seem to understand that a customer that we don't make any money from isn't worth anything to us.
I would never ask a small business for a discount. I know a lot of local business owners. I want them to stay in business. I have been offered perks - a bit extra product, etc. Some local businesses made an agreement to pay living wages. The employees have benefits. One store offers 15% off to people who verbally declare a low income.
A buffet is designed to eat it THERE, not take it home for another meal!
Thank you! I work in a buffet style cafeteria & it always amazes me how some people try to get away with things. It's on a college campus & we've had students bring their own tupperware to take food home, sneaking the carton of almond milk in their backpack, etc. Years ago 1 student brought an empty milk jug & tried refilling the entire jug at the milk dispenser! 😮
@@LaManteca76 college is expensive😮
My late MIL used to bring plastic bags in her purse if a buffet was involved. Kind of embarrassing to say the least. She had PLENTY of $$$, and savings. She did live in Austria during WWII, so we excused her, while we blushed.
@LaManteca76 you guys throw away so much food. I personally heard that students take turns going to the Cafe and bring enough not to go back every other day or for their roommate, and the roommate will do that the next day. Not to visit the Café. Because it is Very Expensive.
@@crybebebunny Yes unfortunately we do throw away too much food. It's horrible. The employees aren't even allowed to take any home. Pizza is required to be thrown away after 30 mins on the line due to health regulations. Any leftover food not used within 5 days must be thrown as well. I've seen unopened bags of salad mix in the dumpster because they were expired. It breaks my heart. I agree college is expensive but so is life. I've seen other employees take leftover food home as well as students sneaking food in their backpacks but I will always look the other way. I don't know their situation & I'm not about to deny them what could be their only meal for the day. 😔
I used to feel guilty about not rounding up at the register but then I realized that the store is the one who gets the benefits of that donation. They look like they have the big donation! I give plenty on my own.
Goodwill is always asking us to round up, for their "mission". I've looked up the CEO's salary and benefits package. He needs to donate to their mission before asking customers who are already struggling, to be charged more. I too, donate directly when I can afford to.
@@johnvanderploeg6707they don't pay their employees very well either. They only want to pay minimum or less (they want volunteers. )
@@johnvanderploeg6707 Now I'm not doubting that the CEO donates. I would just prefer to go online and donate in my own name and donate more that the amount they round up.
People only use bath towels once?? I never got that memo!
Growing up we each had a bath towel and were expected to use it for a week. I do about the same now. We are clean when we use them so why wash them that often?
@@gailruckle8183 Exactly. They don't get dirty unless they remain damp and start to smell rancid.
Right?! In my family, we all use our towels for at least 7 times. Just hang it to dry so the towel does not start to smell 😉
But daily, fresh washcloth is a good idea. More sanitary than plastic loofahs.
@@TwisterTornado Yes. Just use it once for bathing, then hang to dry and use as a TP replacement. Rinse, Repeat.
I used to shower every day and I never missed a day! Then I had some major surgery in my foot and I was non-weight-bearing for five months! This definitely changed my showering habits, and I learned that I would not die if I didn’t have a daily shower. Once I started reducing my shower to every other day, I noticed a positive difference in my skin. Showering every day dried it out terribly. However, of course in the summertime when I’m outside and working in the garden and perspiring, I will definitely have a shower every day, but no longer in the winter.
I shower once every week or two. I have skin issues and frequent showering makes it worse. People think I'm weird but I don't get smelly or dirty like they'd think. I rarely need to use deodorant too. I don't know where the idea we had to shower every day came from. I do wash my feet every day though.
Rounding up and everybody and their brother asking for 20% tips for EVERYTHING - like self-pay checkout stands when they ask if you want to leave a tip (for a ROBOT) when the store or store already are getting paid makes me angry. A fair tip for restaurant workers and people who cut hair is differnt. We always give big tips for those services.
I do most of these, including cloth tp. I spray the cloth with vInegar for antibacterial purposes, then use them. My husband is a disabled vet, and I am also disabled. We live on a tight fixed income and cannot work to get more. Here in MO, food stamps have a rule that if you are over 64 yrs old, you can o ly make about $1100mth and get food stamps, but if youmare under 65 yes old, you can make over $3,000. We are both 65, not old enough to retire at normal age, so we have to take a much reduced pension, though my husband does get a small amount of disability from the VA. We make it by not buying anything we don't need. We set our thermostat at 55° in the winter. We rarely eat out. If we do, we keep extra packets handed to us. We have relatives that would feel slighted if we came right by them and didn't at least spend a weekend with them. We do eat expired food. Otherwise, we might not get to eat, but we do not eat expired tomato products as that is one of the worst things to take a chance with. IF we were to go to a buffet, we would NOT take any food home with us... I see nothing wrong g with someone taking anything that had been thrown out, including mostly empty laundry detergent bottles. I have no problem with dumpster divi g, but the law should make you responsible for your own safety if you choose to do... People have no idea how that person is living or on how much. I believe people need to get off their high horses and quit judging others... Although, I myself, cannot use a towel that I have dried off my nether regions with, but I use 2 smaller towels to dry off with, One for my body which goes into the laundry and one for my clean hair that I hang to dry and reuse two or three times. My husband, on the other hand uses the same regular sized towel four or five times. He takes a daily shower, and I take 2 a week in the winter, and in the summer, if I get sweaty, or dirty, I take a shower that day, in addition to my 2 a week. I ate peanut butter years past the best if used by date as 1 of 2 kids being brought up by a single mother, I didnt die then, I still haven't died as an adult eating food past its sell by date...I think the only controversial things should be the ones bordering on being illegal, otherwise, live and let live... no one knows what another is going through.
So u wipe with it n then put the cloth tp in a diaper pail type thing? Then wash a load and reuse? I rather use my hand bidet and then have barely anything to wipe so I can use 🧻 to toss I actually got a $25 bidet for my toilet at WM and miss it if I’m not at home!
@@YeshuaKingMessiah We bought 3 for all our toilets. I love this, get much cleaner and use less tp.
@YeshuaKingMessiah a bucket of borax and water will leave no traces of anything after a good soak
Personally, my downstairs department gets thoroughly clean when I shower so I cycle two towels for a week before they get laundered. That way, each one is thoroughly dried in between, which prevents bacteria and mould from growing.
Never heard that about tomatoes, may I ask why
My grandmother used to also get furniture off the side of the road and repurpose them. After my divorce. My first apartment was finished with that stuff
Sometimes folks dump almost new furniture...why buy If I find it for free. Here in Germany you can even get free kitchens on fb- Marketplace or similar Apps,you just have to Take it down yourself🤷
Take the cast offs! Be sustainable and refurbish what you can!
I love a good yard find. I do have some requirements. I don't do couches or mattresses, but a good all wood piece, that is gold. May need a little repair, but so worth it.
Bedbugs also hide in dressers
Here the councils encourage people to take from kerbside pick ups. That way people get stuff they want or can repurpose and less goes to landfill. Win -win.
I babysit my grandee frequently. Day care isn’t open on weekends, a private sitter is over $100.00 a day in this area and my daughter has mandatory weekend shifts. I get to spend Saturday and Sunday..stay over Saturday night and have a family dinner and have lots of time with my grandee…I have no complaints and my daughter is very appreciative.
I get to watch my grandchild twice a month for about 5 hours at a time. I love having this time where we are building our relationship. I consider it a gift for myself and the child.
