Frugalty "hacks" that worked for you?

[Gordon_Sims]

Also, a “diet hack” that I have found works well is to use “salad plates” not “dinner plates” to serve food. Apparently when people see a plate full of food they already subconsciously expect to feel completely full after finishing the plate, and it usually works for me. Once in a while I will get seconds.

We started doing this almost two years ago. I couldn’t believe the difference it made. Although it didn’t seem like we were eating less, back when we were using the oversized plates my wife had gotten several years back, we’d have a full pork loin and end up with no leftovers. Now my wife makes half a pork loin and we have leftovers. I can’t say how it’s impacted our budget since we’ve made a bunch of other intentional changes to our food spending, but I’m sure it’s made a difference.

 

[CatholicSheila]

This is my favorite:

1 cup dry milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
4 tsp cinnamon
Cayenne pepper to taste (I probably do about 1/8 tsp)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well-blended.

It makes about 4 servings - one half cup of mix per cup. When using for a gift I’d just put in a pretty bag with ribbon.

This thread is supposed to be saving me money, now I want to add these to my grocery bill. Hmm. I suppose I only need the dry milk. Thank you for putting this up. I was curious too.

 

[CatholicSheila]

Things I do:

I don’t go on phone plans. I go on sim plans. I bring my own phone. I pay $30 a month for a plan that would cost me about $85 if it came with a phone. So I save $55. I do have to buy a phone but my needs aren’t huge so I need to upgrade I buy last years version. I might pay $300-400 upfront but save $1300 on the phone plan. Well worth it.

I have a land line only because it is free with my internet. I didn’t have one for years when I was with a different provider and would give it up again. It is just me in the house so it isn’t an issue.

I really struggled for a long time with my groceries. Living alone you can end up ending the same thing for days if you want to be frugal. So I bought a freezer and now I cook 2 meals a week. Ones that I can freeze and then pop in the oven after defrosting so it doesn’t feel like a frozen meal. This means I can save money (no buying food because I want something different) and I can eat something different every night. I also tend to make vegetarian meals that use beans and lentils for protein. I waste so much less food this way too.

Also popcorn. Cheap cheap snack. The salt probably isn’t good for me tho but it taste so much better.

Lunch burritos. I make a big batch at a time (think 20) and freeze them. If I dont’ have time to prepare lunch, there is always something in the freezer. I don’t have to buy something which is what everyone else at work does. This has saved me many times. I used to do this for breakfast too. Always had a muffin with egg and bacon frozen that I could throw in the microwave when I got to work if I was running behind. Saves buying breakfast on the go.

In summer I turn the hot water off. We get 40-50 degree (c) weather in summer and i don’t need it for showers. I just wash all the dishes in the dishwasher. Lower electricity bill and I don’t have to hand wash dishes. win win.

I also let myself get used to the heat. People survived without air conditioning for years. I only turn mine on when the cat gets cranky in the heat or if my mother is coming over. I’m used to the heat now. (I do turn it on for 10 minutes here or there to keep it running but only for that purpose.

The annual holiday is taken with extended family. We rent one house by the beach and squish in. We share the cost and the closeness doesn’t matter because it is only 1 week and we spend the day at the beach anyway.

 

[DarkLight]

If you’re really looking to save money, ramen noodles themselves (the noodles themselves, not the seasoning) aren’t bad. Actual ramen tends to be kind of a Japanese “eat what you have” soup - throw in a boiled egg or two, slices of whatever meat you like, veggies - basically, cook the noodles in broth and throw whatever you’d like in there.

Do you guys think a small freezer is a worthwhile investment? I think I can get one for $75-$100. I’m thinking if I’m renting a room with people it might not be appreciated if I stock a bunch of freezer meals in the main freezer.

 

[Xantippe]

If you’re really looking to save money, ramen noodles themselves (the noodles themselves, not the seasoning) aren’t bad. Actual ramen tends to be kind of a Japanese “eat what you have” soup - throw in a boiled egg or two, slices of whatever meat you like, veggies - basically, cook the noodles in broth and throw whatever you’d like in there.

Do you guys think a small freezer is a worthwhile investment? I think I can get one for $75-$100. I’m thinking if I’m renting a room with people it might not be appreciated if I stock a bunch of freezer meals in the main freezer.

Maybe once you’re settled in.

 

[Bonnie]

Do you guys think a small freezer is a worthwhile investment? I think I can get one for $75-$100. I’m thinking if I’m renting a room with people it might not be appreciated if I stock a bunch of freezer meals in the main freezer.

I think it is IF you use it for storing on sale items & IF you don’t open it & root around for food every day. You do have to be organized - I’m not very.

But what I’ve learned over the years is to keep only long term frozen foods in the big freezer. Generally all I have in there is meat of different types (bought on sale), butter (bought on sale), fruit from our garden, & the occasional bag of frozen veggies (bought on sale).

