I'm still learning how to use my new 📷, so thank you for watching the blurry footage at the fridge in the beginning! 😊 It's still helpful info, just from an out-of-focus face!
You are amazing fuzzy or in focus:) No worries. And actually I "listen" to you on repeat in the car all the time so I personally don't " watch" you nearly as much.
When my kids were little I was extremely poor cuz I was a single mom with two babies back to back babies and they got older I mixed powdered milk half and half or even I could make 3 gallons with one gallon of fresh milk and they loved it they never knew the difference kids are very resilient and they both came out very beautiful and healthy God bless you dear for all that you do even though I don't eat meat except occasional piece of salmon I do appreciate your other ideas about cutting down on me for other people and even going you have some wonderful ideas for vegetarian meals or even vegan meals because lentils can be mashed up and really taste good or put in tacos you and add all the fixings you want to and it's really healthy and good for you and lots of protein 🙏🏻💜🌹🏄🏼♂️🐱❤️💐🙏🏻💜🙏🏻💯
A professional tip from getting our washer repaired. Use half as much detergent as the manufacturer states because it really clogs up the washer and the hoses. As our repair man said, it is Tide's job to sell detergent. More detergent doesn't equal cleaner clothes. He said stay away from pods unless we like frequent repair bills. Also, when there is less detergent to rinse out, your clothes aren't as stiff (stiffness is due to detergent residue left in the clothes) and you don't need to use fabric softener.
I got my first front loader washer in 2000. Tide did not make an HE detergent at that time, they were “working on it.” I called the 800 number. After hemming and hawing, they told me to use 50% less of my regular Tide. I was thrill. If Tide cost $1.50 after sale /coupon, the 50 Oz bottle would give me 100 loads, so 1.5 pennies per load.
Another tip this summer is to buy lots of fresh berries when on sale and then freeze them for the winter. We do this every summer and fill our deep freeze with frozen "fresh" berries and it saves us a lot of money - great to use in smoothies, over hot oats, in crumbles.
I do this too! I like making homemade jam or compote now and again too. You can do the same with some fresh veggies as well! Just chop, lay out in a thin layer to freeze and then bag up later.
One thing I do to make my meat last longer. In my burgers and meatloaf, I puree a carrot, a stalk of celery, half a large onion and half of a large pepper. Squeeze out the excess juice and add the puree to one pound of ground turkey. Add in the worchester sauce and it gives you an little extra serving or two and you get extra veggies.
This isn't for everyone but my husband and father in law are avid deer hunters. We process our own deer and grind about 100lbs a year. I mix it half and half with ground beef and it really stretches the expensive ground beef.
One of my favorite cleaning tips is Dawn/vinegar in a dishwashing wand for the shower... a bit of a scrub down before you leave the shower and the shower is always clean.
I've always used house brands but my partner was a big brand snob, it was costing us so much money. We came to the agreement that we would purchase the house brand of something once and if it was really awful, we could go back to the name brand. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, there wasn't enough of a difference.
There is a channel I used to follow until the creator, Phyllis Stokes, passed away. She recommended flour sack towels from Walmart as kitchen cloths and I have to agree with her. The absorbency is excellent and the fabric is thin which to me makes them suitable for plenty of tasks that a paper towel does better than an ordinary dish towel. They are white and 100% cotton so they can be washed with bleach to be sanitized between uses. Just be aware that if you get oils or fats on any cloth, you shouldn’t put it in the dryer - dryer manufacturers warn that even after washing, it is a fire hazard to dry any item which might have oil residue.
I’ve been making my own butter recently. A pound of butter costs $4 in my area. I can get a quart of heavy cream for $3 and it yields 2lbs of butter. That’s less than half the price per pound for just 15 minutes of my time. I use a lot of butter in my cooking and baking so it’s really saved us a lot of money.
@@katherinetyrrell8810 I used my stand mixer. I pour the entire quart of heavy cream into the bowl and start whipping from a low to high setting. It takes about 10 minutes but you’ll see the milk fat start to separate. I like to stop a couple times to scrape the sides down with a spatula. Keep an eye on it and turn the mixer down once you start to see separation or it will slop buttermilk on your kitchen walls and counter. After the butter separates completely, I pull it out and rinse in cold water. I dry the butter really well with a clean dish towel and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Homemade butter doesn’t last as long as store bought so you have make an effort to use it up. I use the left over buttermilk in baking, my morning oatmeal, or as coffee creamer. A hand mixer will give you comparable results if you don’t mind holding it for 10 minutes to whip the cream into butter
Great idea! I love butter and I’m always looking for ways to save on each ingredient/item to bring my costs down. A gallon of whole milk is $3.55 or Organic is $5-6, using milk to make yogurt saves me a lot of money.
I find all of this so fascinating. I live in New Zealand where our cost of living is very high (one of the highest in the world I think) and so cutting corners is super important for my household. I spend about $500 a week on groceries for our family of 2 adults and 2 pre-schoolers. My current fave cost cutting options are: Making my own laundry powder/bench cleaner/disinfectant/toilet bombs etc We hardly use paper towels - cloths and rags all the way Cutting down on using our heat pump by using our fire or just delaying turning on the heat Driving our smaller vehicle to save on gas (it costs me $180 to fill our car) Sharing streaming services with family (spotify, netflix, disney etc) shopping end of season clothing sales Asking for activities for kids birthday gifts (dance lessons etc from grandparents) We host a lot, its so fun and is cheaper than eating out. We sometimes just order in pizza or do a bbq or a big mexican meal and then play games etc. Its super fun. I bought a lettuce the other day for $6 so next up is starting a small garden for herbs and greens Oh and we also buy our meat with family and purchase a beast which we have butchered and share. Its a great cost saving method and is so much better for you.
We are considering buying an animal and sharing cost for butcher and keep. My family has done that before and they say even with butchering cost and increase in feed prices it still saves them $
Menu/meal planning saved me the most. Next, a price book, includes recipes with cost to make. Keeping a 3-6 month stockpile (rotated for freshness) so I can shop my pantry/fridge/freezer at the lowest costs. I replace items as close to the cheapest yearly price as possible. Keeping Coffee costs down - 1. grind your beans to a Turkish (fine) ground. This allows you to use 1/2 the normal amount with the same flavor, saving you 50% . 2. I did this for about a year before my picky coffee drinker husband caught me. Save used grounds from day 1, refrigerate, Day 2 dump day 1 grounds into a new coffee filter and add 1/2 the normal amount of coffee to the day 1 coffee grounds and brew as usual. Another 25% savings. HTH
I made a stew of lentils, cabbage, onions and tomatoes. Made a ton! Was delicious. But due to a series of emergencies, I didn't have time to portion the rest out for the freezer. I had to toss it, There are jut two of us. We ate it for 5 days in a row. Couldn't eat much at a time as it was so filling!.
I put them in sloppy joes with ground beef to stretch the meat more. My kids literally had no idea and they usually catch stuff like that! I’m going to try it with some other things as well!
These are great ideas. I have added cooked and mashed lentils in my hamburger and I also add finely diced green cabbage at the beginning of cooking. I am the only one who knows its in there
I am vegan, and lentils and beans are the cheapest way to make a meal. I can make hearty soups, stews, sloppy joes, stuffed peppers… bags of lentils and beans are so inexpensive and healthy too I always buy frozen vegetables when I am in a hurry, and I add to my stews, and soups… gives it bulk and I get my veggies in this way.. Roasted vegetables on top of quinoa is a healthy meal too
I’ve saved some money on my grocery bill by purchasing whole turkeys or hams when they’re on sale. Then I cook, portion the meat out for future meals, and freeze. My family also uses it for sandwiches instead of cold cuts.
One thing that will help is use cash to pay for your groceries! This seriously helps! You stick to your budget, and if you do happen to go over the cash you brought, put back something that really is unnecessary!
A tip I have for meats, if you want to make the meat the entrée, cook half the amount of, say, steaks and then put them on a cutting board to rest and then slice them thin. On the plate fanned out it looks like the portion of a whole steak, or chicken breast or whatever, but it's half the amount and just bulk up your starch or veggies if you have big eaters. I hope this helps. By the way, I absolutely love your videos. Take care.
My grandmother had a lot of people to feed and they all drank a lot of milk. She would buy a gallon of milk and make a gallon of powdered milk. She would combine the two and have two gallons of milk. She was so skilled at this, nobody realized it wasn't all fresh
My mom did this for years and years. Later as an adult, when she wasn't doing it anymore, I had a glass of milk and thought it tasted odd. She hadn't mixed it, lol 😂
I put a couple of cups of dry detergent in my empty liquid detergent bottle fill it with water and shake it before I use it. The measurements aren't exact but, I haven't had a problem. I have started cutting my coffee down to one cup a day, eventually I would like to stop drinking it all together. Snacks are now all homemade from scratch, I choose a day to make the snack and have it all week. We are putting out a small garden again this year, the potato's came in really handy last year. We had enough fresh produce that we shared it with our older neighbor. The cherry tomatoes were a big hit for evening snacks. Thanks for the video
I recently watched a video on the channel ‘Under the Median’ where they did an experiment using powdered laundry soap. They found that for a large load of clothes you could use only 2 Tbsp in a front load machine Or 3 Tbsp in a top load and their laundry was just as clean. Most people seem to use too much soap and even the graduation marks on the provided scoop are too much even if you used what they say and let’s face it, most of us just scoop randomly without really measuring. I’m going to try swapping the scoop for a measuring spoon and see if it works. Thanks for the great video. 😊
The way I save the most money is packing my lunch for work! Leftovers, a sandwich, microwave nachos…I eat it all! It’s kills me when my coworkers eat out everyday…I can’t imagine how much money they spend a week…especially when they get it delivered!!
