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Should Cats Drink Milk?

The image of a cat lapping at a bowl of milk is a pretty common one… but is milk really a healthy drink for your feline friend? The Cat Fancier’s Association suggests that while many cats like the taste of milk, they typically don’t need it as part of their daily diet. A well-nourished cat shouldn’t need to drink milk, but he might like to once in a while. Too much milk too often could cause digestive issues, like diarrhea. In fact, many cats may even be lactose intolerant — this means that they can’t digest the sugars (lactose) in … Continue reading →

Potlucks for Frugality

Here is a great little idea to reduce the cost of feeding your family. I write frequently about eating out. This is because most people eat out more often then they should in regard to their budget. I am no different. I grew up in new York City, home of some of the best restaurants and even fast food places in the country. I also like the social aspect of eating out. You can get together with family and friends, spend time together and try something different. So back to my idea. Instead of eating out, why not schedule several … Continue reading →

Five Tips for Great Slow Cooker Meals

Using your slow cooker or crockpot is a great money saving idea. You can use inexpensive ingredients and have dinner ready with ease, avoiding the cost of eating out. I often get a lot of questions about using slow cookers, especially from people who find that their meals are dried out, tasteless, over or under seasoned or a strange texture. But most of the time, this can be corrected easily by following some basic guidelines or tips to freezer cooking. Here are five tips for great slow cooker meals. Be careful about opening the lid. While some recipes do benefit … Continue reading →

TVP and The Frugal Cook

Have your heard about TVP? It is an easy way to get the protein you need while increasing the number of meatless meals you make. TVP is a cheap, yet healthy, alternative to ground meat, and can be used in most of your regular recipes. TVP is textured vegetable protein. It contains a lot of fiber, and of course, protein, so it would make a great addition to anyone’s diet. It is also very economical. An entire meat loaf can be made out of TVP for very little money. TVP is made out of soy flour, and it comes in … Continue reading →

Frugal Breakfast Recipe Choices

I’m sitting here, enjoying the daylight savings time and contemplating what to make my family for breakfast today. Making breakfast from scratch is a good way to save money. Cold cereal, while we do love it, can get pretty expensive. And we also have a tendency to overeat it, since it isn’t very filling. Pancakes are great, but sometimes we want something different. Of our frugal breakfast choices, here are items on the menu. These are breakfast foods that I have made so many time that I can probably make them in my sleep. Scrambled eggs and cheese Eggs are … Continue reading →

Inexpensive Options for Snacking Out

Even though we try to eat at home most of the time to save money, the reality is that we have kids. And, even though we can feed them before the house, the reality is that there are often frequent “snack attacks” when the kids get hungry. I try to prepare for this fact by keeping a cooler by the door that is filled with water, granola bars, crackers, fruit, etc. that can be grabbed when we leave the house. Inevitably, though, we sometimes get caught with being away from home without snacks. With three hungry kids, as well as … Continue reading →

How to Have Healthy but Cheap Food

Many people on tight budgets forego healthy food because they think it is expensive. While some organic choices and produce can cost more than some processed foods, the truth is that there are many good ways to eat healthy but cheaply. Substitutes Instead of buying inexpensive white bread (it is cheaper than whole grain) learn how to make your own wheat bread. A bread maker can be picked up at Target or even a thrift store. Just add the ingredients and let the machine do the work. Hot dogs are cheap, but they are loaded with nitrates, preservatives, fats and … Continue reading →

Reducing the Butter Recipes

We do a lot of baking in this house, from muffins to quick breads, to supplement our regular meals. I especially like to make muffins, because they can be used for a quick breakfast or a snack, and they freeze well. Recently, though, I have been trying to get by with less butter. It is getting very expensive here, and I haven’t found many good sales lately. If we continue to purchase butter as we normally would, our grocery bill would expand out of our budget. As a result, I’ve had to change my baking schedule a little bit, to … Continue reading →

Use Less in Emergency Baking

Baking is a science, right? Well, yes, it is. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t mess with the formula every now and then and still get great results. You can use these ideas whether you have run low on your ingredients but still need to provide a meal or food for your family. That is why I call it emergency baking. You can also use these ideas to save money on your groceries in general. I’m not talking about substitutes, either. In emergency baking, you use less of whatever is normally required for your baked goods. This post is inspired … Continue reading →

Frugal Pancakes

Mmm who does like pancakes on a Sunday morning? The good news is that pancakes can be a very frugal meal. Here are some ways to enjoy your pancakes, frugally. The best way to frugal pancakes is to make them yourself from scratch. It really isn’t very hard to do and only requires a couple of extra ingredients versus the store bought pancake mixes. It is just a matter of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. You can even buy dry buttermilk powder in the grocery store in the same place where powdered milk is sold (generally in … Continue reading →