Almost everyone today sends messages for birthdays and other special events through e-mail, over Face-book or, some other electronic media. However, from time to time a more personal approach is appropriate like say through the mail. Such a personal approach might take the form of a greeting card.
Now there are greeting cards out there that go for $5-$6 or more but, there are also cards out there that sell for $1 or less. The $5 or more cards are a very expensive way to express a for instance, birthday wish and many $1.00 or less cards may make the sender look like they are extremely cheap and may not really care.
One solution that some people have to sending nice looking cards that cost no money at all is to reuse cards they have previously received. Now many people might think that reusing greeting cards is cheap and tacky but, in many cases it can be more fun for both the sender and receiver than what an expensive new card can achieve. For example: from her nieces and granddaughters my mother has received really nice birthday and Christmas cards that she then sends back to them the next year. Of course before sending the card back to them she crosses out the word “grandmother” and replaces it with “granddaughter” (or whatever the relationship might be). They then send the card back to her when she has a birthday or as a Christmas card. It is kind of an ongoing joke between them and with each signature a new date is added which makes these cards very special for both parties.
Of course friends and neighbors could easily join in the joke and tradition of resending the same card each year to each other. Most cards go into a drawer or into the trash but, recycled cards go into our hearts and memories and make each passing memorable occasion just a little bit more special.
So, share a special event, speacial moment or speacial time by recycling your cards with relatives, friends and neighbors and save a fortune.
Monday, December 6, 2021
Sunday, September 5, 2021
SEASONAL ENERGY SAVINGS TIPS
Energy costs are one of the few things in life that you have some control over. There are limits to controlling these costs such as maintaining a level of warmth in your home so you don’t freeze or have to replace some burst pipes. However, just stepping back and looking around the house and seeing where you may save a little money on heat be able to save you at least a modest fortune.
Caulking around windows and doors is an obvious way to save on heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer. Keeping doors shut and shutting them as soon as possible can be a valuable way of saving some hard earned dollars over a hot summer or very cold winter season. Another less costly way of controlling the temperature in your home is to open windows early in the morning to cool your house naturally during those horrible summer months. Not only will this give your air conditioner a break for a few hours but you will also get a little fresh air inside your home.
You can change the thermostat’s temperature settings depending on the time of day. This is another way you can save money without much difficulty. Keeping heat mainly in rooms you live in is another way to save some money. One house I owned had extra bedrooms that I seldom used so during the winter months I would close the heating vents into those rooms. Just make sure there are not pipes in the walls or floors in rooms that you shut the heat off. Otherwise you might be in for some expensive repairs.
Dressing appropriately for the season should help you stash some excess cash. Cool cloths in the summer and layered cloths in other seasons will allow you to personally adjust your body comfort without turning up the thermostat until you feel warm.
Over the past years I and many people I know have gone to rechargeable flashlights and outside lights as a means of saving a little bit of money on lighting. My solar lights are bright enough to light up the front porch for a few hours after the sun goes down. You might try adjusting outside lighting use depending on the moon and the clarity of the sky. When the moon is out and the sky is clear it is just like twilight all night long and I can see almost my entire front yard. The moon is a great natural security light and what I find best about it is that moonlight is free.
Rechargeable flashlights have been around for years. You can even find crank rechargeable flashlights, camp lights and radios in many sporting goods departments. I use a camp light as a night light in my bathroom and I always use crank lights when I get up and around at night. These flashlights do have to be cranked (recharged) often but the savings in battery costs alone more than makes up for the slight inconvenience of using a small amount of muscle energy to charge the flashlight.
Saving energy by using less electricity on lighting can be as easy as opening a window to let sunlight in instead of using artificial light. Even the use of a night light in your bedroom can be eliminated just by leaving your blinds open enough to see around your room. Finally, painting your rooms in lighter colors will make it easier to see at night. It’s all about that old physics thing again which tells us that dark colors are better at absorbing light and lighter colors will reflect light better.
Finally, there are many ways of saving money on energy as the seasons change. The most important thing is to plan for these changing seasons by making a list of things you can do to save some money when either the snow is blowing or the hot summer sun is beating down. All in all if you plan, you can save a fortune.
Caulking around windows and doors is an obvious way to save on heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer. Keeping doors shut and shutting them as soon as possible can be a valuable way of saving some hard earned dollars over a hot summer or very cold winter season. Another less costly way of controlling the temperature in your home is to open windows early in the morning to cool your house naturally during those horrible summer months. Not only will this give your air conditioner a break for a few hours but you will also get a little fresh air inside your home.