I used to buy my lunch every day at work and it’s so expensive. I’m trying to work on bringing my own. We have a fridge & microwave in the break room so I’m thinking sandwiches,macaroni,& idk what else to try for. I work at a grocery store and usually buy a banana or some fruit before my shift to eat as well & keep me going.
@@momentsformoms9467 I worked Deli at a Weis, so many employees got ver creative with their lunches with stuff they could buy in the store. A manager had us run a cob of corn through our pizza oven/heater to grill it ! There are creative hacks you can use when you work in a grocery store. Look around 😄
YES! Pack your own lunch=giving yourself a big raise!!! I made my lunch after my evening meal so I didn't have to worry about it in the morning. Always seemed that many people who didn't seem to have much money went out for lunch!?!
Growing a handful of herbs on your kitchen window sill is a great way to really up your flavors for very little money. And don’t forget that if you keep the ends of your green onions and just pop them in a jar with some water, they’ll grow more!
Thanks for sharing! I have a tip that sounds insane but I tried it and now I'm a believer, lol. When you make a ground beef dish, like spaghetti, tacos, sloppy joes, etc, dice up cabbage to about the same size as the beef crumbles and cook it with the meat. You can get up to about a 50/50 mix before you start to notice. I'm not a fan of cabbage so I make it in things that have a lot of other flavors going on, and I barely notice it. Plus there's the benefits of extra veggies!
I totally agree about the frozen vegetables! My mom always kept her freezer stocked with them. I think you get more bang for your buck with the amount! Love your videos keep them coming
To free up precious freezer space, I dehydrate frozen veggies for use in casseroles, soups, and pot pies. They have already been blanched, so no delay in getting them into the dehydrator
I use tide liquid soap and kept a used tide container and pour half of a new bottle and then fill with water. Cleans the clothes just fine! I do the same with, dish soap, body wash and shampoo. We also use a clothes line during most of the year and have one downstairs during wet or frozen winter days. In my 56 years never owned a dryer. Of course we are only a family of four. I loved your tip on the cheese!
I actually bought two boston butts today that were marked down. We are having a birthday party for my twins and had no clue what to serve. So when I found these, BBQ sandwiches it is! One of them was 9lbs and it was $10!!
I totally agree on the paper products. I gave up most paper products in early 2020. We use cloth napkins, rarely use paper plates, and only purchase one large pack of paper towels a year. We use the left over square lunch meat containers to pack my sons and husbands lunches in each day. When one "wears out" we just toss it and I usually keep 2-3 spare ones we can replace it with. We also use these for left overs. They are all the same size and stack up nicely in our smaller fridge. It has saved us so much money! Great video
My mom would give me frosting on saltines. The sweet and salty combination is one I still crave sometimes. I’ve never seen anyone else do it. The graham cracker idea sounds good too!
Beef base in ground turkey is genius! We are lucky to get beef from my in-laws as they run cattle. But they are two hours away so when we run out it's turkey for us!
I saw mushroom ‘hot dogs’ the other day and almost picked them up. I used to be vegan for 8 months but a lot of the replacements either were really gross or made me sick. Not all of them but some of them so I was too nervous to purchase.
@@momentsformoms9467 we were vegetarian for a while and there are definitely some gross processed meat replacements out there! Chikn is pretty good, and I like most veggie burgers, but soy crumbles and the like are so yuck!
I just have a weird thing about ground chicken and Turkey because I’ve always used ground beef and ground pork in everything and I just find the flavor is just not that good ..We do eat chicken breast and Turkey breast etc but not ground in casseroles etc . I have never used the beef base which I use it and the chicken base a lot .. So maybe that will help .. if anyone has any more ideals to make it more appealing and tasty for my family please leave your suggestions as I’m interested in trying to use them more but only if I can get it to taste more like beef in the recipes I use it in ! Thanks!
@@beckyoverstreet7478 getting a good sear on it helps a lot too. I typically cook mine in a little oil, bacon grease if I have it. High heat to sear, add the beef base. My family, and even kids friends who have been over, can't tell the difference!
My family loves ground turkey almost as much if not as much as ground beef- I make Greek Turkey Burgers- I add chopped spinach and a little feta to the burgers along with salt/pepper and other seasonings!
Two rolls of paper towels has lasted me three years. I use old washcloths and dishcloths for lots of things. Four Dollar Tree dishtowels was a great money saver for me. I live alone and rarely have a guest because I work long shifts in a medical clinic. I use my dishtowels long after they become faded or stained. I don't have the time or energy to care about a stained, faded towel if it's clean and gets the job done.
In regard to the ground beef - I keep great value 1/4 lb burger patties in my freezer and also use them for crumbled ground beef. The big box is under $3 a lb and it's just ground beef, nothing weird, no fillers. I hate dealing with bulk meat and repackaging for the freezer, so I'm happy with that price and the convenience.
@@amandas7934 been buying these patties for over a year, and it’s really a money saver. Plus they taste great as hamburgers, as well as crumbled and cooked in chili, soups and casseroles! I’ve got 4 boxes in my freezer right now!
Mindy, thanks so much for being a voice of calmness & reason during this uncertain time. You are giving great advice to people who need it. Keep doing what you're doing. 😊 ps. Hot coffee year-round!😉
One thing I didn't hear you mention even though I learned it from your channel, is to substitute ground sausage for ground beef in many dishes. We tried it recently and love the flavor and the sausage is SO much cheaper than the ground beef! Also since it's more flavorful it's even easier to cut back the amount of meat without missing it. Something we do that isn't a money saver, but is a big time saver, is to brown your meat ahead of time and put in the freezer in a ziploc or plastic container. Then when you're ready to cook you can just pull out the amount you need for your recipe. It REALLY speeds up food preparation. Just be aware though that it won't stay good as long in the freezer as a big raw chunk of meat. We try to get it eaten within a few months.
This is a good video. Where I live the turkey is more expensive than the beef, but the beef is still too expensive. Some things I do to cut costs are: 1) I can usually get stew meat cheaper per pound than ground beef, so I freeze it for ~30 minutes and then grind it in my food processor, then I portion it into 1/4 lb portions and store in freezer until needed 2) I cook up some dried beans each week, and use it to replace some of the beef. Example: tacos are 1/4 lb beef that I ground and the rest of the protein bulk is made up with beans, the taco seasoning works just as well with both. Same for hamburger helper type meals. 3) Buy canned chili with no beans (when on sale really cheap) and then add your own cooked beans (add as many as the sauce will cover and flavor). That ends up being cheaper than making it from scratch 4) Most people end up eating the same 10-15 meals, so focus your shop on yours and you'll know what is and is not a good price on the things you buy every week. Everytime I go into a store, I check for each of these items to see if there is a really good deal that I want to stock-up on 5) Don't assume that one store is cheaper than another, simply because they're cheaper on a few items. I live over an hour's drive from the nearest city, and my town has an independent grocer, a dollar tree, a dollar general, and a Walmart. Most people assume Walmart is the best option, but for the things that I buy, it is not---and what little savings I can get are off-set by the gas to get there. I only go there when I can't get what I need elsewhere and can't wait for it to be shipped to me. I had to drive a friend there the other day and looked at all the prices. Of all the things I regularly buy, there were only 3 items that were cheaper, and only by a few cents. I picked them up as I had already spent the gas to be there, but would never make the trip just for those three things. 6) I can easily walk to the Independent Grocer and the Dollar General. Walking not only saves gas, but keeps me from buying things on a whim. If they're not a good enough deal to justify walking back the next day to get it, they're not that good a deal. It also gets me away from the computer as my work and school are on the computer, it's actually kind of nice to walk to the store as many days as needed (yes, I do stock up, just over multiple days) 7) The Dollar Tree is near the gas station, so I combine that trip 8) My shopping list is broken into 3 sections: Out Of, Almost Out Of, Sales items. It prioritizes things real quick. 9) If someplace else has your items cheaper, and they're willing to ship them to you for free, let them. Costco and Boxed will ship many items to you for free with a minimum purchase amount. If they have enough of your regular items for cheaper and you can reach the free shipping amount with the amount you wanted to buy, then go for it. I buy non-perishable items from Target several times a year online. I have both Target Circle and a Target Red Debit Card, and those combined have given me access to some pretty great deals as of late on pasta, dried beans, bread flour---such good deals that I was able to stock up much more cheaply than I could have otherwise 10) Don't use coupons unless they're for something you were going to buy anyways
I add steak seasoning to ground turkey to make it taste more like beef. I will try adding Worcestershire sauce next time. Great idea! Turkey is so bland on it's own.
Good idea. Ours is getting more expensive,about the same price as beef now. I picked up a 1lb or so package of turkey the other day bc it was on clearance for $3.51 Thankfully our grocery store has ground beef bogo 50% off once a month and I grab 2-4 packages depending on what can fit in our small freezer.
at groceries with a meat counter (behind glass display), check the prices to compare to the pre packed meat. Sales cycles sometimes have the meat counter lower than pre packed. Also, look for discounted meat for short dated items, repack and freeze at home. I've noticed them at Super target and Aldi.
I have found I can swap out almost half of my ground meats with mushrooms that have been minced up as long as I'm sauting all together and seasoninging it up good :) cheaper than meat for sure when I get mine at aldi!
