Muffins are great to make during these cold winter months. They are so simple to mix that they make a great “first time cooking” food for kids to learn to cook.

When you are teaching an older child how to cook, look for facts or tips about the things you will be making. Even if you are a seasoned cook, this can really help. When cooking, we do some things automatically and don’t think to mention them to our children. Reading about it helps them to understand but can also remind us to tell them certain basic things.

It can be helpful to have kids start a cooking scrapbook. When you cook biscuits have them make a page with the do’s and don’ts for biscuits. Do the same for cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. By the time they are ready to leave home, they will have their own “personal” cookbooks to refer to. You could even add things to it like grandma’s biscuit recipe or some short funny stories and bloopers about your experiences cooking together.

Here’s how to mix muffins to produce an even texture:

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk with a fork to aerate.

Mix liquids together, beating eggs. I measure the milk and all the liquids into a measuring cup, then add the eggs and beat with a fork.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the liquids into that. (A well is a large indentation you make in the flour mixture with your fist or a spoon.)

Stir the mixture just enough to moisten it. Don’t over mix or try to get all the lumps out. If you over mix the batter, it will produce holes or peaked tops or cause the muffins to have a tough texture.

Muffins are great to make and freeze. Then you can grab a couple of the muffins with a steaming cup of coffee in the morning for a quick on the go breakfast or for a snack during the day.

You can make the basic recipe like Mom’s Sweet Muffins below and add fruit, raisins, or nuts. When you do this, toss the fruit, raisins or nuts into a little flour first. This helps to distribute them evenly in the batter.

Today’s Menu:

Bacon Cheese Meatloaf*
Texas Potatoes*
Peas and Carrots
Mom’s Sweet Muffins*
Orange Ambrosia*

***************

Check out Dining On A Dime and save!

Dining On A Dime includes over 1200 recipes and tips like these to help you keep more of your money. The recipes are easy to cook and can be made with ingredients you can actually find at your local grocery store! Try Dining on a Dime and start saving today!

***********

Today’s Recipes:

*Bacon Cheese Meatloaf

1 egg
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups swiss cheese, grated
1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled (about 10 slices)
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (leftover dinner rolls are
especially good)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

Combine all except for 1/2 cup of the swiss cheese and 1/4 cup of the bacon. Mix well and shape into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan or baking dish.

Bake uncovered at 350° for 1 hour until meat is no longer pink or thermometer is at 160°.

Drain, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

*Texas Potatoes

1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 lb. frozen hash browns

Combine everything. Place in greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

*Mom’s Sweet Muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Place 2/3 full in greased muffin tins or muffin tins lined with papers. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

*Orange Ambrosia

1/3 cup granola cereal (without raisins)
1/3 cup coconut
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1 banana, sliced
4 (6 oz.) cartons orange yogurt
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained.

Mix cereal, nuts, and coconut. In bowls or parfait glasses layer 1/2 container yogurt, fruit and 2 Tbsp. of cereal mix for each bowl. Layer again and garnish with oranges. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

I hope this is helpful.

I saw on the 26 February under the Laundry tips a tip for worn sheet. What me and my mother in law does when the sheet is worn in the middle is to cut the sheet in half lengthwise and then re-attached the outside seams to form a seam in the centre of the sheet. VERY IMPORTANT: the centre seam has to be stitched so that the seam is on the underside of the sheet, otherwise the seam will form an irration. To finish the sheet is to redo the new outside seam so that the sheet do not fray.

This method has help us a lot in saving on sheets. The ‘new’ sheet is again good for a while.

Thank you

Almaré
Paarl, Western Cape
South Africa

I saw part of Oprah yesterday on dumpster diving. The show had some good points but I thought I would share what mom and I have to say on the subject.
Tawra

From Jill:
As we crossing the street going to the recycling center the other day my friend was laughing at me and teasingly said “Do you know Jill you are the only one I know of who goes to the recycling center to pick up things instead of dumping things off”.

I took what she said as a compliment. I have never taken anything to a recycling center and am definitely not an environmentalist. Now before I get every one’s dander up please read on.

There is a simple and very good reason for that. I have nothing to recycle because I end up using everything. I know you find that hard to believe. I never even give recycling a thought. I have at the extreme most one bag of trash a week and when I had a wood burning stove I had one bag of trash about every 2 weeks.

