I am all about being frugal and spend lots of time finding ways to cut corners and save. But there are just some things I don’t think I will ever try as a frugal zealot.  Here’s my list, how about you?

Use cloth instead of toilet paper- I have eliminated paper towels, considered cloth maxi’s, but cloth instead of toilet paper? I’m sorry, I don’t think that is one I will ever do.

Dumpster Dive- Now I don’t mind taking a few coupons from a recycling bin, but I will never actually go where there is trash. No thanks.

Live on beans and rice for a week- I should never say never on this one, but really for a whole week? I don’t see my husband letting me do this, even if I tried.

Using the yellow mellow rule- You kow, it’s mellow if its yellow if its brown flush it down? I know it may send shivers down your spine, but I always flush and I make my kids flush too.

Use a hanky instead of tissue- I guess I have an aversion to much of the reusable cloth thing. A little too frugal (and green) for me. Double yuck.

I guess you can never truly say never, but for now, this is my list and I’m sticking to it. So do you have a list of frugal things you would never do, or is anything that saves money fair game in your home?

Photo by David Choate

A few years ago after a slew of holiday celebrations, shopping, eating, baking, cleaning  gift wrapping and decorating, Christmas day had come and gone. And I was exhausted! I had so much to do, and I am ashamed to say that I didn’t really enjoy the holiday as much as I should have, and was often tense, irritable, and short on patience.

We have done many different things over the years to try to keep the true meaning of Christmas the focus in our home. We even went two years of only celebrating Hanukkah to try to get the commercialization and ungodly rituals out of our celebrations. Last year we went back to celebrating a traditional Christmas and it was so nice! But I still felt like there was more I could do to keep our hearts set on Christ during this season. I learned about the Jesse Tree when Stephanie mentioned it on her blog last year, and I decided that we would implement it the following Christmas. We have never done a Jesse Tree before so we are very excited about this new tradition!

There are alot of options to choose from, and I really wanted to do something extra special without spending a lot of money.  I found this site that has free devotions for the Advent season so I decided to use the symbols that go with the devotions and embroider them into  ornaments.  I love red work,  so I did the embroidery in red, cut them into circles and  stitched the circles together adding a twine hanger and we are all set to go!

I found a little 2ft. tree at Target for $7.99, some lights we weren’t using, an angel ornament that fit just right, and an unused tree skirt with our other decorations.

I used fabric and floss that I had in my stash, and then I found this box stored away that reminds me of a treausre chest- perfect for storing our ornaments!

This little project that has so much meaning cost under $10! I am looking forward to making this a new tradition in our family for years to come.  I also plan on having my girls make their own sets of ornaments to set aside for the day when they have their own families.

Have you ever done a Jesse tree before? How do you keep the meaning of the season in focus for your family? I’d love to hear it!

This post is linked to: Exemplify Online and Frugal Fridays

Clipping coupons not on your list of things to do? That’s ok, because you can still save a bundle of money at the grocery store by doing these 10 simple things!

1. Plan Your Meals

It sounds too easy, but having even a basic plan for your weekly meals can help save you money. How? Less grocery trips to the store and less temptation to order out, to name a few!

2. Cook From Scratch

Stop buying the prepackaged processed foods, the pre cooked meals in the deli, and ordering out.  You can cook your meals from scratch for a fraction of the cost, and they are healthier too.

3. Cut Meat In Half

Have one meatless meal a week and stretch the meat you do buy by using only half of what a recipe calls for. Fill in with less expensive ingredients such as beans, rice and vegetables and no one will ever notice.

4. Buy The Smallest Size

Don’t buy jumbo apples and oranges. Don’t buy the largest pepper in the bin. How much of that apple will go to waste? How much of that pepper will you need for your recipe? Purchasing smaller sizes gets you more for your dollar and less waste too!

5. Shop in Season

In season produce will always be cheaper. Learn what is in season in your area and purchase those items. For example buy apples in the fall, strawberries and blueberries in the summer etc. I can purchase a 1 lb container of strawberries for .99 in the summer months. In the winter that price jumps to 3.99 for that same container.

6. Watch For Loss Leaders

These are usually the sales listed on the front page of your grocery sales flyer. These items aren’t making the store any money, but their low prices are luring you into the store. These are usually your best deals. The back page of the flyer often has great deals too.

7. Bake Ahead Of Time

Make up a big batch of pancakes and waffles (from scratch!) and freeze it for quick and easy breakfasts. Make up meals for you freezer to have on hand when life gets busy and take out is tempting. And use the loss leader meats and other ingredients in those meals to save even more!

8. Find a Frugal Cook Book

Not all cookbooks are created equal. When you plan your menus, choose a cook book that is focused on saving you money. My favorites? May all time favorite is Cheap Fast Good.

9. Drink Water Instead of Juice or Soda

Not only is it better for you, it’s better for your wallet too. It doesn’t get any cheaper than free! Add some lemon and lime slices and put it in a pretty pitcher.

