10 THINGS I'M NOT SPENDING GROCERY MONEY ON (SORT OF) // INFLATION 2023 SHOPPING HACKS
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
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Ugh thank you for just... your channel. My husband and I have had a hard few years financially and every time it feels like we're finally getting to a place where we can start to get ahead something else unexpected comes up 💀 He likes financial and budgeting podcasts, but I just need someone to give me tips like yours. All those budgeting podcasts feel to vague and hypothetical to me. You tell me how to spend $40 grocery shopping and how to use what I've bought. It helps so much.
My husband is very into the more intricate details of finance. I am more into figuring out the best value for our dollar.
I just have to say.....i am in the same boat with you right now (again). It blows
I know that feeling and it can be so frustrating.
I am wondering if you are evaluating all your options. Are you open to hearing how I plan to supplement my income?
👏🏾 👏🏾
Thank you for not being a “from scratch” purist. It’s so unrealistic these days. I’m not a mom but the cooking on a budget is real. Your channel is so helpful!
On the subject of eggs, I have been going to "fancy" stores like Whole Foods and my local co-op and buying expensive farm-raised local super "sustainable" eggs that are usually 6, 7, 8 dollars a dozen on sale for 4 or 5 dollars. The quality is better than factory eggs and they are often cheaper than the crazy high prices we're seeing at the discount stores! I know not everyone has access to Whole Foods or other specialty stores nearby, but if you do, they usually have one brand on sale.
i find that vegan recipes are great when trying to avoid dairy and eggs for the cost! Vegans are wizards in that respect
I put eating out under my entertainment budget too since it’s a want, not a need to me.
I've never gone out just for myself or even ordered take out just for myself, so I agree with this. It's always for the purpose of "visiting" or "spending time" with others.
Samw
Us, too!! It's usually a homemade pasta dish paired with a Little Ceasars cheap pizza and a free movie from the library. Lol! Entertainment shouldn't cost a fortune!
I like that she is always mellow about things. She just shares her ideas and thoughts and I never feel as if I have to do them all to be a good person. 👍👍
We grew up on Wacky Cake! Mom would let me bake it as long as she was in the kitchen while the oven was on. She made a chocolate frosting that she cooked in a skillet on top of the stove. I was too little to use the burner on the stove. I think I was around 8 years old. ❤
Thank you for a common sense approach to rising prices. I appreciate that your attitude is never to panic but to rethink the way you spend your grocery dollars and to rethink how we use what we do purchase. I love your videos ❤
Thank you. I appreciate that. 😊
For the K cup solution you can get a reusable one that you put your own grinds into, also places like Ross and marshals will have out of season ones for half the cost
This isn’t for everyone, and many people think I’m crazy for this but I don’t use a clothes dryer. I hang all of my laundry. In the spring, summer and fall I hang everything on the clothesline, if it’s raining or during the winter, I hang things on hangers, or on clothes bars in the house. It saves me money on my electricity bill, it doesn’t heat the house up by running a dryer in the hot summer months, and my clothes last way longer than they would if I were using a dryer. My great aunt used to say “I wash my dishes and the Lord dries them.” Well…I wash my laundry (the washer does) and the Lord dries them. It takes some planning but it works for me.
European vibes 👌🏾 I grew up in Europe in a family of 6 and we only used our tumble dryer in emergencies like if someone needed work clothes/school uniform dry asap.. line drying is so much better for your clothes! I live in US now and do half and half dryer/line drying but I’ve noticed my clothes wear out quicker cos of the tumble dryer!
I have a large baggie in my freezer for citrus peels. I use them on the stove top with a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves for a natural scent!
Love that!
I do this with apple cores as well!
@@wcnab Yes 👍
Great tip!
I love bulk carrots for stretching our meals! They are great shredded as an add in to things like eggs, homemade pizza (underneath the cheese for picky eaters) salad toppers, and making breakfast muffins. I even add them into pastas and tacos (I love to make them in a 1:1 ratio with the taco beef) plus by buying the whole carrots, I cut the smaller tips to make quick carrot sticks for the kids lunches and stop buying baby carrots and then just shred the bigger chunks of carrots.