Hi mindy.... i love your channel. I was cleaning out the fridge the other day and trying to use up what i had...before i did my grocery shopping. I had 1 chicken breast, some onion dip and i looked in the pantry, i had lots of chips left over from a multiple pack of chips .....the kids dont like the flavours. So i cut up the chicken....dipped them in the onion dipp and covered them in the chips.....which i blended into crumbs. Absolutely perfect chicken nuggets 😋
I buy a whole pork loin and then slice for thick or thin chops, roasts. Scrap ends for stir-fry or soup. Can save 2-3 dollars per pound. I use a mix half and half bleach and water in a spray bottle with enough dawn added to turn it blue. The color will fade, but it's the best over all cleaner-use it for toilet bowl cleaner, bathroom fixture cleaning, I clean my counters with it, sanitizes while cleaning. I use to bleach cutting boards to get rid of carrot stains, etc. Sterilizes after cutting meats. If you can't use bleach vinegar subs well also
Oh Mindy thank you! I love your list!! I’m going more veggie, and thought I’d add that “salt added” is less likely in frozen veggies and much more likely in canned!
Frozen vegetables have even more nutrients than fresh because they freeze it right when it's picked, whole fresh ones take a long time to be shipped to your store and lose nutrients over time. The trick is to cook them instead of microwave so you don't zap those nutrients lol Yeah that was surprising to me!
This was great and I learned a few things! Rags are my favorite subject. For the hundred times a day that I wipe down the counter, cooktop, sink, and small spills, I use small rags about 7 inches across. Some are inexpensive Terry washcloths that I bought many years ago. Others are remnants of kitchen towels that became badly worn so I cut them down. After several uses these go right into the laundry. Using these keeps the hanging kitchen towels fresher, less stained, and less worn.
I started buying those sandwich type cookies from dollar tree. It saves so much money. Helps when my older kids grab like 5 cookes at a time. I dont care as much if they are eating those cheap packs.
Yes 😊 I use paper towels for some things but mostly just use kitchen towels. Better for our budget and the environment,+ don’t have to worry about running out. Love it.
How do u drain/absorb the oil from cooked foods without paper towel? I understand with wiping yr hands but food; I just don't understand! Hope u can help me please 😁
@@myaccount9498 I said we use them for some things but I did see where a lady used rolled oats to soak up the grease and then tossed it outside to feed the birds. I haven’t looked into it yet to see if it’s safe.
For family use, I have made cloth napkins by tearing fabric. Make a nick with scissors and tear across. After one or two washings the fraying will stop and give a nice soft edge. I like big napkins do it allow 1 1/4 yards of fabric for 4 napkins.
One thing I started doing because of my sensitive skin but it helps for saving money too is vinegar instead of fabric softener in the laundry. Also if helps if you have any laundry that has a super sweaty or musty smell!
I don’t buy softener but the one time I did I saw somewhere mention that it’s actually bad for your clothes and washer/dryer units. So I use it to clean the baseboards in the house now until it’s gone lol.
FYI if there are any rubber or plastic parts in your washing machine (and there definitely are) vinegar will degrade them and make them fall apart. Best to use vinegar very rarely or only in hand washing!
I've learned that if I shop once a month and have a meal plan that I spend less and get more food for my money. I typically don't follow the meal plan to the letter but we follow the meals pretty much. I might swap a Tuesday n meal with a Friday meal or whatever but as far as the meals themselves we follow that.
I add some white sugar to a bag of dark brown sugar to stretch it further. When my kids eat a can of ravioli i strain most of the sauce from the can and save it in the freezer to use in other pasta lunch dishes for my kids on another day when i dont have pasta sauce on hand.
Cutting back on the amount of meat we use has helped a lot. I have gotten to where I cut chicken breasts in half instead of leaving them whole. First benefit is they cook more evenly and all of it is juicy instead of just one end. Second, it does make it go farther and we might be closer to the recommended serving size. I really have enjoyed doing this and then freezing them with marinade. Make my life so much easier. I package them in the amount I need to serve.
One tip….be mindful of the shelf stable milk prices at dollar tree because you are purchasing 1 quart for $1.25 and 4 quarts make a gallon which makes the shelf stable milk is more expensive in the long run!! We love buying the shelf stable milk for our pantry because if we can’t get to the store and we run out of milk it’s fantastic to still be able to have milk until we get to the market!! Staple in our house
I thought this, too. I like to have the shelf stable for emergencies. A gallon of milk where I live is around $3. Organic is closer to $6, so I guess it depends where you live.
@@vickikelsey7507 I don't notice a difference,but it depends on what type of milk you're buying. I personally Don't care for the taste of Soy milk,but I do like almond,cashew and the regular 1,2and whole shelf stable milk!🙂
Hi Mindy- I found your channel in January and it motivates me to budget my meals and sparks so much creativity. I am doing so much more from scratch cooking with flour and corn meal and oats! I have started making my own dried beans-just a tip- google the safety cooking temperatures and times for dried beans. It’s very very important for food safety. I NEVER hear it mentioned and thought I would throw it out there✌🏼 Thank you for what you do!!
You can get reusable k cups that you can fill with ground coffee, for the budget and landfill win! Great tips. I garden and I have to say that I’m a recent convert to frozen veg when I need veg Not in season. Far healthier than canned in my opinion.
Even though my family can’t implement any of these tips due to allergies, speciality diets, & disabilities I enjoyed the video and am excited to try freezing cool whip between Graham crackers. That’s a hot tip ❤️
Lots of good tips and I’m a seasonal coffee drinker, cold in the summer and hot in the winter; won’t compromise on creamers either, just like you are loyal to Tide I’m loyal to Coffee-mate☕️☕️😊 thank you Mindy for all the good info!
We also use powdered laundry soap. I replaces the laundry scoop with a tablespoon measuring scoop. One TBSP for regular loads, two TBSPS for heavy soiled loads. Dissolves well and gets the job done. We have become accustomed to using way to much laundry soap. It doesn’t take much.
We have reusable K-cups and I buy my beans whole and grind them myself, my significant other buys his ground and then we compost the grounds. Works great!!
Hi Mindy, some of my tips are going with the pods for detergents, I have to go to the laundry mat and the pods travel the easiest and can be bought in a plastic ziplock type bag so no big containers. Hard water or lime stains I sprinkle baking soda and spray white vinegar, this causes a foaming action and will eat away a lot of gunky stuff, If I have old clothes table clothes etc. they make good napkins and old sheets make good aprons. Old pillow cases a group of ladies in my neighborhood make little girls dresses out of and send to different places all over the world. And my last one, my Mother grew up during the depression and vanilla wafers had not been invented yet. She learned to use graham crackers to make it and never changed. If you ever make banana pudding try it with graham crackers they are great in it..
I love these tips! I’m a warm coffee drinker in the morning and then I enjoy a cold brew iced coffee in the afternoon. I started making my own cold brew and can get 3 batches (2quarts each) out of a small bag of coffee. Saves SO much money. The only part that takes effort is straining it. Great video!
Hi Mindy! I also cut the amount of detergent I use in the washer. I do use liquid, but it is so highly concentrated that I only use a half cupful of detergent. I use the same half cap of fabric softener and top up the cap with water for the softener. I stopped using dryer sheets. They aren't necessary when using fabric softner. I do this for the laundry because of the cost savings, but also helps us be gentler with our septic tank by having less chemicals going down there. Also, I have purchased microfiber clothes that I use in place of paper towels. We still have paper towels, but not using them nearly as much these days. I have also rinsed and reused zip lock baggies from clean items such as bags that stored bread or just bags of frozen veggies. I do toss baggies that stored meat. I do the Worsterchire sauce with ground turkey also! And I've started making meatballs making a mix of 50% ground turkey and 50% lean ground beef. This way I can stretch the ground beef between 2 meals. This works well for Taco meat also!
Also, for coffee savings. I've found that I can reuse the grounds from one coffee pot and add 1 tablesponn of fresh grounds and still have a pretty decent cup of coffee.
My husband does this. We use a French press and I get the first press hot in the morning, he uses the second press to refrigerate and make iced coffee with.
Great tips! I like the idea of switching to a more flavourful cheese. And my paper towels are used on bacon grease and cleaning up cat puke. Lol. One pack lasts me all year as well.
A tip for dried beans you soak them overnight and then cook them srovetop for about 90 mins or less depending on the bean. I'd imagine it'll be real quick in the instant pot. Btw I love what you do
I have a small Mr. Coffee too. I think it makes 4-6 cups. I bought a bunch of handkerchiefs instead of disposable Kleenexes. I went to Amazon and ordered 40 mens white handkerchiefs. Get mens, they cost less and are better quality. They sell them in packs of 10. I keep some in my purse, some at my desk, and one in bed at night. I also have 40 or so bar mop towels. They can replace paper towels a lot of the time. They come in packs of 12 from Amazon, so I just ordered a bunch to last me all week. I do laundry on Mondays. My dad takes me to the laundromat. Somebody highly recommended bar mop towels, and I can see why.
We drink a lot of smoothies in the warmer months so I visit the u pick strawberry and blueberry farms and freeze in smoothies portion sizes. Same with peaches….I try to purchase blemishes peaches at the peach stands. They are almost half price but you do have to take the time to peel and freeze. So much cheaper than frozen fruit plus I have a stash for muffins and fruit cobbler all year round. If I have celery, carrots or onions that are past fresh use I dice small, freeze in one cup portion and use when making soup. I also do the same for just about any veggie…..was cut into pit size pieces and freeze. I generally use within a month so don’t blanch first. I put the veg in a gallon size freezer bag. When the bag is full it’s time for veggie soup. We eat a lot of homemade soup all year which is also a very economical meal. Your suggestions are very helpful, thanks!
Pork shoulder is great! My husband's dad was a pork farmer up until this year. We took our last hog to the local butcher about a month ago, and I am lamenting our access to inexpensive meat. Ny husband does hunt, but that doesn't always mean he'll get anything. 😂 We do live pretty rural and know enough farmers to get some kind of local meat.
