Everyday ways to save money

[Tish]

Don't buy expensive salon hair products because you think they are better(studies have been done to prove!). Inexpensive hair-care products are not watered down, nor are expensive hair-care products are more concentrated. Find a product that works on your hair...it doesn't have to be expensive to be good!

[Tish]

FREE ICE CREAM! Mark April 19th down. Ben & Jerry's will be giving out free ice cream cones Noon until 8pm. You can go to www.benjerry.com to find the closest Ben & Jerry's to
you, and make sure they are a participating store (a few stores do not participate in Free Cone Day.)

[Monstr]

Shop at Aldi's www.aldi.com for some things. You can get a good sized whole chicken (frozen) for 65 cents a pound. 64 oz. of pretty good not from concentrate orange juice - $1.79

[Jenny H.]

3 words: macaroni and cheese. you can do so much with the blue boxed food wonder! Add a can of tomatoes and half a pound of hamburger, or a can of chili, a can of tuna and half a can of peas, hot dogs...need I go on? Stock up when it is on sale for 4 or 5 for a dollar and keep it in your cupboards. It is the cheapest, easiest and most crowd pleasing meal I can think of and if you add a little bit of personal flare, it will become so much more than "just macaroni and cheese".

[Tish]

I just learned a new one! Listerine is good for killing pet urine odors(vinegar is good too!)....don't even ask me why I need to know this, it's a painful story, but needless to say it works and it's cheap! Wash the floors with a mixture of three to four cups of Listerine in a bucket of hot water. After the floors are dry, the odor is gone. Hopefully you won't need to know it, but if you do there you go!

[anne in apex]

I have a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide mixed 1:1 with water in my kitchen at all times. H2O2 is a natural disinfectant, which is why Mom poured it on open cuts. You can use it on just about anything, including food, to sanitize it. Spray it on your counters after you wiped them down, then let it dry. Or spray it on BEFORE you've wiped them down, it'll get off the stuff that you have splashed and is dried on. Spray it on wooden cutting boards after washing, and let it dry, to take care of any cooties that might be there from raw meat. Spray it around your kitchen sink faucets and watch it fizz the germs away. And my personal favorite, spray it in your microwave and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Presto, all the dried on stuff just wipes right off!!

A large bottle (quart) of H2O2 is around 79 cents at somewhere like Walmart, and it'll last a long time. Much cheaper, more natural, and easier on the environment than the pricey "antibacterial" wipes.

[Tish]

Wow! That's a fantastic idea. I'm so glad you brought that to our attention. I think I will have to give it a go!

[Tish]

You guys should really check this out! I bet you didn't know that there is a place that you can buy "lost luggage" items from the airlines. There is at http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/ I was just kind of surfing when I found this site. Sounds fascinating if you are in the area of the store! (Looks like they also sell on ebay)

[RéeLani]

Made a great discovery at the grocery store yesterday. I needed to buy some sesame seeds for a couple recipes, and so very much hate to spend $3.00 or more for one of those tiny ( maybe 1.5 oz. ) cans in the spice aisle. Anyway, there are a couple aisles with ethnic food products, and as I was passing the Middle Eastern food I found a 1 lb. bag of sesame seeds for $2.99! And that's not an aisle I normally shop in, but I'll be taking a closer look in the future to see if there are any other bargains like that.

I know some people still have bulk food stores, but there don't seem to be any around here anymore.

[Tish]

Wow, what a great discovery! I never even thought to look there. I'm going to have to be more diligent in looking at the other areas of the grocery I don't normally use. I know that some of the spices in the mexican section of our store is similar in great deals!

[Bella Donna]

Here are some dry mix recipes that you can make yourself at home:

Homemade Shake and Bake
1 C bread crumbs
1/2 C flour
2 t garlic powder
2 t poultry seasoning
1 t paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and store in a sealable container or zipper topped plastic bag. This will keep up to 4 months in the pantry, depending on the humidity (you may just want to keep it in the freezer). This recipe will also double or triple well.
To Use: Preheat oven to 375°. Place one cup of mix in a plastic bag. In a bowl, mix an egg and 1/2 C skim milk. Dip chicken pieces one at a time in the milk mixture, then shake one at a time in the plastic bag. Place on a baking pan and bake for appropriate time (depending on the chicken you're using -as a little as 20 minutes or up to an hour for bigger, bone-in pieces).

Noodle Mix
1 C instant n/f dry milk
2 T grated Romano cheese
1/4 C dried minced onion
1 T garlic powder
1/4 t white pepper

Combine ingredients and store in a sealable container or zipper topped plastic bag. This will keep for 2 months in the pantry, however, I would personally store in the fridge because of the cheese; plus it will last longer. Mark the date on the zipper topped bag with your Sharpie pen. This recipe doubles well.
To Use: combine 1/4 C mix with 2 T melted butter and 1/4 C skim milk. Toss with 8 oz pasta (cooked).

