If you are looking for ways to prepare cheap, quick, and easy meals for your family, we have something in common! With a tight budget, five kids to feed, and not much cooking ability (what a combination!) I am all about cheap, quick, and easy in the kitchen.
My blog I Hate the Kitchen is full of recipes and ideas for feeding the family on the cheap. It is pretty much my online collection of recipes that we have made up, tried, and will try in the very near future. I prepare a lot of meals with a very limited amount of time and fixings on hand, but they usually turn out pretty good. Either that or I have hungry kids who will just about eat anything!
Check it out and let me know what you do to cook on the cheap!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Money saving tips
I hope you have enjoyed all the tips for saving money in each room of the house posted here over the last several days. By no means is it an all-inclusive list, but just a few things that my family does every day to reduce our costs and to be conscious of the environment. I love that these money-saving tips are also environmentally-friendly.
What are some things that your family does to cut costs and tread lightly on the earth?
What are some things that your family does to cut costs and tread lightly on the earth?
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saving money room by room: The baby's/children's room
Everyone says kids are expensive but there are actually a lot of practical ways to spend less on things for the kids.
Saving money in the baby's/children's room
* Use cloth diapers. They are an investment initially but that's all there is to buy other than the laundry detergent to clean them. I have not done this with my own until now, but helped cloth diaper several younger siblings. You can sew your own out of old flannel shirts and T-shirts and reduce your cost to almost nothing. Here are the directions for a couple of styles.
* If you aren't that adventurous, try store brand diapers. My favorite are at Fred's. The tabs and elastic back are unbeatable and I like the fact that there are no dyes or fragrances. A large package costs only $9.99, and sometimes they are on sale for $8.99. Kroger (Comforts brand) and Wal-Mart (Parent's Choice brand) also carry quality store brand diapers.
* Use baby washcloths in lieu of baby wipes at home. This works wonderfully. I have a stack of store-bought baby washcloths that were given to us before the baby was born that I use for cleaning up after dirty diapers.
* Use cloth to wipe little runny noses and wash dirty little hands and faces. I have a separate set of cloths that we use for this. My mom and I have made all of these from old T-shirts and thin baby blankets.
* Use soaps, shampoos, and lotions for the entire family rather than purchasing separate products for the baby. Baby products are expensive, contain fragrances and other chemicals, and for us, they just don't work! We have a couple of little ones with eczema/sensitive skin so we must be careful what we use, but white Lever 2000 soap is great for everyone. We also order our soap, shampoo, and lotion products from a wellness company called Melaleuca. The entire family uses their white bar soap, herbal shampoo, and Renew lotion.
* Recycle plastic shopping bags by using them to dispose of dirty diapers.
* Shop for kids' clothes at yard sales and secondhand stores like Goodwill. You can also pass clothes around with family and friends.
* Get LED nightlights ($1 at most dollar stores) instead of leaving a lamp or even worse, the bathroom light, on all night.
Saving money in the baby's/children's room
* Use cloth diapers. They are an investment initially but that's all there is to buy other than the laundry detergent to clean them. I have not done this with my own until now, but helped cloth diaper several younger siblings. You can sew your own out of old flannel shirts and T-shirts and reduce your cost to almost nothing. Here are the directions for a couple of styles.
* If you aren't that adventurous, try store brand diapers. My favorite are at Fred's. The tabs and elastic back are unbeatable and I like the fact that there are no dyes or fragrances. A large package costs only $9.99, and sometimes they are on sale for $8.99. Kroger (Comforts brand) and Wal-Mart (Parent's Choice brand) also carry quality store brand diapers.
* Use baby washcloths in lieu of baby wipes at home. This works wonderfully. I have a stack of store-bought baby washcloths that were given to us before the baby was born that I use for cleaning up after dirty diapers.
* Use cloth to wipe little runny noses and wash dirty little hands and faces. I have a separate set of cloths that we use for this. My mom and I have made all of these from old T-shirts and thin baby blankets.
* Use soaps, shampoos, and lotions for the entire family rather than purchasing separate products for the baby. Baby products are expensive, contain fragrances and other chemicals, and for us, they just don't work! We have a couple of little ones with eczema/sensitive skin so we must be careful what we use, but white Lever 2000 soap is great for everyone. We also order our soap, shampoo, and lotion products from a wellness company called Melaleuca. The entire family uses their white bar soap, herbal shampoo, and Renew lotion.
* Recycle plastic shopping bags by using them to dispose of dirty diapers.
* Shop for kids' clothes at yard sales and secondhand stores like Goodwill. You can also pass clothes around with family and friends.