You can change the thermostat’s temperature settings depending on the time of day. This is another way you can save money without much difficulty. Keeping heat mainly in rooms you live in is another way to save some money. One house I owned had extra bedrooms that I seldom used so during the winter months I would close the heating vents into those rooms. Just make sure there are not pipes in the walls or floors in rooms that you shut the heat off. Otherwise you might be in for some expensive repairs.
Dressing appropriately for the season should help you stash some excess cash. Cool cloths in the summer and layered cloths in other seasons will allow you to personally adjust your body comfort without turning up the thermostat until you feel warm.
Over the past years I and many people I know have gone to rechargeable flashlights and outside lights as a means of saving a little bit of money on lighting. My solar lights are bright enough to light up the front porch for a few hours after the sun goes down. You might try adjusting outside lighting use depending on the moon and the clarity of the sky. When the moon is out and the sky is clear it is just like twilight all night long and I can see almost my entire front yard. The moon is a great natural security light and what I find best about it is that moonlight is free.
Rechargeable flashlights have been around for years. You can even find crank rechargeable flashlights, camp lights and radios in many sporting goods departments. I use a camp light as a night light in my bathroom and I always use crank lights when I get up and around at night. These flashlights do have to be cranked (recharged) often but the savings in battery costs alone more than makes up for the slight inconvenience of using a small amount of muscle energy to charge the flashlight.
Saving energy by using less electricity on lighting can be as easy as opening a window to let sunlight in instead of using artificial light. Even the use of a night light in your bedroom can be eliminated just by leaving your blinds open enough to see around your room. Finally, painting your rooms in lighter colors will make it easier to see at night. It’s all about that old physics thing again which tells us that dark colors are better at absorbing light and lighter colors will reflect light better.
Finally, there are many ways of saving money on energy as the seasons change. The most important thing is to plan for these changing seasons by making a list of things you can do to save some money when either the snow is blowing or the hot summer sun is beating down. All in all if you plan, you can save a fortune.
Sunday, May 2, 2021
INCORPORATE FRUIT TREES INTO YOUR LANDSCAPE AND SAVE A FORTUNE
In one of my previous incarnations I managed garden centers. Gardening has always been one of my favorite hobbies as it was for my parents and grandparents. My mother has a copy of a will that one of her ancestors left back in the 1600’s in which the most valuable asset he had to leave his family was his orchard. The second most valuable asset he had to leave his family was his collection of household pots and pans. In those days having something to harvest and eat was slightly more valuable than having something to cook your harvest with.
With the brief history that I have noted above I think it should be obvious that having things growing on your property that are edible should be part of your planning as you develop your property. Although having an orchard or large vegetable garden may not be the way you want to see your yard aesthetically, there are ways of blending in edible vegetation which might in fact compliment your yard’s overall view.
A strawberry jar on a porch might be one way of maximizing a small area for some niche delicious fruits. Strawberry plants are really quite luscious looking when cared for properly and a nice red ripe strawberry is always beautiful either on the plant or on the table.
There are many types of easy to grow fruit trees that have nice leafy vegetation, ample flowers in the spring and colorful fruits in late summer or fall. Dwarf varieties mature much faster and produce fruit much earlier that conventional fruit trees however, their harvests are equally limited by their smaller size When it comes to fruit trees apple, plum, pear, peach and apricot are most peoples favorites. There are also nut trees you might plant however, many nut trees take decades to mature to the point that they actually produce any nuts.
The great thing about fruit trees is that you can plant them in your yard just as you would any other tree that you plant for aesthetic purposes. A nice apple or plum tree will add both shade and decoration to your front or backyard and in the spring the blossoms will add ornamentation to your property just as well as a flowering shrub or any other flowering tree. An added benefit is that your unwanted fruits will help feed the wildlife in your area. Birds, squirrels, deer, raccoons and other creatures not often seen will no doubt visit your trees for their vitamin rich manna.
