Here are some easy family meal ideas and meal plans for the entire month of November that will make it easier feeding your family for less and spend less time in the kitchen! These are easy and delicious comfort food recipes designed to make the most of less work! We’ve made it easy for you with these family meal plans and recipes! (more…)
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5 Homemade Dog and Cat Treats Recipes
Homemade dog and cat treats are super simple to make! Our dog has bad grain allergies. If we let him eat wheat or corn we are ALL up all night long listening to him scratching. These recipes are a great way to make your own pet treats, especially if your pet has allergies!
5 Homemade Treats Recipes for your Dog and Cat
Homemade Dog Bone Treats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup skim milkMix flour and baking powder. In separate bowl, mix peanut butter and milk. Then add to flour mix. Knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes or use a cookie cutter* and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
*You can roll into balls and flatten with a fork.
Homemade Diabetic Dog Treats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup beef liver, choppedPlace everything in a food processor and mix or mix chopped liver, eggs and flour in a bowl (make sure the liver is well chopped). Bake on a parchment paper lined jelly roll pan at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until the center is set. Cool and cut with a pizza cutter into pieces. It will be sponge like. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
2 Ingredient Dog Treats
2 cups whole wheat flour (or oats – ground in a food processor to a flour)
2 (4 oz.) jars of baby food – beef, chicken, turkey, sweet potato, carrots, fruit*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together and add extra flour or water to make firm dough. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters or a pizza cutter. Place 1/2 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Store in a paper bag. An air tight container will make them soft.
*If you have leftover veggies from your own meal, puree them and use them in place of the baby food.
Fruit and Veggie Dog Treats
1 sweet potato, cooked
1 banana
1 cup carrots, minced
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups white or whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup waterMash the sweet potato and banana together well. Add the rest of the ingredients. Roll out on a floured board 1/8 inch thick. With a pizza cutter, cut into strips and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Store in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Homemade Cat Treats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup tuna, packed in oil
1 egg
1/4 cup waterMix the flour and milk. In a separate bowl, smash up the chunks of tuna and add the egg. Add this mix to the flour mix. Add water a little at a time until it makes a sticky dough. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.
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Easy Gluten Free Dinner Rolls Recipe
Yes you can eat homemade bread again! This easy gluten free dinner rolls recipe makes delicious homemade dinner rolls that are gluten and dairy free!
Easy Gluten Free Dinner Rolls Recipe
When I first went had to start eating gluten free, I had a hard time trying to figure out what I could eat. I really missed eating breads, desserts and some traditional favorite holiday foods. I started adapting some of our popular recipes so I could eat them and I eventually put them together into a gluten free dairy free version of our cookbook!
This easy gluten free dinner rolls recipe is a gluten free dairy free recipe I adapted from my mom’s famous 90 minute rolls, and it’s just as delicious!
If you have been missing yeast breads like soft and fluffy dinner rolls, try this easy gluten free dinner rolls recipe! It’s so good, you can make it for the whole family and give it to family members who are used to the “regular” recipe and they won’t know the difference!
For a lot more delicious gfdf recipe favorites, including gluten free pies, sweet potato casserole and more, check out the easy thanksgiving recipes in our dairy free gluten free thanksgiving dinner!
This easy gluten free dinner rolls recipe is from the gluten free edition of our cookbook:
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Homemade Shampoo Recipe
Our Homemade Shampoo Recipe is quick and simple and you can make it with ingredients you already have at home! Give Homemade shampoo a try!
This homemade shampoo recipe is a little different, but my experience with it has been very good. Before I share the actual recipe, here are some details about how and why it works and what to expect if you decide to try it.
This is one of our most popular posts! Who knew a post on shampoo and bath and beauty would be so popular, I hope you give it a try! If you want more homemade bath and beauty product recipes be sure to check out our chapter Pretty for Pennies in our cookbook!
Homemade Shampoo
Years ago, I mentioned in a post about how I had a great aunt who was about 90 years old and had never shampooed her hair and everyone was horrified at such a thought. Even when I mentioned that I only wash my hair twice a week they thought that was awful.
This homemade shampoo recipe is a little different, but my experience with it has been very good. Before I share the actual recipe, here are some details about how and why it works and what to expect if you decide to try it.
The latest new buzz phrase is “poo less hair”. The people that talk about a homemade shampoo recipe and think they have invented a new thing. They have “discovered” what my aunt knew almost 100 years ago – You don’t need to use shampoo or soap to clean your hair.
Actually I have thought about trying it myself for quite a while and I’m not sure why I didn’t just jump in and do it a long time ago. But I finally did and I love it.
No more shampoo or conditioner for me. I have been using homemade shampoo for a couple of years and still can’t get over how great my hair looks.
Now I can hear some of you saying, “No way. I have oily hair and have to wash it every day and need the shampoo to get rid of the oil.” Please read on and consider what I am explaining.
I have very oily, fine, limp long hair. At times I have to deal with fuzzing and all kinds of weird things. To comb my hair out is a pain because of tangles. That is why I am so in awe.
Homemade Shampoo Recipe – How it Works
This homemade shampoo recipe works on the principal that the more oil is stripped from your hair the more oil your body will produce to replace it. It is a cycle. It works something like nursing a baby. The more you nurse the more milk you produce and when you stop all your milk goes away.
We have gotten into a shampooing frenzy, shampooing our hair every day to clean it, so we have started an awful “not good for our scalp” cycle with our bodies. Most shampoos are really bad about stripping the oils out of your hair, causing your body to produce more.
Guess what the number one selling hair product is on QVC (or home shopping network)? It is a “no shampoo” treatment for your hair. The price? Almost $35 for 16 oz. (about 2 cups) and for long hair you have to use 48 pumps of it. Do you know how expensive that is?
The homemade shampoo recipe I’ll share below does the same thing at a cost of about 3 cents for the same amount and you use significantly less of it.
What’s The Worst that can Happen?
I asked myself, “Why did I put this off so long? What is the worst that can happen?” I might have oily hair for a week or so and have to wear my hair in a pony tail. It won’t cost me a thing.
What do I have to Gain?
I will have healthier hair and save, in some cases, lots of money on shampoo, conditioner and hair products for the whole family. I am finding that I don’t have to use any products like mousse or gel because my hair is holding its curl better. This means I will save by not having to use or buy other products and I’ll also save time. Usually, within an hour, my hair would have lost all it’s curl and if I was going someplace later I would have to curl it again, damaging my hair more.
I Did It.
I jumped in and tried the homemade shampoo recipe. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t do it years ago. Some people say their hair needed a 2-6 week adjustment period but I didn’t need one, even with my oily hair. The first time I didn’t use shampoo my hair looked even better than before. It combed out more easily with almost no tangles at all and it looked unbelievable. As I said, an added side bonus I hadn’t expected is that it keeps the curl and style better than it did before, so I don’t have to mess with it as much.
I am also going a little longer in between washing it and this is only after two weeks of doing this. I can’t wait to see what it will be like after a couple of months. This has been one of those things that has changed my life. I know that it may sound silly but you know how having a bad hair day makes us ladies feel. I don’t think I can ever have a bad hair day again!
What Do You Do?
There are different ways of doing this but I like to keep things simple so this is what I do. I also brush my hair before I start.
I have long hair and the 8 oz. lasted me about 4-5 washings. If you use the same proportions, you can mix a larger amount and keep in a larger bottle if you want.
Homemade Shampoo Questions Answered
My hair feels icky and like straw. If you have very hard water you may need to use a little more baking soda. You can tell you have the right amount because your hair will feel slippery.
