One Mom's Junk Is Another Mom's Treasure

Please tell me I am not the only person who saves things like this. When my mom comes to visit she will ask... "Do you want to keep this stuff?" Of course, my answer is "YES!". I need those things! If you're wondering why... let me elaborate on what I save and why. (If you're trying to maintain a frugal kitchen like I am you HAVE to save stuff, LOL!)

Empty margarine and yogurt containers - these are great to have around for a variety of reasons. Water cups for the kids when they use water colors... snack cups for the kids... a place to save leftovers... extra containers for hubby's lunch bag... containers to freeze things in... something to hold spice mixtures... the list goes on but you get the idea.

Empty "honey bears" - these are great for dessert time. If you make a plain cheesecake or other dessert you can put chocolate syrup in one, strawberry puree in one and caramel sauce in one and let everyone top thier own dessert. Also, my one year old loves to drink from these. They do leak but at the table she does just fine with them and has fun at the same time. You can store homemade salad dressing in them and have a ready made squeeze bottle when it's time to serve. You can scoop mayonnaise from a large jar into these to make it easier for the kids to use.

"Plates" from frozen meals - great to use to serve the kids snacks or even lunch. Wonderful to hold a late night snack. Perfect for kids craft projects. Ideal for holding small amounts of ingredients for a recipe when you are cooking. Use when decorating Christmas cookies for various cookie decorations.

Empty glass jars - My husband loves to drink from these, he will grab one before he will grab a regular drinking glass. Nice to place flowers in. Use with a lid to shake things like corn starch and water for a gravy.

Other things you will find in my kitchen drawers and cabinets include sauce packets, straws and napkins from fast food restaurants... empty tin cans (you can use the large ones to bake in the crock pot and smaller ones as biscuit cutters).

The possibilities of what you can save and find a new use for are endless. I feel that if we paid for it I will find a way to use it if I can rather than throwing it out. "A penny saved is a penny earned" is one of my favorite sayings. I suppose you could say "a margarine tub saved is a snack cup earned." :)

Entertaining On a Budget

The thought of guests coming for dinner can strike fear in your heart when your cupboard is bare. What to serve is always the question and how to impress while still spending less. Fear not! There are many ways to wow your dinner guests and still keep the cost under control.

Keep It Casual - Plan simple fare. Opt for a simpler meal rather than a fancy multi course affair.

Check your stock - Take a look in your pantry and see what you have on hand before you plan your menu. Plan your meal around such staples as pastas, rice or beans.

Check the sale flyers - See what your local grocers have on sale, this is a great way to make the most of seasonal items. It is also the best way to cut down the cost of more expensive items such as meats and cheeses.

Go vegetarian - Serve your guests a meatless meal. Not only can vegetarian meals be less expensive, they are healthier and lighter too. The highest priced items for many recipes such as meats, cheese, sour cream and cream or butter are often the most unhealthy.

Ease up on the appetizers - Have your meal almost ready to serve when guests arrive and prepare only one simple appetizer.

Serve a simple dessert - Seasonal fresh fruit with a simple topping of homemade whipped cream is not only elegant, it is good for you and a welcome refreshment to a full stomach.

Be creative - If you need to decorate for your dinner party, visit a local dollar store. You can find everything from candles, beautiful decorative vases, and dishes. Keep things simple yet elegant.

Host a Pot Luck - If you really want to have guests for dinner but feel you can't afford to why not host a pot luck? People love to show off their cooking skills and pot lucks are great opportunities to do so. Ask your guests to provide copies of their recipe to share. It's a great way for everyone to find new recipes to try at home.

I think if you use these tips you will find that you can entertain more often that you imagined without breaking your pocketbook.

Store Hopping... Is It Worth It?

Since today is the biggest shopping day of the year it's really got me thinking about grocery shopping. Although not the same as fighting for Black Friday deals, it can be such a feeling of triumph when I find an unexpected great deal.

More often than not, when I shop for groceries, I have kids and husband in tow and am in a hurry. This requires that I have planned in advance and am prepared to pass up some of the good deals I have seen in various sale flyers in order to shop at only one store to make the most of the time I have. However, when I DO have time on my hands and can spend a leisurely day out looking for deals, I like to "store hop".

In the town where we live there is a small IGA grocery store that does not have the best selection but they have the best quality and prices on meat that I have yet to find. So that store is always my first stop for meat.