Finally, with the cost of food going ever higher it might be good to supplement your yearly grocery store harvest with some free or nearly free healthful foods. Insects, bacterial infections and small animals are the primary creatures who deplete your fruit harvest however, some lemon flavored dish soap suds applied sparingly to your trees about once per week will handle most unwanted consumers of your harvests. And, a couple of bug bites or patches of “scale” can be cut out of your fruit. Furthermore, at least if the fruit has a bug bite on it then it is most likely safe for human consumption unlike the pristine fruits you find in some stores. The toxins used to make fruit unblemished might do more harm to the human system then fruit grown naturally with all the scars and bug holes that are common to a healthy environment.
With the brief history that I have noted above I think it should be obvious that having things growing on your property that are edible should be part of your planning as you develop your property. Although having an orchard or large vegetable garden may not be the way you want to see your yard aesthetically, there are ways of blending in edible vegetation which might in fact compliment your yard’s overall view.
A strawberry jar on a porch might be one way of maximizing a small area for some niche delicious fruits. Strawberry plants are really quite luscious looking when cared for properly and a nice red ripe strawberry is always beautiful either on the plant or on the table.
There are many types of easy to grow fruit trees that have nice leafy vegetation, ample flowers in the spring and colorful fruits in late summer or fall. Dwarf varieties mature much faster and produce fruit much earlier that conventional fruit trees however, their harvests are equally limited by their smaller size When it comes to fruit trees apple, plum, pear, peach and apricot are most peoples favorites. There are also nut trees you might plant however, many nut trees take decades to mature to the point that they actually produce any nuts.
The great thing about fruit trees is that you can plant them in your yard just as you would any other tree that you plant for aesthetic purposes. A nice apple or plum tree will add both shade and decoration to your front or backyard and in the spring the blossoms will add ornamentation to your property just as well as a flowering shrub or any other flowering tree. An added benefit is that your unwanted fruits will help feed the wildlife in your area. Birds, squirrels, deer, raccoons and other creatures not often seen will no doubt visit your trees for their vitamin rich manna.
Finally, with the cost of food going ever higher it might be good to supplement your yearly grocery store harvest with some free or nearly free healthful foods. Insects, bacterial infections and small animals are the primary creatures who deplete your fruit harvest however, some lemon flavored dish soap suds applied sparingly to your trees about once per week will handle most unwanted consumers of your harvests. And, a couple of bug bites or patches of “scale” can be cut out of your fruit. Furthermore, at least if the fruit has a bug bite on it then it is most likely safe for human consumption unlike the pristine fruits you find in some stores. The toxins used to make fruit unblemished might do more harm to the human system then fruit grown naturally with all the scars and bug holes that are common to a healthy environment.
Monday, March 8, 2021
LOOK OVER YOUR INCOME TAXES AND SAVE A FORTURNE
I have always made out my own taxes ever since I was a high school student and my Economics teacher showed my class how to fill out tax forms. In college I was a business major and I went on to MBA School. I of course had several classes in accounting, finance and, economics. I was a member of Sigma Iota Epsilon which is a business fraternity for exceptional business students. I also had additional professional training in real estate, insurance and, estate planning. I have also managed and owned several businesses over the years. I have also been a stock investor/trader for more than twenty years and an investor in collectables for more than 40 years. Still, every time I read through the IRS tax code books and booklets I learn new ways of saving and even making money from the tax code.
The only problem with the tax code is that it changes every single year. Therefore, planning on getting a tax credit or deduction from one year to the next is problematic since our elections are on a two year cycle and each new congress makes changes to the tax code. There is also a lag between a law being enacted and the same law being implemented. That is why you need to have a very competent tax professional to prepare your taxes and having a professional to rely on is absolutely imperative if you want to get all the deductions and tax credits.
The very rich who are very smart, have armies of accountants and attorneys making sure that they pay little if any taxes. Most people do not have the resources to hire people to examine their taxes for a zero tax or even a positive cash flow from the IRS. That’s why you should review your own taxes even if you have someone else make it out.
A cursory examination of your tax forms might find some mistakes your tax preparer might make but, if you take the time to read through the IRS books and booklets you might find even more ways to keep your tax bill low or even getting money back from the government in excess of what you paid in over the past year. Even if your tax preparer does a perfect job of filling out your taxes perhaps there might be some odd things you could use to decrease your tax burden.
I recommend that everyone read through all tax books and booklets that cover deductions and tax credits. Even if you don’t find any money in your examination of these tax books and booklets you might get some ideas on how to spend money in the next year that might save you a or make you some money.
