Deal With It, Simply!

How can we stretch our grocery budget with everything on the rise? Here are a few to help.

• At least one meatless meal a week, Meatless Monday is an easy way to remember. My husband is a meat and potato kind of guy and he didn’t think he would like this idea….Now he is used to it!
• Cook at home and use or recreate your leftovers.
• Shop your cupboards and try to use what you have. I am always surprised what I find when I look in the cupboard and freezer.  Take an inventory you may be surprised.
• Just because you have a coupon for an item doesn’t mean it is the best deal. You will find if you take the time you will get the best deal.
• Use store loyalty cards if your store offers them. (Kroger’s is a good one)
• Make those Friday Night pizzas at home and save $10-$25
• When you would like to make an extra purchase ask yourself one question. Do I need it or do I want it? I would say most of the time I leave with the extra purchase.
• Use less of your products and make it last longer.
• Bartering- Swapping resources is a way to stay in control when money is tight.
• If you have a garden this will help your budget in the warm summer months. Plant things you like and when your produce is ready freeze or can.
• Plan your meals for a few reasons

1.      You are less likely to eat out if you have your meal planned.

2.      You have all the ingredients you need.

3.      If you plan for a month you are more likely to find a sale.

I would love to hear how you are stretching your grocery budget. Have a great day, Candy

Buckle your seat belts gas is on the rise!

1. Park in the first parking spot you see. The walk will do you good and you won’t waste as much gas driving around.
2. Take off slowly from a full stop. They call this jack rabbit starts. Will have dramatic effects on your gas mileage; move slowly, will help save you money at the pump.
3. Watch for gas trucks at the station- When there is new gas being pumped in this mixes up the sediment at the bottom and is very hard on your car and tank.
4. Don’t park close to the door of a store or you may be wasting gas idling and waiting for customer to pass before you can back up.
5. Slow down and at constant speed. Braking, speeding up and slowing down waste gas. Use your cruise control!
6. Keep all tires inflated to the pressure as recommended for your car. Learn to change a tire!
7. Combine errands and plan your route.
8. Walk between stops. Park in between locations and walk.
9. An idling car gets 0 miles to a gallon. If it is extremely cold we warm our car up for 10 or 15 minutes before we drive off. This will help the engine by not to run thick oil through it.
10. Use the lowest recommended octane for your car. Check your owner’s manual for recommended octane. Higher octane is more expensive and the wrong octane could damage your car.–Our work vehicle can use E85 which is cheaper but the mileage wasn’t as well. **
11. Some stations offer membership rewards. Look for deals
12. Look ahead to see the oncoming lights. Coast why be in a rush to stop.
13. Check your oil and get a tune up. This will extend the life of you engine.
14. Keep your car washed and cleaned. This will help in the resale of it.
15. Don’t speed this will save on gas and on tickets.
16. Typically gas is cheaper in the middle of the week.
17. Buy your gas from a busy station and get fresher gas and this is also better for your car.
18. Gas stations around exit ramps seem to have higher gas prices.
19. Tighten the gas cap and avoid fumes from releasing. I have had the check engine light come on because I didn’t have the cap on tight…..this may save on a mechanic call too!
20. Pull all the way through a parking spot, so you don’t have to back up and save money.
21. Hypermiling is where you are always looking ahead to not have to stop completely (be aware of your surrounding so you don’t have to make a lot of stop and starts). This saves gas.
22. Avoid luggage or trunk racks and you’ll get better gas mileage.
23. If you rest your hand on the gear shift, results in unnecessary wear on your transmission which could cost you money.
24. Right turns on red save gas because you aren’t idling.
25. Put you name and phone number on the inside of your hub caps and save money and time looking for them. Chances are someone will call you.
26. Lighter cars get better gas mileage. Empty that trunk out!
27. Fill up early in the morning, gas expands in the heat of the day and you’ll get less for your money.
28. Call ahead before you make an unfruitful trip and save gas.
29. Don’t top off your gas tank this when the pump stops you stop that extra gasoline will either be sucked into the vapor recovery tube or overflow. Either way you will end up paying for gas that you don’t get.
30. Car pool when you can.

If you have any to add I would love to hear. Have a blessed day, Candy

Use your leftovers- a money saver right under your nose!

Even the Bible talks about leftovers “when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” John 6:12

I don’t know about you, wasting food just seems like wasting money. I feel like a total frugal fraud if I throw away leftovers. Here are a few things that will help so we don’t throw our leftovers away.

1. I used to save all the little containers like cottage cheese and cool whip to save money on little buying leftover containers, but now I use a coupon when I need leftover containers. Why because the leftover containers store-bought are see-through and I am less likely to throw them away because I can see what is in them.
2. when you plan a meal plan for those leftovers. This week we had leftover chicken breast the next day we had wok and used it up. You can do this with any kind of meat.
3. We seem to always have an extra plate of food with our teenagers coming and going. If we do have an extra plate of food it is a great lunch the next day.
4. leftover vegetables go into a leftover container in the freezer. I drain the juice and just add the vegetables and when I make a soup or a pot pie I add the those vegetables.
5. Leftover cereal, crackers or chips you know not enough for a full serving, but you hate to throw it out. Crunch them up and add them to a meatloaf we have add all of them to one meatloaf and it turned out great…..
6. leftover bread- make bread crumbs. You have just have a few pieces or the bag was left open and they are drying out. put them on a cookie sheet and after you have cook dinner and shut the oven off slide the cookie sheet in the over and use the leftover heat to dry them out. Here are directions I have found. I keep our bread crumbs in a jar.

What are some ways you use your leftovers?  I would love to hear. Have a blessed day, Candy