Ditto, I think that is such a blessing for both the grandparent and the child! My grandchild loves to come for the weekend and just recently I watched him at his house for a whole week while his parents had to go out of town. Who wouldn’t want their child to stay with family if they had the choice? In my opinion they will be better cared for than with a stranger.
Ok Grandma was stealing food - salad bars and all-you-can-eat options are for actually eating it in the restaurant. You want a doggy-bag? Order an entree off the menu. And as for staying at someone’s house while on vacation- not controversial, but not gonna happen for me/my family. You’re going to be in town near me? I’ll recommend several nearby hotels. I’ll be your tour guide while you’re here, but I want my privacy at the end of the day (and the same goes when I’m vacationing near you- I want to wake up and go to bed when I’m ready. We can hang out all day, but I’m wanting to unwind after dinner plans and not disrupt your nightly routine.)
Also, I’ve noticed it can sometimes be family members who don’t otherwise try and keep in touch or anything then act like they’re dying to see you when they want free lodging along their trip. 🙄 No thanks!
I am asked to round up when I shop at Goodwill. I say no because if I could afford that, I wouldn't be shopping here. Geez! Ok, this might gross people out so please don't comment! I am a disabled senior lady and it is very difficult to shower everyday. I buy unscented baby wipes to keep myself clean in-between showers. As far as used clothing goes, buy them, wash them in Lysol, and wear them. The price of new Clothing is outrageous and you can actually find new with tags items and/or designer brands at your local thrift store at a largely reduced price.
no one is grossed out. i am POSITIVE you are not the only person who does this. no one is going to judge you. i respect you!
Before the invention of baby wipes, non-woven towelettes and so on people uses actual washcloths to take sponge/sink baths. Baby wipes are pretty expensive.
I *admire* you, mzsher!
I love thrifting clothes! It gives you so much more variety and it feels like a treasure hunt.
@@katattack907 - One thing I forgot to mention yesterday about clothes thrifting: TinyTown, for all its severe socio-economic-political problems, does happen to have a church sponsored resale store almost entirely devoted to clothing. Amazingly the donated items are only set at 50 cents apiece, limit of 15. Since I can sew and alter clothes, and I love some old trims and decorative items, I'll go in there and look for stuff with vintage buttons and buy the garment just so I can take off those buttons for a design of my own - such as the time I found what appeared to be an Amish man's hat. Black wool, same shape, etc. So I bought it home and made a variety of stunning headbands, one festooned with a lot of those vintage buttons I'd been saving against the day. It doesn't look the least bit Amish now! My hippy roots still show. And I'm now old enough that I don't give a rat's patootie who likes what I do or not. Well, I already was when I first retired here at 58, a lonnnng 21 years ago.
In grad school, I gained a great reputation as a dumpster diver! 😆 my friend worked next door to a florist that would toss their entire stock just before Mother’s Day ( which I think is extremely wasteful-why not donate them??) After hours, I climbed in the dumpster-which was used only for flowers, boxes, packing/- and retrieved a CAR LOAD of beautiful fresh cut flowers, including 2 dozen red roses in perfect condition. Many were mums that lasted weeks. I once found a gorgeous original oil painting in a gold-gilt frame that had been tossed on a trash pile in my alleyway. It’s hanging in my studio today. I can’t believe what people throw away! So I’m saving it from the landfill…
Now that's my kind of dumpster diving.
That’s crazy! I worked for a florist for a few years and can’t imagine why they would throw out all their stock before Mothers Day when you need every flower you can get. What business could afford to do such a thing anyway?
@@peacefulpossum2438 this was a very small, local florist, and my understanding was that they got a giant fresh shipment right before Mother’s Day and threw out everything that wasn’t the freshest
@@obietravels652 i worked for a small local florist and remember the shipments before Mothers Day and Valentines Day. The walk in coolers were stuffed and we could barely walk through the work room for all the buckets of greenery and babies breath. Long days, big bonuses! I think my boss sold down her stock in the week before those holidays so there wasn’t a lot of stock that wasn’t fresh before her big shipment came in. I envy you getting nice flowers out of the dumpster.
@@peacefulpossum2438Floral workers work their butts off 2 days each year (Valentines and Mothers days) maybe 15 hours straight, and toss these things because they're too exhausted to deal with them
I think collecting laundry bottles is a great idea! They’re in the trash anyway, also saving the laundry mat space in their dumpster😊
Consumer reports cut apart those bottles when they were assumed to be empty and got three to ten more loads out of those “empty” bottles.
Recycle, please. Clean the outside of the bottle, soap on the inside is fine if cap is secured.
Then recycle them for cash!
Watch out folks! Not only do I regrow plants, but I save seeds from my garden for the next years garden. This is why we have heirloom varieties of vegetables. For most of the personal care points I immediately thought of our ancestors. Many of them bathed once a week if that and had little to no lotions and potions, yet they survived and thrived. It is only in our modern society that we have developed so-called “rules”about personal care. Mama taught me that personal care was necessary but you don’t have to talk about it.
Many of our ancestors died of diseases that we no longer have to worry about. And a lot of deaths had to do with hygiene.
Not really. Detergents and shampoos can irritate your skin if you wash too often or use products that are too strong. many people suffer from Allergies and intolerances to various chemicals. In the past people kept clean with basic soap and water. In the recent past Many diseases caused from hygiene issues were from contaminated water, crowded living conditions and an inability to keep up the basic, effective hygiene routines. Many people these days are returning to Vinegar and Bicarb of soda as an effective and more gentle cleaning alternative. Steam and boiled water kills a lot without expensive chemicals. @christinef7739
@@christinef7739 I was thinking that too -- shorter lifespan back then because it was before a lot of medical breakthroughs and better hygiene practices.
It's also fun to save seeds from grocery store vegetables. We saved seeds from a pepper we liked; it didn't grow true to type, but it produced really interesting 'firecracker' type peppers. Tomatoes usually are closer to the original.
I don't think dry elbows and frizzy hair were killing anybody. I'm sure OP is not advocating for once a year baths and forgoing dental hygiene. What vegetables do you find useful to regrow? Some just seem like novelty rather than utility.
Hotels factor in the cost of their little toiletries that they buy in bulk into the price of each hotel room, so we’ve already paid for those & can take them with us without feeling guilty. There’s a mathematical process to account for water & electricity usage for each hotel room too. I have dumpster dived occasionally, but thankfully never for food, just furniture & household decor that people tossed away instead of donating those items to a local charity. So in essence dumpster diving is alleviating waste in landfills.
The shrimp isn’t borderline. Def just straight up stealing.
At a buffet if I don’t eat all I took I take leftovers home but don’t take more than I think I can eat.
Completely agree.
@@nancyfeeser4653 You're cheating. Straight up stealing. You knew the rules when you went into the all you can eat buffet - no taking out. Rude.
It was off her plate.
Still stealing
I never round up at the register for charity. Some businesses write off your donation. I'll write off my own.
I can respect that. Also as someone who's worked as a cashier, let me add that it's important to be nice in these situations: politely declining goes a long way for everybody concerned. No need to make everybody's day worse by snapping "NO" at the hapless cashier, who is only doing their job and is required to ask about the donation. I've had both types of responses, and believe me, we do appreciate the polite ones.
@@drea4195 I think any reasonable person understands that the cashier is simply the middleman doing their job. Good reminder.
@@sarahpauline4904 one would think most people are "reasonable" i can tell you most people are not
That's right, when you round up, you are making the store's charitable donation for them. Kroger, Safeway, Giant Eagle, HEB, etc. have hundreds of thousands of customers who give 10 or 20 cents at each visit. It adds up for the company.
