Thinking on Frugality or Thrift

I while back I was really into reading blogs about money, and thrift - in particular The Simple Dollar.  Recently I picked up my reading of them again.  I am really enjoying Owl Haven and The Frugal Girl.  Rhonda's Down to Earth, an Australian blog, also touches on many of these issues.

However, I am coming to think that thrifty living comes quite naturally to me.  It must be how I was raised.  My parents have always been of the school that, if you can't pay cash, you don't need it.  Expenses were always saved for and there was always the make do attitude; also as my parent's garage testifies nothing that could possibly be of future use is thrown out.

So many behaviours that are identified on blogs as particularly 'thrifty' just seem par for the course to me:

-menu planning and working off a shopping list;

-minimising food wastage;

-hunting for specials, shopping around, and waiting to something is a good buy;

-buying secondhand - Mum and I love thrifting.  You can get some great buys.  DH and I went to a church fete on the weekend and picked a Fisher-Price ride-on lion for $10, they are going for $30 on ebay, not sure of their new price.  Also picked up a big box of trains and tracks (ikea brand) for $5 - I think that is actually for DH:);

-accepting hand-me-downs.  Ginger has got a lot of her clothes either handed down or thrifted.  Recently we got given a whole pile of size 1 clothes and leather shoes by one of the Mums at playgroup.  Big saving on the shoes, as they are brand new.  Lots of our tools, kitchen utensils and furniture around our house are hand-me-downs too.

Passed on by a Mum at playgroup

- eating-in, and taking food and water on excursions - I even pack food and water for trips to town.

-cutting the top of bottles and tubes to get the last of the product out.

What particular thrifty habits are second nature to you?