Another favorite of mine is WalMart Supercenter. Overall, if I have to choose one store to shop at, this would be it. I find that we get the most for our money when we shop there. I also enjoy WalMart because they will honor any sale flyers from other stores and I can purchase many other items I need there besides food.

When time is really an issue, I opt to order our groceries from Safeway.com. The prices there are not the best but sometimes the savings in time or an illness make it necessary to order groceries in. They do offer very high quality food and they have excellent store brand items as well.

When I am looking for Mexican food related items and good prices on produce I shop at Food City. They have the BEST tortillas I have had outside of a tortilla factory and have many items you just can't find at any other grocery store.

The best place I have found for organic items and gourmet or specialty foods is Trader Joe's. We don't' shop there often because it's about 45 minutes away but when we do I always stock up on our favorite items and make the most of their great sale items.

I find that it I have the time it is well worth it to shop at more than one store when shopping for a week or more worth of groceries. Not only does it allow for more variety but you can make the most of the sale flyers which will of course give you the most for your money.

Leftover Makeovers

Making over leftovers is one of my favorite ways to create exciting meals even when the budget is tight. Take today's lunch for example... I took some leftover rice, a piece of chicken I had left from the Smothered Chicken I made a couple of nights ago, a 1/2 bag of frozen chopped broccoli and some leftover teryaki sauce and viola! we had Teryaki Chicken over rice. Delicious, easy and a great way to clean out the fridge. Here are some of my other common uses for leftovers that always has my family asking for seconds.

Spaghetti Sauce - if it's a meat sauce I will use it to make calzones. I just make a pizza crust and divide it into 4 portions, roll out into circles, fill with the sauce and some cheese then fold over, roll the edges to seal and bake. For non-meat sauces I use them to top a pizza.

Beef Roasts - Any meat leftover from a beef roast often becomes the filling for burritos. I shred or chop the meat and freeze it then use it as burrito filling.

Pinto Beans - I always make refried beans from leftover pinto beans. My kids love refried beans as a side dish with almost any meal and I also make them burritos or tostadas.

chicken - There are so many uses for leftover chicken. Some of my favorites are chicken casseroles, chicken salad, chicken soup, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, sandwiches.

Bread - I always freeze leftover bread. No matter if it's a store bought loaf or homemade, there is always a use for leftover bread. I often make bread pudding, stuffing, bread crumbs for recipes (store in the freezer in a ziploc bag). I recently found a recipe for breadcrumb cookies that I plan to try... stay tuned...

Cooked Vegetables - In my opinion, vegetables tend to lose their flavor very quickly once cooked. I like to make a very quick soup to preserve the flavor of any cooked vegetables. By cooking some egg noodles in chicken broth and adding cooked, cubed chicken and cooked vegetables, you have a very satisfying meal.

Pie Crust - I don't bake pies very often but when I do, I always save the scraps from trimming the crusts. I use it to make little treat for my kids called pinwheels. Roll out leftover pie crust dough, spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and roll up jelly roll fashion. Cut into slices and bake at 375 degrees until nicely browned. Leftover pie crust can also be used to make mini quiche for appetizers.

Bananas - most people toss their bananas when they get a little brown. I have found that if you freeze bananas when brown they make an excellent base for smoothies, or they can be thawed for banana muffins, banana bread, banana pancakes or any other recipe calling for bananas.

Carrots, Celery and Onions - when these vegetables start to look a little limp, just put them in the food processor and process until smooth, then put the mixture into a sauce pan with a little water and cook until soft. Cool and put into freezer bags. This mixture is great as a base for sauces, gravies, soups, stews or any recipe that needs a flavor boost.

Before tossing your leftovers or letting them sit around too long, take a moment to see what new creations you can come up with.

Good Health On A Budget

For some time I had been under the misconception that eating frugally meant eating unhealthy. My idea of frugal groceries were Ramen Noodles, bologna, hot dogs and eggs... certainly not foods I would call *healthy*. Recently however, I have come to learn that you can eat healthy and still maintain a budget that will not break your pocketbook. I have started adding more foods to my grocery list that are not only inexpensive but have considerable nutritional value. Some of them are:

• oatmeal
• blueberries
• brown rice
• a wide variety of beans
• spinach (fresh and frozen)
• more frozen vegetables
• fig bars for the kids (they LOVE these as much as any sugary snack and they are much healthier)
• flax seed (you can buy this at your local grocer already ground usually in the healh food section or buy it whole at the health food store and grind it yourself. You can read more about the health benefits of flax seed here.)