One of my favorite budget tips that I hardly ever see is to buy bananas from the overripe bin. There are usually some that are fine for another few days and the rest I slice up layer on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and freeze. Bag them up and use for, smoothies, baking, dipp in chocolate or pb for cold snack. #1 I almost always have bananas and #2 I save lots and lots of money.
Another tip on the eggs - there are lots of ways to substitute eggs in baking! You can make "eggs" by mixing water with ground flax/chia or corn/tapioca/etc. starch. Applesauce, yogurt, and bananas work too. Different replacers work best for different applications. I highly recommend Googling "vegan egg alternatives" to figure out how to keep making your favorite baked goods without eggs :)
I like the liquid in the garbanzo bean can
I have used applesauce in baking pretty often since my brothers went vegan a few years ago and it works very well!
@@AngelaMastrodonato aquafaba
Apple sauce and bananas are magic.
Yep! French toast using very ripe bananas mixed with milk instead of eggs and milk is so so good :)
Re: eggs. I was raised vegan and we never used eggs or had eggs in the house. There is a product that has been around a long time called egg replacer by bobs red mill. One bag is equivalent to multiple dozens of eggs. It is not something you can use to eat like you would eggs but you can bake with it. It works in almost any recipe that uses a couple of eggs, however would not work for something like angel food cake where the recipe is mainly eggs. It is also gluten and nut free.
When me and my husband go to Texas Roadhouse we share a meal. We usually get herb crusted chicken and two side salads. Not doing this to save money, but because it is plenty for us to eat. Rolls are provided if you are still a little hungry. We also drink water naturally. Don’t buy soda or coffee. As a result our bill is very small. I use Fetch and get gift cards to the restaurants of our choice so that helps pay for our meager meals. We still tip as if we had two meals.
The sharp cheddar cheese tip has been a game changer for us!
Yes!
Homemade meals aren’t necessarily always cheap or easy, but do have better taste/flavor. I pick and choose my battles. 75 percent home made and 25 percent boxed/prepared. Boxed brownies taste better!
I'm with you. I do the semi-homemade thing mostly. :)
I agree on the brownies! The dark chocolate ones are my fave 🤤
One way to conserve your eggs is to use some sort of egg substitute in baking. You can utilize ground flax seed (1 tbsp. ground flax + 2 tbsp. water, mix well, let sit 20 minutes, then use). You can also use Bob's Red Mill Egg Substitute. It has similar directions to the flax egg, but is ready to use in one minute. You won't notice the difference in your cakes, pancakes, breads, etc. This way, you can save your real eggs for eating.
It's helpful having an egg allergy sometimes! I'm glad to be able to share what I've learned from not being able to eat eggs. Hopefully this will help someone!
The Prepper Princess shared a great idea for hand soap. Find a body wash with a scent you love and refill your hand soap dispenser with it. Dollar Tree has a large selection. So for $1.25 you can refill a bottle several times. Love your channel!!
Frugality is many things, and one is choosing to spend money according to your values and your goals. You may choose not to have the latest iPhone/TV/laptop so that you can afford a family vacation. Or you may choose to rent a small apartment to cut costs to save up for home ownership. You may choose to buy items pre-owned (clothes/cars/home items/electronics) so that you can build up your savings/emergency fund account. And yes to washing out and reusing zip lock baggies!
After I learned how easy it is to cook dry beans in my instant pot, I’ve stopped buying canned beans. I just buy the bag or dry beans, make a giant batch, and freeze them in smaller containers
Great idea!
For baking, I use 1/4 cup Applesauce and 1/8 teaspoon baking powder as a substitute for each egg. Flax seed and water is also an option.
Mindy, I take all suggestions from you because I know you're not coming from a judgmental place. You aren't saying "I'm right- do it this way" you're more like "This is how I do things and why. Maybe something will work for you."
