Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Simple Ways $$$$$

 Good morning on this first day of December!  December kind of blew in here with colder temps and flurries.  Yes, it literally blew in - it was very windy yesterday and still pretty breezy today.  I think a lot of people got snow - luckily we just had a few flurries.  Highs today will be around 34*F.  Brrrrrr!

Let's start the month out with a few reminders on some simple ways to save a dollar and save your stock.  Money and stock is precious ALWAYS - but more so for some right now.  Any way that we can save money and make things last longer is a great help.

  • Store your cottage cheese, sour cream or dip upside down in the refrigerator.  Make sure that lid is on securely and then flip it over.  It keeps the air off the top of the product and they last waaaayyyy past their 'best if used by' date.  I have done this for years.  Glen loved cottage cheese and I way stock up when on sale and it would last months - fresh as new.
  • Place an old dish cloth or scrap of t-shirt in the bottom of your crisper to absorb moisture.  This enables your fresh food to last longer.  Some people use paper towels - but they cost $.  I just use an old dish towel and I can launder it.
  • If you have fresh veggies that have had better days - trim off anything that has darkened or spotted and use the rest.  Don't throw away the whole thing because of spots.  ie: cauliflower - cut those dark spots off and cook the rest.  Trim up carrots and use balance.  Don't waste!
  • Milk - keep it toward the back of the shelf.  It is actually colder at the back of shelf - it doesn't warm up when opening the door.  Milk lasts a lot longer.
  • Eggs - don't keep in the door in the fancy egg holders.  Keep them in their boxes on a shelf in the frig.  Anything like milk or eggs - warms every time you open the door.  Be careful what you store in the door - that is actually the warmest part of frig.
  • Jazz up bland foods - add spices or herbs or cheese.  You can make bland foods taste great - don't just toss them.
  • Do you have fruit that is getting older?  Turn it into jam or marmalade.  Cook apples (fried apples), make applesauce, or make baked apples.  Mix different fruits together for a yummy jam or cobbler.  Use in smoothies (you an freeze for later).  Don't waste it.
  • Keep bacon fat in a jar for seasoning.  great to use when frying up blander foods - fried potatoes = Mmmmm.  Use to season in beans or other foods.  I also keep beef fat (from ground beef).  It can be used for frying and seasoning as well.   Save your oils for other things.
  • Keep you steel wool pads (Brill-o) in a baggie in the freezer to keep them from rusting in between uses.
  • If you want to keep coffee in your pantry long term without taste changing - keep coffee beans.  They last almost forever.  You can get a cheap coffee grinder at most thrift stores (I have 2 and paid $1 ea. at yard sales).  Also instant coffee - unopened - lasts virtually forever as well.
  • Get yourself a food safe bucket or two and store extras in it.  Mark the date on the outside of bucket and set it aside.  If IT ever hits the fan you have extra stores that you have put back and just ignored until really needed.
  • Did you know that you can plant many dried beans that you cook?  Do a test (damp paper towel, seeds and plastic baggie) to proof.  Worth a try.
  • You can regrow Romaine or bib lettuces that you purchase as a bunch.  Slice a thin slice off bottom to get a fresh bottom - place in small amount of water to root and plant.  Same with celery.  Many people do green onions this way - I eat the whole thing myself!
  • Remember to watch the holiday markdowns for great deals.  Candy, baking stuff, plates, napkins, candles, cards, wrapping paper, cookie decorations, candy canes, etc.  Stock up now and use for upcoming occasions - birthdays, Valentines Day, St. Patty Day, Easter..... OR "I just need chocolate" day!!!!!!!!!!
  • If you get a great sales on hard cheese or butter - buy it and FREEZE.  Cheese is great for grating and cooking.  Butter is wonderful frozen and lasts.  
  • Remember to shop YOUR shelves first - ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!
  • Buy cheap when you can - things will always go up in price and getting it cheap is money in the bank!

Just remember - success doesn't come from dollars.  It comes from hard work, learning and better experiences.  Learn to save by spending less and using less NOT necessarily by earning more.  
Be MONEY WISE

You have a great money saving tip?

