How To Store Tomatoes

Less waste from proper storage of tomatoes saves money!

Want to know how?  Click here for the article.

DIY Screen Cleaner

It is so funny . . . sometimes I will be working on photo editing or graphics and there will be a spot or mark that doesn't look right, so I pull down the eraser tool and try to erase it.  After trying to figure out why the tool won't erase it, I realize it is my dirty screen!

I found a DIY screen cleaner recipe that costs pennies to make that is safe to use on our computer, television and phones.  Click here for the recipe.

Be safe . . . don't forget to spray onto the cloth, not the device!

Make Stained Bakeware Like New Again

I must admit that I'm so frugal that I will hold on to bakeware that looks like that one indefinitely and cover with aluminum foil.  Well, it is still functional and you know . . . I'm frugal!

You know I was so happy to find the article at Tip Hero that shows how to make your bakeware sparkle like new again.

Click here to go to the article . . . save some money!

Economical Castile Soap Uses

Lately we have been using artisan natural soaps and shampoo soaps that we love, but they are a bit pricey.

As a result, I've set out to educate myself on making my own concoctions and soaps.  It seems I keep hearing about castile soap for a wide array of  DIY projects that will hopefully save us lots of money.

When I ran across this article from One Good Thing by Jillee, I was amazed at all the practical uses for castile soap in my DIY endeavors.  Hopefully you will find one you like!

Best Ways to Store Strawberries

Two Flats of Strawberries.  Photo © Molly Watson

During strawberry season in my part of the world, you can pick up strawberries for surprisingly low prices, especially if you go directly to the you pick em fields and pick your own.  

My method of storing strawberries is washing, cleaning and freezing them.  But there are other ways.  Check out this article from About.com for some great tips on how to store strawberries so they will last longer.  

A bargain is no bargain if you have to throw it away!

DIY Onion and Garlic Powder

Another great idea from Jillee!  You would not believe how easy it is to make your own garlic and onion powder.  The Captain and I love making our own spice mixes and this will make a great addition for our collection.  The savings add up and the mixtures are exactly what you want.

Click here for the tutorial from one of my favorite blogs, One Good Thing from Jillee.  Check out Jillee's website for more awesome ideas!

Trash Can Liner Trick

Save money by recycling those plastic grocery bags for your smaller trash cans.

I love the trick of putting an upside down hook to keep the bag from getting stuck in the can.

This trick comes from an awesome article "Why Didn't I Think of That" from the blog One Good Thing by Jillee.  Check out the article for many more great ideas!

DIY and Minor Home Annoyances

Anything DIY home improvement that will save time and money is of great interest to me!  I know most of you will agree with me . . .

One of my Twitter friends, Steven Davidson, shared the article Don't Sweat The Little Things from the website 411HomeRepair.com.  

The website is an awesome reference website with tons of DIY tips and tricks for home repair and more.  Check it out!

If you are interested in learning 1001 ways to improve your home, you will want to follow Steven on Twitter.

Happy Home Repair!

Why you should have a well stocked pantry

The question to the why is, of course, to save money and stretch your budget to the limit.

The Captain and I are very blessed to have the privilege of having access to our local air force base commissary.  We always shop the seasonal case lot sales, take advantage of monthly sales and plan for our purchases with their listings of sales on the internet.  

Last year we bought a case of Kraft Mayonnaise that cost us 75 cents per bottle. Big savings and we didn't have to worry about buying mayo for over a year. 

My favorite case lot sale included Pepsi products that equated to a 2 liter bottle of soda for 35 cents each. We stocked up with massive quantity buys since we go through a fortune in Pepsi products.  Yes, we saved a ton of money on that one sale.

Although I have not been a member of Sam's Club type of store, I am sure similar savings can be found if you take the time to find those bargains.  Make sure those big purchases are for items you often use and won't just sit there in the pantry.

Click here for a well written, informative article titled "Why to Have a Well-Stocked Pantry."

Tips to Find Pallets and Reclaimed Materials

If you are reading this blog, I know the "if it is free it is for me" mentality is your mantra!

