Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without

There used to be an old saying "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!" that our grandparents lived by. In our age of abundance, we have sometimes gotten away from that and sometimes it's good just to have a reminder of what we already know. 

I just used the last bit of toothpaste that I could squeeze out of the tube but I knew there was more still! I took a pair of scissors and cut off the end.

   

    

I can usually get about three more teeth brushings out of a tube by doing this. 

Another way to use things up is to never throw away soap slivers. You can take the old sliver, which is usually too small to hold and press it into the new bar and by using water as cement, voila! it's easy to use up all of the soap from the sliver. 

There are pennies everywhere and when we remember to do what we can to keep them in our pockets, we can save a little every day. 

~Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies Everywhere! Saving Money on Laundry

There are quite a number of ways to save money doing laundry and if you do all of them, over the course of a long period of time, there is quite a bit of money to be saved!

We all do laundry differently based on our family size, time we have, where we do the laundry etc. I will be sharing a number of tips that have worked for me and I hope that readers will tweak these tips to their own way of doing! 

First of all, make sure you have a full load of laundry. If you do smaller loads, you will use water, electricity and time that you would save by doing the largest loads you can at one time. 

Secondly, unless your laundry is very dirty, use cold water. 

Thirdly, use less detergent. I usually buy detergent on sale, sometimes with coupons and in bulk. I like to use all unscented detergents and they are not always on sale as often as the other kinds which is why I buy a fair amount when I can get the unscented. If you are brand specific, you will not get as much on sale which is why I am not picky about the brand, I just want it to be unscented. I don't use a full cap like they recommend, I usually use 1/2 to a 1/4 of the recommended amount. If you want to be super thrifty, you can make your own detergent and there are plenty of recipes to do that online. 

Fourth, you can hang your clothes on a clothesline and save a lot in dryer use. I don't hang clothes on the line a lot for a couple of reasons: 1. Time and 2. Allergies. I love, love, love sheets hung on the line so I usually do that. But that's often all I do on the clothesline. 

One thing I do to save on drying costs is I always rip my dryer sheets in half. Again, I buy unscented sheets. They are really easy to rip in half and I just do it with my hands. If you are a little OCD and want a straighter line, you can cut them. This means, instead of 40 dries like it says on the box, I get 80. Double the sheets! 

Try not to over dry your clothes. This costs money not only on more energy for more drying but also it stresses the clothing and you won't get as much use out of them.

As always, there are so many ways to save money! Every little bit adds up and there are pennies, pennies everywhere! 

Happy Savings! 

Change Your Think into a Thunk! Cheap Protein Sources

I have recently read in the news that some beef and pork plants have temporarily shut down because of Covid-19 cases in their workers. This is supposed to be temporary but what that may mean to us is a temporary lack of the abundance we are used to and a potential for a bit of inflation. For some, who aren't able to handle any hike in price or you are simply needing to cut back because you have no income you may be looking for some cheap protein sources. Fortunately, there are a number of them! You don't have to spend $5.00 a pound for hamburger or more for roasts and steaks! Here are some cheaper protein sources: 

Eggs are a great protein source and are quite inexpensive and they are so versatile! You can have them scrambled, poached, boiled or made into an omelet. You can make an egg-salad sandwich. You can make deviled eggs. You can put them in baked goods. If you carry your lunch, which is much more inexpensive than eating out, you can put a boiled egg or two in your lunch with whatever sides you want. At $1.20 per dozen, eggs are only .80 a pound. 

Another great source of protein is beans and rice. You can make beans and rice in a number of different ways. You can make them for dinner and they are also easy to put in a container for a packed lunch, as long as you have a refrigerator and microwave to keep them in. Rice is very inexpensive and quantity buying can make a  difference, but expect about .75 a pound and beans around .80 a pound. 

Dried beans are an amazingly cheap source of protein. You can make Boston baked beans, split pea soup, lentils and a number of other bean dishes and soups. One trick I like to do is save bacon grease from when I make bacon. I freeze it and then put the bacon grease in the beans. This has the tendency to make one feel extra thrifty and makes the dish more tasty. A pound of dried pinto beans is about $1.04 a pound.

