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Ways to Make Do With What You Have

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Have you heard the old saying: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”? We were poor, Mom and Dad lived every day showing us what it meant to ‘make it do’ and we often ‘did without’ Here are my thoughts on frugal ways to make things do. Learn how to remove spots and do it as soon as the clothing gets dirty. Make old t-shirts and dish cloths into rags to use when dusting or washing the car and etc.

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Looking after your clothes – A return to wartime values

Discount Coder UK

There’s a lot you can do to preserve your favourite clothes, and it. Discounts & Tips make do and mend preserve your clothes save money on clothesCheap high street fashion isn’t meant to last more than a season, then it goes out of style. But good quality clothes and basics like jeans and decent Ts are built to last. Just how long they last is up to you. read more.

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Introducing the 2015 Choose Thrift First Challenge

Family Balance Sheet

In 2014, the Grocery Budget Challenge encouraged us to keep our grocery spending in line and to be creative with our meal planning so that we do not over-spend. So for 2015, I want to challenge myself and you, to rethink our purchases by taking advantage of more cost effective solutions, like borrowing, buying second hand, or just making do with what we already have. Can I make do with something else around my house?

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Choose Thrift First – April Meeting

Family Balance Sheet

In 2015 I’m challenging myself to rethink purchases by taking advantage of more cost effective solutions like borrowing, buying second hand, or just making do with what we already have. My cousin’s mother’s husband’s uncle’s wife’s sister on Facebook brought bed bugs into her house when she bought a used sofa off of Craigslist… shudder, the story still makes me itch and I think we’ll be buying a new sofa.

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Choose Thrift First Challenge – January Meeting

Family Balance Sheet

In 2015 I’m challenging myself to rethink purchases by taking advantage of more cost effective solutions like borrowing, buying second hand, or just making do with what we already have. Can I make do with something else around my house? How did you do in January? We have some hefty financial goals this year and this is just one more way for me to squeeze more from our budget.

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How I’m Managing our Family Budget during the Pandemic

Family Balance Sheet

We were privileged to be able to do so for a few months but we must stop this for the unforeseeable future. Make do. We’ll concentrate on numbers 1 – 3, so we can make our emergency savings last as long as possible. —->> How are YOU doing?

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Choose Thrift First Challenge – March Meeting

Family Balance Sheet

In 2015 I’m challenging myself to rethink purchases by taking advantage of more cost effective solutions like borrowing, buying second hand, or just making do with what we already have. Make a list of what you need and take it along to your favorite thrift store FIRST before you go to a regular store. Can I make do with something else around my house? How did you do in February?

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Daily Frugal Tip: Homemade Gluten-Free Rice Chips

Couponing 101

Save some money and try making them yourself! Little House On The Prairie Living shows us how to make gluten-free and corn-free rice chips ! These look SUPER easy to make. Do you have any great gluten-free frugal recipes? Do you have a Frugal Tip you’d like to share? If you’re on a gluten-free diet, then you know just how expensive pre-packaged “snacky” items can be.

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Financial Success: It’s Not Always About Your Income

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

We make plenty!” Imagine our surprise to discover that it didn’t take long to run out of money, even though we had a higher income — and we thought we could afford what we were doing. It’s not about a higher income; it’s about what you do with your money. As a result of our spending changes, we were able to get our spending back in line, and we live comfortably — and get to do most of what we want.

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Bee Stung Butts, Freeze Dried Diapers and Other Hilarious Happenings of Poverty

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Do you ever have days where everything seems to go wrong and you are deep down in the dumps? When the ears were full and ripe she would pull one down and let me make a doll – using the cob for the body, the silk for the hair and the husk for the clothing. When Dad bought a house and had it moved to our lot next door, they thought nothing of loading up our belongings into our little red wagon to move them next door – making trip after trip after trip.

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Thank you to all our lovely readers!

Discount Coder UK

The trend has been reflected on telly, with programmes like Kirsty’s Vintage Home making a splash. Almost every high street in Britain contains a string of charity shops, ‘make do and mend’ is bigger than ever. What a year it’s been, with the economy nose-diving yet again and money-saving tips hot on the nation’s lips. read more. Interests saving money in 2012

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My 2020 Financial Goals & A Recap of 2019

Family Balance Sheet

The last loan was his student loan and I wanted him to make that final payment. That book has changed my outlook on reusing, recycling, making do, and rethinking one use products. I never really embraced the idea of choosing a word for the year.

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Our 2018 Financial Goals

Family Balance Sheet

Did you make 2018 financial goals ? We even bought an online package years ago, but have since decided that we will have a lawyer draw up our will, medical directive, and power of attorney documents to make sure everything is in place legally. I want to challenge myself to rethink our purchases by taking advantage of more cost effective solutions, like borrowing, buying second hand, or just making do with what we already have.

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Take Control of Your Money in 2015

Family Balance Sheet

My husband and I make some financial goals at the start of every year. Tantrum aside, it’s still going to take years, but there is room for us to make some considerable progress in 2015. In 2014, the Grocery Budget Challenge encouraged us to keep our grocery spending in line and to be creative with our meal planning so that we do not over-spend. My husband and I are pumped to make 2015 the best year ever. 5 Ways to Make this Your Best Monarch Season…Ever!

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What Do You Tolerate to Save Money?

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

How much do you tolerate to save money? My spouse suggested springing for a new frig, but I wasn’t ready to do that yet (even though we can easily afford one). I bought some ice cube trays and now make ice once a day in them. I love that ice maker and making ice every day is a royal pain. I went without a dishwasher for years and years and years and vowed never to do so again. Life is full of inconveniences – large ones and small ones.

