Category: Frugal

Think You Can’t Garden In The City To Save Money? Think Again.

As most of you know, I also run a website dedicated to environmental issues called The Good Human. (If you are into that stuff, check it out) I talk a lot over there about “being green” and stuff like that, but today I wanted to point something out here for those of you looking to save money by doing some gardening at home – but feel like you cannot because you live in the city. One of my favorite inspirational sites for “homesteading in the city” is Path To Freedom. This family has taken the idea of urban farming to an all new level by having an entire ecosystem and farm on their 1/5 of an acre lot in Pasadena, CA.. The yard has over 350 varieties of edible and useful plants, and their productive 1/10 acre organic garden now grows over 6,000 pounds (3 tons) of produce annually. 3. tons. of. vegetables. Amazing. In addition, these urban farmers share their homestead with a menagerie of animals — chickens, ducks, two rescued cats, red wiggler worms (which compost garbage) and two goats (Nigerian Dwarf and a Pygmy goat.

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Frugal

By David

Bartering Is Coming Back Into Vogue.

This does kinda relate to my earlier post about living in a small town during this recession, as we are seeing more bartering going on amongst neighbors in order for everyone to save money. I just read this story about people in Atlanta finding ways to get goods and services without spending any cash at all and figured I would share with you guys. Seems bartering is catching on everywhere, and I think it is a great thing – it’s kinda like going back in time to when people took care of each other. I do hope that if the economy comes back we can continue down this path as it saves money, resources, and it helps to build stronger communities. From the article:

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Frugal

By David

Extra Frugal – How Frugal Can You Go?

Original version of this post from one of my other sites, Simple. Organized. Life., but has been adapted for My Two Dollars.

I am not nearly as frugal as I probably should be, but I do try my best. I don’t really waste money or food, I don’t ever shop for clothes, and I try to track where our money goes. However, my wife and I love a good meal out and probably spend too much money every month enjoying those meals (Last month was $250. Ouch!) But at home, I do try to be as frugal as possible, and I just found one more way to save a little bit of money…by cutting our tube of toothpaste open when I thought it was empty. I was just about to throw it away to open a new one, and wondered if there could possibly be more still left inside that couldn’t be squeezed out. So I got out the scissors and cut the tube in half. There was still a ton left inside!

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Frugal

By David

Get ‘Yer Free Magazine Subscriptions Here.

If you haven’t checked out the My Two Dollars Free Magazines page lately, you might be missing out on free subscriptions to your favorites. Why pay for a magazine you want when you might be able to get it for free? But remember – don’t just get one because it’s free, get it because you actually want it. Unwanted free stuff just makes more clutter and waste!

Frugal

By David

Going To Start Hauling My Own Trash To The Landfill To Save Money.

*Update – I talked to the people at the landfill, and the price is actually $.35 for every 20 pounds of trash you bring in. That would be way less than $5 a month for us, which makes it even more of a deal. When we first moved into this new house, I automatically signed up for trash pickup because, well…it’s what you do here. At least that is what I thought, until I was having a conversation with a local about the landfill allowing people to haul their own trash for $5 instead of paying Waste Management to do it for them. I guess I can see the draw of having a truck come around and pick up your trash for you, but we put out about 1 bag of trash a week, and realistically that truck would not have to stop at my house but once a month to get it all. However, because he comes by my driveway every Monday morning, I always put the bin out with a single bag of trash in it. Seems kind of dumb, but what seems even dumber is that I pay $27 a month for this service and I could have been doing it myself all this time for only $5 a month.

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Frugal