I’ve heard that if you are going to pick a month to try being frugal, February is the one. It typically has just 28 days, so there is a smaller time commitment and coming in after holiday spending and dinners, it only makes sense to find a time to make spending less a priority.

This month, I thought we could search out some frugal savings tips and see what we can do to eliminate some spending. I say some spending because although we might be able to eliminate a lot of spending, there will still be things in the mix. This Frugal February is not about stress but about doing what we can do. Rather than a post a day, I will do a post a week. But I’ll add to things here.

Today’s tip (2/1/2021): Shop from your own pantry for dinners for the week or all meals until you have cleared out your pantry. This is something I have done in the past. I think I can probably get at least two weeks of dinners out of my pantry, maybe a little bit more. Go for what you believe can work for you and your family. It is definitely an excellent way to clear up some pantry space, save money and use items that maybe you forgot you had (like the can of water chestnuts I totally forgot about). If you need to buy staples like milk or bread, please go for it. This is to try to do what you can, not get down on yourself for some items your family needs. But see how creative you can get.

Today’s tool (2/1/2021): Supercook is an excellent website for finding out recipes for what you have on hand. Check it out here.

Today’s tip (2/2/2021): Try your best to use it all up. I think a lot like my Nana and hate throwing something out if I can use it so it bothered me when I couldn’t finish Dijon mustard until I found this super easy Dijon vinaigrette recipe that you can use the little bit of mustard left over in the jar. You will need white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, a little bit of sugar, and olive oil. This is the link to the recipe from JackieOhNo I found at Food.com.

Today’s tool (2/2/2021): More great ideas for using up condiments can be found at FoodPrint.com. They are a great sustainability resource too!

Today’s tip (2/3/2021): Save some money by taking advantage of some free entertainment. The library is a great place to start for this! There are very few places where we can rent books, movies, and music for free. Many libraries also allow access to free ebooks, audiobooks, and even movies you can watch digitally without even heading into the library! Just see if they have access to Overdrive it is worth checking out!

Today’s tool (2/3/2021): Where is the library near you? This link to Michigan Public Libraries will take you to a list with cities, addresses, and phone numbers. Here’s the link to Overdrive so you can learn more about it too.

Today’s tip (2/4/2021): Frugal February doesn’t just have to be about not spending money but about learning some frugal tricks. Before you toss jars out see if there are ways you can repurpose them. You might save yourself from buying something. For example, I make overnight oats for breakfast. Rather than purchasing some mason jars (which lately have been hard to come by) I clean and reuse other jars.

Today’s tool (2/4/2021): Recyclebank is a great site to learn some great ways to repurpose and reuse. Plus you earn points for many things you learn. You can use those points to get free magazine subscriptions (my personal fave) and also some great discounts. Here’s the link to Recyclebank.

Today’s tip & tool (2/5/2021): Spread some love this Frugal February freely. You can write some reviews of your favorite books and share them on Amazon and book review sites, do the same for local businesses via Yelp or Google. My favorite sending encouragement electronically. This month you can send some encouraging Valentine cards to the children of St. Jude. They have some great cards designed by the children and you can write your own message or use a prewritten message. Follow this link to St Jude Children’s Valentines.

If you have any great frugal tips, email me! Here’s the link.