Search Results for: blog frugal kitchen tips

Snowing in Spring…Adjusting Our Frugal Plans

It is a few days past the official start of spring, and I am looking at a wintry wonderland just outside my window. The salt trucks and plows have been by, but they have to be diligent. Already the driveway and roads are covered with white. Despite about three inches of snow on the ground already and more to come, schools are not closed today. There is no excessive wind, and we are used to snow. The weather has been wrecking some havoc with our spring frugal plans. We can’t get started on our garden, and may lose out on … Continue reading →

Food Safety Tips Around the Kitchen

Do you know what the “germiest” item in your kitchen is? If you said your sponge, you would actually be wrong, although sponges (and dishrags) should be cleaned on a daily basis to ensure that they are not harboring bacteria. It might surprise you to know that the biggest germ spreader in your kitchen is actually your can opener! This is because it comes in contact with both food and the outside of the cans themselves, and it is usually infrequently washed. Leftovers, especially meat, should be throughly reheated before eating, especially if they have been in the refrigerator more … Continue reading →

Frugal Dry Skin Soothers

One of the real downsides to winter is dry, chapped and cracked skin. Those little spots in your hands that get so dry that they actually bleed. Ouch. There are plenty of expensive creams out on the market that promise to solve the problem, but using them can create another one–a hit to your budget. Here are my best dry skin tips that won’t cost you a fortune. Humidity Needed Try putting some humidity back into the air. Growing up, we would place a pot on the heater, but that doesn’t work too well with baseboard heat. Instead, I simmer … Continue reading →

Frugal Tips for Surviving Snowstorms

Fortunately (or unfortunately)for me, I no longer live in blizzard central where I grew up and spent the first decade of my adult life. Still, the news of blizzards in the northeast has me feeling a bit nostalgic. It also has me thinking of all of the frugal things that my parents did during snow storms and blizzards to keep us kids warm, happy, and fed. Hang blankets for extra warmth: Growing up, our homes were fueled with oil. During snowstorms, the temperatures would drop causing us to run out of oil quicker. To slow down the consumption of heating … Continue reading →

Frugal Fun Resolutions for the New Year

Being frugal can be fun, just as long as you keep some fun in your life. Sure there is joy in the fun of finding the best deal and feeling like you are stealing, but being frugal day after day, can be a downer if you shut the joy out of your life in your pursuit of frugality. With that said, here are my frugal resolutions for 2010. Frugal fun resolutions #1: Find free community activities to do and do them at least once a month. There are movies in the park. There are free museum days. There are local … Continue reading →

Frugal Food Resolutions for the New Year

As the new year approaches, it is time to evaluate how successful I have been in following all of my own frugal convictions. When it comes to the kitchen, I must admit to a few non frugal errors. I have neglected to prepare meals on time. By not having meals on the table when the family gets hungry, I have invited the opportunity for the less patient members of my family to order a pizza or perhaps Chinese. I cant’ tell you how many times I have pulled myself away from my writing to prepare dinner only to be told … Continue reading →

Frugal Home Decor

As the weather gets warmer and you start planning for guests and parties, you may be wondering if your home needs a quick update. Without spending much money (or even any in some cases), you can update your home and give it a new look. Here is how. Raid the whole house Shop in your own home first. You might find some things that would go better in a different room, or create an impact if they were arranged near each other. This is the first step that many decorators do. The look around for what the client may already … Continue reading →

So, What is a Frugalista?

While discussing frugality with fellow frugal blogger, Mary Ann Romans, I learned a brand new word. “Frugalista”. Apparently my style of frugality has a name. As I previously mentioned, in my blog ‘A different type of frugal blogger’ , my goal in life is to get things my family (especially my husband) needs, and sometime wants for as little money as possible. So, what is a frugalista? The urban dictionary defines a frugalista as “A thrift shopper who will stop at nothing to get a bargain; including trampling store employees to death. The term is a combination of “frugal” and … Continue reading →

Great Home Tips

I’m always searching for great tips that I can use around the house. Sometimes the simplest solution is the most ingenious. When faced with a common problem, little household tips can come to the rescue. Here are some ideas that I have been thinking about or practicing lately. I keep a spray bottle with a half vinegar and half water mix under the bathroom sink, along with some soft rags. The spray bottle and rags make it easy to clean up the shower doors, the sink and anywhere in the bathroom in just a few minutes. Plus I know that … Continue reading →

Tips in the Kitchen 3

Don’t you just love it when you find a tip that makes your time in the kitchen so much better? I’ve been sharing some of my best kitchen-related tips and strategies. While melting chocolate in a microwave can be more convenient than using a double boiler, it can quickly become a disaster. Chocolate burns easily. To help reduce the chances of this happening to your chocolate, use a clear glass bowl that will allow you to see the progress of the chocolate in the microwave. Heat it in 30-second intervals, and always stir it between heating times. Sometimes what looks … Continue reading →