Best painless "stretching things" budget tips?

[semo233]

For those of you in the northeast, Big Y had both the Fels Naptha and they even had castile soap in several scents!

 

[Chelley00]

for those of you trying to make your own laundry detergent like me, Go to the Dial website and there is a product finder. I was able to select that I wanted to find the fels Naptha Soap and it gave me several stores in my area that carried it!

http://www.dialcorp.com/storelocator/storeloc2.cfm

I am going in an hour or so to see if they really have it!

Fels Naptha is usually in with the bar soap, not with the detergants. It took me FOREVER to find it because of that!!!

If anyone is in the Midwest looking, Meijers had Fels Naptha, Borax and Castile soap.


You can also order Fels Naptha and Borax online. I saw one of them at drugstore.com.

 

[Carrie772]

I gave up on paper products all together.

No paper towels, no clorox wipes, no paper napkins, no swiffer dusters, no paper plates, no plastic forks, no straws, nothing like that.

I mean, if it's disposable, you are just throwing away money on a one-time-use product. Just because it's disposable, doesn't mean it's free.

Now, I do have to have toilet paper and tissues...there's no negotiating there!

I make my own washing machine detergent, use one tsp of dish detergent, and use vinegar for windex, and dawn and baking soda to clean the tubs and toilets.

It just works for me.

Good for the environment, and the landfill, and my pocket book.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I am just subbing to this thread. I have already bought all the ingredients for homemade laundry soap. They carry all the ingredients at Smith's/Kroger, if you have that store.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

For those of you in the northeast, Big Y had both the Fels Naptha and they even had castile soap in several scents!

Also in the Northeast- Shaws carries Fels Naptha. It's in the laundry aisle near starch and blueing (the other 2 laundry antiques, lol).

 

[figment52]

I make my own Downey Wrinkle spray and refill the bottle! Costs me PENNIES and works great! No more ironing for me

fill bottle almost to the top with water,add a couple of T fabric softener and a couple T alcohol

You can also stuff a bounce sheet into the bottle with water and a couple T alcohol!

This stuff has cut my ironing time down to bare bones! I don't even have to waste electricity by putting things in the dryer for a few minutes to iron themselves!

GREAT tip , thanks

 

[Kycha]

Also in the Northeast- Shaws carries Fels Naptha. It's in the laundry aisle near starch and blueing (the other 2 laundry antiques, lol).

Lol...When I was buying the Fels Naptha, the cashier and bagger(both in their mid to upper 60's) commented on it. They didn't even know Fels Naptha was around anymore. They also mentioned Lava soap(for washing mouths) and blueing.

 

[Carrie772]

Beans - beans are a great protein source, and if you buy the bags of dried beans and cook them yourself, they're pretty cheap, especially when compared to a similar amount of other protein sources or even canned beans. It takes more planning and time since you generally have to soak them overnight and cook them for a few hours, but it's a good way to save money.

How do you make them taste good? I tried black-eyed peas, but they just had no flavor!

I know that dried beans are cheap and healthful. Any good recipies using them out there to try?

Here here!

Our family (for decades) cook pinto beans with a ham bone (leftover and stored in freezer) and serve with cornbread. Both freeze great! We serve with chopped onions/green onion and chow chow on the side.
It makes so much we freeze the leftovers. I made a type of refried beans with a packet I defrosted last week by mashing it with a large forks, warming and topping with cheese (added some minced jalepenos). DH went at it with frito scoops after the meal!

Gee, my hillbilly background is showing, isn't it?

Naw! I love the hillbilly ways...just like my hick background!

I have a fun recipe for those wanting a fun quick bread for supper. They are called hoecakes. They are the best: Make cornbread mix and cook them like pancakes on a griddle. I add a little extra milk to help them thin out on the griddle top. Somehow they get a buttery flavor to them. Serve with red beans and rice with molasses and butter for dessert. Sooooo good.

I am gonna have to try those pinto beans. I usually just get Bush's brand in a can and add onion.

Keep it up folks! Every penny counts!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I am enjoying these ideas. I do have a question though. We have a very small but great health food store. They sell everything from flour (all kinds) refried beans (dry almost powdered) in barrels. You know the kind that you pull out what you want and they weigh it. They have some really interesting items but except for the cereal I have no idea on how to cook any of those things. Does anyone have a recipe book they could recommend that uses all items from scratch?