The DIY blogs and websites are bursting with fabulous projects using wood pallets.  I haven't paid much attention to them since I don't have wood pallets readily available and had no idea where to start.  Until now!!

One of my newest blog discoveries, Old World Garden Farms, has a very informative article on how to find wood pallets and other reclaimed materials.  Although many of these found objects are not free, but are usually next to nothing compared to buying new stuff.  

Click here to go to the article.

7 Weird Ways to Save $4000/Year

Yep, it says weird ways to save money.  It doesn't involve making any cuts or changes to your current budget and savings methods.  Having said that, making little changes to our spending habits along with doing some of the weird little things that may seem insignificant, we can have extra money to either save for something special or stretch the monthly budget to a comfortable level.  It all adds up!

The Captain and I have utilized weird ways of making a little extra money, like using Bing to do searches and get paid in Amazon gift cards.  We accumulate the gift cards until we have enough for a purchase we have set as a goal.  While it didn't put money in our pockets, we were able to purchase a little treat just for doing searches on the internet.

We also use Google AdSense on all of our blogs to make actual money.  Check it out if you haven't already.

Filling out surveys and watching videos is another way to make money on the internet for those who have the time to dig in and do those things.  We have done those too and were paid in Amazon gift cards.

Rewards points from charge cards can certainly add up.  We are awaiting our first $50 Red Lobster gift card just for using our charge card.  Of course we have come up with a plan to just filter all the expenses through the card and pay the card immediately so we don't accumulate a balance . . . just valuable points.

I could go on and on with little things you can do, but you get the idea.  Think outside the box!  Click here for those 7 weird says to save $4000/year.

DIY Stain Remover

Can't wait to try this DIY Stain Remover

 that was sent to me by a friend.

Original source unknown!

1 tsp. Dawn dish washing detergent

3-4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide

couple tablespoons of baking soda

Scrub on with a scrubbing brush. 

Upcycling Thrifted Clothing

A thrift store can be a sewer's delight.  You can find an unlimited supply of awesome and unusual buttons, buckles, sewing hardware and fabric that will save you lots of money.  It just takes time to go through all that stuff!

Justine at  So Country Chick, gives us lots of ideas on saving money, click here for the original article. While you are there, take some time to check out more of her ideas that are always geared toward saving money.

How To Freeze Everything

Leftovers tend to linger in the refrigerator too long and end up in the trash. 

Wasted money!

One of the things I like to do is freeze the leftovers in single serve packets. Some items, like spaghetti sauce are difficult to break up for a single meal after it is frozen.

Freezing food is one of the best ways to save money in the kitchen.

Click here for an awesome article on how to freeze everything!

All about fresh produce

One of the ways we waste way too money is not knowing how to deal with fresh produce.  Most of my produce purchases are spur of the moment. 

With a little planning and knowledge, throwing away expensive produce will be less of a problem.

Click here for an excellent post about fresh produce (helpful tips for what and when to buy) from Ruth at Living Well Spending Less.  She also discusses frozen fruit and vegetables and organic vs non-organic. 

Learn how to stop wasting money on produce!

How to clean burnt pots and pans

I love my stainless steel pots and pans that I purchased way back in the day when I was in high school.  One thing I am kind of anal about is keeping them clean and shiny.

Well, since I married The Captain, the poor pots and pans stay scorched and burned inside and out.  He's a great cook, but thinks that everything has to be cooked on high heat.

No matter how much I scrub them . . . and I have used many different methods . . . they don't come out as clean and shiny as I would like.

Hopefully this is the solution to the problem . . . click here for Jessica's solution!

Save money freezing your peppers and saving the seeds

The Captain and I often run into great deals on peppers bought in bulk at the military commisary, but it is way too much to use up before they go bad, so we freeze them.  

You can do the same thing with onion!  I like to cut them up in the way I use most or do combinations and make separate bags.

Click here to go to an excellent post on how to do it!

