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

Average Retail Milk Prices for September 2008

Milk prices have increase greatly since the first time I started keeping track of the milk pricing report that lists retail milk prices across the country. I remember watching the milk prices creep up a few cents here and there, with the average price somewhere around $2.31 a gallon for whole milk. Today things are a little different. The simple average of milk prices for a gallon of whole milk across the country is $3.82. And many cities find milk prices well over $4. That simple average has held up since the begining of the year, so while some cities … Continue reading

New Milk Containers Save Money

Saving money on milk has been a mission of mine. With three kids aged seven and younger and a personal need to keep up my calcium, milk is a steady purchase in our home. As mentioned in previous blogs, I do what I can to save money on milk, from baking with powdered milk to finding the best prices of hormone-free milk. But still, I have witnessed the steady climb of milk from $2.30 a gallon to $4.00 a gallon in a very short time. And, there doesn’t seem an end to the price inflation anytime soon. Fortunately, someone has … Continue reading

A New Way to Save Money on Milk

Milk may do a body good (if you believe those old commercials), but it does a wallet bad these days. Organic milk it especially high in price. We just paid $7 for a gallon of Horizon Organic skim milk in the store. Regular store brand milk was priced at $4. Since we go through about 2 and a half gallons of milk here per week, that equals $70 worth of organic milk in a month, or $40 for non organic milk. I remember the days when I could get a whole month’s worth of groceries for less than that. Whew! … Continue reading

Milk Prices Still Creeping Up

It looks like we are still paying more for milk each month that goes by. September saw milk prices creep up a few more cents. While milk is still not averaging the $5 a gallon that some analysts predicted for September, prices are still reaching $4 a gallon and beyond in most states. Some of the reasons for the continuous rise in milk prices include rising fuel prices, a drought, a spike in the cost of feed and in dairy operations. Production slowing in the United States thanks to an International boom in milk product are also said to contribute … Continue reading

Storing Staples: Milk

Storing staples, such as flour, eggs, milk, bread and other common grocery items, is a smart thing to do, whether your goal is to be frugal or to be prepared. Knowing the proper storage methods will help keep your items safe and ready to use. This is especially true for a perishable item, such as milk. Read on to learn about the ways to keep milk for long-term storage. There are all kinds of milk: cow milk, raw milk, goat’s milk, soy milk and even breast milk. But for this article, I am going to stick to the basics of … Continue reading

Storing Staples: Eggs

Do you buy in bulk and stock up on sales to get the best prices and save money? Knowing how to properly store your stuff will keep it from spoiling, and that is very frugal. With our move, I am low on the basics and must begin stockpiling again. Staples are important to have on hand; those items such as flour, eggs, bread, milk, etc. In an earlier article, Storing Staples: Flour, I covered the ways to store your flour to keep it safe and bug free, and to keep it from spoiling (yes flour does have a limited shelf … Continue reading

Storing Staples: Flour

Buying in bulk and stocking up during sales is a great way to be frugal. But, if those items spoil or otherwise go to waste, you will wind up losing money instead of saving it. Proper storage is essential when you are talking about staple items. Staple items include things such as flour, bread, milk, eggs, butter and anything basic that you usually have to have on hand. A great additional advantage to storing staples is that you will always be prepared in case of emergencies. For the first bunch of tips for storing staples, let’s start with flour. Here … Continue reading

How Long Will Your Food Last

Storing food and stockpiling is a great idea for being prepared. One issue that can arise is how long is it before food expires? How long do canned goods last, and how long can you store your staples? I came across this dilemma just two days ago when I went through my pantry to rotate some food, having a plan to use up some older items in meals in order to add some new ones and keep everything fresh. I came across ajar of salsa. It contained no expiration date to guide me, and I hadn’t marked one on the … Continue reading

Basic Pantry List

Here is a list of the basic staple food items that you should have in your pantry. With these basics, you can create thousands of dishes, many at just a moment’s notice. By stocking staples, you can save money and ensure that you can create those quick nutritious meals. Because I like to be organized in the kitchen, and because so many of you have requested a pantry list, I decided to put one together this morning. This list is based on the minimum basics that I like to keep on hand. Don’t be afraid to add your own favorites … Continue reading