Now if you have questions about your taxes you can ask either your tax preparer or contact the IRS. I have always found that individual IRS agents to be very informative and helpful.
Overall, you can possibly find some ways to save or make money by reviewing your tax forms both forms that are state and federal. Deductions and credits for home interest, medical costs, heating fuel costs, heating incentives (woodstoves, solar, wind etc.,) and various financial losses can help make your personal tax burden decrease. Financial losses might just be paper losses like those from limited partnerships or real estate and other depreciations. After reading through the IRS literature if you have questions don’t be afraid to ask the IRS. There may also be state and local deductions you might find when paying your local taxes. Currently, Michigan allows many elderly and low income individuals to receive up to 60% back on their homestead property taxes.
You might want to review the taxes you paid in previous years to see if you might get some money back. You have the right to file an amendment to your taxes over the past few years in order to get back money that the government owes to you.
The only problem with the tax code is that it changes every single year. Therefore, planning on getting a tax credit or deduction from one year to the next is problematic since our elections are on a two year cycle and each new congress makes changes to the tax code. There is also a lag between a law being enacted and the same law being implemented. That is why you need to have a very competent tax professional to prepare your taxes and having a professional to rely on is absolutely imperative if you want to get all the deductions and tax credits.
The very rich who are very smart, have armies of accountants and attorneys making sure that they pay little if any taxes. Most people do not have the resources to hire people to examine their taxes for a zero tax or even a positive cash flow from the IRS. That’s why you should review your own taxes even if you have someone else make it out.
A cursory examination of your tax forms might find some mistakes your tax preparer might make but, if you take the time to read through the IRS books and booklets you might find even more ways to keep your tax bill low or even getting money back from the government in excess of what you paid in over the past year. Even if your tax preparer does a perfect job of filling out your taxes perhaps there might be some odd things you could use to decrease your tax burden.
I recommend that everyone read through all tax books and booklets that cover deductions and tax credits. Even if you don’t find any money in your examination of these tax books and booklets you might get some ideas on how to spend money in the next year that might save you a or make you some money.
Now if you have questions about your taxes you can ask either your tax preparer or contact the IRS. I have always found that individual IRS agents to be very informative and helpful.
Overall, you can possibly find some ways to save or make money by reviewing your tax forms both forms that are state and federal. Deductions and credits for home interest, medical costs, heating fuel costs, heating incentives (woodstoves, solar, wind etc.,) and various financial losses can help make your personal tax burden decrease. Financial losses might just be paper losses like those from limited partnerships or real estate and other depreciations. After reading through the IRS literature if you have questions don’t be afraid to ask the IRS. There may also be state and local deductions you might find when paying your local taxes. Currently, Michigan allows many elderly and low income individuals to receive up to 60% back on their homestead property taxes.
You might want to review the taxes you paid in previous years to see if you might get some money back. You have the right to file an amendment to your taxes over the past few years in order to get back money that the government owes to you.
Monday, March 1, 2021
SAVING MONEY ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS
The following is an excerpt from an e-mail sent out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has some good ideas for those of us with septic systems that will definitely help us "Save A Fortune".
Problems, Protect Environment
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched "SepticSmart," a new program encouraging homeowners to take steps to maintain their home septic systems, preventing costly repairs, inconvenience and pollution to local waterways, which poses risks to public health and the environment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 25 percent of U.S. households—more than 26 million homes—and almost one-third of new developments are serviced by septic systems.
EPA launched SepticSmart to promote proper septic system care and maintenance. This national program aims to educate homeowners about proper daily system use and the need for periodic septic system maintenance. SepticSmart also provides industry practitioners, local governments and community organizations with tools and materials to educate their clients and residents.
SepticSmart tips include:
Spread out laundry and dishwasher loads throughout the day. Consider fixing plumbing leaks and installing faucet aerators and water-efficient products. Too much water use at once can overload your system, particularly if it hasn’t been pumped in the last couple of years.
Avoid pouring fats, grease and solids down the drain, which can clog your system.
Homeowners should have their septic system inspected every three years by a licensed contractor and have their tank pumped when necessary, generally every three to five years. Regular inspection and pumping of a septic system can save homeowners from costly repairs—on average, it costs homeowners $250 to pump their septic system, while the average cost of replacing a conventional septic system is $5,000 - $10,000. As the holidays approach, consider having your tank inspected and pumped.
Ask guests to only to put things in the toilet that belong there. Dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, and cat litter can clog and potentially damage septic systems.
