[MamaWrites]

Anyone want to play the frugal ABC game? Basically, we have to think of something frugal for each letter of the alphabet in succession. I think it will be fun and spark some new frugal ideas.

Okay, I'll start with A...

Art: Use bookplates or postcards for frugal art!

Anyone up to try the letter B?

[QueenAngie]

Bags - paperbags, plastic bags - reuse them as small garbage bags around the house.

[JeanLynn81]

Cotton balls-(FUN game for kids and inspires creativity) Draw an old man, and make a giant beard for him by gluing down cotton balls. Then have the kids hide different things in his beard (i.e.-buttons, small toys). You get to guess what's hiding in the Old Man's Beard. (I thought this was fun as a kid) You can make one too and have your kid guess too!

[GraciesMommy]

Dinosaur Dig - In a sandbox bury plastic dinosaurs (from a dollar store). Have the kids use plastic shovels to find the dinos. Give them paint brushes to "dust" off their finds. As a kid, my parents also burried change in the sandbox and then we could find them...like burried treasure.

[MamaWrites]

Wow--you guys are awesome! I can't wait to see what someone comes up with for Z! That Dinosaur idea is brilliant, and I tried the cotton ball game yesterday. My daughter loved it.

Okay I've got E: Electricity (of course). Shut off those lights, and if you have a bathroom light fixture with multiple bulbs, put it at least one dead one to reduce your energy usage.
Are your Daily Habits Wasting Energy?

[JeanLynn81]

Originally Posted by Mary Ann

Wow--you guys are awesome! I can't wait to see what someone comes up with for Z! That Dinosaur idea is brilliant, and I tried the cotton ball game yesterday. My daughter loved it.

I thought the dinosaur game sounded neat too! And I'm so glad your dd liked the game!

Ok on to F....

art Frames-No need to go out and buy expensive frames. Buy (or make if you know basic carpentry, which I do not) a basic wooden frame and glue things to it like buttons, plastic flowers, sequins, etc etc-be creative! Try to match objects found in the picture too if you can.

[kdgilles]

I'll play!
G-Give up what you don't use. Do you really need 750 channels on cable or could you get by with the much ceaper version with only 250 channels?? (I'm of course exaggerating) You could also make some dough selling your kids cute outfits that you just had to have at a consignment shop or on Ebay.

[GraciesMommy]

Originally Posted by kdgilles

Do you really need 750 channels on cable or could you get by with the much ceaper version with only 250 channels??

DH and I were discussing this the other day. I wish cable companies would have a package so you could only buy the channels you wanted. We really only watch 10 or so of the 500ish that we have. It would make channel surfing a lot faster...and cost less.

Oh and H is Hand-me-downs --- 'nuff said

[MamaWrites]

The cable thing is frustrating. I would like to turn off our cable, but it is tied into our internet. Now we just lost HBO because it went digital, and we don't want to pay more than $100 a month for digital cable!

So we are up to I--hmm, that is a hard one. How about insects: use vinegar or borax to kill them inexpensively. Vinegar in The Garden

[chrissyf320]

J- jars- reuse baby food jars, mayo jars etc. for making candles or other crafts- you can also use them to hold markers, pens, pencils etc. One thing my parents would do is cut a slit into the cover of a mayo jar, then glue the cover onto the jar and use it as a piggy bank. You could paint it to make it pretty