I keep the fruit & veggies in the door, and the butter & different kinds of meat on separate shelves. That way I’m not standing there with the door open wondering where the heck did I put such & such.

Get a freezer thermometer & make sure the temperature is zero. Up to 10 degrees is OK, but above that you’ll be wasting food & money. Chill warm or room temp food in the fridge before putting it in the freezer.

 

[Bonnie]

Anyone know a good healthy substitute for pasta? I have a lot of pasta dishes (it’s cheap), but I’m trying to back off on the whole white bread thing.

Has anyone mentioned rice yet? Generic or on-sale brown rice can be as cheap as white rice & tastes great. You can cook up extra & store it in the fridge or freezer. Back when I ate grains, I would brown leftover rice in a skillet with butter & add eggs. My husband still gets that as a treat from time to time.

 

[CatholicSheila]

Do you guys think a small freezer is a worthwhile investment? I think I can get one for $75-$100. I’m thinking if I’m renting a room with people it might not be appreciated if I stock a bunch of freezer meals in the main freezer.

I’m single and I’ve found it worth while. It allow me to vary my meals. I make 1-2 main meals a week and the majority go in the freezer. It only took me about 3 weeks to get enough different meals in there for it to make a difference. I impulse bought food less (because of the variety) and I ate better (the impulses weren’t good choices). I’m very pleased with how it has worked.

1. it is cheaper to eat because you’re cooking full meals not ‘meals for one’. Once I started doing this, my grocery bill dropped by 1/3.
2. you have more variety. Without the freezer you make one main meal and try to eat it for 4 days. That is difficult to do constantly. It gets boring. I find then I want to go out and buy something I want.
3. It allows me to see something that is a really good sale and buy it, even if I know I won’t eat it straight away. I can either just freeze it and use it when appropriate, or cook it immediately into one of my meals which are then frozen.

 

[Xantippe]

I’m single and I’ve found it worth while. It allow me to vary my meals. I make 1-2 main meals a week and the majority go in the freezer. It only took me about 3 weeks to get enough different meals in there for it to make a difference. I impulse bought food less (because of the variety) and I ate better (the impulses weren’t good choices). I’m very pleased with how it has worked.

1. it is cheaper to eat because you’re cooking full meals not ‘meals for one’. Once I started doing this, my grocery bill dropped by 1/3.
2. you have more variety. Without the freezer you make one main meal and try to eat it for 4 days. That is difficult to do constantly. It gets boring. I find then I want to go out and buy something I want.
3. It allows me to see something that is a really good sale and buy it, even if I know I won’t eat it straight away. I can either just freeze it and use it when appropriate, or cook it immediately into one of my meals which are then frozen.

Very good points!

In our family, I have come to value the freezer as a wonderful preservation method for baked goods. It could be especially nice for a single person. For example, let’s say you bake a dozen pumpkin muffins. You don’t really want to eat all of those yourself before they go stale, but if you keep a few out and freeze the rest, you can have one whenever you want later and add a lot of variety to your diet.

 

[DarkLight]

I think it is IF you use it for storing on sale items & IF you don’t open it & root around for food every day. You do have to be organized - I’m not very.

But what I’ve learned over the years is to keep only long term frozen foods in the big freezer. Generally all I have in there is meat of different types (bought on sale), butter (bought on sale), fruit from our garden, & the occasional bag of frozen veggies (bought on sale).

I keep the fruit & veggies in the door, and the butter & different kinds of meat on separate shelves. That way I’m not standing there with the door open wondering where the heck did I put such & such.

Get a freezer thermometer & make sure the temperature is zero. Up to 10 degrees is OK, but above that you’ll be wasting food & money. Chill warm or room temp food in the fridge before putting it in the freezer.

Freezer for me is more to have a bunch of homemade freezer meals - think things like soup, or pre-marinated chicken, or pasta sauce. I’ve found I tend to not like to cook after work, so it’s just easier to have something prepared that I can pop in the stove or on the microwave so I’m not tempted to order pizza. Plus it lets me take advantage of buying and cooking in bulk if I can store things.

The ones I’m looking are between 1 and 2 cubic feet. Not the big chest freezers like my grandparents have - I pity whoever has to deal with those when my grandmother passes on.

 

[Bonnie]

The ones I’m looking are between 1 and 2 cubic feet. Not the big chest freezers like my grandparents have - I pity whoever has to deal with those when my grandmother passes on.

That small you don’t have to worry about the temp being zero - there’s no way it will hold a year’s worth of food! Just make sure you date & rotate everything.

 

[1990Domer]

Has anyone mentioned rice yet? Generic or on-sale brown rice can be as cheap as white rice & tastes great. You can cook up extra & store it in the fridge or freezer. Back when I ate grains, I would brown leftover rice in a skillet with butter & add eggs. My husband still gets that as a treat from time to time.

