What are some of the top resources for frugal living available to most of us?
#1-The Library.
Free books, videos, books on tape and magazines are standard these days in all librarys. Most have free computer and internet access as well. And don’t worry if the size of your library is small, with the interlibrary loan program you usually have the resources of several counties worth of libraries available at the click of a mouse! Check your own library for additional free fun-many have free programs for kids, teens & even adults (ours has a free intro to computers seminar regularly), offer meeting space, or have unusual items such as software, toys, or even museum passes for loan!
#2-The Cooperative Extension Service*
The cooperative extension service is a nationwide, non credit educational service based at each state’s land grant university. There are usually local feild offices. They are very well known for their free advice and services related to agriculture and livestock. Since they are locally based I always quote them as a resource for folks looking to garden-they will give you advice specific to your climate & zone. I also refer to them for canning, food preservation and food safetly information. They also have information for youth, small business, consumers and other info specific to rural living. If you head on over to the national Cooperative Extension Service Site you can find the link to your state site. Or you can just google your state name + cooperative extension. Check it out, I bet that there are services or information available that you would find useful, as well as a boatload of online information.
#3-Your Local Cobbler, Tailor or Electronic Repair Shop
Yes, cobblers still exist! A cobbler, tailor or repair shop may be able to fix an item for less than it would cost to buy a new one. To find one in your local area, check your yellowpages. Do your research and see if new or repaired makes more fiscal sense. Repairing is frequently better for your pocketbook and always better for the enviroment.
#4-The County Landfill/Dump
Not exactly glorious I know, but useful. Our county facility has the ability to recycle many more items than are picked up curbside-such as batteries and computers (oh-there is a $1.75 handling fee on that one, whoop-de-do)! They also have recycling education and plant tours. At one location there is a latex paint exchange room-people leave paint they no longer need and other folks are welcome to pick it up for free.
Although it isn’t offered in my area, I have had readers tell me that their local dumps have areas wher eyou can pick up free items-sort of a “good stuff” area.
#5-Freecycle
Freeclcye is a national online bulletin board service, organized by town, where folks can list or ask for items. You may not sell anything, everything offered or asked for must be free. Now I’ve heard that in some areas folks have gone kind of crazy-let’s not ask for a free new car or a free new kitchenaide mixer folks. But in most areas it is a great way to find some resources you might need for nothing! The normal etiquette is to list a few things before asking for anything, and in most areas you probably want to make the exchange in some neutral area, such as a grocery store parking lot etc. After all, you have no idea who these folks are! No sense leading them to your home or family.
#6 Craigslist
Similar to Freecycle, organized by area, except items are sold not given away. I have never used it myself-I am scared of all the good bargains I might find. There is a SLIGHT packrat gene in my family. . . I do know folks who have found the most incredible bargains on Craigslist. I find it interesting that folks also post things like serivces (house painter, dog trainer etc) and even sports and event tickets on craigslist.
So what other frugal resources do you use where YOU live?
*This is a program in the US. For those of you in other countries, do you have anything similar?
Photos by Ivan Marakov, Rick, and Jarnott
This is a great list, Jenn!
I think public transit could be considered a frugal resource. We’ve scaled down to 1 car for the last few years. We’ve learned to deal with it, and I certainly can work my schedule around the car’s availability, economize on trips, etc., but there are times when I just need to go somewhere when my hubby has the vehicle–that’s when the bus really comes in handy! Very inexpensive, too.
Personally I don’t have a subscription to the newspaper, but if you can read it daily (online or at the library!) it can be a wealth of knowledge about your area. I often find articles about free entertainment and so forth in the paper.
The same is true for checking websites of local colleges–lots of free/inexpensive entertainment opportunities are listed there. Again, obviously you’d go to the library to view those if you don’t have home access to the internet, or you could call for their community calendar.
There are also specialty resources available, such as local offices of lighthouse for the blind offer free education for people experiencing vision loss, local hospitals for free education talks on sleep apnea, and so forth.
Additional Frugal ways for your life.
I bought a bottle of Costco eyeglass cleaner at the optical center and now I bring it back for free refills. They also are great about making small repairs to your specs even if you did not purchase them there.
Our Friends of the Library Sale is a great bargain. Best on the last day $5 a bag of books, videos, CDs, sheet music, prints and magazines.
I like to get my carwashes at fundraisers. The youth usually do a great job and donations are flexible.
Church rubbage sales are the best. Folks who donate there often do not have garage sales of there own and like to donate generously to their church. Great for bargains get there early.
Free camping, Many states have this. The campsites are generally rustic, you may have to bring your own water but often you are only sharing with a few fellow campers.
Local HS and colleges often have great amateur theater and priced well below the professional touring companies.
Kerasote theaters has a $5 movie program. If you can wait a few weeks to see a movie you can see it for $5 at night with the other grownups and save your matinee time for gardening…. They are having summer specials at selected theaters of movies you can bring the kids to for about $1.
Learn a new skill at the County extension service, library or local rec center. Inexpensive.
Join youth organizations with your children. I have been a volunteer of BSA for years. I have taken Red Cross classes and NRA classes over the years at a fraction of the usual cost and I got to use the skills both volunteering and in the real world.
I’ve got such smart readers! Thanks for the ideas guys!
Amanda-honestly, public transportation never occurred to me because I live in the sticks-but you are so right, that is an awesome resource for folks!
Anon-One of our local churches has their rummage sale TODAY, starting at noon. . . guess what tomorrows post will be 🙂
Don’t forget your local Chamber of Commerce. I often go to their website, and I receive their newsletter as well. It keeps me up to date with any local happenings. Last summer when my step-daughters were here for vacation there was a great preteen program that had crafts and discussions about image with the media. Upon completion of the two or three day class she received a $50 gift card to Target (which was great for school shopping) and I received a $50 gas card. The class was free! This winter the chamber offered a free snowboarding class and my two kids got to snowboard, with rental, lessons and tickets included for $40! That is a super cheap deal! Most of these classes are first come first serve and are limited so I check the calendar regularly. But most people don’t know about the great things that are offered so you can sign up with no problem.
I also love my local thrift store. I found that the stores that are not for profit and that sell donated items are cheaper than the nationally known thrift stores. My local thrift store sells donated items to provide for an animal shelter. They have wonderful deals that are different all the time. My bread machine broke and I found one there that had only been used a few times (new to me) for only $3.00. I have also found a generous amount of baby/toddler items there for next to nothing.
If your town has bulk pick up day and you are not allowed to peruse the dump, then you can roam the streets so to speak and score great finds when it is bulk trash pick up day. You will be surprised what some people with throw away!
I think that public transport is a great saver. We live in SE Europe now, and have no car, so it’s a lifesaver for us. It’s just not as reliable as we would prefer sometimes… it helps to have some insurance that you are actually going to reach your intended destination!
Two other savers in this neck of the woods are the Pazar (Пазар) – which is where you get incredible deals on fresh produce – and the second hand stores are amazing. Some of them are selling clothes by the kilogram, and there is even one that starts the week on Monday charging 5 leva ($3.50) and by Friday it’s only 1 lev (75 cents)! That’s 75 cents for 2.2 pounds of clothes. Not a bad deal, by any stretch.
Jerry
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Terre-ohhh, i hadn’t thought about the chamber. That’s a good idea too!
Jerry, sounds like you’ve found the great places to save in your local area! I do wish I was someplace I could use public transport