Nail Fungus Home Remedies

Nail fungus can be difficult and expensive to get rid of . . . here are some relatively inexpensive DIY solutions to taking care of this problem:

Vinegar & water: Soak 15 minutes each day in a 1:2 vinegar and water solution.

Tea tree oil: Apply a few drops to affected area at least twice daily, rub into surrounding skin then cover with a bandage.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil: same as above.

Grapefruit seed extract: Apply twice daily.

Vicks VapoRub: Rub this in covering the area entirely each morning and night.

Listerine Mouthwash: Soak twice a day in full strength Listerine mouthwash for at least 10 minutes a sitting.

Coconut oil: Use each morning and night (before bedtime).

Hydrogen Peroxide: Saturate the area with a drop or two daily.

Tea tree & lavender Essential Oil : Apply this 50/50 mixture morning and night.

Apple cider vinegar: Saturate with apple cider vinegar twice a day.

Best Buys for June

Learning the tricks of seasonal shopping by knowing what items go on sale during which month is a great way to plan for purchases and save lots of money.

June is known as "the wedding month" and also means that those items typically purchased as wedding presents, such as dishes, go on sale in June.

It stands to reason that you can get a great deal on a gym membership in June since everyone has long forgotten their New Year's Resolutions to get in shape.

Since Father's Day happens in June, so do the sales for tools and hardware!

Who wants to paint in June?  Apparently, not many people do and while sales of paint are low, the stores will mark paint and related products down to make some sales.  Stock up on those painting supplies!


Seasonal produce for June . . . 

Fruits
Apricots
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Kiwi
Peaches
Nectarines
Strawberries
Watermelon

Vegetables
Beets
Corn
Green Beans
Peas
Yellow Squash

Happy shopping!

DIY Home Maintenance and Repairs

These days we are all feeling the pinch of the poor economic times and are finding ways to stretch our precious dollars.  When it comes to home maintenance and repairs, it is one of the most expensive, often non-budgeted item and most of the time we are at the mercy of those repair people who are not so honest (especially when they are dealing with women).

As money becomes tighter, it becomes more important than ever to learn how to be self-sufficient and do as many of those DIY home maintenance and repair projects that we can!

How do you know where to learn how to tackle these projects yourself?

Home improvement centers as Home Depot, for example, have excellent workshops to empower you to get those little things done around the house.  The internet is a search away from finding "how to" instructions for many of those projects.

Pretty Handy Girl is one of those websites who claims to "empower you to complete your own DIY projects."  Why not?  It just takes a little education and knowing what tools you need to get the job done. Join Brittany Bailey and see what she has to offer before you pay that pricey repairman to do a simple repair that you can tackle yourself at a fraction of the price!  

Click here for her section on Home Repairs and empower yourself!

Cleaning an Electric Grill

I've had several electric grills and truly love using them, they are so convenient and make the best sandwiches.

However, I didn't have the good sense to buy one with removable grills and don't even know if they were available in the market when I bought my first one so long ago.

I HATE cleaning these guys, so I don't use them as often as I should.

Karen at Sew Many Ways has come up with a quick and painless way to clean them!  I must try her technique very soon :)

Click here for her tutorial.

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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.

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.

7 Plants You Can Start From Kitchen Scraps

Written by:  Mick Telkamp from HGTV Gardens

Instead of throwing kitchen scraps into the compost bin, re-grow them!

Many of us have had the experience of reaching into a bag of onions to find new growth as fresh green shoots have sprouted within. Plants love to grow and it’s easy to simply cut away the new sprouts and get on with dinner, but for the intrepid gardener, the new growth possible from vegetable scraps or an unexpected surplus of produce is an opportunity to get a jump on propagating new crops. Before relegating kitchen scraps to the compost pile, consider these anxious growers and repopulate a bountiful garden using parts of the vegetable usually left behind.

Celery
Cut celery stalks from the base as usual, but instead of tossing that base away, place it in a shallow cup of water on a sunny windowsill, leaving the top exposed. In a matter of days, you’ll notice fresh green growth emerging from the center. Change the water every couple of days and watch the plant flourish, even as outer stalks lose their color and fade. Once the new growth has established, transfer the growing celery into the garden or a pot of soil to continue its development.