If your hair seems a little oily, only add the vinegar rinse to the ends of your hair. You could also use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
If you see a white residue, you may be using too much baking soda in your homemade shampoo recipe. The proportions I listed seem to be just right. Some people place the baking soda in their hand and make a paste to rub into the scalp but it is hard to get the right consistency and I think it is harder to distribute evenly on your scalp.
Some people have found after using this homemade shampoo recipe for a while that they only have to rinse their hair with water because the ph and oil becomes so perfectly balanced. I haven’t been using it long enough yet to know about that.
I know some of you have used regular or apple cider vinegar for a rinse and liked it, and I have too, but adding the soda for shampoo is wonderful.
Try This Homemade Shampoo Recipe!
Try the homemade shampoo recipe and see if you like it. If you are still too afraid to do it, try it on your children or husband for a week or two and see what happens with their hair.
It isn’t like you are investing large amounts of money or time into something. It is very simple. All I can say is I can never go back myself. My hair is so much more manageable and looks so good now that I don’t want shampoo near my hair.
I hope you give it a try!
-Jill
Reader Comment About The Homemade Shampoo
We have had many different questions about different hair types and how this homemade shampoo recipe works for them. Here is a comment from one of our readers that I thought really covered many of those questions.
From Cheri
I have medium length, dyed, naturally curly hair which tends to be very dry. I hesitated using this, thinking this might destroy my hair – most comments were from people with oily hair. It did the opposite!
Thank you Jill for posting this homemade shampoo recipe! I am weaning my house off of most commercial products and didn’t know what I was going to do for hair care products. I found your article and tried it. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SHAMPOO OR CONDITIONER OR OTHER HAIR PRODUCT AGAIN!!! I love it! I have struggled with my hair my entire life.
My hair has NEVER looked this great! And it actually looks good for a few days. I usually have the worst bed head (comments have been made that I looked like a Troll Doll on crack). My curls no longer turn into frizz and I have less maintenance then ever. I blow dried my hair straight today, and it actually shined without any other kind of product!
I can’t believe the number of years, the number of products, and the mountains of cash I have spent trying to find the right products for my hair. The only thing I did slightly different, just for the fun of it and found good results…
I used the vinegar mixture to rinse the baking soda out. It does that foaming action the two combined do and seems to reduce the baking soda residue. Then, I rinsed it all out with water. It feels really good and my kids have a great laugh watching it! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
What to do with stockpiled shampoo
- To wash dedicates like undies or sweaters
- Wash brushes and combs
- Clean your tub and bath with it. It does a great job getting rid of soap scum.
- Use it as a spot cleaner on your clothes for spots like ring around the collar. If you think about it, shampoo is made to remove human body oil from hair so it works great on body oil on clothes.
- You can use extra shampoo for cleaning woodwork, leather, carpet stains and almost anything you would use soap on.
- Leftover shampoo is a great degreaser so it works really well in a kitchen
- Shampoo works well on paint brushes, too!
- Use it to shave your legs or as a body wash
- Use it for bubble bath
- Save shampoo for washing the dog
- Shampoo makes a great soap to use to wash your car.
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Daily Shower Cleaner Recipe
An inexpensive homemade daily shower cleaner recipe you can use to reduce how often you have to clean the shower. It’s easy to make with common ingredients!
I want to know about that “Daily Shower Cleaner.” I spray it around in my shower every day. There are several brands – One is CleanShower, Tilex makes one, etc.
I think the product works quite well. It helps keep my shower squeaky shiny clean, BUT…cheapskate that I am, I would like to know if I can mix it up myself rather than buying it all the time. It SEEMS like it should be a fairly simple blend…I have thought that it might be made from denatured alcohol and dish soap blended into water, but I am chicken to try doing that without a little guidance. Can you help? -Maryellen
Here you go, Maryellen! This Daily Shower Cleaner recipe is in V9lume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook! Once again, when we say we have unusual things in our cookbook, we really do. :-) -Tawra
This daily shower cleaner recipe is from Volume 1 of our cookbook:
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How To Organize Your Pantry
Here are some easy tips to organize your pantry! Keeping your pantry neat and organized can save you time and money and prevent you from wasting food!
How To Organize Your Pantry
With the holidays fast approaching, now is the time to get your pantry in order. You will be cooking for family get-togethers, you’ll probably be doing some holiday entertaining and then there will be all the baking for the holidays.
If you have your pantry in order, it will make all these things easier and faster to do.
When your pantry is well organized, you will be able to see immediately what you need to buy to restock. Now, before all the frantic holiday activities start is a great time to organize your pantry. Once you’re organized, you won’t be caught without some ingredient you need and being organized will make it easier to take advantage of all those great sales on pantry items that are offered this time of year. Most canned goods, chocolate chips and other pantry items will last until next year’s sales roll around again, so you’ll save a bundle of money, too!
- First, clean each shelf and lay down shelf paper where needed. It you have sticky things like honey or syrup, use a plastic lid like the one from a cool whip container or cottage cheese container for these things to sit on. If they get sticky, it is much easier to wash or throw away a disposable lid than to try to clean the shelf.
- Instead of using expensive shelf liner, you can find inexpensive rolls of kitchen wallpaper or scrap pieces of vinyl flooring. Just use thumb tacks to hold the corners down.
- When putting food away, put like things together. Put your canned goods in rows so you can easily see how many of each item you have. Store all the corn together, beans together, peas together, fruits together, (peaches, pears, plums), soups, crackers, cereal, etc.
Organize your pantry in similar groups like:
Grains and pastas
Desserts
Snacks
Vegetables (canned)
Soft Drinks
Fruits (canned)
Juices
Soups
Cereals
Meats in cans (tuna, spam, roast beef)
Coffees, teas, creamers, sweeteners, etc.
Baking items- If you store your baking supplies in the pantry, group the baking supplies together. Keep a tray by the baking supplies. That way you can quickly stack everything you need on it and carry it all at one time to the baking center.
- Arrange all the labels of the canned goods facing forward so you can see them. Place all your corn on one row one behind the other so you know everything behind that can of corn is corn. Do this instead of placing two cans of corn side by side. Do this with all your canned goods.
- If you need to, buy the little wire shelving or adjust your shelving to use all of your space. I often don’t think about adjusting my shelving and, if you have 2-4 inches of space at the top of each shelf, that can add up to 12 inches of wasted space for just three shelves.
- Use a basket to hold things like small box mixes, juice packets, cake mix packets, etc. You can take it out in one movement instead of digging through the entire cabinet. It will also save when grocery shopping so you can see what you have at a glance.
Put all of the breakfast cereals, bowls and cups on a low shelf so the kids can get their own cereal. Put milk on a lower shelf of the fridge, too. For 3 and 4 year olds put a pre-measured cup of milk on the shelf.
Note: This applies to many things. If your children keep asking for you to reach a glass for them for a drink, place a few glasses in a lower cabinet for them. Just today, my 16 month old grandson came marching into my house, went straight for the cup cabinet, got himself a cup and handed it to me for a drink of water, so they can start young.
- Be sure to put food you use every day on a shelf in the front and middle. I store the tea I use every day at the front and the tea I use every now and then in the back.
- If you have children, put the canned goods on the lower shelves of the pantry. This way, if they try to get something out, there isn’t a risk of cans falling down on them.
-Jill
For more help with organizing, cleaning and laundry, take a look at our How To Organize And Clean Your Home e-books.
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How To Save On Laundry Detergent {Why You’re Actually In Debt}
Does making homemade laundry detergent save money? Easy ideas to save on laundry detergent that you won’t expect but can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Demystifying the Great Laundry Detergent Dilemma – Save Money on Laundry Detergent
I grabbed the phone and answered it. It was my daughter chuckling on the other end. “We got another one,” she said, “Another laundry detergent e-mail.” For years now we have one recurring question. How can I save on my laundry detergent?