Thank you! That’s exactly how I hope it comes across. We all have to figure out what works for us. 😊
I am so appreciative of your channel. We are recently retired, not by choice, and my reality is very stark. If nothing more, I appreciative your wonderful sense of humour but your advice is always spot on too.
I truly enjoyed this video. We got good news this week. My hubby might be able to come off the oxygen after his hernia removal surgery.
I'm so glad, Alma! Prayers for complete healing for your husband and peace in your home. :)
@@SeeMindyMom thank you so much, Mindy. We truly appreciate all the prayers.
Sending love and prayers
Praying, Alma!
I have gotten into the habit of buying blocks of cheese instead of pre-shredded. I can get an 8oz block of cheese for $2 where as an 8oz bag of shredded cheese is about $3.50! With a food processor it really takes almost no time to shred it myself. If I find a good deal on bigger blocks then I'll shred it and then freeze it in smaller bags. Thaws and works great! You can also pre-slice it for sandwiches and what not, too. I usually get the same times of cheeses so I usually use the same zip lock a time or two. I was thinking about buying some of those reusable bags that are dishwasher safe for that.
I have been on a mission to stretch our cheese and sour cream. I figured out that topping my family’s tacos instead of doing a smorgasbord or whatever saves in three ways. I can give them a healthier, and cost-saving portion, reduces waste when they can’t finish a large portion, and the ingredients don’t sit out collecting invisible mold spores (They are EVERYWHERE, even in “no mold” houses) So then they last longer in the fridge because they don’t get moldy. I also go for a bit more guacamole than sour cream because guacamole doesn’t keep well for long but sour cream can keep for a long time and can be used in a lot more of my cooking than guacamole.
Sour cream keeps longer if you turn container upside down
on a plate.,dont know why,but it works for me.
Also ripe avocado's in a bowl of water,in the refrigerator keeps much longer.
Getting rid of Nespresso and grinding myself the coffee beans as well as using an actual expresso machine a year ago is saving me SO MUCH money right now!
When I was a vegan, I learned how to make cake without egg. Look up this recipe online: Margarita Avocado Cake. I was shocked at the beautiful crumb and the amazing flavor of that eggless cake. The glaze on top has a little Cointreau, tequila and lime juice in it. Highly recommend!! 10/10‼️
My family doesn't drink a lot of milk, and cereal is more of a rare snack than a daily breakfast. So we started buying powdered milk. (Which, I didn't know was a thing until just a few years ago! Thank you, Granny!) It works really well in the recipes I use, and none goes to waste!
I was also gifted a bread machine 2 years ago for Christmas, and it's been my favorite thing. We have only bought bread a handful of times.
With the rise of meat prices, we've been adding beans & lentils to our meat dishes. (If it fits. Lol!)
I've also taken your advice and swapped ground beef for ground sausage instead! I can usually find sausage on sale at Aldi for $1.89 a pound. My family loves it in just about anything you'd use ground beef for. So thank you!!! ❤️
I like to use my bread machine to make the dough, then I bake it in a regular bead pan. I use it for pizza dough a lot, too. Good tips!
@@SeeMindyMom Pizza dough!? I HAVE to try that!!
I cook mostly from scratch. Like you, I make my own cream soups. I buy organic for certain things, as well as frozen veggies. I shop at our local Grocery Outlet. Meal planning and prep are done weekly. My husband and I rarely eat out, and when we do, our community center offers a great lunch for $6 a person. My bike has become my primary mode of transportation. I purchased a bus pass and use it. I'm retired, but I feel for the families trying to make it.
I have been buying XL eggs and using one instead of two when recipes call for it. I have been using one and a bit of milk for scrambled eggs--no one noticed. I'd love the price to go back down, but we just have to be creative so ourselves and our families don't have to feel the price crunch. Great video, Mindy!