When I worked for FAA, I would have to travel for work. ALL of us (men and women) collected the amenities from the hotel to take home to the office. Several times a year we would take them to the women's shelter. They were very appreciative, and this was in Anchorage, Alaska.
I get asked for discounts all the time in my small business. My answer is always "I speak discount for cash, and for multiple item purchases."
Showers, I agree with you. It dries out your skin especially in winter and all year round!! I'm every other day and I don't stink. Thanks for all your frugal tips ❤
I need the shower as part of winding down to sleep well, but often I just rinse off..no soap or shampoo. My skin and hair are much happier and I'm still saving on product.
I shower every day, and sometimes twice a day, but that’s because I live in a part of the country where it’s “endless summer” (south-central Florida). Sponge baths don’t really cut it, especially from April-September where the weather is brutally hot.
Just take a quick shower daily. Easy.
Your body makes a protective layer of oil and bacteria that really should remain for a few days. If you insist on showering daily use a very mild soap.
@@bevanbuckwheatshea5520 I have no problem if that's how *you* do it, but if I showered daily my skin would disintegrate. I bathe everyday, but not in a tub or shower. I shower when I wash my hair. That day and the next are unpleasant for the overall condition of my skin. Lotion just turns into a lotion/dead skin paste that dries on me like Elmer's school glue. Plus, I'm older with the beginnings of orthopedic complaints. In and out of the shower is always tenuous. A daily shower won't do for me. It's as easy as that for you, but that isn't universal.
I think the laundry package collecting is great! She is providing cleaning service for free and using up the left over detergent! This is good for the environment and for her purse!
I have done, that when I have seen a detergent that I want to try. They had left enough for two loads without rinsing the bottle. Then, I did change my detergent for the one, I had the opportunity to try 🎉❣️
@@crybebebunny Now are we talking about the little bottles out of the vending machine at the laundromat, or are we talking about the regular sized bottles brought from home? I would think with what those little bottles cost that the customers would make sure they use up the detergent and even put a little water in the bottle to get the rest of it out to get their money's worth from those overpriced bottles. I bought bottles of detergent and fabric softener from the dollar store to use at the laundromat for the occasional bulky item that won't fit in my home washer. When they were empty, I refilled them from my large bottles of detergent and fabric softener for the next time I went to the laundromat with a bulky item. If you're only washing the one large item, why carry your big bottles to the laundromat?
@CarlaQuattlebaum I live in a smaller complex, and I am in charge of opening and locking up the laundry room. We only have one of each. I sweep the floors and wipe them both and the table. I also do my own laundry there. Someone had left a med bottle of liquid detergent on top of the table about 3 days before I did my laundry. I personally a ways rinse out my own bottles and had planned on buying such detergent because of the 10x it claimed. I personally buy the huge jugs as yourself and use smaller bottles to carry back and forth from my apartment. Since then, I have changed to that detergent brand the big T. Still spot treat with dish washing soap. Some people are not about saving money and occasionally throw away the bottles with three loads worth of soap. I have personally seen it again and again. I often see people at the grocery buying a bigger package of toilet paper, the 24 pk ($12.99) when two of the 12 pk (2 for $9.99 or $5 each) less expensive ⁉️ This is a bigger package of two of the same brand wrapped in a 2nd layer of plastic making the 24pk. I will tell them and show them the ad/circleler and go "wow" send their spouse. They ask for directions to where in the store come back with other products and "next time. "
I don't collect from laundromats, but I do rinse out the bottles at home and get a couple more loads.
@@lynnw7155 That I do also. Just goes into that last load I can wash before getting another bottle.
Re Dumpster Diving. Starting years ago, the last day of classes, my husband and I would swing through the dorm area of several universities in our city. The nearly new things these graduating/moving out for the summer students threw out is valuable and hit or miss, but it can be amazing. That's coming up again, so if you live near a live in campus, find out the move out day and stop by near the dumpsters. We still have a cute, matching coat tree and shoe shelf in our entryway, a half sized, pre-lit Christmas Tree with skirt that fits perfectly in our front bay window and have used every year for fifteen years. And a tall, rotating fan with a remote that was at least a hundred dollars new and has lasted a decade.
My son furnished his first apartment with stuff being thrown out by departing students. Saved him a bundle at a time when he was stretched super thin, and several pieces lasted him for many years.
@@christajennings3828 Good for him! You raised him well. 🙂
If your body is not clean when you get out you’re doing it wrong 😂 I agree
I shower twice a week and I don't stink. Towels are washed infrequently. I wear the same clothes a few times if they're not stained or stinky. Less wear and fading from the washer on the clothes, too.
People throw out way too much stuff. I never 'dumpster dive' but if I'm walking past and see something really nice that I want in plain view, it gets rescued in the blink of an eye. When I lived in L.A., I'd take a little drive around places like Brentwood and Bev Hills at 3 or 4 a.m. on trash day. One time I found a huge dragon-carved teakwood coffee table outside one mansion; apparently the glass insert on top had been broken, so they just tossed out the whole damn piece. When I retired to rural central Midwest TinyTown, I took my 'saving' ways with me. If you're out walking and see a chest of drawers too big to drag home with you on foot, then use the little screwdriver (never leave home w/o it) to remove some of the hardware on it; if you can beat the trash truck, it'll still be there when you return bc who wants a piece of furniture that's missing a handle? etc. I'm just saying be creative. I bought and have almost finished restoring a huge 1880 Vic with a wraparound porch; my southside neighbor is an awful jerk, so when she put out a king-size brass bedstead in the trash, I snatched it and now it looks grand as a 'gate' to my front porch; she has to look at it every time she drives past my house too. Makes her mad as hell, which makes me giggle. One time a lady was at my house for some cockamaimie reason I can't remember - anyway she took one look at something familiar to her and asked, "Is that ... ??" I smiled and said, "Makes you kinda feel right at home, doesn't it?" She was not amused. These people have NO sense of humor or curiosity about the rest of the world. Most of them resent the alleged fact that a thrifty damnYankee outbid them for this property in the first place when it should've been left in the hands of locals who were letting it go to rot way before I got here. But if they throw it out and I see it sitting right there in front of me and I want it, I'm taking it. I actually did catty-walk a 5'x8' double-pane beveled glass picture window in a wooden 8" frame home 6 blocks away all by my lonesome and I'm only 5' tall myself; but it couldn't be left there alone bc there was nothing I could remove to make it undesirable to another passerby. Another person had already pulled up in his truck behind me and tried to make me let him have the picture window - before he thought better of that since my leashed chows were between us and getting angry. And I do go over everything with a fine tooth comb outside before I ever bring it in the house. So if you read this far, I know it's a rather chatty comment, but I absolutely LOVE thrifting and would still live like this if my last name were Gottrocks.
If the laundry bottles are thrown away I don’t see a problem.
Many places have terribly crappy tea bags
You don’t like their tea? Then order something else. Or stay home.
@@Sunshine-fy4fz it was an observation. I don’t drink coffee or soda pop, or…. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️ hot water does dissipate the chlorine, floride and a few other toxins added to the tap or faucet water. It is actually why many restaurants don’t sell me more teas.
@@Sunshine-fy4fz Maybe she wants a decent cup of tea with her meal. I always bring my own maple syrup for breakfast, I'm not eating crappy maple flavored corn syrup.
