Thrifty Thoughts
is an advice
column on ways to save money on everything from car
repairs to the price of a mini-marshmallow. Readers
questions and comments are rewarded with a free copy of
one of seven money saving books written by Mrs. Babcock.
The
column uses humor to make fun of Mrs. Babcock and her
family's efforts to save money. Readers are rewarded with
recipes, craft ideas, traveling tips, wardrobe saving
ideas and much more. This column appeals to readers of
all ages and every financial circumstance.
Marenda
Babcock married her high school sweetheart. In 1984,
after the birth of their second child, Marenda became a
stay at home mom. The family income was cut by half;
therefore the money saving skills Marenda learned being
raised the eldest of 8 children, had to be fine tuned.
Marenda
and her husband Bob began the Frugal Times
in 1995. For 4 years they published a monthly newsletter.
Marenda is recognized nationwide as a frugality expert.
She has been interviewed nationally on Larry Burkett's
Money
Watch. She continues to share her knowledge
through television, radio, and magazine interviews. In
addition she is a much sought after speaker for
conventions, state fairs, libraries, women's groups, and
senior citizens groups.
Her
books include Frugal Fun For Kids, Frugal
Cooking, Luscious Leftovers, State Fair Recipes, Free Fun
In Indiana, Free Fun In Wisconsin, and Free Fun In
Florida.
Harvest delicious savings
Time for an energy check-up
Looking good for less
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Trash To Treasures
Thrifty summer salads
Do It Yourself and Save
A Taxing Problem
Summer
Savings
Thriftily celebrating a
wonderful lady's life
Awesome Colored Eggs
& Egg Arts & Crafts
How long to store staples
Sell it or trade It?
It's time to go on a
treasure hunt!
How to use less gas
Making things last
saves money
Stretching the food budget
Slowly Step Away From
the Duct Tape
Lowering utility costs
Japanese reader wants
to know more about oatmeal
If you can't taste the
difference, why pay the difference?
Dieting
The Joy of Instant Oatmeal
Frugal
Fashion
Harvest delicious savings
Love to bite into a
crisp, juicy, apple? We are fortunate that we live close
to a family orchard that sells several kinds of apples.
If you do the picking you can save money on the price.
When I was a child I remember three kinds of apples;
McIntosh, Golden Delicious and my favorite, a slightly
tart Granny Smith. Today there are so many different
kinds of apples it can be confusing determining which
apples are best for baking or eating. A good friend of
ours swears that to have a really good apple pie you must
have a collection of six apples with two each of three
different brands of apples.
I don’t pretend to be an apple expert but there is
information available from the U.S. Apple Association to
help weed out the confusion. Their information shows a
photo of a group of 12 apples with another group of six
more to be sold in the future.
Gala—Snacks and salads; Idared—Snacks,
applesauce and baking; McIntosh—Snacks and cooking;
if using in pies, add more thickener; Jonathan—
Sauces, snacks, salads, pies and applesauce;
Cortland-Salads, kabobs, garnishes; Golden
Delicious—Virtually any use; when making pies,
reduce the sugar; Red Delicious-Snacks, salads; not
particularly suitable for cooking or baking; Rome
Beauty—Primarily for cooking, especially good bake
or sauteed; Granny Smith—All uses, especially cakes,
pies and applesauce; Newton Pippin—Pies, applesauce;
Fuji—All uses, especially snacks;
Empire—Snacks, baking, cooking.
The following apples are coming soon, but may not be
available in your area yet:
Braburn—Snacks, sliced in salads;
Honeycrisp—Snacks, salads and sauce making; Ginger
Gold—Snacks, salads, baking, saute’eing,
sauces; Cameo— All uses, especially snacks; resists
browning when cut; Pink Lady— Snacks, salads,
baking; Jonagold—Pies, other baked desserts, sauces.
There is nothing as delicious as homemade applesauce.
Years ago a neighbor taught me how to make it. A word of
warning; once your family has tasted homemade sauce they
may never want the watery runny sauce sold in the stores
again.
Making applesauce is easy; you need a food mill, apples,
sugar, and canning jars. Making applesauce will save
money but not enough to pay for the food mill the first
year. I borrowed my neighbor’s mill to see if I
enjoyed making the sauce, and my family enjoyed the
sauce. We were hooked.
Although my food mill cost around $25, it can also be
used to make tomato juice, sauce, paste, and spaghetti
sauce. It saves hours of work since it removes skins,
bypassing the need to peel fruit or vegetables. Most
mills are sold wherever canning supplies are sold in
hardware or discount stores.
I use Granny Smith apples because they can be used for
sauce, pie fillings, and snacks. The Granny Smith is a
little tart, so I use a little more sugar.
Here is a recipe I like because it uses up stale graham
crackers and any apples that may be going bad. This
recipe can be doubled and put in a 9X13 pan.
Cinnamon Apple Snack Cake
1 cup sugar
Half cup margarine (1 stick)
3 eggs
28 square cinnamon graham crackers (2 cups crushed)
1 medium apple peeled, cored, and diced
Half cup walnuts, chopped
Blend sugar, margarine, eggs. Stir in graham cracker
crumbs, chopped walnuts, and diced apple. Bake @ 350 for
40-45 minutes until firm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar
for added appeal.
Top
Time for an energy check-up
As the frost covers
the pumpkin, Hoosiers enjoy traveling to southern Indiana
to visit the famous covered bridges and admire God’s
handiwork of fall colors. Another fall tradition is to
check out ways to save on home heating bills. Some things
to consider are:
Water heating. Heating water can account for 14% of your
gas bill. Make sure your hot water heater has an
insulation blanket to keep the water warm, hence usng
less energy to heat the water up. Use a few pieces of
foam to cover the pipes, too. If you already have an
energy blanket, make sure it isn’t torn or repair it
with duct tape. This simple project takes less than an
hour and can save 15% on your water heating bill. Check
the temperature of your hot water heater. For every 20
degrees you lower the temperature, you can cut your cost
by 25%. Turn your hot water heater down to 115 to 120
degrees to get huge savings. Read your dishwasher’s
handbook to make sure your dishes will wash properly at
this lower temperature.
Make your water heater run more efficiently by removing
sediments that develop in the bottom of the tank.
Keeping cold out. Caulking can seal up small leaks around
foundation and windows. My gas company will provide a
free energy audit. These pictures show hot spots where my
home is losing heat. This helps me to know where I still
need to seal up cracks. Make sure the fireplace damper is
closed when not in use. Some stores sell a fireplace
cover that will give you an added bonus of protection
from the cold. Large bales of hay around the foundation
of the house add an extra blanket of cheap insulation. We
place our bales on the north and west sides of our home
where we get the most wind.
We have a bedroom on the northwest side of the house. In
addition to it being on the coldest side of the house, it
is the only bedroom with two windows. This led us to
purchase a window-insulating kit that seals plastic over
the window, using a hair dryer. We were very pleased with
the quality of this product and felt it did a great job
of keeping the cold wind out. Since we cannot afford new
windows on the whole house, and can replace only a few at
a time, we will use this on several windows again.
Moist air retains heat. A humidifier can help you lower
your thermostat another 2-4 degrees. This can amount to
another 4-12% savings on your heating bill.
You may be shocked to learn that cold air can enter
through electrical outlets on outside walls. On a windy
day, put your hand in front of the outlet. You will be
shocked at the amount of cold air you will feel. Combat
this by buying foam covers. These are easy to install.
Start by turning the electricity off while you remove the
faceplate with a screwdriver. Put the fitted foam
insulation piece in place and screw the faceplate back on
the outlet. It is easy and much cheaper to make your own
insulation piece. After turning the electricity off,
remove the faceplate. Using the faceplate as a pattern
and draw a copy of the faceplate on a flat piece of a
used but clean Styrofoam meat tray. Cut out the two holes
for the electricity to pass through and repeat the steps
described above.
Use your heat efficiently. Don’t heat a closet,
bedroom or bathroom not being used. Close the doors,
close the vents, and open the curtains and allow those
rooms to heat naturally from the sun.