I love you show those sausage egg croissants... buying them is cheaper than burger king...and making them yourself is cheaper than frozen...and making allllll of it from scratch even cheaper...it's alllllllllll about what you're willing to pay...time is money ❤️ I'll buy the croissants at the wholesale club, the box of frozen sausage, and make a round egg in my mini dash...I'll spend an afternoon making 20 or so and freezing them...makes me feel good for a convenient item...add a sleeve of frozen hash browns and the kids love it when mom surprises them on an early am road trip...or lazy Sunday etc...as they are a sometimes good not an always food...
Yep! We all have to decide when our time is more valuable than our money and vice versa. :)
Eating out is it’s own line item in my budget but I keep it right under the groceries. We pretty much live paycheck to paycheck. Thinking of it as a sub-category of groceries helps me keep in mind that the $20 I spent at a drive thru is $20 I won’t have for groceries at home. It also helps me keep the percentages in check.
I have been making depression cake for years. It’s just as delicious as the box cakes. I’m so glad you mentioned it. ❤
I also got a container of liquid egg whites and mixed that with a few eggs on a sheet pan to bake in the oven to use for breakfast sandwiches. So between the egg whites and about 5 eggs, I got enough for 12 breakfast sandwiches.
That’s a good tip!
When we wanna go out to dinner, we recycle and also turn in points on certain apps and use lots of coupons. If we don’t have coupons for a place, we don’t go. We also use military discount to help lower the cost
Truly a blessing. I was just sharing with my husband last night that although I still have times of feeling strained during this season, overall I’m grateful to God for what I/we have learned. I have learned how to bake (both with sourdough starter and yeast) ALL bread products we would normally buy at the store, I’ve even started selling my sourdough bread for a little extra income. I’ve learned how to make beans (probably sounds so silly lol) and how to convert those beans into refried beans that my Hispanic husband LOVES and craves. I’ve started being intentional and putting in the work to make my own broth (which probably saves us at least $12 a month). Praise God for the stretching push so that I could grow as a homemaker. Truly has been a blessing, especially watching my 5yo daughter start to think more creatively and intentionally with homemaking skills she’s witnessing. 🙌🏻
I also boil water on the stove and add the cheap imitation vanilla to it and let it simmer...smells great and kills any odors in the house... plus since you're using the imitation vanilla, it's very inexpensive!
I have learned to get along with my freezer even better than before. We shop sales and then l freeze it. I’ve learned how to freeze all kinds of fruits and vegetables and also learned what are the best ways to use them once thawed. I also use a lot more rice and beans. Beans, especially, can be extremely versatile. We love black bean burgers! Also, l’m glad l’m not the only one reusing ziploc bags! 😂
I refuse to buy ziplocs like I used to. When they're gone, I tell the kids they'll have to get creative with packing things until the next time I decide to pick some up! LOL
Dryer balls work so well. I find they help tumble out wrinkles as well as help with static. Vinegar is effective (and cheap!) to replace fabric softener. There’s no lingering odor so no worries!
I keep the foam soap dispenser, buy the same scent from Bath and Body Works in the gel hand wash and just use a little, fill the rest with water, and keep reusing. ❤
Keep the individually packaged snacks in the car - trunk if it has one.
For meats it's usually cheaper to buy in bulk or the family packs and then just portion it up at home. If you watch the sales you can have some options in the freezer or just use the same meat all week, like this is a chicken week or a beef week etc. Also if meat is getting close to the best buy date it usually gets marked down. If you put it in the freezer as soon as you buy it then it lasts a while too.
I use chia seeds soaked on water in cake, quick breads, muffins. Works amazing
We make wacky cake often. The spice cake is the best 😊
I have 7 children….5 still at home and we go through a lot of yogurt because it is a healthy breakfast for them. We make a gallon of homemade unsweetened yogurt every week!! Such a savings!
Can you share recipe ?
My kiddos love yogurt, too! I often add in fruit and granola, sometimes cheerios, lol! To make it stretch a little further. :)
We always top with oats or granola, fruit, chia seeds! They love it!
We have an instant pot that has a yogurt setting…we just set it to the boil setting, let it cool down to around 120 degrees then mix in around one cup of the last batch and set for 20 hours.
Thank you for the sip Club recommendation!! My husband spends $16.00 a week on gas station drinks! We just saved tons of money!!