As long as it goes with something they provide, like food, and if they charge for providing hot water I don't mind. I only drank tea for decades. Usually I just used the restaurant tea, but they are pretty blah. Not there is often variety available.
I always carry my preferred tea in my purse. If the restaurant doesn't have one I like, I'll ask for hot water and use my own. But its always with a meal, or at least dessert.
The “used clothing” comment makes me laugh because all people have to do is launder them. Plus, there are so many people trying on “new” clothes that they’re not quite new anymore. Here’s another secret - if someone returns a garment in good condition, retailers just reticket the garment, run a steamer on it, and put it back on the rack for sale, so the unsuspecting shopper may be buying a “used” garment anyway. As for buffets - yes, taking food home is a little unethical, unless you did a “pay by the pound” deal for a to-go order. I don’t eat at buffets anyway because of dietary restrictions (celiac) and the risk of cross-contamination to make me sick.
Not to forget that if you buy clothes at a store, it has been tried on by other people probably many times. The only guarantee to have a piece of clothing that has never been worn before is sewing it yourself (or having it custom-made).
About the buffet topic: it's "All you can eat", (implied that it's all you can eat at *that visit*) NOT :"All you can grab and make away with." Definitely unethical. Regarding family for child care: very situational. If someone feels *entitled* to a family member's babysitting/childcare services, that's unethical. NOBODY is entitled to free childcare. Always offer to pay at least the equivalent of minimum wage. They may or may not accept it, but the offer needs to stand. ESPECIALLY if it's a younger person -- pay them for pete's sake. Asking for a discount: I think you described it very well. It's not something you can or should do to a small business under normal circumstances, but a cash purchase may be the exception. Good call. Also note, there is a difference between "best by" dates and actual expiration dates. Know the difference and proceed with confidence. Lastly, replant all those veggie scraps to your heart's content, IMO. It's just smart.
Cloth TP is the same as cloth diapers. Wash and reuse.
We have a bidet….no blow dryer though. So I use bidet cloths. I don’t trust guests to dry their butts or even use the bidet so they are for my use only. I’d hate for someone to flush one of those. Was great during the pandemic toilet paper shortage.
I feel a little guilty bc I only use cloth for the front, not the back. Laundry's easier. But then at 79 I'm entitled to a little laziness, I think. At least that's what I tell everybody.
@@frostyfrances4700 That sounds like a good middle path on the cloth-TP debate: use it only after peeing. Nothing particularly gross about that.
Please keep in mind that in the era when most babies wore cloth diapers, there were no regulations about the setting on hot watet heaters. Who here is old enough to remember hot water from the tap always steaming, and being scalding hot? The kind of hot that if you stick your hand in it, you get a trip to the hospital for skin grafts. Absolutely fantastic for killing any germs in cloth diapers. But also so dangerous for children and the elderly Federal Laws limiting how hot, hot water tanks could be were passed. Tap hot water has not been hot enough to kill dangerous fecal germs for decades now.
@@BohemianGarnet Could be, but if one were concerned enough about it they could add a pot of boiling water to a soak or wash. Not to mention chlorine bleach-- works even in cold water to kill everything.
Wow, using leftover laundry detergent from laundromats was a new one for me but I think that's perfectly fine...even resourceful. Anybody who takes the time and effort to collect discarded containers and add water to the little bit that's still inside obviously needs to do so, and it's not harming anyone else, so I say go for it!
An unethical laundry detergent "hack" is topping off a bottle with another bottle before buying it. It's extremely common, but I would call that theft.
@@microbios8586 wooow and I thought I was being rude by swapping out broken/small eggs with eggs from other containers!
I love dumpster diving myself, but I know it's not for everyone. Aside from the trash picking aspect, there can be mice, rats, raccoons and even maggots in a dumpster. But, I have also found a lot of shelf stable food in dumpsters, video games and movies, even a large video game display monitor. Dog food, various toys and paintings, a laptop computer, even a sword once! Wear boots, jeans, a thick sweatshirt and work gloves if you decide to do it, but it can be fun and you can often find things you can resell (ebay or yard sale) once you find a store that throws out the right things. Related to this, and I have had a lot of failure but a bit of success, contacting the owner of apartments and letting them know you can haul away the trash from an evicted tenant can often score you some good resellables, but you still have a LOT you need to dispose of. In a larger apartment complex, checking the dumpsters on or around the 1st of the month can also net some good finds because people tend to be moving out and alwys have stuff they dont want to take with them.
We live near a college. It is amazing how much stuff students will throw away when moving out of the dorms, rather than moving it back home at the end of the year.
In the college dorm or on the streets nearby we'd find all kinds of great stuff being tossed at the end of school. My roomies and I stayed through the summers and partially furnished our first apartment that way. If a new roommate came with something better we'd drag the older stuff to the curb, hang out by the window and watch to see how long it took for someone to pick it up. Great fun. We lived near three colleges.
College towns have the best roadside/dumpster finds.
There are a number of people who dumpster dive to find treasures that they can resell online and at flea markets. There are KZheadrs that feature some of these “adventures” of finding things to resell.
In Alaska, they have reuse sections at transfer sites (the place where people without curbside pickup can bring their trash to dumpsters) where you can leave items that are still in decent shape. As a poor young adult, I loved looking to see if there was anything good!
I totally agree with the rounding up at the register. I prefer to control when and where I give and do not want to be pressured EVERY time I shop. I am not a bad person for not giving. I will answer with, "No, thank you, not today". I also hate every local groups collecting donations/selling products outside the store. It is particularly difficult to refuse when they use kids to sell something or collect money. My ONLY exception is the red kettles (Salvation Army) during the holidays.
I agree, I will drop a dollar in a few of the kettles at Christmas.
It's not that hard when you realize you're teaching the children that the world doesn't always work out the way they want. And people have the right to say no. It teaches them boundaries.
I never round up, especially at a Goodwill store. If these huge corporations just gave a tiny percentage of their profits, charities would have plenty of money. Why should they beg me to add 47c (which can be a large percentage of my bill) to their pet charity when they have so much money?
I've noticed that some smaller stores in my area have signs that offer a small cash payment discount. Having worked in food retail, i know how small the margins are, so I wouldn't ask for a discount that wasn't offered, but I do those cash payment ones sometimes. That kind of ties in to using a business's space (or wifi) without paying sufficiently (DIY drinks, staying too long etc) - they aren't making much money and I don't want my frugality to be at the expense of someone else's hard earned income.
If I have cash on me, I ask the small business of they would prefer cash. Most say Csh please. Except the charity store who said they aren't charged the vendor fee, and don't want the cost and risk of transporting cash, or cash in the store.
I understand bringing your own teabag as I now find you can only get fancy type teas , I only drink old fashion black tea . I always reuse plastic bags , I wash them , hang them to dry and fold them until I need them .
Like the split charge at some restaurants, some places may charge a nominal tea "set up" fee.
Some of these are practical. My mother takes food home from the buffet. Drives me nuts that she does that. She has the plastic bags in her purse too. A big "no" on the cloth TP. Not because of the bacteria factor but because of the "ick" factor. I'm with you, I don't shower every day either. My skin gets so dried out. Another great video.
AmySimmonds: I have cloth tp, but I only use them for "wet cleanup". They go in a mesh bag in the wash with underwear & pajama bottoms. Saves money, with the price of tp these days.
@@pamh.5705 good idea but I'm not at that point yet. If prices keep going up more then maybe.