Canned fish is a good source of protein and keeps very well. You can buy tuna, canned salmon, sardines and a number of other canned meats like oysters, octopus etc.  A can of tuna like the one below is about .80. 

Refried beans can be used as a substitute for hamburger in burritos or eaten with tortilla chips. A one pound can is about $1.00.

One meat that is very low priced is chicken gizzards. I really like them but not everyone does. I love them fried. They run about $1.39 a pound.

Chicken Leg quarters are also inexpensive at about $1.07 a pound. They are very versatile and there are so many way to cook them. Add some rice and a side of canned green beans and you can create a very inexpensive, filling and tasty dish for very little. 

During this time, it's time to put our creative hats on. When we change our think into a thunk, meaning we change our thinking to fit the challenge, we can learn new skills and make a difference for ourselves, our family and the world at large. Happy Savings and be safe!

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Make Your Own Yogurt!

Did you know you can easily make your own yogurt for pennies compared to grocery store prices? I have a yogurt maker and I will show you my process but you don't need a yogurt maker to make yogurt! 

First, you will need starter. This is from my last batch but if you don't have any starter, you can just buy the smallest container of plain yogurt from the store. 

Here is my yogurt maker. The above glass jar is like the ones that fill this maker and I can use them over and over (no trash!)

First, I take about a quart of milk and pour into a bowl. I heat the milk briefly after pouring it into the bowl. 

I add some real cream to mine because I like the thick, rich flavor. 

Then, I add my starter and stir. 

After that, I fill the jars and add it to the yogurt maker. 

I turn it on and leave it for 24 hours. You don't need a yogurt maker but, living in a cooler climate, I like the even heat that gets applied to the yogurt with the maker. 

Once the yogurt is done, I either use it in smoothies or add some jam like this for flavor. 

Here is a link to making yogurt without a yogurt maker. Easy peasy! https://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/recipe/homemade-yogurt-without-a-yogurt-maker/

Happy Savings! 

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Using Your Leftovers

Do you throw out your leftovers? If so, here is a great way to begin saving some money. You might look in the bottom of this pan at these few bits of rice and chicken and say "That's not enough for my family of four!" and dump it into the trash. Oh! It hurt me to even write that! The thought of people throwing out good food and wasting money gives me a pain in my heart. What can you do with what is in this pan? Read on!

I have used our leftovers for many years. For me, it was a necessity. But not only is it a necessity for many, it's very important that as a society we move to be less wasteful. This bit of food would make a great lunch for one. It could be eaten right away or put into a freezer container as an easy to grab lunch. 

Another option: Cook more rice and add it to the mix. You could add some more frozen broccoli and stretch it out for a full meal.

One of the greatest advantages to leftovers, besides saving money, is saving time. It's so easy to throw some leftovers on the table.

I read this article today and was shocked! The article is called "Why Americans Have Stopped Eating Leftovers". https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/10/31/why-americans-have-stopped-eating-leftovers/?utm_term=.a1739936bd7d People are throwing out so much food! People complain so often about not having enough money to go around but I see these pennies, pennies everywhere! 

I wonder how we have gone to being a frugal and thrifty people to being so wasteful? I don't want to sound moralizing here but our mantra should be Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do or Do Without. We used to be a country of immigrants who understood want. Now people complain about not having enough money while throwing good food in the trash. Inexcusable!

Okay. You got my feelings on that issue. ;) I feel really good when I save money. And eating leftovers and saving money and time makes me feel really good. Over the years, those pennies add up and they make a nice cushion so you don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. We can all be more free when we make freeing choices. 

Happy Savings!

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Save Your Pumpkin Seeds and Toast Them!

 Every year I grow pumpkins. Mostly, I grow them because I like how they look on my deck in the fall of the year. (I did not grow all of these in this photo!) I also take the cornstalks I grew, tie them in a bundle, and use them for fall decoration. One bonus to growing pumpkins is toasted pumpkin seeds! When you cut open the pumpkin there will be a gooey glop of pumpkin seeds in the middle of the pumpkin. These need to be scooped out. 

