My Extreme Guide to Saving Money

Recently I’ve been reading articles on tips for saving money. Titles like “10 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money” or “15 Easy Ways to Save Money” grabbed my attention. With prices rising, everyone could use some advice on how to make money stretch a little farther. The problem is, I found that I was already doing most of the things on the lists. So if you’re like me and you already don’t buy coffee at Starbucks, here are some more extreme ways to save some money.

Watch what you eat

The biggest advice here is to cook your own food. Cooking at home is so much less expensive than eating out, or even picking up fast food, and it’s healthier. You can make a whole batch of cookies for the price of one bakery cookie. If you’re having a busy night and don’t have time to cook, instead of getting fast food, make a sandwich or scramble a couple of eggs and make a burrito with them. Or better yet, pull out a single serving of lasagna or curry that you put in the freezer ahead of time.

If you have the space to grow your own food, even better. Many herbs are easy to grow from seed and are so much tastier than dried spices. I like to plant a garden and then can pickles, tomatoes, and salsa, which can be enjoyed all year. This year I want to try spaghetti sauce. I also have red and black raspberry plants which are starting to produce a few berries, but will continue to produce more and more each year with almost no effort or cost. Rhubarb is another one that’s easy to grow. I freeze chopped rhubarb in Ziplock bags to use later for pies or crisp. I do the same with shredded zucchini for zucchini bread.

My other tip is to not waste food. It hurts my soul to throw away perfectly good food. I try to keep track of what’s been in my refrigerator the longest and make sure food gets eaten before it spoils. If I cook a big meal and can’t eat it all before it will spoil, I freeze individual servings to pull out on busy days. And I’m not a stickler for expiration dates. They are really only guidelines and many foods are just fine past the dates if they’ve been stored properly. If it looks and smells right, I’ll still eat it. Once in a while food gets away from me, which is why I compost. Old produce, moldy bread, skins and stems from fruit or vegetables all go in my compost bin which feeds my garden and flowers. Milk that has gone a little sour is perfect for homemade chocolate cake.

Drink only water

Most blogs on saving money will tell you to stop buying your coffee and make it at home instead, or to drink less alcohol. I don’t drink coffee or alcohol at all, so this tip didn’t help me. My advice is to only drink water. Tap water. Tap water is healthy and costs almost nothing. I do keep a few cans of Mountain Dew on hand for bad headaches, but for the most part I only drink water.

Climate control

This is one of those unavoidable costs that takes a big chunk out of my budget, so I try to cut corners as much as possible.

In the summer, I utilize fans to keep air moving and feeling cooler. I watch the temperature and open windows whenever possible. In Wisconsin, this is all I need most of the summer. I rarely turn on my air conditioning. If I do use air conditioning, I only cool the areas I’m using. I don’t have central air, only some window units, and during the day while I’m downstairs, I let the upstairs get warm and only turn on the air in my room a little before I go to bed.

Another recommendation for keeping cool in the summer is to not produce heat in the house. For example, I almost never turn my oven on in the summer. The only time I use my oven is on a cool evening when I can open the windows to cool the house down. I cook on the stove, grill, or make salads and sandwiches rather than heating up my house with the oven. There are plenty of desserts that don’t need to be baked: ice cream, cream or fresh fruit pies (use a graham cracker crust), and Rice Krispie treats, to name a few. I also try not to vacuum any more than I absolutely must in the summer. Usually I’m busy with yard work anyway, but it’s a good excuse. If I use a crockpot in the summer, I’ll put it in the basement or enclosed porch so it doesn’t heat up my house all day, and I turn the heat dry setting off on my dishwasher. And I absolutely never blow-dry my hair in the summer.

I have a hard time sleeping if I’m too hot, but showering before bed with cool water cools me down and helps me sleep. Even rinsing my feet in cold water makes a difference.

In the winter, I save money by keeping my thermostat set at 62 or 63 degrees, although, because of the placement of my thermostat in the coldest room in the house, the actual temperature in most rooms is more like 65 degrees. That sounds really extreme, but I find if I just wear a long-sleeved shirt with a sweatshirt over it and sweatpants with leggings under them, I manage pretty well. And slippers are a must. This is the time of year to make a roast or a lasagna, bake a cake, and use your oven to help heat your house. As long as I’m up and moving I keep warm enough, and if I sit down to watch a movie or do something on my computer, I use a blanket and cuddle with my dog.

Don’t clean so much

Every article I read included tips on making your own cleaning products to save money. I thought this was weird, because cleaning supplies have never been a really big budget item for me. Am I the only one? My advice is to stop cleaning so much. I don’t mind if there are sometimes smudges on my windows or water spots on my shower. I really don’t like cleaning, and try to keep it as simple as possible. Most of my cleaning in my kitchen is done with dishwater and a dishrag when I’m washing dishes.

