Next time you go to the drug store for over-the-counter painkillers, skip the brand names and go generic. (Generic painkillers often come in larger containers, saving you even more money.)

At first it can be a little confusing, because we’ve come to know painkillers by their trademark brand names, not their generic names. This table gives the generic name of common painkillers:

The solution? Growing your own herbs. Many herbs, like basil, oregano and thyme are very easy to grow from seed. Parsley is also easy to grow, but needs a deeper pot and is prone to aphid attacks. Packets of seeds cost a couple dollars each, and will last your for years.

To stretch your growing season, start the seeds indoors in the early spring. They can be moved outdoors once the risk of frost is over (think Victoria day to be safe), of if you have a sunny windowsill, that will work too.

If you don’t have a green thumb, an easier solution is to buy plants from a garden centre. Not quite a cheap as growing from seed, but arguably easier. But for slower-growing herbs (like rosemary and sage), this is definitely the way to go.

By growing a variety of your own herbs, you ensure that you always have fresh herbs on hand… fresher than anything you could buy at a store, and nothing goes to waste.

Shaving products are a huge business, and in a saturated market, brands like Gillette (owned by Procter & Gamble) and Schick (owned by Energizer) know the only way to grow is by increasing market share or by making products more expensive. Razor blades have evolved from single blades to 4+ blades cartridges, with price increases to match. Unfortunately, the increase in shaving performance did not increase by the same amount.

A typical Schick Quattro razor blade will cost about $10, with replacement blades costing about $2.50 each.

But there are other options. You just have to look beyond the drug store or department store. Shaving supplies can be found much cheaper at your specialty men’s grooming store.

For the past 2 years, I have been shaving using a double-edge safety razor with single blades. You can spend anywhere from about $25-$100 for the razor (or more if you really wanted). I purchased mine from Men Essentials, a great online store for men’s grooming products. But the secret is the replacement blades.

Double-edge safety razors use single razor blades. So you’re not getting the 4+ blades of the fancy commercial razors, but most of that is marketing hype. With a little practice using a double-edge razor, you’ll get the same quality shave at a fraction of the price. Why?

Double-edge razor blades cost as little as $0.15 each. Yes, that’s right. Less than 10% of the cost of Gillette or Schick replacement blades. Men Essentials sells blades in 5-packs for $1.25 (or $0.25 each), I recently purchased a package of 100 Derby razor blades for about $15 on eBay, and similar deals deals are always available.

So I urge all men to give double-edge razor shaving a try. For some, it takes a little getting used to. But you’ll save a ton of money, and at the same time, reduce waste. A single razor blade is a lot less to be throwing out than a multi-blade plastic cartridge.

Bonus: Here’s an article to get you started shaving with a double-edge safety razor.

The Diva Cup is a reusable alternative to tampons or pads. Not only is it a more environmentally-friendly solution, but you’ll start saving money every month.

Read about the experiences of the Urban Green Girl and her Diva Cup.

But anyone mindful of these pitfalls has benefited immensely from photography’s move to digital. Photo editing software has become so accessible that any photo enthusiast, with a bit of practice, can produce quality that was once reserved only for the pros.

So it’s easy to create great photos… the challenge then becomes getting those digital files onto paper for enjoying in the physical world. And for printing photos, nothing beats printing on traditional photo paper.

For snapshots that only require 4×6 prints, it’s simple to get them printed at Wal-Mart, or Costco or your local grocery store.

But when printing enlargements, things can get a little trickier. Most places will print 8×10 or  12×18, but you’re not guaranteed accurate colour reproduction (since many “consumer” photo labs automatically correct colour), and for anything larger, you’re out of luck.

If you’ve gone through the trouble of editing your photos, getting the colours and exposure just right, odds are you want your print to match. That usually means turning to a professional photo lab. But “professional” anything usually carries a hefty price tag.

So when I was in the market for printing a 15×30 photo, I did a fair bit of research to find an affordable option. I had put a lot time and effort into editing this photo, so I definitely wanted it printed perfectly.

In my research, I found Provisia in Montreal. Their price list seems almost hard to believe, and they’ll print enlargements up to 24×100 while you wait! Or, upload your digital files via their website, and just pick up your prints the next day.

For those wanting perfect colour accuracy, they provide proofing profiles for download on their website.

Thanks to Provisia, I was able to print my 15×30 photo (as well as a handful of 11×14 photos) without breaking the bank. Both the prints and their service were amazing. Definitely worth a visit of you’re a photo enthusiast in Montreal.

(Tip: Enlargements in inexpensive frames make great one-of-a-kind gifts!)

That’s why, whenever I get tired of my usual hairstyle, I turn to buzz cutting my own hair. All it takes is a good quality trimmer, and a bit of time and patience.

