The frugal lifestyle can be defined as a way of utilizing all of the resources at your disposal in a conservative way. Some things are obvious such as budgeting and shopping sales with coupons in hand. There is another part that many people don't think of as being frugal or don't think of at all. Taking care of what you have.
Few people think of this anymore. There is not one company that sells a product that will advertise that their product should be taken care of for optimum value. Have you ever seen an ad for a vehicle that tells you if you keep the vehicle washed once a week in the winter months rust would have a hard time growing? Or if you want your washer to last a very long time, clean it?
The truth is all frugalistas clean what they have to lengthen the lifetime of use of an item. We don't see things as being disposable, we see then as serving our needs. For as long as possible.
Two items that can last 2x as long as normally expected are the coffee pot and the washer, simply by cleaning them with vinegar.
For optimal life, the coffee pot should be cleaned once a month by filling the pot with 1/4 cup of vinegar and add water to the maximum capacity. ( usually 12 cups) Run this mixture through the appliance then dump the hot mixture in the sink. Run a pot of clear water through and the coffee maker is ready to serve you for another month.
You can do the same thing by adding 2 cups of vinegar to a tub of water in the washer. I use the rinse cycle so the machine only works through one spin. I do this 4 times a year.
I did both of these things this morning. It has taken me much longer to write this than to complete the tasks. There is no pain involved in these frugal activities and the time is minimal. Check it out just once to see if these tasks can fit into your routine.
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