Buying new windows may not be an option but with a few
little tricks here and there you can lower heating costs.
Top
Looking good for less
My husband Bob and I
were enjoying a rare lunch out together when we heard an
argument between a man and woman in the booth next to us.
He said, “I am telling you that is her!”
Louder, with more emphasis, she said, “I’m
telling you that can’t possibly be her— look at
the way she is dressed and she doesn’t even have any
make-up on.”
Bob got a funny look on his face as we both realized they
were talking about us. Bob hates being recognized in
public but with a wife whose face has been on local
television countless times it is not always easy. As the
two of them kept bantering back and forth what I wanted
to say to them was, “I’ll tell you one thing
she is not and that is deaf.”
The lady is right I do not dress up when I go out in
public. I wear my regular pants and sweatshirts or short
sleeved tops depending on the weather. I am clean and
showered, but I don’t always wear makeup when I run
errands. This lady was accustomed to seeing my picture in
the paper with hair and makeup perfected, wearing my
business look. That is not what I look like most of the
time. Frankly that is another reason I do not wear
make-up most of the time, because it makes me less
recognizable..
There are ways to save on make-up. Of course one of them
is to omit wearing it, but most women feel better or
“dressed” if they wear make-up. I don’t
have that need but I wear it when it is expected of me.
I regularly visit a beauty school to have my hair cut. I
tried having them color my hair but was not happy with
the results, so I go to my regular beautician for that. I
know there are many over the counter hair coloring kits
but I have never found one I have liked.
To help your hand lotion last longer and still have soft
skin, add petroleum jelly to the bottle. If you’re
out of hand lotion, petroleum jelly and even shortening
is a nice substitute. In fact my doctor recommended I use
shortening on my cracked and bleeding heels. I no longer
have the problem as long as I remember to use it.
Apple Mask
for Normal Skin
1 apple, cored and quartered
2 Tablespoons honey
Half teaspoon sage
Chop the apple in the blender, add honey and sage, and
mix together. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat the mixture
onto your face and leave for 30 minutes. Gently wash off
with a warm wash cloth.
Cucumber Mask for Oily Skin
Half a cucumber1 egg white
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon mint
Put all ingredients in a blender. Puree’ and then
refrigerate for 10 minutes. Apply to your face and leave
on for 15 minutes. Rinse off with hot water and then
follow with a cool water splash.
Scrubs are used to exfoliate dead skin. If you think your
skin is not in need of this omit it.
Oatmeal Citrus Scrub
1 cup dried orange and/or lemon peel
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup blanched almonds
Place all ingredients in blender, process and whirl until
the mixture is a fine powder. Store the scrub in a
container in your bathroom. To use, put a bit of scrub in
the palm of your hand and add a few drops of warm water
to make a paste. Using a circular motion rub the scrub on
your face and rinse with a warm water washcloth or a
facial rinse.
Oatmeal Honey Scrub
Half cup uncooked oatmeal
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground almonds
Combine all ingredients. Follow directions above.
For planter’s warts, cut a small piece of banana
peel, and put on the wart with the inside of the peel
touching the wart. Cover with a band-aide, wear for
several days.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
"Satisfaction
guaranteed" is an over-used expression. Often after
purchasing a product or service we are anything but
satisfied. What can you do if you have to deal with a
large company to get some satisfaction?
Several years ago I decided to give myself a home
permanent. Before beginning, I read the instructions to
make sure what I was doing. The instructions said after
applying the permanent lotion, put on the enclosed
plastic bonnet. Unfortunately, there was no bonnet in the
package. I had no shower caps. I had no choice but go
back to the store, return the permanent, and get one that
had a plastic cap in it.
Once there I decided to open the box and make sure there
was a cap enclosed. There was not. A third box yielded
the same result, even though the cap was listed on the
enclosed items to be found inside the kit. The
instructions showed a drawing of a lady putting on
"the enclosed plastic cap contained in your
kit." I left the store after purchasing a shower
cap.
I was angry over this whole thing. It wasn’t the
cost of the shower cap. What if I had been a customer who
had not read the instructions? What if I had been ready
to put the plastic cap on only to find that there was
none? Would my perm be ruined? Would I have to call up my
neighbors and try to borrow a shower cap or would I have
had to drive to the store with my curlers dripping
permanent solution to buy a shower cap?
I decided I was not going to let the company get away
with this. I found the name of the manufacturer on the
back of the permanent box. I went to the library and
found the name of the president along with the corporate
address. This information can be found as a reference
book in most libraries, called "America’s
Corporate Families."
When I got home I composed a humdinger of a letter. I
began my letter by complimenting the company for the
quality of the products I had purchased in the past, thus
letting the president know I was a loyal customer. I
explained how disappointed I was there was no plastic cap
in the kit, even though I had paid for it. I explained
the trouble I went to in order to rectify their mistake.
I went into great detail explaining how many miles I had
to travel back to the store and home again. I explained I
had to purchase another cap. I mentioned how valuable my
time was, and then lastly, I included a list of all my
expenses to remedy the situation. The list included the
cost of the perm, the new shower cap, cost of gas to and
from the store, cost of my time including my time to type
the letter, even the cost of the envelope and stamp.
Attached to the letter I attached photocopies of my
receipt for the perm and shower cap. I also made a copy
of the instructions with the words about the plastic cap
circled in red.
I explained I felt I should be repaid for all my trouble.
I got a very nice personal letter signed by the president
agreeing with me. Attached to the letter was a check for
more than DOUBLE the amount I had asked for.
To complain to a company follow these steps:
A letter is more effective than a phone call.
Few people write letters, therefore a letter is much more
valuable. Corporations keep track of their mail.
Complain to the top dog. If you start your way at a
managerial level you will have to keep working your way
up to get satisfaction.
Start with a compliment.
Lay out your case concisely. Don’t ramble.
Keep good records of times, dates, amounts to make your
case.
Include copies of receipts.
End the letter by stating what you think you deserve. Be
reasonable. I didn’t deserve $500 for a missing
shower cap.
Never threaten— it is counterproductive.
Top
Trash To Treasures
Several months
ago our family lost our grandmother. After Granny’s
death Bev, Bob’s twin sister, and I were cleaning
out granny’s apartment where we found many items to
sort through. We had to decide what to keep, give away,
donate to a thrift shop, or throw away. We came across a
very old quilt. I told Bev that granny had told me the
story that Bev and Bob’s great-grandmother had made
the quilt many years ago. We called her MorMor which
means grandmother in the Swedish language. Being a
seamstress, I admired the very small stitches that MorMor
had used to make the quilt.
Because it was tattered and torn in many places, Bev and
I put it in a trash bag to be carried to the dump. It
seemed like such a shame to loose such a beautiful piece
of history. The more I thought about it the more it
bothered me to discard it so quickly. I took it out of
the trash bag and looked at it again. After studying it
for a few minutes, I showed Bev that the middle of the
quilt was not in as bad condition as its outer edge . I
told Bev I was taking it home to see if I could salvage
anything from it. I saw it as a challenge to create
something from what seemed to be trash.
I spread the quilt out on the floor and analyzed it. My
first thoughts were to make a wall hanging, mounted
picture, or toss pillows. I realized whatever I created
from the quilt I would need to have three things from it,
one for myself, one for Bev, and one for her daughter
Elizabeth.
There were not enough good parts of the quilt to make
three wall hangings so I decided to make three pillows. I
purchased some pillow forms and lace to match the
background of the quilt from Walmart.
The 14 inch pillow was the smallest size they carry. I
made a pattern using the bottom of a cardboard box. It
needed to be a 15inch square with the extra inch used to
compensate for the seams of the pillow. Using the
cardboard pattern, I estimated I would have enough fabric
to cut three 15 inch squares.