I used to be the same way, especially when I taught school. I really think sip club is a great deal if you go by a Panera at least a few times a week!
"Mummy/daughter day fund". Cinemas, meal out, concerts etc
ive searched up eggless recipes for desserts to take when meeting with friends and theyve all really enjoyed the cookies and muffins ive made so far!
Candle warmers are a great way to extend the life of scented candles. I have had the same scented candle in my office for almost a year now and still smells strong.
About home fragrance stuff: I definitely still buy candles, plug ins, and room sprays because we are a pet household. When it comes to room sprays and plug ins I just wait for the semi annual bath & body sales to wind down when they mark stuff down to a couple dollars and then buy some. When it comes to candles I recycle them! So once the candle is burnt down to where the wicks won't lite anymore, I melt the leftover wax down to make wax tarts from it and then use those in my wax warmers to get the rest of the fragrance. If I have enough left over wax of the same scent I'll make a small candle instead of wax tarts. Once my wax tarts run out of fragrance, I melt them down again and turn them into an unscented candle that I can use for decorative purposes or for emergency lighting!
I use the meat fork that came with my knife set, and heat the tines, then create two holes in the mostly melted candle. Then insert birthday candles in the two holes to finish using up the larger candle.
Mindy, speaking of reusing the ziploc bags, I also do that and reuse my tin foil that I have wrapped something in that could be wiped off, also I cut up t shirts that may have a little hole or stain and not wear any more for rags in the kitchen or cleaning or dusting, wiping up a spill and then just throw away, when done cleaning with throw in the wash. Great video I always love watching your videos. Thanks so much for all you do to help us out with ideas and cooking and tips and all.
Thank you for the tips!
One thing we do is have a large freezer bag in the freezer to collect vegetable scraps (mostly carrots, onion skins/ends, celery tops and ends), and meat bones (whole chicken carcasses, bone-in thighs etc from other meals).
Once the bag is full, it’s time to make some homemade stock. Just throw it all in a big pot on the stove with water and simmer all day.
I don't buy floor cleanser, 409, oven cleaner, or window cleaner. I make my own with baking soda, dish detergent, and water, and vinegar. I also don't buy swiffers or other disposable cleaning products. I use washable microfiber cloths, mops, and towels. I plan on trying out some reusable sandwich bags. I don't buy paper plates or plastic ware and I don't keep individual snacks around. I've learned to make pizza at home so we can have pizza night cheaper than delivery. I've learned to make seasonings such as chili seasoning and taco seasoning, so I don't have to buy them. I don't buy brand name butter, milk, sugar, or eggs. I also discovered that I could use the recommended amount of laundry soap for a small load even if it's a large load. We limit our dining out to an inexpensive fast-food place twice a month while running errands, such as Chick Fil A or Jimmy John's sandwiches. Rather than go out to a steakhouse for dinner, we pick up a 2 pack of steaks at the grocery, potatoes, salad, and if we need it sour cream and chives to take home and make at home for what it would cost for one person if we dined out. That will give us 2 steak dinners as well since 2 steaks come to a pack and we share one. I also group all my errands together by days and by locations to save on gas and time.
Growing up in the 60s, only adults went out to eat. Children were fed at home. It was a big deal to transition from child to old enough to eat in a restaurant. McDonald’s came to our area in the early 70s. It was a big treat to eat there. Snacks were almost always sandwiches or fruit. Dessert was a rarity, birthdays or celebrations. So when people wax poetic about the old days and affordabilty they forget things were very different. Yes, stay at home moms, but most families had one car and dad took it to work. Dad managed the money, usually, and gave mom money for groceries. Exception to the rule was families did eat at country clubs, but those were not middle class.
I love your videos. I learn so much or am reminded. The sharing of your vlog watchers is great and people offer so many great ideas. Thank you!
SAME!
I’ve been making Wacky Cakes for about a decade so far. My son has an egg allergy and also had a dairy allergy when he was young. Wacky cakes have been saving the day since his first birthday. I really like vanilla cakes but chocolate is yummy too!
