I like to sew. I sew for a grand daughter and I make quilts for gifts etc. I also have made a lot of my own clothes through the years.

I look at thrift stores and garage sales for dresses, men’s suits, and sheets etc. The dresses and men’s suits I take apart, iron flat, and then I save the zippers and buttons.

The sheets I use for making quilts. Old blue jeans make great quilts too.

I do not buy much fabric in a store. Most of the time my fabric comes from something others have cast off.

The men’s suits make beautiful clothes for women too. A pair of men’s pants can be cut into a woman’s A-line or straight skirt…with the jacket re made for fit her…

Okay… don’t know how inventive it is, but here is how I save our family $120 dollars a few months ago. Okay…let me “paint the picture” for you. In our bathroom was have a large and old claw foot tub. We have a freestanding shower (I am not sure what the correct term is for it). It’s the kind where the plumbing (pipe) comes up from the faucet in the tub for the shower head and then there is a metal ring that is suspended from the ceiling (so the floor gets wet easily). Anyway…a few months ago the metal piece that the circle curtain rod hangs from (That’s screwed into the ceiling) broke. It was actually the piece that the large rod screwed into. Well, you can’t just purchase a new piece to attach to the ceiling. You have to purchase the whole kit and kaboodle (the shower head, pipe, curtain rod, ceiling mounts, etc) and it costs…a minimum of $120. Of course we don’t have the money for that So I go to the Big Blue home imporvement store, purchase two screw in hooks and head home. I put those hooks into the ceiling…find a spare shoe string…and thread the shoestring around those hooks and around the oval shower curtain rod. It’s not pretty ..but it works!

Hmmmm, there are so many!!! I would have to say though the best one I usually follow tooth and nail would be thrift shopping:) I love it because I cannot even tell you the last time I have bought something that was MORE than $5. Clothes, shoes,housewares,electronics,crafts etc. AND it’s almost always in the best of shape and you wonder why did this person get rid of it in the first place?? Good deals release HAPPY feelings too!!!

Tweeted about your giveaway! @sewmanyideas

Shared giveaway on Facebook!

My favorite tip is creative gift wrap that you find around the house and costs close to nothing. I have used fabric scraps, those cheap plastic tablecloths that you use for parties, plain box with a big bright bow, decorated lunch bags, and of course the Sunday comics. As for bows, I saved my daughter’s baby bows and ribbons and hot glue them on the package. I also crochet a “ribbon” or just use plain yarn. Fabric torn into strips makes a cute bow on a plain box.

Carefully store hand me downs according to size, and LABEL the boxes clearly with the size inside. This way when you go up a size you clearly know what you have and don’t buy what you don’t need!

Oh yeah, and store all the boxes together…

My best weapon is the thrift store also. We have cut many places(lower rent, homemade meals and snacks etc) but those kids keep growing out of their clothes!

The best part is that I turn my thrifty savings into thrifty earnings. I do this by selling my kitschy vintage finds online. Retro is always popular so I usually make back what I spend at the thrift store all together just by selling the extra few items I pick up.

And I agree with Sara…I cringe at the thought of spending more than a few dollars on any clothing item. Especially pants for the boy that will have holes in the knees in no time flat!

https://twitter.com/greaterjoypics
And tweeted )

My tip is to be patient. Wait for sales and stock up when they come around. When we know we’re gonna need something, start looking on craigslist or post to freecycle. For example, we’re going to need a baby gate when our son starts crawling in the next few months, so we’ve been looking on craigslist and at garage sales. This way we won’t be forced to buy a new one last minute.

I don’t know that it’s the most creative thing (it’s actually kind of embarrassing for me to admit it) but I hand wash our family’s clothes to save myself from going to the laundromat.

I have face booked this give away on my fan page on facebook and I will f.b’k it on my personal page as well…..

There was nowhere in my closet to hang my clothes so I took an old wooden broom handle and converted it into a clothes rack. It’s sturdy and works wonders! Another idea I had was taking an old, cheap car sun shade and placing it in one of my bedroom windows to keep out the heat. Works great!

When shipping fragile items I use plastic grocery bags to prevent damage. I simply take the bags, fluff them each up with air and shove them in and around whatever I’m packaging up. It sure beats having to purchase bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts especially since those grocery bags multiply in my closet like bunnies.

For little girls outgrowing their pants too quickly…Add a lovely ruffle of pretty material to the bottom of too-short pant legs for a new flared, longer-lasting look.

My money saving tip is to not go to the store often–shop for groceries once a month (as much as you can). The less often you go to the store, the less you will be tempted to buy!

Also, if you need something, instead of running out to buy it right away, pray first and see how God provides!

In Christ, Laura

posting on Facebook

I’ll admit, I didn’t think of this tip myself, but it is the very best one I know of –

Commit to a no-spending day every so often – at least once a week, more if you can pull it off. This is much easier if you stay at home most of the time – leaving the house, particularly by auto, draws me right into the temptation to buy.

A no-spending day requires disciplined and creative thinking. Frequently I find that there’s an ingredient I need for dinner or a “little something” I need to pick up for a household project, but if I’m committed to a no-spending day I have to make do with a substitute or find a different project to complete. And really, there are plenty of things to do around the house that don’t require additional supplies.

No-spending days help me limit my spending the rest of the time, too, because they help me develop the habit of looking for alternative solutions.

i shared this on fb where i am agodlyhomemaker

I am a piano teacher so I look at our library’s used book sales for piano music. If I find books my students use I pick them up for only $.25. I pass the savings on to my students. I have found brand new books that retail for $6-8 for only $.25! Some students don’t even mind if they are a little used.

I think just by not following the crowd you can save a lot of money. For my daughter’s bat-mitzvah we didn’t have a huge party with a DJ. Instead, we celebrated by taking our extended family to brunch, saving us thousands of dollars.

My best tip is to research before buying. Not only can you find the best price, but you may also be able to find a coupon, price-match, rebate, etc.

This is really hard because I have sooo many ideas. My biggest money saver is shopping at garage/yard sales and thrift stores. Instead of running out and buying whatever, it is more of an adventure to be on a hunt for it at yard sales. In fact, last CHRISTMAS we did a yard sale Christmas. All the gifts I got my kids were from yard sales. It was so fun and the kids were in Heaven with the things they got. My daughter loves Barbie so she got so many awesome Barbie items- cars, plane, house, etc. It surely saved a lot of money.

I don’t know how creative this is, but it is a tip I haven’t seen on most frugal sites.

I have a list of things I want to look out for at garage sales, thrifts, etc. (currently on list – bread pans, size 5 girl’s clothes, and garden shears/pruners). This way I can take advantage if I stumble across a big garage sale or an errand takes me past a new-to-me thrift store.

But the best tip is to advertise this list. Let family, friends, neighbors KNOW you are looking for a certain thing. You never know what might turn up free!

Use half a scoop of washing powder in the washing machine instead of a full one. I’ve been doing this for a while & found it works just as well.

I’ll admit I’ve never even heard of this book and it intruiges me! I’d love to win it!! I hope it’s not too late to enter. I read about this giveaway on a friends blog thriftysassymama.blogspot.com

and I’m about to post a link on mine athriftyfind.blogspot.com

thanks for the giveaway!

ooooooooooo too late.