Here are some excellent resources that I found that will help lead you in the right direction if you want to eat healthy without breaking your pocketbook.

Quick Healthy Meal Ideas
Feeding Your Family Frugally
5 Heart Healty Foods
Good Foods

Grocery List Strategies

Grab a pen, write down whatever sounds good or whatever you are sure you're out of and head off to the store. That's how most people approach grocery list writing. However, there really is an art to creating a list if you want to slash your grocery bill. Here are a few tips:

1. Take inventory. Look through your pantry, cabinets, fridge and freezer. Get rid of all the outdated things and those that no longer resemble anything edible. Then take stock of what you have on hand.

2. Peruse the sale flyers and your coupon stash. Look to see what is on sale at your supermarket and also what coupons you have on hand. This will give you an idea of what kinds of meals to prepare and what to buy.

3. What can you create for supper? Are there any meals that you can prepare with the ingredients you have available? Maybe you have all the fixings for a beef stew minus the beef. Make a note of all meals you can prepare including those that will need additional ingredients.

4. Fill in the blanks. Now write down what you need for those meals that are missing ingredients.

5. Look Ahead. What length of time are you shopping for? If it's two weeks then make sure you have enough to prepare supper for two weeks. If you only came up with enough meal ideas for 12 days then you will need to add more to your list to make up for the extra two days.

6. Now Add Breakfast and Lunch. What kinds of things do you and your family eat for lunch and breakfast? Make sure you have ingredients on hand for those meals as well.

7. And last but not least... Finally add on condiments, by product and any other items that are not main ingredients.

By using these strategies every time you go to the grocery store you will be sure to ease your grocery budget.

Eating Out On A Budget

No matter how tight your budget, eating out is inevitable. I'm not talking about special occasions or a well deserved treat, but sometimes a long day of errands or an unexpected trip to the doctor's office makes eating out necessary. I've found a few tricks to help feed us without breaking out pocketbook.

Clip Coupons - even if we have no plans to eat out I always clip any coupon I find for places we normally might eat out. I save those in my purse for those occasions when we need them.

Remember The Specials - there are lots of restaurants near us that have special days when kids can eat free or certain times of day when drinks are free or meals are two for one. I make sure to keep a mental note of those specials.

Think Fast Food - Although it is not the healthiest alternative, fast food is much less expensive than a sit down restaurant. Many places have healthy options now as well such as Subway sandwiches or salads at McDonald's.

Let The Kids Share - My kids are young so often times they don't finish a meal. I have them share and then if they are still hungry we can always order something extra. This way no food is wasted.

Skip The Kids Meals and Combos - if you are just trying to ward off the hunger until you get home, just get something small for everyone -- just a snack until you can get something more to eat at home.

Forget Dessert - not only will this save you money but calories as well. If you just have to have dessert, get one and split it.

Drink Water - sodas and other drinks can add up especially if you have a large family. Drinking water can save you a lot.

Get A To-Go Box - if you are going to eat out, make the most of it. Take home what you don't finish and save it for the next day's lunch or a midnight snack.

Using these strategies can save you quite a bit when you are forced to eat out unexpectedly.

A Well Stocked Pantry

One of the things I cannot stress enough to people who want to save on their grocery bill on a weekly basis is to keep your kitchen well stocked. About once every 6 months my husband and I add an extra $50 to the grocery budget. This money is used to stock up.

Here is a list of items I suggest that every frugal household should have on hand.

• A variety of pasta
• A variety of dry beans
• Flour
• Sugar
• Corn meal
• Oatmeal (old fashioned or quick oats in a large canister, not the single serve packets)
• A wide variety of herbs and spices
• Canned and frozen vegetables
• Flavorings for baking such as vanilla and almond extract
• Powdered milk
• Pudding and Jello mixes
• Ramen Noodles and boxed maccaroni and cheese
• Condiments such as mayonaise, mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, soy sauce and hot sauce
• Pickles, olives, salsa and relish
• Tomato and pasta sauce
• Dry yeast
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Potatos, garlic and onions

The following items I always stock up on when they are on sale.