I avoid cleaning my shower by using shower gel. It doesn’t leave a scum on my shower or shower curtain like bar soap. And keeping the door or shower curtain open (when not in use, obviously) to let the shower dry out will keep mold and mildew from growing. I also keep a small towel by my bathroom vanity to wipe up splashes and spots on the mirror and counter right away so I don’t have to deep clean as often.

Another note about cleaning products–I have found that using the right product for the material can actually save money. Vinegar is not the answer for everything. It might be great for glass, but it isn’t great for your porcelain enameled sink or tub. Acids like vinegar will eat at the enamel, causing it to wear faster and lose its shiny finish. And if you have wood or laminate flooring, using products designed for those surfaces will make them last longer and look better.

Enjoy old things

I have furnished a five-bedroom house with almost entirely used furnishings. It helps that I love antiques, but even if you don’t, people are always selling furnishings of all eras, and if you watch thrift stores, garage sales, or Facebook Marketplace, you can find some great bargains. I bought my current dining room table for $25 at a yard sale almost 20 years ago and it still looks great. Yes, I spent two hours cleaning it and had to fix the gears a little, and it was well worth it.

A little paint can help refresh old furniture. Make sure you buy paint that is designed for cabinets, doors, or trim, not wall paint. It sets up harder and will withstand more wear and tear without chipping or having things stick to it. Yes, I’ve learned this the hard way. If you want to keep the original wood finish, I love using Restore-a-Finish to fix scratches and chips. It’s easy to apply and comes in a variety of colors to match different types of wood. Wax or polish helps to restore the shine on worn finishes too.

If you own an air compressor and a staple gun (or your dad does), you can even do some reupholstering. Chairs with padded seats are easy to do. I’ve done several of these and am working my way up to upholstered chairs and couches.

I’ve also bought used stained glass lamps, Christmas trees and decorations, lawn mowers, snow blowers, bed frames, dishes, rugs, light fixtures, and even a mattress (from a rarely-used spare bedroom) that I liked better than the one I bought new.

Become a DIY master

You can save so much money by doing it yourself rather than hiring a professional. Invest in a good home repair manual, or watch You Tube videos to learn how to do basic home repairs. I have an advantage because I have a dad who knows how to do a lot of things, so I’ve learned from him how to install a faucets, toilets, light fixtures, and ceiling fans. Seriously, it’s not that hard. I’ve also been known to do my own car oil changes and other car repairs.

Painting is another skill that you can do yourself and save money. I’ve had a lot of practice with this as well as removing wallpaper and patching plaster and drywall. I even spray-painted a ceiling fan when I couldn’t find one in the finish I wanted. I recommend using spray paint outside, not in your basement next to your water heater. If you do that, you might trip the flammable gas sensor on your water heater and find yourself without hot water for a whole weekend until you can get the part to fix it.

Sewing is another skill that can save you some money, in some cases. Making a patchwork quilt will cost you more than buying a comforter from Target, but you have something that’s very unique and special. Where you can really save money is with dresses. You can make a dress for less than half the cost of buying it, and you can fit it specifically to your body. When I was shopping for wedding dresses, I was shocked by the prices. A thousand dollars for something you’ll only wear once! So I opted to buy a new sewing machine and make my own dress with it. And let me tell you, I’ve gotten a lot more use out of the sewing machine.

And dress alterations can cost a ridiculous amount of money on top of that. I’ve looked at a couple of friends’ dresses that had been professionally altered and thought I could have done it as well or better. I’ve done alterations on bridesmaid dresses and formal dresses for friends and family and saved them a lot of money. Disclaimer: altering a wedding, or any dress, is not a beginner-level project. Try hemming your own pants first, and work your way up from there. Simple alterations like hemming or taking in a waistband are pretty simple. You can often do it with a needle and thread, so you don’t even need a sewing machine.

Final Thoughts

The moral of the story is, if you want to save money, it will cost you time. This works for me because I have spare time, but not a lot of spare money. These ideas might not work for you if you have three kids going in different directions and no free time.

And I wish I could say that all this spare money is going into savings, but the reality is that much of it gets used on not-completely-necessary house projects, such as my kitchen un-remodel, which I can’t wait to write about when I have it finished.

One longer-term money saving tip is to stop paying interest. If you can avoid debt and pay off debts early, you’ll save a lot of money. Right now I’m paying an extra $100 on my mortgage principle every month which should shave a couple of years off my mortgage.

Lastly, don’t become a Scrooge to save money. Keep supporting kids fundraisers, giving gifts to friends and family, and donating to your church and other causes that are important to you. I know that paying tithes to my church has blessed my life in many ways and is a better investment than anything else I could have done with that money. Thanks for reading! Have fun saving money!