Frugal Me Fridays- What Is It?

I can't believe it is Friday already.
I've been busy canning and freezing and time is just flying by.

I've spent a lot of years learning how to stretch a dollar.
I make everything from scratch.
I make stock from a turkey carcass.

We all have a different idea of frugality.

Some people clip coupons to save money.
I don't use coupons much because I don't use what I can find coupons for.

I would like to know what is frugal for you
or do you have any questions on how to be frugal with something.

Leave me a comment or send me an email.
My email is greatcookrep@live.com.

Have a great Friday!

Frugal Me Fridays- Freezing Fruit

If you find yourself with an abundance of fruit, freeze it for later.

Sometimes there are discounted or free bananas because they are over-ripe.
Grab them!

If you are given fruit, take it.

Fruit is so simple to freeze.

Peel and cut if needed.
Or just wash.
Freeze.

If you want to make sure the pieces don't stick together, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for a couple hours.
Take out of the freezer and put into containers or freezer bags.

Bananas are super simple.
You can freeze them for a frozen treat or for baking.

For treats, you will want to peel and either leave whole or mash.
My daughter likes them left whole, but you can mash them until smooth and than scoop out like ice cream.
If you are planning to bake with them, you can peel and mash or you can just stick the whole banana in the freezer.

My mom peels and mashes. She measures and than freezes.

I just stick the unpeeled banana in a bag and into the freezer it goes.
To use, thaw out and snip off one end of the banana and squish out the banana.
What I like about doing it this way, is that the mashing is virtually unnecessary.

I have heard frozen grapes are good treats too.
I have not tried it, but it's an idea worth trying.

Frugal Me Fridays- Preserving

Preserving comes in many forms.

You can can.
You can pickle.
You can freeze.
You can make jams, jellies, preserves, or butters.
You can dry.

It's always great if you have your own garden or fruit trees, but you can save money preserving by getting stuff from friends, farmer's markets, or even the plain old grocery store.

One year, before I started growing my own pumpkins. I bought one at the store.
I cooked it up and pureed it and froze it.
You get the seeds as a bonus.
You can roast the seeds as a snack, bake with them, or just dry them and save to plant later on.

Frozen fruit can be used for making jam.
Buy some when it's on sale.
Tastes better and you'll save over buying it already made.

You can make jelly with bottled juice.
It works great.
Just buy some sugar, some juice, and pectin.
You are good to go.

You can dry your own herbs with a dehydrator or by letting them air dry.

So, if you ever find yourself a really good deal or have too much...
remember, there is always a way to save it for later.

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Have a great Friday!

Frugal Me Fridays- The Food Dehydrator Investment

I love my food dehydrator. It isn't something I use every day, but it has paid for itself in many ways.

A dehydrator will cost anywhere from $50 for a simple one to well over $150 for a big box dehydrator.
For my needs, I went simple.
I can buy more trays, should I ever need them.

If you plan to dry herbs, make sure you get a digital thermometer instead of one with a dial.
The digital is a bit higher priced, but it is more accurate.
With herbs, just a little too high of temperature and they will get ruined.

Today, I am planning to make some zucchini chips using the dehydrator.
I will have to let you know the results.

The dehydrator can save you a lot of money and you will end up with something a lot more nutritious.
Both are big wins and totally worth it.

Grow your own herbs and dry them.

Get bananas when they are marked down or free and make banana chips. They taste so much better. If you look at banana chips from the store, you see oil in the ingredient list. Because, they have been fried too.

You can dry all kinds of fruits or puree the fruit and make fruit leather-also known as fruit by the foot.

You can make your own meat jerky.

Try vegetable chips in it instead of frying or baking if you are into raw foods.
I have read about lots of foods done this way, but not white potatoes. I am not sure about that.
But I have read about using kale, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. You could do garlic and onions also.
Pretty much what you want to try.

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My husband is finally settling into his new job. It has been quite a change. After 7 years of works overnights, he is now on days. Rearranging my schedule has been something too. He will also have normal weekends so that will be nice. I have not had a day during the school year when I got to just sleep in.
When Kiddo was off on the weekends, he was coming in from work and I'd wake up.
His new job is a pay cut, but closer to home.

Have a great Friday everyone!

Frugal Me Fridays- Popcorn for Snack Time

Who says snacks have to be out when you have a food budget? You can just snack frugally!

Everyone loves popcorn!
But, those microwave 3 packs can get pricey.

To save, you can buy them in bulk at Costco or Sam's Club.
A better choice is regular popcorn.

You can get a pound of it for $1 or maybe a little more.
It makes LOTS!

You can make it on the stove, invest in an air popper, a microwave popper, or even put some popcorn and a little oil in a paper bag and do microwave popcorn your way.

It really takes mo more time popping regular corn than it does the microwave variety.

Make your own caramel corn for a treat!

Popcorn is low calorie and filling.
Popping your own not only saves you money, it is healthier.
None of those chemicals that come in the bags of microwave popcorn.

And you get to season it just the way you want!

Frugal Me Fridays- More Meat Tips

Eating lean meat is healthier.
It also costs more.

One thing you can do is buy a cut with a higher fat content and cut off the visible fat before cooking.
If it is ground meat, you can drain the meat on paper towels or dump in a strainer.
You can also rinse the meat after cooking.
But, if you do this, be aware some nutrients will be lost as well as any seasoning you may have used.

