Did you know it was National Thrift Week? I didn’t until I read about it on GRS, which by the way is an awesome site. If you don’t read it already start today. Personally I think our country needs a National Thrift Year.
As I have written many times in the past I think we would do well to follow the example of many of our grandparents. Only buy what you need and what you can afford. This culture is so caught up in excess, even in our current economic state we really have no idea what poverty is all about. Most of us still have a roof over our head, food, and clothing. For people in some countries these basic necessities are a daily struggle and many go without.
What one thing can you do this week to promote thrift? This week my ever so small contribution is living without paper towels. I realize that seems ridiculous, in light of the previous paragraph, but I love my paper towels! I ran out on Sunday and my next trip to the store isn’t until next week. I am determined to see if I can live without them.
Leave a comment and let us know what thrifty idea you are trying out this week. I am sure we all would love ideas on how to live a more thrifty life.
I paid bills and balanced the checkbook yesterday, which means I won’t be spending any money until Friday! It’s going to be a super thrifty week for me.
I’m hanging clothes on the line, even though it’s chilly outside. Normally, I dry clothes in the dryer during the winter, except for small things that can go on a rack in the bathroom.
Our December electric bill was nearly double the previous month, though, and January’s might be higher, since I’ve had to run the heat almost constantly, so I’m determined to use the dryer as little as possible.
Now, I’m not hanging clothes in the snow, lol. I live close to the Gulf Coast in Texas, and it just happens that this winter is a little chillier than usual – it actually snowed once, and we’ve had nights that actually got into the low 30s! That’s positively arctic for us.
I gave up paper plates a few months ago. While we were out West for a funeral, we (family plus friends) went through about 100 paper plates in the space of two days.
I bought dishwasher-safe plastic plates at Wal-Mart (enough for two meals) and we use those instead.
Our heating bill this month was huge – thermostat is now down two more degrees…we’re building fires and using our blower fan…we’ll see how things go!
I love you for giving up your paper towels. That is awesome. I don’t know what to do. I will think of something!!
I became convicted about the whole paper towels/paper napkins issue last summer. I still have a roll of paper towels around usually for silly things like microwaving bacon and doggie up-chucks. (Eww!)
I replaced my normal everyday papertowels with a basket full of plain white wash cloths I purchased at Target. (12 for about $6) For everyday napkins we use flannel! I purchased a yard or so of soft flannel from the craft store…I cut them to our desired size…then ran a seam along the cut edges to keep them from over-fraying. We still occasionally use paper…but more often than not we use reusable cloth!
Traci
I applaud your effort to try something new! I have bought ONE roll of paper towels (backup for hurricane season) and no paper napkins in 4 years! I made the effort then to use cloth napkins and more kitchen towels to compensate. I still only do one load of “kitchen laundry” a week, so it’s been a great savings! Good luck!
I am a paper towel and napkin-aholic. I confess. But it is on my list for rethinking that whole thing in order to save money.
This week, so far, I have made a casserole with lentils and brown rice (it’s the one I posted on Monday). This meatless meal is going to save us some money this week since it doesn’t use meat and it’s not a convenience food that I spend money on.
My hubby just smiled when I enthusiastically told him it was a complete protein and would save us money…hehehehe!
I seem to be a magnet for baby receiving blankets, which you can only use for the first couple of months anyway – so I cut up all my old ones into sqaures and use them in place of paper towels. They seem to be a great material for absorbing and wiping up messes, but still thin enough that a whole stack hardly takes up any space. Plus, they have cute bunnies and ducks – better than Bounty, eh?
the idea of thrift is so great because it also positively affects our environment.