I had decided to purchase some muslin fabric for the
backs of the pillows since the background of the quilt
was so close to that color. After cutting the three
squares out, by accident I flipped the remaining quilt
over to the inside and realized the inside of the quilt
was in much better condition than the top of it was. I
spread out the remaining quilt and using my homemade
pattern again I was able to cut out three more 15-inch
squares this time the top tattered and torn side would be
sewn to the inside of the pillows.
Placing the right-side of one piece to the wrong side I
sewed three sides of the pillow and several inches of the
fourth side, being sure to leave an opening to insert the
pillow. Using pinking shears I trimmed the edges and then
turned the pillow casing to the outside. I topstitched
the lace around the edge leaving extra lace dangling
until I could put the pillow form inside the pillow
casing. I sewed up the opening closed, then sewed the
remaining lace over the rest of the pillow. By spending
only $24 for the pillow forms and lace I was able to turn
a piece of trash into three very special family heirlooms
to enjoy.
Many things can be made into treasures from trash. I have
seen old blue canning jars made into beautiful lamps.
Earrings can be made from old decorative buttons, and
milk bottle caps. Although it is important to keep only
things you really need, before pitching an item ask
yourself if it can be recycled into something useful.
Top
Thrifty summer salads
Summer is the best
time to enjoy a nice cold salad. Buying salads in the
deli department of the grocery store is costly. I like to
keep a salad ready to eat in the fridge so that when it
is too hot to turn on the oven or stove I have part of a
meal ready to go. I grill something on the outdoor grill
and add fresh fruit and we are ready to eat. In addition,
I have found if the salad is already mixed and ready to
eat, my family eats more salad than other things they
should not be eating. Yes they do eat them for a snack.
I like to buy the dark green leaf lettuce which has more
nutritional value than iceberg lettuce. When I bring it
home I remove the bottom portions of the lettuce and
rinse it. Then I gently wrap the lettuce in a dish towel
to remove the water droplets. Keeping the lettuce cold
and dry in the fridge is the key to helping it last
longer. After drying it I tear the lettuce by hand into a
large mixing bowl. I add chopped and shredded carrots and
red onion. I store the finished salad, covered, in a
pasta strainer. I have discovered that lettuce lasts
longer if cold air is allowed to circulate around it a
little.
Homemade salad dressings are cheaper than dressings sold
in stores. These dressings keep up to three weeks if kept
cold in the fridge. Best of all, most of them, except the
ones containing buttermilk and blue cheese, can be made
for less than 50cents per recipe.
Red Tomato French Dressing
2/3 cup ketchup
Half cup sugar (or to taste)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Half cup red-wine vinegar
Pinch salt
1 to 2 teaspoon garlic cloves minced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
Mix all ingredients together and put in a jar with a
tight-fitting lid and shake well. Refrigerate. Makes
about 2 cups.
Italian Dressing
Half cup red-wine vinegar
1 & one half cup vegetable oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
Half teaspoon salt
Half teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Half teaspoon dried basil or oregano
Combine ingredients in a large jar with a tight-fitting
lid. Shake well. Makes about 1 quart.
Poppy Seed Dressing
Half cup sugar
1 & one half teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
One third cup vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon poppy seed
Combine sugar, onion salt, and mustard. Add vinegar, mix
well. Gradually add oil. Wisk for about 5 minutes. Stir
in poppy seeds. Cover and refrigerate. Makes about 1
& 2/3 cups. This dressing is delicious over fresh
fruit or salad greens.
Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons finely chopped green onion, (tops only)
Half teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Half teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Half teaspoon black pepper
Half teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate. Makes about 2 cups.
Bleu Cheese Dressing
This recipe makes a large amount of
dressing that has a strong flavor. It is also the most
expensive recipe to make. Figure your costs carefully.
1 quart (4 cups) mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
4 oz. Roquefort or blu cheese crumbled
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl except crumbled
cheese. Mix with an electric mixer. Stir in crumbled
cheese with a fork. Refrigerate. Makes about 1 and one
half quarts.
Homemade Croutons
Make croutons by chopping stale hamburger and hot dog
buns into large chunks. Melt a stick of butter or
margarine in a skillet; add some garlic salt, onion
powder, and a pinch of dried parsley. Add the chopped
breading. Stir and cook until the croutons are browned
and crunchy. If you have a lot of bread chunks use more
butter/margarine and spices.
Top
Do
It Yourself and Save
Last week Bob was on a trip of a
lifetime. He had an opportunity to travel with a group of
men from our church for a week of fishing in Canada. We
had been saving for almost a year for the trip. We
accomplished this goal by saving all our change. It was
much easier than we thought it would be.
While Bob was out of town everything in
our home that could break in one week did. I think men
time their vacations so that this will happen so we will
appreciate them. The plumber was at our house twice, the
water softener repairman once, the car was in the repair
shop twice, the riding lawnmower is still in the shop,
and I had to purchase a new walk-behind mower.
Normally, Bob and I have a $50 rule,
meaning that neither of us can spend more than $50 before
we consult with the other person. When we were first
married we had the $25 rule, the amount has changed with
the times. Of course this does not apply to things like
utility bills and groceries. Since there were very few
phones where he was, many of the decisions I had to make
on my own.
Calling a plumber because there was a
toilet leaking into the crawl space was not a difficult
decision to make. I researched the walk behind mowers and
when Bob called me I told him about my research and what
I mower I thought was the best buy. A car that does not
start well needs to visit the mechanic. A car that will
not shift smoothly into 2nd gear needs to see
a mechanic. All these decisions were easy ones.
When the kitchen sink broke David
looked at it and felt sure we probably needed to install
a new faucet. Still, I called the plumber the next day.
He confirmed that we needed a new faucet. He just
happened to have a new one on the truck. A new faucet
would cost $125 plus his time to install it. I knew we
had purchased the current faucet for only $25 from Wally
World. I talked to the plumber. “I don't mean to
insult you but this is a pretty simple job and I think my
sons can fix it if I go to Wally World and buy a new one.
Do you mind if you just charge me for the service call
and we forget about the part?” The plumber
acknowledged that as plumbing jobs go it is probably one
of the simplest repair jobs there are. I paid him $55 for
the service call and went to the store where on the
clearance rack I found the exact faucet I needed on sale
for $27. Just to make sure I went to the plumbing
department and found a newer model for $39.
That night Michael and David working
together spent 30 minutes putting the new faucet in the
sink and saved us over $100 for their labor. Much more
important than that is the knowledge and experience they
gained was worth ten times the amount of money we saved.
Anytime you can perform a repair job yourself you gain a
wealth of information. The next time they do the same job
it would probably take them only 15 minutes.
Just because you call a repairman does
not mean you have to have them do the repair job. Once
the problem is diagnosed you may be able to tackle the
problem yourself. But you must remember that despite the
amount most businesses charge for a service call that is
not where they make most of their money. It is best to
establish a relationship with a company whose work you
respect. Then if all you do is have them diagnose the
problem they will know that even though you don't give
them all your repair work they will get some of it.
Top
A
Taxing Problem
While shopping at Wally World you spot
the perfect blouse to go with a pair of 25 cent garage
sale pants. You snatch up the blouse, pay for it, and
head home. You wear the blouse several times. At the end
of the month a representative from Wally World knocks on
your door demanding that you pay for your blouse. After
paying, you explain that you thought you paid for it at
the store.
Month after month you are asked to pay
again for the same blouse. Years go by and you discard
the worn out blouse. Nonetheless, the representative
appears demanding more money. After your death your
children have to pay for the same old blouse. Sound
ridiculous? Yet if you have a phone in your home that is
exactly what you are doing every month. How did this
happen? Two words: The government.
In April 1898, America entered the
Spanish American War. To pay for the war Congress imposed
a penny tax on long distance calls costing more than 15
cents. At the time only the very rich could afford to own
a phone. Over time the amount of this tax has risen and
fallen. Although the war only lasted less than six
months, the tax has continued almost uninterrupted to
this day. In 1943, it reached an all time high of 25% to
pay for the cost of World War II. Telephones are no
longer owned by the rich. Even though this tax is
currently 3% on long distance calls, it collects more
than five billion dollars from the American public. Don't
think you pay this tax? Look on your phone bill at the
item titled "Federal Excise Tax."
