Saving money

I joined Costco!

by Shelley on December 5, 2012 · 2 comments

in Saving money

 

A year or so ago a Costco opened close by and I never really thought that joining would be beneficial for a family of 2 but….I never really knew  about the gas prices. Come to find out the gas is  normally 7-9 cents cheaper than the stations and since for my job as a home health nurse means driving  around all day I thought I would save more than the membership fee  on gas alone and this Costco is only about a mile from my office I think it will work out just fine.

A few things I have found that I love from Costco :

Kirkland Toilet Paper~ 30 rolls for $14.99, this will last a while and it is a great quality of paper.

Rotisserie Chicken~Yummy! $4.99 about the same price you pay for a whole chicken for in the store and you would  still have to bake it.

The Bakery Cheesecake~ Huge and delicious for $12.99 I really don’t think you can bake one homemade this size for this price.

Milk~ I am a milk snob! I confess. We drink a ton of milk around here and their prices and quality just can’t be beat and the jug is square and tall, takes up less room in the fridge.

Kirkland Garbage Bags~ 200 kitchen size bags for $14.99! I had to laugh when I realized this box of garbage bags will last me close to 2 years!

Sister Schubert’s Frozen Rolls~ I forget the price but 30 yeast rolls heat and eat in a few minutes and taste like homemade! I love homemade rolls and these are as close as you can get without the work and not much more than a bag of rolls in the grocery store. You heat the number of rolls you want and keep the rest in the freezer for the next time, no waste.

Some of the food items are a larger size than we would eat before the expiration date but would be great for holidays or parties. The  household items such at the toilet paper and garbage bags, to me are a great buy and awesome quality, buy once and have on hand for a while.

Some things I have learned  from reading around the internet:

If you work for a large company that has a discount buying program be sure an check there before you purchase a membership. The company I work  for had a special coupon deal where I will receive coupons in the mail once I join for some free items, such as a FREE Rotisserie Chicken, a FREE  pack of 48 AA batteries, and a case of Spring Water and coupons for more discounts! I didn’t see this until a day or so after I joined, so I took the paperwork to Costco the next time I was in the store and they applied the awareness code ….they are nice like that.

Hang onto your receipts: If the item goes on sale or marked down within thirty days from your purchase, take in your receipt and they will refund you the difference.

If the price has an asterisk  * this in a one time stock item, once they are gone they won’t be back in stock so if you want one you better get it while they have them.

You can read more here.

What are some of your favorite items to buy at Costco?

 

 

 

 

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Out of ink? Here’s a fix.

by Shelley on October 30, 2012 · 2 comments

in Saving money

Pinit

 

This is completely off topic from recipes and cooking but it will save you some time, money and frustration!

A while back I purchased a new HP wireless scanner/printer/fax one thing that sold me on the printer was that the ink was sold in separate cartridges so if one color was depleted you didn’t have to buy an entire new cartridge but what I didn’t realize until later is that if one cartridge was empty the printer would not print…not even if you selected to print in gray-scale which is an option but it still will not work! I rarely print in color, but I do print using black and fax a lot and need the fax confirmation report for my records. Ink and gas is expensive and the thought of having to run 10 miles to the store to buy an ink cartridge in a color I didn’t need to print was a ridiculous thought.

My printer uses the HP 940 Cartridges and after fighting with the printer  trying hard to get it to work, changing it to print in gray-scale and then doing research online at first I found that my only option was to run to the store and buy another blue cartridge just to print in black!! I decided to dig a little further and I found the tip below in a forum.

It worked on the 940 cartridges for me, I don’t know if it will work on other cartridges but if your printer uses 940s then it should work for you.

Remove the “empty” cartridge and place a piece of tape over the opening, letting the tape sag into the hole just a bit. It worked and my printer is back in business. This tricks the printer into thinking the ink sack is full. 

 

 

A lot of HP printers use this same cartridge so I am hoping this fix can help quite a few readers out.


 

 

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Bye Bye Store Bought Laundry Detergent!

by Shelley on September 5, 2012 · 0 comments

in DIY Cleaning Products, Frugal, Saving money

Detergent is expensive and it didn’t take much to convince me to give Homemade Detergent a try! I have been using this for about a month now. I felt I needed to give it a good try before I promoted it on my blog.