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6 Upcycling Projects Kids Can Help With

Couponing 101

Right now, making do with what we have seems more important than ever. As always, you know what your child is capable of, so you might choose to have them do the easier steps while you take on the harder work. We like this project because it makes those crayon stubs usable again.

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How Can I Be Eco-Friendly With a Credit Card?

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Since you would be making these purchases anyway, and the percentage doesn’t come out of your pocket, it is a win-win scenario for both you and your group. To take this to another level, be aware of the company with whom you’re doing business, and choose a credit card lender that practices good green behavior and puts the environment first. Once you have your card of choice, you have a couple more decisions to make.

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Save Money – Make Shoes Last

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

If you can make your shoes last longer, you can tuck away the savings in that rainy day fund. Today’s athletic shoes could also be washed in the washer (with a load of towels) but I never do. If you dry them in the sun, it will help brighten the light colors and do some disinfecting. Some still do, especially on those expensive men’s dress shoes. Additional maintenance can make shoes last longer. Shoes are expensive.

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Embrace the Negative!

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Was it the times you were flush with money or the times you were dirt poor and had to make do? Surviving a negative experience and enduring through or perhaps even overcoming it shows us that we are made of more than we ever dreamed, that we can do and be more than we thought. But how can you learn to use those negative experiences, and teach your children to do so as well to benefit your financial health? Don’t rush to bail out your kids, or do things for them.

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Yes Virginia, There is a Money Tree

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

You have to plant it, feed it, water it and care for it to make it grow big enough to notice. You can do this. Learn from books but learn from doing and observing as well. You don’t have to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, you just have to have some money left over after taking care of your obligations. One way to do this in a two income family is to live off of one income and bank the other. A tended tree will do better than an ignored one.

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Build a Legacy for Your Child: Be Remembered for Your Positive Influence

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

How do you want to be remembered by your children? What gifts do you want to leave them that will enrich their lives and influence their actions? How do you determine your legacy? What memories do you hope your children will share with others present on that sad occasion? How do you build your legacy? Make notes of the areas of your life that are moving you in the right direction and those that are taking you away from the legacy you want to leave behind.

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Our Big Financial Goal for 2016

Family Balance Sheet

We have more important things to do with our money besides sending a large portion of it to the creditors every month. Make it a Necessities Only Year. I have made a pact with myself that if I don’t already own something that I need, I will either: make do with what I have, find said item at a thrift store, borrow, or forget about it. This will be a struggle and I’ll need to remind myself daily why I’m doing this. 2016 will be THE year.

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Frugal Fixes that Work

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

After a number of years of ‘making do or doing without’ a person discovers ways of doing things that work – using minimal resources. Cleaning shower walls is always a challenge (if you are trying to keep dry while doing it). If you don’t have one of those circular tree skirts for your Christmas tree , but do have a rectangular tablecloth or a twin sheet you can use those to wrap the bottom of your tree.

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Silicone Nail Polish Holder – $6.99

Saving With Shellie

This will make doing your own nails super easy and simple! These would make great gifts and come in three colors: Bright Blue. How cool is this Silicone Nail Polish Holder for just $6.99?! The holder slips over 2 fingers while the polish is set in the top pocket. The polish locks in tight and is close to your nails being painted. Bright Pink. Mint Green. Shipping adds just $2.99 for the first item and $0.99 for each additional item.

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Is Self-Sufficiency Possible in the 21st Century?

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

Americans pride themselves on their ‘Yankee ingenuity’ – making do or doing without. Tom Perry (Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) illustrates the reason they do so: “Independence and self-reliance are critical to our spiritual and temporal growth. Physical books that help me learn how to do things I might need to do. Do you believe that you are prepared to be somewhat self-sufficient in case of a disaster?

2016 113
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Potential Accomplishments and Creating My Day

Frugal Luxuries

Frugal Times: Making~Do With Dignity which evolved into our Frugal Luxuries newsletters and book series). I used to print these up and put them on a pretty clipboard and use as my daily to~do list. What do you think? TO~DO Lists Day Planning Creating my DayClick image to enlarge: Feel free to print out and use this in a notebook or clipboard. Since Mike returned to work a few weeks ago I have been trying to de~clutter my closets and office.

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I'm All Black and Blue

The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire

She follows my blog and ask my mother if I could do something with the scarf. I decided to make it into a poncho by wrapping it around my shoulders and pinning it with my new vintage leaf broach I purchased on Ebay last week. you guys are amazing and make doing my blog so enjoyable, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Aah.finally Friday. hold up while I let out a *sigh* of relief.

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"Potential Accomplishments" and The Natural Magic of List-Making: Creating a Master~List

Frugal Luxuries

I firmly believe there is a kind of a natural magic in list ~ making. The very act of writing out your potential accomplishments sends a message to your central nervous system and consequently you find yourself doing the very things you want to get done! ~~~ ~~~ The following list is far from comprehensive and will of course be adjusted over time, however, it is a beginning.

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GIVEAWAY: 6-Month Supply of Tide Detergent

Saving With Shellie

I do my best to find deals and using P&G coupons, I usually don’t have to pay full price. This is key for all the unique stains babies make. I asked last night on Facebook about your laundry habits and how many loads of laundry you do every week. But for those of you doing 12, 14 and 17 loads it won’t last quite as long! But hey, six bottles of free detergent almost makes doing laundry bearable! I admit I’m a Tide snob.

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Saving Tips & Free Crediting Monitoring

For the Mommas

Nearly 46% of consumers say they typically consider making a financial resolution – up 31% since the first year of the survey in 2009. Adrian Nazari, CEO and founder of CreditSesame.com , is available to talk about how consumers can start 2013 on the right financial foot, as well as discuss the top 3 financial resolutions and what consumers can do to address them including: Saving More. Do you really need cable television or can you make do without?