This may seem like an innocent enough question, but when we find out the writer’s story, laundry detergent is almost never really relevant to the problem. What we’ve found is that a person who asks about laundry detergent is usually on the brink of bankruptcy, divorce, or losing a job. It’s like some kind of code phrase or distress signal for “Help Me — I’m drowning in debt”.
Often these people have maxed out their credit cards, have fully mortgaged a quarter of a million dollar home and owe money on several expensive new cars. They have closets full designer clothes, purses and shoes and say ” How can I save on laundry detergent?”
For a person in this situation, asking that question makes as much sense as saying, “My home is burning down — I must go back in and save that $3 carton of milk I bought today!” If it were me, I would say, ” Forget the milk I going to save the family heirlooms, my gold jewelry and the good silver.”
For Many People, The Problem Is Bigger Than Laundry Detergent…
I have tried to understand why in a financial crisis so many people want to learn how to save money on laundry detergent when there are so many more obvious ways they could be saving. Here is what I have finally concluded:
First, by focusing on a trivial issue they don’t have to look at the real, more serious problem. It’s like putting a Band-Aid on a scratch on your finger while you are bleeding profusely from an artery on your leg. They don’t want to acknowledge the real spending problem because then they would have to deal with it.
If you are in this situation and you want to be free of it, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. You are spending more money then you make. It is important to realize that spending impulsively beyond your means is almost as bad as doing drugs. You get instant gratification and pleasure but over the long haul, it will destroy you.
Second, saving on laundry detergent gets rid of that nagging guilt for a little while. As long as they keep trying to save pennies on unimportant things, they don’t have to feel guilty about spending thousands on the fun things. The problem is that if they are spending beyond their means, it will catch up with them eventually, which will make the stress and damage all the worse.
How To Save Money on Laundry Detergent
For those of you who have your finances under control and really do need a way to spend less on detergent, here are a few suggestions.
At first I wondered how I could help anyone save money on detergent when a person uses so little of it? For a family of four, a 40-load box of detergent would last me one to two months, which doesn’t give a lot to save on.
It isn’t the laundry detergent that people need to save on but the amount of laundry they are doing. It’s seems as if people’s laundry has turned into some kind of monster that is taking over their homes. It’s everywhere. Piles of it on the floor, chairs, tables, and beds. Almost every horizontal surface in the house is covered with laundry — dirty laundry, clean laundry and folded laundry.
By cutting back on the amount of laundry you do, you can save quite a bit on detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softener and hot water.
Here are a few ideas to help you cut back:
- Have the kids wear the same pair of pajamas every night. Before you get upset and say there is no way you would allow them to do that think about this: You bathe your kids before they go to bed so their pajamas go on a clean body. How dirty could those pajamas get while they are sleeping? Most people don’t change their sheets more than once a week. What is the difference between sleeping on the same sheets and sleeping in the same pajamas?
- Assign each person his or her own towel to use a minimum of two to three times instead of just once. In the case of young children let them use the same towel. Up to a certain age most people toss their little ones all in the bath together so if they can share the same bath water they can share the same towel.
- When you get home from church or someplace where you didn’t wear the outfit all day, change out of your good clothes and hang them up to wear again.
- If it doesn’t look dirty and doesn’t stink, don’t wash it. We usually use jeans for a week at our house.
- Don’t be lazy. Many people get undressed and, instead of putting their clothes away, they throw them on the floor in a heap. They don’t want to iron, fold or even hang them up, so they just throw them in the wash. This makes more work later because they still have to iron, fold and hang them on wash day, but they also use more detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softener, hot water and time.
Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
How To Make Homemade Laundry Detergent Video
Can You Save Money Making your Own Laundry Detergent?
For more easy laundry, cleaning and homemaking tips to make your life easier, check out our How To Organize And Clean Your Home e-books.
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The Best Homemade Apple Bread Recipe
This is the BEST homemade apple bread recipe!! Make it today and you will feel like you’re sitting in grandma’s kitchen enjoying a cup of tea with her! It makes a great dessert or snack for when the kids get home from school! You can find this recipe in volume 1 of our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
This best homemade apple bread recipe is from volume 1 of our cookbook:
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Easy Homemade Pancakes Recipe
This easy homemade pancakes recipe takes about 15 minutes to make and everyone loves them! These pancakes are a staple at our house and your family will love them too!
This easy homemade pancakes recipe is in Volume 1 of our cookbook!
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How To Save Money On Groceries
It’s easy to learn how to save money on groceries! These easy tips show you painless ways to easily save hundreds of dollars a month on your food bill!
How To Save Money On Groceries
If I said I would give you $150 extra a month to help you pay off your credit cards, lose weight and help your family become healthier, would you accept it? Does it sound too good to be true? The average American family spends 1/4-1/3 of their monthly grocery bill on things to drink but can’t find any extra money to pay off their credit cards. It’s really not that hard to learn how to save money on groceries. In this post, we’ll look at just one way to do it, but there are lots more!
Do you buy sodas, coffee, tea, juice and milk, plus all the things that go into these drinks like creamer, flavorings and sugar? Do you grab a glass of soda, juice or milk instead of a cold glass of water? You may even argue that juice and milk are good for your children.
We all know that fertilizer (food for you grass) is good for your lawn, but too much fertilizer will kill it and if you don’t water it, it will die. I’m beginning to wonder if most of us are more concerned about making sure our yards are watered than our children. Of course they need some milk but like everything else do it in moderation.
Here are few tips to cut the costs of the drinks in your home, save money on groceries and find some extra money to pay off your credit cards:
- Find out how much milk is actually needed for your child. The USDA recommends that children under 5 get three to four servings of dairy per day. That is 2 cups of milk OR one serving equals one slice of cheese OR ½ container of yogurt. Don’t forget milk added to cereal.
- Juice is just sugar water. Eat the whole fruit instead and give one glass of juice as a treat for breakfast or snack.
- Limit the number of glasses of milk or juice given a day. After the allotted amount they get nothing else but water. If they are used to drinking it for meals, either give them one glass (1/2 cup) and when it’s gone they drink water or have them drink water first and then milk after they finish their meal.
- Use small juice glasses. They give the appearance of more.
- Don’t fill their sippy cups with juice or milk. Give them water instead.
- If you put some milk in a cup and they don’t drink it all, put it in the fridge until later.
- Limit sodas to a treat once or twice a week.
- Don’t dilute your juice with extra water. Not only does this not taste very good but by “stretching” the juice you teach your kids bad eating habits by giving into their demands for juice instead of giving them water.
- Keep water in the fridge. After water has set, the chlorine evaporates and the water also tastes better cold.
- Add a small amount of lemon juice to your water if you don’t like the taste.
- Be careful to shop wisely. Sometimes buying name brand flavored or specialty coffees on sale costs less than making your own.
- Use powdered milk instead of creamer in coffee or tea or try mixing your creamer half and half with dry milk.
- After making coffee save the coffee filter and the coffee grounds in the maker. Add your coffee for the next day on top of the old grounds. This way you can use each filter 2 or 3 times. Buy a reusable coffee filter. They last for years.
- If you run out of coffee filters, use a paper towel until you can get to the store to buy more.
- You don’t always have to make a full pot of coffee. Just make one or 2 cups at time.
- Save extra coffee in a thermos instead of making a new batch or buy a smaller coffee maker.
- To make flavored tea, add a package of flavored drink mix to each pot of tea.
