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Useful Cheapskate / DIY Tricks

Bob Loblaw

Bob Loblaw

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Mar 1, 2008
Messages
18,174
Well today I was thinking there must be a way to get something like Febreze made with household items. So I searched and found some.

This is the place for any advice you have for things like that. Like using club soda to get red wine out of carpet or a bunch of posts found on Lifehacker. I'm now out of examples because I'm a noob & exhausted. Have fun.
 
Recipe #1:
  1. Insert a funnel into the top of a 32 oz. spray bottle (I just use an old Febreze spray bottle).
  2. Pour 1/8 cup of your favorite fabric softener into your spray bottle. I prefer Downy, but you can even use the cheap dollar store stuff if you are feeling especially frugal (or cheapskatey).
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the bottle.
  4. Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
  5. Replace the cap and shake the bottle well.

Recipe #2:
  1. Fill a spray bottle with hot water. Leave an inch or so clearance at the top to allow room for the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol.
  3. Pour in 2 tablespoons of Purex crystals.
  4. Cap the bottle and shake it up until the crystals dissolve. Because this took a little while, I had my daughter get into the action. She bonked herself on the head a few times but managed to have fun anyway.

Recipe #3:
  1. Using a funnel, pour 2 tablespoons of fabric softener into the bottle.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar (which is super-cheap at almost every grocery store).
  3. Remove the funnel and add six to ten drops of your favorite extract (like almond or vanilla extract) or an essential oil. I love the smell of lavender, so I use the lavender essential oils that only cost $5 at my local Walmart.
  4. Fill the rest of your bottle with water.
  5. Shake until well combined.




http://thekrazycouponlady.com/at-home/3-ways-to-make-homemade-febreze/
 
i lived with these venezuelans and they washed-up and re-used their zip-lock lunch bags
 
Quick n dirty pencil holder:

1) run a can opener around the top of an empty pop/beer can
2) dump some loose change in the bottom to keep it from tipping over

any given bodega has a lot of eye-catching can designs for cheap and when it comes time to move can just toss them instead of worrying where to pack them.
 
laugh said:
i lived with these venezuelans and they washed-up and re-used their zip-lock lunch bags
Click to expand...

I knew a guy at work that re-used paper lunch bags until they were falling apart. Nothing wrong with being thrifty. But damn I still have a bunch in my pantry that I might have paid a dollar per package.

Good ideas Rob for the homemade febreeze because we need it now that the house is on the market. What do you suggest to clear cigarette smoke? My dad is a heavy smoker and we've already used a couple aerosol canisters. I do have a nearly empty refillable spray bottle and need a blasting fresh fragrance.
 
^build a carbon scrubber!

<snip - source link removed>
-or-
get a smokeless ashtray ( google it )
 
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T. Calderone said:
I knew a guy at work that re-used paper lunch bags until they were falling apart. Nothing wrong with being thrifty. But damn I still have a bunch in my pantry that I might have paid a dollar per package.

Good ideas Rob for the homemade febreeze because we need it now that the house is on the market. What do you suggest to clear cigarette smoke? My dad is a heavy smoker and we've already used a couple aerosol canisters. I do have a nearly empty refillable spray bottle and need a blasting fresh fragrance.
Click to expand...

You could try one of those recipes for "febreeze" post up there. Or ... Well, an air purifier, but I don't know a diy version of that. Oh! Maybe a fan and tape some fabric softener sheets in front of it?
 
Down here in the south, WD-40 and duct tape fix everything lol.
 
instead of buying bottled water il buy one bottle a year and what il do is just fill up the bottle with tap water. 8(
 
^ Not exactly cheapskate, but I've been using the same stainless steel water container for ... um, at least a couple of years now. This thing is very durable.
 
