Article continues below ↓ advertisement | your ad here Have you ever miscalculated the amount of corn on the cob you needed? The first tip solves that problem. I like the idea enough to use it on a regular basis for my kids, so there’s less chance of them wasting an entire ear of corn. [...]
Article continues below ↓ advertisement | your ad here photo by McPig Many of my readers are experiencing job loss. Most are women whose husbands have been laid off. Some families have been lucky to get severance packages, but the money doesn’t stretch nearly as far as they need it to. Some women are facing [...]
Article continues below ↓ advertisement | your ad here photo by booleansplit Hosting a party can be stressful. It’s easy to get caught up in the mile-long to-do list of preparations. If you’re not well organized, you’ll be exhausted and won’t get a chance to enjoy your guests. With a few pointers, you can make [...]
photo by Octal DEAR SARA: How do I transfer a prescription? I found a coupon for a $30 gift card to Rite Aid if you transfer a prescription. Do I just take the empty bottle there and that’s it? It has two refills left. I’ve never done this before! — Angela, California DEAR ANGELA: Choose [...]
photo by Denise Soong When I read the first tip, I thought, “Oh no, not another gadget.” But once I thought about the time I would waste and the mess I would make trying to produce my own soymilk, the machine started to look more appealing. I drink soymilk and never considered making my own. [...]
Frugal folks are smart shoppers. Some keep price books to help them shop. It’s a notebook that contains item names, prices, unit sizes, unit prices, store names and dates. It helps shoppers compare prices on frequently bought items so they can identify what prices are a good deal. It’s better to rely on your own [...]
photo by Kevinee Pay a membership fee, buy in bulk, and save a ton of money. Not so fast, fellow frugalitarian. Warehouse clubs aren’t always the tightwad utopia they seem to be. I let my membership expire, and I don’t plan on renewing it, mostly because of my distance from the closest store. OK, I [...]
photo by Allerina and Glen MacLarty If you’re frugal, you’re probably used to streamlining your menu plan. Maybe you make an incredible roast when company comes over, but what about when you want to break away from the expected? The following menu can make a family gathering special without being a repeat of your holiday [...]
photo by Carey Tilden DEAR SARA: How do you store your bagged salads? I bought a couple of bags of salad on sale last night. I’m curious to know how you store yours without it getting brown really fast. — Mickee, Kentucky DEAR MICKEE: I tend to purchase heads of lettuce and salad ingredients instead [...]
photo by Dano The world is split between those who camp and those who don’t. I have never figured out the fascination with it. I love nature, hiking, cooking outdoors and being away from it all, but I just can’t get into “roughing” it. Camping friends have told me that my previous camping experiences weren’t [...]
photo by Joshua Davis It can be difficult to get your family on board with frugality. You’re never going to convince everyone that it’s as wonderful as you think it is. If you practice frugality in ways that upset and cause resentment, such as a family rule that everyone has to use less shampoo or [...]
photo by clearly ambitious There are money leaks in almost every personal budget. Take a look in your refrigerator. Does it contain a lot of soda? Many people are hooked on soda and drink a few cans each day. It’s difficult to beat the temptation when there are countless flavors available. Drinking soda is costly, [...]
photo by billaday A day might come when you need money quickly. Not a situation where you’re simply experiencing a tight budget for a day or two, but when your basic necessities are on the line. Maybe you don’t have enough money to put gas in your car or food is running low. What can [...]
photo by jek in the box Being frugal doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice good food. Serving common foods in new ways helps to combat the frugal-dinner doldrums. Creativity can stem from having fewer ingredients to work with, too. Out of an ingredient or short on time? Some substitutions will give similar results for less [...]
photo by mangpages DEAR SARA: My son has denim jeans that are torn in both knees and a pocket here and there. What do you do with the denim material once they are no longer wearable? Dust rags? I need ideas. I have five pairs that I need to do something with. I hate just [...]
photo credit DEAR SARA: I was canning peaches today, and I was supposed to cut them into halves and remove the pit. I can’t figure out how to do that without ending up with a ball of mush. How do you cut it in half when it has a giant hard pit in the middle? [...]
Freezer organization can be a challenge. It can be more difficult with a chest freezer. Ideally, you want the older food toward the top so it gets used sooner. You can remove food from bulky packaging and repackage into labeled freezer storage bags to save space or organize into plastic bins. The first reader offers [...]