- For leftover soda – Combine 2 cups of flat soda with 1 package of unflavored or same flavored gelatin to make a rich flavored gelatin. This is particularly good with root beer, orange and grape sodas.
Here are some easy recipes for drink treats to help you save money on groceries:
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Homemade Taco Meat Recipe For Tostadas, Enchiladas And More!
Use this tasty homemade taco meat recipe in six different meals your family will love! You can take this basic spiced taco meat and make tacos, taco salad, taco pasta bake, tostadas, burritos, and easy enchiladas with just a few added ingredients for each meal.
If you have time to make the taco meat recipe ahead and freeze it in meal-sized portions, it will save you so much time on weeknights! Grab a bag of meat to thaw, fix up the other ingredients you need for your meal of choice, and put dinner on the table fast. It’s like a homemade version of a good old-fashioned Hamburger Helper, but without the added sodium. Such a fast meal option!
How to Make the Taco Meat Filling
Making this homemade taco meat recipe is very easy and forms the base of six different inexpensive meal options. I’m including the recipes for the filling, the homemade taco seasoning, and all of the different meal options in this post. Print what you want now, and come back for more options later!
Taco Meat Recipe Ingredients
Ground Beef or Shredded Chicken.
Tomato Sauce.
Taco Seasoning. You can use either store-bought or homemade.
Instructions
Cook the ground beef fully. Drain the grease. Then add tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Simmer for five minutes.
How to Make Your Own Taco Seasoning
If you don’t have a taco seasoning packet in the house, you can make your own by throwing all of these spices in a bowl and stirring it all up with a fork. Easy peasy. The amounts are listed on the recipe card. Make sure your spices were purchased in the last six months for best results.
If you are gluten-free, making your own homemade taco seasoning may be a necessity, but it is a happy one. You can control your spice level, ensure there are no unnecessary added ingredients in your food and have taco seasoning at your fingertips whenever you need it.
Ingredients for Taco Seasoning
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Dried Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
Easy Meals To Make With This Taco Meat Recipe
Each of these options requires slightly different ingredients, timing, and varying degrees of effort. I’ve included a different recipe card for each and every option in this blog article. Print one or print them all!
- Tacos. Serve the filling in traditional taco shells with various toppings.
- Taco Salad. Serve the meat on a salad with crunchy tortilla chips.
- Taco Pasta Bake. Throw pasta and the meat filling into the oven for a baked pasta dish which is the ultimate comfort food.
- Tostadas. Crunchy bowl meat yummy meat.
- Burritos. Use soft shells for a different food experience.
- Easy Enchiladas. Serve enchiladas in the blink of an eye.
Use the Taco Meat Filling for Tacos
The most obvious way to use the base recipe is in tacos. If you’ve never made tacos before, here’s how it all comes together.
Use the Taco Meat Filling to Make Taco Salad
The fresh, light taco salad is a nice flavorful dinner when you are craving salad greens and the crunch of tortilla chips. It’s not mentioned on the recipe card, but I like to add a little sour cream to my salad, and skip a dressing. You can also use a cilantro or avocado ranch dressing if you like.
How to Make Taco Pasta Bake using our Taco Meat Recipe
This delicious taco pasta bake is comfort food that kids especially love. Use pre-cooked pasta, even leftover pasta if you have it. Some frozen corn, drained black beans, or a can of diced tomatoes can be added to this dish for variety.
Make Tostadas Like A Restaurant
This seems like such a fancy dish, but you can actually buy the shells at your grocery store, so why not get fancy at home? It’s a fun way to combine salad and crunch with tacos.
Burritos
Make a delicious burrito meal your whole family will enjoy.
Easy Enchiladas for a Busy Weeknight
When you want something fast and you are tired of tacos, make these instead.
Other Recipes to Enjoy
Easy Enchilada Casserole Recipe – Mexican Lasagne
Mexican Summer Squash Recipe and Slow Cooked Chicken Menu
Easy Homemade Fajitas Recipe – Quick And Easy $5 Dinner Recipe
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Easy S’mores Recipe And 7 Ways To Eat S’mores – Ice Cream S’mores Recipe
Here’s an easy s’mores recipe you’re sure to love! S’mores are a favorite summertime snack, perfect for sharing around a campfire or backyard fire pit! You’ll also find easy ways to make s’mores along with some tasty variations, including a delicious Ice Cream S’mores Recipe.
Easy S’mores Recipes, Ideas and Tips
S’mores are amazing things. S’mores can be eaten all year round as snacks or desserts and lots of people, young and old alike, love them. These tips are especially good to keep on hand when the kids want some s’mores and you don’t have a piece of chocolate in the house.
For a classic s’mores recipe, you start with 2 graham crackers. Then you roast a marshmallow, usually over a campfire. When the marshmallow is golden brown, or cooked to your liking, carefully remove it from the roaster so you don’t burn yourself and place with chocolate between the graham crackers.
If you like formal recipes, here’s an easy s’mores recipe for you!
Here are some modern day ways to make s’mores, an old time favorite snack!
- Use chocolate chips or leftover Easter bunnies in place of the candy bar.
- Instead of chocolate candy, use a can of chocolate frosting to make it easier to make s’mores.
- Forget the chocolate altogether. Spread a graham cracker with strawberry or raspberry jam, add a roasted marshmallow and a slice or two of strawberry (or even a slice of banana).
- Spread cinnamon graham crackers with softened cream cheese and fruit.
- This isn’t a s’more idea but I love to spread butter on a cinnamon graham cracker, top it with a second one and dunk it in my coffee for breakfast.
- Chocolate graham crackers are also great spread with peanut butter and slices of banana.
- Cook the marshmallow over the stove. I just put knife in the middle of the marshmallow and then toast it over my electric stovetop.
Here is a good summer S’mores dessert you can make and keep handy in the freezer:
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We have many s’mores recipes but I like this one the best because they can be made ahead of time, wrapped, stored and ready to grab and take with you. This s’mores recipe is great for an after school snack, hay rack ride, football game, tailgating, fall picnic or to munch on while you’re sitting in front of the fire on a cold winter’s day!
It’s a great snack for the kids for all kinds of occasions! (and maybe mom and dad can have a few, too! ;-)
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20 Easy Cooking Ideas And Tips To Save Money And Time!
Here are 20 easy cooking ideas and tips to help you get in and out of the kitchen faster and save time and money!
20 Helpful Cooking Ideas And Tips
- Don’t throw away your orange peel. Using a sharp mini cookie cutter, make stars, trees, or stockings and use them to garnish your fruit platter. You can also make Candied Orange Peels.
- You don’t always have to serve gingerbread with a sauce or whipped cream.Try a scoop of ice cream for a nice change.
- To take a white or yellow cake from okay to great,try adding chopped dried fruit to the frosting like apricots, cherries, cranberries, pineapple etc.
- If your white sugar is lumpy, place it in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin or a sturdy glass.
- Leftover cornbread or cornbread muffins freeze well. Also the leftovers are great to crumble on top of chili or stew so save even the crumbs.
- To serve leftover stew in a different way, spread it in a greased 9×13 pan or casserole dish and top with canned biscuits. Bake according to the directions for the biscuits on the can.
- For leftover chili: Mix 1-2 small boxes of cornbread mix. Spread chili in a greased 9×13 pan or casserole dish and then pour cornbread batter on top. Once again, bake according to the directions on the cornbread box. You could also add a can of corn to the cornbread batter.
- Stretch that leftover chili or Sloppy Joe mix by making nachos.
- Next time you bake chicken,add ranch dressing or other spices to a box of cornmeal mix and coat the chicken in it by dipping the chicken in milk and then shaking it in the cornmeal mix. Bake as usual.
