r/Frugal_Jerk

May sound stingy but hear me out-

I get a lot of pens for free and they get used up pretty soon.

All the clips i buy turn to dust in a few months of exposure to the Indian Sun and rain.

So I started using the pen caps as clips for drying, especially thin items like tshirts, handkerchiefs , bedsheets.

Other things i have done-

I put all my extra bedsheets and blankets inside a pillow cover and use them as pillows. Helps in storage and when guests come over, under the feet while sleeping or on the couch.

I removed buttons and lace from clothes before using them as pocha.

I wear old faded clothes in winter to layer up or wear them inside the jacket.

I have used expired coffee to redye faded dark clothes.

I wear mismatched socks while sleeping in winter to keep warm. Mismatched as in lost one of the socks.

I cut up one end of my old ,torn shorts and sewed one of the ends, and use them as skull cap to while using helmet.

I have used an alcohol bottle with a wine stopper for storing cooking oil.

Used a paint bucket in bathroom, then used it as dustbin and finally as plant pot.

I apply expired odomos to mosquito net.

Used expired vaseline on belt and boots to revive them.

Some home cleaning tips-

Essential Oil + vodka = perfume /room spray

Vinegar as cloth softener

2:1 peroxide :soap as stain remover

Peroxide to remove blood stains

Water +dish soap + essential oil as all purpose cleaner

But i spend good money on alcohol, hotels , travel, cafes,experiences.

What really extreme things have you done?

Edit : This is a particular story that really inspired me.

There is a god on a bullock cart picking up every single grain of rice from the ground. Then when the wheel cart got stuck in the mud, he threw away whole bags of rice under the wheels to get out of there.

Perhaps /r/Stupid food and /r/shittyfoodporn too?

Sleep on latex mattress, couple years old (5-6). was sagging in middle like all mattresses do.. and causing back pain.

I said why not cut it and rotate the quadrants...... Puts the low point at the corners, and high point in the middle.

Now I'm thinking, you can not only rotate, but you can mix and match too!

Only negative I can see is it gets firmer over time, but now it will get firmer equally.

Can we normalize this? Can companies start selling quadrants we can just rotate? This can be a whole new market! They make you buy a whole new mattress. This might extend mattress lifespans considerably and lower revenue. Maybe this already exists, I don't know.

Slept great last night, we will see..
Did not have the correct tool for the job to cut it (SAWZALL)

Cheers,

edit: I'm using a soft 1" topper as well on top, and the pieces are covered with the wool SOL cover, mattress protector, and fitted sheet. I don't think it will separate. thanks for the laughs ... good luck with your projects ✌️

edit2: don't do this if your mattress has fiberglass or other harmful materials as someone noted 👍

edit3: I recorded the foundation and put weight on the bed. it only flexed 1 or 2/16s. I added extra support leg in middle to be safe and rule out the foundation.

I've been sleeping like a king last 2 nights, no pain!!!, and nothing has shifted and I have not fell into any crack.

Propane ran out and I needed to clean out the trap. I should have gotten more than one plate.

These sandals I made from paracord and scrap shower pan liner from work. (Plumbers on my jobsite threw out a bunch of thin rubber sheet)

The plastic triangles are 3D printed.

They are thin, cause I need sensory tactile ground feedback.

Smells a little musty but it's probably fine

After using the oven, I’ll put a few pans of cool water in it to capture the heat and pour it down the drain about 30 minutes later. Assuming I put in a half gallon of 70 F water, the oven is at 450F, and I pour it down the drain after 30 minutes, how much money do I save from my AC bill? Assume I set the AC to 72F, pay 15 cents per KWh, and my house is 1200 square feet.

Edit: water is 176F after 30 minutes when I pour it out.

Edit 2: water costs 2.8 cents per gallon (supply and sewer charges combined). I'm pretty sure I save a fraction of a cent, maybe .1, on cooling costs and spend about 1 cent for the water...

I didn’t even notice or thought to check the noodles till I was draining them. Glad I was able to see this I guess

EDIT: I’m not asking for money or donations I’m
Okay and def not without food but on a tight budget till Friday for payday. Had a massive unexpected car expense that drained me temporarily and a walk-in doctor bill (no health insurance) that I also was not anticipating. I’m not trying to get sympathy and I did a good price breakdown as it does give others ideas who may need it.

1 pack Beef Marachun Ramen from the food bank (free)

2 poached eggs ($1.12 for the dozen)

2-3 pieces of Oscar Myer deli turkey ($2.50 for the pack)

Lots of seasonings (we bought a ton of these when they were on sale for 50 cents a bottle). I think I used salt (mainly just on the eggs, pepper, parsley, ground mustard, roasted sesame, and then a couple others maybe).

Ngl I love shitty broke food and this one came out delicious.

Drink is Grape Kool-Aid. The unsweetened packets are honestly fire and they’re like 30 cents a pack at my local grocery. Add sugar to it but that’s cheap too and sometimes I get it at the food bank. The unsweetened ones taste so much better since you use real sugar and it’s not the Sucralose they use in the little squirt bottles.