In the 1990's, both the House and
Senate passed a bill to abolish the Federal Excise Tax on
long distance calls. Bill Clinton vetoed the bill.
Apparently he thought we still needed the tax to pay for
the Spanish American War.
My son David is home for the summer and
working very hard to pay for his next year of college.
Arriving home he looked beat after working 12 hours, he
flopped on the couch. “Mom, have you heard about the
new tax the state is proposing?”
David knew that I try to be aware of
new legislation that is proposed. I had not heard of this
one so he immediately peaked my interest.
“What new tax?” I queried.
“The one where they want to put a
penny tax on all soft drinks to pay for some state-run
government program. Mom, do you have any idea what this
means?” David said.
“Yeah, I do. Do you?” I
demanded. “Yeah it means they will never get rid of
the tax, not only that but it will probably increase over
and over again. Guys my age think, Oh well it is only a
penny, no big deal, but they don't realize this is only
the beginning.”
As David spoke I could practically see
the steam rolling out from under his shirt. Trouble is he
was absolutely right.
At the tender age of 19 he had learned
things it has taken me years to comprehend. How did he
get so smart so fast? Some of the knowledge he obtained
from listening to his mother calling her representative
over issues that were important to our family. Years of
hearing his parents preach, “It is not important how
much money you make, it's what you keep that is
important.”
When you go to Wally World you know
exactly how much you're paying for your new blouse. Taxes
are taken out of our paychecks for the space program,
researching the common cold, Legislators pay, and so on.
We never know what these things cost. The truth is they
don't want us to know. If we knew the cost we may decide
we don't need them.
Be aware of how your taxes are spent.
Get to know your state and federal legislators. Call them
when you don't like the way they are spending YOUR money.
The money you save may be your own.
Top
Summer
savings
This week we will be
seeing temperatures into the 70's. When it begins to get
warmer many things start to change around our house.
Bob works at night and
has to sleep during the day. We have family members with
allergies, and this makes it necessary to run our air
conditioner for most of the summer. To help pay for the
air-conditioning I hang laundry on the clothesline as
soon as the temperature reaches 50 degrees or warmer.
This lowers our gas bill by about $30 a month. I can hang
out laundry from April through most of October and some
warm days in November and December.
Our kitchen is located
on the south side, which makes it harder to cool down in
the summer. Baking things in the oven makes our
air-conditioner run longer and harder since it has to
cool the kitchen down after heating it up. I keep my
baking to a minimum. Any baking that needs to be done is
accomplished by 10 a. m. or late at night. Meals are
cooked in the crockpot or on the grill. When I cook the
main entr�e on the grill I round out the meal with a
cold side dish such as potato salad, tossed salad, or
coleslaw.
Here is recipe I have
added to my cold side dish collection. Even if you don't
like broccoli you will love this. We like it so much I
now make it once a week and keep it handy for a quick
lunch.
Broccoli Salad
1 pound bacon cooked
and crumbled
12 oz. bag of
mozzarella cheese
1 small onion diced
(I use red onion to
give it a pretty color)
2 bunches of broccoli,
chopped, the heads only
(Put the stems in the
garden for fertilizer)
1 cup mayonnaise (do
not substitute)
Half cup sugar
2 teaspoons white
vinegar
Whisk together the
mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Mix all
ingredients including the dressing. Chill an hour. Keep
refrigerated.
Savory Pot
Roast
An easy slow cooker
main dish.
1 10 & 3/4 oz. Can
cream of mushroom soup (To save money I substitute my own
thick white sauce)
3-5 pounds chuck roast
1 package dry onion
soup mix, mixed with one cup of water (I make my own and
save money)
Spread the white sauce
or soup in the bottom of the slow cooker or crockpot.
Brown the roast in a little oil in a hot skillet. Add the
browned meat to the crockpot. Pour onion soup over the
meat. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours until meat is tender.
We keep the south side
of the house cooler by keeping our insulated heavy drapes
closed during the sunniest time of the day. In addition,
we have an ash tree planted on the south side of the
house next to our family room which helps to keep the
room cooler.
To help our
air-conditioner further we run fans in the ceiling and on
the floors to help circulate the cool air. Running the
fans is cheaper than turning the air-conditioner
thermostat to a lower temperature.
Cooking on the grill
keeps the kitchen cooler. Unfortunately our trash-picked
Webber grill was unrepairable. The handle had broken and
we had replaced it with a piece of hanger and wrapped it
in duct tape. After seven years of use the legs were
falling off. I found it hard to believe that we would
find another Webber grill in the trash anytime soon.
Although we loved the
flavor of the meat on the grill, we didn't want to pay
more than $100 for a Webber grill. We found a nice grill
that was only $29. We reasoned that the nice grill would
produce a great tasting meal the same as the Webber type
grill would. We did not believe that the meal cooked on
the Webber grill would taste three times more delicious.
With a little planning
you can also cut some of your summertime expenses.
Top
Thriftily celebrating a
wonderful lady's life
Last week Bob's
grandmother died at the age of 99. We were sad that she
died two months before her 100th
birthday, and she won't be able to attend her
great-granddaughter's wedding this July. However, the
loss of her only child, Helen, five years ago broke her
heart and she wanted to join her. We are glad that God
granted her wish.
We traveled from
Indiana to Wisconsin for the funeral. The morning after
we arrived for the services, I was getting my morning
exercises when I spotted much to my surprise and delight
a Goodwill thrift store. This store proved to be a great
source of help and a wealth of surprise for our family.
My brother, was the
first to visit the store. He found several pairs of
Docker pants, several dress shirts, and a nice jacket.
All these clothes were purchased for about 20% of their
original price. Back at the hotel, he was surprised to
find a $10 bill wrapped up in some receipts in the pocket
of the jacket— he had paid $10 for the jacket. He
was able to wear some of the clothes to the visitation.
I was anxious to get
to the thrift store to see what goodies it might hold. My
mom accompanied me and found several pairs of dress pants
for my stepfather. I picked up a pair of dress pants for
Bob, several hardcover books, and a huge roll of
wallpaper. Several of the books were originally $25 and I
got them for 99 cents. The wallpaper was a steal because
it has multi-colored dots on it— perfect
multiple-occasion gift wrap!
After the funeral it
was decided that the family would eat dinner at one of
Granny's favorite restaurants. This was a restaurant she
always took her family to when we came to visit her in
Wisconsin. It is the kind of place where if you have to
ask how much it costs you can't afford to eat there. We
had made reservations for 14 of us to share a private
dinning room with another group.
While sitting in the
glow of the dimly lit restaurant I looked over at Michael
to see he was wearing a beautiful shirt I did not
recognize. I asked Michael where he got such a handsome
shirt. He very excitedly and much too loudly announced,
“Oh don't you like this mom— I got this at the
Goodwill store when I went with Unka Jon?” He
continued to elaborate......”I paid only $4.99 for
it and it looks brand new”. As he spoke you could
hear a pin drop. Everyone in the room was listening to
Michael e describe the quality of the fabric. My mom and
I started laughing at the irony of eating in a fancy
restaurant when many of us in the room were wearing our
new thrift store finds.
I made hotel
reservations for the group with a frequent customer card
I had for a national hotel chain. Using the card helped
us save 20% on the hotels. Once the reservations were
made I calculated the cost of the hotel. I called back
the next day and spoke to the manager. I explained that
our family would be spending more than $700 on the five
hotel rooms we were booking for three days. I felt our
family deserved an additional discount. She agreed and
gave us an additional 10% off the total stay. That
five-minute phone call saved us another $75.
The fact that we were
grieving did not interfere with our goals of pinching
pennies at all times. Granny taught us that. How else
could she afford to send 14 family members to her
favorite very fancy restaurant to celebrate her life and
the way she lived it!