We call it Goofy cake at our house. Made a chocolate one for my daughter's birthday last weekend. Soooo yummy! 😋
I almost tried the funfetti version for this video.
Wacky cake is the go to birthday cake in my family. My sister has two allergy kids with multiple allergies (soy, peas/legumes/peanuts, sunflowers, dairy, eggs, rice). We love to put chocolate chips on top of the hot cake and let them melt. We spread them like frosting. Then when you top it with ice cream, it makes this amazing chocolate shell on the cake. Super yummy!
@@SeeMindyMom funfetti will be the next one I try. That’s my husband’s favorite as well as my mom’s. 🎂
Me too! My two youngest had egg and dairy allergies. I have made both the chocolate and the spice cake versions and they are so good and easy
Eating out for us has become curbside pickup from our grocery store takeout. They have subs and pizza and it's way less expensive than a pizza and sub shop.
Good idea!
If we want a nice scent in the house we use our morning coffee grounds with some orange peels and a sprinkle of cinnamon in a pot of water on the stove. Let simmer for a while. Other than a sprinkle of cinnamon it is just stuff that we would compost so costs nothing and smells nice.
Great tip!
I was wondering about how to change up my menu to avoid some of the foods hit by inflation, bird flu, etc. and sure enough, it’s Mindy to the rescue! Thanks😅.
I buy lemon kitchen soap and lemon soap ( only scent that I can tolerate) from Bath and Bodyworks and I dilute it. 1/3 soap and 2/3 water. Still smells great and works great too
I do that too. I only buy them when on sale and one bottle lasts as long as three.
I made the Wacky cake but only added 1 cup of sugar. It was amazing!!! I don’t think I’ll make a chocolate cake any other way from now on. So moist. Thanks for the recipe ❤
Southern Frugal Momma has done several videos recently testing out alternatives for eggs in baked goods. She used Jiffy corn bread mixes as a control and compared how they looked and baked up then used her 3 sons as taste testers. Going to give some of them a try. I need my morning eggs!
Depression chocolate cake was the first cake I learned to make when I was 8 years old
You had me at the cut canned green beans, Mindy LOL! One of my favorite light lunch meals is to throw together one 14oz can of (drained) cut canned green beans, 1 cut-up medium to large tomato, and one (drained) 3oz can or pouch of albacore tuna with some salt and pepper. Yum! I still enjoy it today (at 69) as much as I did when I first came up with it in the early '70s after seeing a co-worker eating the ingredients separately. It looked yummy, so I started copying her, and then I thought, heck, why not just throw them all together in a bowl, and it tasted even better. My daughter also used to enjoy eating canned green beans as finger food for lunch as a toddler. They're perfect for so many things; the possibilities are endless. Thanks for another great vid! -Karen :)
Also coming back to comment and say, I love how you frame your videos as what YOU do and we can learn from it! For example, I’m never giving up my scented candles 😂 but your point is still taken because I can ask myself, is there something else I buy only because I always have, but that doesn’t serve me? And if I look, I will probably find that YES there is! It’s not about taking things 100% literally, it’s about a mix of inspiration and practical tips! Thank you so much, Mindy!
These are all such great tips. Completely agree about the seperate entertainment/fun budget covering treats like eating out!
I am cracking up laughing about this wacky cake thing, I have never heard of this in New Zealand. However the cake i make for all my kids birthdays etc turns out to be almost measure for measure Identical to the chocolate cake you made in this video - its dairy egg and nut free so perfect to be allergy friendly to share with a range of friends or take to kindy etc. so apparently I make a wacky cake all the time!
I love my dryer ball. You save a lot of money using the balls instead of dryer sheets. MK
This reminded me of my grandma...God, I miss her so... but when I was little, she used to wash her paper towels and hang them all around to dry and reuse them...lol... and my husband had a neighbor who he'd take her garbage out, but she asked for the bag back! Kinda funny but I guess kind of smart too!🤣🤣
My husband told me his grandfather (lived through the depression) would save half a q-tip if he didn't use both ends! LOL!