Green Onions
Use the white root normally discarded to effortlessly provide a steady and renewable source of green onions. Simply place the roots in a glass, leaving the cut end above water. Left on the kitchen windowsill, the green shoots will continue to grow. Change the water occasionally and an endless supply of this cooking staple is always at hand. This same method may be used to keep fresh leeks or fennel always within reach.

Cabbage
Like celery, cabbage (as well as bok choy and romaine lettuce) can be regrown from the root base. Although cabbage can also be started in water, starting out in shallow soil is sometimes more effective. Make sure to keep the soil especially damp for the first week or two to encourage new growth.

Potatoes
A favorite grade-school project, the eyes of potatoes readily sprout new growth (sometimes even in the pantry). Cut potatoes into pieces and nurture the sprouts in water. Once new sprouts are established, plant in damp soil to grow your own potatoes.

Avocados
That golf ball-sized pit is a giant seed ready to grow into your very own avocado tree. Press three toothpicks into the pit along its center and suspend it in a glass with water covering the bottom half. Change the water regularly and after a few weeks stems will form. Growing this tree is a little more challenging than some other kitchen scrap projects, but is worth the effort. Check out this article for more details on growing your own avocado tree.

Garlic
Plant a clove of garlic in a pot of damp soil and place it in a sunny location. As the garlic scapes (stalks) grow, cut them back to divert the plants resources to developing that glorious root. Garlic scapes are a treat in their own right and the peppery stalks can be roasted or used in pesto.

Ginger
Ginger rhizomes (the “root” used for cooking) are easy growers inside the house, but take a little longer. Plant a piece of the rhizome in damp soil and place in a sunny room, but out of direct sunlight. Shoots will become evident fairly soon, but it will take several months before there has been enough growth to harvest. Once the ginger has developed sufficient growth, pull the plant from the soil for use. Don’t forget to cut off a piece to re-plant!

An Abundance of Oranges?

This post is for those who are fortunate enough to have orange trees on their property or if you have an abundance of oranges for one reason or another.

For the first time in many years, we are blessed with an abundance of oranges since our baby orange trees have matured and put out lots of sweet oranges.  Yes, this makes me happy, happy, happy since oranges, even in the State of Florida, have become rather expensive.

Of course I have lots of recipes using oranges that I will be posting on my food blog, but the following are general pages about the use of orange marmalade.

Click here for a page dedicated to cooking with orange marmalade.

Recipes using orange marmalade from Thrifty Fun

Different uses for orange marmalade from eHow

If orange marmalade is not your thing, here are some other ideas for using oranges . . .

Uses for oranges from eHow

Household uses for oranges

10 Unique Uses for Orange Peels

Beauty Uses of Oranges

24 Uses for Oranges

Bulk food buying

You want to save money buying your groceries in bulk, but where do you start.  Where do you go to find those bargains?  Don't know how to store all that food?  Is couponing worth it?  What about splitting those bulk purchases with friends?  How do I plan it all?

I've done it before, but it was a long time ago.  The greatest lesson I learned . . . you don't save money if you buy too much and end up throwing it away.

It takes time to plan your purchases, organize your pantry and refrigerator and menu plans for efficiently using the food, which can be an exhaustive commitment if you really don't have the time.  You will learn my lesson . . . if you don't have the time to make a plan, you will end up throwing money away and not saving at all.

You can do it on a small scale like we do . . . when there is a good price on an item we use often, like butter, rice and pasta, we stock up on the item since we know the item will not be wasted, how it will be stored and how long it will take us to use it.

If you have the time and patience, the following are some great resources for guidance.

You Bought in Bulk...Now What?

How to Buy Food in Bulk

10 Tips for Buying Food in Bulk

Is Buying Groceries in Bulk at Wholesale Clubs Always Cheaper?

How Does Buying Food in Bulk Save Money?

Bulk Food Storage, Build your Foundation On the Basics