7 Money-Saving Questions You NEED to Ask Yourself 

Oh my goodness I wish I knew you in real life! The way you share your funny and embarrassing moments is so relatable and kept thinking that your kids are going to really enjoy watching these videos in about 10-20 years😂… it’s kind of a time capsule of your family life in this moment!

I love the idea of “try before you buy”. I could have saved a LOT of money on toys for my grandson! Now, I write down what he “HAS to have RIGHT NOW”, then wait at least three weeks. Nine times out of ten when I mention them again, he says he doesn’t want it anymore! I’ve been frugal all my life but once I became a grandmother, some kind of financial switch flipped and I want to buy everything for the babies! lol. Your channel helps me reign that in! 😂

Mine is, "Is this going to wind up in my garage sale this summer"? It has saves me so much. Also I only make purchases one day a week. It helps sooo much with impulsing Amazon😂

I watch a lot of frugal/cooking on youtube and got air fryer and instant pot curious. I was talking about it with a friend and she loaned me hers. I didn't like the style of her air fryer BUT it was useful. Only made one thing in the instant pot so that was a no. The food was good, but it took too long and was annoying to use. Then we found a drawer style air fryer at a thrift store for $6. We love it and use it often. Ours has only 2 dials, one for time and one for temperature. I LOVE that. We are unsuccessful with veggies tho. I figure, just steam those in the nuker.

You are such a kick! The potato stamp was a riot mostly because I did those as a kid. I put the brakes on when I stop to think if I have something already at home that would work, instead of xyz. I appreciate your laughs and energy.

I want a garden but I don’t want to garden. 😂 I am saving money by acknowledging that I can only do spices. Welcome to elementary school Valentine’s Day. We discuss in January and print something from the internet so we do it homemade but I tried to add something like a pencil or a printable cootie catcher. We go cheap, free and easy. The dryer vent cleaner from Home Depot was amazing to put on the end of a drill. You are supposed to clean yearly. The part to clean is the outside of the house.

We have a nugget but it was a Christmas gift from grandparents. My 3 youngest play with everyday. Sometimes even the middle child too. I have 7 kids total. It keeps them occupied while the older kids are homeschooling

Regarding your trash can, if it’s one you take to the curb, your city may replace it for free. Where I live there is a bin # on the front. I call them, give them that number, and they’ll drop off a new one and pick up the old on the next trash collection day.

We have 3 nuggets and they are WAY more fun than just a place to sit. If your kids ever start disassembling the couch on a daily basis to build with the cushions, time for nuggets. Def a purchase I don’t regret for our 3 young kiddos, so many fun things they can play with them! ** edit to add: we also homeschool though, so my couch being disassembled all day, every day is not something I can personally tolerate. The nuggets allow me to have a fully assembled couch and my kids to have creative, gross motor play.

You will never, ever regret using the Winter Sowing method ! I have asparagus and strawberry patches using this method.

The potato stamp brought me back to Girl Scouts! I don't think we knew there was another option. I once rented a car (when it was much cheaper) before buying one because a short test drive just wasn't enough and that was a big investment. I bought the car! I saved 4 volunteer tomato plants from the yard before the crew came to mow the lawn. I can't wait for more free tomatoes this year! Thanks for your energy and enthusiasm. I'm a subscriber but am glad to know now to look forward to your videos on Mondays.

I did potato stamps 26 years ago...I loved the sparklies after the food coloring dried on the paper. It turned out pretty cool. My art teacher displayed in the hallway art case at my high school! Had lots of questions from other kids on how I did it.

I had NO IDEA it cost $170 for a Dryer Vent Technician to do his job. Sounds like a new career opportunity to me. 😅 Also you are so right. Sometimes a trash can is just a trash can. And if you replaced it the same thing could happen again. By the way I saw a YT with plastic repairs and heat also with a backing material and heat but those were much smaller items. However in the interest of frugality and innovation someone might try that. I love the The Tightwad Gazette an love your channel.

If you're doing a little milk jug greenhouses you should totally check out winter sowing. Same concept except that you can plant any of the seeds that you want to plant in that scenario and just leave them outside anytime after the winter solstice and they will germinate when the conditions are right for them. I Am by no means an expert, but there are people who are so you can check it out and see if it's a good idea for you!

