Recent Frugal Recipes Posts

Here are the most recent additions to the Frugal Recipes blog. I hope you enjoy them. Shannon

Ginger

Nutmeg

How to Use Half-Eaten Fruit

How to Use Half-Eaten Veggies

Basil Tea

Peppermint Tea

Basil

Bay Leaf

Peppermint

Chicken and Cheese Roll-Ups

Pop Corn Treats

Candy Corn Trail Mix

Pop Corn Balls

oregano

White Tea

Baked Apple Chocolate Chip Bars

How to Use up Apples

How to Use Up Pumpkin

Autumn Popcorn Recipes

Using all of those Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seed Flavor Variations

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

Create Pumpkin Bowls for Soup

 

 

 

 

 

Leach-Free Containers

There are leach-free alternatives to BPA products, both plastic and glass. These are durable, healthier choices for everyone, but cost can seem daunting.

Do not think that way! Think about how much you are spending every month on plastic food baggies and other disposable items like these. Even if you reuse these items, they will still have to be replaced eventually, necessitating the use of landfills for disposal.

• Purchasing healthy alternatives will help the environment, and make you and your home healthier, negating the need for so much medical care.
• Making these purchases will also save you a lot of money over time.

There are ways to go about getting these items at discounted prices:

• Reuse glass food jars from the grocery store.
• Purchase old canning jars, lids and rings at yard sales and other places. Often, these can be found on freecycle.
• Ask for them as gifts for Christmas or your birthday.

Shannon

 

Sharing, Again

Hope you are all doing well. I wanted to share some links with you today:

• Program Helps Poor Save for Brighter Future
• More Kids Starving for Noursihment
• Foundation Provides Hope for Single Moms

Have a nice evening!

Shannon

This and That

I am currently working on what I will be giving at the holidays. It won’t be much. I have been bringing steadier income, which is great. I am starting to get caught up on bills.

I wanted to share a couple of articles that I came across with you:

• Single Mom Savings: How to stretch your childcare dollars
• A Parent’s Unemployment Stress Trickles Down to the Children

Have a nice day!

Shannon

Dear Frugal Diary, 11/09/2009

I have been decluttering and learning to simplify my life. This process is helping:

• Me to learn that I do not need so much.
• Me to learn the art of letting go.
• Others to see that I do not want them to give me so many things, unless they will be useful.
• Others in that I am giving of my ‘things’ that I no longer want away.
• Me to prepare to move to Salem without so much stuff, paying less to move what I will have left.

Deciding what to let go is somewhat difficult. I have (mostly) done my bedroom and the livingroom, but I am still seeing things that I can live without.

Shannon

Designer Clothing and Teens

Do teens still think they ‘need’ designer clothing? Amy Dacyzyn touches upon this subject on page 93 of her book The Complete Tightwad Gazette. She says:

“Give your child a clothing budget…Save designer labels…form a parent group against…”

Here are my thoughts:

• I have a teenager and a 20-year-old. We have always been ‘poor’ and most of their clothes have been hand-me-downs.
• When I have purchased clothes for them out of need, I have started with thrift shops, yard sales and other second-hand venues.
• When necessary, I have purchased something new at a store, many times on clearance, and rarely at full price.
• My 17-year-old tells me that brand is not important. But, she says, Converse and Dickies are the best quality and last longer. However, she does not purchase them brand new because of the expense. Looks are more important than labels.
• My 20-year-old will wear anything as long as it looks good.
• Both girls, now that they shop for themselves, yard sale and frequent thrift shops. They are very picky about what they purchase new, if anything at all.
• They do not read the label to determine if they like something and will purchase it.

Shannon

Air Popped Corn

I have an air popper that I have owned since my daughters were little. It makes the best popcorn, though I’m not sure how much longer it can possibly last.

It simply uses hot air to pop the corn, and I melt a little butter in a pan to add to it when done.

This popcorn is so much healthier than microwave popcorn that comes in the expandable bag. It tastes so good.

Your challenge…if you decide to take it…is to eat only air popped popcorn from now on. It is much cheaper than microwaved popcorn, and much healthier.

Shannon

How to Reuse Egg Cartons

Egg cartons can be reused for different things, such as:

• Jewelry holder.
• Bead sorter.
• Sequin sorter.
• Paint cups.
• Craft projects such as tulips.
• Glue cups.

What do you reuse egg cartons for? Let us know in the comments.

Shannon

How to Reuse Towels and Washcloths

You can reuse towels, wash cloths, dish cloths and dish towels when they are warn by:

• Cutting them into rags.
• Using them as mopheads and rewashing.

What other ideas can you come up with? Let us know in the comments.

Shannon

How to Reuse Toilet Paper & Paper Towel Tubes

These tubes can also come from items such as wrapping paper, food wrap, etc. They can be reused for many things. I will share some ideas with you, and then you can share some with all of us in the comments.

• Feed electronics cords through them to clean up areas behind desks and entertainment centers.
• Store holiday lights in them.
• Cut them to size and use them to create napkin rings for holidays and other occasions.
• Make ‘firecrackers’ out of them to give as gifts.

Shannon