photo by arnold inuyaki In the back of the pantry, you might find a couple of cans of evaporated milk that are close to expiring. It typically lasts about a year unopened in the pantry and once opened and refrigerated, you have about a week to use it. It’s wonderful when used in mashed or [...]
photo by House of sims DEAR SARA: I have found several homemade mixes on your forums that I would like to make. If the mixes were stored in a glass jar and exposed to light, would it affect the mix? I am unsure with some of the spices. The reason I ask is because I [...]
photo by threelayercake Making rice on the stovetop can be tricky. You have to watch it, or it can boil over, get mushy or burn. You can use the index-finger method of measuring for both rice cookers and traditional rice cooked on the stovetop. You simply add the amount of rice you want to cook, [...]
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 iowa spirit walker Paper is often wasted. Maybe you use both sides of a sheet of paper, use the backs of your mail envelopes for grocery lists or reuse newspaper to wrap gifts. All are good ways to waste less paper. Many households put their mail and paper through a shredder to protect [...]
photo by Andie712b Once the colder weather hits, the comfort-food cravings start. Soup and pasta dishes fit the bill. The following recipes are easy to make and will be a nice change of pace from your standard meal rotation. They’re familiar home-style meals with a twist. Two are quick recipes you can whip together when [...]
photo by robotskirts DEAR SARA: Do you make your own breadcrumbs? When I was little, my mom always made them. She had this little satchel in which we used to put leftover bread. She kept it in the cupboard, and when it was full, we got out the hand-crank grinder and made our breadcrumbs. Things [...]
Practicing frugality is different for everyone. What might seem extreme or petty to you is everyday life for someone else. Each person decides what they’re comfortable doing to save a buck. However, there are times it’s not simply about saving money. Sometimes it’s about being less wasteful. Frugality can be a split-second decision. Keep or [...]
photo by Jennifer+ Some recipes are so good that you want to keep them a secret. Maybe you or someone you know makes the absolute best desserts. There’s never any extra, and they’re lick-the-bowl delicious. They can work miracles, too. I bake standard favorites such as banana bread or oatmeal cookies for ordinary days. But [...]
Frugal families tend to buy multipurpose products. But sometimes there’s a household item you rarely use. You’ll either sell or donate it or dust it off and find new ways to use it. One such item is a microwave. It takes up a considerable amount of space, so it makes sense to use it for [...]
photo by erix! DEAR SARA: My husband has a great recipe for homemade sausage. Last time, he made it in cornhusks, but he asked if I could ask where he might be able to find sausage tubes (or wrap, whatever it is called). — Chrissy, Florida DEAR CHRISSY: Natural casings can be found at a [...]
Making pancakes can be time consuming. To shorten the time, you can bake the batter in muffin tins and cake pans. Visit www.frugalvillage.com/2010/02/21/bake-a-cake-for-breakfast/ for directions. Still prefer to use a griddle or skillet? Reuse a large-size ketchup squeeze bottle to dispense dripless batter and perfect shaped pancakes. The first reader tip offers another solution. MAKE [...]
