Festivals and Parades

Check out your local festivals and parades. There are a bunch that celebrate specific races and ethnicities. It's a free, cheap way to have fun, and have an educational experience. It's also a great opportunity to meet new people.

Rejuvenate Your Dark Clothes to New Status

As your dark colors fade with time, consider re-dying it with inexpensive Rit dye instead of replacing it. Buying staple clothes such as camisoles, tank tops, crew neck tees, long crew neck tees, v-neck tees, etc and re-dying them will prolong their lifespan, while saving you money.

Play Secret Santa

Have too many friends and family to shop for and way too small of a budget? Play Secret Santa. Everyone writes their name on a sheet of paper that gets folded up. Put them all in a bag, bowl, cup, whatever. Once it's all mixed up in there, everyone picks a name and is responsible for buying a gift just for that person.

Cheap Oatmeal

Pre-packaged, pre-flavored oatmeals are convenient but overpriced. You can do that yourself by preparing ahead of time. I like to keep a stash of dried fruits such as raisins, strawberries, apricots, and cherries nearby. I fill a bowl with oatmeal and my choice of fruits. Then I add already boiled water. Or I dump the oatmeal and my choice of fruit in a 2-quart saucepan with milk and bring it to a simmer until it's ready.

Buy Concentrate

If you shop in family-oriented neighborhoods, you're more likely to find large concentrate cans for super cheap. Just add water and sugar. Make a huge batch in a pitcher. You can even freeze them and turn them into popsicles :)

Make Your Own Croutons

I was delightfully surprised when I discovered how easily croutons can be made yourself. They're delicious, pricey, and salty already made. When you make them yourself, you can personalize the taste to your preference. I was inspired by the flavors of garlic. But you can do whatever you'd like. I cube bread especially something like sourdough or something hard. I coat them in extra-virgin olive oil (which if kept in minced garlic overnight would give it an amazing flavor!), garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and a little paprika. I pan-fried it until it was thoroughly dried and appeared toasty and slightly darkened. A yummy nummy treat!

5-Star Mattresses

I know the idea of purchasing a used mattress sounds unsanitary. However some of the same people get excited about the idea of staying at a five star hotel because of their heavenly beds. Many people have used those same beds, as well. For that reason, hotels discard those mattresses and replace them regularly. What happens often is these hotels call Salvation Army up to utilize their pick-up service and get rid of a bunch of mattresses at once. These ridiculously overpriced mattresses are sold at Salvation Army for dirt cheap. It's also worth noting that when Salvation Army receives these mattresses, they
"bake" them in a high temperature to kill off any harmful bacteria.

Make Your Own Sports Drink

There are three types. Select the ones that best suits your fitness level.

Isotonic - For the average athlete, mix 200 mL of frozen orange juice concentrate with one liter of water and a pinch of salt.

Hypotonic - For athlete with low perspiration levels such as jockeys and gymnasts, follow the same recipe but only use 100 mL of concentrate.

Hypertonic - For athletes such as long-distance runners who require extra carbohydrates and electrolytes should follow the same recipe but increase the orange juice concentrate to 400 mL.

Leftover Soup

If you're flat broke, here's a meal idea. Set aside your leftovers and store in the freezer. At the end of the week, throw everything into a pot (bits of meat, veggies, rice, beans, pasta, etc.) with water or chicken stock. Season it with spices, fresh herbs, and cook until heated through. Just be sure to not use this method with fish, which can stink up and ruin the entire dish. Don't expect this meal to be scrumptious. It's just a choice when you're strapped for cash.

Freezer Safe Plastic Zip-ups

Freezer safe plastic zip-ups can be initially pricier than the basic variety, but they freeze food better and are made of better quality. You can also re-use them several times with thorough washings. Just don't reuse the ziplocks that have stored poultry or meat.

An At-Home Buffet Concept

At buffets, food selections lack cohesiveness are offered at a bargain. You can re-create that concept at home by turning your accumulated leftovers earlier in the week into an at-home buffet meal.

Make Your Own Ice Pack

The next time BevMo has a buy 1 bottle and get the second bottle for $1 special, take advantage of the deal...unless you're an alcoholic. I love to cook with white wine, so I stock up when I can. White wine can go bad easily in the fridge but will last much longer in the freezer. Once you open a bottle and you don't plan on using it right away, transfer the contents into ziploc baggies. Because of the alcoholic content, the wine won't completely freeze. It'll actually be slushy in texture, which means that this ice pack will conform to the located injury. Reserve a specific bag just for icing a wound. Do not, I repeat, do not use the wine you applied over a wound in a recipe. It's already been contaminated, which is why I recommend designating a specific bag for the sole purpose of icing a wound.

Diversify Your Pantry Items

Pantry items should be staples that can easily be incorporated into basic recipes. Buy pantry staples that come in cans and have to be frozen. This way if there's a blackout, you can access food from your cupboard, rather than your freezer. However, don't limit your pantry staples to canned products. Freezers work more efficiently when it's completely full, so you save money on your electric bill, too. Plus, if you over clutter your cupboards with canned products, it can create a safety hazard.

Microfiber Cloths

Replace your disposable one-time use paper towels with microfiber cloths. They're made of superior quality and can hold five to seven times its weight in water. They're also re-usable and versatile. You can use it to clean the dishes, dry the dishes, clean the counter, windows, mirrors, etc.

Boost Your Eyelash Curler's Performance

Rather than spending money on a heated eyelash curler, simply heat your manual eyelash curler with your hair dryer. Then use as you ordinarily do. The heat will curl your lashes more effectively than by gently pressing at it. It works more like a curling iron.

Transform Your Lipstick into Lip Gloss

Transform your lipstick into a lip gloss by melting your lipstick and a little Vaseline into a tiny jar. Mix it together and enjoy.

Christmas Tree Out of the Option

If, for whatever reason, a Christmas tree is out of the question, either because you can't afford one or you don't have the space for it, you can still create a Holiday atmosphere. You can get a wreath and/or hang Christmas lights around the wall. But if you can't afford one, try buying a box of Christmas ornaments from the 99 cents store and place them around your home. You can also buy stocking stuffers and a gingerbread house.

Toothpick in Lemon for Just a Squeeze

If you only want a small squeeze of lemon juice, prick the lemon with a toothpick, rather than cut the whole lemon in half. It saves money, time, and is more economical.

Replace Your Sponges Regularly, Affordably

How often sponges should be replaced vary largely from every two weeks, once a month, to a every few months. I prefer to replace mine every month, considering the contaminant exposure my sponges face: raw poultry and meat juices leftover on cutting boards, fats and greases from various foods, the damp and moist environment sponges live in, etc. Experts claim that sponges can be as dirty as raw poultry! To make replacements more affordable, I buy my sponges at the 99 cents store. I get 6 sponges for 99 cents! They're surprisingly durable and don't scratch my cookware surfaces.

Makeup on a Budget

If you're on a budget, prioritize money for high-end foundation and concealer. Flawless skin can only be achieved with superior ingredients that glide on smoothly. Eye shadows, eye liners, mascaras, lip liners, lipsticks, and lip glosses are similar in formulation. In fact, many department store brands also own drugstore brands, too.