Black Belt Tightwad

[Unkle_John]

From this site (http://www.stretcher.com/stories/07/07dec10a.cfm)

Black Belt Tightwad

I think I am pretty good at frugal living. However, with gas, milk, etc. on the rise and cold weather on the way, I am really struggling to cope. Please think about calling on all the great "black belt" tightwads to send in their greatest money saving tip (just one idea from each). I need to know how the very best frugal folks are dealing with issues today. Many thanks!
Iris in Dallas

Fabulous "Freezer Stew"

Most "black belt" tightwad tips require a willingness to experiment. Here's a tip we've used for years that may sound "gross," but it is really good and works great for the budget. Using this tip, you'll have a delicious "free" meal. Keep a freezer container handy in your freezer. After every meal, put the bits and pieces that are left into it. For instance, add the spoonful of green beans that aren't worth saving, the mouthful of hamburger or chicken no one ate, and the rice that has nothing to go with it tomorrow. Also add all the juice you drain from cans of vegetables (you did pay for it!) and all the juices that foods have been cooked in. Just dump it all into the freezer container; don't worry about what was put in there before. (About the only thing I don't add is fried foods, cheese, fish, or bread.) Just keep it in the freezer until there's enough for your free meal.

At that time, dump it into your slow cooker and let it cook. Sometimes I add a piece of chopped chicken, some beans, barley, rice, or a can of veggies, but usually there is plenty of variety in it already. It usually does not need seasoning either because everything that went into it was already seasoned! We have done this for years. My whole family loves it, and we call it "freezer stew." It's free, it's easy, and it's delicious. Serve it two to four times a month and save a good $10-$20 dollars a month, using good food you were going to throw away.
Babette in CO

Stick to Life's Essentials

Simply put, I just don't buy what I don't need, including soda, candy, cookies, cake, potato chips, etc. This also includes entertainment items. I don't rent my entertainment either. I check out books, tapes, or videos at the library, or I go without.

I have made it a sort of game to see how much I can save by using my head instead of my "wants." In the past few years, I've saved enough money to buy the essentials, like a new furnace, refrigerator, and other appliances to replace the ones that were over 20 years old.
Barbara

Adopt Car-Free Days

Consider car-free days, and keep the car parked. This may mean doing an errand on the way home from work, but a day at home once a week without using gasoline is good for the wallet, sanity, and family life. Because I am choosing to remain home, I am not spending at the mall, and I am cooking soup and a casserole for the next few days when I am at work. The laundry gets done, and we have time to just "be," which restores the spirit.
Joan

Milk Savings

To save on milk, especially if you like whole milk, go to your local Asian grocery store. Look around for a big yellow tin with KLIM in big letters on it. Many stores have large cans of this. This is a Nestle branded powdered whole milk product. It tastes better than the fat-free milk powder that you find in regular grocery stores, and people who come to our house and have some after I've put it in the fridge can't tell the difference!
Julie

Where Can You Cut Back?

Look at your monthly bills like phone(s), cable, Internet, etc. to see what you can cut back or out. We don't live with a cable bill and we don't miss it. I use the library's Internet service and my husband goes online at work. Also, our culture is all about buying and spending. Try to go a month with only spending money on food, gas, utilities, etc. (things that are needs not wants). See if you save a lot of money and space.
Kacy in Kansas

Black Belt Tightwad Life Motto

I, too, consider myself to be a frugal person, but I have learned to adopt the motto "If it isn't free or a necessity, then it is no bargain." I have always shopped sales, but when my kids grew up and left home, I had to be completely honest with myself and realize I simply didn't need to stock up on so much stuff. In America, there is always a sale, but it isn't always a bargain, especially if you don't really need it or you can't pay cash for it. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying everything must be "need based," but when you are strapped for money, things you don't need are luxury items not a necessity. Do an experiment. Is there something you can do without for a month? A week? A day? You will sleep better, even if you don't have tons of toilet paper in the closet.
Mary in WA

Keep the Green in Your Wallet

* First and foremost, check out Angel Food Ministries at www.angelfoodministries.com. There are host sites in your area and the food is beautiful. The program is not need based, and practically eliminates the need for a grocery-shopping list. It is a huge help when times are tight. For $25 to $30, a basic box is said to feed a family of four for a week or a single person for a month. I have been telling everyone I can think of about this program. It may help someone meet a short-term goal like buying Christmas presents, a longer-term goal like paying off debts, or maintain a current lifestyle.

