After Christmas Savings

I don't mean from the store.

You might have already thrown out the wrapping paper and the bags and the tissue that stuffed them. I haven't yet and I hope you haven't! If you had big gifts that were covered with wrapping paper, you can cut out the ragged and taped edges and save the best parts to wrap gifts in next year. Some papers can be ironed but others will melt. Some paper hardly wrinkles.

Wrap the salvaged paper around an empty tube or over an existing tube of paper.

Bags, of course you saved them, didn't you? Make sure to remove all tags. Most tags can be pulled or cut off.

Tissue paper! Why would you buy it again next year? Tissue paper can be ironed and used again and again. A steam iron works best, on a medium setting. If there are a few wrinkles left, they won't be noticeable when they're crinkled up in gift bag.

Lay them flat, then fold gently and store for next year. Why not?

Dish Detergent and Frugal Living

I got a sample of Dawn dish detergent awhile back but I hadn't used it yet - guess I was waiting for hard times or trying a new method of being frugal. Just for fun, I tried to see how long I could make it last. Wow.

I've washed dishes three times with it now and there looks to be at least enough for twice more, maybe three times. That's from a "one use" sample. How much do they want us to waste, anyway??

I wash dishes by hand in a large stainless steel bowl that's still smaller than a standard dishpan (if there is such a thing), so it doesn't take as much dish detergent as a sink full of water would. Even with a full sink of water and detergent, it wouldn't take the whole sample's worth.

So, who's the odd one out? The frugal soul who refuses to waste even a freebie, or the generous soul who swishes it downstream without a second thought?