I like to reuse Ziploc bags, I just wash, air dry, and reuse. Another little trick is to save packing material that comes in the mail and reuse it. 
If I have none and need to ship a box, I go to the store and ask for a paper bag. I turn it inside out and reuse, it's FREE. I reuse the envelopes that come in credit card offers to resend out bills.
Cancel cable and internet - you can get free movies at the library and use the computer there. I also like to save the extra wax from a candle that is burnt through and remelt it down and make another candle. I spray paint sticks and make lovely in-home displays. Also, go to the thrift store on the days they have the entire store half off. I buy furniture, sand it down, stain it, and reuse.
By Penny Pinch from Denver, CO
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Being frugal is so important but, do not jeopradize used items with all the Bed Bugs out there!
I'm frugal, but we splurge on basic cable and internet. My mother loves watching her cable news at all hours, and I use the internet a lot to do research, sell things online, etc. Plus, the library won't let me download/upload anything, so there's no way I could use their internet for what I need, even if they did allow me to use their PC's for longer than 15 minutes.
I don't think this is such good idea. I'd never cancel my internet service; that's the way I pay bills, do my taxes, order some things online and keep in touch with ole friends and play a few games. The internet has saved me more time and money than I can count and it's not all that expensive compared to to other expenses. Logging in at the library has it's risk. I'm frugal and seldom ever go to a movie; love watching my favorite sports teams so cable and internet are two things I will not go without. Now if it made a difference between paying bills and eating I would not have a choice but meanwhile I'll keep logging in and watching cable.
I have a few things. When I get a box of dryer sheets, I cut them in half and use them twice over. When I'm out of dryer sheets I use aluminum foil. Also when we do go out to eat, the personelle always put ketchup packages in the bags of food. I keep them in my fridge and use them later.
I air dry all clothes, eat at home, garner tips from the internet. I do not enjoy watching television thus no cable etc. I drive minimally and plan my trips carefully when I do drive. I have started a price book for groceries and grow as much food as possible.
I use the internet for on-line banking to pay bills, so I don't need envelopes or postage. Once I got into on-line banking, you'd have to fight me to get me to quit. If a payment is late because of the bank, which has only happened to me twice in almost 20 years, the bank takes care of any late fee. Before I started on-line, checks were always getting lost, and I spent more on postage in a month than I do in a year now.
My husband and I are retired and we watch a lot of TV, in addition to all the reading we do. By having a prime-time anytime Dish account, I can record 6 programs at once, 4 regular local and 2 cable. That's our main entertainment expense, since we don't like to travel or go out at night a lot (we're old!) It was different when we were in our 20s and 30s, but now my idea of happy hour is a nap.
I had to use the library a few years ago when our internet was out, and it was a hassle to get to the local one, since it's about 4 miles away. Also, the library might have movies, but there's no guarantee they'll have anything we want or haven't already seen. We get the money's worth out of our Netflix account, especially with the streaming option.
I do plan my trips to town so that I always have at least 2, and sometimes 3 or 4 things to take care of--grocery, drug store, post office, recycling. I got in this habit 10 years ago the first time gas was $4 a gallon.
If we ever got public transportation out here, I'd be the first in line to use it, but here in Texas, people are in love with their cars. I laugh at friends on-line when they'll flippantly say somebody should "ride the bus." If only!
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