I know that may sound unbelievable. Even when I had a house full of kids I didn’t even have 1 bag of trash per person a wk. and I don’t recycle. I also don’t have stacks of things piled all over my house that I’m saving to use one day.

How do I do it? Two simple ways. The first thing is I don’t buy a lot of things that need to be recycled. Here are some examples of what I mean.

I drink lots of tap water so I have almost no aluminum cans or many plastic bottles.
If I do get plastic bottles I keep 2-3 in the freezer filled 2/3 full of water to put in my cooler in place of ice.

I keep a couple in my car trunk filled with water in case I need water for my car or other things.
I fill them with water and a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil and food coloring -screw the lid on tight and my kids have a cool lava lamp type toy.

They make great funnels for different things

Use the 1 liter bottles and fill 2 full with water, freeze and when ready to use fill the rest of the way with water for a cold drinking bottle . For young children cover the outside with stickers of their favorite characters and write their name in permanent markers.

1 liters make great squirt bottles for in the pool or tub. So do a lot of shampoo, hair spray etc. bottles. Also instead of buying a lot of plastic bath toys I raid my kitchen and usually can find some really great bath toys in my cabinets.

For a really fun baby toy put 1/4 cup of dried beans or colored beads in a 1 liter bottle. Of course for safety sake I glue the lid on before I screw it on.

I don’t usually buy frozen pies or cookies that come in plastic containers just because I make my own so I have very few if any aluminum pie pans or any thing like that.

If I do get any they are the greatest things to use to take to a sick friends or new mom’s with cookies or better yet an meal in. Then if they are to ill to do dishes they can just throw them out. (after I have used a recyclable item 2-3 times or more I have no guilt at all to finally throw them out)

Pie pans are nice for water trays under your plants. Pot pie pans are great for children to use as play dishes or for their own personal real pies.

Take a pot pie pan and poke a hole in one side then on the opposite another hole and using a ribbon or pipe cleaner make a handle, fill with goodies and you have a May basket.

I have never bought a trash bag before. I just always use brown paper bags. Since I compost most kitchen things and have a garbage disposal I have very little gooey things to go in my trash.

Paper bags are great to use any place you would use brown paper wrap.

The kids love to use them for a play costume. Cut a hole in the bottom for a head then holes on each side for arms and let them color and decorate the rest of it how ever they want.

I even ran out of business cards once at a craft show so in a desperate moment I tore (I didn’t have any scissors) small squares of a brown paper bag up and wrote my name and address on it. Everyone loved my unique and different business cards especially since I was selling a frugal cookbook.

I can’t remember the last time I bought packaging material. I save all stuffed envelopes sent to me and reuse them. If I don’t happen to have one the right size then I make one by wrapping the item in bubble wrap and then in a good old brown paper bag. I also reuse packing peanuts over and over again.

If you can’t remember anything else remember these 3 main things.

BUY LESS —–ex. How often do you go to a fast foods place and throw away half of what you buy. Even if you through away a half of cup of pop you shouldn’t. Next time share a pop or get a smaller size. Buy a large fries for 2 people to split. And trust me the child will not die if he or she doesn’t get their own happy meal.

BEFORE YOU THROW SOMETHING AWAY see if it can be used as something else—– ex. That cat litter box can have it’s top cut off and part of the side and you have a excellent carton to hold magazines, patterns, papers, books etc.

IF YOU NEED TO BUY SOMETHING see if you can’t use something else that you already have on hand ——- ex. If you need new curtains for your window do you have a you’re not using that might work.

A lot of miscellaneous ways to save are:

I shop at garage sales so I have no packaging (like what a lot of toys are put in etc.) to deal with.

If I can find saw dust from someones workshop I use it in my garden for mulch and in place of or with wood chips. Also call places like your electric co., mill works, or your county extension and a lot of times these places have tons of free wood chips. I have even stopped and asked people what are they going to do with their wood chips when I see companies cutting down trees. Most are so glad to have someone who can use it.

My Kleenex boxes I use to store my plastic fruit bags that I get at the grocery store.

When I didn’t have access to garage sales and no money to buy my daughter a special dress when she was young I tore apart an old housecoat of mine that had beautiful material in it but that I never used and made a dress for her. I even uses the lace that was on it. She looked like a princess in it and it was one of her favorites.