• Milk, Cheese, Bread and Meat - whatever I can fit in the freezer
• Frozen vegetables
• Canned goods
• Specialty items
• Goodies for the kids - I don't buy much convenience food but if it is on sale for a very good price I will buy things that the kids really enjoy.

If you keep your pantry well stocked then grocery shopping will be quicker, easier and much less expensive over all.

How Do You Do It???

Whenever I tell people I can buy a months worth of groceries for $300 (or $200 in a pinch) they ask HOW do you do THAT?? Well, it's really not as hard as it sounds. The key is organization and planning. Here are a few tips for newbies to the world of frugal grocery shopping.

Stock up! Your first grocery trip on your road to saving is actually to spend a little more than you are used to. Items that are staples in your pantry should be purchased in large quantity if possible. These include items such as flour, sugar, pasta, dry beans, rice, oatmeal, canned goods, etc.

Plan your menus. Before you head off to the grocery store, make a list of the meals you plan to prepare. If you shop every two weeks make a list of two weeks worth of meals. Take a look at what you have on hand and what is on sale in the weekly circulars from the grocery stores before you plan your meals.

Use Coupons. If there is a particular item you always purchase look for coupons. If an item is on sale and you have a coupon then buy that item. Don't use a coupon just because something is new or trendy, only use coupons if they will save you money.

Buy Store Brands. It's true that all the ads on TV and in magazines make the name brand items look much more glamorous, but often times the store brands are just as good if not better. Actually, many store brands are manufactured by the same name brand companies we all know and recognize.

Shop on sale days. Our local grocer offers specials every Thursday. They range from a one day meat sale to a Pillsbury brand sale. No matter what the theme is for the week, the prices are always great!

Don't buy convenience foods. It's so easy to load up a grocery cart with frozen meals, instant boxed dinners, individual serving sized juices, pre-packaged lunches and junk food. However, not only do these items offer little nutritional value for your family, they are a huge waste of money. Which is why I almost always...

Cook from scratch! The more you can prepare meals from scratch, the more money you will save. Home cooked meals are also higher in nutrition and you know exactly what you are eating, unlike many pre-made meals. From scratch doesn't have to mean a lot of time and clean up. A simple meal like baked or grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and rice can be prepared in under 30 minutes with minimal clean up.

Freeze Things. I always try to prepare a double batch any time I cook anything. It saves me time and effort for future meals and on days that things get really hectic I don't have to worry about what is for dinner. I also freeze bread ends to make my own bread crumbs (which I store in the freezer), leftovers to use for future lunches, bananas for breads and muffins and anything else that might otherwise get thrown out and wasted.

Keep a Price Book. When you shop take a few moments to jot down what you buy and how much it costs. Make a master list of items and the prices (include prices from each store that you shop). When you take the time to do this you will know if it's worth it to go to a different store to stock up on a sale item. It is also a great way to calculate how much you will spend before you get to the grocery store. I actually use a software called Home Cookin to keep my Price Book.

Only take what you plan to spend. If you use a debit card, take your draw from the ATM in the amount you plan to spend for groceries. Then leave your card AT HOME. That way you won't be tempted to spend more than you have budgeted.

Eat Your Leftovers. Have beans leftover, make refried beans. Stale bread can be made into bread pudding. Chicken from last night's dinner becomes chicken salad. Leftover pasta sauce can top a pizza. Don't prepare a new meal until all the leftovers are gone.

Forget the junk food. My theory is if you don't buy it then you can't eat it. We RARELY buy sodas, chips, cookies, ice cream, pastries or any other junk food. I give my kids healthy snacks and we drink a lot of water. I do make them Kool Aid, lemonade and tea but they don't miss the junk food because they are not used to having it.

By following these simple guidelines I have been able to keep our budget down and our nutrition level optimum. It's really not that difficult once you give it a try!

What would you make out of...?

... a package of corn tortillas, a half head of cabbage and some leftover Great Northern Beans. Tostadas of course!

Actually, I had no idea of what to make for lunch today. I figured I'd mash the leftover beans with a little cheese, fry the tortillas and that would make a nice light lunch. My 5 year old asked if we had lettuce to put on top and I said, no but I do have cabbage... and some cilantro. She loved that! So, Viola! Add a few packages of Taco Bell sauce from our last fast food trip and we have tostadas. They were really good and I think from now on I will use cabbage instead of lettuce for Mexican food, it adds more substance and I know it must contain a lot more nutrition than lettuce.