* Line drying clothes can save about $200 a year in electricity costs. Yes, clothes tend to freeze in snowy areas.

* Read the paper at the library or a place of business on break. Get a Sunday paper for coupons. Join a coupon club in your area or coupon train. Some places double or even triple coupons. Walgreens and other drug stores have several items every month free after rebate. Some stores have reduced the prices of items and no longer do rebates.

* Think green. Eliminate paper napkins and paper towels. Cloth ones will last for years. I still have linen tea towels that I embroidered 40 years ago, and linen screened towels that I pick up at thrifts with the original tags still on. "That old stuff" wears like iron.

* Thrift stores and garage sales are your best friends when it comes to keeping green in your wallet.

Lynnea from Ohio

No More Drafty Windows

I lived in Colorado for 13 years and many of my residences had single pane or old windows, which were quite drafty. Even though it didn't look great, the best way to keep the heat in was to cover the windows on the outside with thick plastic (drop cloth thickness) and wood strips. Although you really could not see in or out, it still let light in. This was well worth the investment. I got the wood strips from a woodworker for free. It greatly helped with heating costs.
Marcy

[Unkle_John]

Continued:

Dividing in Half

I have quite a plethora of terrific money saving tips, so choosing just one is difficult. However, you can cut your food budget significantly by dividing things in half.

Carefully consider the ingredients when preparing recipes. By cutting some of the more expensive ingredients in half, you will reduce the cost of the meal. For instance, do you really need a full pound of hamburger meat in that casserole? In most recipes calling for cheese, you can usually decrease the cheese by a third or half. You'll sacrifice the cost and calories but not the taste.

The directions may tell you to add a full cup of sugar to a packet of flavored fruit drink mix, but half a cup (or less) works just fine. Your children certainly don't need all that sugar. Better yet, cut out the fruit drinks and sodas completely, opting instead for water.

When eating out, divide appetizers or desserts with a spouse, child, or friend. If entrees are large, you may want to share that as well. Even if you can't share your entree, ask for a "doggie bag." Immediately put half (or part) of your meal in the container to save for later. This is especially great if you're trying to lose weight.

Before eating that candy bar, cake, or other dessert, cut it in half. You'll save money and calories as well. Cut smaller servings of cake or pie at parties. Just by using smaller plates at a brunch, luncheon, or party, people will naturally eat less. The same is true at mealtime. Use smaller plates, chew slowly, and wait before eating second helpings. You'll eat less and will probably feel satisfied. Again you'll save money and calories.

Avoid wasting food (and money) by serving smaller portions to your children. Over the course of a year, throwing out uneaten food from your children's plates adds up to quite a bit of money. Why buy food simply to toss it in the trash?

Being frugal and saving money takes effort. These are just a few simple ideas to get you started. Combine these ideas with your own and save more money yet!
Rachel

Around-the-World Food Savings

Make at least one day a week vegetarian if you aren't doing that already and make at least one day a week a homemade soup night. Make a big batch. Either freeze some or use for lunches or as part of another evening meal.

To make this really work and be fun, too, try for recipes for both nights (vegetarian and soup) that are representative of other cultures. What do people in other cultures eat when they are not spending much on food? What is basic for Ireland, for Thailand, for Chile?

Your library may have cookbooks or other books that help. This way, it becomes an adventure. Do a little planning and consider Indian one week, German the next, Spanish the week after that. How about Indonesian? Brazilian? Most are based on a starch staple like rice or potatoes or some grain or lentil.

Years ago, I discovered that the cheapest meals I could come up with were what I like to call "Russian Winter" and involved cabbage and potatoes and onions. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables we have. Most of us use rice, but how about barley? Barley is also very overlooked in American cooking and is wonderful in soups and casseroles.

