Frugalistas make something out of nothing….

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One thing I’ve noticed about not only myself, but about some of the great frugal friends I’ve accumulated in the past few years, is that we make a point of making “something out of nothing.”

Whether it’s a sale at our local store that seems to have hidden deals no one else could find, or creating great homemade cleaners to use instead of going out and spending 4 bucks on harmful chemicals, we make do in all occasions.

I was reminded of how great it is to use frugal ingenuity this past weekend.  Hubby was a groomsman at a wedding while I had to go to my parents’ house to “babysit” my 14 year old sister.  Maybe my memory is skewed, but I always remembered the fridge at my parent’s house being full of food. At all times. Food Food Food. Well, when I arrived last Saturday and they scooted out the door to attend a friend’s 50th birthday party, they left me with pretty much nothing in the fridge and a hungry toddler and teenager.  Not a good combination.

But, my ingenuity kicked into overtime.  I was determined to find something, ANYTHING, to put together to feed the two monsters.  I could have easily ordered a pizza and put it on my debit card, but spending 20 bucks for the 3 of us to eat sub-par food was not in my frugal vocabulary.  I was on the prowl.

I hit the jackpot when I found eggs, already made brown rice and half an onion.  I searched the freezer and found frozen veggies. Score!  Add in the fresh ginger in the produce drawer and some jarred teriyaki marinade, and fried rice was created! It was only a little bit of everything, but once I made it, my sister commented that it was “way too much!” We all ate like Kings and there were still some leftovers.

When my parents came home, I told them I found a few things and made sis some fried rice…with leftovers. Little did I know, while I was putting Sonny to bed, my sister was down in the kitchen finishing off the rest. Guess it was good.

I appreciated how great it was to just use my noodle and create something from nothing. Saving money and still making a healthy meal.  Showing my sister that you don’t always have to order out and that a cheap meal is always lurking somewhere in the house.

This is true with our money.  In a real pinch, we always seem to find something out of nothing. Rebate money from items that we get cheap or free, Chirstmas gifts just from clicking e-mails for a few weeks, and even items to pamper ourselves without wasting a dime. Creating something out of nothing is a gift we all share and are able to pass on to our family and friends.  Being frugal is beneficial….even when staring into an empty fridge.

About Amiyrah

My name is Amiyrah and I'm an an African American fashion & lifestyle blogger based in Ohio.

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8 Comments

  1. 10.27.09
    Lucky said:

    Great post! Our frugal wheels are always spinning aren’t they? And thanks for the idea for what to do with that dang teriyaki sauce I got 3 bottles of for free but still haven’t used!

  2. 10.28.09
    jskell911 said:

    I really enjoyed this post! It is true, too. The best rush I get is when I can repurpose or pick something out of thin air!

  3. 10.28.09
    Debtfreemommy said:

    My frugal mind is always working but sometimes it isnt a good thing lol. Ive been having to go through all my “clutter” because Ive been keeping things to make frugal crafts.

  4. 10.28.09
    Amiyrah said:

    that was a good thing, Debtfree! Your frugal mind recognized that clutter takes up prime real estate in your house, and losing some of that clutter would be the most frugal thing you can do! Remember, this is one of the main differences between frugalistas and hoarders: we’re able to see the forest from the trees and the clutter from the “keepsakes.” So proud of you that you were able to realize that. Bravo!

  5. 10.29.09

    I couldn’t agree with you more! True frugality involves lots of creativity. Sounds like you made some delish fried rice!

  6. 10.30.09
    Precious said:

    I LOVED this post! You get it and I think that is wonderful at your young age. The fact that it is a lesson for your sibling is a double bonus! BTW, I love fried rice!

  7. 10.30.09
    Noelle said:

    I love this post, but even more than that I love the response to debtfreemommy’s comment…..

    Your frugal mind recognized that clutter takes up prime real estate in your house, and losing some of that clutter would be the most frugal thing you can do! Remember, this is one of the main differences between frugalistas and hoarders: we’re able to see the forest from the trees and the clutter from the “keepsakes.” So proud of you that you were able to realize that. Bravo!

    WELL SAID!

  8. 11.14.09

    Well said, Amiyrah. If we have even a few things in our pantries (and I know you’ve got more than a FEW things in yours!), then we can throw something together rather than pay through the nose for takeout. Having a deep pantry is also useful when the weather is really bad and you can’t/don’t want to go shopping, or when someone is sick and you aren’t able to shop for a while.
    When I was really broke, I managed to pull together a very nice Christmas using some of the resources you mentioned. A lot of folks are in financial straits right now, so being frugal will allow them to celebrate (within reason).
    And as you know, it’s also a FUN challenge to see what you can make from practically nothing. I think that surprises some people: They expect a frugal lifestyle to be drudgery.