32 comments:

  1. Good morning! Yeah December! Thanks for the reminder tips. I have never done that with sour cream, always afraid it was going spill out the lid. I also like the tip on a tea towel in the veggie drawer. I'll try them both. Today I will be using up some of my veggies for soup and using a tip from another place on using barley instead of rice cause it holds up better in the soup.

    Have a great day!

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    1. You are welcome. Just make sure you pop on the lid good and it doesn't leak! I love barley - one of my favorites. Veggie soup needs barley in my opinion!!!
      I like plain old beef and barley soup.
      Have a great week!

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  2. I'm going to try the towel in the crisper. Never thought of that! We pour our milk into glass bottles and it keep way past the date. Lettuce regrows very well here and as soon as I see that we are getting near harvest the squirrels eat every bit of it. Grrrrr..... I plant a few green onions out in my deck grow boxes and the can use the green tops all year long. It think it has been three years since I planted them and I have never had to plant more. I just used about 1/2 inch of the very bottom to get them started.

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    1. Glad you found something to use. Good idea on the glass bottles. I have regrown lettuce in the house in the winter (celery too).
      Lots of people do that with the onions.
      Have a good one.

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  3. Great post today. We all need to be reminded of how to save on money, time and food. That's one thing the pandemic has done for me. I have poured more time and energy into cooking than I have for years. And I now waste very little.

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    1. Something good does come from all bad! I love that people are doing things differently and trying to save where they can. Resources are resources.
      Thanks!

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  4. My mum always saved any fat from bacon, meat etc to use as she lived during the war and had to do that. I don't now why I don't do it now: I should but don't actually eat a lot of bacon or meat that I can get the fat from. I know what you mean about the green onion, I eat the bottom as that is what it is for. You do some lovely posts.

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    1. I figure any fat saved is some that will add flavor and save me a little money.
      YAY - someone else that eats the whole green onion. I always have!! I have onion sets that I use to raise new ones. Not many people say they eat it all.
      Thank you for your kind words!

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  5. Always good reminders! I've regularly put paper towels in the bottom of my crisper drawers (as did my mother). Never thought of using an old dish towel, so thanks for the tip. If you catch a sale on the holiday M&Ms, remember that you can always separate the colors -- red for Valentine's Day and green for St. Pat's. They're good to use in cookies or for decorating for those holidays, too. One way to save that I've found out in recent years is that, if you're cooking for one or two, cut the recipe in half -- especially if you're not fond of leftovers. A recipe that normally serves 4, cut the ingredients in half, and make a dish that serves 2. Far less waste. And, you can have what's left for lunch or to repurpose into something else -- leftover chicken, shred for a BBQ chicken sandwich or make it into chicken salad for lunch, or for use as a pizza topping or stirred into a pasta dish; leftover meatloaf, how about a grilled meatloaf and cheese sandwich for lunch, or crumble it up, add some catsup, a little water, and some seasonings, turning it into a sloppy joe mix, or add it to marinara sauce to serve over pasta. And, if you're only using a 1/2 lb of ground beef in your dish, freeze the remaining 1/2 lb for later use. Same with other meat cuts. You don't really need to cook a 4# pot roast, if you're only serving 2, do you? I cut the roast into 2, make a half recipe, and then have shredded beef for lunch and other recipes throughout the week, and freeze the other half for another time. I buy family pack chicken breasts and thighs to save $$. Vacuum seal breasts in single serve portions, and 2 thighs to a package for use with soups and stews.

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    1. The theory of half! I do that a lot. I always freeze my meats in 1/2 packs. If I am going to have company (LOL) I can thaw extra.
      Love a meatloaf sandwich and yes, it is good over spaghetti in pasta sauce.
      Great ideas!!!!! Thanks

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    2. Yes, I always use half or a 1/3 of a meat portion for many of my meals. I'm feeding a family and yet they never say anything about smaller amounts of meat because I've always cooked this way. It really helps to stretch a meal and my food budget too!

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    3. Yes mam it sure does save. Meat should be an ingredient not a main course. My Momma used to have to make do and spread around what we had, and it is habit for me as well.

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  6. First time commenting but read regularly! Wanted to add...I freeze milk in small and medium jars, leaving some headspace for expansion. As soon as a jar is getting low in the frig, I put one from the freezer into the frig to start defrosting. When thawed, shake and the taste is the same as fresh milk. Now I never waste milk.