Easy To Make

 

Cheap Around 8¢ A Load !!


 

The ingredients cost less than a jug of name brand detergent and you can make many more batches with it.

You will need:

  • a large cooking pot
  • Mule Team Borax 
  • Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda!)
  • a bar of soap (I used Fels Naptha)
  • a 2 gallon bucket with a lid
  • a funnel
  • a grater
  • old jug of some sort
  • a long handled spoon

I found Borax, Washing Soda and Fels Naptha at Walmart in the detergent aisle, the bucket with a lid at Lowe’s. 
  1. First you need to grate your soap, you can grate it right into the pot if you like!  Fill the large pot about 1/2 or more with water. Heat slowly on the stove eye until the soap has all melted.
  2. Add 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup Washing Soda. Continue to cook, stirring well, the mixture will begin to thicken. Bring almost to a boil. Remove from heat. This mixture will begin to congeal.
  3. Once cool enough pour into your 2 gallon bucket adding more warm water until your bucket is 1/2 or so full. Cover with the lid and let it sit overnight.
  4. In the morning the mixture will be very congealed…thick gooey and sort of yucky.  Stir it up and it will thin up a little.  Add water stirring as you add until you have the bucket full and mixed well.
  5. Take your jug, an old laundry detergent jug will do ( I buy distilled white vinegar by the gallon so I use an old vinegar jug) fill it 1/2 full of the detergent and then fill the rest of the way with water and shake well.
You have just made 2 gallons of concentrated laundry detergent!

***Use as you normally would in your washer just remember to shake it really well to  mix  and remove any lumps before you add to the washer.

Tips and Info: 

*This does not make a lot of suds in the washer~Just remember, suds do not clean your clothes the ingredients do. Because this is low suds you can use it in an HE washer. 

I have a frontloading HE washer and using this my clothes and my washer does not have the musty, mildewy smell that I could not get rid of no matter what I did!  I am a happy girl!

If you find a 2 gallon pot with a lid you can cook and store in the same pot!

Once you buy the Borax and Washing Soda you will have enough to make many more batches of detergent just pick up a bar of soap when needed.

Some people use ivory soap you can place it in the microwave it for 90 seconds and it will turn into flakes and no need to grate it! Be sure and place it in a large bowl! It looks like meringue and will flake apart. (Your kids will be amazed and you will too)

If you are worried about fragrance: This detergent does smell wonderful when making it and when your clothes are washing but your clothes are completely fragrance free when washed and dried. For fragrance use a good smelling fabric softener.

If you want to know why I buy distilled white vinegar by the gallon click on over to Many Uses For Distilled White Vinegar~ I use it for cleaning, as a rinse agent in my dishwasher and as fabric softener too!

Happy Washing,

 

 

 

 

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I Don’t Like Leftovers!

by Shelley on September 3, 2012 · 1 comment

in Recipes, Saving money, Side Dishes

I really don’t, except for a few things that well, you know…pizza, I can eat a really good pizza, breakfast, lunch and dinner and homemade chili, it always tastes better then next day.

Recycle Those Leftovers!

It’s just that I don’t like the same thing two days in a row. Now, if you can mix it up and make it a little different then I am all for that. So here’s a little recipe for using up those leftover mashed potatoes and it really is one of my favorites I even sometimes make extra mashed potatoes so that I can have me some of these the next day.

So here’s some of what we had for dinner the other day: The next day slice the meatloaf thin and it makes a great Meatloaf Sandwich. Cube up the corn bread and whip up a Cornbread Salad. Take the leftover mashed potatoes and cook up some of my favorite Potato Patties. 

Southern Potato Patties (a.k.a. Potato Cakes)

approx. 2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes

1 egg beaten

1/2 cup self rising flour

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

milk

  • Mix the first 4 ingredients well. Add just enough milk to bring it to the consistency of a fairly thick cake batter.
  • Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top with a small amount of vegetable oil or cooking spray.
  • Drop by heaping tablespoon onto hot pan and cook until browned on one side, then turn.
  • Once turned press the potato cake just a bit  with a spatula to flatten just a bit.
  • Cook until done and serve as a side dish with ketchup.