There’s also whole wheat pasta.

 

[Xantippe]

Be a little cautious about the storage of whole grain items, though.

They don’t have quite the shelf life of the super processed stuff.

wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/cooking-whole-grains/storing-whole-grains

“Whole grains must be stored a bit more carefully than their refined counterparts, since the healthy oils found largely in the germ of whole grains can be negatively affected by heat, light and moisture.”

“Whole Intact Grains: The shelf life of whole intact grains, like wheat berries or brown rice, is a bit longer than flours. If stored properly in airtight containers, intact grains will keep for up to 6 months on a cool, dry pantry shelf or up to a year in the freezer.”

“Whole Grain Flours and Meals: In general, whole grain flours spoil more quickly than intact grains, because their protective bran layer has been broken up and oxygen can reach all parts of the grain. If stored properly in airtight containers, most whole grain flours and meals will keep for 1 to 3 months on a cool, dry pantry shelf or 2 to 6 months in the freezer.”

I keep whole grain flours in the freezer, as well as any other flour that doesn’t fit in my air-tight canisters.

 

[ToeInTheWater]

If you’re really looking to save money, ramen noodles themselves (the noodles themselves, not the seasoning) aren’t bad. Actual ramen tends to be kind of a Japanese “eat what you have” soup - throw in a boiled egg or two, slices of whatever meat you like, veggies - basically, cook the noodles in broth and throw whatever you’d like in there.

You can also just break an egg directly into the broth to poach it, that saves the time of boiling it separately. As for the seasoning, it is certainly high in sodium, but I usually only use about half of the packet. What to do with the rest? Well, as it is powdered, it actually works well to season fried rice with similar Asian flavors.

While they’re not exactly a balanced meal by themselves, I agree that ramen noodles can be both cheap and fairly healthy if you add vegetables (even a few scallions make a difference and cabbage also works) and some kind of protein (yes I do eat tofu).

Do you guys think a small freezer is a worthwhile investment? I think I can get one for $75-$100. I’m thinking if I’m renting a room with people it might not be appreciated if I stock a bunch of freezer meals in the main freezer.

Hmm, that might be a good idea for me, too. I certainly don’t have room in my apartment for a large chest freezer, but my “top of the fridge” freezer is pretty much full.

I’d also recommend that investing in a “FoodSaver” or other brand of vacuum sealer bags, might be a good idea if you’re planning on freezing food for long term storage. Vacuum sealing also helps keep foods like cheese and cold cuts longer in the fridge.

Be a little cautious about the storage of whole grain items, though.

They don’t have quite the shelf life of the super processed stuff.

wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/cooking-whole-grains/storing-whole-grains

“Whole grains must be stored a bit more carefully than their refined counterparts, since the healthy oils found largely in the germ of whole grains can be negatively affected by heat, light and moisture.”

Yep, the oils will eventually go rancid and then the grains will be inedible – not sure if they’d actually harm you to eat them, but they’d be very unappetizing.

I keep whole grain flours in the freezer, as well as any other flour that doesn’t fit in my air-tight canisters.

Likely for similar reasons, my mother stores coffee beans in the freezer.

ETA: I just thought of yet another quick cheap meal option that I’ve used; simply warm up some oil-packed tuna in a pan, add cooked pasta, some kind of vegetable, and some grated cheese. No additional oil or sauce needed. I also usually add some “Italian seasoning” in a grinder to add flavor.

 

[Xantippe]

You can also just break an egg directly into the broth to poach it, that saves the time of boiling it separately. As for the seasoning, it is certainly high in sodium, but I usually only use about half of the packet. What to do with the rest? Well, as it is powdered, it actually works well to season fried rice with similar Asian flavors.

While they’re not exactly a balanced meal by themselves, I agree that ramen noodles can be both cheap and fairly healthy if you add vegetables (even a few scallions make a difference and cabbage also works) and some kind of protein (yes I do eat tofu).

Hmm, that might be a good idea for me, too. I certainly don’t have room in my apartment for a large chest freezer, but my “top of the fridge” freezer is pretty much full.

I’d also recommend that investing in a “FoodSaver” or other brand of vacuum sealer bags, might be a good idea if you’re planning on freezing food for long term storage. Vacuum sealing also helps keep foods like cheese and cold cuts longer in the fridge.

Yep, the oils will eventually go rancid and then the grains will be inedible – not sure if they’d actually harm you to eat them, but they’d be very unappetizing.

Likely for similar reasons, my mother stores coffee beans in the freezer.

Oh, yeah.

We also keep our bread machine yeast in there, too. It lasts seemingly forever in there.

We’ve also done stuff like cooking up a large batch of meat, using part of it, and then storing leftovers cut up in the freezer. I’ve found this very handy with regard to salads–just pull out as much chicken as desired.