Ho ho HO! I have found the thread MADE FOR ME! Teehee. I adore being thrifty.
Tips for food:
*Shop at Dollar Tree! You'd be surprised how much decent food they carry, especially if they have a refrigerated & frozen section! For example: frozen blueberries, frozen sweet potato fries, and MSG-free beef & chicken broth (in a carton).
*Shop at Aldi! I just bought FRESH:
nectarines, blueberries, blackberries, bananas, asparagus, salsa, avocados, eggs, grapes, plums, carrots AAAND
FROZEN/PACKAGED:
fake Atkins chocolate-coconut bars, two boxes coconut popsicles, salmon burgers, organic spagetti sauce, and probably more I am forgetting....

For 37 bucks. :D Thank me later.
 
- garage sales
- thrift stores
- dollar stores

A lot of people, who complain about being poor, buy lunches every day. Or go out for dinner multiple times a week. My boyfriend and I go out to dinner as a treat once a month. We order in pizza once a month. My coworkers specifically (I know how much they get paid and it's less than me LOL) buy lunch every day and eat out multiple times in a week. That's how you can save money :p

I don't know a lot of DIY stuff, mostly cuz I'm useless at that, but that is all "saving money" stuff.
 
if your car's check engine light is on, you can use an ODB Reader to get a numerical code and look up what that means online so you dont get hit with a load of bullshit when you take it to get fixed. They cost anywhere from 20-50 dollars usually, but one should last you for a very long period of time, and they are of use to not only you but anyone you know who drives a car.

It doesn't change the fact that your car will still have something wrong with it, but there is a huge difference in urgency between the different codes. But regardless of how important they are to the car being able to do its basic function (move you from point a to point b), they all equally make the CE light come on. And that light can be quite nerve wracking if you dont really know why its on, and especially ambiguous since most times, it has nothing to do with the engine itself.
 
* You can make your own microwave popcorn simply by placing 1/2-1 cup popping corn in a paper lunch sack, folding top over and nuking it. I usually let the bag fill up, empty the popped kernels, and repeat until most of the kernels are popped. After that, pour melted butter over it, stir, sprinkle powdered salt† on it, stir.

† If you don't have a mortar & pestle, you can easily powder table or sea salt by crushing it on a breadboard using a soup spoon.​
* Steel insulation ties are a superior alternative to clothes hanger wire. To cut an insulation tie, score the side using a file and bend it back & forth using two pliers until it breaks. Insulation ties can be used to make your own: giant safety pins; pipe pokers; practically any type of custom small tie; small cutting blades (requires some hammering and sharpening); etc.
 
Ask for extra condiments.. everywhere. If they're left out, grab a handful of each. In public bathroom, there's usually a closet where they store their toilet paper. Take some. Whenever you travel, take your blanket with you. Whenever you stay at a hotel, take their towels, shower gel, etc. They'll restock everyday. You can also call room service for extra. If you have free water and are going to need ice (don't go to the store and buy some)--get it from your freezer! As soon as your trays are full, throw it in a plastic bag in the freezer. Repeat process. It'll usually take a few days.

My mom's chinese. What can I say...

Edit: Oh my mom also steal from buffets. Anything she can wrap up in a napkin.... or if it can't be wrapped in a napkin, she'll put it in an empty cup or small bowl, wrap that up and stuff it in her bag.
 
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shimazu said:
if your car's check engine light is on, you can use an ODB Reader to get a numerical code and look up what that means online so you dont get hit with a load of bullshit when you take it to get fixed. They cost anywhere from 20-50 dollars usually, but one should last you for a very long period of time, and they are of use to not only you but anyone you know who drives a car.

It doesn't change the fact that your car will still have something wrong with it, but there is a huge difference in urgency between the different codes. But regardless of how important they are to the car being able to do its basic function (move you from point a to point b), they all equally make the CE light come on. And that light can be quite nerve wracking if you dont really know why its on, and especially ambiguous since most times, it has nothing to do with the engine itself.
Click to expand...

Bob Loblaw said:
IIRC Advance Auto does that free of charge.
Click to expand...

Lots of newer cars have a "secret" way to show the code on the dashboard. In my Focus, I just hold the "restart trip" button before I turn the car on, turn it on and keep holding the button until a different display comes up, then you can scroll through all the different information that comes up until you get to the code page. Then you get the code off the dashboard.
 
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