The Taco Soup is in the crock pot right now, it smells great!

The Frugal Freezer

One of the best methods I have found to save money on groceries is to freeze things. On any given day if you look into my freezer you will see a variety of frozen items such as homemade pancakes, roasted bell peppers, freshly ground bread crumbs and overly ripe bananas.

Here are some of my favorite ways to freeze foods that might have otherwise been thrown away as well as foods that need to be preserved for a later date.

Flash Freeze - Items such as pancakes, roasted bell peppers, uncooked biscuits and balls of cookie dough will stick together when frozen if you don't flash freeze them first. So what is flash freezing? It simply means that you lay your food out on a cookie sheet and place it (unwrapped) in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until the food is frozen solid. At that point you remove the food and place it in zipper bags or plastic containers and place it back in the freezer.

Freeze Bananas - I can't say it enough times, do not throw away those over ripe bananas! Put them in the freezer to use in recipes. Among other things you can use them for banana bread, pancakes, muffins, french toast and smoothies. Or you can just eat them frozen just as they are!

Use Ice Cube Trays - Some things like lemon or lime juice, sofrito, tomato sauce, tomato paste, baby foods and any other soft or liquid items you use in small quantities are best frozen in ice cube trays. Once you fill your trays and freeze the item overnight, turn them upside down under hot running water for a couple seconds and your cubes will pop out much easier. Store the cubes in ziploc bags for your recipes.

Save your bread ends! - I always save the ends of loaves of bread. They can be used for bread pudding, bread crumbs (just toss them in your food processor and pulse), croutons and bread cubes for stuffing.

Save your "scraps" - I always toss small things like the end of a beef roast, a half chicken breast or leftover cooked or chopped raw vegetables into ziploc bags and freeze them. They can later be used for soups, stews, sandwiches, casseroles, pizza or pasta toppings or even snacks.

Prepare ahead - If you know you will be needing to bake 3 dozen cookies for your school bake sale or a few loaves of pumpkin bread for holiday gift giving, bake them ahead of time and freeze them. As long as you package your items well in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil or zip lock bags they will last up to a month in the freezer.

Double the recipe - If you are preparing a recipe that freezes well such as spaghetti sauce, lasagna, beans or chili, why not make a double batch and freeze the second batch for a future meal so you can give yourself a day off from cooking in the future. This idea works especially well if you have a food saver.

Make The Most of the Harvest - When fruits and vegetables are in season and on sale it's time to get ready to freeze! Many people can their fruits and vegetables but since I am not skilled at this task I freeze mine. I often buy an abundance of bell peppers, onions, berries, squash, and other vegetables to freeze. I just chop them as I would use for recipes, bag them in ziploc bags and put them in the freezer.

If you make the most of your freezer space you will be pleasantly surprised on how much time and money you can save.

Frugal Living Sites

• 1 Frugal Friend 2 Another
  
• A Momma and the Boys Living on a Budget
• Backyard Grown Blog
• Better Budgeting
• Boston Gal's Open Wallet
• Budget Dial Communications
• Creative Homemaking
• Domestika's Blog
• Frugal Family Kitchen
• Frugal For Life Blog
• Frugal Place
• Frugal Homemaker
• Frugal Living, My Way
• Frugal Upstate
• Frugal Village
• Frugal Weekly
• Homemade Living
• Kitchen Crafts 'N More
• Large Family Logistics
• Menues For Moms
• Mighty Bargain Hunter
• Miserly Moms
• Money And Values
• Money Dummy
• Mrs. B's Grocery Challenge
  
• Organized Home
• Pioneer Thinking
• Simple Ways You Can Make A Difference
• Sparing Change
• Sound Money Tips
• Ten Grand In Five Months

Frugal Meal Planning

• A Well Stocked Pantry
• Cooking Tips And Hints
• Crock Pot Cooking
• Eating Out On A Budget
• Entertaining On A Budget
• Ethnic & Fusion Cuisine
• Food Co-ops
• The Frugal Freezer
• Good Health On A Budget
• Grocery List Strategies
• How To save On Your Grocery Bill
• Menus
• Refrigerator Cleaning
• Small Appliances
• Small Appliance Cooking
• Tips For A Frugal Kitchen

Tips and Hints

BBQ tips and hints from White Trash BBQ
Drying Tomatoes
Roasting Garlic
Roasting Bell Peppers