When jeans or any other pants wear out in the knees cut them off and wear as shorts.

When sheets get worn I the middle cut the outer edges up and make pillowcases, or if they are to far beyond repair I tear them into strips and use them to tie almost anything — my hose when I put it up in the winter, tent poles, bundles of almost anything.

If nothing else braid them up and make a very simple rag rug. And last but not least rags and more rags.

In one of my more creative moments I needed several curtain tie backs and didn’t have the money to buy so many . I sat looking at the mess the electrician had left for the and saw piles of 10 in. pieces of heavy electrical wire thinking what a shame to throw all that away and then alight bulb went off. I covered them in a sleeve of material, nailed on end into the wall , bent it in a u shape and hooked my curtains in it.

I had a roll of gold wire mesh ribbon I hadn’t needed for anything until one day I decided to use it for shower curtain rings. by cutting it into pieces I ran it thought the hole of the shower curtain and tied it around the rod. The gold matched my fixtures, and it looked much more elegant than plain old plastic rings. Plus I didn’t have to buy 2 packages of curtain rings.

The list could go on and on. The only limit is your own imaginati
on and you may think you can never come up with your own ideas but like a lot of other things once you start practicing this way of thinking it gets easier and easier.

The finer points of dumpster diving.
by Tawra

I started dumpster diving when I was a kid. There was a law office behind our house that had a huge dumpster. My brother and I would go every Saturday morning and get all the aluminum cans out of it. We cashed them in and used that as spending money. One time my brother found a large piece of hard plastic that they use under office chairs to make it easier to roll around. He took it and then my dad helped him cut it up to make cutting boards for all the grandparents and mom for Christmas.

We love to dumpster dive. We do it as a hobby. There is nothing like the thrill of finding something that someone else was going to throw away and making it your treasure. I can not understand why some people recycle their cans and milk jugs but throw away perfectly good dining room table because they are tired of it.

Here are just a few of the things that we have rescued from the trash.

A brand new glider rocker. Needed 1 bold. We used it for 2 years and then sold it for $40.
An antique oak chair, which we sold at a garage sale
An antique table which antique dealers keep asking me to sell them at every garage sale I have.
A huge box of kids books
Most of the pots that I used in my green house.
Perilite for the greenhouse.
Annual and Perennial plants that just needed water. Grew in my garden for years
Fresh flowers that lasted a week in my house.
Almost dead flowers that I dried and used in potpourri.

The list could go on and on but dumpster diving can be a fun and profitable venture! We have a made a ton of money off of dumpster finds that we sold at our garage sales.

I hope this will give you some inspiration to get started dumpster diving!

Tawra

I actually pour some liquid dishwashing concentrate (Dawn, etc.) into a spray bottle (less than 1/4 full) and then fill the rest with water. Shake up, and I have a wonderful handy dish soap!

It is more convenient than filling a sink of water and then pouring soap in and mixing up, etc. It is esp. helpful with weird-shaped things with nooks and crannies, like the blender blade, etc. You just spray the soap-mix and scrub with a brush and you’re done! No more gunk sitting in the blender soaking - because it’s no longer a hassle!

I also use this same spray in place of Spray-n-Wash - which I now no longer have to buy!

To wash the car quickly, when the weather is too cold to be out, my 14 yr old sprays the car with water hose, then uses this dish-spray on the grimy parts. Scrubs it with a brush, and it’s all clean. No more having to fill up a 5 gallon bucket and pour soap, slosh it around, etc!
Also another GREAT timesaver and elbow grease-saver: I use old gift cards (hard plastic Wal-Mart, etc.)

to scrape my baked-on food in pans. I spray the pan with hot water, spray on some dish soap, and then scrape. It does not scratch my pans, makes the washing go MUCH quicker and doesn’t gross-up my scrub brush or sponge.

I also use the gift cards to scrape the dough, flour off the counters after baking. This saves scrubbing time and my rag/sponge doesn’t get all doughy. (NOTE: do not put the flour, etc., down sink. It makes dough! I found out the hard way when I was first married! Stopped the sink all up!)

