Tuesday Frugal Tip Because Spending Money Sucks!

Ok...this isn't a ground breaking, new way to save money.
And it won't save you A LOT of money all at once but if you do this and live to be oh....120, it might save you enough to pay for your trip to the Scooter Store for your motorized chair.

See this?

This is a mini Oreck Vacuum Cleaner called the Buster.  I got if for free when hubby bought me a big Oreck about 6 yrs ago.
I heart my baby vacuum.
It's highly portable & lightweight, not like the big vacuum cleaner.  It has a strap so you can wear it on your shoulder while you vacuum.
It's good for cleaning stairs, around the edges of the room or under/near furniture where the big vacuum can't go.
Since moving here 10 yrs. ago we have slowly reduced the number of rooms in the house that have carpeting to 4, so I don't use the big vacuum nearly as much as I use to, but I continue to use the baby vacuum a lot!

Vacuum cleaners are great.
But besides the electricity they draw to operate, there is another continuing cost associated with them....well, unless you bought one of those bagless Dyson ones.

Vacuum bags.

It's sort of like printers, you know?
The printers are cheap but the ink cartridges will bleed your wallet dry.
Vacuums are not too expensive but buying those vacuum bags for them every year is an annoying expense I'd rather do without.
And I do.....do without that expense.

See this?

It is my vacuum bag for my baby Oreck vacuum.
This is the last bag from the original set of 12 that came with the vacuum when we bought it new.
I have been using/reusing this bag for the last 3 yrs.
Yes, I said three years.

That was when I discovered we were on the last bag, three years ago, and told the kids NOT to throw out the bag when it was filled.
And I have been taking it out, emptying it out gently into the trash and reusing it ever since.

In the 1st three years we used/owned the vacuum we went through a bag every 3 months...4 bags a year.
A dozen new bags cost $15 and lasts us 3 years....for an expense breakdown of $5 a year for bags.

After 3 years of reuse my last bag has about had it and will need replacing soon.  I am coming around to facing the fact that I'm going to have to buy a new bag of bags soon.

$15.
Ok...$15 might not sound like much but I am sure you could think of things you'd rather spending $15 on or save $15 for, right?lol

Once I buy the new bags, it's the LAST TIME I plan on buying bags for this vacuum.
It will then be a contest to see what goes to it's reward first....me or my baby vacuum!
3 years out of 1 bag x 12 bags=36 years.
I'm pushing 51.
Let's hope the vacuum goes to Oreck Heaven before I do...because if this 86 yr old half-blind woman has to drive her motorized scooter to the Oreck store to buy more bags, it won't be pleasant!

Sluggy