 

[Chicklogic]

I am enjoying these ideas. I do have a question though. We have a very small but great health food store. They sell everything from flour (all kinds) refried beans (dry almost powdered) in barrels. You know the kind that you pull out what you want and they weigh it. They have some really interesting items but except for the cereal I have no idea on how to cook any of those things. Does anyone have a recipe book they could recommend that uses all items from scratch?

I don't know of a recipe book but I LOVE those "instant" black beans! You should try them!

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I don't know of a recipe book but I LOVE those "instant" black beans! You should try them!

The store has instant black and refried beans that look the same as far as consistancy. How do you prepare the black beans?

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Usually if you buy those bulk food or health food store products (like the instant refried beans), they'll have a little card to give you with instructions on how to prepare them. You could ask about that.

The La Leche League cookbook "Whole Foods for the Whole Family" has great from-scratch recipes and includes sections on how to cook various grains, beans, etc. The instructions on how to bake bread are really good too. I have a large collection of cookbooks but still use it a lot.

Teresa

 

[SGMCO]

When I was at Walmart yesterday, I was looking for the Microfiber
kitchen towels to use as papertowels (to stop buying papertowels)
well I found them but they were around $5.00 for 3 or 4 so I went about
the corner and there was an end display with bathroom washclothes
(18 white washclothes for $3.92) so I got these instead.
I am using the white washclothes for everything in the kitchen including
washing dishes, as a papertowel, ect. Now all I have to do is
wash them with bleach.

 

[SnowWhite607]

I have something similar to washcloths - got them at Walmart - and I use them for cloth napkins at dinner. I hardly ever use paper towels anymore.

 

[mkaccountant]

Well, my tip isn't the greatest but I have been reading this thread from the beginning and think I should contribute.

DH refuses to clean the lint trap in the dryer, so when I take clothes out it is about 1/8 in thick. I don't waste this energy costing item, instead I use it to clean. Our dog sleeps in the laundry room, she is 1/4 Red Bone, 3/4 lab and can be oily. She likes laying against the warm dryer therefore getting it oily and icky sometimes with her dander. Dryer lint cleans it up and makes the dryer shiny.

Dryer lint can be used to clean most hard or slick surfaces. Works good to clean up grease - my dad used it when I was a kid to clean grease off of engine parts.

Keep up the tips, I make DH cut or tear dryer sheets in half and just bought a big jug of vinegar this weekend. I have used vinegar plenty for cooking (great in bbq sauce), now time to test it on other things!

 

[Kycha]

Well, my tip isn't the greatest but I have been reading this thread from the beginning and think I should contribute.

DH refuses to clean the lint trap in the dryer, so when I take clothes out it is about 1/8 in thick. I don't waste this energy costing item, instead I use it to clean. Our dog sleeps in the laundry room, she is 1/4 Red Bone, 3/4 lab and can be oily. She likes laying against the warm dryer therefore getting it oily and icky sometimes with her dander. Dryer lint cleans it up and makes the dryer shiny.

Dryer lint can be used to clean most hard or slick surfaces. Works good to clean up grease - my dad used it when I was a kid to clean grease off of engine parts.

Keep up the tips, I make DH cut or tear dryer sheets in half and just bought a big jug of vinegar this weekend. I have used vinegar plenty for cooking (great in bbq sauce), now time to test it on other things!

Do you keep a bag or something near the dryer to collect the lint in?

 

[Leader of the Club]

My mom uses whte vinegar for EVERYTHING! We tease her all the time and tell her that she is pickled.

Here are some vinegar tips:

http://www.vinegartips.com/

Mom HATES any kind of insect so she keeps a little spray bottled of vinegar handy and sprays around all of the doorways and windows and baseboards everyday. She will even go so far as to dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe her skin and hair before she walks down to get her mail in the evening.

I told you she is pickled!

 

[Carrie772]

My mom uses whte vinegar for EVERYTHING! We tease her all the time and tell her that she is pickled.

Here are some vinegar tips:

http://www.vinegartips.com/

Mom HATES any kind of insect so she keeps a little spray bottled of vinegar handy and sprays around all of the doorways and windows and baseboards everyday. She will even go so far as to dampen a cloth with vinegar and wipe her skin and hair before she walks down to get her mail in the evening.

I told you she is pickled!

That's funny. It kind of reminds me of the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and how he sprayed everything with Windex!

 

[Leader of the Club]

That's funny. It kind of reminds me of the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and how he sprayed everything with Windex!

OMG! it is just like that

 

[jinia]

PICKLED!!!


I guess that's how DH would describe our house after reading this thread!!