I have a few questions!!

I tease my hubby about being a cheapskate, but I LOVE to save a dollar or two.

In this weekends daily, dottie and maybe scooby, were cleaning out their kitchen cabinets.......well that inspired me to clean out mine.

I over purchased Christmas baking items. I have 10 pounds of flour, 3 pounds of brown sugar, at least half of a 10 pound bag of white sugar, 3 pounds of shelled walnuts, a opened bag of coconut.........I think that's all.

I hate to see this stuff go to waste, my question is, can it be frozen??? Anyone know??

I used to belong to a Frugal-Moms site, but can't get into it anymore, they now charge to use the site. I tell you, that bunch would know the answer to anything.

If it won't freeze well, I bet I could give the unopened stuff to the local church pantry.

And while we are at it, what's your best frugal tip, low-carb or other wise??

I'm a stocker.......if I find a bargain.....I stock up. I have a big freezer and I make good use of it. When boneless, skinless chicken breasts are on sale I fill the freezer. The best per pound price in my area is $1.67 per pound, but the best price is usually $1.99 a pound.

And buy-one-get-one-free........LOVE THOSE!!!!!

Debbie

gee, debkay, I think I used the white flour this year that was left over from last.....and it did not seem to make a difference. I didn't freeze it or anything.....maybe I should have? It was in a sealed ziploc bag.....I want points for that! Well, the cookies got eaten....yes, some by me and no one got sick! As to brown sugar and white sugar, I don't think you need to freeze them either....but HEY! I am not so smart I would freeze the nuts.....something about frozen nuts amuses me!

well, that's my best shot...pretty pathetic eh?

looking forward to smart women with smart answers!

as opposed to smart *** women with smart *** answers of which I may be !

Loved that frugal mom site and was terribly disappointed that you now have to pay to use it. Not cheap enough for me!

the always helpfull
peach

Well, I'll put in my 2 cents---but not much more!!
I started keeping my white flour in the freezer last somer after some mealy worms made there home in mine---I have 10 lbs in my freezer right now--and I use it as needed!

I'm with you on the stocking up thing--we buy a side of beef every fall and my DH frequneter (is that a word??) of the local warehouse club.


mis

Nuts will freeze just fine. I'd measure them out into 1 cup increments, so you don't waste any if you have a lot.

Flour keeps in the cupboard for up to a year, longer in the freezer. (I don't know how I know that, but I do know it's a fact, I'm full of useless trivia)

I just found a Chef's site online that says you can also freeze sugar. White, Brown and Powdered.

I am the Queen of Bargin Shoppers according to DH. My best buy recently was "Buy One Get 2 Free" on smoked sausages, consequently we have about 10 packs of sausage still in the freezer. I've developed a wonderful recipe for Zuppa Tucana, Low Carb of course. The same store had "BOGTF" on pork rinds. I brought home 6 big bags for $3. We're just now down to the last bag. I've learned to buy groceries once a month, and our grocery bill is now under $200. There's only 2 of us, but I still think that's a decent amount.

Edit: I should say there's only 2 of us full time. DSS doesn't live here, and he's a picky eater. All he wants lately is cheese, pickles and tuna. At least he outgrew the sweet tooth he used to have.

I too have a ton of stuff that I need to get rid of....fatfree muffin mixes, ramen noodles, lots of totally useless empty food..i am giving it to the food bank, it is bagged and ny the door, I freeze nuts, flower and sugar!!!

I always stock up on the boneless, skinless chicken when it is 1.99 a lb or buy one get one free.!!!

And I skip the produce section of the supermarket and go to the fresh market - it is way cheaper!!!!

Whenever I cook a chicken or buy one from the deli, I save the carcass in ziploc bag in the freezer. If I find a bargain on chicken breasts with bone in, I cut away the bone and pop it into the freezer bag. When I have a good supply I make chicken broth. I even save the chicken skin because it really adds flavor. After simmering it with onions, celery and seasonings, I strain it and let it chill so the fat comes to the top. Then I freeze it in containers and ice cube trays. That way I have the size I need for lots of recipes and handy little cubes of broth to add flavor to a lot of dishes.

Please, Please, PLEASE freeze the nuts. They contain lots of natural oils and go rancid really quickly. I'm not kidding, I threw out 3 pounds of pecans because I didn't realize they could rot.

My thrifty-ness always shines at the grocery store. I buy mostly store brand stuff, canned goods, peanut butter, jelly, bread (gasp! I am not the only person in the family, remember) etc. If you save 20 or 30 cents it's no big deal, but on a whole cart full of stuff, it adds up.

Tomorrow I will be bagging this stuff and putting it in the freezer.

Anyone have the grocery store Publix nearby? I know it is mostly in the south, but maybe it is farther north than I think.