You'll be amazed at how inexpensively you can put together meals this way. You may have to buy some new spices, but you'll more than save the cost when you realize how little dairy you are using.
Rita

Julie and I have been going to this local church to get some great deals on our groceries. Now, first off I haven't had them preach to me or anything don't worry about it if you decide to do this. If they do just tell them you belong to "x church" or "Y ministries".

So anyways, they put out this menu of food they are going to sell & distribute along with 3-6 additional specials (usually all meat). Now you don't have to be poor like us to do this, in fact my parent's are very well off and they are doing it. Another good thing is that if you want to buy for that month and give to a needy family, you can do that. So don't feel shamed on going to a church and getting food. No, it's not free but we got a month's worth of food for like next to nothing. The meals are like $25 and if you want a special it's an additional $18

For a family on a very tight budget, I highly recommend taking advantage of this. The people at our local church who participates in this are very friendly (though here in TX it's borderline creepy for me), but all in all you should put that out of your head. They aren't going to judge you.

Now when you go to the site, click menu (they have an enbeded song on the front page, so don't freak out) and if you want to see the menu for your area you have two choices for your state you live in:

Distribution A: AL, AR, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, MD, MN, MO, MS, NY, SC, WV, NORTH PA (North of Interstate 80)

Distribution B: CA, FL, KY, LA, MI, NC, NJ, NM, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA, SOUTH PA (South of Interstate 80)

Like I said, there is no shame in doing this and if you are needing to get good quality food to help with the grocery bill, this is the place to go. To find the church nearest you, click on "host sites" at the top of the pages. Now I know that they may not do it in your area. That's ok. I have another church locally who is doing this and they are using a different distributor and it looks like you get more food (fruits & veggies), but i don't recall the name at the moment and will have to look for the paper work.

[LIBRA]

my friend La just told me about this, a church near her work is having a meat sale. and they have other stuff too, all you have to do it order it.

I really like that freezer stew idea, I am going to start doing that asap.

Great article I picked up a few great tips, thanks :)

[Unkle_John]

Hey could you see if it's the angelfood ministries or the other one i mentioned?

[lexy]

We do angelfood and I think it's a bargain... The only thing is that we don't usually eat a lot of breaded meat, or we didn't before angelfood. A lot of their chicken comes pre-breaded, which took us some getting used to. I love it that they give bags of beans and rice but I wish they'd offer regular, plain pasta instead of the hamburger helper stuff. I like home-cooking ingredients better than meals-in-a-box.

I've heard about another program that we have locally, but I haven't tried it yet.

We have a CSA that offers organic produce and chicken, but the upfront cost has been a problem for us getting started.

[Unkle_John]

I would love to have a CSA here in our town.

[lynyrdskynyrdgirl]

hey guys it looks as though I have just been named head of the environment comittee at my work . So I was wondering if you all had any ideas of any initiatives that we could do I work in a call center so it is ridiculous the amount of waste. Can you please help me?
:hippie: Peace love and Happiness
Jessica :group_hug

[Unkle_John]

Tell them to quit calling my number. When you waste time calling someone who has caller I.D., and they don't answer, that means you aren't going to get them and you can move one, thus saving resources and money. :D :D :D

[lynyrdskynyrdgirl]

we are not outbound no worries Unkle John
we supply businesses with their debit machines
hahhahahhaha
but thank you

[Unkle_John]

I recieved this via email from my mother in law.

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers: put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass - the fibers catch ones you can't see!

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Easier Thank You's
When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you cards for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mom sends the thank you's, they're all addressed!

Protect Your Child's Bike
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...

Good-bye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," &can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works &you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

Take baby powder to the beach
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

[Unkle_John]

I know I need to update this with more info, and everyone please feel free to add on. I did want to say that the Angel Food Ministries now offers Fruit and Veggie boxes and Allergen Free boxes (Processed to eliminate the eight top serious allergens: Peanuts, Soybeans, Milk, Eggs, Fish, Crustacean, Tree Nuts and Gluten..wheat, rye and barley.)