10. Buy Spices In Bulk

This has been a huge money saver for us. Find a co-op or bulk supply store and stock up spices you use the most. Learn how to make your own taco seasoning mixes and other packaged mixes. All that is in those are the a few different spices mixed together. You can do that at home in less than five minutes, and your mix won’t have the preservatives and MSG either!

If clipping coupons isn’t interesting to you, or you just don’t have the time for it in this season of your life, you can still save loads of money on your grocery bill each week by implementing even one of these things.

And did you notice that most of these things not only save you money, they are healthier for you too? Eating healthy doesn’t have to come at a high price!

Do you have any other ideas for saving money on groceries without clipping coupons? I am sure there are many more that I don’t have here!

All photos from Flickr.com For more great money saving ideas, be sure to visit Frugal Friday over at Life As Mom.

We have cut back considerably on the amount of meat we eat around here, opting for as many meatless meals as we can in a week. We also have found that serving meals where meat is not the main feature but rather mixed into a casserole or other dish stretches it much farther. I usually cut the amount of meat in half for recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for 1lb I will cut back to a 1/2 pound and bulk up on the other ingredients that are usually less expensive.

Every now and then though, my family loves a steak (I am a vegetarian so I don’t eat any meat), especially in the summer, on the grill. I try to watch for sales and meat coupons that show up every now and then so that I can purchase items like steak as cheaply as possible.

This past week, a coupon showed up in my mailbox for $2 off any NY sirloin and the store flyer (Hannaford if you are wondering) had the steaks on sale for $2.99/lb which is a great price.  I was on a mission!  For $20 I was able to purchase this:

6 NY Sirloin Steaks and  a family pack of ground beef

I waited until the store marked down the meat, got some additional coupons from the customer service desk and bought as many as I could.  The total before coupons and markdowns, even with the sale would have been $37.16!

Here are a  few tips for saving on meat:

1) Only buy when it is marked down

I have a pretty keen eye for those little yellow stickers! I know which days of the week our local grocery stores mark down their meats and shop then. And even then, I only buy the on sale marked down meats and a coupon sweetens the deal. I will also rollover some catalina deals if the store is doing them and use them for meat/produce, the most expensive parts of my budget!

2) Set aside a weekly budget for meat purchases

I try to keep my weekly meat purchase between $15-20 per week. I have my two freezers stocked full of meat that I have been able to get marked down and on sale mainly because I consistently budget for it. While there are many weeks I don’t have to buy meat, if I keep a budget for it and always be on the lookout for the cheapest priced meat I am always well stocked!

3)Know your target price

Setting a target price for meats helps me determine good deal and a stock up price. For example, my target price for whole chickens is .89/lb. At this price it goes on sale every 6 weeks or so. If I find it on sale for less, I know to stock up on it. It is a good idea to know your target prices so if you run into a great impromptu sale at the grocery store you know you are really getting a good deal. I learned this the hard way

4) Buy a lot in smaller packages

When  you find a great sale and the meat is marked down, purchase the smallest sizes for the biggest savings. Have your calculator handy and figure out the per pound prices after the discount.  This is especially true when you are buying the family packs like I did. Unfortunately that is the only way they were being sold, but the savings would have been even better if they were individual.

5) Be prepared to take care of the meat when you get home

Meat is usually marked down because it will expire soon, so it needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. Cook it up into meal size portions or freeze it up. My favorite books that have helped me with cooking up batches of meat and using in later meals are Cheap, Fast, Good and Make A Mix. This is not only a money saver, but a huge time saver!

Buying meat doesn’t have to break the budget with a little planning and preparation! And for the steaks, we grilled up two and had a huge salad fresh from our garden. Just because we are on a tight budget doesn’t mean we don’t have great food!

For more frugal tips, visit Frugal Fridays!

So the word came down yesterday…no more overtime, no raises, and basically your lucky to have a job.  That was the jist of my husband’s company meeting. We were expecting it somewhat, but the finality of it made me gulp a little.

We are no strangers to frugality, living on less, and skimping and scrimping. It is just tough to scrimp and skimp when you think you have squeezed all you can out of your little budget! We have endured health insurance increases, toll increases, oil and gas increases, grocery increases, electric rate increases and have still manage to adjust here and there to somehow make it all work. God promises to provide for us, and we trust that He will, but we also must be wise stewards with what He has already provided. So it is time to go lean, extra lean. Time for a bare bones budget.

Budgeting works for me, even if it doesn’t always go as planned! Having it down on paper and seeing where it is all going is so helpful.  My plan is to go through each budget category and seeing what can be cut out altogether, what can be reduced, and what is a must have versus a want. It is already pretty lean, I must say, so this should be very challenging! But I am sure we are not the only ones in this economy to face pay cuts, overtime cuts, and no raises.  So let’s join heads….

