Chapter 75: Saving a Nickel

The "downturn" in the economy has been hard on all of us and we find ourselves pulling the purse strings tighter. The silver lining in all of this is that we've had to reacquaint ourselves with economizing. I, for one, got kind of spoiled being able to buy what we needed (wanted) and it definately squelched the need for me to be creative and make things we need instead of just go out an buy them.

An example of this is shown below. Nitro NEEDED a cat fountain. He just couldn't be expected to drink from a bowl, now could he?

My options were buy an $89 cat fountain or come up with an alternative. I decided to make one for Nitro. With a bit of research, I fleshed out an idea I had.

So, instead of this $89 cat fountain:

I made a trip to Petco for an aquarium fountain, Goodwill for the ice bucket, the Dollar Tree for the marbles and the greenery. Add to that a plastic wine glass from our "hot tub collection" and we are ready to make a cat fountain. The family already has a chocolate fountain and a punch fountain, why not a cat fountain?

Add 10 minutes of labor and *poof* we have a $17 cat fountain:

 Mission accomplished. It's a hit. Although a plant looks a bit funny on the laundry room floor, it definately looks nicer than the $89 cat fountain I originally coveted.

Good night all and be thrifty.



Thrifty phrases

*Make do with what you have.     

*Nothing is a waste of time if you use the time wisely.

*Hold on to what you have.

*Find the value in all things.

*A penny saved is a penny earned.

*One man's junk is another man's treasure.

*A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

*Try to find a good use for everything.

*Waste not, want not.

*Thrifty is nifty.