@AmySimmonds-luv4Jesus It took me a while to wrap my head around too. My daughter started it and then got her family using it. As I said, I can deal with using it for only wet cleanup. I doubt I'll Ever use it exclusively. You can info about it online, I think even here on KZhead, especially if you search under survival videos. Just fyi.
Trying to figure out how to use a short plastic squeeze bottle to squirt some water (like a bidet) to rinse off first and use the washable cloth to then dry with. (Use once, then wash it!) Kinda awkward to get even a small squirt bottle under you while seated there. If you could hang a bottle of water above you, with a flexible plastic tube coming from it .... Hmmm .... Gotta be a way. Cost of TP is crazy!
There are no yellow pages nor white pages. When I was little my family would use the years pass books. In other places in the world I have heard people using old newspapers too.
I wash towels, clothes, and my hair & body when they are dirty. I don’t even own a drying machine ( radical, I know!) I hang dry everything. I buy almost exclusively second-hand ( exceptions: undergarments, and eye-glasses, and consumables like soap and candles) My entire house is furnished with vintage & used furniture ( exception: new bed &mattress). I have a side-hustle selling the high-quality second-hand clothing and shoes that I buy and wear for several years or more, then resell at a profit! I conserve & reuse gray water, as I live in a region prone to drought. Splitting a meal is romantic, reusing plastic bags is ecologically sound. I order water rather than bring my own teabag. I travel expressly to stay with friends, and I take the tiny hotel toiletries and use them on future travels ( tipping the housekeeping staff well) . I never round up at the register bc I donate to charities. BTW, those grocery chains will donate in their name and take a tax break on the donation. As for condiments: when traveling internationally , I would always stop by an airport restaurant and take a handful of sugar packets to use in my coffee, as I usually stay in flats where I make my own coffee-this saves me buying a large package of sugar that would just be thrown away at the end of my stay. As for “expired” foods, many of the dates are “best by” dates and not expiration dates, anyway. Day-old bread and pastries at a discount-yes! Reusable TP-that’s a hard no. But I am considering installing a bidet. If we look closely at these frugal tips, we can easily see that what’s good for the pocketbook is also better for the environment. ❤
Love your environmental concern. I do most of these things, but I have a bidet and LOVE it!! Go for it, you won't regret it!!!
Same, except I have to buy new shoes( my feet are small and narrow, that I cannot wear stretched out second hand shoes, but at the same time never saw my size on the rack). Once my shoes are stretched out they give me blisters and I know it's time for a new pair.
You and I think pretty much exactly alike on these "controversial" issues. The one thing I will actually say a little more forcefully tho is that if Grandma puts shrimp in her purse to bring home, she is stealing. Sorry, I don't want to be mean to your grandma. If she has to make sure she's not seen doing that it's because it's wrong.
I think the laundry container taker is brilliant!!🥳 My husband and I often share an entree at restaurants. Many times we will get an extra salad. Picking up pennies, definitely do this! No to expired foods unless it’s nuts/cookies.
Yes, I imagine that every coin is filthy. No difference where they came from...
The staying with family while traveling is an odd controversy. Our family has always had that as a standing rule that if anyone is passing through, they stay with each other. Of course, there's alway the checking in first, but otherwise, why is being with family a bad thing? We love having our people we rarely see stay with us, even if it's just in the camper.
i understand why some people would stay with family, but no thanks. unless i am purposely visiting them - i would visit them at their funeral
It's just not for everyone. Some people love to have company (especially extroverts), other people like to be alone. People have different needs and it's important to respect them.
Great list! Taking food home from a buffet - no, sharing a meal - okay, taking home half your meal - yes, dumpster diving - no, although I pulled a kids wooden train set from a dumpster once because it broke my heart to see it in there and I sold it on eBay, showers - as needed, sometimes twice here in Sydney if it's hot, collecting the detergent bottles - yes, with bonus points if those bottles end up in recycling and not land fill. Hope you are starting to enjoy beautiful spring weather Sara! Cheers from Oz!!
If you think dumpster diving isn't OK then you should watch a channel called freaking frugal. Your eyes will be opened wide. I'm not religious but what is being thrown out brings to mind the words sinful and evil.
@@sparklemotion86 100% agree and that's one reason I'll happily buy food that's marked down due to it's use by date so it won't end up in the bin. It absolutely IS sinful and when you look at all the effort and input to get food onto the shelf, from the cow that produced the milk, to the farmer milking the cow, manufacturing the cheese, shipping it (often overseas), the refrigeration, the handling - and then it gets dumped because it's past it's bureaucratically designated 'best before' date even though it's still perfectly delicious - it makes me so mad!! I won't dumpster dive but a lovely piece of French cheese followed me home once because 100% guaranteed it was going to be dumped that day. I figured God would forgive me for that because it truly was the lesser of 2 evils! Cheers from Oz
I don’t see a problem with sharing a meal or taking home a purchased meal. To be honest, the portions in American restaurants are so large where the entree is actually 2-4 servings of food, so it makes sense to either share or take home the food to prevent food waste.
Around here, the only way you can take food home from a buffet is for them to weigh it. They treat it like take out. I have heard of people who don't know how to cook who will buy the meat only, since it's all the same price, no matter what you get, then cook their own rice, veggies, etc. I can't see me dumpster diving, but if I see something I can use out for the trash, it's coming home with me. I'm sitting at my kitchen table that I got that way. It came with 2 chairs and is the perfect size for me.
I live in a complex of buildings. Every so often, people move and trash the best stuff! I needed shelves (still do). Somebody moved and threw out two coffee tables with shelves built in because one had a nick in it, and some kid had colored on it. I brought them to my unit, rubbed the crayon off, used Sculpy to fill the nick, sanded it, and painted both tops. I now own two very nice pieces of furniture against one wall for my games and some books!
When I want something, I that I am not willing to pay money because it might be expensive, I have prayed. Within a week on my way home there they are on the curb waiting for me to put in my car❣️🎉❣️🎉❣️ I got desk and a vanity in the last year, in the color I wanted🎉❣️🎉❣️
@@crybebebunny while she wasn't out on the curb, that's how I got my first horse. I prayed once for a chestnut Arabian mare. Not long after, a friend called and asked if I wanted a free, chestnut Arabian mare. The owner died and they wanted to find a good home for her.
@@dizzysdoings What a blessing and responsibility ❣️❣️
@@crybebebunny she was. I had her for just over 2 years before I lost her. She had a tumor in her small intestines. At about the same time that I lost her, a large herd of Arabians was seized in another state due to neglect. God put me in the right place at the right time to hear about them. And even though I was outside of the area that they wanted the horses to go (they wanted to be able to check on them), they let me adopt one. They were touched by my story and thought I'd be a good owner. I've done the majority of the training on her. I get more pleasure out of riding her than any other horse I've ever ridden.
I have a second bedroom just for when my family comes to visit. I don't see a reason for them to stay in a motel when all they need is a clean place to sleep for a few days. I used to work at a motel and YES TAKE THE SMALL SHAMPOOS! They get tossed after every customer.
Exactly. Also, using relatives to babysit is fine as long as you don’t take advantage. My mother babysat my kids when they were small, not because I couldn’t afford to pay, but because i didn’t want to leave my children with strangers. Pay the relative a reasonable wage and pick up the kids on time.
As far as I'm concerned the only unethical one was taking the shrimp home from the buffet. We saw workers at Burger King pick up the extra ketchup packets people had left on the tables for others to use and throw them away so ...there's that. I take them home and use them at a different restaurant where they aren't so generous.
