So, this may sound a bit oddball, but I learned this camping when I was young -- camp toast.
When I make an egg for myself or a family member, I use the remaining fat in the pan from cooking the egg (bacon grease, butter-oil mixture or ham fat) to toast bread and "butter" my toast. I drop a slice of bread into the hot pan and push it around the pan to catch all of the remaining fat. The pan and the stove top still have residual heat, so it even uses less energy to toast my bread this way, although I'll leave the stove on for a minute or two longer to continue the heat high enough to toast bread. When the toast is done, it's already "buttered" and just needs a bit of jam. The bonus is I use far less dish soap to then clean the pan.
Save butter, save energy, save dish soap.
What small frugal thing do you do that may not be something "normies" do?
That's so smart!
ReplyDeleteI squeegee the shower walls every time after I take a shower. I do not enjoy this, but it means I only have to scrub the shower walls once or twice a year. I use a squeegee from the dollar store.
We squeegee the shower every time, too. It definitely makes a difference.
DeleteHi Tina,
DeleteMy husband is really good at using the squeegee in the shower. I'm not as good at that one. Good for you! A real treat to not need to clean the shower as often. Hmmm, maybe I should just make myself do that one. Thanks for the inspiration!
I try to assess the fridge regularly, to see what we need to use up before it goes bad.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good one, Live and Learn. It only takes a few minutes to look through the fridge. Then while doing other things you can think up ways to use up what's there. Good job! I did a mini version of that at lunch and got us to use up a bunch of leftovers. But I do need to look over all the contents soon.
DeleteI've never heard of your buttered toast technique. What a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI tend to think everyone else knows the same tricks that I do to save money, so I have a hard time answering this. However, I'll take a stab at it. My husband and I are leaving on a trip tomorrow (visiting my son, then heading to the upper peninsula) and are staying in a hotel. I have been prepping some easy meals for us to reheat and eat, and yesterday I decanted lots of condiments into small containers so we can stick them in our mini-fridge. I don't think this is groundbreaking to do, but maybe some of us are more willing to do tedious tasks like that to make life simpler AND save money at a later time?
Hi Kris,
DeleteThat's a really great idea to bring some condiments as well as some prepped meals to reheat and eat. You'll save a lot of money over eating out, but also you'll be eating familiar foods that you have taken the time to prepare in ways you enjoy best. Have a wonderful trip. It sounds like it will be a lovely time, seeing you son then exploring the UP.
I like to keep a container in the freezer for little dibs of leftover vegs. Not enough for a serving but don't want to waste. It may contain many different types of vegetables. When full, I have most of what I need for vegetable soup out of dibs...just add broth and meat if desired. I also have done cookies this way and have topping for crumbles.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
DeleteSuch a great idea! The cookie one too! Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to give this a try.
When I cut up t shirts into rags, I cut up the little extra pieces that don't make a full rag into very little pieces and use to replace stuffing in stuffed animals and pillows.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy,
DeleteHow clever! There are always those small portions of a t-shirt or other clothing item that isn't shaped or sized right to use as a rag. This sounds like such a great way to use those bits. Thanks for sharing.
Love all the frugal advices here. I also love to cut up old clothes into rags. I keep the smallest odd shaped pieces in a bag and use it in place of paper towels as disposable clean up rags, great for cleaning bird cage poop.
DeleteLaura
I make a smoothie as my afternoon snack several days a week. It's a great way to get in lots of veggies and fruit while retaining the fiber, and I add a scoop of protein powder and frozen avocado chunks for fat and protein as well. Anyway, after pouring it, I add water and blend it, then go outside and water a plant with this. I figure it's a bit of no-cost fertilization.
ReplyDeleteI love that, Cat! Nothing wasted, and the plant benefits. Thanks for sharing.
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