Likewise with onion. Ever notice how you never use exactly one onion and there’s always some leftover?

Basically, freezers are magical time and food-savers.

I wouldn’t get too hard core into storing large quantities (as other people have mentioned, food losses are so SAD), but a freezer has many uses.

 

[pensmama87]

Oh, yeah.

We also keep our bread machine yeast in there, too. It lasts seemingly forever in there.

We’ve also done stuff like cooking up a large batch of meat, using part of it, and then storing leftovers cut up in the freezer. I’ve found this very handy with regard to salads–just pull out as much chicken as desired.

**Likewise with onion. Ever notice how you never use exactly one onion and there’s always some leftover?
**
Basically, freezers are magical time and food-savers.

I wouldn’t get too hard core into storing large quantities (as other people have mentioned, food losses are so SAD), but a freezer has many uses.

… You’re right that I never use exactly one onion. I always use two or three.

I think if you live in an area not prone to long term power outages and with easy access to ice just in case, freezers are definitely definitely worth it. We buy meat in bulk and I think the longest our power has ever been out is two hours, and that was a one-time occurrence. So that’s a risk I’m very comfortable taking.

That said, we did have a 4-5 day power outage when I was a kid, of course right after my mom stocked up on ice cream. We got to eat it for lunch, which at first seemed amazing but by the end I never thought I’d want to eat ice cream again.

But time cures many ills.

 

[Gliggle]

Does it ever get tiring though? My issue was always, I feel like I’m saving a few dollars here and there, but the big expenses never change. How much is it worth it to save $5 when you can’t do anything about the $500?

I have found for me a good way to increase frugality is to limit the time I spend at the mall or shops, and act like the stereotype of a man, and stick to only what is on the list and then get the hell out of there. Avoid sales unless they are on your list - they lie, you don’t really save much if anything. It hurts, because I love shopping, but I try to keep my eyes downcast, so that I don’t get tempted by all the bright happy displays. Groceries are a huge part of our budget and we are trying to bring our spending under control right now…

And lol at the person who only feeds their children on Wednesdays or Sundays… I can relate. good idea

 

[CatholicSheila]

Darklight: I have got a freezer which I would estimate is about 5 cubic feet. I consistently use 2-3 of this. I could make do with 2 if I had to and still have many of the benefits I listed earlier. I really encourage anyone who is single to buy a freezer. It has made keeping my grocery bill low so much easier whilst I still get some variety.

Another hack:

Shop online for groceries. I find that I spend much less. It means:

1. I can see the full cost before I check out. If it is too high, I reassess. It’s much easier than getting to a checkout in store and realising you put too much in your trolley.
2. I plan the meals I am going to make. If something is more expensive than planned, then I can change it easier. At the store, I get a bit stuck on what to do.
3. You don’t double up. If you aren’t sure whether or not you have something, you can go and check.
4. Much less impulse buying.
5. I pick up my groceries. So someone else picks them, but I don’t have to pay a delivery fee.
6. I can shop off the catalogue. It is the first thing I go through and if there is a sale that is great I can plan things around it.

I spend much less the weeks I do this compared to the weeks I don’t.

 

[1990Domer]

This may have been mentioned elsewhere, but these are many of the things I took for granted when DH was laid off.

1. Comparison shop auto and home owners insurance if you haven’t in the last 5 or more years. They give very favorable rates to the new customer, while the ones who have been loyal to 1 company pay the most.
2. watch ATM and other bank junk fees. Often, credit unions have lower rates on both.
3. unplug appliances or electronics not in use every day. Often, they are in sleep mode or have an internal or external clock. It saves on electricity and cooling bills.
4. My Suze Orman favorite–if you haven’t used something laying around your house in the past five years, chances are you are not going to. Either garage sale it or donate it and write it off your taxes (for the latter, get a receipt and list what you donated).

Many great suggestions here. Feel free to ask me tax questions, as it’s study season for me!

 

[1990Domer]

Thanks to everyone for your contributions!

I also wanted to apologize for my earlier behavior. I was being a hypocrite (or something like it), claiming in my OP I didn’t want this to be a debate topic, but doing so myself.

My parents actually taught me to “use sauce packets from restaurants” and I really didn’t want to admit they may have been wrong about this. As I mentioned before we rarely even went to McDonalds or the pizza place anyway.

After some consideration, I concede that overall, it’s probably not a really practical “hack” for most people, and there are many other ways to save money consistently.

I seem to keep offending people recently and I’m not sure why. Maybe the new CAF is a providential time for me to take a break.

I don’t think you are offending. Many people like to take condiments when they can. One day, at Taco Bell, I couldn’t find their hottest hot sauce for my son. I asked the help if they did away with it. Found out that certain customers were dumping the whole conainter of packets into their take-out bags. It raises the price for others and leads to more landfill waste. I do think a few to keep on hand if you run out is a great idea.