Some people put in line items for bathroom products, cleaning products and then groceries. Usually, we lump all of these expenses together, since I most often buy groceries and cleaning products at the same time. I was thinking about bathroom products, though, all of those shampoos, soaps, body wash, etc., and curious about how much we spend. With the exception of some special toothpaste because of one child’s allergy, we really don’t spend much money on bathroom products. In fact, I can’t recall the last time that we did. So how do I get away with hardly spending anything on … Continue reading →

One of our big expenses two Christmases ago was a Wii video game system for the family. The price tag of the thing really got under my skin, but we were able to justify it as a good purchase for a number of reasons. A few months ago, my son got a used game for his birthday. He was excited to play with it until the Wii stopped being able to read the disc. Since it was used, I returned it as a faulty disc and the store replaced it. The sales lady noticed that the disc had deep concentric … Continue reading →

One of my favorite frugal hobbies is collecting freebies. I just started this back up a few weeks ago and am glad I did. I’ve gotten everything from laundry soap and perfume to dog food and breakfast bars. This nice little hobby is good for many reasons. Being the frugal zealot that I am, it satisfies that itch to reduce costs and even get something for free. It’s also a way for me to take short breaks between job projects. And, since I’m a professional reviewer, I can help spread the word—or warning—about products. Many years ago getting free things … Continue reading →