If a restaurant gives you extra condiments, then that's fine. I suppose you could give some back if you knew you wouldn't use them all. Taking way more than you need from the area where they're in bins with the napkins and utensils is another thing.
I don't round up for any charities. The first is I'm not 100% sure that it actually gets to the charity. The second reason is the corporation is getting the tax benefit for money that is not theirs. Well it sounds Petty for change they do tremendous amount of transactions over the course of a month over the course of a year. I just prefer to write a check for the charities I prefer to support privately.
Except the rounding up would be extra TAXABLE profit. So the tax deduction would simply.balance out.
@@aaronjjacques maybe I'm not a tax expert but either way I prefer to directly donate to my charities of choice. I'm honestly not 100% sure those $$ actually get to where they say it would
Untrue. The company is only collecting the money for yhe charity. The deduction is on the customer receipt so only they can take the deduction. Do your research.
@@jeanmanz2234 again I would reiterate that I prefer to support the charities of my choice more directly
Corporations can't take a tax deduction off the money they collect from donations. They would have to claim it as income first which means they would pay income tax on it. I don't round up because I don't always agree with the charity involved, but understand that the company gets no tax break.
People have used cloth diapers since forever and the cleaning protocol for those is pretty much the same for TP cloths. Historically, toilet paper is still pretty young.
Beats the heck out of pages ripped from the Sears catalog.
My husband and I always share a meal when eating out. It is not embarrasing and we have never been frowned upon. We find it to be romantic!!! It helps us to not overeat. Sometimes we get a beer or a mixed drink that would equal the cost of that added meal so this way we are able to do that and still save money. Mostly now we just get waters and save the drinking for when we get home. Our favorite resturants even split our meals on to seperate plates. Buying a combo meal like steak and seafood is great and then we add the extra side salad and split a baked potato. Normally we eat out for less than $35 and that includes a 20% tip.
Great share! Thank you! I do many of these things. When utility prices shot up I started strictly following a different path...natural gas cooking range, clothes dryer, boiler for heat and water heater! I stopped cooking on range and used small appliances, clothes are hung to dry with a quick no heat run in dryer for wrinkle control, clothes washed strictly in cold water, heat thermostat dropped...a.c. thermostat went up...more clothes on and more blankets on bed.. And yes, more wash ups/less showers! Neighbor almost stroked out when i told her all of this. My bill still went up a bit BUT hers was running $300-400 and still is " because she cant do any of that!" My bill...not even $200 in the coldest winter month/under $100 in "good weather" and even in hottest month its well under $150.
I have and use cloth tp wipes. I only use them for "wet" cleaning. I still use paper tp for "solid" clean up.
I use a "portable" bidet, spray bottle with bent nozzle to clean off with (I actually like it better than a regular bidet, I can fill it with warm water and a drop or two of body wash), then pat dry with cloths that I have cut up from old pajamas. Now I'm spoiled and hate it when I have to make do with TP when I'm out and about.
Thank you 😊
This video brought up so much for me! Some of the things are just plain sustainable (conserving water, using the last bit of detergent from bottles), while others are personal choice (showering). I think it's great to re-use anything someone else has thrown out, and I do that frequently. However, taking things that are there for customers' use on site (such as shrimp) occurs to me as stealing. All the buffets I've gone to for years have rules that you can't take anything out in doggie bags.
A yesr ir two ago I ourcgased a book on regriwing veggies, I currently have 2red onions out in my gsrden regrowing, always looking for more to regrow & therefore save,did potstoes a few yesrs ago, they were faboulous! The freshness& flavor,cant wait to do it again!!😊
I worked in a charity shop with a dumpster. We didn't want dumpster divers because quite often, they left a lot of what we had put in the dumpster on the ground beside the dumpster as they did their sifting.
I used to work in corporate for a hotel chain. Our Marketing Department spent much effort and money to design logos for the small items used in the rooms - bathroom products, sewing kits, matchbooks and yes, ashtrays - for purposes of advertising! We wanted guests to take them home! There was a specific budget for this stuff. (Idk if it’s still the case in the current economy, but it was then)!
I’ll start donating when these charities actually start curing instead of just perpetuating their existences.
Poverty and disease will only be eradicated through education. Make that your cause.
Wow many of these are things I do: pick up coins, keep tiny shampoos, use towels often, don’t roundup etc. …. Never knew others considered them controversial. I consistently reuse, repurpose, recycle.
We use “family cloths” to dry off after our bidet does the dirty work. I wash them in a separate load 2x/week hot water etc It’s a lot cleaner than TP overall, and costs less
I used discarded laundry bottles as sharps containers.
In regards to buying used clothing, one can often find better quality used clothing than the poorer quality fast fashion offered in many stores today. A good practice is to inspect the garment thoroughly and launder it properly when you get it home.
This video was awesome! So much of it reminded me of my Grandma and I do quite a few of them myself!
Have had a portable squeezable bidet for about ten years. One is in my ER/Evacuation/BugOut bag. A bit of handsoap from the bathroom dispenser is nice. My system ended up cloths, getting the ugly baby cloth wipes on sale. Have no sew skills. The colors and prints helped me to not accidentally flush down the toilet in the middle of the nights like the white cloths. They have lasted for years. These are great for #1 needs. The 'ick' factor works well with toilet paper and the squeeze bottle bidet. Not only saving money but live in an older apartment, neighborhood and the plumbers say these past few decades, toilet paper made in double strength two ply combined with higher population against aging out municipal systems ends up with frequent clogging up problems and extra chemicals, taxpayers cost for the municipal system to keep clean. It is more than saving money in my own, but the neighborhood taxpayers as well.
I am 62 and my Grandma used to wash out paper towels and reuse. I am not sure if that was a backtrack to her growing up on a farm with 9 siblings
Good for your Gma! They used to make them a lot tougher back in the day. I got so tired of using and wasting paper towels that I ended up purchasing cotton washcloths at walmart and along with coordinating cotton material, and sent to my daughter, who sews, to make into cloth napkins for me (I don’t own a sewing mach). They also work as perfect paper towels for simple jobs and go right into the hot wash with the bath towels and other kitchen towels. They only thing I use paper towels for now is to wash/dry veggies, although I could probably also use the napkins my daughter made (called “paperless towels” on Etsy). I also, years ago, found some “Mighty Bamboo” paper towels on clearance. They are washable and reusable and I’m also going thru a paper towel supply that I got for almost 80% off on the clearance rack at my nearby grocery. Probably have 10 yrs of supply here 😂😂. I remember being a kid and anytime we spilt something or a pet had an accident our mom said “go to the rag drawer and get a rag”. Seems like paper towels took over the rag drawer but we still all do laundry everyday and can use hot water!?? 😂. Anything I can do to help with costs and keep it outta the landfill and hopefully save some trees, I will do🌲!
Washing paper waste water ? Water is pricey.
@@crybebebunny Paper is an expensive thing to just use and throw away. Your personal well can be very low cost. Those windmills you see in photos of 1930s farmhouses were usually pumping water. Often into a tank high enough to gravity feed the rest of the needed areas. I don't know what they did about freezing. It depends on how it's metered. I think I pay a fee for my first so many gallons and that covers the water and the distribution system. After that it's so much a gallon. We don't go very much over the first charge and could cut back if I worked harder at it.
@@kitefan1 Yes, I do believe that you are right. I think that one should use rags that can be washed. When these rags are close to the end use them for very messy messes, then throw away. Most of us don't have the space to keep rags, mental space and a family willing to help. I do buy paper towels and use them up carefully. One 6 pk of paper towels will last about a year and half, even when I use for cooking.