Top
Awesome Colored Eggs
& Egg Arts & Crafts
In the next few days
you will probably be busy decorating Easter eggs. You may
be tempted to go out and buy one of those egg dying kits
but you really don't need one. Last year I shared how you
can use food coloring to dye your eggs. I have discovered
another fantastic way to color those eggs.
You will need the
following supplies:
Hard boiled eggs
Old glass jars
Broken crayons
A pair of tongs
Be sure to refrigerate
your eggs until you are ready to color them. Then
refrigerate them again after coloring them if you plan on
eating them. If you intend for your eggs to be used for
decoration only then you can leave them out displayed but
don't eat them.
Take broken crayons
and cut them into very small pieces, no larger then a
half inch long. Take the old glass jars and put about a
cup of boiling water in each jar. Put small pieces of the
crayons in the jar and allow the crayon to melt. The
melted crayon will float on top of the water. Do not use
dark colors such as black, brown, or navy blue. I suggest
putting all one color in each jar.
Once the crayons begin
to melt, using the tongs, carefully take the egg and dip
it into the jar of boiling water. As you lift the egg out
of the water the melted crayon will make a swirling
mosaic design that clings to the egg. Allow the egg to
dry a few minutes then the melted crayon will have time
to harden on the egg. To add another color to the egg,
dip it into another jar. You may think it would be faster
and prettier to add all the colors to one jar, I found
that the colors melt together and create a dark gray egg.
Using this method of
egg coloring you will end up with some fascinating
looking colored eggs with interesting textures for the
cost of a few broken crayons. Best of all no two eggs are
exactly the same.
After eating those
eggs don't throw the shells away here are some ways of
recycling them into a pretty picture or pin.
Eggshell
Mosaic Picture
Broken colored egg
shells
White cardboard
Marker
Clear liquid glue
On a piece of
cardboard draw out an outline of a kite, flower, or
balloon. Remove the membrane from the pieces of broken
eggshells. Place the shells on the cardboard inside the
drawn lines. Cover the shells with the clear liquid glue.
Easter Egg
Mosaic Pin
Broken colored
eggshells
Clear liquid glue
Heavy cardboard
White shoe polish
Jewlery Stick
pin
Take a piece of heavy
cardboard such as from the bottom of a carryout pizza
box. Cut out an egg shape no larger than the size of a
real egg. Paint it white with white shoe polish, white
paint, white fingernail polish, or correction fluid
whatever you have around the house. After removing the
shell membrane from the egg shells, put the broken eggs
on the cardboard and cover with the clear liquid glue.
Allow it to dry completely. Once it is dry add the stick
pin to the back of the cardboard. These make nice gifts
for family, friends, and teachers.
Easter Egg
Tic-Tac-Toe
Carry out pizza box
lid
Popsicle Sticks
Scissors
Ruler
Construction Paper
Make your own
tic-tac-toe game to be played in the car. Cut the pizza
box the size of the popsicle sticks when layed out in the
tic-tac-toe pattern. Cover and glue the cardboard with
construction paper. Glue the popsicle sticks in place.
Cut out and decorate 10 easter eggs. Make one set blue
and one set pink or whatever pattern you decide to use.
To make the set easier to use in the car put magnets on
the bottom of the eggs and on the bottom of the board so
the eggs won't slide around in the car.
Now that you have used
up those shells what are you going to do with all those
boiled eggs. You can make deviled eggs, egg salad
sandwiches, tuna fish with chopped boiled egg sandwiches,
potato salad with chopped boiled eggs in it.
Top
Frugal
Fashion
Nineteenth century
homes did not have running water, so the 200 or more
gallons of water necessary for washday had to be hand
carried. Frequent washing with soaps made of lye, lard,
and ashes, and scrubbing, boiling, and rinsing clothes in
huge outdoor vats took all the color out of the clothing.
This meant more clothes would have to be hand-sewn or
dyed again. Thank goodness our lives have improved
immensely since then.
In the last three
years I have spent less then $100 on clothes for myself.
I know this figure may seem small but there are ways that
you can spend that much and less and still have a
serviceable wardrobe. I didn't come to this point of
thriftiness overnight. It has taken many years of careful
planning and much thought put into this process.
The first thing to
consider is your lifestyle. Consider what type of
clothing best suits the kind of life you lead. It would
be silly to have lots of office type clothes if you're a
stay at home mom. Think about what clothing you need for
activities such as work, church, social occasions, and
relaxing or working around home.
Once you have
determined how many clothes you need for your lifestyle
next you need to consider what color clothes to build
your wardrobe around. Because I am a blonde I look best
in vivid colors of red, blue, violet, and green. I avoid
light colors such as pink, yellow, orange, and white. If
these colors are next to my face I look very washed out
and pale.
Next consider your
budget. If you work outside the home you probably need to
spend more of your clothing dollars on work clothes than
on stay-at-home clothes. When purchasing your clothes
consider not only the cost of the clothing, but the
durability and washability of the fabric. When thinking
of adding something new to my wardrobe after I consider
the color, durability, washability, and price the last
thing I consider is fashion. I stay away from very trendy
styles. Dressing in the latest styles can be very costly.
I pick clothes that are classic and can be worn today or
10 years into the future if taken care of properly.
I can wear casual
clothing for working around the house, writing on my
computer, and running errands. I need casual clothes 75%
of the time. The other 25% of the time I need a more
tailored look to wear for giving speeches, meeting with
editors, socializing with family and friends, and
attending church.
Most of my casual
clothing comes from thrift stores. The key to finding
great buys at thrift stores is to think one season ahead.
For instance, as the springtime has arrived in Indiana,
many people are cleaning out their closets of winter
clothing they want to get rid of. These will be donated
to thrift shops, since they don't want winter clothing
hanging around all summer this is the time to get the
best deals. I will be looking to replace some of my old
worn out sweatshirts for next winter.
Then in another six
weeks many ladies will be lured into buying new spring
and summer clothes and will weed out summer clothes they
have grown tired of. I am ready again to pick up the
slacks, shirts, and shorts they are tired of. A garage
sale is another great place to pick up some nice
clothing. The price of clothing at a garage sale is much
lower than a thrift shop. Because I am not an average
size I do not have as much success finding wearable
clothes at garage sales.
Last, another way to
save on clothing is to get some free from family and
friends. I have gotten several hundreds dollars worth of
clothing and shoes from a good friend at church. I try to
show my gratitude by sharing some of my good finds on
boneless chicken breasts, roasts, walnuts, and other
goodies.
You can dress frugally
and still be fashionable.
Top
How long to store staples
One of the best ways
to save money is to maintain a well-stocked pantry.
Keeping some of the basics on hand allows me to avoid
quick trips to the store. Ever wonder how long to store
some of the cooking basics on the shelf? Here are some
guidelines. Follow any recommendations on the product
packaging.
Baking Soda.
It can be stored for up to 18 months. Check the package
for the expiration date. Once the date has expired, use
it up as a cleaner for sinks, bathtubs, showers, toilets,
garbage disposal, or even scrubbing out the cat dish.
Anyplace you would use a scouring powder you can use
baking soda for cleaning and it costs much less.
Baking Powder.
Store up to 18 months. Most containers have a plastic
lid. Shake the container before measuring for a recipe
sometimes the active ingredients settle to the bottom.
Make sure your measuring spoon is dry, otherwise any
moisture left behind in the container could lead to large
chunks in the container.
Canned Foods.
The Canned Food Alliance recommends eating canned foods
within two years of processing. Most cans include a
“best if used by” date. Never store opened cans
in the refrigerator. Once opened, bacteria hiding in the
can may contaminate food stored in the refrigerator.
White Flour.
Once I bring the flour home from the store, I put it in
the freezer for 24 hours. This kills any flour worms that
may be lurking in the flour waiting to be hatched.
Freezing the flour kills all eggs that are present in all
flour. Once the eggs have been killed the flour can sit
on the shelf in an airtight container for up to six
months.
Whole Wheat Flour.
