Ever since I was a wee girl, I have been fascinated with the spinning wheel. I've always wanted one for my home. They just seem so magical to me!
Lately, I've been dreaming about the many ways I could use a spinning wheel to turn straw into gold around here. "Gold" seems to be in short supply around here these days, if you get my meaning! With Chilly's medical needs increasing, food prices going up and the economy in the dumper, things are getting a bit dicey on the financial homefront.
We've always been a pretty thrifty bunch even in "good" times. I've always loved thrift store shopping, yard sales and coupon clipping. I LOVE a good sale. (Yes, I'll admit it...I am one of those people who will buy something just because it's on sale!) Lately, however, we've had to take our thriftiness to new levels and I must say, we are getting pretty darn creative!
Here are a few of the ways we've spun straw into gold around here this summer....
*Spent more time at our local library. Our library has newly released DVDs that you can check out for 3 weeks at a time. You can check out up to 10 at at time! We are avid readers at our house too. Libraries should be national treasures, don't you think?
*Started making Chilly "brown bag" it to work. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of getting up at the crack of dawn (keep your snarky comments to yourself about that one...giggle giggle) to make a lunch to go, but it's saved us a TON of moo-lah. Not to mention, Chilly (a 41 yr old recovering bypass patient) isn't out being tempted by artery clogging fast food on his lunchbreak.
*Using white vinegar as fabric softener. I add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a gallon white vinegar. I add it to the rinse cycle and voila! Our clothes come out soft and lightly scented. A gallon of white vinegar costs about $2 so the savings here have been huge! It's also chemical free which is great for Irish dancer girl who is very chemically sensitive! I also put out a clothes line and started line drying lots of our clothing. Our clothes smell so fresh and with our AZ heat, they dry very quickly!
These are just a few of the things we are doing to increase our prosperity around here...
How are you spinning straw into gold these days? I would love to hear your nifty thrifty tips!
Have a wonderful Thursday!
Comments
I've been trying to cut down on takeout. I've been shopping for lunch food on Sundays and bringing enough to work with me on monday to leave in the fridge for the week. It's been working out well so far.
My latest find is Redbox for DVD rentals...
I brown bag it as well. Plus, I can't stand the taste of fast food anymore. Ever since we moved to the country and are far, far away from fast food (nearest McD's is 30 minutes away) and can't eat it often, it's become disgusting in my mouth.
So, I bring leftovers or salads or sandwiches for lunch. I've not only saved money, but I've lost weight as well!
Secondly, we already take bag lunches, but I never thought of the vinegar and lavendar idea. That is priceless. I may have to try that. I always have white vinegar on hand for many things, cleaning the floor, the sink, etc...
Loved this post!
Denise
And I also save all of my padded envelopes, tissue paper, and scraps of fabric for use in my Etsy shop!
Great way to upcycle things!
...and I pack my husbands lunch too....but i pack it the night before when I'm putting away the dinner...he usually gets leftovers from dinner or a sandwich...so i make it then and put it in the fridge....if I made him a lunch at 6am....I can only imagine what I might put in there....my brain is not working at that time in the AM!! LOL! =)
Hope you find a pot o gold sometime soon.
Kelly
Awesome post!!!