Maybe you fine budgeteers would share with me your tips for adjusting your budget during lean times.  What have you cut? What did you keep? Where did you start?

Photo by teenytinyturkey

A few months pack I picked up a really inexpensive citrus juicer and we have been enjoying fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice regularly. I love the juice and the health benefits, but what I don’t like is waste, and that’s what I feel like I am doing when I toss out those empty lemon or orange hulls. There has to be something more I can do with them, right? Of course! Here are few things I found to do with those leftover lemons, and most of these can be done with oranges too.:

For Cleaning

1. Clean your microwave- Place the empty hulls in a bowl of water and microwave for about fives minutes. Then wipe the microwave clean with a towel.

2. Clean your cutting board and sink- Rub the empty hull across your cutting board to deodorize and disinfect. Do the same with the hull in your sink.

3. Clean your pans and tea kettle- you may want to do this before making tea. Boil the rinds in your kettle or a pan that has burnt on stuff stuck to it. Let is sit for up to an hour to really soak in, and watch all the grime come right off!

For Eating

4. Make a lemon or orange infused tea- boil lemon or orange rinds and then throw in a tea bag. Let the bag steep as long as you like and enjoy!

5. Make candied peels- This looks like some extra work, but yummy too! Here is a recipe to try: Candied Lemon Peels

6. Dry for later use- Get all the white pith removed and cut into strips. Place the strips skin side down an a plate and leave out for 3-4 days until no long moist. Store ina dark place in a clean glass jar. You can crumble them and use in place of extract in baking, use for toppings and for flavoring sauces

7. Keep Brown Sugar soft- Use a piece of orange peel inside your brown sugar container to keep it moist and soft

8. Make Lemon Pepper: Combine 3 TBSP of powdered lemon peel with ¼ salt and coarsely ground peper, 2 TBSP garlic powder and 1TBSP of sugar. Mix and use in meat, potatoes, tomatoes or in pasta salads. Store in a glass container.

For Freshening

9. Make Potpourri: this is especially good with orange peels. Throw in some allspice, cloves or cinnamon sticks and let boil on your stove top to make your house smell great. Or if you have a mini crock pot or electric potpourri burner, you can do this as well.

10. Freshen your garbage disposal: If you have a garbage disposal, dump the peels in there and grind to freshen it up. After of course you have cleaned your cutting board and sink with it!

11. Use In Homemade Cleaners- I make several home made cleaners that have vinegar in them. A few lemon or orange peels tossed in makes it smell good and makes the cleaner more effective.

For Pests

12. Keep pests out of your garden- Toss lemon peels in your garden to keep cats and other critters away, such as ants. Orange peels keep fire ants out. And when the peels break down, they add nutrients to your garden as well!

13. No More Moths: Wrap dried lemon peel in cheesecloth and hang in the closet or sprinkle some dried lemon peels in your drawers. No more nasty moth balls!

Can you think of any other ways to use leftover lemon and orange peels? I am sure there are many things that I haven’t discovered yet, so please share!

This post is participating in:

Tasty Tuesday, Kitchen Tip Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tightwad Tuesday, & Thursday Thirteen

So I thought I would have a little fun on this beautiful frugal Friday and touch on this topic of husband/wife frugality.

Some people are naturally frugal, and some people aren’t. Some become frugal by force, such as through unemployment, a decrease in salary or transitioning to one income. And some people don’t even know what frugality is, or do they care to know!

I am kind of in the middle. I am generally very frugal, spend as little as possible, bargain shop, thrift shop, or do without. I am not afraid to spend money for something that is of good quality though, and every now and then I do get the urge to splurge on something like a Chai Tea at Aroma Joe’s. I try to use a coupon whenever I can. I find getting a great deal a thrill and I love the challenge of finding out how low I can get something.

My husband, however, doesn’t have a frugal bone in his body. He shops according to the price tag, as in the more it costs the better it must be. Don’t get me wrong, he loves it when I save money, but he tends to not give price tags or bargain shopping a whole lot of thought. For example, when we go out to eat, I think it is great to order only water and save a ton of money on drinks. He thinks that is being too cheap, and that going out to eat is a time to forgo the money saving mentality and have fun. We have tried both options, and while my idea saved us well over $10, he still wasn’t convinced. So now I just order the cheapest meal on the menu, with a Diet Coke please!

We have managed to compromise on some areas, and I have had to keep my frugal self in check often! I still shop at thrift stores happily, and he shops at Land’s End and I’m ok with that  Of course I honor my husband on in this issue and don’t make too much of a stink over it for the most part, and I don’t advocate that any wife should force frugality on her husband. But I will admit ashamedly, that I have a little pang of jealousy at times (forgive me, Lord!) when I see others being united in their frugal ways.

So I’d like to know, you sweet frugal friends, is your husband frugal? Do you find yourself being the frugal zealot? How do you manage to keep yourself frugal if your husband isn’t? Or is he frugal and you are not? I’d love to hear it!