Follow directions above to kill flour bugs. Store for one
to three months at room temperature. For longer storage,
store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for
six months and in the freezer for 12 months. The wheat
germ in the flour contains oil that can become rancid
when stored too long at room temperature.
Honey.
It stores best at room temperature for up to 12 months.
It becomes thick and cloudy if stored in the
refrigerator. If this happens zap the honey in the
microwave for 30 seconds or more. It should return to a
liquid state.
Shortening.
Store indefinitely unopened. It can be stored for three
to eight months in a tightly closed container on a pantry
shelf. Shortening that has been stored too long will have
a slightly yellow color and a rancid taste.
Vegetable Oil.
It stays fresh one to six months opened. It can last six
to 12 months unopened. You can prolong the life of the
oil if you store it in the refrigerator where it will
become cloudy, but it will clear up once it sits for a
few minutes at room temperature.
Popcorn.
This can be stored in the cabinet for up to two years. Do
not store popcorn in the refrigerator. According to the
Popcorn Board, storing it in the refrigerator takes
moisture out of the popcorn and can cause a greater
number of “Old Maids.” Store in an airtight
glass or plastic jar with a lid. When popping corn make
sure the pan has a way for the steam to escape. Leaving
the lid slightly ajar can allow this process. If you have
a some “Old Maids” put them in a one-quart jar,
fill it half full of the unpopped kernels, add one
tablespoon of water, add a lid and shake the jar. Shake a
little every day for about three days and then try
popping the kernels again.
Here is a recipe from
the Popcorn Board Web site:
Ballpark
Popcorn Crunch
Half cup butter
Half cup brown sugar
3 quarts of unsalted
popcorn
1 cup walnuts
Mix together the
popcorn and walnuts, set aside. Cream butter and brown
sugar; add it to the popcorn and walnut mixture. Combine
until well coated. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350
degrees for about 10 minutes until crunchy.
Knowing how to
properly store those pantry basics saves time and money.
Top
Sell it or trade It?
Most car dealers are
anxious to convince you to use your old car as a down
payment on your purchase. Ever wonder why? Why would they
want your old heap if you don't? Could it be they know
something you don't? In most instances they can make
money on it. They will try to convince you that it is not
worth your time or effort to sell it. However, with just
a small amount of labor you could reap big rewards.
You want to get the
most money you can for your antique by making it look its
very best. The car must be washed, vacuumed, and windows
clean. Upholstery must be clean and wiped free of any
stains. To remove any stains use a mixture of one cup of
vinegar to two cups water in a spray bottle. It will
leave the car with a clean fresh smell. After applying
cleaner, blot the stain with a clean dry cloth. Resist
the temptation to rub. Spray and blot and continue this
process until the stain is removed. Leave car doors open
allowing spots to air-dry.
Locate the title, and
once the car has been sold call your insurance company
and cancel your policy on the car.
Advertise the sale of
the car in your local newspaper or place the car in a
high traffic area with a large for sale sign, if zoning
regulations allow. Park the car in your front yard or
driveway with a sign on it, if zoning regulations and
covenants allow. If your home is not located in a high
traffic area try to park it at a shopping center, grocery
store, or restaurant parking lot, if it is legal to do so
and you have the permission of the owner.
On the car, post the
most important information including the year, make,
model, mileage, asking price, and any serious maintenance
problems that need to be taken care of by the new owner.
By law you're only required to give the mileage on the
car, but I am of the belief that you should treat people
the way you would want to be treated.
Determining a price is
not difficult. Read classified ads in your area to
compare prices to your car. Head to the library and look
up the price of your car in the National Automobile
Dealers Association (NADA) Official Used Car Guide, also
called the Blue Book. Set the price higher than the
minimum you would accept and negotiate.
When meeting
prospective buyers always remember safety first. Never
invite buyers into your home. Meet shoppers at a public
place and take along a relative or friend. It is ok to
let the shopper take the car for a spin but insist that
you keep the keys to their car as collateral.
Accept only cash or a
certified check, paid in full. Do not accept partial
payments unless this is a personal friend you know.
Prepare a bill of sale clearly stating the car is being
sold “as is,” the selling price, your name, the
buyer's name, the car's year, make, model, and serial
number. Make a copy of the bill of sale for both you and
the buyer. Transfer the title to the new owner by signing
the back of the title over to the new owner. Remove the
license plates.
What if your car is so
old the dealership offers to charge you a towing fee to
“take it off your hands?" Don't fall for this!
Don't pay to have a dealership tow it away. Look in the
yellow pages for the nearest junkyard and tell them what
kind of car you have, they will offer you a price over
the phone. Drive the car to them and they may offer you
more. Call more than one junkyard, make each junkyard
aware that you will be calling their competition to
compare prices. We were offered $100 for our non-running
junker. We were offered only $75 by the junkyard. The
buyer was going to use it for parts.
Selling the car
yourself is worth your time.
Top
It's time to go on a
treasure hunt!
You may have some
hidden money you don't know about. I'm not talking about
the change in the cushions of your couch, the floor of
your car, or the pockets of your best suit. Although
these are good places to look for a few extra coins,
there are places to look for real money, the folding
kind.
Not long ago I saw a
television show on the millions of dollars in unclaimed
money, jewelry, coins, silverware, and other valuables
that are sitting in state vaults all over the country. It
is reported that one out of eight Americans have
unclaimed money. No doubt several people reading this
column has some unclaimed treasures somewhere.
One state has so much
it can no longer house the valuable items. The state has
decided that after a period of time the items will be
listed on E-bay and sold to the highest bidder. A picture
of the item along with a description and any known
information is saved along with the money received for
the sale of the item. This is saved in the event that in
the future an heir steps forward claiming ownership to
such items. They will be given the cash collected for the
item.
You may wonder how
such valuable items can be lost. Many people die suddenly
without a will. There may be no known heirs to an estate.
Sometimes the heirs cannot be located. Items that are
left in a safe deposit box if left unclaimed are held
until they are claimed. If an employee dies with a
company insurance policy, and the heir is not located,
the money is held for a certain period of time; then the
money is turned over to the state where the employee
lived and worked. There may also be an insurance refund,
tax refund, or utility bill deposit refund due you.
How can you find your
hidden treasure? There are several places to look but
first you must be aware that this has become a big
business for opportunistic folks. Some of them call
themselves “professional property locators.” I
guess they could be called professionals in a loose
translation of the word. They will undoubtedly help you
locate some lost goodies you have coming to you but for
their “professional” help they will charge you
a hefty 30% of the total value of the money or property.
This seems like highway robbery to me. With a little work
and perseverance on your part you can become your own
property locator and pocket that extra 30% for yourself.
The first place to
begin a search is in the state in which you live. You
will need access to a computer and the Internet. If these
tools are not available to you visit your local library
or offer to pay a friend or relative to help you. By
typing in the name of your state and the words
"unclaimed property" or "unclaimed
money," you should be sent to a site that asks you
to type in your name. You will be given a number of
listings of unclaimed properties with a number and you
have to then contact the secretary of state for
information on how to find out if you or your loved ones
are owed some money or property.
Remember that if you
visit a site that asks for money that is not a state-run
site, do not pay the money. These are the professional
property locators. All state sites allow you to search
for the information free of charge.
At the Indiana State
Fair, our Secretary of State sets up computers so that
Indiana residents can search to see if they have any
unclaimed money. One year I found some forgotten money I
had in Illinois.
Once you have done a
search for the state you now live in, don't forget to
search any state that you have ever worked or lived in.
Spring is the perfect
time to go on a treasure hunt.
Top
How to use less gas
Gasoline has reached
the price of $1.75 a gallon in Indiana. I fear that with
the world events changing on a daily basis this price may
not be the highest it will go.
There are many simple,
quick things to do to help control costs.
Maintenance.
Be sure your car is operating at its best. Make sure
tune-ups are done according to the owner's manual. Change
the oil regularly. Make sure the tires are inflated
properly. Fill tires according to the car manufacturer,
not according to the tire manufacturer. Having properly
inflated tires can increase gas mileage by as much as
10%.
