Frugality

Let's face it, the majority of the working class and the retired folk (like me) can use some tips on how to stretch their budget. Raising a family can wreak havoc at the supermarket and the older folks who are living longer could possibly run out of money. Start saving $$$ today!

Let's use this forum for sharing tips on how all of us can get more from our money. I'll gladly accept your comments at the end of this article and include them in this post or email them to me at dmacie4038@gmail.com. I'll be the first to share a dollar-stretching technique I used today.


Purchasing ground meat in bulk:

• I spent less than $15.00 on a large package of ground beef yesterday. I used the majority of it today when I cooked a large meatloaf for our supper this evening. We ate less than half of the meatloaf, and I put the remainder in the fridge undecided whether we'll eat it again tomorrow for supper or wrap it up and put it in the freezer for another main meal on another day. (It'll all depend on what the man of the house prefers.) There also were enough meat slices left over to make meatloaf sandwiches for lunch on another day. Additionally I made 7 pre-packaged ground beef patties to freeze for future meals. Using my ice cream scoop and my weight scale I filled 7 freezer bags with 8 oz each of the leftover ground beef. I then flattened the filled bags shaping the meat to look like a hamburger. The process gets finished by letting as much air out of the bag as possible, sealing them and placing them in the freezer one on top of the other. I figure I'll be getting eight meals from this purchase estimating the meat portion of each meal (for two diners) to cost approximately $3.00. It might be too much for a family of one so I suggest sharing the purchase with a friend and split the cost and meat. 

Lowering your utility bill:

• Our friend and neighbor Bob (retired electrician) stopped by for a visit earlier this week. In casual conversation he mentioned to us that his electric bill dropped considerably by putting a timer on his hot water tank allowing it to shut down in the evening hours when he knows he won't be using any hot water. Well, the light bulb went off and I thought what a great money-saving idea! Next trip to the hardware store we'll be buying a timer and doing the same thing. Since I'm one to run a load of laundry or even run the dishwasher at 9:00 pm, setting the timer to turn it off at 10:00 pm and back on again at 6:00 am should accommodate my schedule. You'll have to experiment what time schedule works best for you. I'll give a progress report on this at a later date. Thanks, Bob!

Ditch the deodorant (by Dr. Oz):

•  Dr. Oz says to ditch the deodorant and listen up to his home remedies to eliminate body odor which is caused by bacteria.  Did you know that vodka and vinegar help prevent body odor when applied to your armpit area? Deodorants only cover up the odor and why would you want to subject your body to all those chemicals that go into the making of anti-perspirants. His suggestion is to apply vodka or white vinegar to your underarms, because the alcohol in vodka and the acid in vinegar help to kill the bacteria. Well I wouldn't share this with anyone unless I believed in it....so....I have been substituting white vinegar for deodorant for several days now and guess what? Absolutely no BO! (Are you through laughing yet? I can think of worse things to smell like than a tossed salad.) Anyway, after it dries you can hardly smell it. And just think of all the $$ you'll be saving; a small bottle goes a very long way. In addition you'll be doing your body a favor by keeping all those nasty chemicals from entering your pores. Personally, I'm not sure if I want to waste my vodka; I'd rather be drinking that. Don't be a chicken, try it, you might like it. A little dab will do ya.

• Wanting to get serious about this I checked the ingredients on the back of several anti-perspirant deodorants I had been using.
• Bottle #1: active ingredient listed was aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY (14.8%) with the following warning posted on the backside: do not use on broken skin, ask a doctor before use if you have kidney disease, stop use if rash or irritation occurs, keep out of reach of children, if swallowed get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. In addition there were 11 inactive ingredients listed that sounded like one might want to stay away from also.
• Bottle #2: active ingredient listed was aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY (19%) with the exact same warnings and 11 inactive ingredients listed on the backside.
• Bottle #3: active ingredient listed was aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY (6.4%). The listed warnings were not visible for public view. It was necessary to peel a label off the backside to read the exact same warnings and the 9 inactive ingredients. (Makes you wonder why they hid this.)
• If you're curious about this, please visit How safe is your deodorant? and make your own determination. Be sure to read the comments listed at the bottom of the page for additional suggestions. I know one thing, I'll be checking out the crystal deodorant. Safer eco-living, one day at a time.

  Suggestions and or comments, anyone?