* Get LED nightlights ($1 at most dollar stores) instead of leaving a lamp or even worse, the bathroom light, on all night.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saving money room by room: The bathroom
You can do a lot to reduce costs in the bathroom. What are some of your tips?
Saving money in the bathroom
* Take short showers. Don't brush your teeth in there.
* Make sure the little kids run just a little bit of water in the tub. For babies, use the kitchen sink (or a baby bathtub) instead of the tub for bathing.
* Use hair conditioner (or a cheap shampoo plus conditioner) to shave your legs. You already have it, it's cheaper than shaving cream, and it provides a much better barrier between your legs and the razor.
* Don't run water down the sink while you brush your teeth.
* Clean the toilet, sink, and tub with natural cleaners like baking soda, vinegar, and borax.
* Mop the floor with a little vinegar in hot water.
Baking soda has tons of beauty uses:
* Brushing your teeth. Use it plain or mixed with hydrogen peroxide.
* Washing/exfoliating your face. Use it plain or mixed with a very small amount of facial cleanser.
* Washing your hair. Use it plain or mixed with a very small amount of shampoo. I usually use it with shampoo.
Saving money in the bathroom
* Take short showers. Don't brush your teeth in there.
* Make sure the little kids run just a little bit of water in the tub. For babies, use the kitchen sink (or a baby bathtub) instead of the tub for bathing.
* Use hair conditioner (or a cheap shampoo plus conditioner) to shave your legs. You already have it, it's cheaper than shaving cream, and it provides a much better barrier between your legs and the razor.
* Don't run water down the sink while you brush your teeth.
* Clean the toilet, sink, and tub with natural cleaners like baking soda, vinegar, and borax.
* Mop the floor with a little vinegar in hot water.
Baking soda has tons of beauty uses:
* Brushing your teeth. Use it plain or mixed with hydrogen peroxide.
* Washing/exfoliating your face. Use it plain or mixed with a very small amount of facial cleanser.
* Washing your hair. Use it plain or mixed with a very small amount of shampoo. I usually use it with shampoo.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Saving money room by room: The laundry room
The laundry room is a place where you can considerably reduce costs while being environmentally-friendly. What do you do?
Saving money in the laundry room
* Make your own laundry detergent. Here's my recipe, and some other recipes as well.
* Use vinegar in the rinse cycle to boost detergent. You need less detergent when you use vinegar. It can also be used in lieu of fabric softener, again used in the washing machine. I just put a half a cup or so in when I start the water. The clothes come out clean and very fresh.
* Baking soda can also be used as a detergent booster. It also freshens clothes, gets rid of odors, and lets you use less detergent.
* Wash in the cooler part of the day, early in the morning especially. Electricity is less expensive then.
* Wash in cold water, at least the clothes. I sometimes wash towels and linens in hot, just to be sure.
* If you use fabric softener, use only half a sheet with clothes and none with towels.
* Hang your clothes, towels, linens, etc., out to dry.
* If you don't have a clothes line (I don't; I'm working on that) you can dry at least your linens and blankets by tossing them over chairs, bunk beds, the exercise machine, etc.
* Clean out the lint collector after every use and scrub it with soap and a toothbrush every couple of weeks or so. Stuff off of fabric softener sheets builds up and air can't get through.
* Keep the outside vent clear of lint. We learned this the hard way. We got rid of two probably perfectly fine secondhand dryers because they wouldn't dry our clothes. Turns out the outside vent was clogged with lint.
Saving money in the laundry room
* Make your own laundry detergent. Here's my recipe, and some other recipes as well.
* Use vinegar in the rinse cycle to boost detergent. You need less detergent when you use vinegar. It can also be used in lieu of fabric softener, again used in the washing machine. I just put a half a cup or so in when I start the water. The clothes come out clean and very fresh.
* Baking soda can also be used as a detergent booster. It also freshens clothes, gets rid of odors, and lets you use less detergent.
* Wash in the cooler part of the day, early in the morning especially. Electricity is less expensive then.
* Wash in cold water, at least the clothes. I sometimes wash towels and linens in hot, just to be sure.
* If you use fabric softener, use only half a sheet with clothes and none with towels.
* Hang your clothes, towels, linens, etc., out to dry.
* If you don't have a clothes line (I don't; I'm working on that) you can dry at least your linens and blankets by tossing them over chairs, bunk beds, the exercise machine, etc.
* Clean out the lint collector after every use and scrub it with soap and a toothbrush every couple of weeks or so. Stuff off of fabric softener sheets builds up and air can't get through.