You can adjust this recipe according to the amount of mashed potatoes you have left over. It doesn’t have to be precise but you do need at least one egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry about the bad Iphone photo! But here they are cooking up in the good ole Lodge Cast Iron Skillet (can you tell I am a Lodge Fan?).

So don’t always throw out those leftovers….mix it up and stretch your dinner and your dollar! It can be yummy!

 

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Tagged as: leftovers, recipe, Side Dish

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Homemade Fabric Softener

by Shelley on July 17, 2012 · 5 comments

in DIY Cleaning Products, Laundry, Saving money

When I was doing research for my Many Uses For Distilled White Vinegar post I ran across this “recipe” for Homemade Fabric Softener on Pinterest, having purchased a frontloading washer back in October I have found that no matter what I did my clothes never seemed to have that fresh smell even when taken right from the dryer.

So I tried this recipe knowing that distilled white vinegar both reduces static cling and odors. It works….. and it works well and I promise you won’t be smelling like vinegar.

It does the job and for pennies on the dollar.

So here’s the recipe:

Homemade Fabric Softner

6 cups water

3 cups distilled white vinegar

2 cups of inexpensive hair conditioner

Mix together. Stirring well, pour into a 1 gallon container. (shaking will make it foam up) Use your normal amount in your rinse cycle.

Try it and let me know what you think. I love it!

 

 

I found the original recipe here.

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Many Uses For Distilled White Vinegar

by Shelley on June 28, 2012 · 2 comments

in DIY Cleaning Products, Saving money

 

 

Vinegar has been used for thousands of years and not only is a economical it is a very versatile, natural, non toxic, environmentally friendly product. Distilled white vinegar (DWV) can be used as an antiseptic, mold and mildew killer and much more.

This site is all about ways to get by on a budget. You can buy a 16 ounce bottle of Distilled White Vinegar is 78¢ at Walmart and you can use it for cleaning, cooking, deodorizing, disinfecting, in your kitchen, laundry, bathroom.

 

Note: It is suggested that you use gloves when cleaning to protect sensitive skin. 

Cleaning

  • Use in your dishwasher in place of a rinse agent: works just as well and for a fraction of the cost. 
  • Clean and Deodorize the dishwasher: Pour in 1 cup of DWV and run a full cycle. Removes soap deposits and odors.
  • Remove hard water: Sprinkle the area with baking soda, add some white vinegar, allow to sit for a few minutes, scrub clean. Rinse with water and dry.
  • Deodorize Drains and Garbage Disposals: 1/2 cup baking soda, pour in 1/2 cup DWV let sit for 5 minutes, flush with hot water.
  • Clean windows and mirrors: Mix equal parts DWV and water into a spray bottle, spray on your window and clean with newspaper for a sparkling clean, streak free shine. (newspaper is lint free and gets the windows much cleaner than paper towels and FREE)
  • Clean the dirty oven door window: Open the door, cover window area with a rag soaked in full strength DWV, let is set 10-15 minutes, clean.
  • Disinfect and clean baby toys: Add some DWV to some soapy water. 
  • Get rid of hard water on shower: In a zip lock bag add equal part DWV and water, tie over shower head, leave on at least one hour after bubbling has stopped, remove, run the shower.
  • Mopping: Add 1/2 cup to  1 gallon of mop water and you will have a shiny clean no wax or linoleum  floor.
  • Clean Grout: Apply DWV let set for a few minutes, scrub clean with a brush.
  • Microwave: Bring 1/2 cup DWV and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a microwave safe bowl. Food splatters will wipe away easily and odors will disappear.
  • Remove Calcium Deposits on faucets: Wrap area with paper towel wet with full strength DWV and let soak overnight. Clean and rinse with water. For severs deposits clean with paste of equal parts DWV and salt, rinse with water.
  • Remove odors from plastic containers: Soak in DWV, then wash as usual.
  • Smelly Lunchbox: Soak a piece of bread and place in the lunch box, close the lid and let it sit all night.
  • Clean your refrigerator: Spray and wipe clean with DWV. Cleans and deodorizes.
  • Remove mineral deposits from your coffeemaker: Brew one part DWV to two part water in coffee pot. Discard, brew with just water twice before making coffee. Recommend that you consult your coffeemaker owners manual. 
Cooking
  • Rice: Add 1 teaspoon DWV to water. Rice will be fluffier and less sticky.
  • Fruit and Vegetable Wash: Kill bacteria by washing with a solution of 2 tablespoons DWV and 1 pint of water, rinse well.
  • Near empty jar of mayonnaise or salad dressing: Add a little bit of DWV shake well and it’s good to the last drop.
  • Remove cooking odors from house: simmer a pot of water and DWV on the stove.
Laundry
  • Clean your washing machine: Run a full cycle with 1 cup of DWV
  • Forgot and left your clothes to sour in the washer: Run them through a cycle with 1 cup DWV, then wash again.
  • Use as fabric softner: 1/4 in the final rinse cycle acts as a fabric softner, reduces static cling, keeps bright clothes bright
  • Remove Tomato Based stains: dab with a mixture of equal parts water and DWV before washing
  • Mustard stain: dab with full strength DWV
I found this recipe for on Pinterest and I can’t wait to try it:
                 Scented Fabric Softner
                 6 cups water
                 3 cups DWV
                 2 cups of an inexpensive hair conditioner (a scent of your choice)
                 Pour into a 1 gallon container, stir well, do not shake (that will cause it to foam). Use in your rinse cycle as  normal.
Insect Repellant
  • Fruit Flies: Sit out a bowl of DWV on the counter
  • Ants: Spray DWV around stove, cabinet base, doorway to repel ants
  • Bug spray: Mix equal amounts water, DWV and liquid hand soap into a spray bottle, apply as needed.
Pet Care and clean up
  • Repel Fleas: Add  to your dogs drinking water. 1 teaspoon per quart.
  • Repel Fleas: Add 1 cup DWV to dogs bath water will kill existing fleas and repel others.
  • Accident on the carpet: Blot up the urine, clean with a mixture of equal part water and DWV. Sprinkle with baking soda let sit overnight, vacuum up the baking soda.
  • Cat scratching your furniture?: Spray furniture with DWV, she’ll stay away.

