Squeezing out every last bit of use

I think one of the best weapons in your frugal arsenal is making the most of everything you have.   With every new use, the initial price goes down.  Granted the uses get smaller as more of the item is utilized, but you're still getting more bang for your buck.

Here's a good example.  A week ago I came across three organic whole chickens, marked down at my local grocery store.  They were marked down to $1,74 lb because they were nearing their expiration date.  Now that's about twice what I would normally pay for a whole chicken, but in my range when it came to buying organic.  I can't afford to buy organic very often, so when the opportunity arises, I try.  I bought all three and took them home.  Once home, I immediately removed them from their packaging and put them all in a crock pot to cook.  By using the crock pot, I didn't have to add additional water.  I was very please to see there was not a lot of additional juices added to these birds like when you by the standard birds.  I was also pleased to see the gizzards and organs were included.

***Dh fishes and the gizzards and organs make great bait for him.  These were immediately frozen for him to use when fishing time comes around.  It will keep him from having to buy bait separately.

Anyhoo, The chickens cooked, cooled and then I deboned them, putting about 8-12 oz in each freezer bag.

I then took all of the bones, 2 large carrots, the tops and bottom off of the celery in one package (including the leaves), the tops and bottoms of two large onions (skin included).I reserved the rest of the onions in the fridge for later use in other recipes, and the rest of the celery was chopped and frozen.  BTW, it goes without saying that I washed the veggies first!  I put all of this in the larger crock pot along with 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbs of vinegar, and water to cover all.  I turned the crock pot on low and it cooked for about a day to a day and a half.  I checked it periodically to make sure it wasn't boiling, or to see if the bones had softened.  The vinegar draws the minerals out of the bones and puts it into the stock.  Once the bones are soft, you can take up the stock.  Once the stock was finished, I strained out the veggies and other scraps.  The broth was allowed to cool and then frozen.  Once somewhat frozen, I removed the stock and removed the fat from the top.  I then reheated the stock to thaw it out and then divided it into 2 cup (pints) portions.

***I ended  up with 7 pints of stock in my freezer.

Not done yet, I took the fat I scrapped off the stock, and added it to my doggies "cookies" as she knows them.  I used the fat instead of the oil called for in the recipe.  You can find the recipe in my "recipe" page.  Oh. plu she got the leftover veggies from the broth.  A very happy dog.

*** The recipe made 16 large "cookies for her".  She was pretty comical.  She had no idea what I was making, I think, but as I started making them, she came out and laid on the kitchen floor watching my every move, until they were done.

Mona waiting for "cookie" dough.

So to sum up, from three whole birds I got

3 fishing trips
6-7 bags of chicken
7 pints of all natural, unfooled around with broth
16 large doggie treats.

Well worth the time and cost of three initial birds.

No money for Christmas, Now What?

I've always loved Christmas.  We put our tree up on Thanksgiving night after all the turkey eating festivities and to the wonderful tunes of traditional Christmas music.  Love, love, love Christmas.  Always have, always will I expect.  My parents always made it such an event and I've always tried to do the same.  Things were harder when the kids were little.  Money was tighter then, but we still wanted the kids to have a good Christmas.  Reminiscing about those times made me think about other young parents or other families going through a tight holiday or even an impossible holiday.  What do you do?  How do you celebrate this holiday without money?

First and foremost, just like the Who's down in Whoville, we know that Christmas is not about the gifts unless you count THE GIFT given.  It's easy to wax philosophical when you don't have kids.  Kids would argue with the Who's down in Whoville.  Christmas is about gifts, and Santa.  First off you have to be honest with them about what you guys are facing.  Be as honest as their age will allow.  I grew up with Santa coming down the chimney to bring us gifts.  I know there are some out there who don't do Santa.  If Santa doesn't make a yearly stop at your house, telling the kids money is tight will be easier.  We always knew there may be times when money would be tight and we never wanted Santa to "not come".  We did do Santa at our house.  However, because we never wanted Santa to be affected by a financial down turn, Santa brought 1 gift and the stocking.  Everything else was provided by us. That way if they only got 1 gift it was from Santa and they would understand Mom and Dad were low on money.  Not telling kids can actually make them worry more.  Kids are very perceptive and they'll know something is up.  Letting them in on this can actually help them because it will enable them to "Help "make the Holiday special.

So once you have the whole "telling the kids" thing out of the way; my first step is easy and fun.

1)  Decorate for Christmas-  You don't need to buy anything new.  Use what you already have on hand, but make it festive.  Play Christmas music and pull out all the stops. If you can't afford lights, no problem.  Decorations are just as pretty without.  Plus, no fire hazard or cords to worry about.  String popcorn,  Make construction paper garland,  Bring in some evergreen from outside.  Go on a pine cone hunt for cones to place in a basket.  Don't have a Christmas Tree?  Make a Christmas table to place what gifts there are.  You can put your evergreen from outside here and put out a few ornaments.  You can use other ornaments around the house as well. You can hang out the stockings over the table in a triangle shape on the wall.  Place your festive containers of baked goods there as well; like a bowl of individually wrapped popcorn balls tied with a ribbon.  These are just some thoughts.  The idea is to create a festive atmosphere.  Pintrest has great ideas for Christmas crafts from things you may already have on hand.

2)  Found Money-  Okay, you've probably run the numbers and just thought, "there's just no way!".  There is, but you may need to think outside the box.  You may not be able to get what your normal budget is, but you might be able to get a little,  Think along these lines

a)  Do you or your spouse contribute to a 401k at work?  Maybe suspend the contributions for the next 2 months.  These are extremes I know, but we're thinking outside the box.  You'll be able to restart contributions after the Holidays.

b)  Would your family rather have internet and cable for the next two months or gifts on Christmas morning?  If the later, cancel for the next two months.  Many times your cable/ internet provider will be sending you deals to entice you back by the beginning of the year.  I understand it means no internet connection.  This is Black Belt frugality.

c)   There maybe family or friends that gift you with gift cards or money for Christmas.  If this happens, use the money for gifts under the tree.  The time for you to be able to spend on yourself (which is great) can come later.  Family doesn't need to know your situation if you aren't keen on sharing, but they can know that If  your family participates in a gift exchange, they will be homemade gifts.

d)  Do you have a skill or something you can make to sell that may raise a little money?  Can you watch kids for someone to run errands?  Help someone decorate their home for Christmas, bake Christmas cookies for someone too busy to do it their self?  Let people know your available.  Print out some signs advertising your availability to help: include rates too.  Just 8 x 10 printer paper, nothing extravagant.  You can hang it on community bulletin boards at post offices, grocery stores, schools (if they allow, ask first), your church, etc.

e)  If you haven't already changed your tax withholding now's the time.  It will be reflected on the next check that does come in.  Take those deductions!  Many parents with children will claim only one dependent when they have several in order to reap a large refund during tax time.  This works against you.  It allows Uncle Sam to use your money interest free until you file while you struggle to make ends meet.  Take the deductions.  

f) Dave Ramsey would have my hide, but some companies will let you skip a payment around the holidays only paying interest.  It's a last resort and not one I recommend lightly.  Really think this one through.  If you can avoid using this step, do so.

g)  If you haven't already, call around for better car insurance rates.  A lot of people will just keep the same insurance for years and years, never shopping around.  I was one of those people.  In one call I save $700 over a year!  Crazy!

What money you free up this way will be gold.  You want to use it very carefully.  What is the one "Wow" gift your kids would want?  What do you need to make this Christmas happen?  

3)  Christmas food with what's on hand-   So you probably can't stock up right now because of the financial hardship.  You can, however, work in a couple of extra basic items for Christmas.  The great thing is, if you already have flour, sugar, butter or margarine, you can make goodies for the holidays.  Add a bottle of corn syrup to your grocery shopping list and you can add making candies for stockings(see my recipe page for Butter Toffee Crunch).  Chips, cokes, cereal, boxed anything, and anything pre-made needs to go off your list.  Plan on making more casseroles or soups so you can free up the money you would use to buy a lot of meats.  Basics. You are looking for basics. This will save you considerably on your grocery list and allow extra for purchasing things for holiday baking or allow you extra money to go toward a few small gifts or stocking stuffers.  You can make your own biscuits and cornbread for making stuffing.  Make your own cream soup for casseroles (see my recipe page for the cream soup mix recipe).

Every Christmas we have a Christmas breakfast as opposed to a Christmas dinner.  The menu usually consists of Cinnamon Rolls, Sausage balls, Sausage croissants, Gorilla Bread, coffee, Hot Chocolate, and OJ,  We end up munching on this pretty much all day. I make the cinnamon rolls, sausage (see my recipe page), sausage balls, Gorilla bread, and hot chocolate from scratch.   I use the dough from the cinnamon rolls to make the Gorilla bread as well.  The only extra thing I usually have to buy is the OJ, Crescent rolls, and cream cheese for the Gorilla bread.  All of which could be omitted in a tight situation.  Here are some other recipes for you to try that don't take a lot of effort or expense:

Dinner Rolls ( This is what I use for Cinnamon Rolls, Gorilla Bread, and Raisin Bread)

4- 4 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg of yeast (or 1 TBS)
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, shortening or margarine
1 ts salt
2 eggs

In a small saucepan, add your milk, butter, sugar, and salt.  Heat milk mixture just until the butter is just about melted.  While that heats up, put 2 cups flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl and mix together.   Once milk is hot (120 degrees) dump into the flour mixture and add the two eggs.  Mix all together for about 100 strokes.  Stir in as much remaining flour as you can with a spoon.  Dump out onto a floured counter.  Knead dough 10-12 minutes adding just enough flour to keep dough from being sticky as you work.  Once dough starts to tear, it's time to stop kneading (or if the timer goes off).  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover, Let rise no more than 30 minutes.  Punch down, shape into desired rolls.  Place in the pan you will use.  Cover and let rise until double.
Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min or until golden on top.  Or you can just put the whole thing in the bread machine; liquids first, sugar, salt, flour, yeast being last.  Put on dough setting and go read a book.  Then shape how you want weather it's dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, or Gorilla bread

Don't have yeast?  Try this for cinnamon rolls

3 cups self rising flour
1/3cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup milk

In a mixing bowl place your flour and sugar (mix well)and cut in the butter until it make a crumbly mix.  Add milk and fold in until well mixed.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead exactly 8 times (  that's basically just to shape it well into a ball).  Roll out thin(about 1/2 inch) and rectangular.  Spread with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar.  Starting with the long side, roll up the dough and cut into "cinnamon rolls".  Place in a baking pan and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Once out, you can milk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 Tbs milk and 1/2 tsp vanill extract and pour over the top.

Just had an interesting idea in trying this for Gorilla bread too.  Hmmm.  Yea, I am my own worst enemy when it comes to eating healthy.  Hey!  It's the holidays!


Hot Cocoa 

1/3- 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 cups milk or 1 1/3 cups dry milk powder plus water to make 4 cups
1/2 ts vanilla
dash salt

Mix your sugar, cocoa powder,and dash salt in a pan.  Stir in the milk and continue stirring frequently while it warms to hot.  A whisk works best for this, but if you don't have one, no big deal.  Once hot, remove from heat and add the vanilla.  Serve hot.  If you have marshmallows, great.  A small peppermint stick would be good too.


Easy Fudge


1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup water
1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
dash salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (if you have them)

*** If you don't have dry milk, omit the water and dry milk and use 1/3 cup of evaporated milk.

*** Don't have evaporated milk?  You can evaporate it yourself by taking 2/3 cups milk and simmer until reduced by half.  

In a small sauce pan heat together butter/margarine and water just to boiling, stirring to melt the butter/margarine.  Sift together (whisk together) dry ingredients.  Add the melted butter mixture.  Stir til well blended.  Stir in nuts if you have them.  Turn into a buttered 8x8x2 inch pan.  Chill several hours.  Cut into squares.

You can make popcorn balls, peanut brittle, the fudge, toffee, etc for very little outlay of funds and these can go in stockings.  If you have peppermint sticks, you can crush one or two (to taste) and stir in the fudge or sprinkle on top for a festive stocking stuffer.


4)  Make gifts   - This can be a difficult one if you don't really have a crafty side.  I'm not gonna leave you hanging I swear!  My next post will be a how to on making a hobby horse.  I'm actually making one for my grandson for Christmas this year along with a Superman or Super hero cape.  Neither of these will require a pattern.  Do you have some scrap wood; ends of 2 x 4 or 2 x 2's?  Cut these into different sizes and shapes.  Sand them smooth and voila, Blocks to play with.

Here comes another recipe for Playdough!!!!

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
4 tsp cream of tarter
2 cups water with food coloring adding in whatever color you want
2 T oil

Mix all ingredients together in a pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a hard ball.  I'll try to include more over the next few weeks.


You can sew doll clothes, pajama pants, super hero capes, etc.  Don't have fabric?  I buy sheets (King size flat sheets in solid cottons or flannel) for fabric at thrift stores.  If you can't afford that you can always sacrifice a sheet or two (done that before too).  I mean how many sets does one person need!  (smile).  I will have another post soon containing some ways to save on sewing in general.

Don't have a Sewing machine?  It is harder to do if that is the case, but not impossible.  In a day of google we can pull up how to's on hand stitching and sew your items by hand.

There's no time to sew!  My sister and I, many years ago, put up a sheet to block off an area of her house normally open to the rest of the family.  We named it "Santa's Workshop" and all our creations were hidden from the crowd.  We sewed in the evening.  She sewed at night after I had gone to my home.  To this day my niece says the sound of a sewing machine lulls her to sleep.  It is comforting to her because she would go to sleep to the sound of my sister sewing for her family.  Aren't good memories great?!

Speaking of Thrift stores!  They, as well as Yard Sales can be resources for Christmas gifts.  Books can be found there cheap that are in great condition.  Other items can be found that may need a little TLC to be like new again.  Great thing is in this age of Google there are a slew of "How To" videos or articles to help you take a thrift store find and revamp it to be like new.  Little secret.  I have never bought a brand new video game or DVD.  Nope.  I always purchased them from either Amazon or a thrift store.  In fact when my kids were young, and we didn't have a lot of money for gaming systems, we bought a used system for all three kids together.  It wasn't the latest and greatest, but the kids loved it.  I found a Play mobile Castle with all the characters at a yard sale for $5 for the whole thing!

I realize this may not be the coolest Christmas, at least on paper, but it can still be a great Christmas.  I hope some of these ideas can help.  I will try to add to them over the next few weeks.  The idea is to be able to still celebrate even in the midst of financial hardship.

The art of the remake.

Have you noticed how lately Hollywood has this desire to remake movies rather than create something new.  Now in the case of movies I'm like "been there done that, move on", but there really is an art to remaking or re-purposing something.  Today I speak of recreating something new from leftovers.

LEFTOVERS!!!!  No one wants leftovers!  But you would be wrong.  People do want left overs....they just don't know it yet.  The idea is to let nothing go to waste.

1) So you only have a spoonful of green beans left in the pan.  Keep a container in the fridge and place all your leftover bits of veggies.  Once full it becomes veggie soup.  I usually match the meat to the broth in the veggies.  If I used chicken bouillon in my veggies initial preparation, then I will add chicken and make chicken vegetable soup. The same goes for beef and ham.

2)  1 Cup of leftover ground meat, a left over meat patty, left over meat loaf, etc, becomes the ground meat used in chili or spaghetti.  A piece of left over chicken is used in casseroles, or chicken pot pie.

3)  Left over mashed potatoes become voila!  Potato soup.  I chop 2 celery stalks and 1 med onion and cook them in 2 cups of chicken bouillon.  Once soft I puree them in the broth then add 2 cups of mashed potatoes.  Mix well.  If your soup is still thick add a little milk to get it to the consistency you want.  Once you have it to the consistency you like, add chives, cheese, sour cream and hot sauce! Salt and pepper to taste.   Serve with a crusty bread.  YUM!

4) Left over egg/milk from making french toast becomes the egg and milk needed in muffins or other baked good.  May have to add a little more milk, but it works.

The idea is to rethink your leftovers and not throw them away.  Tonight we're having chili and I did just what I normally do.  I had leftover taco meat and it was used in the chili.  Turned out well.  Compliments all round.  What recreations do you perform?

Spice of Life! (make your own recipes)

Good morning everyone!  It is a glorious spring morning and in just a bit I will be outside playing in the dirt.  But until that time, I wanted to share a post I thought of this morning....

Okay, show of hands (and be honest), who here buys cinnamon sugar in the spice section of the grocery store...come on, you know who you are; Taco seasoning?  Season Salt?  Chocolate syrup?  Well after today's post you will never have to purchase those items again.  Make your own!  And it is sooooo easy!

Taco Seasoning

1/3 cup of onion powder (or 3/4 cup dried onion flakes)
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup salt
3 TBS garlic powder
3 TBS of corn starch
3 TBS cumin
1 TBS-3 TBS cayenne pepper (depending on how hot ya wants it)

Mix all in a bowl and store, or you can do like I do and put it all in a mason jar and shake, shake, shake. 
*** Frugal tip.  When making your tacos, use 1 lb ground beef, 1 cup black beans, and 1 can corn in place of 2 lbs ground beef.  Stretches the meat and makes a healthier taco.

Season salt

8 TBS Salt
3 TBS Pepper
2 TBS Paprika
1/2 TBS Onion Powder
1/2 TBS Garlic Powder

Mix all in a bowl and store, or you can do like I do and put it all in a mason jar and shake, shake, shake.
*** GREAT ON OVEN FRIES!


Chocolate syrup

1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

In a sauce pan, mix the cocoa, sugar and salt well.  Add the boiling water.  Cook 5 more minutes stirring constantly.  Cool slightly.  Stir in Vanilla. 
What I will usually do, cause I am lazy and don't like washing more dishes than necessary, is;  instead of adding boiling water, I will just add hot tap water.  Stir it once really well.  I bring the whole shebang to a boil and then turn the stove off, letting the syrup cool on the burner.  Add your vanilla then and store in the fridge.  Makes about 2 cups.  *** personal tip.  This is great served with fresh strawberries for a cool healthy treat, or have fun and have chocolate milk or ice cream sundaes.

Oh and it seems I forgot to add cinnamon sugar.  Uh real easy.  1/2 cup sugar to 1- 2 TBS ground cinnamon.  Shake. 

These three little things, made by you instead of bought at the store, add significant savings to your grocery budget which can be used to buy more of the staple items on sale.  See?  There is a method to my madness.