* Keep the outside vent clear of lint. We learned this the hard way. We got rid of two probably perfectly fine secondhand dryers because they wouldn't dry our clothes. Turns out the outside vent was clogged with lint.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Saving money room by room: The kitchen
Here are a few tips for saving money in the kitchen. What do you do to reduce costs in the kitchen?
Saving money in the kitchen
* Run a sinkful of water for rinsing dishes instead of running the water.
* Make your own dishwashing detergent. It can be used to clean just about anything, not just the dishes.
* Use baking soda for removing stuck-on food, counter stains, and everything in between.
* Use a diluted vinegar spray for wiping down the counters, cleaning off the stove, etc.
* Mop the floor with a cup or so of vinegar in a sink of hot water.
* Recycle those mesh bags that produce like apples and onions come in. They are great for scrubbing pots and dishes and are much cheaper and cleaner than scrubbing sponges.
* Use your leftover coffee grounds! Just add half the amount of fresh grounds you normally use to the leftover grounds. If you normally use two scoops of fresh, just add one scoop of fresh to the leftover grounds. You can do this at least once with the leftovers.
* Make baby food so much cheaper and healthier with a food processor, blender, or just mashing it up. At first you may want to cook her food separately but later on you can just mash up what everyone else is eating. If she isn't going to eat it right then, freeze it in portions in baby food jars.
* Save chicken stock, meat broth, etc. and freeze it for use later. It's wonderful for cooking rice, pasta, and soup.
Saving money in the kitchen
* Run a sinkful of water for rinsing dishes instead of running the water.
* Make your own dishwashing detergent. It can be used to clean just about anything, not just the dishes.
* Use baking soda for removing stuck-on food, counter stains, and everything in between.
* Use a diluted vinegar spray for wiping down the counters, cleaning off the stove, etc.
* Mop the floor with a cup or so of vinegar in a sink of hot water.
* Recycle those mesh bags that produce like apples and onions come in. They are great for scrubbing pots and dishes and are much cheaper and cleaner than scrubbing sponges.
* Use your leftover coffee grounds! Just add half the amount of fresh grounds you normally use to the leftover grounds. If you normally use two scoops of fresh, just add one scoop of fresh to the leftover grounds. You can do this at least once with the leftovers.
* Make baby food so much cheaper and healthier with a food processor, blender, or just mashing it up. At first you may want to cook her food separately but later on you can just mash up what everyone else is eating. If she isn't going to eat it right then, freeze it in portions in baby food jars.
* Save chicken stock, meat broth, etc. and freeze it for use later. It's wonderful for cooking rice, pasta, and soup.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Saving money room by room: The entire house
Today starts the Money Saving WAHM's series of tips for saving money in each room of the house. Today's list consists of things that can be done throughout the entire house.
Saving money in the entire house
* Adjust the thermostat to over 75 in the summer and under 68 in the winter. You probably want to change the temperature a degree at a time over the span of about a week. Spot cool with fans; spot heat with portable heaters. You'll see savings on your very next bill.
* Turn the attic fan on anytime it's cooler outside instead of running the air conditioner.
* Keep the windows covered in the summer to keep sunlight out. Open the curtains/blinds in the winter to let warm sunlight in.
* Turn off lights when no one is using them. Don't turn them on unless you have to.
* Turn off and unplug things like the computer when they aren't in use.
* Use natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, washing soda and borax to clean everything. They're much easier on your skin, nose, environment, and of course, your pocketbook. Plus, they clean better than harmful commercial cleaners. Here are some recipes for homemade cleaners and homemade laundry soap.
* Use florescent light bulbs. They're cheaper than they used to be and are more readily available. We put them in when we moved in this house over two years ago and haven't had to change any of them.
Saving money in the entire house
* Adjust the thermostat to over 75 in the summer and under 68 in the winter. You probably want to change the temperature a degree at a time over the span of about a week. Spot cool with fans; spot heat with portable heaters. You'll see savings on your very next bill.
* Turn the attic fan on anytime it's cooler outside instead of running the air conditioner.
* Keep the windows covered in the summer to keep sunlight out. Open the curtains/blinds in the winter to let warm sunlight in.
* Turn off lights when no one is using them. Don't turn them on unless you have to.
* Turn off and unplug things like the computer when they aren't in use.
* Use natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, washing soda and borax to clean everything. They're much easier on your skin, nose, environment, and of course, your pocketbook. Plus, they clean better than harmful commercial cleaners. Here are some recipes for homemade cleaners and homemade laundry soap.
* Use florescent light bulbs. They're cheaper than they used to be and are more readily available. We put them in when we moved in this house over two years ago and haven't had to change any of them.
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