Cheaper cuts of meat can be a little tougher.
You can make the meat more moist by adding a little water or broth to the pan while you are cooking it.
You can also marinate the meat before cooking.

Adding a little fat to the frying pan before cooking the meat will seal in juices.
Heat the pan, add the oil and make sure it is hot before you add the meat.
If the oil is not hot, it will soak into the meat, instead of searing the outside.

If you can afford to, you can save quite a bit of money by purchasing a quarter, half, or whole cow, pig, sheep, or whatever you want.
It is a big expense up front.
But, when you figure out the cost per pound it is a good investment.

I am sorry I missed last week's Frugal Me Fridays. I was unable to get to my computer.

Frugal Me Fridays- Making Your Own Mixes

Buying mixes of all kinds is very convenient.
But, it really isn't a true money saver.

You can make up your own mixes for just about anything.
You can find them for brownies, cookies, biscuits, cocoa, or spice mixes.

You can find all-purpose cookie mixes and just change up the add-ins when you want to make them.

You can find these recipes online or in cookbooks.

I do have spice mixes-
Cajun Rub
Creole Rub,
Jerk Dry Rub,
Sazon

I do plan to share recipes for more mixes in the future.

It is more fugal to buy the individual ingredients and make mixes and store them for when you want to make them.

Frugal Me Fridays- When Cheaper Isn't Cheaper

A lot of times we got lost in the world of high priced foods.
Trying to get the best deal doesn't almost mean the cheapest deal.

More nutritiously dense foods may cost more at the store, but we eat less.
So, we actually save more.

The healthier the food is, the less we get sick and have to go to the doctor or get medication.
So, we save money that way.

I am not meaning you have to buy organics if you can't afford them.
But, many stores have a nutrition value listed by foods.
Check them out and find out what is a higher value.

A good trick for getting rid of pesticides on conventional produce is to soak it in a solution of two parts water and one part vinegar for 10 minutes.
Rinse off and dry.

Check out farmer's markets.
Many times there are real bargains closer to closing time.
The vendors want to get rid of their produce and will usually mark it down, even if only a little bit.

It all adds up.

Frugal Me Fridays- Cutting the Meat

I am not talking about about cutting meat out of your diet.
Though, having meat free meals once in a while can be tasty AND budget friendly.

There are ways to save some money on meat.

Stew meat costs more than a roast or maybe even steak on sale.
Buy the roast and cut it up.
Use what you need and freeze the rest.
And if you cut the cubes smaller than the stew meat you buy, there actually seems like more meat.
I usually end up with a bigger roast than I need because there are only three of us.
I cut the roast in half and cook that and cube the other half for a meal in the next few days.

Most grocery stores have meat counters and the worker will cut up or slice any meat you want.
If you find a boneless ham at a good price, take it to the meat counter and ask them to slice it and package it how you want.
My sister usually does this and gets so much of it deli-sliced for sandwiches and the rest in thicker pieces.
When a whole pork loin is on sale, get one and have them slice it into roasts or thinner to cook that way or even to make your own tenderloin sandwiches.
Same thing with a beef loin. You can get the most expensive cuts off the loins.

Another way to save on meat is just to use less.
If the recipe calls for a pound of meat, use 3/4 or maybe less if you want.
Especially if the meat is chopped or ground, you really don't even notice.

If your meat is in pound packages, cook it all.
Take out some of the cooked and save for another meal.
Cooked meat freezes well.

These are a few of my meat tips.
Do you have any?

Have a great Day!

Frugal Me Fridays- Should You Buy in Bulk

You can save a lot of money by buying in bulk.
But, you may be wasting money too.

If it is something you can freeze or keeps for long periods of time, bulk is great.
But, if you buy something perishable and you don't use it- than you are wasting money.

Normally the price per ounce is cheaper the more you buy.
Not always.

Sometimes it is cheaper to buy two smaller containers than a large one.

If you want less waste from packaging, you buy one.
But, if your goal is to save money on your budget, you buy two.

Here are a few things you may not think of freezing:

Hard cheeses- buy some freezer containers and divide it into amounts you will use before the cheese gets old and moldy.

Bananas- you can get them cheap or even free when they are overripe. You can peel them and stick in containers and take them out and serve with chocolate for a nice frozen treat. Or, put the unpeeled bananas in a bag and take them out when you want to bake. Let them thaw, cut the end off, ans squish out the fruit. No mashing required.

Milk- Pour a bit out of the jug and stick in freezer. Thaw slowly in fridge overnight before using.

You cooked some meat and have meat leftover. Instead, cook all of it and stick what you don't need in the freezer.

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Have a great Friday!

Frugal Me Fridays

I decided to start giving a few tips on being frugal.
Over the years, I have really learned to stretch a dollar.

Food and frugality doesn't always involve the use of coupons.
That is really what most people seem to think of first.

Really, I don't use a lot of coupons.
It is hard for me to find them for either the brands or types of foods I buy.

One of the biggest money savers is cooking from scratch.
At first, it may seem like it costs more to buy all the individual ingredients.
But, you will have left over ingredients for other meals or baked goods.

If you work full-time, it can be hard.
It is still doable.

Use your crockpot.
Or
Do some of your prep work before work that morning or the night before. Refrigerate if needed.
Or
Set aside a day every few weeks and make meals ahead and stick them in the freezer. Thaw the night before and heat up when you get home.

Every Friday, I plan to give you tips on saving money.
It can be easier than you think.

Happy Friday!