“Do you actually have time for this “ a good question to ask, and definitely saves a bunch of money. Like you, I also have a lot of versions I want to be, but the time for it isn’t there yet😂

Love your channel. Recently I've been thinking about how to spend (a little) on savoring good things. I've fallen in love with Breakfast in Paris tea. It's 20 cents/bag and my regular tea is 8 cents/bag. I decided even the expensive one was a cheap luxury and I'll keep buying it.

You are so darn cute! So bubbly, love yr channel. We saved 606.89 in February. I started a spreadsheet for 2024 DIY/ savings since watching your channel. So Thank You!

The idea to try it out first is great, you were very creative to make homemade stamps out of potatoes!!

I love that “don’t buy for the me I hope to be” ❤

My first question is, "Can I borrow or trade for something?" We have several neighbors who are more than willing to loan their rototiller, cherry-picking ladder, or other garden tools. We've made our wheelbarrow, pancake compressor, and home repair tools available. Borrowing a mega coffee pot from church for family gatherings saves me from spending on one-time purchases. Holiday get-togethers call for coordinating with friends for punchbowls and chafing dishes. Scheduling with friends ahead of time means you can rotate items. If a family in our circle of friends will be out of town for the holidays, I ask to use what I'm missing from my kitchen. A home-cooked meal when they return is a great thank you.

I have a few tempered baking sheets, and have had them for a long time; I don’t think I’ve burned a cookie while I’ve used them.

Lately my most frequently asked quested has been “will this ‘upgraded’ solution have a greater impact on my well-being than saving?” Usually the answer is no- an aesthetically pleasing drawer organizer or kitchen tool (whose soul purpose is to replace an existing solution whose only flaw is being ugly lol) is not going to be better for me than the anxiety-reduction wonder that is creating financial security. I can be very persuasive (to myself lol) about “practical” purchases that are really just an upgraded version of an item or a new tool specifically for a problem I’ve already solved with things I own, so I often need to pause and re-center *my* values and priorities because things can get so skewed after seeing perfectly curated lives + homes online.

I have watched SO many of your videos but noticed I wasn’t subscribed…..hmmmmmm. That problem was fixed this morning!!

3:16 for tight, deep areas like the dryer vent here, I keep old wrapping paper tubes for projects and stuff like this, you can usually stick one of these over your vacuum hose (may have to use a strip of duct tape to secure it if its that loose) and then you can flatten the paper tube down a bit to fit and stick it down in there and reach all the crevices and such. Just a tip. 😊

Oooh regarding the stamps, if you ever decide that you want some for yourself (card making etc), I ALWAYS see them at charity shops. I think they get donated quite a lot (probably quite telling lol)

I was just looking for a new video from you yesterday.

Gardeners, consider checking if your local library does "seed library". Mine does! If you get new seeds from your harvest you can donate them, but they don't fine you on seeds at least.

My newest question has been will I wind up giving this to my mom or sisters?

To keep from wasting potatoes I will cook up extra and make mashed potatoe.Then I put them in a oil sprayed muffin pan and freeze.When frozen I put them in a freezer bag.Then when I want them for a meal I take them out and microwave.

Can you do a frugal garden tutorial?

I love listening to you Hillary, you really brighten my day with your stories 🤣

I decided to invest in my own home baking business. In one day I made nearly $100 profit. I’ll only be able to bake a few days a months, but it will be a fun side hobby to save up some money.

Oh my gosh, I had no idea we needed to clean our dryer vents! Thank you for mentioning that. I found a great tool online and RU-vid video and we will be doing it next week. I’m a little freaked out to see what’s in there! ❤

I like your videos and just subscribed to your channel. It’s fantastic and reassuring to hear a young person such as yourself living on a budget and saving money where you can. I did the same thing while raising my children and it has gotten me to where I am today. I was able to pay in full for both of my son’s college tuition without them needing to take out any loans, whatsoever. And, I also had a little nest egg saved up for each of them to help them buy their first house. Today, I live very comfortably but here lately (over the past several years) my spending on “stuff” has gotten ridiculous. I am now going back to my roots in not spending money on things I do not “need” and am trying to once again save money at the grocery store. Speaking of food- I cook most all meals at home. But, I eat only fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, organic eggs, and more expensive bread that has few ingredients. I eat NO ultra processed food. Shopping and eating fresh tends to be expensive. I do this for my health and to maintain my normal weight. I make sure I use everything before it spoils. No waste. I do still enjoy decorating for Christmas and will never stop. I have stopped buying new decor. In fact, some of my older decor I have given to my sons for their homes. It’s nice to go to their houses during Christmas and seeing some of the decorations I gave to them out on display. I also still mail Christmas cards. I likely will never stop until perhaps I get too old to remember to do so! It’s the one time of the year I can tell someone hello and Merry Christmas to people I care about but whom I haven’t necessarily been able to see or talk to for various reasons. 😇

You have wonderful ideas. I really like the idea of using the old mattress. Super kid friendly.

