Tag Archives: save

Jul16

Refashion anyone?

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Our budget is in need of help – serious help!  But I would also like some new clothes…bummer.

Ever heard of refashioning?  I hadn’t until I did some searches on pinterest and found out that lots of people take old clothes (their own or thrift store ones) and “refashion” them into something different and fun to wear.  Do a search and check out some of the clothes.  Yes, some are weird, but some are super cute!

Beyond budget constraints, I also am long-waisted and, depending on current trends, finding shirts long enough can be challenging.  This is a great way to custom make custom clothing without spend much – can’t wait to give it a try!

Have you ever tried it?  How did things turn out?  Love to hear your experiences…

Jul11

Beans, beans… Part 2 How to make dried beans

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Below is step by step of how I prepare dry beans for use in recipes.  This is a convenient and make-ahead option.

First rinse the beans with water in a strainer and pick out anything that doesn’t belong (rocks etc.).  Put in bowl, fill with water, and let the beans soak overnight.

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After the beans have soaked, rinse them well with water.

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Pour into kettle and fill pot with water to more than cover beans.

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Simmer until beans are tender –not mushy!  It may be necessary to add water during process.  Mine almost always boil over, so be careful!

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When done, drain and allow to cool.

If I am making the beans ahead of time, I spread them out on cookie sheets and pop them in the freezer.

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When they are completely frozen, I bag them up in gallon zip bags.  This way they are ready when I am cooking and scooping out the correct amount is easier than opening a can.  This is a fantastic way to cut back on canned bean purchases and save lots!  I have noticed that frozen beans tend to be dryer, hence I take this into consideration when cooking and make sure that I don’t try to cut simmering time short because I want to give my beans time to soak up moisture and flavor.

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Jun4

Beans, beans…Part 1

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beans

So, I’ve been planning out ways that we can save big on our grocery bill…  We do not eat very much meat and substitute in beans quite often as our protein source so we are already saving quite a bit compared to the average American family.  Once in a while we use dry beans, but as a rule canned beans are quick/convenient and relatively inexpensive.

However, I’ve been feeling convicted about wasting money on canned beans versus dried.  In reality thought, how much money are we talking about?  Is it worth the time and effort it takes to make dried beans?  Let’s find out!  I will be doing some comparative shopping and posting the results…

Thanks to lobster20 for the picture!

Mar29

Couponing!?

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So, I saw the Krazy Coupon Lady on the Nate Show and thought…I could do that!  These “Krazy” women save tons and I do mean TONS of money by utilizing lots of coupons and store sales.  They have a fun website: www.TheKrazyCouponLady.com.  It’s very inspiring with tons of how-to help.

Anybody out there ever try this?  I’ve heard about fanatic couponers before, but was never sure how they did it.  Now, I have the information to try it myself.

My favorite part?  The binder! 😮  They have this great big fat binder that they take shopping and have all the coupons organized in.  I told my husband, I want the binder!  You can even print their binder dividers out for free from their website…

Well, I printed them, put them in page protectors…now I just need to get that binder!

I am not sure if this is something that will simplify our lives or make it more hectic, but there’s only one way to find out…  This could be fun!