- Don’t keep buttermilk on hand, but need it every once in a while? Buy powdered buttermilk. It works great and doesn’t go bad on you. You can usually find it in the baking section at your grocery store.
- When you cook, determining when to add the salt to your food is important.
- When making soups or stews, blend it in early.
- Add it to meats just before taking them from the pan.
- Add it to the water in which you are going to cook vegetables
- Sprinkle in the pan when frying fish.
- If your bread gets dried out, don’t toss it out. Spread it with some butter, sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese and broil until brown. You could also spread it with butter, cinnamon and sugar and broil.
- Never cover anything that is cooked in milk unless you want to spend hours cleaning your stove after it boils over.
- Keep a measuring cup in each of your flour and sugar canisters. I almost never have to dirty a measuring cup anymore. I also use an ice cream scoop (It measures 1/4 of a cup) to measure liquids. The lever on it that you use to scrape out the ice cream works great for scraping out things like honey or syrup.
- If your oatmeal cookies always turn out a little dry, add a ripe banana to it for extra flavor and moisture.
- Leftover pineapple juice? Add some oil, soy sauce and garlic. Mix well. Marinate chicken for several hours. Bake chicken in marinade until juices run clear.
For more easy cooking ideas and tips to save on your grocery budget check out our cookbooks!
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9 Ways To Make Quick And Easy Home Cooked Meals
It’s easier than most people think to make quick and easy home cooked meals! You can save money on food and your family will enjoy better meals! Here are 9 easy ways to make quick meals! (more…)
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Tomato Basil Salad Recipe
This light and refreshing tomato basil salad recipe is quick and easy and makes a great cheap side dish. It can be used with your favorite Italian dishes, to add something healthy on pizza night or to quickly toss together to go with anything you are barbecuing.
This tomato basil salad recipe is from Volume 1 of our Cookbook:
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2 Ingredient Homemade Acne Mask And Acne Facial Cleanser Recipe
Have you seen the new acne mask and face cleanser with activated charcoal? They can cost anywhere from $6 to $10 for one bottle!
You can use this easy DIY acne mask or homemade acne facial cleanser recipe to make your own acne mask or facial cleanser. Both recipes have only 2 ingredients and are super cheap!
You can find the activated charcoal here or you can buy it in capsules and just break open the capsules and pour it in.
For more homemade bath and beauty products like this acne mask and cleanser, check out volume 1 of our cookbook:
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Please note some of these links are affiliate links and we use them to bring you more free money saving recipes and tips! Thanks for your support!
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Foods You Always Need In Your Pantry
Part of saving money in the kitchen and being prepared is keeping a well stocked and organized pantry. Don’t know how to do it? We’ve got helpful tips!
An essential component to cooking frugally is keeping a well stocked pantry. The concept of a pantry is more than storage. Your pantry should be a place where you always have a good supply of basic ingredients and a few less expensive convenience foods.
Foods You Always Need In Your Pantry
When you have the opportunity to buy something that you use frequently at a great price, buy a lot of extra and keep it in the pantry until the next time you can get such a good price. This allows you to opt not to buy an item except when the price is very low, “flexing” your pantry.
Here is a list of items that we keep stocked in our pantry virtually all the time. I plan meals around what I have in the pantry and I buy what is on sale to keep my pantry well stocked.
(For more easy tips and tricks to save money in the kitchen, check out Groceries On A Dime!)
Baking Supplies - baking powder
- baking soda
- yeast
- cocoa
- salt
- cornstarch
- vinegar
- food coloring
- coconut
- eggs
Beverages - tea
- coffee
- sometimes lemonade mix
Breads
- wheat bread
- white bread
- saltines
- graham crackers
- croutons (we make our own)
Cheese - Cheddar
- mozzarella
- American
- parmesan
- cream cheese (occasionally)
Cereal
- Only when I can find them for less than $1.50 a box.
Condiments - jelly/jam
- catsup
- mayonnaise
- mustard
- salsa
- pickles
I make most of my salad dressing, BBQ sauce, and jelly when I can find a free source of fruit.
Fats - vegetable oil
- olive oil
- shortening
- margarine
- cooking spray
Fruits Canned
- peaches
- pears
- pineapple
Fresh
- apples
- oranges
- grapefruits
- raisins
Anything else when it’s on sale or free (strawberries, kiwi, pears, etc.)
Grains - white flour
- wheat flour
- oatmeal
- cornmeal
- white rice
- popcorn
- grits
- cream of wheat
Juices
- orange
- lemon
Meats - chicken (whole or parts, hardly ever boneless chicken breast) (.99 or less per pound)
- ground beef
- ground turkey
- pork chops
- ground pork
- ham
- bacon
- round steak
(As a general rule, I try not to pay more than $2.99 per pound for meat.)
Milk - dry milk
- whole milk
- evaporated milk
- sweeten condensed milk
(occasionally)
Pasta
- pre-packaged macaroni and cheese
- spaghetti
- macaroni
Seasonings and Flavorings - maple extract
- peppermint extract
- vanilla
(I make my own with vanilla beans and vodka) - bouillon
- Worcestershire sauce
- spices and herbs
Sugar - white sugar
- brown sugar
- powdered sugar
- honey
- corn syrup
Vegetables - onions
- potatoes
- instant mashed potatoes
- carrots
- frozen broccoli
- canned green beans
- canned and frozen corn
- green pepper
- mushrooms ( purchased on sale)
Miscellaneous Canned Goods - spaghetti sauce
- whole tomatoes
- diced tomatoes
- olives
- tomato soup
- cream of mushroom soup
- cream of chicken soup
- ramen noodles
- pork and beans
- pumpkin
- Tabasco sauce
- peanut butter
- dried beans (hubby likes beans)
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Difference Between Baking Flours – All Purpose, Self-Rising, Cake Flour
What is the difference between all purpose flours, self rising flours and bleached and unbleached flours? Get the quick and simple answers here!
What’s The Difference Between Baking Flours?
Rose Asks:
What is the difference between all purpose flours, self rising flours and bleached and unbleached flours? Sometimes the bag just says flour… I want to start cooking from scratch but I am not sure of what flours I need to use. Thanks…
I’m glad you want to start cooking and baking from scratch. The good news is that it is really pretty easy to know the difference between baking flours and when to use each of them. I will include a brief description of each of them here.
I don’t go into the super scientific details, but rather the practical information you need to get cooking and baking fast! I hope this helps you understand the difference between all purpose flour, self-rising four and the other names you may see on flour bags!
All Purpose Flour, Bleached And Unbleached Flour
All purpose, bleached and unbleached flour can all be used interchangeably. The main difference is that unbleached flour has slightly more nutrients in it than the others. All purpose flour is what is used mostly in baking. For a beginning cook, I suggest you always use all purpose flour unless the recipe states otherwise.
Cake Flour
There are some differences in the type of wheat between cake flour and other flours, but the most important thing for you to know is that cake flour is ground more finely than other flour. Cake flour is also made of a particular type of flour that produces a softer texture, so it is often preferred by professionals for making baked goods with a super light and fluffy texture.
If a recipe calls for cake flour and you don’t have cake flour on hand, it is perfectly OK to substitute 2 tablespoons less of the cake flour per cup of all purpose flour. In other words if the recipe calls for 1 cup of cake flour then you can use 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. of all purpose flour.