Then comes the fun part, pulling all the glop off the pumpkin seeds! 

 Here is a recipe for toasting pumpkin seeds: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/salty-roasted-pumpkin-seeds-recipe.html There are a few different ones out there. Some of them have a Cajun flair if you like that. In short order, you will have some yummy toasted pumpkin seeds that are mostly free to you, since you probably otherwise would have thrown them out! 

I had a small pumpkin this time and I am cooking it just for scooping and eating. You can also make pies or bread with pumpkin. 

Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies Everywhere: Reuse Freezer and Storage Bags

A good way to save some money is to re-use your plastic freezer and storage baggies. I usually manage to re-use mine a few times before throwing them away. I suds them up well using some dish soap and hot water and wash them out well. I then turn them upside down to dry on whatever I have available. Usually that is on top of cups or a faucet handle or a bottle of some kind. There is often a little moisture left in them so I dry them out before putting them away. Depending on how many baggies you use per year, you can save a fair amount of money. If you normally use 100 bags per year, for example, and you buy 20 and re-use them over and over, and you normally pay 99 cents per 20 (which is what I get them for on sale), you can save about $4.00. That might not seem like a lot of money but remember when you save pennies on a little of everything all year long, and do it year after year, it can amount to a lot.

If saving a few dollars isn't a good enough incentive for you, you may want to consider washing baggies out for environmental reasons. According to Ecowatch, "Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times. We currently recover only five percent of the plastics we produce. The average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year.Apr 7, 2014"  There is so much plastic thrown away, it really is quite tragic. A great thing about frugality is that is usually has further reaching effects than just your personal purse-strings. This is one reason why frugality is such a great concept.

Here is an article from Mother Jones on washing out sandwich baggies: http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/06/washing-out-sandwich-baggies-waste-time

I re-use plastic baggies over and over and have not had a problem. I just make sure they are clean. However, there comes a point when I do throw them away. It is not recommended to re-use discolored baggies or baggies that had meat or oil in them for food use. Use common sense when re-using baggies.

Here is an article about re-using plastic baggies in ways other than putting food into them: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/06/reusing-plastic-bags-tips_n_1859303.html?slideshow=true#gallery/248738/0

Happy Savings!

Dandelion Greens for Dinner!

I haven't done much with dandelion greens in the past besides throw a few into a salad. Tonight, I tried a dandelion green side dish! I liked it. It isn't something I would want all the time but it was pretty good and it did hit the spot tonight! 

First, I picked the greens. 

                                                                                                                                                 
Then, they had to be soaked in salt water for 10 minutes.

    Next, they had to be boiled. I also sauteed the onion mixture as the greens boiled.

Then, I sauteed all the ingredients together! 

This is certainly a frugal dish! Since we don't use any chemicals on our lawn, I just picked them right outside our backdoor! Here is the recipe if you wish to try it! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222744/dandelion-greens-with-a-kick/

Here are the nutrition facts for dandelion greens: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2857/2

Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies Everywhere: A Use for Bread Crusts

Don't you just hate throwing out bread crusts? There are many uses for them and here is one:

Tonight, I made sloppy joes, but instead of buying buns for the sloppy joes, I toasted bread crusts! After the bread crusts were toasted, we loaded them up with pickles, sloppy joe sauce, cheese and onions. They can be eaten either by picking them up or cutting them with a fork.

Other uses for bread crusts are using them with chicken gravy, mini-pizzas or some people like making bread pudding or stuffing with them.

A few pennies here and a few pennies there all add up to dollars!

Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies Everywhere! Save Money on Milk!

A number of years back, I stopped using cow's milk. Before I did, I added water to every gallon to stretch it. I saved a lot of money that way. You can hardly tell the difference if you get the ratio right and it tastes just fine! (I would wait until the gallon was down maybe four inches and then fill it back up and shake it.)

In recent years, for health reasons, I switched to almond milk. I also added water to that and saved money there as well.

Recently, I needed to change for health reasons again! I was a bit stumped until I remembered that you can make oatmeal milk!

