Frugal /froo-guhl/ adjective 1. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful; 2. entailing little expense; requiring few resources
dictionary.com
Are you like me? Do you get excited when you use up every last drop of something? Is it a satisfying challenge when you know you’ve eked out the full value of something? Do coupon codes give you a high?!
I am an odd blend. I am willing to spend slightly ridiculous amounts of money on gadgets, gizmos, and products to help me look as young as I feel…and yet I am a penny pincher, too. As you might guess, this creates some internal tension for me but I mostly feel that my frugality (well, semi-frugality) pays off. And when my friends and family look at me slightly cockeyed, I just smile knowing that I’ve found a path that walks between them both.
Let me share some practical examples that I think are useful to almost anyone.
Discount Codes
The first, most obvious thing is to shop sales or find discount codes. I use Rakuten to check for cashback and discounts. I’ve found this one of the easiest ways to make my money stretch farther. There are also tons of discounts offered for signing up for email or text message marketing. I know, this sucks, but after I receive the code I want, I immediately unsubscribe or text STOP to fall off the list.
You can also search for coupon codes. If there is a website with a discount code box, you can bet I’ll take the time to search for relevant codes and try them all out. I find this last approach is the LEAST effective…but no stone unturned for my discounts!
No More Wasted Product
One of my biggest frustrations, once I’ve secured my precious item, is wasted product. That is, the leftovers inside my tubes, jars, and bottles of creams, lotions, and serums that are supposed to help me look dewy and young. This post was inspired by my most recent purchase (The Eye Renewal Cream from Eighth Day (not yet reviewed) Oprah can’t be wrong, right?) that runs $225 for .5 oz/15 ml. You bet I’m going to get – Every Single Penny’s Worth!!
As you might imagine, the remaining product and its extraction method, depend on several factors:
- Container shape/material
- Product thickness
- Product expiration
You might think I would favor jars or tubs over any other container format. I do not. I avoid that if I can because I think the risk of contamination is too high. Imagine dipping your fingers into a tub for product for a month. The horrors. Are your hands clean enough? Are you sure?! I like containers that protect the product from air (oxidation), light, and contamination. Pumps are great at protecting product but the worst at wasting it. Dropper bottles are probably the best combination because you can always tip out any remaining product when the dropper no longer reaches it. However, if you have anything thicker than a light serum, the dropper bottle isn’t viable.
I prefer glass over plastic. Glass is more recyclable (though most US communities are not effective about glass recycling) and can be colored to protect more photosensitive active ingredients from light exposure. The problem here is, you can’t really get into a glass container well.
Finally, we have plastic tubes or bottles. With plastic tubes, when I can no longer get anything out of it or I’ve squeezed it with one of my tube squeezer, I resort to my handy eyebrow scissors. I keep a pair on hand just for this purpose!! The slight curve allows me to easily make a cut low across the bottom of the tube near the opening. I can reach inside for product and either decant the product into a smaller jar or I cover it with the top, overlapping it. Though you can reasonable argue the opportunity for contamination and oxidation substantially increases, I’m willing to risk it for a week or two. I’m careful to wash my hands and keep my counter top clean.
Tools
My go-to toolkit for product extraction isn’t very complex at all.
First, not pictured here is a tube squeezer. Usually this is used for things like toothpaste. I use it for toothpaste, my prescription tretinoin, sunscreen…you name it. If it’s in a tube and will roll up, it’s going to get squeezed! The jar scrapers are a god send. In the case of the stupidly expensive eye cream (nicely packaged in a glass bottle with a pump), the small purple scraper fits inside perfectly. I have been able to get an additional MONTH of product out of that. Can you imagine wasting that?! The different lengths allow me to easily retrieve product in large and small containers.
