I know I have been away, but things have been hectic. On a positive note I should be starting a training program that I'm looking forward too. Though I have tried to write several articles, I found the stress has been oppressing my skills and I had to result to sharing other peoples wonderful work. However powerful my little may be and I'm glad to give them whatever boast my page can provide.
More recently I dedicated more effort into looking for ways to keep my budget in order. Being unemployed is a good way to learn how to save money and how to buckle down on spending. So as I shared the reusable tampon, I thought of all the other ways I figured out on my own how to save money. Feeling more original, I provide my little list of saving tips! Not all of this is healthy or ideal, but sometimes you just have to go with what you have.
Like Bacon?
I admit I enjoy pork bacon. I love it in fact! However the price of bacon has been very high and it became a guilty pleasure I learned to live without. Then I discovered for $7.99 at my grocery store, I could buy 48 oz of bacon chunks, instead of slices! I have to admit I like it so much better t his way! I can use a small pan rather for bacon chunks, than have to stretch out bacon strips. Also it has lasted a very long time in my house, rather than one or two meals.
- You can also save money on butter, buy storing the uncooked bacon fat and use it to butter pans for eggs or pancakes. You don't need to use nearly as much as you would butter. Thats a big money saver!
Any Coffee Drinker's out there?
Buying coffee in bulk, helps a lot, but is still ranges from $6-10. If you like your coffee light to medium, you can save money by buying dark coffee. Rather than your usual preference level darker coffee allows you to use a lot less coffee than you normally would. You may have to do some experimenting. Remember if you make it too strong, just add some water. It is better to go a little too strong than too light. This technique could make the coffee last twice as long than usual, depending how dark you like it.
I've seen the prices of a half a gallon of ice coffee and all I can say is THEFT! Seriously, save yourself tons of cash, buy simply keeping a pictcher in your fridge to dispose of the hot coffee (after its cooled to down) no one finishes in the pot. Why waste good coffee, then buy ice coffee? That simply doesn't compute with me! Its really too easy not too! You throw in some sugar first (because sugar dissolves better when liquid is added not sugar added to liquid) then the coffee, creamers and ice. Stir and you are done. Don't worry about the sugar rule when adding coffee to about cup worth of remaining liquid. It should be pretty sugary already, though add more for the amount of coffee you are adding to the container.
Paper Towels are a waste and bad for the Environment!
I can't afford to waste money on paper towels! Its literally that simple, I don't have the funds for it. Here some alternatives!
- Dish Towels and wash cloth are always ideal.
- Rags! Your kid out grows a shirt with a big stain in it, rather than make your next kid wear it just rip it up and use them to wipe up a spill, clean a your cabinets, etc...
- Dirty Laundry. Why not, if your are going to wash it any way? Just make sure your spill doesn't stain the fabric. Great for water spills!
- Old Newspapers. Newspapers are great way for those dirty old messy spills like oil, blood, animal mess.
- Coffee Filters! They disposable, but are less paper. Great for small spills and messes.
If you don't have a washer machine, cleaning all those rags can be a hassle. To clean them as often as needed you can run them through a dishwasher if you have one or put them in a pot of boiling water for and line dry.
You can also avoid spills messes with a lot more easy with a counter cover or even refrigerator tray cover. For a counter cover, a cutting board often works. Make your coffee or sandwich over the cutting board and simply rinse off and dry when you are done.
Refrigerator spills are always a nightmare! I have to thank my mother-in-law for this idea, she lines her refrigerator with old rectangle shaped trays (literally like the ones at a fastfood restaurant) and place mats inside the trays, on the bottom of the draws and under them. If some meat leaks or milk spills, the mess is contained to one tray or matt and easy to take out and clean. This saves you from long hours of clean up and you use less products and wipes in doing so.
You can also avoid spills messes with a lot more easy with a counter cover or even refrigerator tray cover. For a counter cover, a cutting board often works. Make your coffee or sandwich over the cutting board and simply rinse off and dry when you are done.
Refrigerator spills are always a nightmare! I have to thank my mother-in-law for this idea, she lines her refrigerator with old rectangle shaped trays (literally like the ones at a fastfood restaurant) and place mats inside the trays, on the bottom of the draws and under them. If some meat leaks or milk spills, the mess is contained to one tray or matt and easy to take out and clean. This saves you from long hours of clean up and you use less products and wipes in doing so.
Cleaning products!
You honestly don't need a lot of different sprays and products to clean your home. Most things can be cleaned with
- Vinegar is great for counters, glass, dish water, floors, laundry and bathrooms.
- Citrus like lemons and oranges, perfect to add to vinegar for extra strength and a nicer smell.
- Rubbing Alcohol added to water, disinfects very well. Works for floors, dishes, laundry, counters, kitchens and bathrooms.
- Peroxide is great for taking out tough stains like blood. Perfect for laundry, fabrics and carpets.
- Baking Soda is great for things that need to be scrubbed from toilets to dishes.
Watering down your Milk
Milk is a must for most families. Many people fall into the trend of low fat to skim milk. Rather than waste your money on theses watered downed milks, simply buy whole milk and the water yourself! You can find your own ratio of milk and water your family likes. You can save money and calories doing this.
Nut Milk
Many people are getting into alternative milks for a variety of reasons. Some for health, socially conscious or just like the taste of nut milk like Almond milk, They also can cost almost twice as much as regular milk, but that doesn't have to be. Nut milks are very easy to make and are most made up of water.
You need 1 part nuts for 4 time as much water. There are different ways to sweeten the nuts to your liking. You will also need to have a food pulverizer blender to break down soil nuts into a liquid.
Here is a list of recipes of different nut milks to try!
Fresh Herb's
Fresh herbs can make any meal special, but they tend to be very pricey! Save money by buying the plants yourself. They don't require a lot of maintenances and will provide you with lots of healthy and tasty food and teas. Yes you can make teas with your fresh herbs, like mint and basil!
Reuse food containers whenever possible!
Almost everyone has done it. Chineses food containers are often the more favored. I remember people saving the soup containers the most! Tubs for butter/margarine is popular, but don't forget to save your glass jars! Jams, pasta sauce, pickles, baby food and other items we use come in glass containers and are great to reuse. You could make the same product from scratch or you could use them to store flavored waters, parfaits and other foods that do better in glass containers. Then coffee tin's are great for storing greece, sharp objects like nails (not child proof,) making art musical instrument's or metaling down if you can do so safely. Another often rarely reused product are plastic bags. They can be reused 2-5 times more, depending on use. I don't recommend reusing them if they contained meat or spoiled food. Pretty much anything messy.
I hope theses ideas find all well and I hope you will find these suggestions helpful for you and your family. Hera's blessings upon all you who keep a home!
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| By Sailko |