Remind guests not to park or drive on your system’s drainfield because the vehicle weight could damage buried pipes or disrupt underground flow causing system backups and floods.
Problems, Protect Environment
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched "SepticSmart," a new program encouraging homeowners to take steps to maintain their home septic systems, preventing costly repairs, inconvenience and pollution to local waterways, which poses risks to public health and the environment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 25 percent of U.S. households—more than 26 million homes—and almost one-third of new developments are serviced by septic systems.
EPA launched SepticSmart to promote proper septic system care and maintenance. This national program aims to educate homeowners about proper daily system use and the need for periodic septic system maintenance. SepticSmart also provides industry practitioners, local governments and community organizations with tools and materials to educate their clients and residents.
SepticSmart tips include:
Avoid pouring fats, grease and solids down the drain, which can clog your system.
Homeowners should have their septic system inspected every three years by a licensed contractor and have their tank pumped when necessary, generally every three to five years. Regular inspection and pumping of a septic system can save homeowners from costly repairs—on average, it costs homeowners $250 to pump their septic system, while the average cost of replacing a conventional septic system is $5,000 - $10,000. As the holidays approach, consider having your tank inspected and pumped.
Ask guests to only to put things in the toilet that belong there. Dental floss, disposable diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, cigarette butts, and cat litter can clog and potentially damage septic systems.
Remind guests not to park or drive on your system’s drainfield because the vehicle weight could damage buried pipes or disrupt underground flow causing system backups and floods.
Monday, February 22, 2021
THE REFRIGERATOR IS A TREASURE CHEST
Most people have a good deal of their paycheck each week ending up in their refrigerator, freezer or, pantry. Many people already believe that by shopping sales, using coupons, substituting store brands for name brands etc., they are already doing all that they can to save money on their food bill. But, saving money when you purchase your food is one way to save however, you can still save much more by simply managing your food better once you get it into your house. Just think about the price you pay for food items you have to throw out each week. If you could save $10 each week by better managing your food waste, you could save $520.00 per year. That is at least a small fortune in these hard times. Get use to saving on food waste and over a lifetime you will have saved a modest fortune. Therefore, just by better managing what you have, your refrigerator will become a treasure chest.
The first thing you need to do before you even go to the grocery store is to make a list of items you need. This should entail going through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and, wherever else you happen to store food. This way you purchase what you need rather than purchasing items which are not needed. Grocery items, even canned goods, are perishable and are generally dated with either “use by” or “sell by” dates. You should arrange like items so that close dated items are in the front and items with older dates (dates further out into the future) are behind those with close dates. A lot of money is wasted because people don’t pay attention to the dates on their groceries until they find that they have an entire gallon of spoiled milk in the refrigerator. Or, maybe their eggs have a funky smell when they go to make up a batch of cookies. Of course anything that I think might be spoiled I toss out to the garbage. Saving money is great but, getting sick is not worth saving fifty cents on some raunchy mayonnaise.
One way to combat having to throw close dated items out is to of course find ways to use the items quickly. Most meat items you can freeze and thus, prolong their usability for months. Most bake goods can also be frozen for future use. If you have a lot of eggs then perhaps you could make up some baked goods to freeze. You could also boil the eggs and pickle them in vinegar. I’ve often used up extra eggs by making up a large number of pancakes and then freezing them for future microwave breakfasts.
Produce items don’t usually have dates but, they usually will not last more than a few days in the refrigerator or on your counter. There are reasons to keep certain items like potatoes and tomatoes on you counter and not the refrigerator where they will keep longer however, I do have an idea or two on how you can keep potatoes in your refrigerator. I keep tomatoes inside my refrigerator. Inside or outside the refrigerator tomatoes keep for such a short time that I really do not notice much change in texture by keeping them refrigerated. It does add a few days of use if they are refrigerated. Potatoes can be kept in your crisper however; they will wither up over time. They wither because they are becoming dehydrated in the cold just like your house gets dry during cold winter months. You can at least partly replace the moisture in your potatoes or most vegetables by soaking them in water. Cutting off the end (butt) of your lettuce, soaking it in water and placing it back in the refrigerator, will crisp it up nicely.
Almost all fruits can be frozen and/or juiced. Even bananas can be frozen for later use in banana bread. You can even freeze them with the skins on. Just make sure your bananas are really ripe before you freeze them if you want really good banana bread.