Park and Walk.
Avoid drive-throughs. Allowing the engine to idle in a
drive through for as little as 10 minutes can cost you 5
or 6 miles of gas. Use the drive through-on your lunch
hour 5 days a week and you will waste 25 to 30
miles—or 1 or 2 gallons —of gas. It's cheaper
to park the car and go inside. You'll save gas and use up
a few calories in the process.
Avoid the
Accelerator. If your car is 15 years old or
less, it probably has a fuel injection engine. This means
you don't need to step on the accelerator to get gas to
the ignition. Stepping on the accelerator each time only
wastes gas. I having trouble remembering this. Put a note
on the dash with the words “fuel injection” to
remind yourself to forgo stepping on the gas.
Weight Counts.
Remove excess weight. There are emergency supplies that
are required in wintertime driving. In the spring remove
the extra bags of salt, sand, and carpet squares, water,
candles, and emergency food supplies. Removing 70 pounds
of weight can help you save 1 or 2 gallons of gas.
Taxes.
Some states charge an extra gasoline tax to pay for
museums, stadiums, or ball fields— be aware of this
when you travel. When we drive to see family in
Wisconsin, we travel north through Indiana and fill our
tank before entering Illinois, because of special taxes,
and then fill up again when we get in Wisconsin.
Selective Fill-ups.
When demand is high for gas, such as just before a
holiday weekend or other special holidays, avoid filling
the tank. Wait until the middle of the week.
Staying Cool.
Using
the air conditioner in stop and go traffic can use up to
10% additional fuel. However, using it during highway
driving can be beneficial because blowing wind causes
resistance. By having the windows closed and using the
air conditioner, your car is more aerodynamic and has
less drag; therefore, you get better gas mileage.
Size Matters.
We have two cars a Taurus that gets approximately 15 mpg,
and an Escort that gets 29mpg. Bob drives 70 miles round
trip each day. He takes the Escort because it gets better
gas mileage. I drive the Taurus because I drive about 15
miles or less per day. Bob would be more comfortable
driving in the Taurus but the mileage is not as good and
would cost us a considerable amount of money. In this
case economics is more important than comfort.
Coast Into
Savings-Cha-Ching! If you could hear the
sound of a cash register ringing up a sale each time you
put your foot on the gas you would be more aware of the
money it is costing you. Try this for a week. When you
see a stop sign ahead instead of “pushing” the
car to get to the stop sign quickly, take your foot off
the gas pedal and coast to the sign more slowly. By
selective coasting you are gliding on the gas you have
already paid for. “Pushing” the car with the
gas pedal is new money you are spending.
Top
Making things last
saves money
"Use it up and
wear it out before you throw it out," is a thrifty
person's battle cry. What it means for those new to
penny-pinching is before pitching an item automatically
into the trash, think of a way to use it in a way other
than for the original intention. To the penny-pincher it
makes sense to recycle and avoid spending money.
For instance, why
would you go out and buy a bag of rubber bands when you
get a rubber band on your evening paper each day? Why not
save that rubber band to be used at a later time? Why buy
trash bags when you get a new one each time you leave
Wally World after buying toilet paper? Recycle these for
trash can use. Why buy more aluminum foil— make the
foil you have last longer.
Last week I went
through a box of items to be stored for my husband's
99-year-old grandmother. Inside I found a collection of
cards. Many of the cards are from people we don't know
and from people that Granny no longer remembers. Instead
of pitching all of them, I removed the covers from some
of them to use as Christmas postcards. Some will be used
this next year as postcard notes, another is a pretty
card I plan to frame and hang on the wall. Others will be
put into service for other craft ideas.
Dresses Recycled.
Do you have an old dress hanging in the closet that has a
stain on the blouse part and you can't get it out? Cut
the dress just above the waist, sew a casing along the
top, insert some elastic, and use the bottom part for a
skirt. Do the reverse if the skirt is outdated and
stained. Cut just below the waistline, turn under, and
topstitch a hem along the bottom edge of the blouse.
Can't sew? Don't let that stop you. Find someone who can
and offer to trade services such as wallpapering or
babysitting for their sewing skills.
Limp Celery.
If your celery goes limp, clean it well, put it in a
container, and cover it with ice water. Within an hour or
so it should be crisp again. If, however, it does not
come back to the crisp stage, chop it up and add a small
amount of vegetable juice or water. Freeze for soups.
Hardened Silver
Polish. Don't you hate when the silver
polish gets hard in the jar? Before giving it the boot
and rushing out to buy a new jar, try adding a little
boiling water to the jar to make a thick paste.
Stale Potato Chips.
Put the crunch back into chips by spreading them on a
cookie tray. Heat in the oven at a low temperature for a
few minutes. They can also be crushed and spread on the
top of a casserole. Or serve them to teenage boys, they
will eat ANYTHING.
Instant Coffee.
Many
times the instant coffee flakes can be caked onto the
sides of the jar; this can make it difficult or
impossible to get the coffee out. Before throwing the
coffee out, try putting the jar in a pan of hot water and
heating slightly to see if the granules will loosen from
the sides of the jar.
If this method fails,
add a small amount of very hot water to the jar. Tighten
with the lid and shake. This will make a type of coffee
syrup. Measure out some of the syrup each time you make a
cup of coffee. Write the measured amount on the side of
the jar so you know how much to use each time.
If this does not work
satisfactorily, pour it over ice cream for a
coffee-flavored treat.
TOP
Stretching the food budget
Dear Marenda,
We have a family of
four— my husband, my self and two children. We are
self-employed but it is very seasonal, so it is necessary
for us to be thrifty with our money.
I was in town when the
kids called me on the cell phone and wanted me to bring
home take out food for dinner. Roast beef sandwiches were
on sale so I estimated the cost to be about $5. Instead,
I thought to myself what could I buy for $5 at the
grocery store? The store was having a sale on spaghetti
sauce for 99 cents. There was a limit of three. I already
had everything else I needed at home so I bought the
three jars of spaghetti sauce and a loaf of French bread
all for the same $5 so now I have several meals for the
price of one.
Do you plan each meal
by the week or how do you shop? I appreciate all the
helpful tips!
Leslie Shipp,
St. Anthony,
ID
P.S. I've been
bringing my lunch to work with me and I already feel like
I'm saving a lot.
Dear
Leslie,
I want to congratulate
you for packing a lunch and thinking on your feet about
dinner when the kids called. It is not easy to resist the
temptation to avoid fast food. My boy's first word was
not “Mommy.” It was “McDonald's.”
Both of these
strategies will help you save money towards your goal of
buying a house.
There are several
strategies that have helped me cut down our food bill.
Planning is key. I make 30 menus to serve for dinner,
considering all family activities as I plan. Breakfasts
are basic and don't vary much. Sandwiches or leftovers
are served for lunches.
Stocking up on loss
leaders like the spaghetti sauce you mentioned is one of
the best ways to cut grocery costs. When I see a good
sale I estimate how much I need before that item goes on
sale again. For instance, if I make spaghetti once a week
and I will see another sale in 6 weeks then I will store
6 jars of spaghetti sauce in the pantry. I take advantage
of the next sale when it comes around and restock my
pantry. I would visit the store twice during the sale.
Many people call this the pantry principal. I plan my
menus from what sale items I have stocked in the pantry
and freezer.
We eat a lot of ground
beef and chicken. To keep things from getting boring, I
serve a ground beef dish on day one, then a chicken dish,
then another ground beef dish, the next day I may serve
pork chops, or roast, then back to a ground beef dish,
and so on.
Keeping a price list
is the most important part of keeping food costs under
control. This is a list of my most frequently purchased
items with the best possible price I can find listed
along with what store I purchased the item from. I keep
this information in my computer and I can update it
easily. Before leaving for the day I print off the latest
updated list. If I find a new price I write it on my list
and update it on the computer when I get home.
Amy Dacyczyn, of The
Tightwad Gazette fame, used a price book. If a purse size
notebook works for you then use that system. I have found
it impossible to memorize so many prices on so many
items, having a price list helps me to know without a
doubt if an item is sold at a good price or not.