Hi Tawra,
Thanks for the newsletters. I am a fairly new subscriber and am really enjoying them.
Just wanted to give you a tip for the deer in your yard.
I worked in a Salon for years, and many times women would come in and request our hair clippings to use as a “deer repelent” for their gardens. I have never personally tried it, but we had more than a handful, and they would come back year after year as it worked so well for them.
Give it a try. It can’t hurt anything, and the hair is free!
Blessings,
Danielle

Hi After reading your tips for today I thought I would write to tell you that while using tires to make garden containers is a great idea, people around wooded areas should make sure to fill the inside with soil completely, to prevent snakes from using the tires as their home. I would hate for someone not to know that and inadvertently get bitten. Also if people wet the newspaper before putting it under their mulch or wood chips weeds will not be able to break through…or so I have heard. I have not personally tried that.

Living On A Dime Newsletter - February 26, 2008

Good Morning!

I hope you are having a good start to the week! In today’s newsletter, we have included a combination of gardening and laundry tips.

I was able to get some seeds for the garden at Walgreens for 10/$1 yesterday so I am trying to get in the gardening “mood”. Of course I was awakened yesterday morning by BJ telling me, “Mom come quick! You have to see this!” As I got out of bed and went
to the window there were 8 deer in the yard. Augh! They are so cute but I know that Bambi will be enjoying the fruits of my labor later this year so we are busy
devising ways to keep them out!

In case you missed our email, don’t forget to check out Urban Homemaker’s great special for our readers! She has some great e-books
and audios on healthy eating. The best part is that they are under $10 with no shipping! This sale is only until Friday, so don’t miss out!
Learn more at here

Have a great week!

Tawra
www.LivingOnADime.com

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Gardens On A Dime

* Ask for sandbags after the heavy rains. Most people don’t know
what to do with them after the flood waters recede and are more
than happy to have someone haul them away. Use the sand for
paths or for the kids’ sandboxes. (Of course, we’re NOT talking
about sandbags from sewer contaminated waters and such…Use
your discretion!

* Use milk or laundry jugs as drip irrigation. Poke 2 or 3 small
holes in the bottom of the jug and place next to plant. Fill
with water and it will slowly water your plants all day.

* Use milk jugs as mini greenhouses in the spring. Cut the bottoms
out and put over tomatoes. During the day, unscrew the cap to
let excess heat out. Put the cap back on at night to keep plants
warm.

* Use deli trays with lids to start seeds. They make great mini
greenhouses!

* Use old recycled bricks for edging garden beds. You can find
them by asking a crew that has just demolished a building,
looking near dumpsters or monitoring web sites and newspapers
where people are trying to get rid of things.

* Old tires make easy container gardens.

* Use shredded paper or newspaper under mulch. You will use less
wood chips and the weeds will have a harder time poking through
for a couple years. You could also just use grass clippings on
top of the newspaper as mulch.

For Kids:

* Make a Teepee shape out of sticks or poles. Then plant bean
hyacinth or runner beans at the base of each pole. As the plants
grow they cover up the teepee and make a natural hideaway.

* Write the kids’ names in seeds. Lettuce or radishes work great
as they are quick producers. When the seeds come up it they will
see their names in the plants.

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Check out Dining On A Dime, your frugal encyclopedia!

Dining On A Dime includes over 1200 recipes and tips to help you keep
more of your money. The recipes are easy to cook and can be made with
ingredients you can actually find at your local grocery store!
Try Dining on a Dime and start saving today!

Learn more at here.

*******************************

Reader Questions:

Denise from North Carolina asks: “Do you think it helps to dilute
hand soaps and dishwashing detergent to save money? I’ve read this in
several frugal publications and I’m just not sure it will help all
that much.”

Tawra: No, because then you just use more. If it’s really thick, I
dilute it a little so the consistency is better, but it is better
simply to use less than to dilute it. The best way to do that is to
put all hand and dish soaps in pumps. Then you get the right amount
each time for the job instead of a big glob.

Kathy from Uxbridge, Massachusetts asks: “I used to make my own
laundry detergent (the Fels Naptha/Washing Soda recipe) and was very
satisfied with it. We recently bought a brand new washing machine that
is a high-efficiency machine. The manufacturer recommends only high
efficiency (or “he”) detergents. While the machine uses a lot less
detergent, it is still expensive to buy. Are there any recipes for
homemade high efficiency detergents that would be safe for a high
efficiency machine? It was probably the most expensive thing I’ve ever
bought, other than a house or car, and I don’t want to do anything to
damage or shorten the life of the machine. Thanks!”