I remember my grandma washed her ziploc bags so she could reuse them. She'd turn them inside out, wash, rinse, and put in the dish drainer to dry. lol
@@sharonbates516 lol...love it!🤣
In my area I can buy organic cage free brown eggs cheaper than plain old white eggs. The Wacky cakes are awesome!
Walmart has the most expensive eggs in our cuty...trader joes has the best
Our kids school is really picky about throw away items. They are asked to bring everything in reusable containers where possible. I’ve done this for years. Sometimes I get so sick of all the containers to wash 😅
Yep. I get that. I told my kids they were washing their own this year! They are supposed to empty lunch backs and wash containers as soon as they walk in the door. We’re probably at about 75% on execution for this, though. 😂
The thing that really got me on wool dryer balls was years ago now I was looking up ways to get hair off my clothes better. I have 2 cats and I shed a lot too. First time I used wool dryer balls all the hair was gone from my clothes, never looked back, never using anything else. I haven’t thought about how much money this has saved me until now.
Friends, that cake was legit! Highly recommend….
It was gone by the next day! LOL
As empty nesters, we used to eat out a lot but I cook so much better than restaurants...so I cook. There's nothing you can't cook if you try. We still eat out but not so much.
My Nana used to say, "if you can read, you can cook!" With so many resources online for recipes, it's certainly true today, I think!
My friend has a refillable K-Cup and puts her own coffee in! I just learned how to make my own laundry detergent, Game changer!
I use dr bronners bar soap in my kitchen to hand wash dishes and when the soap bar gets too hard to get my wash rag soapy, I fold it in half and smash it together and then it becomes hand soap for the bathrooms around the house. One bar is just over $3 here and lasts longer than a month + the hand soap bonus round! (I cook from scratch a lot so I typically have a full load of hand washing to do at the end of the day, so I am a pretty heavy soap bar user in the kitchen!)
I’m so thankful my parents have chickens on our property.I wasn’t so excited at first! Also we love wacky cake
One money saving tip that I am currently doing is... I let my mom buy the snacks for the kids while I buy the real food
Yes to frozen foods! Especially frozen broccoli. So good.
Yes, we have a grocery/hygiene/household budget line item ( since most of our shampoo or cleaners come from the grocery store). We have a separate Family fun item and a separate “date night” item!
In our household eating out/coffees/drinks out are definitely separate to the grocery budget, and it's really helped us monitor our spending!
I've never heard of crazy/wacky cake, but I already love it! i use my bunt pan maybe once/yr, so I'm always happy to have a good reason to give it some kitchen time! That cake looks amazing! I rarely go out-eat, literally maybe 3-4 times/yr, for special occasions. This is for a couple reasons: 1. I live in a town where the Mom/pop restaurants are 'meh' at best, 2. Restaurant prices are outrageous, 3. When I cook, I know the quality of the ingredients, that I'm healthy, and haven't done anything sketchy to my food.
I separate Out to Eat from groceries. It helps me to keep them separate. I also use my extra work for my Treat Yourself fund. (Extra classes/tutoring, flipping items, OT projects, etc.) I just used a small amount to pay for floor seats to Shania Twain's Queen of Me concert in Nashville! She's my favorite ever, and I'm so excited! I worked hard for it, so no regrets!
Good for you! I hope you have a fantastic time!
How fun!!
I made a similar cake but it was called a shake and bake cake. The directions were to put the ingredients in a zip bag and let the kids squish it to mix the ingredients. It was great for clean up, but you have the added cost/ waste of a zip bag. The kids enjoyed it.
Hello, Mindy. If you have aluminum foil, you can ball some up and throw it in your dryer if you have nothing else. Helps with static also!!! Have a great day!
I've made a poor man's cake it's really good. I bought some covers for my k cups. After I use the cup, I let it dry, throw the old coffee into my compost Bin, clean the cups, let them dry then add my own ground coffee to the cups, put on the lids and can use this several more times so the cup gets used three times instead of once. And I can afford to buy better ground coffee.
