So little money and a frugal triumph

[Amaranth]

This is related to the so little money thread, but involves a time when you were able to do a project/event/something for very little/no money.

Had written one up to include but the site timed out and it was lost. Will see if one of the moderators can retrieve it or if I need to retype it.

What are some of your most frugal triumphs?

[fidgiegirl]

I put on my sister's bridal shower for less than $100 for all the decorations, food, etc. (excluding my gift).

We had it at my mom's work, a small nonprofit with a nice community room that she let us use for free. The decorations were minimal and were on sale at Target, anyway. I borrowed a lot of stuff from school, like nametag holders and dress up clothes for a game, that I just brought back and no harm done. I didn't do prizes for the games and no one noticed. The food was simple, I don't remember what it was now, but easy. Probably meat on buns and pickle trays and that kind of thing. The DQ cake was probably the biggest expense, and I baked a second cake for those not into ice cream cake. We played a few word games and my mom printed them up and we used pens that were already around. We used the nonprofit's linens and plates and cutlery. I maybe did have to buy napkins. I made an inexpensive punch and probably had coffee. It was a small party, maybe 10 people, but I remember being extremely pleased with myself for pulling off a nice party on a limited budget.

Great thread idea! I hope more people will tell of their frugal triumphs!

[Tenngal]

I found 2 beautiful handmade baby blankets at a yardsale just a mile up the road from me. One has already been given as a gift to one of my husband's co-workers. I had around $6 in this gift including the gift bag and tissue paper.

[Blackdog Lin]

I put in a perennial garden beside our patio at the back of the house for a little bit of nothing years ago. The garden is still there delighting us, and I smile sometimes thinking about how my thrifty ways brought it into being.

It's a 10'x15' plot. DH tilled the area, and we paid ($40.00) for a load of good dirt to be brought in. The back side is bounded by lattice panels (which hide the air conditioner) that we salvaged out of the barn from old construction ($0.00). The rest of the garden is sided with landscape timbers which a coworker offered to me ($0.00) if I'd haul them away for him. I built a winding rock wall to make an upper level in the garden from flattish sandstone rocks we gathered all around our property ($0.00). I laid landscape fabric that a friend gave me ($0.00) when she moved out of town. I mulched the entire garden with wood mulch from the town tree dump ($0.00). And lastly we went out scavenging the countryside till we found a redbud tree suitable for digging up and replanting in the garden ($0.00).

Of course I've spent money since then adding flowers and shrubs, but am still proud that the "bones" of the garden came together so inexpensively.

[Wildflower]

We were thinking we needed to replace our shabby looking front door, but painting it a rich new color and adding a beautiful old brass doorknocker I found at an antique shop - we now have a beautiful new door for just a few bucks. Have received lots of compliments on it!

[lhamo]

Our wedding was an extremely low cost affair. Bought the cheapest simple bands we could find -- I think that was around $175 total. I bought my dress off the rack from the fancy dress section of a local department store -- it was a really nice qipao style with a bolero jacket in a silk brocade, on sale for around $125. I had a pair of white shoes I had worn when I was a bridesmaid at a friends wedding, so didn't need to buy shoes. Probably spent $5 on some white tights. Marriage license was around $25, I think. Parking maybe $20. NO flowers, and photos were taken with everyone's own cameras. Only had four witnesses -- my mom, my sister, and my friend from grad school and her husband. Took everyone out for lunch at a nice place for around $150 after. It was really small and modest, but I still have great memories of that day, nearly 15 years later.

About 6 months later we had a much bigger celebration in my husband's home town. Kind of pulled out all the stops for that one, as is the local custom, with a fleet of matching cars for the wedding party and a sit-down banquet celebration for 100 people. But the local custom is also for guests to give cash gifts, so we made back almost as much as we had spent. And we had enough left-over food to feed the whole family for several days, so we probably broke even. And also had many wonderful memories to take with us into what has been a great marriage.

lhamo

[iris lily]

I've had a parade of "expensive" dogs through our house for the past 15 years, getting them for free. Once you make yourself known to a breed club as a responsible, loving home, you will get breeders falling all over themselves to give you retired dogs.

I"ve also had rescue dog here that other had paid ridiculous sums for.I can't see it, those tend to be the poorly bred ones and their breeders is a good marketer.

We have bulldogs and French bulldogs that are (unfortunately) incredibly popular with the general public. Me, I've loved the bulldogs form the time I was a kid. Frenchies, not so much, they are an acquired taste.

[Nella]

Wow! I'm a little distressed to realize that I had a tough time coming up with an example. And then it's only a very small project. I think I need to make more of an effort to get back on the train. Anyway...

Instead of purchasing one of those nice, but expensive, plastic bag dryers (the wooden kind that have all the dowls coming out of it,) I made one from a piece of floral foam that I was about to throw out and wire that I cut and shaped. I completely covered the floral foam with a few cents worth of duct tape, poked small holes all over the form, and stuck in loops of wire. Worked great!

[Kestrel]

To dry bags I use long-handled wooden spoons and long-handled plastic spoons. They stand up in the dish drainer and work great. No cost at all, and the spoons can be used for cooking, too! :-D (not totally true ... the wooden spoons cost when I bought them, about 40 years ago, and the plastic ones more recently at yard sales) I don't do it to same money -- it's just that I have them and they work just fine.

[danna]

I have lately started drying bags on the fridge with a fridge madget inside to hold them on and open...not the pretty but it works...

[iris lily]

I have lately started drying bags on the fridge with a fridge madget inside to hold them on and open...not the pretty but it works...

I do that too. Puts those magnets to use for something.

[Mrs-M]

Bump!

Love this thread! Am hoping to think of something I have done to add.

In the meantime, would love to hear more triumphs!