Self Rising Flour
Self rising flour already has the salt and leavening mixed into it. A lot of bakers don’t like to use self-rising flour because it can lose its potency. It is usually not recommended for bread. If you have a recipe that calls for self rising flour but you don’t have self rising flour on hand,
I could go into all the scientific details about protein percent, varieties of wheat and a lot of other details but it’s easy to get into information overload so I won’t. I have included the details you need to make most recipes. Too many details just discourages us from trying something because we are afraid to get mired in irrelevant details.
When A Package Just Says Flour
If you find a package of flour in the store that just says “flour”, it is generally all purpose flour. I hope your scratch cooking goes well!
Jill
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How Do I Make My Husband Change His Spending Habits?
Money issues are one of the most common problems in marriage. One reader asks, How do I make my husband change so he doesn’t spend so much?
How Do I Make My Husband Change His Spending Habits?
Kristy writes: Hi Tawra and Jill! I need your help! I’ve been checking out your web site and reading your blog for quite a while now. I’ve also bought your book and subscribed to your newsletter. I’ve learned lots of useful tips from all those sources. I feel like I’ve come a long way on my road to becoming a tightwad!
The problem is my husband. He’s not a complete spendthrift, however, we have a lot to work on. For example, we came home the other night and he turned on the air conditioner. I thought I was going to have a stroke! We were getting ready to go to bed. We have a ceiling fan in our room and the night before we had both gotten chilly with just the ceiling fan on. Here he was wanting to cool the whole house! We live in the South, so I’m not opposed to using the air conditioner when we need too, but it was only 72 degrees! We ended up getting into a little spat over the whole thing.
There are other things he does as well. Like if he goes to the grocery store with me. I go with a precise list of what we need. I also have coupons to use. If he goes I end up buying much more than I had planned. He also gets so impatient that I’m not able to compare my coupons to the prices. I know the easy solution is to just not take him with me, but I don’t really like that solution. I want him to understand why it’s important to stick to the list, and why it’s important for me to take a little extra time to compare the coupons I have with the prices.
Whenever I show him the grocery receipt (when I’ve gone by myself) he’s always impressed. I guess what I’m asking is, “What can I do to turn my husband into a tightwad?” I read Mike’s conversion story and I think it’s awesome. So tell me, what did you actually do the facilitate his change? Did you simply put your foot down and say, No, we’re not spending money on that? I don’t really want to do that since he’s the one making the money.
I would just like to show him how great it is when we are able to spend less. Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated. Thank you so much for all your hard work and advice!
Kristy
Tawra: Kristy, First of all, congratulations on how far you’ve come in learning to spend your money more wisely. I can tell that you’re excited to see how much of a difference you have been able to make and that’s great!
I can appreciate your frustration. My husband was a liberal spender when we married. It took several years for him to change his way of thinking.
The thing that worked for us was that I led by example. When he saw me saving he was encouraged to do so too. There were a few times when I did say “there is no way we are buying that” and we got into some big fights over it. For the most part, I just saved the best I could. If he spent extra at the grocery store whenever we went, then I just went shopping without him. I had dinners and lunches made and ready so he wouldn’t be tempted to eat out.
He came up with a system where he put all our debt on a chart on the wall. He tried to predict how long it would take us to pay off the debt and drew a line indicating the debt paydown. As we would make a payment he would mark that month off. It encouraged him to see the debt going down and so he wanted to save more. Pretty soon, the reality was that the paydown in real life was better than the chart predicted. Men are visual and this “visual scorecard” really helped him buy in.
Another thing that helped was that he started calculating how many hours he had to work to pay for something. When he realized that it would take all of the money he earned in 1 1/2 years of work for a new car or 3 months for a used one, we bought the used car.
You said in your letter “He also gets so impatient that I’m not able to compare my coupons to the prices. I know the easy solution is to just not take him with me, but I don’t really like that solution. I want him to understand why it’s important to stick to the list, and why it’s important for me to take a little extra time to compare the coupons I have with the prices.”
Regarding the list — You don’t always have to precisely stick to a list to save money. There are always specials and maybe you see something that sounds good and you just want to buy it. That’s ok as long as you aren’t overly impulsive. Generally, the more impulsive a buyer you are, the more you want to restrict yourself to “the list”.
If your husband doesn’t like to shop and if you spend more when he’s there, why do you insist that he goes with you? It seems like the best of all worlds is for you to shop without him. Why is it important for him to understand sticking to the list, and taking extra time to compare the coupons with the prices? Most men don’t like shopping. If he spends more at the store, but would rather not go, leave him home. Let shopping be your thing and let his thing be mowing the lawn or something else he does well.
One thing that can be difficult in a marriage is the tendency for a person to want to be in control. If you know what the easy solution is, but you “don’t like it”, it looks like you want to have control over him in the situation. You won’t get control over him unless you want a divorce. Marriage is a partnership and he has to be a partner.
Sometimes you just have to let it go. There were times when Mike would buy something that we really didn’t “need”. maybe he wanted to buy a CD or go out to eat, but I just let it go. He has to have control of the money too. Remember, this is a partnership, not a competition. Think about “net gain”. Whether or not he understands how you shop, if the outcome of your shopping is a financial gain for your family, you have a joint victory. If you think of it that way, you will both feel like you’re on the same team (and you are ;-).
Here’s another angle on partnership. You said “Did you simply put your foot down and say, No, we’re not spending money on that? I don’t really want to do that since he’s the one making the money.” By saying that “he” is the one making the money, you are implying that your role in the marriage is not as important as his. You are “earning” just as much at home by doing all the things you do (meals, laundry, child care, etc.), so don’t feel bad about sharing in the decision about how you and your husband spend the family’s money.
Because our financial situation was critical at the beginning, I did put my foot down. If you don’t have the money, you don’t have the money. Mike was used to going to the movie theater a lot and he liked to shoot a lot of pictures. He was in the habit of spending more when he was stressed or feeling low. When we started having trouble paying our bills, I told him that we would have to cut the movies and the picture taking. He didn’t like it and we had a lot of fights over those things, but he did understand that we were going to be in huge financial trouble if he didn’t stop spending.
Here’s a practical example of a way you can try to bring him on board without irritating him: Instead of getting upset (“having a stroke”) about the air conditioner being turned on, say “Can we try using the fans first and see if that will cool us down enough?” or “Let’s turn on the air conditioner for an hour or so and then turn it off”. There are many ways of compromising when it comes to finances. Try to use a gentler approach whenever possible.
You husband won’t change his view of money overnight, but if you can have a positive impact on your family financial situation and communicate how happy you are about the frugal “victories”, his thinking will change little by little. If, as you said, he is always impressed when you show him how much you saved, he is already starting to see the benefit! Hang in there and let us know how it goes!
Tawra
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How To Save Money On Your Electric Bill
If you’re trying to learn how to save money on your electric bill, these tips will help you figure out how to cut unnecessary costs. We also share which appliances and accessories are using the most power.
How Do I Save Money On My Electric Bill?
Readers Question: I am new to your site and I love it. How can I save money on my electric bill? I use cold water to wash clothes. I unplug anything not in use. I close the blinds. I cut hot water off under bathroom sinks. I use ceiling fans. I am going through that hot flash thing, so my air conditioning is on 74 degrees. I wash full loads of dishes. And my electric bill is still high. Any other suggestions?
First, it sounds like you are not a typical electricity user. It sounds like you are already cutting significantly in many areas, so there may be less you can do than other people. I will address your question specifically later in this post but first I will be sharing some of the things that many people probably struggle with that cause their bills to be higher how to cut those costs.
How To Save Money On Your Electric Bill
If you want to learn how to save money on your electric bill, it is important to be aware of what things in your home use the most power and what things you use the most. Here are some common energy drains that can often make your electric bill higher.