Anyhoo...........Folgers coffee, the big can 39oz is on special this week for get this TWO 39oz cans for $5.99!!!! Less than $3.00 for a big can of coffee.

I purchased 4 cans. I now have 7 cans of coffee in my cabinet. I had previously purchased the coffee for $3.99 for one can which is a pretty good deal, but darn, can't beat two cans for $5.99.

Linda I have never made my own stock. I know it isn't hard and I bet it is much better than the canned stuff. Maybe I'll give it a try..........soon

Sherrie I do the store brands also, we have not found anything store brand that we do not like as well as the name brand, except peanut butter. Jiff all the way for my bunch!!

What else does everyone do to save money???

Debbie

Freeze the coffee, Debbie. It stays much fresher, even sealed in a can. I sure wish I could get coffee for that price. Here, we're lucky to get it for $3 a pound and when I do, I stock up.
Another tip. When you get home from the grocery store and you have all those large packages of meat...you know where they put two chickens in one package and two roasts in one and about 14 pork chops in a package. It seems like a nuisance at the time when you're trying to get all your groceries put away, but if you just take a few minutes to break those packages down into quantities you will use without waste and repackage them in DOUBLE ziplock bags, you will not only save on the original purchase but you will help eliminate food waste due to freezer burn and leftovers going mouldy in the back of the fridge. I confess I don't always take the time to do this, much to my regret. With just two of us to cook for, I sometimes don't get meat used by its "best before" date. It keeps much better double wrapped. Also, use your oldest meat first so it doesn't fall to the bottom of the freezer never to be seen again.

Smart chefs always have a stock pot simmering on the stove. Now, it's not really practical in this day of electric and gas ranges to have a pot simmering all day but there's another way to do it. When you trim your carrots and celery and other veggies, don't put those bits and pieces in the garbage disposal. Put the ones in the best condition into a pot and simmer them up. Strain and freeze the resulting liquid. Later, you can add it to your home made soups and stews. The worst bits, of course, go into your compost bin to help enrich your garden soil.

What excellent ideas I'm reading here. Keep it up, Chicks.

I was very frugal in those bad, bad years when my kids were little and I was a single parent. I'm not so bad off now so I have no problem with throwing stuff away. The last couple of months before I quit smoking all together, I used to buy a pack, smoke one and then throw the rest of the pack away. My house is so little, too. That helps me to get rid of stuff that I don't want to use. Not much help, am I? LOL!

You could try www.frugalhomaker.com ~ some stuff is free and some stuff is for sale but they do have a lot of useful information, tips and some recipes.

Another good site is www.organizedhome.com ~ it has great ideas about cleaning, organizing, budget grocery shopping, meal planning and stocking your pantry/freezer etc. etc. They also put up a home organization planner and a great holiday organizer/planner for Christmas that has free printable forms.

Another site I use is www.flylady.net ~ another home organization website but there is an area with recipes and some great crockpot recipes too.


I keep my flour in the freezer-it seems to be okay, as well as coffee.

Well, I buy large quantities on sale, make all my own soup stocks, homemade soup, feed the dogs the scraps, mend clothes, compost stuff, try to sew most of my clothes, drive a smallish car.....turn off lights, etc. I am so frugal I'm a pain in the butt! Harry calls me Frugal Franny!

I buy meat at Costco and use my Foodsaver (one of those thingies that suck out all the air from their special plastic bags - helps to keep food fresher longer) to repackage in dinner servings. I might not be saving oodles of money but the meat is such good quality (we are spoiled now and can't eat regular grade meat anymore) and the Foodsaver really helps so things last longer in the freezer. I use the Foodsaver for other stuff too: nuts, rice, coffee beans, etc. and I use the foodsaver canisters to put my greens in and they stay fresh for longer too.

I would recommend one for people who like to save money by buying in bulk AND for those that find they are throwing things out often from going bad. The Foodsaver really adds shelf life to things.

Kel

I too am frugal. I shop sales and stock up on good deals. I buy in bulk. Name brand only on things I feel I can't live without! I am the Queen of Soup making here!LOL I spent many years perfecting the stock recipes for veggie, beef, or chicken. I always make a pot of soup on Mondays, this does us the whole 5 days of the week for lunch or snacks. It was a real money saver when the kids were younger and in school, that along with air buns or scones were their snack after school. They could have ate me outa house and home those 2 boys of mine, both over 6' by age 13. I too keep a bag in my freezer with chicken bones in it. But usually I make the soup right after I have cut up the chicken, I start the pot up and throw in the water from the potatoes or veggies etc. I sometimes check the reduced bin to see what veggies they have on clearance, as long as they are in decent shape I can make a veggie stock and such.

I am on a quest to save up for a trip next year, so will be carefully watching the money, much to dh dismay!