Health and Beauty

  • Antiseptic: Dab on  cuts and scrapes
  • Make nail polish last longer: Dab nails with DWV before applying nail polish
  • Sunburn: Spray sunburned areas with DWV to sooth, may even prevent peeling.
  • Sore Muscles: Add DWV to your bath and soak for a while.
  • Remove Build up on your hair: Rinse hair with DWV.
  • Itchy Dry Skin: Add 2 tablespoons DWV to bath water.
  • Bee or Jellyfish sting: Dab with DWV to lessen the pain.

 

 

 

*The uses and tips described here were found from a variety of resources, including consumer suggestions, articles and other published resources.  These uses and tips have not all been tested or documented by, and are not endorsed by Ground Beef Budget.


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Tagged as: Budget, Distilled White Vinegar, DIY Cleaning Products, Vinegar

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FREE On Your Birthday

by Shelley on June 13, 2012 · 0 comments

in Saving money

You just may get a post card, text or freebie offer on your birthday from companies that you have signed up with in the past but I assure you there are many more freebies and discounts out there to help you celebrate your special day. I ran across this site with a HUGE LIST for 2012 of  freebies for your birthday. Check it out. Some are only available on the day of your birthday but some last for the entire month and some up to 60 days.

What better way to celebrate than a freebie on the house?

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Couponing~Sales Cycles

by Shelley on June 12, 2012 · 2 comments

in Saving money

Have you seen on news shows and different TV shows someone shopping with coupons and getting groceries almost free?

I have seen this and it appears this person is buying groceries for the entire week for almost nothing, but I truly don’t see how that is possible. The shows usually don’t have time to explain how this works.

You can plan your grocery purchases in advance and use coupons for what you need the coming week but most likely there will not be enough active coupons and sales to save you a bundle of what you need for the forthcoming week.

Grocery sales run in cycles and usually you will see that the coupons corespond with what is on sale. For instance around the Holidays you will see that baking supplies will be on sale and if you watch the coupons they will also be more baking items with coupons. This is a win, win situation for you.

Knowing the sales cycles, watching for coupons and buying multiples is where you save the most money.