Consider all of the things that use electricity in your house and think about how you use them. If you or the kids leave all of the lights on in the house, even when you are gone, you will send more on electricity. If you set the air conditioner to very cold and leave it running all day, it will cost a fortune.
Even if you are home, consider whether or not you actually need this device to be running as much as you leave it on.
Energy efficient appliances may not be as efficient as we think.
Tawra just recently bought a new energy efficient refrigerator and the repair man said he only buys old refrigerators. He said the new ones only save about $1 a month, but it costs a lot more to buy them. Then, if something goes wrong, it often costs a minimum of $500 just for the part to repair it. He also said the new appliances need to be repaired more often.
Air Conditioner
Air conditioning is the single largest single cause of high electricity bills for most people. If you really want to know how to save money on electricity, this is the most important thing to consider. If you run your air conditioning very cold (or your heater very warm in the winter), your bills will be significantly higher than they need to be.
Generally, if you can keep your air conditioner closer to 80 degrees you will save a lot on electricity. Mike and Tawra usually keep their air conditioning thermostat set around 78 degrees, but they try not to turn it on until it starts to get over 80 degrees in the house.
When they lived in a hot climate, they used the air conditioner more of the day, but since they’ve been in a cooler climate, they wait to turn it on until the temperature in the house gets close to 80 and then turn it off when the temperatures cool in the evening.
Even though I have mostly lived in a hot and humid climate, I have always been more willing to tolerate warmer temperatures to save money on my electric bill, so I keep it warmer.
Most people think they need the air conditioner constantly running cooler than they actually do.
If you’re finding it difficult to set it any higher, it can be helpful to set the thermostat one degree higher each day or every couple of days and your body will adjust and it will feel more comfortable. What makes it most difficult is a sudden drastic change.
To the reader who asked the question, I understand you may need the air conditioning, but air conditioning is probably your main source of electricity expense. If I don’t keep my A/C set at 80 degrees, my electric bill jumps up quickly. 2-4 degrees makes a big difference in lowering my electric bill.
I also don’t run my air conditioner the entire day. Even when it was 103 to 105 degrees for several weeks this summer I didn’t turn my air on until about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I let it run all night because I can’t sleep when it is hot and muggy. Then I turned it off in the morning.
I know that’s not the way a lot of people like to do it but it does significantly help control electricity costs. I also have lots of shade trees around my house so that helps keep it cooler without running the air conditioner as much.
If you feel that you absolutely must keep the air conditioning cooler, you will need to realize that it means enough to you to keep it that cool that you are choosing to spend more for the comfort you want. It’s OK to choose that if you can afford it and it means that much to you.
Dryer and Freezer
Sometimes we work hard at the little things like turning off lights but we don’t consider larger expenses like using a dryer or having a freezer. Years ago I saved $80 (total for both) a month on my electric bill when I stopped using them.
Do you really need to use the dryer? Can you use a clothesline?
The bigger question for many people is how many clothes do you wash? There is no reason to wash more than one pair of clothes per person per day unless you’re working in a very muddy farm environment. Most people spend all day indoors sitting in air conditioning. If that is the case, clothes rarely get very dirty and usually don’t smell bad after just one wearing. If you can wear a lot of clothing items like pants, shorts and shirts more than once, you can save a huge amount of money on dryer (and generally laundry) cost.
Again, if you really want these things and can afford them, it is fine to have them. Just know that you are choosing to spend the money it costs to run them.
Computers And Computer Equipment
I turned 1 computer off while I was gone for a week and saved $10. If you have 2 or 3 computers, that savings can start adding up. Also, a lot of newer electronic devices continue to use power even when they’re sleeping. For the typical family that has a lot of computer-powered devices, this can really add up.
Televisions and entertainment centers can also use a lot of energy, especially if you leave the TV on all day even when you’re not using it.
Lights
I always hate to discuss lights and light bulbs because they are the cliche thing people think will solve all of their electricity problems, but lights can definitely be a significant factor in how to save money on your electric bill.
If you leave many lights on all day, even when you are not in those rooms for hours, the cost can add up. If you or the kids leave the lights on when you go to school or work, you will be using electricity needlessly.
I’m not saying turn off all of the lights and live in the dark! That would make anyone go crazy!
If your house is still filled with mostly incandescent light bulbs and you use them a lot, it can also impact the cost of your electric bill. The newer LED bulbs are much less expensive to operate. One LED light bulb that is the same brightness as a 60 watt incandescent bulb uses only 13 watts of power. This means that it costs 4 times as much more to use an incandescent light bulb than it does to use an LED light bulb. That is 400% of the cost.)
Depending on the cost of the LED light bulbs, it might not make sense to re-buy all of your light bulbs, but if you can slowly replace the ones you use most often, you will also use less electricity.
Dishwashers
You said you do full loads of dishes. If you are really serious about saving money, it may help to hand wash dishes. I use a half gallon to a gallon of water (total for rinsing and washing) to wash my dishes and no electricity at all. We have to be careful because we live in a world where modern conveniences are considered necessities. It is fine to use these things but if we are serious about saving money we may not be able to use all of them the way we like.
I’m not saying this about you but I talk to so many people who say they are desperate and want to save but then they ask me to tell them how to save money “without making me uncomfortable or asking me to give up anything.” I don’t mean you because you sound like you are willing to do what it takes.
You can track electricity usage for many appliances.
If you’ve taken a close look at your electric usage and if you still aren’t sure where it’s all going, you can buy electric usage monitors, inexpensive devices that allow you to check out an appliance to see exactly how much electricity it is drawing. I think most people would be surprised at which things are drawing the most electricity.
(Mike: Our library has these devices available to check out on a library card to test your power usage.)
Sometimes there is only so much you can realistically do to save money on your electric bill.
If your electric bill is higher than you would like, but relatively low compared to other people, you might want to look at your bill closely. Is it expensive because you are using too much electricity or is it just the base expenses (taxes, extras for lines, service, etc.) that you are paying for?
Many utility companies charge a base rate that is the lowest the bill can go. If you are only paying the base expense you really can’t do too much about that because you are paying for the service of having electricity.
-Jill
For more easy and practical ways to save money and get out of debt, check out Dig out Of Debt and learn more about how to keep more of your money.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something using one of these links, we will receive a commission and no extra cost to you.
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Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe – Quick, Easy And Delicious!
This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is a quick and easy recipe that makes mashed potatoes extra special! I have made this tasty recipe since I was a newlywed and my family absolutely loves it. This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is easy to make in just 5-10 minutes. It includes cream cheese and garlic to give it a more restaurant-quality taste! Families love it and it’s also great to bring to potlucks!
For lots more quick and easy home cooked recipes, check out our cookbooks!
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Are “THEY” Ruining Your Finances?
Who Are They And Are “THEY” ruining your finances?
They say that it is impossible for a family to live on one income. They say you need a bigger house for the tax deduction. They say schools need to budget for tablet computers for every student, even though they say they can’t afford to pay the teachers. They say that you need a compact car or alternative energy car because we’re going to run out of gas or the Earth is going to explode. They say you need a big SUV so you’ll be safe on the road. They say you need to be a vegetarian or vegan or you’ll die. They say you should eat a lot of meat so you’ll lose weight or you’ll die.
Over the centuries, human beings have been compared to sheep over and over again. I never cease to be amazed at how true that is. If one sheep decides to head down a road that goes right over a cliff, they all follow. Even in history when people march and demand the right to be individuals they still always seem to dress and act alike. I remember the “flower children” of the 60’s. Even with their “free to be me” attitude, they were horrified if a man walked in with a suit and tie, since it was different from what they and their peers would wear.