My multi-purpose eyebrow scissors are used for many things. Never my eyebrows! I linked the one I have but you can use any one you find. The piece I find particularly useful is one that curves. The slight curve in the scissor shape allows me to cut an arc across the package. Straight across is hard to line up and if you dip the curve the opposite direction, you will get poked by the sharp edges of the container. Putting a soft curve on the container makes it easy to retrieve product and easy to slip the top back over the bottom for a little added longevity and protection.
Of course, let me give you the disclaimer that you do this at your own risk. We never want to harm ourselves using the scissors, the cut product container, or outdated and spoiled product. There is such a wide array of variables you are going to have to use your best judgment. This is just what I do…
Finally, if you are EEK about the cut container or want a bit more protection for the decanted remainder, I recommend swapping it into a smaller container that reduces the amount of air and improves access for the final week…or month! I like something like these jars and these pots for lotions and creams. The glass is nice because I just run them through the dishwasher when I’m done. The pots are usually a little smaller. Don’t feel like you have to buy them either. I’m always getting deluxe samples from Sephora and I just reuse the jars. I have a small collection so I can accommodate different volumes as I finish up product.
Reuse / Reduce / Renew
Rounding out my recommendations is looking for opportunities to Reuse, Reduce, and Renew. There are a lot of ways this applies to your life so I’ll share three that came to mind as I was writing this.
Reuse. Are you aware you can reuse zip top plastic bags? I’ve had a bag stand in my house since I was little. Many friends look at me oddly for washing and reusing plastic bags but I don’t repurchase plastic bags often. I think the current set I have has been in rotation for YEARS! I use this one because I have limited counter space. If the idea of reusing a bag again makes your stomach churn, you do you. I don’t reuse every bag, just ones that feel reasonable. I do sacrifice them if something really foul is inside. Trust your instinct.
Reduce. Now, the reason the bag washing is important directly relates to my next favorite items, reusable silicone bags. In place of plastic bags, I far prefer silicone. These silicone bags hold up well in the freezer and fridge. As noted above, I will draw the line at putting gross things in them as the point is to NOT have to throw them out. I’ve been using my single set for over five years now and they are still in great shape! If you want to go a step further, just get some good airtight glass containers you can toss into your dishwasher for cleaning. I use the ones I linked but there are so many options out there. I prefer the rectangular containers over round but I’m a stacker.
Renew. There are so many ways to renew and save. Fixing clothing tears (I salvaged a torn pair of overalls with some cute patches and I get tons of compliments on them. The renew turned them into my favorite set!), re-soling favorite shoes, and resetting precious jewelry are all easy ways to find new life for items you already have. Did you know you can even refresh nail polish?
There are several brands selling nail lacquer thinner which allows you to revive old nail polish with just a drop or two. I find my favorite colors often get discontinued so these drops let me use the whole bottle.
Invest in Quality
This may feel counter intuitive for a frugal person but I cannot stress enough how quality saves money over time. As you are choosing how to spend your money, don’t just focus on the cheapest item in the here and now. Think about the quality and longevity of an investment. Pots and pans are a great example. I bought a set of high quality Chantal enamel pans in college 30+ years ago! I still use them today and they are in great shape.
I love fashion and am often tempted to buy trendy things, but you really can’t go wrong with high quality pieces that will last a lifetime. I will be extremely unpopular for bucking the anti-leather trend but vegan leather simply does not hold up.
I wish it were a better alternative. I know that leather pieces can be pricey. This just makes me more selective. I’d rather invest in one high quality piece of leather than purchase trendier fashion that doesn’t even last a few years.
Bottom Line
Now you’ve got some of my best tips and tricks for making your money stretch farther by adopting a frugal mindset. As you know, this doesn’t mean you can’t spend money. It’s more about not being wasteful when you do spend it.
Do you have any tips and tricks to share? Drop them in the comments to share with us all!
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Some of these links are affiliate links. If you click a link and buy something, I may receive a commission for the sale. It does not cost you anything extra and you are free to use the link or not. Product purchases for review are made with my own money and my opinions are my own. If product is ever provided or the article is sponsored, it will be clearly noted at the top of the page.
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