I always get some good ideas from your videos! Putting Wacky Cake on my list to try, for sure. I'm a fan of foaming hand soaps also, mostly because my kids are young and with regular soap dispensers they squirt way too much on their hands, and then don't rinse it off properly cause it's all in between their fingers, etc. But I do refill them, I just use a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio of water to soap - also I sometimes use body wash! Any type of liquid soap product works, so you can find one with a scent that you enjoy! Plus I put dish soap in a foaming dispenser at my kitchen sink - great for when you need to just wash one plate or bowl, and then I don't have to rinse soap out of my sponge for 5 minutes. LOL
That's true. I think I got into the foaming hand soap when the kids were little because it was easier for them to use.
We definitely separate eating out from the regular grocery budget. Makes it easier to stick to, IMO. A recent cut/sub for us was sweet tea. I'd been buying it pre-made from the grocery store for my husband, but brewing it at home is easy and so much cheaper.
Mindy! I have learned so much just from watching your channel. Adding worchestersire to ground turkey, using sharp cheddar because it has a stronger flavor and your spicy ramen recipe is now a family favorite. Thank you for all that you do❤️
I love Wacky Cake! I have been making it for years. I'm not crazy about frosting, so I eat it plain. So yummy! 😋
I’m with you frozen vegetables are great, I find they actually taste just as good if not better than fresh. Canned green beans are my favorite too!
Love those canned green beans!
I forgot about Wacky Cake, we learned how to make that in my freshman cooking class and I was amazed how good it was. Our teacher had a pretty good frosting recipe to go with it. I will have to look and see if I still have the print out.
I've made it several times, but the one we made for this video turned out so good!
Regarding salt in canned veggies, jist rinse under running water. Easy!
As far as egg prices go, we're about 30-45 minutes from a few Walmarts, one of them has eggs for much cheaper than the others. So check in the app when you can and if it's not a huge difference in distance or you're already going to be in a certain area stop by the store there instead for this items. I also happened to see eggs at dollar general last week for only $3.50 a dozen, so look around when you're in stores and see what they carry you might not normally buy there, never know when you'll get a good deal!
This is a great video! I had to think, what are things I don't buy...
-I don't buy soda or juice (yes my teenagers resent me for this lol). Here and there we'll grab a 2 liter to go with pizza or tacos but I've never bought cans of soda.
- I don't buy frozen food like chicken nuggets, waffles, pizza, etc. It's expensive and I can make some of that myself.
- I don't buy snacks. I do buy cereal, saltines, granola bars, and an occasional bag of chips. Sometimes popcorn.
This saves me hundreds of dollars a year. I make a lot of homemade baked goods, so much cheaper than bakery stuff.
I love coffee ! Like you Mindy my kerig coffee machine was more of a convenient. But 😐 after covid and with the price of my favorite coffee pods going up. I decided it was time for a change not just for the price increase but also because after a while kerig gets old. And the thought of mold in the machine, you can clean it so much! I bought a percolator coffee pot, And coffee grinder ( a nice one ) so I buy whole beans and I do buy ground coffee. Should of done this a long time! Happy with the change. I do buy instant coffee for the times I want 1 cup of coffee, so I don't waste. The holidays or birthdays i recieve coffee cards..
I did cut down of paper towels too!
Good advices Mindy !
We absolutely have different line item for going out, we call it the "Blow Fund" we can "blow" it on whatever we want. That way we don't feel like things are so restrictive. We also have line items for a variety of things, just makes budgeting so much easier. 🙂 As for the coffee, if you have not used one, a press pot makes amazing coffee. We make our drip coffee in the morning, but always use our press pot for the afternoon, so good! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the "cream of" recipe ideas! I use the commercial cans often, they are convenient, but full of stuff I know I really shouldn't probably be consuming. I love your ideas, keep them coming please!
I made my husband a wacky red velvet cake this week, mainly because we needed just a small 8 x 8 cake. It was amazing!