Paper towels were not really around American homes till the 60’s. As I recall, the first ones I saw had a little grid type formation impressed in them, they were heavier, and strong. I never saw folks actually wash them to reuse, but I would see them stand up to a rinse on a dirty job. (Like cleaning out a window sill).
My grandmom would wrap up cookies from the buffet and put them in her purse, lol. I feel the same about laundry and unloading AND loading the dishwasher! Great video!
That reminds me of my nana. She passed 2 years ago but I miss her so much! And those napkin food!
My wife and I have a small business that sells things at craft shows. We offer discounts when asked for large purchases or if something is damaged. It doesn’t offend us. Those people are our most loyal repeat customers.
Great video each one of those controversial segments are up to each person some are done regularly at my home some I have never or would hopefully never do😊😊
Most situations you mentioned are a matter of individual situations and a matter of common sense. I know of people that are struggling to survive that may have taken condiments from restauaunts or dumpster dived. It's not controversial to me. I do a majority of the controversial items but use common sense as to when it's appropriate. Thanks so much for sharing and giving folks a reason to re think their beliefs!!
Who doesn't let friends or family stay over when they're in town? I wouldn't personally presume to ask, but I openly invite my own friends to stay over. I have two spare bedrooms, one of which is part of a finished basement that isn't used by anyone other than some of my specialty foster dogs on occasions, so they can have their own space. However, I do have one friend who is uncomfortable with my animals, so she declines, which is absolutely fine by me. Not everyone wants to live in a small menagerie while on a trip. I live in the same county as my old university, which is pretty close to a large port city, so a lot of my old friends come by. It's great to be able to keep those friendships active decades after graduation.
People staying with us is a hard 'No.' there are mental health issues in this household and besides, we are poor (genuinely) and I am sorry, but guests always cost.
@@flannerypedley840 I can understand the mental health issues; my mother was never allowed to stay in my space because she had borderline personality disorder and I had PTSD from being raised by her. 😂 There would have been blood. But other than that I actually keep great company; usually when friends and family visit, they help with either cooking half the meals or treating us to dinners out if they want to hit the town. It's never cost me a thing other than a little inconvenience, which is definitely made up for with their company. But I do acknowledge that I'm fortunate enough to have a large enough space (and we're child-free) that they're not crashing on the couch or on blow-up mattresses or anything and getting underfoot much. That definitely helps me not get twitchy and territorial.
Hi Sara, I love your videos so much that I subscribed to your channel. I have a question unrelated to your content. Would you mind telling me where you purchased the macramé wall hanging that is behind you? I loved to macramé years ago. I did an image search on it but nothing came up just like yours. Thank you and I’m so glad that I found your channel! 💗
Back in 2020 when we were all locked down,I had a fitted sheet rip, I washed & dried it, sat it aside, just incase .i ran out if oaper TP,.I tnought I coukd cut up the sheet for reuseabke TP, if needed, didnt need to.wouldnof done it if needed, by the wsy I love❤️❤️my unpapertowels!😊
I give directly to the needy.
No hay motivo válido por el cual se justifique rechazar detergente sobrante de las botellas en el Laundromatic: No es ético desperdiciar y manchar la naturaleza con detergentes contaminantes, por lo que al menos, se le debe dar un último uso. No es robar, sino recuperar algo que ha sido tratado como basura. ESto entra dentro de la economía circular y entra dentro del respeto a la naturaleza.
When my son was little he would only eat fries out very picky eater. We would always give him some of everyone's rather than spending on his own.
Expired food...ooh! BB dates are just suggestions. Dumpster diving is also excellent! And curbside finds, al this is excellent, not controversial at all 🙂 Buffet bagging or taking bags of condiments is not ok, nor bringing your own tea bags ⛔ all else ok in my book. Just good use of the many resources given to us!
No cloths! Get a bidet!
Ummm...for years I have my own system, method for cloths, toilet paper and a portable, squeezable bidet I purchased online for $3 about ten years ago. Has made it with me three apartment moves. Came in super helpful during CoVid with this system.
@@jennyeagan1840Oooh thanx for the tip! I may have to start doing this. 👍
I've wondered about that, but wouldn't you still be following up with TP because you'd be wet?
Air dry or fan?😊
@@LynnLamont you can use a reusable wipe. For me, I do not have the eyesight to sew these reusable washclothes. Baby washclothes are the final solution for me, and they work the best. My portable bidet and tp are my daily backup, so I refuse to deal with the supposed, imagined 'ick' factor. Not in my household. Everyone has their own system they are free to personalize. Feel free to do come up with your own custom plan.
Years ago, I saved an old paper towel holder, glued a piece of flannel around it, and cut up an old flannel sheet to make cloth “paper towels. I stack them out of the dryer, roll them on the paper towel holder (they stay in place very well) and use them as I would paper towels. Exception is when I am cleaning up a nasty infectious mess, e.g. vomit and/or feces. Then I use regular paper towels and toss. This has worked very well and is not too time-consuming or laundry intensive.
My parents live in NC and they become completely exhausted when friends and family and people they adore from Vermont and Montreal stop for a night or two on their way to Florida. A free place to eat and sleep becomes very expensive for them. I don't think people consider the cost to the home owner. By the time my parents serve meals and guests shower, do laundry, flush toilets,adjust heat, ac,lights etc, it could cost them considerably to host there loved ones and provide a "free" place to stay. They never complain because they are lovely but sometimes I can see the flow of guests aging them 100 years.
I can see that. That was the only way my family vacation when I was growing up. We would buy groceries, and my mom would do house work that looked like it had not been done ever. In another family home, my parents would give a monetary gift to thank them. It just depended whom home we stayed. We always bought groceries, though. If one receives, the blessing of a cozy home to stay one needs to understand the cost we are imposing on who is hosting. We are not part of anyone's budget. It's our vacation, so we should budget paying our way even if we stay with family. Three families would do the same with our family. We have a tiny house growing up. We would camp on the couch, clean floors. On the Friday it would be a party type Atmosphere with our cousins.
Like Sarah said, as long as you get permission ahead of time and aren't imposing, that seems ok. People who pop in unexpectedly deserve to see the family they want to stay with carrying their own suitcases out to the car and LOCKING the door before leaving for vacation. Don't surprise friends by thinking you can stay and that they'll be available to host you. You may be the one on the receiving end of a not so pleasant surprise. "Oh what a shame, what are the odds of you coming at the same time we were heading out on our trip? Well, have a good time on the rest of YOUR trip!"
@@crybebebunny That's a good way to thank your family for putting you up. Nice to contribute to help out.
My parents had 6 kids and uncle and aunt had 4, they came every summer for their vacation. It was wonderful seeing my cousins and hearing the family stories the adults would tell. But years later when I was an adult my mother said there were years that they really couldn’t afford to host that large family for a week. But of course they did it graciously, they were frugal and hard working, they figured out a way to make it happen.
I agree. There is a lot of extra expense and work involved in hosting guests. Extra laundry after they leave washing and folding sheets for them and their children, buying extra groceries to suit their palates (we don’t normally buy processed food and meat), preparing meals and all the clean up. We have a small house without extra bedrooms and hosting family is expected. I grew up in a family where this was not automatically expected and I can’t imagine imposing on people that way. I prefer the privacy of a motel room and it is part of budgeting any travel plans I make.
Find a penny pick it up all the day you'll have good luck.