Since the only thing I really use milk in is smoothies, instead of almond milk, I just put some water and a small handful of quick oats in the blender with the other ingredients, blend and voila! It works perfectly and amazingly it is MUCH cheaper than almond milk!

If you want to make oatmeal milk that is strained, you can follow this recipe or the many other variations of recipes online:

http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/oat-milk-recipe-vegan

There are so many ways to save money. There are pennies, pennies everywhere!

Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies Everywhere! Don't Throw Out Those Old Bananas!

There are many ways to save a little money here and there and it all adds up! I bought a lot of extra bananas a while back because they were on sale (of course!). I usually use brown bananas in smoothies but I had too many this time, so I decided to make banana bread! 

You can use leftover bananas for banana bread, smoothies, banana muffins or even banana cookies! Bananas also freeze so if you can't get to them right away you can keep them in your freezer until you are ready to use them (although they are a bit mushy and watery when thawed-they still work well for baking.)

Here is a banana bread recipe to try: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/

We usually eat one loaf right away and then I freeze the other one for later on. Yum!

Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies Everywhere! Save Money on Baggies and Recycle Too!

If you save your bread bags, you can reuse them instead of paying for baggies. As you can see, I bought some rolls marked down from $2.28 to .89 saving there as well! So, in this instance, I not only saved money on the rolls but I am reusing the bread bag to save rather than buying Zip-lock or off-brand baggies.

If you save pennies here and there they all add up! There are truly pennies, pennies everywhere!

Inexpensive and Refreshing Light Summer Drink

This is a lemonade I make in the summer. However, it is not the heavy, syrupy lemonade you buy in the store. It is better for you and very light and refreshing. I take a lemon, cut it in half, squeeze the juices into a large pitcher and add sugar to taste. I like to add just enough sugar to make it sweet but still very light. The real lemon makes it so refreshing and much better for you. I make a gallon with a whole lemon but if you wanted to squeeze your pennies a bit further, you could use 1/2 a lemon. 

Here I have some canned plums. Later on, when the plums are gone, I will take this leftover syrup/juice and add it to the drink for a little bit of a different taste and some savings on sugar. .

Happy Savings!

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere! Save on Scrubbers! Simply Cut Them in Half!

I have cut my scrubbers in half for many years. Not only do they last twice as long, they fit into my hand better! If you have smaller hands like I do, you may like this size better. (Sorry I took a picture of my wet scrubber, but I didn't think to photo this until now.) There are so many little ways to save money and they all add up!

Happy Savings!

Fun, Free and Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper!

If you are looking for some fun, free and eco-friendly wrapping paper, look no further than the Sunday Comics! They are colorful and kids love them!

Another free and eco-friendly idea for wrapping paper is the inside of potato chip bags. Simply turn the bags inside out, wash with soapy water and let dry. Voila! Shiny, eco-friendly wrapping paper! This wrapping paper is great for kids or adults who are environmentally conscience or simply frugal.

Happy Savings!

Pennies Pennies, Everywhere! This Time: Using Your Old Bread Crusts

There are truly many pennies everywhere, free for the taking. One way to pick up a few of these pennies is to use your bread crusts instead of throwing them out. I use them for toast for eating with spaghetti or cream of wheat. They don't flop over as easily as regular bread when you put some spaghetti on the bread before biting into it. I also sprinkle cheese on them and bake to eat with soups. When the kids were smaller, I made mini-pizzas and put tomato sauce and cheese on the crusts and baked them.

Here is a link with some ideas for stale bread:

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/11/11-ways-to-use-stale-bread.html

And another:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/09/20-recipe-ideas-leftover-bread

I also took a photo of the spaghetti we had last night which was a very inexpensive meal. Bread crusts with butter, tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, spaghetti noodles bought on sale, tomato sauce bought on sale (I don't like making my own) with venison my husband hunted and we butchered, squash, some wild and some store bought mushrooms, celery, and a garden tomato. The most expensive thing was the coconut oil I put on the noodles to keep them from sticking together. (Coconut oil is very healthy!)

Pennies add up to dollars, which add up to expendable income which used to pay down debts equal more financial freedom and less stress and worry. And there are pennies, pennies everywhere. ;)