The FRUGAL, PENNY PINCHING GRANDMA is back

Frugal, I think is just the politically correct way of saying penny pinching or cheap. Myself I’m a penny pincher and darn proud of it. Anyway, here are some ___________ (you fill in the blank, your choices are: frugal, penny pinching, cheap, good) tips to help you to save money.

Health and Beauty Tips

To dry nail polish in a hurry, spray nails with PAM Oil Spray.

Remove Planter’s Warts with banana peels. Before bedtime tape a banana peel inside to the skin, over the wart, and cover with a bandage. Within a couple of days the wart will be gone.

Olive oil can be added to bath water for a skin softener.

Save money on services you need by receiving them from students in training. Examples: Hairdresser, Dental, Massage. Check your local yellow pages for the nearest school; call and make sure they do appointments. All work done is carefully watched over by the instructors.

Ask your doctor for free samples. Pharmaceutical companies flood doctors with samples of all kinds of expensive prescriptions. If your doctor doesn’t offer, ask.

Here are some words every good penny pincher knows:

F – free, now that’s a good price

R – reuse, before you re-cycle

U – unit, as in unit pricing for price comparison

G – garden, as in grow your own and save money

A – ad’s, as in sales advertisements in the paper

L – look, for bargains and ways to save money

Hummm, maybe there is something to that word frugal after all.

Always consider generic. Ask your doctor to prescribe the cheapest form of medicine. Sometimes the Pharmacist will ask if you will accept generic, make sure your insurance company is okay with this. Some will be and some won’t, ask in advance or you may be stuck with the bill.

Toner/Astringent — Use witch hazel instead. No need to dilute — use full strength. You can also rinse with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar after cleansing — it balances out the ph of your skin.

To keep Cold Cream from spoiling and to maintain its freshness, keep it in the refrigerator. Plus it is so cool!

Keep your pantyhose in the freezer, and they will last longer.

For great lotion, mix one-part lotion with one-part Vaseline. It works better than plain lotion, and, depending on the cost of your lotion, you can stretch its value.

As I said, I think frugal is just politically correct, after all who would have watched the cheap gourmet.

Remove gum from hair with nail polish remover, then shampoo. People have thought that doing this with peanut butter was correct, and I am not saying it isn’t. But with the new information out about people being allergic to peanuts, why take the chance?

To prevent hair pins from falling out, bend one prong in a “V” about halfway up and insert in hair. It will stay.

Cut back on the amount of shampoo you use. Do the same with toothpaste. The manufacturers want us to use more, so we buy more.

Old lipstick tubes, thoroughly cleaned, are great for purse-sized pill boxes or for pins.

Use a lazy susan at bedside to enable sick to reach more items.

Emergency Sinus Relief – swab white vinegar high up in the nostrils.

The well-to-do and those with money are the ones that really understand what frugal living is. They understand that we control our money, it does not control us.

To cure a cigarette habit – Take before breakfast 1/2 teaspoon each of Rochelle Salts and Cream of Tartar, also chew Ginseng root and swallow the juice.

Use hydrogen peroxide as inexpensive nail bleach.

Instead of purchasing a tube of Chap Stick for $1.49, pay the same price for a container of petroleum jelly, and divide it into small containers to carry with you to use for chapped lips.

Mix dry oatmeal and water into a paste and spread on face. Lie down and let it dry. Wash off with warm water. Excellent facial.

Visit your hairdresser during the week, as sometimes they offer haircuts cheaper than on busier Saturdays.

Know what your health insurance pays for.

Maybe frugal is no longer politically correct either. Think about it, McFrugals is now BIG LOTS!

Coupons for health and beauty products that say good on “One Any Size” can be used on trial sizes. If you have a $1.00 coupon off of your favorite shampoo, and the trial size is only .99 cents, you will get it free!

For the truly frugal – when you can no longer squeeze any more toothpaste out of the tube, cut the tube open, and scrape the remainder into a bowl. Add baking soda and some water, and you can double the amount of the toothpaste.

To stretch your shampoo pour half of bottle into empty bottle, and add water to fill both. You have twice as much now, and it will work just the same.

Here is a frugal and penny pinching tip for you, visit Recycling for Fun and Profit for a practical guide to recycling almost anything.

Free fingernail brush – When washing your hair, before you rinse off the shampoo run your fingernails through your hair a few times. Then rinse.

Bee Stings – Remove stinger if there is any and dampen area and put Meat Tenderizer on area. Just leave awhile.

Facial Moisturizer – Petroleum jelly makes a great moisturizer. Wash your face and while it is still wet apply a tiny amount of jelly. Continue rubbing in a circular motion adding very warm water until jelly is spread evenly. Your skin will be soft and non-greasy even in the winter.

One of the biggest problems that most people face is shopping. To be frugal you have to decide to not shop anymore – at least for things you don’t really need.

Removing makeup – Use a damp washcloth rather than cotton balls to remove makeup. It works great and also saves natural resources.

Melted Lipstick – Don’t throw away that expensive lipstick after leaving it in the car. Just place it in the freezer and it will be like new. Transfer to another container, if necessary.

Extend the Usage of Your Stick Deodorant – When you can no longer use the sticks because the deodorant is below the plastic line, set the container aside. When you have several near-empty containers, microwave them for about 10 seconds until the remaining deodorant liquefies. Pour the liquid deodorant into a plastic container and let harden.

Two-minute tummy tuck: Seated or standing anywhere, inhale allowing the abdominal muscles to relax gently outward. Think of your tummy as a balloon. Exhale, contracting the abdominal muscles tightly inward, as if you were trying to get every single bit or air out of the balloon. Hold a minute and inhale to repeat.

Frugal living is basically living below your means. It is saving and not spending every cent you make. It’s a challenge, but one that can make you a better person. It teaches us, and our children, self control.

SMART WAYS TO SAVE ON NEARLY EVERYTHING With soaring prices on fuel and rampant inflation at the checkout counter. Who isn’t looking for smart ways to save money?

DRYER SHEETS, USED IN MORE PLACES THEN JUST THE DRYER! More ideas from Grandma on how to use or reuse dryer sheets before you toss them. From deodorizing books to eliminating static hair.

FRUGAL WASHING AND STAIN REMOVAL TIPS, that work You can get those red stains out, blood, wine or berry juice, prior to washing, let Grandma tell you how. Also how to make your own spray starch and other laundry tips.

FRUGAL FLEA CONTROL, How to control the fleas in your life the frugal and natural way.

FIRST AID FOR STAINS, how to get tough stains out. If tough splotches, spills and stains are taking a toll on your laundry, Grandma has the answer for you. From berries to tomato juice, all stains come out if you know how.

SPRING CLEANING THE EASY WAY Spring cleaning can be overwhelming but with a little help from Grandma before you know it, your home will feel as sparkly and cheery as the sweetest spring day

FRUGAL CLEANING TIPS to save you time and money. Spring cleaning may only happen once a year but the cost and time involved in cleaning is on going. So Grandma is sharing some of her cost cutting and time saving ideas.

SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP, NOT! Tips for the frugal shopper. Being frugal and or penny pinching you cannot afford to shop until you drop, so Grandma is giving some tips on shopping and saving money while doing so.

RECYCLING AND REUSING TIPS FOR THE FRUGAL Recycling is important to those of us who care enough about the environment to do things that will make a difference. Do you care enough? If so here are some great tips.