Great tips. I eat lunch with an elderly couple 2x month & enjoy some of the best no meat meals. I share lentils (plus mixed dry beans), root cellar veggies & fresh herbs. Great food & conversation.
The best cloth napkins we have found are the cheap washcloths at Walmart. They are a great size to not take up too much laundry space and the Terry cloth fabric works well to clean up especially for kids.
Yes, so true! Though I'll admit, I never could get those to work well for me and make coffee that tasted good and was the desired strength. But that was years ago, and I bet they have improved!
My boyfriend and I just bought a reusable cup! I calculated it and we were paying around .34 a cup versus the coffee being .09 a cup. I knew it would be cheaper but I was completely shocked!
COFFEE!!! Making my own has saved us sooo much money! I drink it hot from November to March. When the time change happens, I switch. I drink it cold from March to November. I make ice cubes with coffee, then add it to coffee that I refrigerate overnight. Those coffee ice cubes keep my coffee cold and the coffee doesn't taste watery. Also, I make it known to my students that if they ever wish to give me a gift, a Starbucks gift card is the way to go. Whenever I do get them, I save them until I have enough to purchase a bag or two of whole beans... yum!😀
My nutritionist actually recommended frozen or canned fruits/vegetables. She said that people will buy a lot of fresh, and then it just goes bad. So, the nutritionist said to pick one fresh item and get the rest canned or frozen. She didn't say anything about salt. I like frozen green beans that are seasoned.
Thank you so much 🌻 I love these tips and I'm kinda surprised to find that I already do a lot of the things you shared 😊I'm excited to try the Tide powder hacks because I love Tide and sadly it's one of the items I've had to give up. I love graham crackers! These were a big treat when I was a kid. Peanut butter and banana slices on them! I hope you have a wonderful day 🌻
Great tips! I have a huge stock of canned veggies, but I also have a small chest freezer dedicated to frozen veggies, fruits, breads, etc. I bought baskets at Dollar Tree to organize the same type of items together. I can glance in and see what we need, rather than waste $ on something we don’t. My mom would make “cookies” by spreading cake icing, peanut butter or marshmallow cream between two graham crackers. We loved it!
We started using a lot more frozen broccoli. We just sauté it up in a cast iron and it still comes out very good and flavorful. Not super soggy like it tends to be when you steam it.
about powder tide! i start the washer, put the powder in, THEN put the clothes in. This helps it dissolve in water before it comes in contact with clothing.
I absolutely love to make lentil tacos. I put out a bowl of each, beef taco meat, and lentil taco filling, and its just as good. I use dried brown lentil and make it in my instant pot. So good. And the kids love it!
Something my High School Economics teacher told us way back in 1998 is...The only difference between brand name canned green beans and generic, is the brand name ones will have more center cuts of the bean, and generic will have more end pieces.
for coffee, I recommend a french press!! it does cold brew, a sort of espresso substitute if you make it extra strong, or regular coffee! you can get a cheap one (I think $12 at walmart?) and use any regular ground coffee, and then you don’t have to pay for filters or anything
Only hot coffee and only a few times a year. Caffeine doesn’t agree with me anymore. Your videos have helped so much over the past few years! Before March ‘20, I had no idea how our family of five would survive on one income. I left my job teaching in order to stay home with my children. Fast forward to the present, and we’re not only surviving, we’re thriving! So many of your ideas are implemented. Thank you for all you do, Mindy. You truly make a positive impact in our home. My middle child will only eat fresh veggies. He doesn’t like the texture of cooked, so frozen vegetables are out. Any suggestions from the community?
Same here! Love the wool dryer balls for the reasons you mentioned! Also, no residue left on clothes! I can wipe my glasses clean with my tshirt now- no filmy smeared mess.
I love to watch videos on cuisines from around the world you always find the dish that's a favourite but budget conscious too. Australia is very high for groceries but I've managed to get my bill down to $200 a week
Thanks for sharing! I get 90% of my produce either on sale or marked down at my Kroger affiliate store often over 50% off. I have a freezer full of meat but I still pick up burger when I see is marked down to $2/lbs at Kroger.
Love the tip about dissolving the powdered tide in the bowl! Our newer washer will not even turn on let alone dispense water until the lid is shut and locked 😒
Have you tried diluting it with even more water, putting it in first, and then the clothes? I wonder what safety incident happened enough times that they took away the ability to open the washer
my favorite tips are using what you have and choosing your brand loyalty wisely. generics are the best for basic ingredients such as staple meats and specifically baking/cooking ingredients (spices/flour/sugar/milk/etc)
I do a lot of this too. Found on Pinterest using paper towels & mason jars to keep fruit fresher longer-I also wash in vinegar/water mix beforehand also. Works well most of the time. I just did cheap & easy dinner this week. Yesterday was subs,today I’m not sure it’s my sons dads birthday and if he’s going out with friends then my son & I will have a whatever day,if he’s home we’ll order out. Tomorrow is chicken salad sandwiches and leftover chips from yesterday,Thursday is chicken fajitas. I don’t cook weekends since my sons at his grandparents and I work. I wish I wasn’t squeamish and could use chicken other than the breast but even that’s tough for me. I agree with the baggies as well,I only use them for juicy fruits in my sons lunches in case the container leaks,but I’ll use the same one the whole week if it hasn’t leaked. I use washable bags for his sandwiches & such. Also bowl covers instead of plastic wrap or aluminum.
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I'm still learning how to use my new 📷, so thank you for watching the blurry footage at the fridge in the beginning! 😊 It's still helpful info, just from an out-of-focus face!
Not a problem!
Lol no problem
I thought it was my eyes 😂
You are amazing fuzzy or in focus:) No worries. And actually I "listen" to you on repeat in the car all the time so I personally don't " watch" you nearly as much.
When my kids were little I was extremely poor cuz I was a single mom with two babies back to back babies and they got older I mixed powdered milk half and half or even I could make 3 gallons with one gallon of fresh milk and they loved it they never knew the difference kids are very resilient and they both came out very beautiful and healthy God bless you dear for all that you do even though I don't eat meat except occasional piece of salmon I do appreciate your other ideas about cutting down on me for other people and even going you have some wonderful ideas for vegetarian meals or even vegan meals because lentils can be mashed up and really taste good or put in tacos you and add all the fixings you want to and it's really healthy and good for you and lots of protein 🙏🏻💜🌹🏄🏼♂️🐱❤️💐🙏🏻💜🙏🏻💯
A professional tip from getting our washer repaired. Use half as much detergent as the manufacturer states because it really clogs up the washer and the hoses. As our repair man said, it is Tide's job to sell detergent. More detergent doesn't equal cleaner clothes. He said stay away from pods unless we like frequent repair bills. Also, when there is less detergent to rinse out, your clothes aren't as stiff (stiffness is due to detergent residue left in the clothes) and you don't need to use fabric softener.
It took me 12 months to get through a jug of laundry soap because I use so little in each load!!
I got my first front loader washer in 2000. Tide did not make an HE detergent at that time, they were “working on it.” I called the 800 number. After hemming and hawing, they told me to use 50% less of my regular Tide. I was thrill. If Tide cost $1.50 after sale /coupon, the 50 Oz bottle would give me 100 loads, so 1.5 pennies per load.
I was told the same about Cascade and dishwashers!
Yes! I've been told this too... especially not to use those pods.
Oh wow 😯 I did not know that about laundry pods! Thanks I will not be using them anymore.
Another tip this summer is to buy lots of fresh berries when on sale and then freeze them for the winter. We do this every summer and fill our deep freeze with frozen "fresh" berries and it saves us a lot of money - great to use in smoothies, over hot oats, in crumbles.
We save berries too when are in season. Saves a lot.
Or go pick your own! It’s a great family activity!
We do this too! My mom also uses them to make and can jam when we find great sales or pick our own.
I’ve done this and I love it!
I do this too! I like making homemade jam or compote now and again too. You can do the same with some fresh veggies as well! Just chop, lay out in a thin layer to freeze and then bag up later.
One thing I do to make my meat last longer. In my burgers and meatloaf, I puree a carrot, a stalk of celery, half a large onion and half of a large pepper. Squeeze out the excess juice and add the puree to one pound of ground turkey. Add in the worchester sauce and it gives you an little extra serving or two and you get extra veggies.
What do you do with the extra juices? Exclude drink it for carrots/celery, please.
@@kenyonbissett3512 usually freeze it for veggie broth for later
I cut old bread and dry it, then I soak it in warm water or some milk and put it in my patties or meat loaf.
I do the same thing. I also add some oats or flour (1/4 cup or so). It helps w the juice, and gives texture without affecting the taste
This isn't for everyone but my husband and father in law are avid deer hunters. We process our own deer and grind about 100lbs a year. I mix it half and half with ground beef and it really stretches the expensive ground beef.
Also the power of popcorn!
Learn to pop yourself and it can be dressed up so many ways. I buy mine at dollar twenty five tree lol!
One of my favorite cleaning tips is Dawn/vinegar in a dishwashing wand for the shower... a bit of a scrub down before you leave the shower and the shower is always clean.
I've always used house brands but my partner was a big brand snob, it was costing us so much money. We came to the agreement that we would purchase the house brand of something once and if it was really awful, we could go back to the name brand. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, there wasn't enough of a difference.