Tawra: I used the homemade laundry detergent with Fels Naptha soap.
The reason you have to use “he” soap is because the other stuff suds
too high. The Fels Naptha doesn’t create suds, so it will work just
fine.

Additional note from Tawra:
“What is washing soda? Is it baking soda?” Where can I find Fels Naptha Soap?

Tawra: Washing soda is not baking soda. Here is an excerpt from frugalliving.about.com that explains it better than I would have!

“Washing soda should be in the laundry section of your grocery store. It comes in a yellow box, made by Arm & Hammer, but it’s NOT baking soda. If you’re interested, washing soda is Sodium Carbonate (Na2CO3), baking soda is Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and borax is Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Na2B4O7*10H2O), all different chemical compounds.

If you can’t find it locally, call this number: 1-800-524-1328. It’s the Arm & Hammer number and they should be able to tell you where the closest place is that you can find it. There are places on the internet where you can order it, but shipping costs will eat up a portion of your savings, so that would be a last resort.”

You can find Fels Naptha in most grocery stores. It’s usually on the top or bottom shelf. It comes in a bar and the soap is yellow. If you can’t find it you can use Ivory Soap Flakes instead.

We have had several questions about using this in a he washer. Mom got one of the first he washer ever made 12 years ago, an Asko from Sweden. I was going on the info. from that washer that using this soap would be fine. Others have emailed and said it would void the warranty if you us any other detergent than he detergent. I would call your washer company and ask them if it’s ok to use Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap Flakes and washing soda in your particular washer.

Tawra

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Laundry Tips:

* Use old foil and waxed paper cores to make pants hangars. Cut
down the center lengthwise. Measure and cut off the end to fit
over a wire hangar. Slide over hangar and it will keep your
pants crease free.

* Instead of buying expensive bleach pens, dip a cotton swab in
bleach and dab the spot.

* Keep a stain stick in the bathroom or bedroom. When your younger
children take their clothes off for baths or bedtime, you can
take care of the stains on the spot (no pun intended ;-).

* When sheets get worn in the middle, cut up the outer edges and
make pillowcases or cut into rags.

* Re-fold your linens and clothing to see if another folding style
takes up less room.

* Place dryer sheets in dresser drawers or in with your towels and
linens to keep your clothes smelling clean.

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From A Reader:

“I lov
e your newsletter. I am trying to get out of a truck load of
debt I got myself into.”

“I have been following your advice for 2 months now and love receiving
your newsletters as they remind me I’m not alone and I can do it.”

“This month is the first time I actually have hit the middle of the
month and still have some money in my checking account. Usually, by
now, I’m already overdrawn.”

“Thank you for the sound advice you give. I have all your books and
have been recommending them to my friends who are in just as much debt
as me but are continuing in their ways. Thanks again!”

-Julie

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I admit, I am not a child of the iron skillet era. I came into the world just in time for non-stick pans. I heard rave reviews about cooking with iron skillets. I’ve never had one and so never messed with it. I also didn’t mess with it because I have a habit of burning myself in the kitchen no matter how careful I am so the thought of having a pan with a hot handle exposed all the time didn’t appeal to me.

Dr. Robertson suggested I start cooking with iron. He says that the non-sticks aren’t that great for you. Of course, I’ve heard this over and over from tons of nutrition doctors so I thought I would give it a try.

Sloppy Joes was about the 4th thing I’ve cooked in it and this was the results.

Fortunately I was able to scrape most of the top off and save dinner. Yes, I did season the pan before using it. I just don’t get it, how are these things so great? I know people have used them for hundreds of years but so far everything I’ve cooked in them hasn’t turned out, stuck or burned. I even made cornbread in it. Everyone swears how great it is in an iron skillet but I couldn’t tell any difference. Am I missing something?

Tawra

P.S. We get a ton of requests for healthy eating recipes and menus. I came across this great deal on healthy eating e-books from my friend Marilyn over at Urban Homemaker that I just had to share. Here’s the link with a description. She has given our readers a special deal so check it out!

Hi,
I thoroughly enjoy your e-books and newsletter, you’ve been a blessing and encouragement.
I have a tip I would like to donate for your newsletter. We have a large electric hot water tank. I discovered that if I run it for an hour in the morning then turn it off at the breaker for the rest of the day, we have enough hot water for the entire day and it knocks off 30-35 dollars off of our electric bill every month. It isn’t any more trouble than flipping a switch!
Hope this is useful.