Leftover meat, pasta, rice, vegetable, bread and, many desert dishes can be divided up into serving sized storage containers and frozen. You can even make up your own TV dinners. I save my old TV dinner and frozen entrée trays and reuse them this way. I just wrap them up in freezer wrap. The advantage of freezing leftover versus just leaving the dishes in the refrigerator is that many times people do not want to eat the same dish two or more days in a row. By the time they are ready or willing to eat the dish again it has spoiled while sitting in the refrigerator.
One way to save a little on items you throw out is to buy items you don’t use much of in smaller quantities. For example: if you only use a small amount of mayonnaise from a large jar before you have to throw the jar away, buy a bottle that approximates the size you will be using. Buying things in large quantity can save money only if you are not throwing the extra away. If you can only consume twelve eggs before the expiration date comes up then why would you spend extra money to buy three dozen?
Condiments can be a real source of waste in the refrigerator. Older condiments I like to try to use up as perhaps a glaze on some ribs, a ham or, even a roast. Older bottles of fruit juice can also be used to glaze and flavor meats. In order to get ketchup that is stuck in the bottom out, I will add just a little bit of vinegar to the bottle and then swoosh it around until the ketchup can be poured out. The point is when I see something is getting old but it is not yet spoiled, I will try to use it up as soon as possible. Overall, a few extra minutes each day can make an impact on the money you save. To misquote Ben Franklin: A penny saved is better than a penny earned because on the money you save you do not have to pay taxes.
The first thing you need to do before you even go to the grocery store is to make a list of items you need. This should entail going through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and, wherever else you happen to store food. This way you purchase what you need rather than purchasing items which are not needed. Grocery items, even canned goods, are perishable and are generally dated with either “use by” or “sell by” dates. You should arrange like items so that close dated items are in the front and items with older dates (dates further out into the future) are behind those with close dates. A lot of money is wasted because people don’t pay attention to the dates on their groceries until they find that they have an entire gallon of spoiled milk in the refrigerator. Or, maybe their eggs have a funky smell when they go to make up a batch of cookies. Of course anything that I think might be spoiled I toss out to the garbage. Saving money is great but, getting sick is not worth saving fifty cents on some raunchy mayonnaise.
One way to combat having to throw close dated items out is to of course find ways to use the items quickly. Most meat items you can freeze and thus, prolong their usability for months. Most bake goods can also be frozen for future use. If you have a lot of eggs then perhaps you could make up some baked goods to freeze. You could also boil the eggs and pickle them in vinegar. I’ve often used up extra eggs by making up a large number of pancakes and then freezing them for future microwave breakfasts.
Produce items don’t usually have dates but, they usually will not last more than a few days in the refrigerator or on your counter. There are reasons to keep certain items like potatoes and tomatoes on you counter and not the refrigerator where they will keep longer however, I do have an idea or two on how you can keep potatoes in your refrigerator. I keep tomatoes inside my refrigerator. Inside or outside the refrigerator tomatoes keep for such a short time that I really do not notice much change in texture by keeping them refrigerated. It does add a few days of use if they are refrigerated. Potatoes can be kept in your crisper however; they will wither up over time. They wither because they are becoming dehydrated in the cold just like your house gets dry during cold winter months. You can at least partly replace the moisture in your potatoes or most vegetables by soaking them in water. Cutting off the end (butt) of your lettuce, soaking it in water and placing it back in the refrigerator, will crisp it up nicely.
Almost all fruits can be frozen and/or juiced. Even bananas can be frozen for later use in banana bread. You can even freeze them with the skins on. Just make sure your bananas are really ripe before you freeze them if you want really good banana bread.
Leftover meat, pasta, rice, vegetable, bread and, many desert dishes can be divided up into serving sized storage containers and frozen. You can even make up your own TV dinners. I save my old TV dinner and frozen entrée trays and reuse them this way. I just wrap them up in freezer wrap. The advantage of freezing leftover versus just leaving the dishes in the refrigerator is that many times people do not want to eat the same dish two or more days in a row. By the time they are ready or willing to eat the dish again it has spoiled while sitting in the refrigerator.
One way to save a little on items you throw out is to buy items you don’t use much of in smaller quantities. For example: if you only use a small amount of mayonnaise from a large jar before you have to throw the jar away, buy a bottle that approximates the size you will be using. Buying things in large quantity can save money only if you are not throwing the extra away. If you can only consume twelve eggs before the expiration date comes up then why would you spend extra money to buy three dozen?