Watching this mid-June, I laughed at your story about having the shop vac on blower instead of vacuum. Speaking of that though, I have a really old shop vac. The motor is still strong (and very loud!) but the hose, which does not detach, had pin holes all over the place from plastic deterioration. I had a roll of hot pink (yes, really) duct tape I had gotten to make markers for outdoor garden layout, so I wrapped it in one long, continuous piece, barber pole style, around the length of the vac hose. It makes the hose too stiff to retract or wind neatly to save space in the garage, but it works and I'm making do with my bright red Sears Craftsman vac with its hot pink hose. Lili Pullitzer would love it! lol

These are all great questions.

You go girl. Duck tape is king. Also super glue.

Your number 4 is so true! I’ve been influenced so often to buy something through RU-vid, especially books

So excited to see you had a new video! Love your tips! I want to start from seeds this year to save money, I’ll have to try your tip :)

My two favorite questions to ask myself are: Is this item worth the number of hours it takes to make my take-home pay to buy it? (Net is more accurate IMO than gross in this situation since that's what I would have to work with anyhow.) and Would I rather put this amount of money I'd be spending on X towards an asset of my own or is it worth putting a portion of that money into a billionaire's pocket to add to his asset collection? (Some of it does go towards employing people after all, but considering the wealth gap forces me to consider the value and actual need of an item.) As for starting seeds inside, I make my own tiny greenhouses out of the bulk fresh spinach clamshell containers from the grocery store. I drilled ventilation holes in the lids and sterilize them between uses. Lastly, if you haven't already had the party yet and have some traditional wire style tomato cages around, hit up DT/Wally for some balloons (and a pump), 2 pieces each of foam core and pink poster board. Pinch the ends of the cage together (bend back later) to form a cone shape and tape ballons to it (spiraling the colors if you want to get fancy) to form the unicorn horn. Then, cut out the white part of the ears to shape out of the foam core and a smaller shape for inside the ear from the poster board. Deocrate with any ribbons/ faux flowers you have on hand (or, borrow/barter/trade for some) and rest it all on the ground for photo ops/decoration as the top of the unicorn's head. You can check out unicorn headbands for inspiration. If the kids are at the stage where gross is awesome, get the pastel colored marshmallows to bag up as "unicorn poop" treats. Extra fancy party activity since you mentioned princess as well would be to get extra posterboard or cardstock and other appropriate craft goodies for everyone to make a conical princess hat. Just be sure to lay down a couple of cheap table clothes, vinyl or paper, to catch the mess.

Love your channel too! It is funny, interesting & inspiring!! Blessings to you & your family!! 😁👍🏼🌷

So here’s my dryer saving. My dryer wasn’t drying. My husband trouble shot the problem tried a couple of things, he’s very handy. Still wouldn’t work. He cleaned the vent, or thought he did, still not drying. He took another try at the vent, ours is long and curvy. Turns out there was a birds nest in it. FOUR grocery bags of debris later, my drier works just fine. If we would have called a repair guy, they would have told us the dryer was done and we would have bought a new dryer that still wouldn’t have been able to dry.

LOVE these guiding questions.

Great video. And the potato stamps brought back memories!

Oh my gosh…this convenience thing happened to me just yesterday!! My husband went out of town so it was just me and the kids..I decided I’d get some ice cream, a couple of frozen pizzas and we would have a junky movie night…..have yall seen the price of frozen pizzas? We would have had to have at least 3 of the cheapest ones to feed all of my kiddos (they’re tiny!)…no ma’am…I picked up some pepperoni and cheese and I had sauce and flour at home…we had a HUGE homemade pizza for less than 1 of the frozen tiny ones would have cost me…and we enjoyed the time together in the kitchen making it ❤

Brilliant idea is that green house thing❤️

Wellington boots, second hand, are a good investment with small children as they can get passed down to all of them and they can quickly learn to put them on themselves . Love your channel.

