Make budget-friendly banana desserts

photo by hlkljgk

Frozen bananas are a tasty treat. Dip a whole frozen banana on a stick or frozen chopped banana into melted chocolate, then roll it into toppings such as sprinkles, crushed cookies or nuts or shredded coconut. You can use frozen bananas in smoothies, added to a bowl and topped with yogurt and granola or muesli, or combined with peanut butter and a bit of milk to make a delicious dessert. The first tip shares another way to enjoy frozen bananas. It’s a great way to use up ripe bananas, too.

MOCK ICE CREAM: I just made this for the first time and am amazed at how great this tastes. It’s exactly like banana ice cream! It comes out like soft serve. I am not sure I will ever bother with the fat and calories of regular ice cream again. This does not taste like a low-fat product; it is very rich and creamy. You’ll need some bananas and milk. Freeze a banana. Peel banana, chop into chunks, and put into your food processor. Blend with a splash of milk until creamy. Then eat. Next time I am adding chocolate syrup and nuts to make a sundae. — Joseph, North Carolina

WALLPAPER REMOVER: While removing wallpaper, I used DIF wallpaper stripper. My daughter gave me some and it worked great. I went to buy another spray bottle and it was $7.49! I bought it because I had a $5 coupon. Then, while I was complaining about the price, my husband said he heard fabric softener works. It is great and works even better than the DIF. It doesn’t have to be an expensive kind. Just put it in a spray bottle. — Dortrust, Midwest

PRINTER CARTRIDGES: They dry out when left in the printers and will go bad faster. Take them out after each use and keep them in a zipper baggie until needed. It’s a pain in the rear for sure, but it’s supposed to be worth it in the end. Or if you happen to have the little plastic covering that came on the cartridge when you first got it, you can put that back over the cartridge instead of in a baggie. Also, another tip: My cats love plastic Easter eggs. I put a treat in them to make noise. Occasionally they hit them so hard against something they break open, and they have a surprise inside. — Jan S., Indiana

QUICK CLEANING: My daughter and I were watching TV one night when a commercial came on. The announcer says, “Just use Febreze during your regular tidy-up time and….” We looked at each other and said. “We’re supposed to have a tidy-up time? Maybe that’s the problem!” Then we had a good laugh. So now we have a tidy-up time. It’s always the last thing at night right before bed, and then you won’t have a mess to get up to in the morning! You can have it any time during the day or as often as you want. I have it when I make the bed and tidy the bedroom. Or when I take a shower, I tidy the bathroom. If the house is always or mostly tidy, then cleaning doesn’t fall far behind because you don’t have to pick up everything before you CAN clean! It’s the same sort of thing as cleaning 15 minutes to a timer. — Rachel, North Carolina

Posted by Sara Noel on March 1 2010. Filed under Frugal Tips.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with United Media. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook.