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I was visiting family in another state when something unexpected came up and I had to find a hotel for the weekend. There were conventions in town so nothing was available. On a lark, I phoned a place that offers housing to business people in an apartment building. There were many apartments available because the business people needed them during the week. The price per night was the same as the hotels' prices but the apartment offered beautiful furnishings, a washer and dryer, a fully-equipped kitchen plus dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent and a welcome basket of little goodies.
LRR

Chop, Chop!

As an employee/wife/mother/volunteer, I am frequently hurried. In order to cut down on time spent, dishes dirtied, and nerves frayed, I chop my vegetables (onions, green pepper, celery, etc.) ahead of time. I put it in sandwich bags labeled 1/4 c. celery, etc. When I need a 1/2 c. of celery, I grab a couple bags. It's important to get as much air out of the bag as possible before freezing and put the little bags in a larger one to prevent freezer burn.
Leah H. D.

Nightlight Bulbs

Now is the perfect time to stock up on nightlight bulbs for the rest of the year. If you purchase a pack of four small nightlight bulbs in the light bulb aisle, they are $2 per pack. If you purchase them in the Christmas aisle, they are $1 per pack and they're even cheaper if you wait until the markdowns start! I always stock up at this time of the year.
Kristen

Snug Jeans?

Have you ever bought a pair of jeans that seemed to fit only to wash and dry them and find them to be too tight? Or maybe you've gained a little weight? Just take them out of the dryer when they're slightly damp or mist a pair that is completely dry, and they will stretch out.
Georgia M.

Tonight's Featured Dish Is...

I use a little psychology when I serve frugal meals. I give each dish a catchy, appetizing name. When I added leftover, cooked green peppers and garlic to leftover beef stew with some soy sauce, I presented it as "pepper steak stew." My dining companions complimented me for days. If the meal has an expensive ingredient that I bought on sale, I might emphasize that ingredient in the name of the dish. I also have fun in naming what I serve, especially when it's a dish made of leftovers. "Back By Popular Demand Stew" gets a chuckle from my companions, and the good humor seems to launch a pleasant time.
LRR

Beyond Eating Out

I realized that all the social events we were invited to revolved around food. We're trying to stay healthy, so now we let our friends know other activities we'd enjoy when they say, "Let's get together." We've gone to the local museum (free admission), gone for walks around the parks, watched local sports teams play and met for dollar night at the ice cream parlor. Nothing we do is costly, and we have more fun than if we did nothing but eat.
M.

Homemade Quick Meals

With the rising cost of groceries, I have become much more careful not to waste a scrap. There is always at least one serving of everything leftover from a meal. I put them in plastic containers like TV dinners in the freezer. I also keep a list on the side of the freezer with what is available. On those rushed days when I am tempted to "drive through" or purchase expensive convenience food from the store, I already have ready-made quick meals that my family likes! My grandkids love this when I prepare a list of their choices and they pretend restaurant.
Jeanne K.

Beat High Luggage Fees

My mother visits once a year during hurricane season. This year she arrived with just a carry-on bag containing her medicine and two days' worth of clothing. The next day, the rest of her things arrived via U.S. mail, delivered right to our door! By sending her things through the mail, she spent only $8. If she had packed them into a suitcase and checked it through the airline, she would have been charged $50! We did spend $10 on shipping her things back in October, but we feel that we got away cheaply. We saved $82 in luggage fees!
Rebecca S.

Automatic Renewal

I subscribe to several magazines, so naturally I want to save as much as possible. I avoid "automatic renewal." The automatic renewal rate is usually high. I have found that the best rates are most often found on the magazine's website and are for new subscribers. It seems to me that current subscribers are just as worthy of a good deal as new subscribers. So I call the magazine when my subscription is close to expiring and tell them I want the lower rate offered to new subscribers on the website. No magazine has turned me down yet.
Jane C. in Temple, TX

Save On Christmas Wrapping

At Christmas, the more time and money I can save, the better! This one saves both. Several years ago, I made fabric Christmas bags for my immediate family. These are made in the shape and approximate size of pillowcases out of a yard of Christmas fabric. Right now, in south AL, I can get Christmas fabric for $2.50/yard. I add a ribbon around the "hem" of the bags and a pleat at the bottom (optional) and they're done. I rotate the bags every year. They are made from different fabrics, so no one knows which bag is "theirs" until we are ready to open them. This greatly eliminates peeking and poking. I made these when I became disgusted with buying wrapping paper, bows, tags, boxes, etc. year after year, only to throw it all away! If you are sewing-challenged, you could simply buy pillowcases in Christmas colors and add a ribbon! Voila!
Vicki in AL

Last Updated on Thursday, 20 November 2008 21:42

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