Haha my husband used to be the same way but once he saw how I could stick to budget every week he stopped complaining about generic brand!😂
Nowadays, the store brand of most things is sold out when I get to the store; so, I have to buy the name brand instead. 😞 ~ Anastacia in Cleveland
That is a great idea
There is a channel I used to follow until the creator, Phyllis Stokes, passed away. She recommended flour sack towels from Walmart as kitchen cloths and I have to agree with her. The absorbency is excellent and the fabric is thin which to me makes them suitable for plenty of tasks that a paper towel does better than an ordinary dish towel. They are white and 100% cotton so they can be washed with bleach to be sanitized between uses. Just be aware that if you get oils or fats on any cloth, you shouldn’t put it in the dryer - dryer manufacturers warn that even after washing, it is a fire hazard to dry any item which might have oil residue.
I use these as well. You can buy them on eBay as well.
They are fantastic. I discovered them bc we are cloth diapering and they are amazing inserts!
Going to sharp cheddar and using less is SUCH A GENIUS TIP that I hadn't heard of or thought about before!!
And it tastes soooooo much nicer.
We do the same, using pecorino romano cheese, instead of Parmesan...
@@jenniferr2057 I didn't know pecorino ramono was stronger than parmesan, thanks for the tip!
@@carrieamoreno absolutely!
I’ve been making my own butter recently. A pound of butter costs $4 in my area. I can get a quart of heavy cream for $3 and it yields 2lbs of butter. That’s less than half the price per pound for just 15 minutes of my time. I use a lot of butter in my cooking and baking so it’s really saved us a lot of money.
@@katherinetyrrell8810 I used my stand mixer. I pour the entire quart of heavy cream into the bowl and start whipping from a low to high setting. It takes about 10 minutes but you’ll see the milk fat start to separate. I like to stop a couple times to scrape the sides down with a spatula. Keep an eye on it and turn the mixer down once you start to see separation or it will slop buttermilk on your kitchen walls and counter. After the butter separates completely, I pull it out and rinse in cold water. I dry the butter really well with a clean dish towel and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Homemade butter doesn’t last as long as store bought so you have make an effort to use it up. I use the left over buttermilk in baking, my morning oatmeal, or as coffee creamer. A hand mixer will give you comparable results if you don’t mind holding it for 10 minutes to whip the cream into butter
Don't forget to culture the leftover "butter milk" so you can use that in baking.
@@Facefuzzandfancyfree I never thought it saved money. I didn't realize the yield is 2 lbs. That's fantastic.
@@yvonnepalmquist8676 it just depends on dairy prices where you live.
Great idea! I love butter and I’m always looking for ways to save on each ingredient/item to bring my costs down. A gallon of whole milk is $3.55 or Organic is $5-6, using milk to make yogurt saves me a lot of money.
I find all of this so fascinating. I live in New Zealand where our cost of living is very high (one of the highest in the world I think) and so cutting corners is super important for my household. I spend about $500 a week on groceries for our family of 2 adults and 2 pre-schoolers.
My current fave cost cutting options are:
Making my own laundry powder/bench cleaner/disinfectant/toilet bombs etc
We hardly use paper towels - cloths and rags all the way
Cutting down on using our heat pump by using our fire or just delaying turning on the heat
Driving our smaller vehicle to save on gas (it costs me $180 to fill our car)
Sharing streaming services with family (spotify, netflix, disney etc)
shopping end of season clothing sales
Asking for activities for kids birthday gifts (dance lessons etc from grandparents)
We host a lot, its so fun and is cheaper than eating out. We sometimes just order in pizza or do a bbq or a big mexican meal and then play games etc. Its super fun.
I bought a lettuce the other day for $6 so next up is starting a small garden for herbs and greens
Oh and we also buy our meat with family and purchase a beast which we have butchered and share. Its a great cost saving method and is so much better for you.
We are considering buying an animal and sharing cost for butcher and keep. My family has done that before and they say even with butchering cost and increase in feed prices it still saves them $
Menu/meal planning saved me the most.
Next, a price book, includes recipes with cost to make.
Keeping a 3-6 month stockpile (rotated for freshness) so I can shop my pantry/fridge/freezer at the lowest costs. I replace items as close to the cheapest yearly price as possible.
Keeping Coffee costs down -
1. grind your beans to a Turkish (fine) ground. This allows you to use 1/2 the normal amount with the same flavor, saving you 50% .
2. I did this for about a year before my picky coffee drinker husband caught me. Save used grounds from day 1, refrigerate, Day 2 dump day 1 grounds into a new coffee filter and add 1/2 the normal amount of coffee to the day 1 coffee grounds and brew as usual. Another 25% savings.
HTH
Have you had a look at the Cheapskates club , its Australian run but still really helpful, Im in Auckland.
That is extremely expensive. What are you eating?🤔
@@jenniferjemison636 are you also from NZ? $500 NZ is $320 USD
Brown lentils are a good swap for ground meat for bbq sandwiches. It won’t fool anyone, but tastes good topped with caramelized red onions
I made a stew of lentils, cabbage, onions and tomatoes. Made a ton! Was delicious. But due to a series of emergencies, I didn't have time to portion the rest out for the freezer. I had to toss it, There are jut two of us. We ate it for 5 days in a row. Couldn't eat much at a time as it was so filling!.
I put them in sloppy joes with ground beef to stretch the meat more. My kids literally had no idea and they usually catch stuff like that! I’m going to try it with some other things as well!
These are great ideas. I have added cooked and mashed lentils in my hamburger and I also add finely diced green cabbage at the beginning of cooking. I am the only one who knows its in there
@@MomNTraining I usually use either pinto or black beans for this. I never even considered using lentils. Will definitely give this a try
I am vegan, and lentils and beans are the cheapest way to make a meal. I can make hearty soups, stews, sloppy joes, stuffed peppers… bags of lentils and beans are so inexpensive and healthy too
I always buy frozen vegetables when I am in a hurry, and I add to my stews, and soups… gives it bulk and I get my veggies in this way..
Roasted vegetables on top of quinoa is a healthy meal too
I’ve saved some money on my grocery bill by purchasing whole turkeys or hams when they’re on sale. Then I cook, portion the meat out for future meals, and freeze. My family also uses it for sandwiches instead of cold cuts.
My Costco had hams half off after Christmas. Hoping for a repeat after Easter!
I just bought a ham because Aldi's had it for .88/lb. Breakfast, lunches, dinner AND pot pie!!
Yum that would be tastier than store bought cold cuts, too!
One thing that will help is use cash to pay for your groceries! This seriously helps! You stick to your budget, and if you do happen to go over the cash you brought, put back something that really is unnecessary!
A tip I have for meats, if you want to make the meat the entrée, cook half the amount of, say, steaks and then put them on a cutting board to rest and then slice them thin. On the plate fanned out it looks like the portion of a whole steak, or chicken breast or whatever, but it's half the amount and just bulk up your starch or veggies if you have big eaters. I hope this helps. By the way, I absolutely love your videos. Take care.
Good tip!
My grandmother had a lot of people to feed and they all drank a lot of milk. She would buy a gallon of milk and make a gallon of powdered milk. She would combine the two and have two gallons of milk. She was so skilled at this, nobody realized it wasn't all fresh
We had powdered milk almost always growing up but sometimes my mom would buy some whole milk to mix it with.
My mom did this for years and years. Later as an adult, when she wasn't doing it anymore, I had a glass of milk and thought it tasted odd. She hadn't mixed it, lol 😂
She was brilliant! I’m going to try this!
Thanks!!!
My mom would make powdered milk add a drop of vanilla flavoring or chocolate milk powder to make it tolerable.
I put a couple of cups of dry detergent in my empty liquid detergent bottle fill it with water and shake it before I use it. The measurements aren't exact but, I haven't had a problem. I have started cutting my coffee down to one cup a day, eventually I would like to stop drinking it all together. Snacks are now all homemade from scratch, I choose a day to make the snack and have it all week. We are putting out a small garden again this year, the potato's came in really handy last year. We had enough fresh produce that we shared it with our older neighbor. The cherry tomatoes were a big hit for evening snacks. Thanks for the video
I recently watched a video on the channel ‘Under the Median’ where they did an experiment using powdered laundry soap. They found that for a large load of clothes you could use only 2 Tbsp in a front load machine Or 3 Tbsp in a top load and their laundry was just as clean. Most people seem to use too much soap and even the graduation marks on the provided scoop are too much even if you used what they say and let’s face it, most of us just scoop randomly without really measuring. I’m going to try swapping the scoop for a measuring spoon and see if it works. Thanks for the great video. 😊
Freezing chopped celery, spring onions and spinach/kale is great for less waste. Great for stews.
The way I save the most money is packing my lunch for work! Leftovers, a sandwich, microwave nachos…I eat it all! It’s kills me when my coworkers eat out everyday…I can’t imagine how much money they spend a week…especially when they get it delivered!!
I used to buy my lunch every day at work and it’s so expensive. I’m trying to work on bringing my own. We have a fridge & microwave in the break room so I’m thinking sandwiches,macaroni,& idk what else to try for. I work at a grocery store and usually buy a banana or some fruit before my shift to eat as well & keep me going.
@@momentsformoms9467 I worked Deli at a Weis, so many employees got ver creative with their lunches with stuff they could buy in the store. A manager had us run a cob of corn through our pizza oven/heater to grill it ! There are creative hacks you can use when you work in a grocery store. Look around 😄
@@Fiery154 we can’t do stuff like that,but sounds fun.
YES! Pack your own lunch=giving yourself a big raise!!! I made my lunch after my evening meal so I didn't have to worry about it in the morning. Always seemed that many people who didn't seem to have much money went out for lunch!?!
Yeah, I don’t think I even hit the fast food places more than twice a month.
Growing a handful of herbs on your kitchen window sill is a great way to really up your flavors for very little money. And don’t forget that if you keep the ends of your green onions and just pop them in a jar with some water, they’ll grow more!