I use the Wahl Peanut hair clipper, and I love it. A good quality clipper makes all the difference; not only is it easier, but the process goes about twice as fast. Avoid wireless clippers because they decrease in performance as the batteries drain. And you’ll most likely be buzzing in the bathroom right next to a plug anyway. You don’t need anything gimmicky; solid and utilitarian is what you need.

Your first time buzzing your hair will probably take longer than you’d like it, and you’ll probably find stray long hairs for days to come. But believe me, it gets much easier with practice. You’ll learn to understand the sound of the clippers as it goes through your hair, and develop techniques to make things go easier.

For your first time, checkout this site dedicated to the buzz cut. It has some great tips for developing your technique.

The other benefits of buzzing your hair? Think of all that time saved in the morning because you didn’t have to style your hair. And the money saved in hair product. And avoiding hat-hair in the winter.

Perhaps that was because I had a very expensive March, and I just didn’t have the heart to write about being frugal while spending like I did.

It started off with a vacation to Rome during the last week of February. Much of it (airfare) was already paid, and as I wrote in a previous post, the vacation was done rather inexpensively. So not much harm done there.

But then Apple refreshed their iMac line, and I had been waiting for just that to upgrade my aging Mac mini. So I took the plunge.

And at the same time, a designer knockoff lamp I had been eyeing at Structube went on sale. I couldn’t resist.

So March turned out to be an expensive month. But the lamp finally pushed me over the edge, and now I’m buckling down. No more leisurely spending. Only necessary purchases for the entire month of April. And to search for new creative ways to save a few dollars.

My goal for April is to post as often as possible, to keep the creatively frugal juices flowing.

Extra virgin olive oil is the top grade of olive oil. It is the least acidic, and has the most pronounced flavour. Top grade, however, also means most expensive. For salad dressings, bread dipping, or other recipes where it’s a central ingredient, definitely stick with extra virgin.

But in general cooking, I switch to pure olive oil. Pure olive oil is a combination of refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin olive oil.

Heat destroys part of the flavour profile of extra virgin olive oil, and deep within a recipe, you’ll never discern the difference anyway. So why pay for top quality olive oil when you’ll never know the difference?

Keep a small bottle of quality extra virgin olive oil on hand for salads and dipping. But for cooking, decant lower quality olive oil from a larger bulk bottle. You’ll save quite a bit.

Cocktails give you great variety. With a decently-stocked home bar, you can make dozens of drinks. Depending on your mood, you can go fruity, sour, spicy, botanical, etc.

Considering the cost of liquor, cocktails are also less expensive than wine and many beers (in terms of alcohol equivalence).

Most liquors can be purchased for $30-$40 for a 1.14L bottle. That’s $1.20-$1.60 per 1.5 ounce shot. Wine is at least $10-$15, or $2-$3 per drink. And import beers tend to start at $1.50 per can/bottle (a cheaper beer, in my opinion, is not worth drinking).

You’ll have to spend a couple hundred dollars to initially stock your bar, but that will last a long time. What you need depends on your taste, but these spirits and liqueurs will give you a good base: vodka, gin, whiskey, brandy, rum, triple sec and vermouth. You’ll also want to keep lemon and lime juice in the fridge. Many drinks also call for Angostura bitters, so stock that too (from the grocery store, with the drink mixes near the pop).

In terms of hardware, you don’t need much more than a cocktail shaker (assuming you already have an ice tray in the freezer).

Once you have your bar stocked (or beforehand if you need some inspiration), check out Drink Boy. It’s a great resource for cocktail recipes and articles.

Here are some of the cocktails I’ve recently enjoyed: Manhattan, Jasmine, Sidecar.

Cheers!

Non-stick pots and pans are definitely handy. But they’re delicate. No metal utensils and no hard scrubbing, because you’ll scratch the coating. Scratches grow deeper, and eventually the coating starts chipping away. And while I have no issues cooking on Teflon, it’s not something I want flaking into my food. A scratched pan is garbage. (Non-stick pans also don’t brown foods as nicely as stainless steel pans.)

(In all fairness, I do keep a non-stick frying pan in addition to my stainless steel pans. Eggs and pancakes are about the only thing I use it for.)

For anyone doing even moderate cooking, investing in quality stainless steel pots is a wise move. They’re virtually indestructible, so they’ll last decades, if not longer. Consider a heavily-used non-stick pan will get scratched within a few years, you can see how the stainless steel pots will pay for themselves over time.

I am personally a huge fan of the Paderno pots and pans. They don’t have fancy lids or handles; they’re pure utility. (Well, they do have some product lines with fancy details, but I don’t like those.) They have a thick aluminum bottom pad for even heat transfer, and welded handles that eliminate rivets on the inside of the pot. They have a 25 year warranty, and as a bonus, they’re made in PEI.

They cost more than your typical department store pots and pans, but they are constantly running special discounts on their website (or sign up for their newsletter to learn about specials). With a little patience, you’ll find a set of pots and pans on sale for 50-70% off. Combine that with the longevity of stainless steel pots, and you have a deal that you can’t beat.