Thrifty Tips

I am 100% Dutch. Born and raised. The Dutch are known for their frugality. The heat will not be turned up higher than an iglo-like temperature since you can “always wear another sweater”, the fridge door will not be held open longer than the 3 seconds it requires to take the cheese out and we will ride our bikes in any kind of weather in order to conserve gas money as well as the environment.

I have become more Americanized over the years even though I still get chills up and down my spine when someone leaves a fridge door open way longer than necessary. But subconsciously I have developed habits that will stretch my dollar a bit. One of my pet peeves are lotion bottles with pumps. When you can’t pump anything out anymore there is still a half a bottle of lotion left. I shake the bottle vigorously until I get every last bit out. That’s why I prefer tubes and yes, I will cut them open. It is always amazes me how much is left. Don’t judge, I use a lot of lotion…something has got to give. Feel free to stock up on your favorite lotions when they are on sale, since you can keep lotion for up to 2 years unopened. I currently love Olay’s new line with Hyaluronic acid. They also have on with collagen but as we know that may be a waste of money. Collagen Supplements Sunscreen you can keep up to 12 months after opening, the chemicals that block the sun rays will become inactive.

On that same note I have discovered that mascara’s in a tube are also more economic. It’s easier to squeeze and scrape the last bit out. I realize we are supposed to get rid of them after 3 months any way but since I use mascara like I use lotion…I rest my case.

I buy cotton rounds at the dollar store, maybe not always the best quality but good enough to remove that last bit of eye make up. I will resort to better ones for nail polish removal. The dollar store sometimes will have brand name make up if you look hard enough. Make sure you check the expiration date if there is one though. Other dollar store purchases include hair ties, shower scrunch thingies, baby oil which I use in the shower at times and the occasional wide tooth comb.

Now loofah’s and those other in the shower scrub thingies can be a germ fest. You really should toss these after 3 to 4 weeks. The plastic scrub scrunchies can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Along with your hair clips, combs, brushes and flip flops. This messes with my cheapness since I don’t run the dishwasher a lot. Although I can justify this with the fact that I don’t have to replace these items after a thorough wash. Plus most dishwashers now will have the option to run half of a load. I recently discovered this on mine!

All in all the shelf life of beauty products vary. Most will have to be replaced after 3 months. With the exception of nail polish which can last for 18 to 24 months if kept in a cool dark place. Hair Dye has the same shelf life. That’s good to know because I will stock up on my root rescue next time it is on sale.

Disposable razors are still a mystery to me. At times I prefer the cheap single blade ones, but I “splurge” on a 5 blader also. Either one you should dispose of after 3 shaves. I get confused and tend to switch them up more than that. I really need to resort to laser hair removal or waxing. Once I do the math on that it may be more cost effective too.

I will mention that the Dutch also have a taste for the finer things in life, as do I. In that sense it balances out, the money you save can be spent on a luxury item or items…because obviously this is all in moderation. The majority will still have to go back into a savings account!