Thanks for sharing! I have a tip that sounds insane but I tried it and now I'm a believer, lol. When you make a ground beef dish, like spaghetti, tacos, sloppy joes, etc, dice up cabbage to about the same size as the beef crumbles and cook it with the meat. You can get up to about a 50/50 mix before you start to notice. I'm not a fan of cabbage so I make it in things that have a lot of other flavors going on, and I barely notice it. Plus there's the benefits of extra veggies!
Oh, that is an interesting tip! It would be a great way to get some extra veggies in.
wow, that's a really cool idea. I wonder if it'll work with tvp instead of beef!
@@moonlightequilibrium possibly! I want to try it. I have both!
@@BettyHorn I'm gonna try it too. guess it's sloppy joes for dinner tomorrow 🤤
Brilliant!
I totally agree about the frozen vegetables! My mom always kept her freezer stocked with them.
I think you get more bang for your buck with the amount! Love your videos keep them coming
I even use frozen veggies for veggie salads just because I don’t then need to cook them since they are usually blanched before freezing!
To free up precious freezer space, I dehydrate frozen veggies for use in casseroles, soups, and pot pies. They have already been blanched, so no delay in getting them into the dehydrator
I use tide liquid soap and kept a used tide container and pour half of a new bottle and then fill with water. Cleans the clothes just fine! I do the same with, dish soap, body wash and shampoo. We also use a clothes line during most of the year and have one downstairs during wet or frozen winter days. In my 56 years never owned a dryer. Of course we are only a family of four.
I loved your tip on the cheese!
This is genius! I am so using this Tide idea. Thank you so much for the tip :)
Ha, we used to get Graham cracker with frosting sandwiched together for a sunday school treat. I loved it as a kid.
I actually bought two boston butts today that were marked down. We are having a birthday party for my twins and had no clue what to serve. So when I found these, BBQ sandwiches it is! One of them was 9lbs and it was $10!!
That’s a great deal, Cyndi! Good find!
I totally agree on the paper products. I gave up most paper products in early 2020. We use cloth napkins, rarely use paper plates, and only purchase one large pack of paper towels a year. We use the left over square lunch meat containers to pack my sons and husbands lunches in each day. When one "wears out" we just toss it and I usually keep 2-3 spare ones we can replace it with. We also use these for left overs. They are all the same size and stack up nicely in our smaller fridge.
It has saved us so much money! Great video
I like your use of recycling grocery shopping bags to sort your food items in the deep freezer.
When I was little we would put frosting between graham crackers for a treat. I love the cool whip idea
Yes! We did the same, and we still do! So good!
My mom would give me frosting on saltines. The sweet and salty combination is one I still crave sometimes. I’ve never seen anyone else do it. The graham cracker idea sounds good too!
Sounds nice. We used marshmallow fluff & strawberries for my son. I’ve seen some people freeze them too.
We had the graham crackers with icing , always was a special treat, still is
Ground turkey is my jam. Mince mushrooms,add to ground turkey along with a small sprinkle of beef soup base and it's SO good!!!
Beef base in ground turkey is genius! We are lucky to get beef from my in-laws as they run cattle. But they are two hours away so when we run out it's turkey for us!
I saw mushroom ‘hot dogs’ the other day and almost picked them up. I used to be vegan for 8 months but a lot of the replacements either were really gross or made me sick. Not all of them but some of them so I was too nervous to purchase.
@@momentsformoms9467 we were vegetarian for a while and there are definitely some gross processed meat replacements out there! Chikn is pretty good, and I like most veggie burgers, but soy crumbles and the like are so yuck!
I just have a weird thing about ground chicken and Turkey because I’ve always used ground beef and ground pork in everything and I just find the flavor is just not that good ..We do eat chicken breast and Turkey breast etc but not ground in casseroles etc . I have never used the beef base which I use it and the chicken base a lot .. So maybe that will help .. if anyone has any more ideals to make it more appealing and tasty for my family please leave your suggestions as I’m interested in trying to use them more but only if I can get it to taste more like beef in the recipes I use it in ! Thanks!
@@beckyoverstreet7478 getting a good sear on it helps a lot too. I typically cook mine in a little oil, bacon grease if I have it. High heat to sear, add the beef base. My family, and even kids friends who have been over, can't tell the difference!
My family loves ground turkey almost as much if not as much as ground beef- I make Greek Turkey Burgers- I add chopped spinach and a little feta to the burgers along with salt/pepper and other seasonings!
Two rolls of paper towels has lasted me three years. I use old washcloths and dishcloths for lots of things. Four Dollar Tree dishtowels was a great money saver for me. I live alone and rarely have a guest because I work long shifts in a medical clinic. I use my dishtowels long after they become faded or stained. I don't have the time or energy to care about a stained, faded towel if it's clean and gets the job done.
In regard to the ground beef - I keep great value 1/4 lb burger patties in my freezer and also use them for crumbled ground beef. The big box is under $3 a lb and it's just ground beef, nothing weird, no fillers. I hate dealing with bulk meat and repackaging for the freezer, so I'm happy with that price and the convenience.
that's a great idea! next time I'm shopping for ground beef I might have to try that!
@@amandas7934 been buying these patties for over a year, and it’s really a money saver. Plus they taste great as hamburgers, as well as crumbled and cooked in chili, soups and casseroles! I’ve got 4 boxes in my freezer right now!
My daughter and I have started using them too.
Yes!!!! Pork shoulder!!! We also use it for MULTIPLE meals!!! Usually the last meal is a huge batch of nachos!!!
I never thought about frozen vegetables being more "fresh"! Thanks!
Mindy, thanks so much for being a voice of calmness & reason during this uncertain time. You are giving great advice to people who need it. Keep doing what you're doing. 😊 ps. Hot coffee year-round!😉
Thanks, Julie! I appreciate the encouragement!
This right here! No panic stricken voice. But practical solutions and empowering you to make good decisions for yourself or your family
One thing I didn't hear you mention even though I learned it from your channel, is to substitute ground sausage for ground beef in many dishes. We tried it recently and love the flavor and the sausage is SO much cheaper than the ground beef! Also since it's more flavorful it's even easier to cut back the amount of meat without missing it.
Something we do that isn't a money saver, but is a big time saver, is to brown your meat ahead of time and put in the freezer in a ziploc or plastic container. Then when you're ready to cook you can just pull out the amount you need for your recipe. It REALLY speeds up food preparation. Just be aware though that it won't stay good as long in the freezer as a big raw chunk of meat. We try to get it eaten within a few months.
This is a good video.
Where I live the turkey is more expensive than the beef, but the beef is still too expensive.
Some things I do to cut costs are:
1) I can usually get stew meat cheaper per pound than ground beef, so I freeze it for ~30 minutes and then grind it in my food processor, then I portion it into 1/4 lb portions and store in freezer until needed
2) I cook up some dried beans each week, and use it to replace some of the beef. Example: tacos are 1/4 lb beef that I ground and the rest of the protein bulk is made up with beans, the taco seasoning works just as well with both. Same for hamburger helper type meals.
3) Buy canned chili with no beans (when on sale really cheap) and then add your own cooked beans (add as many as the sauce will cover and flavor). That ends up being cheaper than making it from scratch
4) Most people end up eating the same 10-15 meals, so focus your shop on yours and you'll know what is and is not a good price on the things you buy every week. Everytime I go into a store, I check for each of these items to see if there is a really good deal that I want to stock-up on
5) Don't assume that one store is cheaper than another, simply because they're cheaper on a few items. I live over an hour's drive from the nearest city, and my town has an independent grocer, a dollar tree, a dollar general, and a Walmart. Most people assume Walmart is the best option, but for the things that I buy, it is not---and what little savings I can get are off-set by the gas to get there. I only go there when I can't get what I need elsewhere and can't wait for it to be shipped to me. I had to drive a friend there the other day and looked at all the prices. Of all the things I regularly buy, there were only 3 items that were cheaper, and only by a few cents. I picked them up as I had already spent the gas to be there, but would never make the trip just for those three things.
6) I can easily walk to the Independent Grocer and the Dollar General. Walking not only saves gas, but keeps me from buying things on a whim. If they're not a good enough deal to justify walking back the next day to get it, they're not that good a deal. It also gets me away from the computer as my work and school are on the computer, it's actually kind of nice to walk to the store as many days as needed (yes, I do stock up, just over multiple days)
7) The Dollar Tree is near the gas station, so I combine that trip
8) My shopping list is broken into 3 sections: Out Of, Almost Out Of, Sales items. It prioritizes things real quick.
9) If someplace else has your items cheaper, and they're willing to ship them to you for free, let them. Costco and Boxed will ship many items to you for free with a minimum purchase amount. If they have enough of your regular items for cheaper and you can reach the free shipping amount with the amount you wanted to buy, then go for it. I buy non-perishable items from Target several times a year online. I have both Target Circle and a Target Red Debit Card, and those combined have given me access to some pretty great deals as of late on pasta, dried beans, bread flour---such good deals that I was able to stock up much more cheaply than I could have otherwise
10) Don't use coupons unless they're for something you were going to buy anyways
Great ideas!
I add steak seasoning to ground turkey to make it taste more like beef. I will try adding Worcestershire sauce next time. Great idea! Turkey is so bland on it's own.
Good idea. Ours is getting more expensive,about the same price as beef now. I picked up a 1lb or so package of turkey the other day bc it was on clearance for $3.51
Thankfully our grocery store has ground beef bogo 50% off once a month and I grab 2-4 packages depending on what can fit in our small freezer.
at groceries with a meat counter (behind glass display), check the prices to compare to the pre packed meat. Sales cycles sometimes have the meat counter lower than pre packed. Also, look for discounted meat for short dated items, repack and freeze at home. I've noticed them at Super target and Aldi.
