Cheap meat tenderizer

Frugally priced beef and pork is often tough, but you can make it as tender as the most expensive roast or steak by marinating or cooking it with vinegar. That can taste a lot better than it sounds! Barbecue sauce made with vinegar or mustard sauces with vinegar will do the trick, as well as cooking pork with sauerkraut. For a nice roast, though, splash a little plain apple cider vinegar over it before you add spices or salt and pepper. The taste will go away, but the vinegar will nicely tenderize the meat.

Sunburn remedy

It's getting about that time of year again - time for sunburns. No matter how careful we are, it still happens. When it does, reach for the apple cider vinegar and splash it on. Not only will it help relieve the burn, it will keep your skin from blistering and peeling and that means a better tan.

Cheap substitute for clarifying shampoo

Instead of buying clarifying shampoo (used to remove buildup so you can continue using your favorite shampoo), use a table spoon of baking soda dissolved in a cup of water. Work it well into your hair and scalp, rinse, then use half water and half vinegar as a final rinse. This will remove shampoo residue and leave your hair very soft.

Age spot fader

You don't need the expensive kind - just mix vinegar and onion juice and apply to age spots. It takes the same amount of time to fade them that the commercial version does. If your skin is dry, you can use lotion or cream after the application is dry.

Save your clothes from bleach

If you use bleach to clean anything, keep a spray bottle of vinegar around for those "oops" times. Vinegar neutralizes bleach on contact, even on clothing. Do NOT use it in the eyes - contact a medical specialist if you get bleach in your eyes.

Window cleaner

This might not be officially "frugal," but it addresses a problem frugalites sometimes have: finding ways to bypass the questions and strange looks.

Use a little vinegar or ammonia in water to wash windows - that's commonly known - but if you want to fool your neighbors (spouse, mother-in-law, etc), put a drop of blue food coloring in it. They'll think you're using a commercial window cleaner.

Homemade furniture polish

Most of the time you don't need it, (use a damp cloth) but if you want to polish your furniture, mix equal parts of white vinegar and vegetable oil and rub on the furniture. Buff with soft cloth until it shines. Olive oil can be substituted for the vegetable oil and lemon juice can be substituted for the vinegar.

Cheap window cleaning

Don't use cleaners, just water. Unless your windows have bird stuff or grease on them, plain water will do the job just as well as "cleaners." And if you just have to use a cleaner, for heaven's sake don't buy it. Use a little vinegar or a drop of dish detergent in water. Why pay for something you don't need?

Make toilet bowl cleaning easier

An empty liquid dish soap bottle makes a great "squirter" for under the rim of the toilet stool. Put bleach water or vinegar in it, squirt and let it set, then brush and flush.

Hard water deposits

To remove hard water deposits from faucets, tie an absorbent cloth around it, and saturate with vinegar. Cover with plastic to keep the vinegar from evaporating and leave it on overnight. The deposits will clean off in the morning.

Fool your neighbors

This might not be officially "frugal," but it addresses a problem frugalites sometimes have: finding ways to bypass the questions and strange looks.

Use a little vinegar or ammonia in water to wash windows - that's commonly known - but if you want to fool your neighbors (spouse, mother-in-law, etc), put a drop of blue food coloring in it. They'll think you're using a commercial window cleaner. If you can come up with an old spray bottle with a brand name label on it, so much the better, but maybe you can fake it somehow. All in fun, of course.