Some frugal things we've done since pandemic started

 We do practice frugality on a regular basis, but the pandemic really made us take a 2nd look at how else we can save on things.

* I've started cutting disinfecting wipes in half

We already had a decent wipes stockpile and I'm one of those blessed to have found the multipack wipes twice at Sams (I see Sams now only sell singe tubs and the limit is 1), but I saw that a single wipe is big and not always needed. So I started tearing & cutting wipes in half. I carry a small tub in my purse, because not all stores have cart wipes. 

* Stretching laundry pods

I hate pods, because they are such a rip off. You pay the same price for a 14-16 ct pods pack as you do for a 40 oz bottle of liquid. The difference is in the quantity. You only get 14-16 washes out of the pods, compared to 2-3 times more from the liquid.

I have several pods packs in my stockpile that was free or near free when I did Spend $X.xx on drugstore deals. The first time I used a pod in the wash, my sinuses were overwhelmed. I couldn't stand the strong smell. So DS and I started cutting open the pods and pouring the contents into an empty detergent bottle. We then diluted the liquid with water to help with the strong scent. Then we saved all the empty pod packs to use too, since they're not completely empty and dissolve in water. I just add 2-3 'empty' pods to a load of wash & voila - no detergent wasted. I noticed that one pack of pods didn't even fill a quarter detergent bottle.

* I started cooking 2 dinner per week only. We rotated those meals until they're done, so less food waste. On Fridays I'll make pizza or mexican or we'll get carry out. 

* I was gonna donate my old coats since the zippers were damaged, but decided to just wear mine when we're outside the house. DS also still wears his old coats, so the new coats are still tucked away.

* I was gonna donate our flat sheets too, but read about how you can turn them into pillowcases. So that's a project for when I have spare time. I got a new sewing machine at half price in October/November, so I'm gonna put it to good use. 

* We have an abudance of shampoo, so I looked for alternative uses online. I used to clean our bathrooms with shampoo years ago & it works great on shower doors. I'm going back to doing that. I'll still use my bleach mix twice a week, to ensure that all germs are killed.  I've also filled our foaming hand soap dispenser with shampoo. If shampoo's gentle enough for your head, then it must be gentle enough for your hands too :)

Has anyone else made more frugal changes since the pandemic started?