The Frugal Lifestyle

[deathbypoem]

Bumping this thread b/c it just needs to be bumped!
Frugal is my middle name and recently decided to do my own laundry detergent.
Which registers aprox 18 for all the ingredients and
lasts a little over 3 months. Sometimes, 4 months.


Also,

Check out this site!!

Couponclipinista on the web and also FB!

I'll be back with more mindblowing secrets in this frugal dept.

[cinnamongrrl]

I got to thinking about the cost of the dinner I made tonight.

One can of seasoned black eyed peas was .75..I used a third

A bag of rice was 1.29...I used a third

A half can of green beans I had leftover was .70

I made dinner for under 5 bucks...and had leftovers...not bad

[kittygrrl]

frugal shopping-
1. check the ads make meals around specials
2. check cupboards so you don't overbuy
3. make a detailed list
4. clip coupons
5. have a snack before you go-going hungry is not good!
6. take a calculator
7. take cash, it resonates more then plastic
8. stock up on things you use a lot, if it's on sale

[homoe]

I'm not really a going out to "lunch" person nor am I a "coffee drinker" so no big wasted monies there! I often do wonder tho if it's cheaper to eat home if you're only by yourself! There is more than monetary cost! There is also the time you need to go to the store, time spent picking out items in the store, and last, clean up time! ESPECIALLY if the meal is a disaster!
I know people try and be helpful suggesting cooking a big pot of chili and then freezing the rest, but once I have one or two bowls of chili, I don't want to see it for another 12 mos, so by then... HELLO can you say freezer burn...not exactly saving money that way!

[imperfect_cupcake]

Second hand bread machine. Super cheap, well worth it. I can make the bread (can't eat wheat, rye or barley) for way less. $5 or more a loaf in the stores. Costs me abut $2 to make.

I make and freeze dinners and lunches. And broth. I can't eat normal broth cubes so I throw all my veg ends into a bag in the freezer, and make veg broth one every 6 weeks. I buy pork bones from a great store that sells them for only 1.90 a kilo (2.2 pounds) and they are pretty meaty so I make bone broth every other month. I save all bread ends or lone dry slices in a bag in the freezer for stuffing or coating. I always save any bones, bacon fat or pork skin in the freezer.

I know where I can buy a huge 2 kilo bag of white fish for $10 - it's not the whitefish people choose, because they don't recognize the name of the fish, so they won't eat it. The fishing boats sell them cheap.

I shop at the Vietnamese vegetable stands, the food is way cheaper.
I make my own espresso in a stove top espresso maker that cost $15 at a garage sale. They sell them in our hard wear store for $35. So not that expensive to start with. I make it into americanos and put in travel mug on the train to school.

I walk the extra stops to make the zone fare cheaper for the train.

I buy bulk brown rice, bulk oatmeal, bulk coffee creamer, bulk sugar etc... Anything dried I buy bulk.

I swing past the veg store on the extra bit of walking on the way home from school to see what the "on its way out" veg and fruit rack have on it. If it's fruit I can eat, it will be a bag for $1. I'll freeze it and use it in yogurt or crumble or oatmeal or make fruit bread. If it's veg it's a $1 for a bag and I'll freeze it to use in stews or soups.

I use the veg, the meaty bone broth, veg broth to make a stew and use the bacon fat in dumplings.

If I'm really short at the end of the month, I'll use the bacon fat in making dense pancakes for dinner.

Ps, I freeze the bacon fat in ice cube trays. I let it cool, then scoop it in. That way it's easy to access without unfreezing the whole thing. I also get bacon fat off my two close friends and neighbours - they don't use it and I can't afford bacon very often.

[cinnamongrrl]

That's an awesome idea with the Bacon fat. I don't eat pork, but my dog likes a biscuit that I make him with bacon fat. I need to find a bacon eater and steal their fat...