Your fellow penny pincher,

Dana E.



I work for a plastic surgeons office and he buy a lot of those glade square glass air fresheners. everything i throw one away i think that there’s got to be a use for these. any ideas? maybe the readers have an idea! Thanks!! michelle plymouth, michigan (BRRRR!!!)

I don’t have any ideas. Can anyone else think of anything? Tawra

Break the Shopping Rules!

You know the shopping rules—take advantage of coupons and rebates, compare ads from different stores before you go shopping, and make your meal plan. Several years ago I decided to follow every rule. I diligently studied sale ads, clipped coupons, saved and filed UPC’s (Universal Product Codes) and POP’s (Proof of Purchase), filled out forms, and shopped according to “the rules.” At the end of several months, I found that my shopping time had doubled, savings were minimal, and I always seemed to be one UPC short of that great deal.
I decided at that time to break the shopping rules, or at least bend them so they’d better suit my life in a small town, with limited shopping choices. My shopping immediately became more productive, less time consuming, and MUCH less stressful. Here are some shopping rules I love to break—or at least bend.

Rule One: Shopping is an educational experience for the kids, so take them along every time you go. How to break it: Don’t take the kids! Leave them with a babysitter or with dad. You’ll save money (no one distracting you from studying the prices to see what brand offers the best deal), time (you can shop when the stores are the least busy), and your sanity (no one running off or begging for toys or snacks.)

Rule Two: Shop during off hours when the stores are the least busy. How to break it: Shop when someone else can watch your kids, and when you are at your best mentally and physically. Even if the stores are busy, you’ll get done quickly when you’re on your own, and feeling alert and energetic.

Rule Three: Arrange your shopping list according to how the store is set up. How to bend it: On your shopping list, write out the meals you’re planning to prepare. By doing so you’ll know how much of each item you’ll need, and if something is very high priced or unavailable, you’ll know if you can use a substitute. For example, one day green peppers were very high priced. I checked my meal plan and saw that the pepper was going to be used to spice a pot of chili. I decided not to get the pepper—the chili was fine without it. If I had been planning a meal of stuffed peppers, however, I would have had to change my meal plan.

Rule Four: Purchase only what’s on your list. How to bend it: If there’s a great unadvertised special on something you can use in a main dish—pork chops, for example—add it to your meal list, or purchase what your budget allows and freeze them for later use.

Rule Five: Don’t buy prepared items like cut up salad, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, etc. How to break it: Before you pass up these items because of their higher cost, remember that they require little or no preparation (making for quick and easy snacks and fast suppers), and there is little or no waste in them (how many times have you thrown away a mushy head of lettuce before you got around to washing and cutting it up?).

Rule Six: Use as many coupons as possible. How to break it: Use coupons wisely. If you use them to buy something you will never use, you’re not saving money. Consider your time, too; I found the time it took me to clip, file, and use coupons was not worth it. I save more money by buying store brands and purchasing items when they’re on sale. I do, however, clip high-value coupons for cat and dog food, laundry soap, and cereal—they’re definitely worth it! I also clip high-value coupons for new items—many times the store introduces them at a very cheap price and the coupon makes the item almost free.

Rule Seven: Save POP’s, UPC’s, and receipts to get rebates and free items. How to break it: If you enjoy doing this, keep on doing it! However, if you find it’s not for you, don’t feel guilty about saving money elsewhere. With limited grocery stores in our area, it’s hard for me to get all the required items for a rebate. Recently, however, I purchased two, 36-roll packages of toilet paper for $5.98 each. I mailed in the required POP’s and the receipt and got a $10 rebate! I got 72 rolls of toilet paper for just $1.96.

Rule Eight: Compare specials and store prices and shop at different stores to get the best deals. How to break it: Consider shopping at the one or two stores that have the best deals overall. The gas and time amd energy you’ll save by not driving all over will probably more than make up for saving a few cents or dollars on several items.

Use these rules, and other tips and suggestions you gather from books, magazines, websites, and other people, as guidelines. Break them, bend them, throw them out completely—make the “shopping rules” work for you!

This is an excerpt from Shelly Burke’s book, Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home. To read another excerpt, or an excerpt from Shelly’s newest book, What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations, go to www.shellyburke.net.