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    1. Howdy - glad to have you here and posting.
      Great idea. I love milk, but it lasts a long time with just me. That is a really good idea.
      Thank you!

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  7. Great ideas, my daughter's sour cream goes bad often, I will give her this great idea!

    Great idea to freeze milk, just don't freeze almond milk, it get's clumpy.

    I freeze fresh bell peppers whole, they work like a charm in recipes! Easy breezy, no chopping or prepping ahead of time. Just rinse and throw'em in a ziplock.

    Have a sweet day! Blessings to you and stay warm!

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    1. It really does make sour cream last longer! I tried almond milk once and just did not like it. Good tip for others.
      I cut my peppers up - but I never thought about just freezing them whole. Why not!!!
      Thanks. Have a good one.

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  8. Great tips! I use bacon grease when making fried eggs and they are delicious.

    I will use the same coffee grounds for 2-3 days, just adding less each day for a delicious and cheap pot of coffee. I also always put a bit of salt on my coffee grounds before brewing to take away some of the acidity. The coffee never tastes bitter that way and I've even gotten compliments from coffee "connoisseurs"!

    I always cut my bacon package in half, that way the bacon will cook faster because it's smaller and it also gives the appearance that you're getting more bacon, than you really are! ;)

    Hope you have a wonderful, cozy and warm evening!

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    1. Mmmm eggs fried in bacon grease! Nothing bad fried in bacon grease in my opinion!
      I have heard that trick with coffee grounds. Pretty smart. I saw the tip about adding a pinch of salt to cut bitterness on the TV show Last Man Standing!! LOL - Pretty clever.

      I cut my bacon too. I bake mine and then freeze the extra. It works out perfect size for sandwiches when cut. Baking makes it easy to drain grease too. I like having cooked bacon on hand and ready.
      Have a good one.

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  9. Such a great post Cheryl thank you.
    You and your readers have such super ideas to share.
    It is the high spot of my day reading your blog.
    Best wishes Pam in Texas.x

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    1. Thank you Pam. We sure do have good folks on here and they all share - I love that!
      Glad you are here!

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  10. Love the old tea towel idea in the crisper. I am definitely trying that one.

    God bless.

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  11. Also, the milk stays colder on the side next to the hinge.

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    1. That is where mine is - towards the back. I thought it was just me!!! Thanks

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  12. I cut my bacon package in half because I want the ends crispy, too. But, the ends never cook up like the middle. With shorter pieces the ends of the slice are nearer the center of the pan and heat. And, yes, it is easier to make a BLT.

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    1. Indeed. I love crispy bacon and agree it all gets crispy when shorter. Thanks

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  13. It was so refreshing to read about normal homemakery things. Thank you for sharing your great ideas.

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    1. Well thank you dear. I am trying to keep normalcy here for all. Have a good one.

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  14. Hi Hippy Chick!I just thought that I would pop by and say that I am always loving your tips and read every one of your post.Hope that you are keeping well n Happy!!Love from the Hippy Chick in Leicester UK,xx

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    1. Hey you!!! Glad to have you stop by. I sometimes wonder where people disappear to!!! Glad you are still hanging out.

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  15. Like the tip on storing sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. upside down in the refrigerator! Cauliflower is a quick-to-look-ugly veg and I always have to trim off the dark bits. Food safe buckets are wonderful for storing extras and keeping out any varmints that might think it is a buffet. I keep my SOS pad in a baggie in the freezer.
    Saves $$$.

    Went to Humble Impressions yesterday and bought some long sleeve tees (appeared to be new judging from the pristine condition of the labels). The Urban Farmer found a picture to hang over his desk and a hymnal. Also found a couple smallish glass trays which I use to collect oils like sweet almond, castor, jojoba, etc. in the bathroom. Keeps the drips off the vanity.

    Stay warm! Supposed to be in the mid-40's, which isn't too bad.

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    1. Cauliflower is easy to save - indeed, cut those bits off and use. Buckets are wonderful. I use those tins you get flavored popcorn in as well.

      I haven't been since my last donation. Love their prices!!! Glad you found some useful items - seems you can always find something great there.

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