If children are doing drugs, drinking or just wearing strange outfits, they justify it because “everyone is doing it”. So often, the parent’s response is “If everyone jumps off a cliff that doesn’t mean you should do it, too.” Is that the story we tell them with our actions? Kids are very shrewd and have no tolerance for hypocrisy. We hurt our families and ourselves if we blindly follow the crowd. “They” have set a standard of living that we must live by– no matter what the cost. (I still haven’t figured out who “they” are but I don’t think I like “them” or “their” ideas.)
“They” say you can’t live on one income so many moms, who think it’s best for their families if they stay home, get jobs anyway because “they” say, “You can’t make it!” Never mind that the extra expense of child care, work clothes and (for many) “guilt offerings” purchased for their kids often exceed the extra income. “They” say that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
How many dads have become only figures the kids wave good-bye to in the morning before heading off to two jobs because “they” say this is the world in which we live. Too many people who do this find that later in life their marriages are suffering, their kids are rebellious and resentful of their absence and the employer for whom they’ve worked, investing all their time “providing” for the family lays them off.
“They” say you have to pay to send your children to college so they can become a success and make a lot of money. When did “they” come up with the idea that going to college makes a person successful? How many parents have accrued $40,000 or more in debt for their son or daughter’s degree, only to find the student working in a field that has nothing to do with his degree? A college education can certainly be a useful tool, but it is one that is wasted if the student doesn’t need it or fails to use it.
I find that the most successful human beings are those whose parents spent time with them and had the time to teach them values, self confidence, self reliance and love. You can always lose your stuff, but you can’t lose your values or the knowledge that your parents love you.
Stop basing your financial decisions (or any life decisions) on what “they” say you should be doing. Financial worries are the biggest cause of stress for Americans, leading to all sorts of physical and emotional problems. These worries are almost always avoidable, but many choose the worries over common sense.
The point of this story is not that you should never spend any money on anything. The point is that it is important that you decide whether or not spending your time or money some particular way is a good idea for your family. Keep in mind that when “they” tell you you should do something, “they” are often trying to sell you something you don’t really need.
Whenever you find yourself reflecting on your life and you realize you are doing something because “they” expect you to do it, tell “them” to butt out of your life, decide for yourself what is really best for you and your family and do it!
-Jill
If you often wonder where all of your money goes or if you need a more frugal mindset, check out Dig out Of Debt and learn more about how to keep more of your money.
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Easy Meal Planning Ideas And Tips
Easy Meal Planning Ideas And Tips
Here are some easy meal planning ideas and tips to help you get past the mental block about meal planning. Meal planning is really not difficult and I hope to equip you with some tools so you can confidently and efficiently plan your family’s meals!
I have discussed many ideas before and so in some places I link to other articles where I gave more detail about some meal planning ideas and tips. If you have time, check them out, too!
Why is it so hard to prepare and plan meals?
- We try too hard and make meal planning more complicated than it needs to be.
We think we need to use new gourmet recipes for every meal. We think that our families want something different for each family dinner when the reality is most of the time our families are happy eating just the good old comfort foods they love. - We are just too tired to think about what to cook.
One thing I did that helped me was to keep a notebook for three weeks and, at the end of each meal, I wrote down what we had for dinner that night. I know this is the opposite of what we are normally told when getting menu ideas.
People usually advise us to write our meal plans before the meal rather than afterward. This is true, but writing things down after a meal worked for me at that time. This was a great way to figure out what kinds of menus we were already eating. If you are having trouble making menus ahead of time, you might try doing it this way.
Even if you go out to eat, write down everything that was served. This takes all of one to two minutes to do, especially if you keep your notebook handy. In three weeks you will have almost 21 menu ideas to choose from. I used my 21 menus for years on the days I was stumped about what to have for dinner.
Make things easy for yourself and keep your meals simple.
Here are a few quick and easy meal plans to give you some ideas for this week. You can use them now or when you need to use up some of your leftover Easter or Christmas ham. You can serve the ham warmed, cold, fried or cubed. It is your choice. Here are some dishes to go with it:
- Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach Salad
- Ham, Rice, Fried Pineapple Rings, Tossed Salad
- Ham, Potato Salad, Relish Dish with Dill Pickles
- Ham, Baked Beans, Baked Potatoes, Carrot Sticks
- Ham, Fried Eggs, Hash Browns, Orange Juice
- Ham, Boiled Potatoes, Applesauce, Green Beans, Corn Bread or Muffins
You can add and take away from all of these meal planning ideas or mix and match items. Here are some things you might try:
- Replace ham with chicken or another meat.
- Add a salad or dinner roll
- Add a dessert
You could easily stretch this to 10-15 easy meal plans by just switching things around.
I would look at my notebook and think, “I don’t have ham but I do have chicken. I could boil some rice and make green beans, corn bread and applesauce. This would give me a totally different menu just by using these basics.
These meal plans should be a jumping off point to help get you started thinking. I hope this gives you new cooks and not so new cooks some ideas for dinner this week!
-Jill
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- We try too hard and make meal planning more complicated than it needs to be.
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What Can Average People Do To Save Money?
What can average people do to save money?
I had a reporter from CBS News call me asking how average people who are living paycheck to paycheck can get a savings account going.
I told her that one of the first things they can do is stop eating out. She later told me, “Well, you hear the stop eating out thing all the time. I want to know what normal, average people can do to save money who are living paycheck to paycheck.”
Most “normal and average” middle class Americans who are having to live paycheck to paycheck aren’t doing so because of something unpreventable like medical costs. They are doing it because they are spending more than they earn on stuff they don’t need.
Even if there are things happening out of your control, like inflation and rising prices, you can still control what you spend so that the things that are out of your control have less impact on you.
What are some of the areas where you can save?
Stop eating your way into debt! Yes, families do spend literally THOUSANDS of dollars a year eating out. Add it up. You will be shocked. If you only go out once a week you will spend almost $3,000 in one year. We had one reader email and say she and her husband stopped eating out and saved $22,000 in one year!!!
Too much stuff. Stop shopping. I spend $350 a year on clothes for our entire family. How many clothes do we need? We don’t need that many clothes and I buy most of our clothes at thrift stores and yard sales. Stop shopping just to have something to do.
Too many activities. It’s not abnormal now for people to have kids in two or three activities per week each. That’s crazy! Let them do ONE and one only. You will save money on the fees, gas driving there and eating out because you “don’t have time”. The “average” family will spend $300-$500 a month on activities for just one child.
Groceries– Do you buy a bunch of junk food you don’t need? I spend $350-$400 a month on groceries. The “average” family spends $500-$900 a month, not including what they spend eating out.
Cars– Stop buying new cars you can’t afford. Why are you buying a car for $30,000 when you earn that amount in a year? Add up the interest, extra insurance and taxes. It does add up to that much. If you can’t pay cash, you shouldn’t buy a brand new car.
Treats– You don’t need a Starbucks coffee or other “treat” every day.
Electronics – We now have convinced ourselves these are needs and they aren’t. Unless you make your livelihood with them you don’t need them – even a cell phone and especially a cell phone for every member of the family. Out of curiosity I was watching a home shopping network the other day. They were selling big screen TVs. In just a few minutes of time they have sold out of over a million dollars worth of these TVs. We are talking $1500 for a TV. Oh my, poor us and these hard economic times.
Housing– Why do you have a 3000 square foot house for a family of four? Get something smaller that you can afford and doesn’t cost as much to heat.
Now, you may not be in this boat and if you’re not then congratulations, but a LOT of middle class paycheck to paycheck Americans are. It’s time to stop whining about the “bad economy” and start taking some responsibility for your finances.
-Tawra and Jill
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