Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Oatmeal . . . so many uses for this frugal item



Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast options, along with.being a healthy and very inexpensive item.  But did you know there are so many other uses for oatmeal?

The following list is from Tip Hero, where you can get tips and helpful information . . . it is a money saving guide!  It is a website all frugalistas should have bookmarked . . .



Other uses for oatmeal:

Make Face Masks: in desperate need of a facial? Mix 1/2 a cup of oatmeal with 1/2 cup hot water and 1/4 cup honey in a food processor. Apply to your face and let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing with cool water.


Make a Healthier Flour: when you need flour to make cookies (or any other recipe) process some oatmeal into a fine powder. Then use it in place of flour to make healthier treats.


Breadcrumb Substitute: put your oats through a processor and use them to bind meatballs, meatloaf and veggie burgers.


Make Clay for Kids: mix a cup of instant/rolled oats, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup water. You'll have a play-doh-like clay that will stay moist as your kids create a masterpiece. Then once they're done, their sculpture will harden overnight.


Neutralize Odors: oatmeal can work in the same way as baking soda in the fridge. Just throw a bowl of uncooked oatmeal in the fridge to keep odors under control.


Soothe Itchy Skin: grind up some oats into a fine powder and put into a cheesecloth or pantyhose. Then just tie it in a knot around the bathtub faucet and draw a bath. Soak in that bath to treat poison ivy, rashes and chicken pox.



Saturday, March 1, 2014

An organized freezer


What does an organized freezer have to do with being frugal?

I've written about buying food in bulk, especially those items we use often. Imagine having a place for all those frozen items where you can actually find them when you need them!

Samantha from the blog Simply Organized has some great ideas for getting your freezer under control.  Look at the photo . . . isn't that an outstanding looking freezer?

Click here to go to her blog post for some great ideas and lots of photos.