It’s been a weird week here at the Frugal Upstate village homestead. . . First Princess was home sick, now Buddy is home sick. I’ve had to cancel and rearrange various appointments, errands and whatnot because I can’t seem to get everyone up, moving and well at the same time!
But things are looking up. I woke up this morning without my back hurting for the first time in about 2 months-so I’m trying to stay off the computer (which I think is aggravating it) and avoid heavy lifting today to see if I can actually be better!
So to keep it easy today rather than researching and writing something new-I’m publishing what I’ve got so far for my big Frugal Skills List. I know there are lots more ideas out there-s0 feel free to add your ideas in the comments!
Remember-the idea here is to take a more finalized version of the list and create an “index page” where it will live, then as topics are covered or great resources on the web are found I’ll link them-sort of a Frugal Skill table of contents if you will!
Frugal Skill List
Cooking from Scratch
- baking, braising, roasting,
- Make your own mixes (Pat from Kitchener)
- slicing leftover meat/roast it very thin to make “Deli” meat for sandwiches (Pat from Kitchener)
Sewing and clothing care
- Proper washing, drying & ironing to make clothes last (Pat in K)
- Line drying laundry (Mary @ Mrs Redo Redo101.blogspot.com)
- Cleaning “dry clean only” clothes at home (Melissa O from FB)
- Fixing snags in sweaters
- Stain removal
- De-pilling a sweater
- Mending, hems, replacing buttons, taking in or out a seam
- Remaking/Repurposing clothing & linens (Pat from Kitchener)
Housekeeping
- Washing Dishes by hand (Mary @ Mrs Redo Redo101.blogspot.com)
- Homemade cleaning products
- Homemade laundry soap
Home Decor (Pat from K)
- simple upholstery tricks (Pat from K)
- how to make a drape/curtain (Pat from K)
- How to paint or paper a room, (Pat from K)
- Rearrange furniture to best fit the room or mood you want.(Pat from K)
- shop thrift stores, yard sales, roadside (Mary @ Mrs Redo Redo101.blogspot.com)
Knitting & Crocheting (Gwen via comments)
- Hats/Scarves/Mittens
- Dishcloths/Scrubbers
- Baby Items
- Blankets/Afghans
Gifts
- make Christmas ornaments (Mary @ Mrs Redo)
- Make Cards (Mary @ Mrs Redo)
- Make Jewelry (Sueellen at i-dont-think-so.com )
Gardening
- Growing your own veggies
- starting seeds (& sharing with others)
- saving seeds
- composting
- planting perennials (Pat from K)
- growing indoors (herbs, onion & garlic ends etc) (Pat from K)
- re-purposing items for planters (Pat from K)
Mechanical Knowledge/Maintenance
- Basic car upkeep (Pat from K)
- changing wiper blades
- checking oil & transmission fluid
- checking tire pressure (Pat from K)
- knowing your owners manual
- knowing how to change a tire (Melissa O from FB)
- Changing your oil
- Basic Lawnmower/weedwacker/etc maintenance
Home Repairs/Skills
- refurbishing/repurposing furniture (Joy @ ihavetriedit.wordpress.com)
- Patching a hole/dent (Melissa B from FB)
- caulking leaks/drafts
- basic toilet repairs-new handle, replacing bobber, replacing seat etc (Michelle from FB)
- Changing a water heater element (Pino from FB)
- Screen Repair (Melissa O from FB)
- Unclog a drain (Melissa B from FB)
- Know where you main water shut off valve and your main power breaker are (Donna from FB)
- Keeping/organizing/Using warranties on all items you purchase (Christine from FB)
- Changing faucets (Christine from FB)
- Installing low flow showerhead (Christine from FB)
- Cleaning/clearing dishwasher filter (Christine from FB)
Energy Conservation
- Keeping all north windows covered thruout the winter, blinds closed, curtains pull (Mary Redo)
Preserving food
- Canning
- dehydrating
- freezing
Fashion
- Accessorizing on the cheap (Pat in K)
- How to make/repair jewelry (Pat in K)
Entertainment
- Use the library (Mary @ Mrs Redo Redo101.blogspot.com)
- Vacationing on the cheap (Mary @ Mrs Redo Redo101.blogspot.com)
stay home
day trips
Miscellaneous
- Knowing how to research (@superstarsaver)
- A love of reading & Learning new skills (Gail)
- Teaching others (Gwen)
- Staying Healthy (Amyrlin)
- Delayed Gratification-saying “no” to the “I wants” (Joy @ ihavetriedit.wordpress.com)
How to iron is something of a lost art. If your dh (or you) work in a white collar environment, pressed shirts are an important part of the wardrobe. While some parts of ironing are self-explanatory, its taken me a long time to figure out how to iron around the cuffs and on the shoulders. Ironing slacks can also be tricky.
Darning holes – I once mentioned it at a gathering of women and several of them had never heard of it
Vacationing and celebrating on a budget, without cheapening the people you are with! One of the things I find challenging about giving gifts or celebrating a milestone (wedding, anniversary, graduation, etc.) is how to make the person you are celebrating feel loved and cherished, without breaking the bank. I think there’s an art to it – one I haven’t yet discovered and I’d love to hear more! As far as vacations go, we often vacation with other family and different people have different perspectives on spending money. How does one find ways to enjoy a vacation together without going over their own budget? Even if we vacation as just our family, I struggle to find a balance between keeping things inexpensive and not communicating that my family isn’t “worth” the money.
Wow if I could learn all these skills, I would be super woman, and pretty darn amazing
I’m interested in learning how to sew on a coat button.