What have you changed since being here?

[OkieJonesClan]

Well . .I have been here about a month . . in that time I have
1 - made cloth hankies ( by,by kleenex)
2 stopped using paper towels
3 cut our trash output even more
4 found lots of great resources for gardening
5 Found a great way to cut energy costs


I expect 2009's list will be longer

 

[cackle]

I have spent much more time on the computer....

Ditto!

Guilty!

 

[enjoy the ride]

I changed the way I wash dishes and am saving soap and hot water, when I get up, I get dressed first thing and so have changed my routine so I waste much less time in the morning.
I am saving TP card board rolls to make fire starters if I ever save up enough money to buy that wood stove.
In general, I have thought more about energy and waste- I adjusted my fridge so it works better and uses less energy, I try not to turn the water on at the sink full tilt and I try to remember to turn lights off then I go through a room.

Well- I spend more time on the computer too but much less watching TV so I think I gained there.

 

[punkin]

No more store bought cookies, rolls, cakes, pies, pie crusts and sweet breads.

Really started questioning an item as a need or a want.

Going to thrift shops more.

Finding new uses for old or throw away items.

Stocking my pantry.

Making laundry detergent.

Using up the last of my storebought cleaners and then making my own.

 

[freemotion]

I have only been here a few days, but now I feel accountable to y'all, in a good way. I feel I have to try harder and try new things. I can't think of anything new since joining, I spend a lot of time maintaining!

But I am joining this thread so I will have to report back SOON with something new or I will be embarrassed in front of you....hold me to it!

 

[freemotion]

OK, now I can offer something....I finally made and used my first batch of laundry soap and fabric softener today! I had a load in the dryer from store bought soap, and had my dh do a blind sniff test. He said they smelled almost the same. With some prodding, he said the homemade had a more neutral smell, the storebought had a slight smell, not bad, not good, just barely there. I used unscented soap. So for 1.4 cents per load, it's a no-brainer.

I also made the oxyclean, but haven't used it yet. I will put it in the soak water for my....ahem....homemade feminine products. Which I love, btw.

I made my first gift bag containing a ziploc of powdered mix for the laundry soap and a three page printout of instructions, testimonials, and recipes for the soap, softener, and oxyclean. I will use non-canning jars with fabric tied on top for future gift sets, but we so rarely buy anything in a jar, they are hard to come by....I will ask a couple of friends to save some for me. I am NOT using my canning jars unless it is for someone who cans!

Next on my list: A couple of old flannel topsheets to be cut into squares to use as everyday cloth napkins, and maybe a pile of them for paper-towel replacements. I already use rags a lot, but how much nicer would it be to have a nice little basket of neat little squares on the counter, ready for quick pick-ups? I confess, I will keep a roll of paper towels under the sink for when one of the cats loses his large lunch.....I have my limits!

Any more ideas?

 

[tortoise]

I love this! This thread started pretty close to the time I joined, and it has been a long time since an update. Its going to take some time for me to draft a response. I'm pulling it up so others can play and respond while I work on mine!

 

[tortoise]

What have you changed since being here?

Its been 11 years since I joined the forum. so there have been a lot of changes that havent stuck, and many I revisit but dont use consistently.

For context, since joining, I moved from single parent of a toddler living in a city - to living together with long term partner in a rural town - to married on farm and having another baby. My health went from not-so-good, to disabled, and even worse after my second pregnancy and third (early miscarriage).

So what frugal behavior changes?

I dont drive much compared to before. In 2009 - 2010, I was driving around 500 miles per week. Now I drive less than 200 miles per month. During COVID, it was often less around 50 to 75 miles per month.

I shop online. This counts as frugal because of an oddity of my diagnoses. When I'm upright, my brain doesnt get enough blood supply and I make really bad decisions. The longer I'm in a store, the more impulsive I get, and the more I spend. I'm not an impulsive shopper online, so the more I can buy online the better off my budget is.

I used to seek entertainment, like shopping or watching TV when I didnt feel good. Now I use self care and seek solitude. Huge budget difference!

I lived in poverty before I joined the forum, and DH is even more frugal than I am. So the little things like using washrags, turning off lights, switching to LED bulbs, etc are not changed much since joining the forum.

Oh! I can afford to make bulk buys which reduces costs. I couldnt do that a decade ago. For example, unscented laundry detergent can be expensive or difficult to get, so I bought a 35# pail of laundry powder. It was a big up-front cost, but so worth it!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I've been more willing to try new things. I've become better at food preservation and different ways to accomplish that. As the years have gone by DH and I are more determined to recycle as much as possible. I'm more prepared for any emergency and if the SHTF today we would be ok.

 

[Britesea]

Just curious what you consider SHTF, if it wasn't 2020?