Onion Soup Mix
1/4 cup onion flakes
2 t beef bouillon
1 t onion powder.

Combine ingredients and store in a sealable container or zipper topped plastic bag. This will keep up to 4 months in the pantry, depending on the humidity (you may just want to keep it in the freezer).

TACO SEASONING MIX
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
1/2 teaspoon instant minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Mix all ingredients together well. Store in tightly sealed bag or container. TO MAKE TACO FILLING: Brown 1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat. Add 1/2 cup water and 2 tablespoons of Taco Seasoning Mix. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes filling for 8 to 10 tacos.
Yield: About 2 tablespoons mix, equal to 1 average package. (This recipe multiplies well, but should be used within 6 months.)


CHICKEN GRAVY MIX
1-1/3 cups powdered milk
3/4 cup instant flour (like Wondra)
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon sage or poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup salted butter/margarine
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in butter until evenly distributed. Mix well and store in a 3-cup tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Use within 4 to 6 weeks. TO USE: Pour 1 cup cold water in saucepan, using a whisk to blend, stir in 1/2 cup mix. Stir constantly over medium heat until gravy is smooth and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Yield: About 2-2/3 cups mix for 1 cup gravy.

COUNTRY GRAVY MIX
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients well and store in a tightly sealed container. TO MAKE GRAVY: Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil used to fry the chicken (or melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter) in the skillet. Over low heat, mix in 2 tablespoons of the Country Gravy Mix. Stirring constantly, cook about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup chicken broth, scraping browned bits off bottom of skillet. Stir in 1 cup milk and bring all to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with chicken, mashed potatoes or biscuits. Yield: About 1 cup of mix for 2 cups gravy.

[Tish]

Those are great! Thanks for adding them

[LA28]

Tish wrote:
You guys should really check this out! I bet you didn't know that there is a place that you can buy "lost luggage" items from the airlines. There is at http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/ I was just kind of surfing when I found this site. Sounds fascinating if you are in the area of the store! (Looks like they also sell on ebay)

I know this is from awhile ago, but I just read it! My stepdad managed a greyhound bus station when I was pretty young. They sold lost luggage if it wasn't claimed within a certain number of months. One time he came home with a hiking backpack. It turned out that it was some Australian lady's! She had left a wallet-type thing in there with pictures and cool coins and everything. I think I wore one of her t-shirts for a nightgown for a very long time. And I still have the backpack. It's huge and awesome for hiking and travelling. Apparently he got it for dirt cheap. I felt a bit, uh, nosy , but it was so cool.

[Bella Donna]

Tish wrote:
I just learned a new one! Listerine is good for killing pet urine odors(vinegar is good too!)....don't even ask me why I need to know this, it's a painful story, but needless to say it works and it's cheap! Wash the floors with a mixture of three to four cups of Listerine in a bucket of hot water. After the floors are dry, the odor is gone. Hopefully you won't need to know it, but if you do there you go!

Tish - does the above work for little boys, too? Sheesh - you'd think that their bathroom was a locker room. Doesn't matter if I clean everyday it still smells! phew!

Also, a non-related Listerine question: You posted an Alfredo sauce recipe. I have no cream cheese but have evaporated milk. I can't email you directly but can you help me with a variation, possibly?

Thanks!
Heather

[Tish]

Heather Cole wrote:

Tish wrote:
I just learned a new one! Listerine is good for killing pet urine odors(vinegar is good too!)....don't even ask me why I need to know this, it's a painful story, but needless to say it works and it's cheap! Wash the floors with a mixture of three to four cups of Listerine in a bucket of hot water. After the floors are dry, the odor is gone. Hopefully you won't need to know it, but if you do there you go!

Tish - does the above work for little boys, too? Sheesh - you'd think that their bathroom was a locker room. Doesn't matter if I clean everyday it still smells! phew!

Also, a non-related Listerine question: You posted an Alfredo sauce recipe. I have no cream cheese but have evaporated milk. I can't email you directly but can you help me with a variation, possibly?

Thanks!
Heather

I have Simple Alfredo Sauce but it calls for heavy cream. I haven't posted one including cream cheese....I know Connie K posted one Alfredo Sauce (from the Pantry) but I haven't tried it yet. I think you can go into any of my recipes and ask the chef a question? You should be able to get an email to me that way. I haven't made alfredo without heavy cream...I like the fat even if I shouldn't! Maybe someone else here can help us with that!
Did you try the listerine? I figured it couldn't hurt to use it..nothing else was really working. It seems to hold up pretty well. Yell back if I can help with something else