Leftover liquid whey from making yogurt or cheese can be added to recipes for extra protein. You can use it to soak beans or cook rice or in place of water for pizza dough, biscuits and oatmeal. The first reader tip suggests a few more ways to use it. WHEY BETTER: The recipe for yogurt [...]
There’s frugal mania out there. The problem is that some of the tips are the same suggestions being mentioned over and over. While they might be new for some people, seasoned frugalitarians think they’re disappointing and obvious. Tips seem repetitious because they’re designed to become habitual. You’re supposed to feel as if you can do [...]
D EAR SARA: When eating a juicy apple, some dripped onto my 95 percent cotton, 5 percent spandex shirt. When I got home I applied Dial soap to it, scrubbed with a little water, sprayed with my favorite stain remover, Zout, and then washed the shirt in the washing machine with Tide HE, in warm [...]
The largest size of a product isn’t always the best buy. Compare unit prices. To figure the unit price, divide the price by the number of units. Which costs less per unit? Foods that cost less per unit are not always the better buy. The biggest size is not a good buy if you can’t [...]
You want to make every penny count. This can include never or rarely spending money on certain items. Sometimes you can substitute with a cheaper alternative, make it yourself or simply go without. Are there things you’ve stopped spending money on for the sake of frugality? For frugal families, paper towels and plastic wrap top [...]
D EAR SARA: Cheap food for hotel living? I have recently relocated to another state to take a new job. The company is putting me up in a hotel for a month. So far, I have been having bologna sandwiches for supper. Do you have good ideas for cheap eats? I have a small fridge [...]
Ice cream scoops are an easy way to portion and serve foods. Think: rice, macaroni dishes, mashed potatoes or Rice Krispies treats. Larger scoops can be used by kids in the sandbox or at the beach or use one to scoop soil or the pulp from inside a pumpkin. The first reader tip shares a [...]
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 [...]
D EAR SARA: Any photo editing software out there that does not cost an arm and a leg? I am mainly interested in cleaning up a background from a picture. I have Windows Vista Home Premium. Have no idea if there is something on this computer that I can already use or if I need [...]
Portioning out food is a frugal tactic. Typically it involves buying or cooking a bulk amount of food for less money, measuring and dividing it into smaller portions and repackaging into storage bags or containers. A kitchen scale, ice cube trays and an ice cream scoop can be handy to help with this. Of course, [...]
Many people wake up and pour themselves a bowl of cereal for breakfast. It is a fast and easy meal that is convenient for our busy schedules. The cereals found in grocery stores are generally expensive, and many of them are unhealthy. Those that are healthy are usually more expensive than the cereals filled with [...]
Frugal families cut their budgets to the bone. Many budget busters, such as eating out too often or being wasteful with electricity, are easy to identify. Sometimes it might seem like you can’t find any new ways to save. Readers on my forums share updates with an ongoing discussion on their most recent ways they’ve [...]
photo by mar mar Many parents have plans for their younger kids during summer break, but don’t feel bad if you can’t afford summer camp, community centers or sports. There are tons of frugal options. Get organized now so you have a game plan. It can be fun going to the public pool, local library, [...]
photo by chispita666 Cooking a one-dish meal is the perfect way to escape the kitchen quickly. Clean up is a snap. The following recipes are made from simple ingredients. And with little prep work, you can fix it and forget it. They’ll make excellent leftovers, too. Pizza Casserole 2 cups spiral noodles 1 pound ground [...]
photo by startcookingkathy DEAR SARA: I make bread in my bread machine frequently, but I can’t slice it thin enough to use as sandwich bread. I guess I just don’t know how to slice bread. Thanks for any help. — Tiffany, e-mail DEAR TIFFANY: I used an electric knife until I bought a decent serrated [...]
photo by southern foodways alliance DEAR SARA: I bought a bunch of wooden spoons at the thrift store the other day, but I’m not sure how safe it is to use them. I mean, if I run them through the dishwasher, they should be OK, right? Or should I just toss them? — Nishu, Washington [...]
Don’t toss out leftover mashed potatoes. Add them to soups, stews, pancakes, bread, biscuits, meatloaf, meatballs, or make gnocchi. You can make potato patties from leftover mashed potatoes, too. Simply add an egg to 2 cups mashed potatoes, form into patties and fry in a pan with a little oil. You can add meat, seasoned [...]