I have to agree with everything you said... EXCEPT using less cheese. Lol 🤪🤣🤪🤣. Great video!!
I have found I can swap out almost half of my ground meats with mushrooms that have been minced up as long as I'm sauting all together and seasoninging it up good :) cheaper than meat for sure when I get mine at aldi!
That's a great idea!
Mixing in mushrooms works for me too.😊 Just make sure they’re diced small for all the ‘mushroom haters’ in the family.
@@colleendigiacomo3089 aaaaaamen
You can use eggplant to do that also.
I've heard you can also do this with cauliflower.
Hi mindy.... i love your channel. I was cleaning out the fridge the other day and trying to use up what i had...before i did my grocery shopping. I had 1 chicken breast, some onion dip and i looked in the pantry, i had lots of chips left over from a multiple pack of chips .....the kids dont like the flavours. So i cut up the chicken....dipped them in the onion dipp and covered them in the chips.....which i blended into crumbs. Absolutely perfect chicken nuggets 😋
Sounds delicious! Great job! Some of our favorite recipes have happened on accident when I’m trying to use things up.
I buy a whole pork loin and then slice for thick or thin chops, roasts. Scrap ends for stir-fry or soup.
Can save 2-3 dollars per pound.
I use a mix half and half bleach and water in a spray bottle with enough dawn added to turn it blue.
The color will fade, but it's the best over all cleaner-use it for toilet bowl cleaner, bathroom fixture cleaning, I clean my counters with it, sanitizes while cleaning.
I use to bleach cutting boards to get rid of carrot stains, etc.
Sterilizes after cutting meats.
If you can't use bleach vinegar subs well also
Oh Mindy thank you! I love your list!! I’m going more veggie, and thought I’d add that “salt added” is less likely in frozen veggies and much more likely in canned!
Just finished a Frugal Fit Mom video and yours popped up. Woo-Hoo! 😉
Love it!!
Frozen vegetables have even more nutrients than fresh because they freeze it right when it's picked, whole fresh ones take a long time to be shipped to your store and lose nutrients over time. The trick is to cook them instead of microwave so you don't zap those nutrients lol
Yeah that was surprising to me!
This was great and I learned a few things! Rags are my favorite subject. For the hundred times a day that I wipe down the counter, cooktop, sink, and small spills, I use small rags about 7 inches across. Some are inexpensive Terry washcloths that I bought many years ago. Others are remnants of kitchen towels that became badly worn so I cut them down. After several uses these go right into the laundry. Using these keeps the hanging kitchen towels fresher, less stained, and less worn.
Agreed! Great tips!
Also, bath towels torn up are great for spills.
How do you keep them from getting stinky/germy?
@@mint4444 laundry.
@@janfoster9583 lol I mean between wipe downs before laundry. I find they get disgusting after even a few uses.
I started buying those sandwich type cookies from dollar tree. It saves so much money. Helps when my older kids grab like 5 cookes at a time. I dont care as much if they are eating those cheap packs.
Love this! Totally agree on paper towels. We shifted to kitchen towels/rags and haven’t looked back.
Yes 😊 I use paper towels for some things but mostly just use kitchen towels. Better for our budget and the environment,+ don’t have to worry about running out. Love it.
How do u drain/absorb the oil from cooked foods without paper towel?
I understand with wiping yr hands but food; I just don't understand! Hope u can help me please 😁
@@myaccount9498 I said we use them for some things but I did see where a lady used rolled oats to soak up the grease and then tossed it outside to feed the birds. I haven’t looked into it yet to see if it’s safe.
@@momentsformoms9467 thanks for answering! I think that would be quite messy but is food for thought. Blessings on yr day 💐🦋
For family use, I have made cloth napkins by tearing fabric. Make a nick with scissors and tear across. After one or two washings the fraying will stop and give a nice soft edge. I like big napkins do it allow 1 1/4 yards of fabric for 4 napkins.
One thing I started doing because of my sensitive skin but it helps for saving money too is vinegar instead of fabric softener in the laundry. Also if helps if you have any laundry that has a super sweaty or musty smell!
I don’t buy softener but the one time I did I saw somewhere mention that it’s actually bad for your clothes and washer/dryer units. So I use it to clean the baseboards in the house now until it’s gone lol.
FYI if there are any rubber or plastic parts in your washing machine (and there definitely are) vinegar will degrade them and make them fall apart. Best to use vinegar very rarely or only in hand washing!
@@annafantasia I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing.
I'm mostly a hot coffee person. Occasionally I'll have an iced coffee, but not often.
I appreciate all of your tips and tricks. Thank you so much! ❤️
I've learned that if I shop once a month and have a meal plan that I spend less and get more food for my money. I typically don't follow the meal plan to the letter but we follow the meals pretty much. I might swap a Tuesday n meal with a Friday meal or whatever but as far as the meals themselves we follow that.
I add some white sugar to a bag of dark brown sugar to stretch it further. When my kids eat a can of ravioli i strain most of the sauce from the can and save it in the freezer to use in other pasta lunch dishes for my kids on another day when i dont have pasta sauce on hand.
Cutting back on the amount of meat we use has helped a lot. I have gotten to where I cut chicken breasts in half instead of leaving them whole. First benefit is they cook more evenly and all of it is juicy instead of just one end. Second, it does make it go farther and we might be closer to the recommended serving size. I really have enjoyed doing this and then freezing them with marinade. Make my life so much easier. I package them in the amount I need to serve.
One tip….be mindful of the shelf stable milk prices at dollar tree because you are purchasing 1 quart for $1.25 and 4 quarts make a gallon which makes the shelf stable milk is more expensive in the long run!! We love buying the shelf stable milk for our pantry because if we can’t get to the store and we run out of milk it’s fantastic to still be able to have milk until we get to the market!! Staple in our house
yes, I'm not sure how the shelf stable milk is a money saver? I can typically buy conventional milk for 1.99 a gallon when I shop the loss leaders.
I thought this, too. I like to have the shelf stable for emergencies. A gallon of milk where I live is around $3. Organic is closer to $6, so I guess it depends where you live.
Milk in my towns grocery store is over 7 dollars so stocking up when in a bigger town with a dollar store saves me money.
Does the shelf-stable milk taste different?
@@vickikelsey7507 I don't notice a difference,but it depends on what type of milk you're buying. I personally Don't care for the taste of Soy milk,but I do like almond,cashew and the regular 1,2and whole shelf stable milk!🙂
You are so right about frozen veggies! And fruit.
Hi Mindy-
I found your channel in January and it motivates me to budget my meals and sparks so much creativity. I am doing so much more from scratch cooking with flour and corn meal and oats!
I have started making my own dried beans-just a tip- google the safety cooking temperatures and times for dried beans. It’s very very important for food safety. I NEVER hear it mentioned and thought I would throw it out there✌🏼
Thank you for what you do!!
We used Graham Crackers,chocolate bar,melted and marshmallows for s’mores. Campfire. Sharen
Iced coffee. I just make pots of coffee and put it in a carafe in the fridge. I’ve always liked cold over warm drinks
You can get reusable k cups that you can fill with ground coffee, for the budget and landfill win! Great tips. I garden and I have to say that I’m a recent convert to frozen veg when I need veg Not in season. Far healthier than canned in my opinion.
Even though my family can’t implement any of these tips due to allergies, speciality diets, & disabilities I enjoyed the video and am excited to try freezing cool whip between Graham crackers. That’s a hot tip ❤️
Lots of good tips and I’m a seasonal coffee drinker, cold in the summer and hot in the winter; won’t compromise on creamers either, just like you are loyal to Tide I’m loyal to Coffee-mate☕️☕️😊 thank you Mindy for all the good info!
I've tried them all and I always go back to coffee mate
We also use powdered laundry soap. I replaces the laundry scoop with a tablespoon measuring scoop. One TBSP for regular loads, two TBSPS for heavy soiled loads. Dissolves well and gets the job done.
We have become accustomed to using way to much laundry soap. It doesn’t take much.
We have reusable K-cups and I buy my beans whole and grind them myself, my significant other buys his ground and then we compost the grounds. Works great!!
Hi Mindy, some of my tips are going with the pods for detergents, I have to go to the laundry mat and the pods travel the easiest and can be bought in a plastic ziplock type bag so no big containers. Hard water or lime stains I sprinkle baking soda and spray white vinegar, this causes a foaming action and will eat away a lot of gunky stuff, If I have old clothes table clothes etc. they make good napkins and old sheets make good aprons. Old pillow cases a group of ladies in my neighborhood make little girls dresses out of and send to different places all over the world. And my last one, my Mother grew up during the depression and vanilla wafers had not been invented yet. She learned to use graham crackers to make it and never changed. If you ever make banana pudding try it with graham crackers they are great in it..
I love these tips! I’m a warm coffee drinker in the morning and then I enjoy a cold brew iced coffee in the afternoon. I started making my own cold brew and can get 3 batches (2quarts each) out of a small bag of coffee. Saves SO much money. The only part that takes effort is straining it. Great video!
I use my french press for hot coffee in the morning, then put the rest in the fridge for iced coffee later!