Many businesses add a charge for using a debit or credit card. So they are already giving a discount if you're paying with cash. My daughter works in a consignment shop and gets asked about discounts constantly. Veterans discounts, senior discounts, teachers discunts etc..
You and I are much alike. I shower about once a week and wash up daily (face, pits, chubby creases, and nether regions). I use a bidet (sold as a diaper washer/sprayer - think power wash!) and blot dry with 12"x12" flannel towels that i cut out from diaper flannel yardage and hemmed. (We also cloth diapered our daughter 40 years ago, and she only had one case of diaper rash ever!) If they get soiled I rinse out and they go in a bucket. They get washed with our towels with Lysol laundry disinfectant added to the wash. (NO chlorine bleach ever because we are on a septic system). Reusing water (use common sense folks) is fine, and good for the planet. Reusing zipper plastic bags - same as you, but if meat was in it - no way. Doggie bags are a huge no no at an all you can eat buffet - that is theft. Reuse towels and washcloths (I keep one for more intimate areas, and one for the rest of my body) more than once. Just make sure they dry between uses so they don't get moldy/mildewy. We only use cold water for showers in summer. They don't bury pipes very deeply in our area in AZ, and you can't get cold water from the tap. As a former hotel assistant manager the sample size toiletries are yours to keep, but PLEASE don't think you can take robes, towels, hair dryers, irons, and more. Yes, it happens more than you can imagine. Second hand clothing: I buy new shoes and new panties. Everything else is fair game. Now that I am no longer able to walk more than a few yards I have begun buying shoes that are previously loved. If a price is fair I don't haggle, but I will always ask for a discount if it seems something is overpriced. Example: I buy old sewing machines to put back into working condition, and many sellers ask exorbitant prices because of the sentimental value it holds for them. I day no. If it is that sentimental you shouldn't sell it and incluse a "sentiment tax". There are so many frugal ways to live, so we should all do what works well for us without breaking any laws. Following socially acceptable standards doesn't count for me. Going to the beach wearing little more than a "few bandaids" has become socially acceptable, but in my opinion that doesn't make it acceptable.
In hotels always take the soap bar with you, if you used it they will throw it away. The little bottles they refill many times.
They use to send them to be remilled into new bars of soap & donated to charity.
I think that depends upon the hotel. Not all of them do the same thing, but they do usually expect you to take the sample size bottles with you.
Worked in a hotel for a while. All the little toiletries get thrown away if opened. The cost of all that stuff is figured into the cost of the room. I usually take my own toiletries, but if I didn’t, I would definitely take them. Towels, robes, etc are a different matter.
Rounding at the register for charity is a way large businesses can write off your donations. So no, I don't ever do this.
There are a number of reasons to decline rounding up at registers... At the top of my list, is unless I have researched that specific charity in depth, I have know UNDOUBTEDLY, that the majority of the proceeds are going to the DIRECT asset of the cause they are claiming to be in support of...
In regards to using a towel twice or wearing used clothes--if people knew how dirty some of that stuff is when it comes into a regular retail store, they might run around naked. Years ago I worked for a retail chain and I had to price some towels to put out. I got to the bottom of the box and OMG, the pile of dirt and dust in the bottom of that box was absolutely disgusting. Another one is why people find it abnormal to wear an item more than once before washing it. If you've only worn it once and you haven't done anything to making it stink, etc, then hang it somewhere to be worn again (or two or three more times, depending on what it is) before throwing it into the dirty laundry.
10 cents of every $1 goes to March of Dimes client services. Not a 5 star charity now! Before everyone used debit cards, I would open my door and pick up the change people left on the ground by the pick up window. I felt it was cleaning up the parking lot and defraying the cost of my dollar meal. I didn’t and don’t feel like it’s stealing. The lady at the laundromat was performing a civic duty. Commercial businesses pay to have trash removed, sometimes by weight. Her taking the bottles save the business owner time and money. She empties the bottles using up the excess soap, win-win.
I reuse all ziplocks. Even ones with meat in them. Wash- soap and water cleans stuff. I buy a thing of ziplocks every 5 years.
I do too. I wash dishes that had meat on them and that hasnt killed me in 60 years. Same deal.
This was super interesting! It really seems it just depends on the individual, their goals and ethical values. I swayed back and forth depending on the topic! **Used clothes** 💯 I only wear thrifted clothes except socks and undies and usually bras but I will make an exception here and there for a good clean quality bra! I LOVE the variety in thrifting and also the HUNT for golden scores amongst the rest! Once in awhile it can freak me out but my love for diversity and changing fashion etc always wins unless some obvious nastiness that even I cannot overlook!! I recently found a vintage bullet bra at a catholic thrift shop and I absolutely LOVE that I have that for when I want to build a retro outfit which is my current love!!, **rounding up at the register** for me personally this was a gift from above!! As someone who has always had to stretchhhhhhhhh to make ends meet in a one income household- my view is that I can ALMOST ALWAYS spare a dollar (and I’ve taught my now adult daughter the same) so it makes me feel great about that I AM donating when I normally just never got around to it! But for those who have their own process 💯 respect!! **washing /reusing ziplocks** this used to gross me out sooooo much when my mother in law did it when I was 20ish and we hadn’t even had the Covid pandemic yet back then 🫨🫨🫨but now at 49 I finally get it BUT I still don’t think it’s a good idea so the way I’ve done my own version is I try really hard to never use ziplocks for things that I can easily do another way! That works for me 😎 **showering every day** I WAS with you on this after Covid lockdown and working from home full time now especially BUT an adult onset of cystic BACNE 🥴🥴and a chat with my doctor as well as some feminine discomforts sent me back to at LEAST every other day if not every day. Both issues have revolved, however I stretch my hair washing for days gotta be frugal on that hair coloring ofc!!. **laundry empties** guess she’s pretty clever honestly if that satisfies her detergent standard of quantity, scents, allergies etc (that’s the main thing I HATE about thrifted clothes is the strong scent of the most common detergents that doesn’t like to wash out unless using bleach-TIDE is that YOU?? lol 😂 but she really should technically get their permission so she’s not that creepy weird person hanging around the laundromat lol they should appreciate their savings on trash service that she’s providing though!! **sharing a meal** used to do this a lot! And now after bariatric surgery 💯 have to! But I’ve had a number of waiters that get really cranky and degrading about it and angry that they can’t upsell me so that is an unpleasant experience….THERE I’ve dropped my two cents on the ground if anyone wants it??!! 😂😂😅😅
Frugal done right means no one loses anything. Taking advantage of someone or something is not being frugal, it’s greedy. Uses the condiments in the bag is different than grabbing handfuls to take home is greedy. The hotel amenities are a gray area for me…..if I opened it, of course I’ll take home to finish it but I have a hard time to think it ok to take one I’ve not opened.
I think smart for most of them and to honest how do we know who is doing what and when or why😮
Frugal people go to restaurants, buffets, hotels?
Yes, we do as a treat, after we reach a savings goal we go out. We now only get two appetizers and I use my old age discount. On Wednesdays you can get a piece of pie free from one of our restaurants so we go get the appetizer and split the desert.
@@cathyeller5722 In my area, a moderate priced restaurant meal is 50 -75 dollars per person, not including drinks, tax and tips.
Thank you again for your videos.
I think a basic guide on this is: if you have to "sneak" it (ie. shrimp at the buffet), it's not ethical. If it's just some people are too special to do it (the detergent containers, coins on the ground, thrifted clothes), those are absolutely fine!
Smart! I'm ok with not being NORMAL !