Frugality might not be the first word that comes to mind when people think of me (except perhaps with regard to toothpaste and soap).
Take, for instance, this year's holiday decorations--we have a total of 100 lights decorating the outside of our condo (2 strings of 50 lights), and the total cost of the lights was something like $3.68--a reasonable expense. However, the equipment that I bought so I don't have to go outside to plug in and unplug the lights--an outdoor timer and extension cord--came in at about $20. I justified the expenses as cost-saving (the timer will allow us to leave the lights on for a specified period of time each day) and good for the long run (we can continue to use the items year after year). The expenses defy the rules of frugality but they make my life easier and better, so they are worthwhile.
Some items make life happier but can still be purchased on sale, like clothing--I try not to pay full price for clothing because you know it will go on sale at the end of the season.
I recently discovered a way to make my life easier and better without actually spending money--oh, the frugality is amazing! The source of my newfound knowledge? My shower curtain liner.
The water in our town is hard, and it renders my shower curtain liner a tad unpleasant after 2 months or so. And while investing $10 in a new shower curtain liner every 2 months is not a ghastly expenditure, it's annoying--I'd much rather spend that $10 on something else. I tried cleaning it with the scrubby brush that I use to clean the shower, with limited success--well, truth be told, I didn't make much of an effort--I'd rather spend money than add an extra cleaning chore to my routine.
But I had one more idea before I broke down and headed to Target. I noticed washing--and drying!--instructions on the liner. Could the liner actually go in the washing machine and dryer, and would those magical machines leave it looking like new? I decided it was worth a shot.
An hour later, my like-new liner was back hanging in my shower, and I had saved $10 and a trip to the store. The savings almost makes up for my twice-daily marathon showers.
