359 replies to this topic

[Cat]

Time to start a new thread, as the old one's grown *huge*!

page one of Part one

(It wouldn't let me link to the whole thread. )

[Canned Nerd]

Took some stale frozen bread, hotdog/hamburger rolls, that had outlived their useful life and put them in the blender to make bread crumbs. Bigger bread pieces got cut up as croutons. All went in to oven with some simple herbs to be toasted a little before going into sealed bags.

Don't know if that saved me much since it opened up a ton of space in the freezer that I want to go out to the store now to fill up.

[Aint2nuts]

Well I saved a penny or two, to see if I could resell some things. I found nice cloth table clothes Originally -- 8 dollars and more, for 1.75 and nice cloth placemats for under a dollar each. I found napkins for under 50 cents each. I plan on putting them together in sets on Ebay and selling them and see if I can make a FEW dollars on them. :-)

[HSmom]

I stayed home. No money spent.





Seriously, I worked on gathering our 2008 tax data, paying bills and the like. I also cooked lunch and dinner from scratch.

[Homemaker]

I found bags of hershey kisses in the candy cane and mint truffle flavors for 50 cents a bag. The original price was about 5 dollars. I snatched up 6 bags and sealed them up in small portions in my food sealer.
I can't have them this year because I'm on a sugar fast, but you never know when they might come in handy.
The bag said they expire in Nov. 09, but they probably want people to go out and buy fresh for next christmas.
You can't even buy a candybar for 50 cents anymore!

[Leah]

Chocolate freezes very well, Homemaker. I cram it down in the crevices between other things.
When you thaw it, sometimes it 'blooms' (those white spots) a little, but is still very good. Freezing it is the only way I can keep it around. We've used several-year-old frozen chocolate.(Sometimes it falls down and gets lost.)

[Momo]

I bought 20 pounds of fresh pecans today, for only 1$ a pound. I usually freeze them in the shell and take them out as needed.

[Homemaker]

Well, an unexpected surprise last night is forcing me to pinch the penny by learning how to repair my own washing machine.
The motor coupler is cracked. I know I can fix it if I can figure out the right way to disassemble it.
Of course, I'll need to put it back together also!
I guess I'm hand washing for the next week or so while I wait for the parts . Better go up and check out that pioneer laundry thread.

[Momo]

Proper diagnosis is the toughest part Homemaker! You go girl!

[Pixie]

Originally Posted By: Homemaker

Well, an unexpected surprise last night is forcing me to pinch the penny by learning how to repair my own washing machine.
The motor coupler is cracked. I know I can fix it if I can figure out the right way to disassemble it.
Of course, I'll need to put it back together also!
I guess I'm hand washing for the next week or so while I wait for the parts . Better go up and check out that pioneer laundry thread.

me too! I inherited several DIY books from my mom. I have been pouring over them the last day or so since my machine started stinking...still washes, but I don't want to risk a fire with the burning rubber smell and all. I totally plan on fixing it myself. Too bad I don't get a discount at the hardware store anymore!

[Homemaker]

Pixie,
Here's how I fixed it.
I searched on YouTube and came accross a guy who makes instructional videos. Several, I could watch for free to narrow down what the problem was. For only 9 something I downloaded a video that showed me how to disassemble the washer and install the new part and put it back together. The actual work time, minus searching for my tools and running back and forth to look at the video, was a half hour. It was so easy!!
Google "appliance repair videos" The guys name is Angel, and that's what he is. He saved me tons of money and frustration.

[CoM]

I hung clothes on line, watered down just a little my thick ceasar salad dressing and used conatiners instead of Zip lock bags to store some stuff in fridge.

Those Debbie Meyer Green bags work great at preserving stuff, thus reducing waste.I bought the ones for vegetables/fruits but also use them to store home made bread in.

Just wash out good & dry well.

[arby]

CoM, can you post the link to the Debbie Meyer bags for produce? I can't find my link for them! I want to get some now that I have some extra money I can put to preps.

[CoM]

arby:

https://www.greenbags.com/?cid=587776

is her site but I got mine for the same price at Bed, Bath & Beyond & saved shipping.

They claim you can use each bag up to 10 times but that you have to keep only one type of food in each bag and not put clips etc on them.

I started off trying to do that but ended up using any bag for any product and I saw no ill effects. I also now use a clip on some of them and it hasn't torn the bag.

We are well pleased with them.

[arby]

Thankyou CoM!

[Crazy4Canning]

CoM,

I understand the laundry battle. We had to this experience in May. Only despite the book, tools, and engineer experience, ours was DEAD. RIP. No CPR available. I do hope yours is as simple as replacing a belt!

Praying for you and your machine!

[Momo]

DH and I had lunch at our local chinese buffet. The owner was sitting at a table stringing green beans. I asked her if we could have the trimmings for our chickens. She said sure, and went into the kitchen and brought out a big bag of veggie scraps her hubby had just prepped in the kitchen. Great free food for our girls. Next time we go there I am going to give her some eggs to repay her.

[Dora]

I save more than a penney this week. I went into a pawn shop owned by a friend of ours, and he had a wall heater (for 1000 sq.ft space) for 100 dollars!. We had priced them at close to 200. It is set up for propane, but will have to be installed by a licensed plumber, so I am sure he can do the conversion. Then today, I sat and scrubbed on the toilet tank and bowl that was SO black from soot and oily smoke, and it ALL came off. No need to pay 50 dollars for a new one (if we can get the toy out of the throat of the thing - no wonder it was a pain to keep plungering the thing for years. (Our kids are 30 and 25) lol
Dora

[Momo]

Dora you reminded me of something Dh did. When we were building this house, DH saw an old toilet in front of a house for the city to pick up. He picked it up and brought it home. He cleaned it up for "his bathroom". He wanted 1 old fashioned toilet that used more water for when he did his business. He didn't want one of those low water ones that he would have to flush more than once.

[Josephine]

Bottom/Top/Something Roast was on sale for 1.99 a pound, so I bought about 14 lb and had the butcher at the grocery store grind it for me. Less than ground beef, and I didn't have to grind it myself. Now to can it!

Edited by Josephine, 08 February 2009 - 09:46 PM.