Smarter Frugality: The Little Things That Make a Difference (Part 1)

Nothing, no matter how small it seems, should be overlooked by those seeking a simple, more frugal lifestyle.  If you aren't paying attention to what may seem like trivial matters, soon they start to snowball into bigger problems.  For example, there is no such thing as a "small" leak at one of my rental properties.  If water is coming from somewhere it shouldn't, that's an urgent issue that needs to be addressed.

Here are a few examples of "tiny" ways I am frugal:

• I used to throw my so-called dirty clothes in the laundry after wearing them once.  It didn't matter if all I had done was wear an outfit to the mall for a couple hours.  At the end of the day, the outfit went in the hamper.  As a kid, we washed our towels and washcloths after every single use.  Now that I am smarter, I use the same towel several times.  That makes a huge difference in our electric bill, plus the towels last longer.  If I wear a pair of shorts to run a few errands, I change out of them when I return home and will wear them again the next day.  I do wear t-shirts and underwear only once.  I sweat too much to get a second use out of them.
• A couple years ago one of my friends saw me applying my deodorant.  He commented about how much I use.  While I have heard of some misers who can get away without wearing deodorant at all, I still need it.  But, after that comment I began reducing my usage a little at a time.  I find that today I use about 75% less deodorant, and I don't stink.
• About once a month we try to use everything up from the refrigerator before shopping for groceries.  The last few meals get a little interesting, but doing so prevents spoiled food from hiding behind other items.
• I use my bicycle to handle local errands whenever possible.  There's a paved trail that crosses my street.  I can use that to go to the grocery store, the library, and the hardware store, among other places.  I get my exercise in this way, and save wear and tear on my car.

Tomorrow I will look at places where I spend more money than I have to.  Smart frugality, after all, is an investment that should pay dividends over the long haul.