D ear Sara: What are your thoughts on giving secondhand gifts? I see many things my friends and family would like at thrift stores and I’m tempted to give some as gifts, but I’m afraid I’ll appear tacky or cheap. — Paula H., New York Dear Paula: It depends on what you’re giving and the [...]
D ear Sara: How do you store your baking pans and cookie sheets? — Karen, Texas Dear Karen: I have a double wall oven with a deep drawer underneath it. I place some in there and I keep others in the lower oven that I don’t use daily. If you don’t have a deep drawer, [...]
D ear Sara: Any tips for wrapping large gift items? — Kelly, Illinois Dear Kelly: The dollar stores sell cheap tablecloths. I’d use that to wrap a large gift item. You could make reusable, draw-string fabric gift bags, too. If the recipient is an immediate family member, you could reuse the fabric bags year-to-year; if [...]
D ear Sara: I have made cake in a mug and coffee cup scrambled eggs. Do you have any similar recipes? Love your column in the local newspaper. Keep up the good work. — Carolyn H., email Dear Carolyn: Try meatloaf in a mug. Scale down your usual meatloaf recipe by using only 1/4 lb. [...]
D ear Sara: Do you wash bagged lettuce? At a recent dinner, the host poured lettuce from a bag and served it with salad dressing. Is this normal practice, or should people be concerned about the possibility of germs or worse? — Shoiji, email Dear Shoiji: I wash bagged lettuce, not really from fear of [...]
D ear Sara: While on vacation I saw a lady with a rectangular type of flat bread, which she claimed was lower in fat and healthier than regular tortillas. Do you know what this might be? Do you know of any other frugal, healthy alternative to tortillas? — Jean, Canada Dear Jean: There are low-carb [...]
D ear Sara: I’ve been hearing about how vinyl shower curtains contain the “no-no” PVC as well as other not-so-nice chemicals. The recommendation is to replace them with cloth shower curtains. My first thought is that cloth is not waterproof, so I’m imagining water all over my bathroom floor. Would cloth block water like the [...]
D ear Sara: Can cooked rice be frozen? — Kelly H., New York Dear Kelly: Yes, you can freeze rice. I let cooked rice cool, then I package it in freezer storage bags. I flatten the bag (leaving rice in a layer about 3/4-inch thick) and squeeze out any air. To reheat, I use my [...]
D ear Sara: How can I clean down pillows without taking them to the dry cleaner? — Jaime, New Jersey Dear Jaime: Fluff down pillows daily. Every few weeks, air them near a window or outside. Keep a cover on your pillows, or doublecase them for extra protection. Consider using the laundromat to wash and [...]
D ear Sara: We’ve just started adding leftover hot cereal to our bread. I’ve also added it to soups and stews. Am I missing any other great ideas here? — Judi, New England Dear Judi: You can add it to meatloaf, meatballs, muffins, cookies or quick bread. One of my readers, Adriana, shares: “I have [...]
D ear Sara: I froze corn today and am wondering what I can make with the broth. It smells too good to throw away. — B.F., Pennsylvania Dear B.F.: I’d use corn stock in soup, chowder or risotto. You can use it in most recipes that call for chicken or vegetable broth. Freeze the stock [...]
D ear Sara: I have some custom sheer drapery that came with the house. I can take it down, but dry cleaning is recommended. I would rather use the money for another project. Can you suggest a way to clean the sheers that does NOT require professional dry cleaning? — mfedor, forums Dear mfedor: There [...]
photo by marlana Frugal people know how to make things. It’s not just a way of combating costs. For many, these are basic life skills and a way of life. A little self-reliance goes a long way. It’s easier to start out small and build your way up. This sets you up for success instead [...]
photo by Andrea R. Summer dips are delicious to serve at backyard barbecues, parties and potlucks. They’re easy to make, can be served with most anything, transport well and are kid-friendly, too. Hot dips can be kept warm in a slow cooker, and cold dips can be placed on a container of ice. Homemade dip [...]
photo by lrargerich Last week, my daughter needed new summer shoes. Sometimes I’ll buy name brands, and other times, I won’t. I care about how they fit, and whether they’re reasonably priced and of high quality, and I allow for a small amount of input from her because she has to wear them. We went [...]
photo by thetruthabout DEAR SARA: With the economic downturn, what do you think about taking in boarders? — Julie H., Indiana DEAR JULIE H.: As a young woman in my early 20s, I once took in boarders. It was a nightmare. They charged up the phone bill and were late paying rent. I was lucky [...]
Sandwiches often get soggy when packing them for lunch. You can butter the bread, but that adds unnecessary calories. You can add condiments between your meat and cheese instead of it spread onto your bread, or use whole grain bread instead of white sandwich bread. The first reader tip has another suggestion. REUSE PLASTIC BABY-FOOD [...]
