Mama Says

Here’s an archived post from February 2009 that appeared on the old site.
We are having special visitors this weekend and my parents are coming the week after, so I’m busy with spring cleaning.  Starting with the laundry room – our washer gasped its last breath this weekend.  When the wet clothes inside the washing machine [...]

Are you trying to decrease your disposables with the Kitchen Steward?  Or maybe it just pains your cheap soul to throw anything away.
Then why are you using aluminum foil?
If you need to cover a dish in the oven, use reusable aluminum.  No, I’m not talking about washing and saving your Reynold’s wrap.
Put your cookie sheets [...]

Sometimes it’s hard to know what a good deal actually is, especially when confronted with a wide assortment of meat cuts, some with bones, some without, some flash frozen, some untrimmed.
I’ve figured out a few basic “rules of thumb” as a guide.
Chicken
Which is cheaper, a whole bird, or boneless breasts?
According to the USDA nutrient data [...]

Many people think that they cannot afford to eat healthfully and keep their spending in check.  However, with a little forethought and a few tips, you can eat fresh, frugal food on almost any budget.
1. Buy the loss leaders. A loss leader is something sold dirt cheap on the front of a grocery store ad, [...]

Last week, I talked about how I organize my coupons.  My box holds coupons, but also is my price book and my menu planning helper, too.
What’s a price book?
A price book is a list of items you use the most often, with notes about where you can get it for the best price.  It’s your [...]

Dried beans are much cheaper than canned beans, and easier to store, too. (Also, if you drop dried beans on your toe, they won’t dent the floor!)
But what are you supposed to do with them?  They’re like little beany pebbles, and a lot of people don’t know how to get them from the bag to [...]

Saving money, a penny at a time!  You can read part 1 here. 
Now, we’ve established that energy costs are a big ongoing expense in the laundry room, and figured out how much it costs to dry clothes.  Let’s address the washing machine!
It’s more difficult to do a breakdown of costs, because unlike dryers, washing [...]

Saving money, one penny at a time!
We have an electric clothes dryer, but I’ve been wanting to put up a clothesline.  The upfront cost of a clothesline will probably run around $15 (Free husband labor is nice, isn’t it!), and I bought a foldable drying rack for $10 to set on the dryer.
How much will [...]