I’ve been reading on here that many folks are looking for ways to save money each month. I have found a couple of ways by following one of my dad’s habits. I am very careful about what I throw away. I recycle as much as possible. I have a burn barrel to burn my confidential papers, but that can be shredded and used as packing material as well. If i have left over food or things that can be put in a compost i place it in a plastic bag and take it to a compost area i have created. I live in the country so this is easier for me, but if you have a garbage disposal it works too. The only thing I have left that needs thrown away is the small amount from the bathroom trash and kitty litter and I take it out when I go to town and drop it in a public trash can. I usually have a small plastic grocery bag full once a week if that. I am going to the recycling center 3 to 4 times a week but I am usually out anyway. and this saves me approx $20 a month/ $240 a year.
The next topic is on food and cooking. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you should invest, it will save you money in the long run. I buy meat when it is on sale and I cut it down into the correct portion size for meals for my husband and myself. We only cook what we are going to eat for each meal, that way we will not have left overs. When we started downsizing our meals to no leftovers, I had a hard time because I was used to cooking for me and my three growing teens, but they grew up and moved out and I met my now husband and we just don’t like to have tons of leftovers and a mess in the fridge, just to throw them out, and watch his hard earned money go into the compost pile! Just try it one meal at a time, it will be a habit you can slowly add to your routine. The last thing that I have found a way to save is with my ONIONS. Instead of cutting them through the middle if I need a small amount, I peal a layer at a time and then cut the layer into pieces. If you need the whole onion then by all means use the whole onion. Again, since it is just me and my husband, we only need a small amount of onion sometimes. I score the onion around the ends, leaving the ends on but scoring 2 to 4 lines from one end to the other (like you would do and orange when you are peeling it). This preserves the onion and doesn’t cut into the layers below so it doesn’t spoil like a cut onion does. I hope this helps save someone a little money out there…
That is a cool idea on the onions!! I miss my compost pile when I lived in the woods, but I’m committed to recycling now that I live where I have room for it. Thanks for the tips!
What great ideas to save a little extra here and there.
I especially appreciate what you shared about cooking just enough for you and your husband.
My wife and I tend to have the leftover problem a lot, and since my wife doesn’t really like eating leftovers, quite a bit ends up going to waste.
I can see how it would take some adjusting but cooking just enough portion wise for two is a great idea and something I am going to mention to my wife to see if we can do something similar.
Yes it is going to take some time, but I was amazed at how much I loved it. Cook in sauce pans instead of bigger stock pans. I also measure out prepared frozen food, he will eat 2 1/2 cups of a prepared frozen chicken pasta and I eat 1 1/2, so I measure it out and that is what I serve onto our plates, I also use smaller plates, weight loss tips too. Good luck
Many times I still cook as if the kids are home, but freeze portions for later use. We don’t mind “reconfigured” leftovers, but the same exact thing a couple times in a row not so much. This allows me to just pop a ready made dish in the microwave and alternate meals. Other times, I just cook for that meal. // Conventional composting is not possible where we are now, but two options are. Worm composting and blending veg scraps with water and digging the slurry into the garden. // We reuse as much as possible. Rags from older t shirts or towels instead of paper, and cloth napkins, save us a bundle. // Thanks Tara, for starting this thread.
I save the bones after removing all the meat from a rotisserie chicken (or a turkey carcass), simmer them for hours with a whole onion and some salt and pepper. I strain the broth once all of the meat is cooked off the bones, and bag it in quart size freezer bags. Can be used for simple broth, or as a base for gravy, or to add noodles to and make a main dish.
If you are using dryer sheets to stop static cling, cut the sheet in half. You’ll stretch those dryer sheets dollars by 100% and not have the ‘perfumed’ smell of full size sheets.
Not all people like used clothing but upcycling is the new buzzword. Check out ThredUp and other upcycling web sites for major savings on better name brand clothing. I’d rather save 50-80% off name brand clothing than cheap no-brand clothing - the better quality ones last longer and wear better thus saving you money in the long run.
Search for less expensive insurance policies at least once a year - if you save pennies here and there, great! But if you save $50.00 on a policy change, that’s even better!
Free range chickens mean free, healthy eggs. Better than the 45 day-old eggs sold in stores. Many municipalities allow up to 10 hens in a yard (with some restrictions).