I love the cookie dough idea!

Find some old windows and hinges and build an indoor greenhouse. It’s even better to be able to see your seedlings without disturbing them.

I love your channel! 🥰

Fellow gardening enthusiast here. Makes me sad to hear you say that growing your veggie starts indoors is time prohibited. Never heard of an indoor greenhouse. My set up is grow lights and a shelving unit someone discarded. Fact.. Growing your own starts is a savings and another way to DIY. And it feeds the soul. You can do it!!

Hillary, I hope you see this. I believe that the city provides these. I live in Albuquerque and had one disappear and waste management replaced it with a nice brand new one. p.s. I love your channel :)

This is super embarrassing. I kept seeing the Marc Jacob's tote bag. I've never ever cared about the bag I carried. I bought the very expensive bag. Guess what? I'm still carrying the filthy, worn, tote bag with my grandchildren names in it. I hope I learned a lesson. 🤦‍♀️🙏

The questions that save me most money are related to a specific hobby, but I am sure they can be adapted for other situations too! I read 130 books a year and run a bookstagram page to write reviews, so there are many books in my house at all times. In theory this saves me money because I get sent free books from publishers and authors quite regularly. However, I also get tempted to buy books because most of the people I follow are other bookstagramers😅 When I first started I would sometimes impulse buy books I would not have needed to spend on, if I had just thought about it a little more. However, nowadays I ask myself: 1) Do I genuinely want to read this book, or am I only interested because of a good review written by someone else? 2) Can I get this book from the library or the library app? 3) Does anyone I know own the book and would be happy to lend it to me? 4) Is it available as an audio book in an app that offers free trials right now? 5) Is my birthday or Christmas coming up soon? There are a couple of people in my family who really like gifting me books, and they always ask if there are any I would like. 6) Can I get this book second hand somewhere? 7) Is the book cheaper in the kindle app? This is often the case! For the very few instances where all the above fail, I keep a list on my phone of the books that are a priority to buy. Then I wait until there is a sale! Two of the book stores here in Norway offer a membership programme where they have "friend weekends" 3-4 times a year. In those weekends, all their books (apart from the ones published this year) are 40% off.

FYI....I do love slightly over brown or burnt cookies. My friends think I'm crazy.

I think libraries have stamps you can checkout. They have lots of weird stuff you can checkout

It’s gotta be said… You have the cutest smile. 😁

I would bake that potato 🥔 🧀 🧅 🥓 🧈 😂 It is huge! Yum Love the way you explain saving 💴 💵 💰

Tightwad Gazette yes!

I use adblockers religiously, so there's not much opportunity for the internet to sell me stuff. But shopping shippable groceries online has tried to convince me to spring for the fancy mac-and-cheese that's supposed high protein, but is in fact less protein than generic. Does that count?

"Are you panicking!?" 🤣🤣

My big questions are do I really want this or is it fomo? And am I shopping out of habit?

I have absolutely made potato stamps ...LOL. My kids liked the activity, but moved on afterwards

I have never felt the need to buy anything from adverts on RU-vid. We don't need all that storage stuff or more junk in our homes. And as children, we would make forts out of blankets and chairs.

This month I had to spend $570 for my boiler and refrigerator notwithstanding I brought them used. Help!

Wouldn't the trash can fall apart by the machine that the city uses to dump the trash ?? Did the city provide the receptacle ? maybe they can send y'all a new one.

Do I really need this that orthe other. Almost always a no. However...sometimes i lose the battle. The war is getting easier with each passing day. Success!

If the City/County issued the trash can, then they should replace it.

Making homemade gluten free "cream of whatever" soup is 30 Cents. So yeah...I'm not buying it even Walmart's generic version is $1.73 and it's always out of stock so the next one is made by Pacifica and it's over $3!!!

No aspirational spending!!!

😀👍🦋

Grating a burnt cookie to give to someone? NEVER, and very TACKY! Why???

Oh crap, I didn’t know about the vent thing either. Thanks for the heads up. It’s also funny to hear about the Nugget in the proper context and not how I heard about it. 🫠