photo by kudumomo
There are various levels of frugality. For some people, it’s as simple as switching from paper to cloth or reducing plastic use. Others consider themselves frugal if they create an organized meal plan and stop eating out or shop secondhand. Each person decides comfortable ways to reduce waste and save money. Income doesn’t always define how frugal a person can be, however; sometimes the extremes a person takes …

photo by greencandy8888
There are children’s books that can help teach principles of frugality. Books can be cheap on the wallet and educational yet entertaining for kids. First, you have to put away any negative thoughts about giving kids used books (even as gifts). It gives a pre-owned book a new life. Consider that children read used books in school and from the library, so there’s no reason they can’t enjoy …

photo by naotakem
Pasta is budget-friendly. It’s best stored dry in your pantry and cooked within a year and eaten within three days once cooked and refrigerated. It’s great any season, too. There are thousands of pasta shapes you can experiment with. So set aside the jar sauce and incorporate new pasta dishes into your weekly meal rotation.
Blushing Penne
16 ounces penne pasta
1 cup onions
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons …

photo by house of sims
DEAR SARA: I have a question about baking from scratch that is probably a no-brainer, but here goes. I bake everything from scratch. Can I mix the dry ingredients for, say, a chocolate cake and store it in canning jars or some kind of airtight container with a label on it and then just add the wet ingredients? It sounds like an easy plan, but you …