Condiments can be a real source of waste in the refrigerator. Older condiments I like to try to use up as perhaps a glaze on some ribs, a ham or, even a roast. Older bottles of fruit juice can also be used to glaze and flavor meats. In order to get ketchup that is stuck in the bottom out, I will add just a little bit of vinegar to the bottle and then swoosh it around until the ketchup can be poured out. The point is when I see something is getting old but it is not yet spoiled, I will try to use it up as soon as possible. Overall, a few extra minutes each day can make an impact on the money you save. To misquote Ben Franklin: A penny saved is better than a penny earned because on the money you save you do not have to pay taxes.
Sunday, February 14, 2021
CHANGE DIET: SAVE MONEY AND MAYBE LOOSE WEIGHT
There are several ways that minor changes in diet can help you cut your calories and also increase your savings. However, no one should make any drastic changes to their diet without consulting their doctor. What is suggested in this blog are just a few ways you can save money on your grocery bill while at the same time cutting back on some general items which might help fight the “battle of the bulge”. These ideas are ones that I and people I know have tried in order to increase savings and decrease spending.
Cutting back on portions and substituting food items are the two main ways of saving money. Starting with breakfast it is easy to see where grocery bills could be brought down. Perhaps instead of eating two eggs, two slices of toast and, two slices of bacon you might try having just one egg, one slice of toast and one slice of bacon. The same goes for your consumption of coffee or other beverage. Perhaps eating dry toast once in a while or poached instead of fried eggs might be a way of cutting back on fat consumption which in turn cuts back on what you spend at the grocery store. Dry toast does not have to plain toast since you can try a bit of cinnamon on it for flavor. If you’re a cereal eater try eating a bowl of oat meal once in a while in the place of a perhaps very sugary and costly cereal.
For a snack break you might try eating some crackers with jelly or jam on them. I have found this to be a good way of curbing the mid-morning desire for a pastry. The crackers I liked to use when I worked out were just plain saltines and the jam was homemade and the fruit came from my garden or my fruit trees. The saltines and jam snacks cost just a fraction of a deep fried jelly or creamed filled doughnut and I would say the calories, at least the ones from fat were much less. Crackers with cheese or crackers with peanut butter might be another way to go if you don’t like jelly.
Taking your lunch to work really will save you at least a small fortune over time. I liked peanut butter and/or jelly but certainly tuna, chicken, ham and other meats and vegetables always made for a nice meal at work. You can also eat much leaner meats and in proper portions by making your own sandwich and taking it to work. Usually, restaurant and deli sandwiches have huge buns stacked with some very fatty meats. You might also try bringing in some fresh veggies or fruit to spice up your lunch. Soup or homemade chili from home might be just the type of lunch that keeps your calories low, your food cost low and, maybe you might just be getting food with a bit more nutrition in it.
I remember for years that my mom would carve up the turkey, chicken or, roast beef from our traditional Sunday dinner and make up sandwiches for my dads lunch. She would freeze the sandwiches so they would keep for at least the next week. My dad would usually get some vegetable or fruit in his lunch which would come out of the garden or off the fruit trees.
Supper is the last meal of the day and can be one where you find a great deal of savings simply by cutting back the portions you eat. My sister and brother-in-law lost a tremendous amount of weight simply by eating foods in portions which are recommended. Every recipe and every frozen food will have suggested serving sizes. Unfortunately, for most of us we ignore the suggested serving sizes and simply eat until our stomachs can hold no more. For myself I know that overeating at supper time was a way of finding comfort from a very stressful day at work. Most of us should go for a walk to get rid of stress rather than overeating.
Well, my sister battled the temptation of overeating at supper time by fixing up dinners in plastic containers which contained foods in their proper proportions. By having foods measured out in their proper proportions it is harder to overeat the main course and then skip out on the very nutritional courses of fruits and vegetables. The main course is usually a meat and with the fantastic prices of meat today it can save a lot of money by not filling up on it and skipping the rest of your meal.