Sales Cycles:

Winter-Warm cereals, chili, beef stew and other warm season foods, holiday candy(Christmas then Valentines), baking products, Kleenex, cold medications, snacks because of Super Bowl Parties.

Spring- cleaning products, because of the Easter Holiday watch for hams, eggs, more baking products; flour, sugar, yeast, candy, paper plates and cups….more people are beginning to picnic. Allergy meds.

Summer- BBQ sauce, ribs, hamburger meats, charcoal, paper plates, vegetables, side dishes, salad dressings, sodas, drinks, condiments, chips.

Late summer and into Fall School supplies and lunch bag items.

Fall- School supplies, Holiday baking items, Hams, turkeys, baking goods, cool whip, pie shells, cake mixes, cool season foods, canned soups and stews, stuffing mixes. October- Candy

You should be able to easily estimate how much of an item your family will consume in a certain period of time. Shop for particular items during the best sales, use coupons, buy multiples and you will have it on hand for a fraction of the cost for future use. In other words- stockpile and save $$$, shop from you pantry and save, save, save. Combine seasonal sales with coupons and get 6-10 bottles of mustard in the Summer keep it in your pantry to use the rest of the year. Buy 4-5 bottles of Windex in the Spring, you want have to buy it the rest of the year. Better yet, you don’t have to take the time to go to the store to get it when you need it, thus removing the chance of impulse buying and saving gas money.

Does this mean you won’t have to go grocery shopping~NO, but it will soon reduce the amount you will be purchasing at the store, saving you in time and many dollars in the long run.

You build a stockpile slowly over time. Set aside a few dollars each week to invest in your stockpile. If you combine the coupons with the sales it will not take many dollars at all to build up what you will have on hand, then continue to rebuild as you use it and you will see the rewards.

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Update

by Shelley on March 22, 2012 · 3 comments

in Causes, Saving money

About 2 weeks ago I gave up paper towels and I just wanted to let you know how that is going. It has not been a problem at all. We are still using washcloths in a basket by the sink and it is working fine. Just throw them into the dirty cloths and place them in the washer with the rest of the wash.

On the occasion that I fry foods I use coffee filters to absorb the excess grease and newspapers to wash the windows. $4 for a basket and $4 for 18 washcloths at the Dollar General and that is all that it took. No more paper towels to buy. I am not a green fanatic but this is a step in the right direction don’t you think?  And a money saver too.

For snacks and sandwiches we use mug rugs that we have made, but we were using them before I decided to give up paper towels. They are simple to make out of quilted blocks around the size of a paper towel and pretty too and you just throw them in the wash too!

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Call me crazy!

by Shelley on March 6, 2012 · 2 comments

in Causes, Make A Difference, Saving money

 

…well my mom thinks I have  lost it  but I am going to give this a try anyway. I am doing away with paper towels and paper napkins in my home! I don’t really know why but I am going to try it out and see how we do. I ran across a blog post the other day and saw that she had done it and thought I would give it a whirl. It may not last long but I am going to put forth my best effort.

This is my plan:

What I did is bought a cheap wicker basket to sit on the counter and filled it with some colored washcloths that match my kitchen decor I found at the Dollar General, 18 for $4. I use white wash clothes in the bath so this will make them easy to separate when folding…..not that it matters really.  I already have some cloth napkins that stay in the drawer waiting for that special meal (isn’t every meal special) so I am going to put those into use and maybe pick up some more when I go to Walmart.

I will use coffee filters to absorb grease with foods that need it and newspaper to clean the windows. Oh and make sure we never run out of toilet paper….that would be bad!  I won’t be giving up that any time soon!

Why…

  • I am not really sure.
  •  It is better for the environment.
  • Cost: around $2 or more a roll, 2-3 times a month, that as savings of $4-$6 a month
  • Hey, I am washing and folding clothes anyway, so why not?
  • It’s a challenge and I always up for a challenge!

Are you willing and ready to give up paper towels? 

P.S. I confess, yes I know I am behind times and I still have wallpaper in my kitchen, I just love this border and can’t bear to remove it. Maybe one day? Maybe one day wallpaper will be back in style and my kitchen will be again too….I keep waitng! 

 

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