Hi Mindy! I also cut the amount of detergent I use in the washer. I do use liquid, but it is so highly concentrated that I only use a half cupful of detergent. I use the same half cap of fabric softener and top up the cap with water for the softener. I stopped using dryer sheets. They aren't necessary when using fabric softner. I do this for the laundry because of the cost savings, but also helps us be gentler with our septic tank by having less chemicals going down there. Also, I have purchased microfiber clothes that I use in place of paper towels. We still have paper towels, but not using them nearly as much these days. I have also rinsed and reused zip lock baggies from clean items such as bags that stored bread or just bags of frozen veggies. I do toss baggies that stored meat. I do the Worsterchire sauce with ground turkey also! And I've started making meatballs making a mix of 50% ground turkey and 50% lean ground beef. This way I can stretch the ground beef between 2 meals. This works well for Taco meat also!
Also, for coffee savings. I've found that I can reuse the grounds from one coffee pot and add 1 tablesponn of fresh grounds and still have a pretty decent cup of coffee.
My husband does this. We use a French press and I get the first press hot in the morning, he uses the second press to refrigerate and make iced coffee with.
@@Sarah.E.Johnson I am going to give this a shot. I love both hot and cold coffees. And savings is a plus if it still tastes good.
I have some kcups and then a reusable kcup. When I make coffee I run it twice. Once at 10 oz and then a 6 oz comes out great not watery
@@leslieb4553 wow I had thought about trying that but figured the 2nd may mot be good. I will try this!
Great tips!
I like the idea of switching to a more flavourful cheese.
And my paper towels are used on bacon grease and cleaning up cat puke. Lol. One pack lasts me all year as well.
A tip for dried beans you soak them overnight and then cook them srovetop for about 90 mins or less depending on the bean. I'd imagine it'll be real quick in the instant pot. Btw I love what you do
I have a small Mr. Coffee too. I think it makes 4-6 cups. I bought a bunch of handkerchiefs instead of disposable Kleenexes. I went to Amazon and ordered 40 mens white handkerchiefs. Get mens, they cost less and are better quality. They sell them in packs of 10. I keep some in my purse, some at my desk, and one in bed at night. I also have 40 or so bar mop towels. They can replace paper towels a lot of the time. They come in packs of 12 from Amazon, so I just ordered a bunch to last me all week. I do laundry on Mondays. My dad takes me to the laundromat. Somebody highly recommended bar mop towels, and I can see why.
We drink a lot of smoothies in the warmer months so I visit the u pick strawberry and blueberry farms and freeze in smoothies portion sizes. Same with peaches….I try to purchase blemishes peaches at the peach stands. They are almost half price but you do have to take the time to peel and freeze. So much cheaper than frozen fruit plus I have a stash for muffins and fruit cobbler all year round. If I have celery, carrots or onions that are past fresh use I dice small, freeze in one cup portion and use when making soup. I also do the same for just about any veggie…..was cut into pit size pieces and freeze. I generally use within a month so don’t blanch first. I put the veg in a gallon size freezer bag. When the bag is full it’s time for veggie soup. We eat a lot of homemade soup all year which is also a very economical meal. Your suggestions are very helpful, thanks!
Pork shoulder is great! My husband's dad was a pork farmer up until this year. We took our last hog to the local butcher about a month ago, and I am lamenting our access to inexpensive meat. Ny husband does hunt, but that doesn't always mean he'll get anything. 😂 We do live pretty rural and know enough farmers to get some kind of local meat.
Great tips. I eat lunch with an elderly couple 2x month & enjoy some of the best no meat meals. I share lentils (plus mixed dry beans), root cellar veggies & fresh herbs. Great food & conversation.
The best cloth napkins we have found are the cheap washcloths at Walmart. They are a great size to not take up too much laundry space and the Terry cloth fabric works well to clean up especially for kids.
100% agree. 18 pack!
Oh, and speaking of the K cups... you can buy a reusable insert for those coffee pots and use regular coffee 👍🏻
Yes, so true! Though I'll admit, I never could get those to work well for me and make coffee that tasted good and was the desired strength. But that was years ago, and I bet they have improved!
My boyfriend and I just bought a reusable cup! I calculated it and we were paying around .34 a cup versus the coffee being .09 a cup. I knew it would be cheaper but I was completely shocked!
Hot coffee, morning and afternoon year round. Gotta have my coffee.
COFFEE!!! Making my own has saved us sooo much money! I drink it hot from November to March. When the time change happens, I switch. I drink it cold from March to November. I make ice cubes with coffee, then add it to coffee that I refrigerate overnight. Those coffee ice cubes keep my coffee cold and the coffee doesn't taste watery. Also, I make it known to my students that if they ever wish to give me a gift, a Starbucks gift card is the way to go. Whenever I do get them, I save them until I have enough to purchase a bag or two of whole beans... yum!😀
My nutritionist actually recommended frozen or canned fruits/vegetables. She said that people will buy a lot of fresh, and then it just goes bad. So, the nutritionist said to pick one fresh item and get the rest canned or frozen. She didn't say anything about salt. I like frozen green beans that are seasoned.
Thank you so much 🌻 I love these tips and I'm kinda surprised to find that I already do a lot of the things you shared 😊I'm excited to try the Tide powder hacks because I love Tide and sadly it's one of the items I've had to give up. I love graham crackers! These were a big treat when I was a kid. Peanut butter and banana slices on them! I hope you have a wonderful day 🌻
Great tips! I have a huge stock of canned veggies, but I also have a small chest freezer dedicated to frozen veggies, fruits, breads, etc. I bought baskets at Dollar Tree to organize the same type of items together. I can glance in and see what we need, rather than waste $ on something we don’t. My mom would make “cookies” by spreading cake icing, peanut butter or marshmallow cream between two graham crackers. We loved it!
We started using a lot more frozen broccoli. We just sauté it up in a cast iron and it still comes out very good and flavorful. Not super soggy like it tends to be when you steam it.
about powder tide! i start the washer, put the powder in, THEN put the clothes in. This helps it dissolve in water before it comes in contact with clothing.
Yes, I buy frozen veg as well as fresh, love my veggies and it is handy having some frozen foods for convenience!
I absolutely love to make lentil tacos. I put out a bowl of each, beef taco meat, and lentil taco filling, and its just as good. I use dried brown lentil and make it in my instant pot. So good. And the kids love it!
Something my High School Economics teacher told us way back in 1998 is...The only difference between brand name canned green beans and generic, is the brand name ones will have more center cuts of the bean, and generic will have more end pieces.
I always heard it was the same co usually under a different name. But if you think about it, that genius. No food wasted.
Hot coffee, ground. Sometimes iced with Italian Sweet Cream. Yum
for coffee, I recommend a french press!! it does cold brew, a sort of espresso substitute if you make it extra strong, or regular coffee! you can get a cheap one (I think $12 at walmart?) and use any regular ground coffee, and then you don’t have to pay for filters or anything
And the coffee tastes so much better too.
love the idea about boxed milk for baking. I started using powdered buttermilk. Just mix with the dry ingredients before adding liquids.
Only hot coffee and only a few times a year. Caffeine doesn’t agree with me anymore.
Your videos have helped so much over the past few years! Before March ‘20, I had no idea how our family of five would survive on one income. I left my job teaching in order to stay home with my children. Fast forward to the present, and we’re not only surviving, we’re thriving! So many of your ideas are implemented. Thank you for all you do, Mindy. You truly make a positive impact in our home.
My middle child will only eat fresh veggies. He doesn’t like the texture of cooked, so frozen vegetables are out. Any suggestions from the community?
Maybe a small garden under the window if no space then some boxes could be made for planting the veggies
I don't use or buy dryer sheets anymore I bought those wool dryer balls and they work great and also cut the dryer time in half!!
Same here! Love the wool dryer balls for the reasons you mentioned! Also, no residue left on clothes! I can wipe my glasses clean with my tshirt now- no filmy smeared mess.
@@truthseeker6370 awesome!! And yes no chemicals either!!
And the kids can use it as a toy between loads :) keeps them entertained at least while folding laundry
@@jmljasmine yep ive done that it works too lol😊
@@jmljasmine yep ive done that it works too lol😊
We add aminos and let cook a bit,then add brewed coffee,with your favorite seasonings for ground turkey taste.
I love to watch videos on cuisines from around the world you always find the dish that's a favourite but budget conscious too. Australia is very high for groceries but I've managed to get my bill down to $200 a week
Thanks for sharing! I get 90% of my produce either on sale or marked down at my Kroger affiliate store often over 50% off. I have a freezer full of meat but I still pick up burger when I see is marked down to $2/lbs at Kroger.
Love the tip about dissolving the powdered tide in the bowl! Our newer washer will not even turn on let alone dispense water until the lid is shut and locked 😒
Have you tried diluting it with even more water, putting it in first, and then the clothes? I wonder what safety incident happened enough times that they took away the ability to open the washer
my favorite tips are using what you have and choosing your brand loyalty wisely. generics are the best for basic ingredients such as staple meats and specifically baking/cooking ingredients (spices/flour/sugar/milk/etc)
I do a lot of this too. Found on Pinterest using paper towels & mason jars to keep fruit fresher longer-I also wash in vinegar/water mix beforehand also. Works well most of the time. I just did cheap & easy dinner this week. Yesterday was subs,today I’m not sure it’s my sons dads birthday and if he’s going out with friends then my son & I will have a whatever day,if he’s home we’ll order out. Tomorrow is chicken salad sandwiches and leftover chips from yesterday,Thursday is chicken fajitas. I don’t cook weekends since my sons at his grandparents and I work.
I wish I wasn’t squeamish and could use chicken other than the breast but even that’s tough for me.
I agree with the baggies as well,I only use them for juicy fruits in my sons lunches in case the container leaks,but I’ll use the same one the whole week if it hasn’t leaked. I use washable bags for his sandwiches & such. Also bowl covers instead of plastic wrap or aluminum.