Free green onion sprouts

Put the bottom quarter or so of an onion in a container filled with dirt and keep it watered. It will develop roots and give you green sprouts for salads or sandwiches. Tip: don't cut it all the way down, and you can continue to harvest it for several weeks.

"Free" cooking oil

If you buy tuna or fish steaks in oil, drain it into a container and use it in stir fry or to fry potatoes or saute other foods. No sense in wasting it; it's good oil for cooking although it might have a slightly fishy taste, so be judicious where you use it.

Free funnels

It may be old news that you can cut off the top of a plastic bottle to make a funnel, but if you pay attention, you can have a wide array of free funnels. Soft drink bottles, milk jugs, plastic vinegar bottles and more, are different sizes, so you can have one for everything you need. If you can't find one that fits well, use the plastic backing from a package of bacon and roll it into a point of the right size.

Free meat for omelets or pizza

Save all the little bits of leftover sausage, bacon, or ham - even the tiniest - and keep it in the freezer. It doesn't matter if it's not all the same type (or even flavor) when you use it on a pizza or in an omelet. You can mix it into cornbread, too, and serve with beans or dried pea soup, but that's not as frugal as using it in the main course.

Radish tops

Do you throw away radish leaves when you clean a bunch? You're throwing away good food. Radish leaves can be eaten raw in the salad but they also make a very good green vegetable, like spinach. Like spinach, too, they cook down, so plop them in boiling water for 15 to 20 seconds, then freeze them. Keep adding to your stash until you have enough for a meal. "Free" food!

Frugal Valentine's Day

If you're looking for something really cool to do with your honey, put your money back in your pocket, get all dressed up and go to a free museum or art gallery. You can treat yourselves to a coffee somewhere afterwards and still have a great time for very little cash.

Free salt

Bags of pretzels, potato chips and other salty snacks usually have salt in the bottom of the bag... you're getting it. Don't throw it out. Save it in a special container and use it on popcorn, in coating mixes for meat or anywhere a slightly flavored salt would taste good.

I call it "free" because it's something most people throw out without thinking about it.

More on freezer bags

If you buy chicken breasts in those heavy duty plastic bags, save them. Wash them out and dry, then package things to be frozen in bread sacks or other lightweight free bags, then put them inside the heavy bag that held chicken. Your food will be safe from any possible contamination (washing the bag well with soap and water should remove contamination anyway), and you'll have the benefit of a very good quality freezer bag.

Wild food

Gathering and using wild food can make a difference in your food bill. (Not everyone agrees - see the comments here: Beat the High Cost of Food: Eat From the Wild), but just for instance, a can of spinach isn't cheap... and wild spinach (lambsquarter) is free for the taking in many areas.

More on the subject: Wild in the City.

Free laundry basket

Substitute a cardboard box, lined with newspaper, or better, line it with plastic bags. You can cut hand holds from the sides. Sturdy cardboard boxes will last as long or longer than many plastic laundry baskets.

Free rope

When you cut up old clothes for rags (you do, don't you??), cut alongside the seams and keep a few on hand for lightweight rope. Depending on the material and type of seam, these can be sturdier than you might think. Tie them together for a longer rope.

Free rubber spatula

Why buy one? Trim a plastic coffee can or margarine tub lid to shape, leaving a wide "handle" to get a good grip. Make it a little wider than commercial spatulas for stability, since the plastic is thinner. Bonus: When it gets stained, throw it out and make a new one!

More "free" freezer bags

Do you ever eat potato chips that come in air tight bags? (Almost all do.) Reuse them as freezer bags. Smooth as much air out of them as you can, then fold each corner inwards, then fold the triangle point down a couple of times. They keep food as fresh as plastic freezer bags.

Freebies

Freebies are frugal! The internet is a fantastic way to sleuth them out. Toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and coffee samples can help stretch your budget. Don't be wasteful with them just because they're free. Use them carefully and put off the time when you'll have to replace the item.

Grow garlic on a windowsill

Garlic will grow happily in a container on your windowsill. Buy fresh garlic from the grocery store and use the largest cloves to plant. Put the unpeeled clove, pointed side up, in light soil with the tip just showing. Keep the soil damp and in a few days you should see a green shoot. You can use this shoot as a mild garlic flavoring (Give it time to grow at least six inches first, then trim only a few inches at a time. If you don't trim this top, it might become quite long and topple over - that's ok. When it turns brown and dries up, dig the clove of garlic you planted and you should have a full bulb. Take a clove from that and start over! (Container grown garlic will make small cloves.)

Freebies are frugal

Sending for free samples of products can definitely help you choose what you want to buy and getting products for free - well, what's more frugal than that? Just beware of getting your email address on some spammer's list. Use a special address somewhere like hotmail, mail.com or yahoo, for freebies and other offers that may bring spam. A few minutes work each day can net you some interesting and useful products, all for free.

"Free" freezer bags

Do you buy frozen vegetables? Save and wash the bags they come in... they're freezer bags, right? Since they've held frozen vegetables, they're very easy to wash - a good swish in soapy water, a rinse, and you're done. To freeze things in them, close them with a twist'em tie or rubber band and write the contents with a marker.

Free bread crumbs

Save cracker crumbs and bread crumbs from their packages as they're emptied. It won't be long until you have enough for a meat loaf or casserole - no added expense.