January 11, 2008

• Frugal Fridays

  

  
  

  My husband and I don’t drink as much milk now since our children have grown and moved out. But, I think this little discovery will help stretch my food budget anyway. I didn’t write down the source but it may have been Hillbilly Housewife.
  

  
  

  Here it is:

  
  

  “Buy milk in a higher fat content than you usually do so you can add water to it. For instance, we use 1% milk so I now buy 2%. When it’s time to open the gallon I pour a quart (4 cups) out of it into a pitcher. I add a quart of water back into the gallon and also add 1 cup to the quart of milk in the pitcher. For the same price as usual, we now have more than a quart extra for each gallon! Lest you say that sounds icky, you can’t tell at all. ….Stretching the milk this way works like a charm and is saving us around $5.50 a month—that’s two whole extra gallons of milk!”

  
  

  I tried this and it works great! We normally drink 1 % milk so I bought 2 % instead and followed the directions above. I couldn’t tell the difference and my husband hasn’t mentioned noticing a change, either! Better yet, my gallon of milk has lasted so much longer.

  
  

  I’ve been reading a page or two of The Tightwad Gazette at night right before I go to bed. I was very encouraged by the author’s testimony. She made it her goal to ‘save instead of buy’. So, I started thinking that I would make that my goal, too! I’ve made it my goal this last week to see how many ways I can not spend money throughout my day. I left lights off that I normally use ($ saved on electricity), I hung my clothes on drying racks ($ saved on electricity), made wood fires to avoid using the heater and I  had dinner made at home instead of buying dinner in town.

  
  

  Use it up: I have a favorite chapstick that was running low. I was going to buy a new one but decided to check my bathroom drawers and see if I had an old one and I did. So, I used it instead and saved myself the price of buying a new chapstick. I’m learning to MAKE DO and USE UP what I have on hand. It’s normally a brand that I didn’t like and set it aside.

  
  

  Do instead of buy:  I had a small toothpick holder that I dropped and broke a few weeks ago.  I kept the toothpicks next to my stove so that they are handy to test cakes. I didn’t want to spend money for a new holder so I began thinking what I had on hand that would hold the toothpicks. I realized a pill bottle was about the same size. It worked and it didn’t cost me a penny.

  
  

  Have a great weekend!
  Georgene
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

   

  • 11:25 pm
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