Finally, you have night time snacks to deal with. You can try serving your favorite snack in small bowls, bags or, sacks. Like with supper, serving corn chips, potato chips and other snacks in proportions that are closer to serving and nutritional size might be a way to curb consumption. Curbing consumption curbs costs, calories and all the other nasty things like fats and salts. Also, try substituting popcorn for fatty snacks. Everyone wants butter and salt on their popcorn but, at least if you pop the popcorn the old fashioned way you can curb the intakes of the bad stuff. I’d suggest substituting vegetables from the garden for snacks when you can but, most people want high carbohydrate snacks at night so, popcorn or perhaps cheese and crackers might be cheaper and healthier than any kind of deep fried snack.
Remember, the above a re just suggestions and you should consult your doctor before you make any drastic changes to your diet however, eating healthier while eating foods that are more wallet friendly will save you a fortune over time.
Cutting back on portions and substituting food items are the two main ways of saving money. Starting with breakfast it is easy to see where grocery bills could be brought down. Perhaps instead of eating two eggs, two slices of toast and, two slices of bacon you might try having just one egg, one slice of toast and one slice of bacon. The same goes for your consumption of coffee or other beverage. Perhaps eating dry toast once in a while or poached instead of fried eggs might be a way of cutting back on fat consumption which in turn cuts back on what you spend at the grocery store. Dry toast does not have to plain toast since you can try a bit of cinnamon on it for flavor. If you’re a cereal eater try eating a bowl of oat meal once in a while in the place of a perhaps very sugary and costly cereal.
For a snack break you might try eating some crackers with jelly or jam on them. I have found this to be a good way of curbing the mid-morning desire for a pastry. The crackers I liked to use when I worked out were just plain saltines and the jam was homemade and the fruit came from my garden or my fruit trees. The saltines and jam snacks cost just a fraction of a deep fried jelly or creamed filled doughnut and I would say the calories, at least the ones from fat were much less. Crackers with cheese or crackers with peanut butter might be another way to go if you don’t like jelly.
Taking your lunch to work really will save you at least a small fortune over time. I liked peanut butter and/or jelly but certainly tuna, chicken, ham and other meats and vegetables always made for a nice meal at work. You can also eat much leaner meats and in proper portions by making your own sandwich and taking it to work. Usually, restaurant and deli sandwiches have huge buns stacked with some very fatty meats. You might also try bringing in some fresh veggies or fruit to spice up your lunch. Soup or homemade chili from home might be just the type of lunch that keeps your calories low, your food cost low and, maybe you might just be getting food with a bit more nutrition in it.
I remember for years that my mom would carve up the turkey, chicken or, roast beef from our traditional Sunday dinner and make up sandwiches for my dads lunch. She would freeze the sandwiches so they would keep for at least the next week. My dad would usually get some vegetable or fruit in his lunch which would come out of the garden or off the fruit trees.
Supper is the last meal of the day and can be one where you find a great deal of savings simply by cutting back the portions you eat. My sister and brother-in-law lost a tremendous amount of weight simply by eating foods in portions which are recommended. Every recipe and every frozen food will have suggested serving sizes. Unfortunately, for most of us we ignore the suggested serving sizes and simply eat until our stomachs can hold no more. For myself I know that overeating at supper time was a way of finding comfort from a very stressful day at work. Most of us should go for a walk to get rid of stress rather than overeating.
Well, my sister battled the temptation of overeating at supper time by fixing up dinners in plastic containers which contained foods in their proper proportions. By having foods measured out in their proper proportions it is harder to overeat the main course and then skip out on the very nutritional courses of fruits and vegetables. The main course is usually a meat and with the fantastic prices of meat today it can save a lot of money by not filling up on it and skipping the rest of your meal.
Finally, you have night time snacks to deal with. You can try serving your favorite snack in small bowls, bags or, sacks. Like with supper, serving corn chips, potato chips and other snacks in proportions that are closer to serving and nutritional size might be a way to curb consumption. Curbing consumption curbs costs, calories and all the other nasty things like fats and salts. Also, try substituting popcorn for fatty snacks. Everyone wants butter and salt on their popcorn but, at least if you pop the popcorn the old fashioned way you can curb the intakes of the bad stuff. I’d suggest substituting vegetables from the garden for snacks when you can but, most people want high carbohydrate snacks at night so, popcorn or perhaps cheese and crackers might be cheaper and healthier than any kind of deep fried snack.
Remember, the above a re just suggestions and you should consult your doctor before you make any drastic changes to your diet however, eating healthier while eating foods that are more wallet friendly will save you a fortune over time.
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