A copy of my book,
Frugal
Cooking is being sent to because you wrote
me a letter. In it you will find a list of 50 ways to
save on groceries, these hints and money saving recipes
should help you magnify your savings.
Readers: For
“50 Ways To Save on Groceries”, send $1.00 to
our address and a copy of the list will be mailed to you.
Top
Slowly Step Away From
the Duct Tape
Last week I watched
the mayhem on television as people scrambled to buy duct
tape, pronounced "duck tape" at our house.
Several women were carrying more duct tape than I have
used in my entire lifetime. We were definitely in the
midst of a crisis.
I said to Bob,
“Look at that woman, doesn't she know that Black
duct tape is 10 times more expensive than the standard
gray. Bob looked up from his newspaper, only mildly
interested in the television, with a passive, “Only
you would know that colored duck tape is more expensive
than the standard gray.”
They shouldn't let
people who don't know what they are doing near duct tape.
When we got to Wally
World to restock our supply of duct tape, only black was
available. When I griped about this to my brother-in-law,
his comment was, “What I find hard to believe is
that you ran out of duct tape.”
I admitted that we had
used the last of our supply the previous week, before the
onslaught began.
Duct tape should be
left to professional penny pinchers like myself. Those of
us with a black belt in thriftiness understand the value
of that much duct tape. After that lady in Maryland uses
her duct tape to seal up her windows in her safe room she
will be left with six unused rolls. Since the point of
this column is to educate and enlighten here are some
other ways to utilize her stash.
You can cover up the
mouth of a talkative child who refuses to stop talking;
this tape is far superior for this purpose than regular
adhesive tape. Probably better use this method only in
your own home or the morality police will decide you're
abusing your child.
Carry a roll in your
car to quickly repair a hose leak, broken window. To help
Andy Griffith and Barney Fife make a citizens arrest, the
tape can be used in the place of a pair of
handcuffs—don't ask me how I know.
If you're giving a
speech to a group of women and the hem of your skirt
begins to fall, go in the bathroom with the duct tape for
a quick repair. Be careful when standing— some of
the adhesive on the tape may stick to the back of your
thighs and cause the dress to hike up in the back. It
will make an interesting first impression on your
audience. Guess how I know this?
I have held together
books, notebooks, laundry baskets, reading glasses, the
bottom of a toaster, countless game boxes, boots, work
boots, and so much more all with duct tape.
I used it to repair my
mattress. We got another couple years out of it. The
springs were popping through, and we cut the springs down
with wire cutters, put some foam in the hole, and covered
the hole with a foam mousepad and a generous supply of
the standard gray tape.
When appearance does
not matter, use the standard gray. When you want to make
a fashion statement, splurge and go for one of the
generous array of colors available. I knew duct tape came
in gray, brown, black, blue, and red. On the Internet I
found that there are 13 vibrant colors to choose from. In
addition, you can purchase a wallet made from the
standard gray duct tape for $10 plus $3 shipping. It
would be cheaper to make your own.
I can't wait until
garage sale shopping time this summer I will be snatching
up unused rolls of duct tape for 50 cents or less.
Yippee!
Top
Lowering utility costs
As the temperatures
dip to the single digits, the cost of utilities is a
topic of conversation. While visiting friends on three
occasions, I was asked, “How high was your gas bill
last month?”
While discussing this
issue, I overheard my son David say to a group in another
room, “I'm telling you I was in my bedroom trying to
get dressed, my mom had the heat so low, my teeth were
chattering, and I could see my breath.”
This comment brought
thunderous roars of laughter. “I sure hope that kid
gets a job as a comedian when he gets out of
college.”
I thought to myself,
he certainly has a flair for exaggeration. Teeth
chattering maybe but seeing one's breathe that is just
ridiculous. I offered to let him pay the gas bill for the
month and he could keep the thermostat wherever he chose,
an offer he declined.
A book called 547 Tips
For Saving Energy In Your Home, written by Roger
Albright, shows a 1990 study by the Pennsylvania State
University on how energy is used in the home:
Heating of Space 57.5%
Water Heating 14.9%
Refrigerating 6.0%
Cooking 5.5%
Air Conditioning 3.7%
Lighting 3.5%
Television 3.0%
Food Freezer 1.9%
Clothes Drying 1.7%
Other 2.3%
“It can be seen
that the big energy users in the home are heating of
space and water heating, totaling 72.4%. This is where
the most can be accomplished in saving energy.”
Here are some
money-saving tips to help lower your utility bills.
Gas Savings. For every
degree below 70 that you lower your thermostat you will
save 3% on your heating bill. In winter take advantage of
sun and open drapes to warm rooms. In summer, block sun
with heavy drapes.
Gas Fireplaces are
enormous gas-guzzlers. Use only on very special
occasions.
Wear sweaters. Use
blankets for snuggling while watching television.
Stuff towels around
windows and doors to block cold air.
Close doors of closets
and unused rooms, block air vents.
Turn down temperature
of hot water heater, check your manual for safety.
A shower can be 20 to
25% cheaper than soaking in a hot tub.
Open oven door after
baking to take advantage of trapped heat to warm your
kitchen.
Do not put aluminum
foil in the bottom of your oven to catch spills. This can
block vents and impair heat circulation. It can reduce
oven temperatures by as much as 50 degrees and effect
baking time.
Don't Peek. Checking
on baking items by opening the oven door only once lets
out 20% of the heat. Use a timer and look in the window.
Use your self-cleaning
cycle of your oven sparingly. Turn it on while your oven
is still hot immediately after you finish baking.
Substitute microwave
cooking, this can cut your baking costs by as much as
50%.
Electricity,
Florescent or halogen bulbs use less electricity than
traditional bulbs. Use these only in places where the
lights will be left on for long periods, such as outdoor
fixtures or family room lamps. The greatest cost of these
bulbs is when they are first turned on it is not energy
wise to use these in a hallway bulb that is turned off
and on constantly.
Replace larger watt
bulbs with smaller wattage bulbs in bathrooms, hallways,
and laundry rooms.
Forgo using a hair
dryer and let hair dry naturally.
Pick up candles at
garage sales and burn these instead of light bulbs for a
romantic dinner.
Skip the drying cycle
on the dishwasher. Pull both racks out; allow the dishes
to air dry. This can save up to 45% of the cost of energy
required to run the dishwasher.
Omit the pot scrubber
cycle. Scrub pots by hand.
Start a policy of each
person having his or her “own” glass or cup.
Using the same cup will cut down on dishwashing.
Run only full
dishwasher loads.
Making a few small
adjustments can result in large utility savings.
Top
Japanese reader wants
to know more about oatmeal
Dear Ms. Babcock,
I stumbled across your island Park News column, Thrifty
Thoughts, while looking for recipes using regular flavor
oatmeal packets. We live in Japan, and to save money, we
shop at Costco and buy the variety pack of oatmeal, which
is reasonably, priced here, relatively speaking. Our kids
don't like the regular flavor, and I would like to turn
it into the "maple and brown sugar" one, which
happens to be their favorite. I see that you have
reproduced the other flavors. Have you ever tried to
replicate this one? My friend is using brown sugar and
maple syrup and swears her kids can't tell the
difference. I tried it but our teenagers said it was a
hopeless attempt.
Any advice you can offer would be most appreciated.
Thanks.
Nancy Yokohama, Japan
Dear Nancy,
Thank you for your question, it is a good one.
Ithink your friend had
the right idea with brown sugar and maple syrup. There is
also something here in the states called maple flavoring
which may be a little difficult for you to get in Japan
except through mail order. It will probably be expensive
and I am not sure it would be worth the expense for you
to purchase it unless you plan to use it to make your own
Maple Syrup as I do.
You may have to experiment with the amounts of each of
the ingredients until you can duplicate the flavor as
closely as possible. This will probably require that you
taste the packaged oatmeal yourself and trying to
identify the ingredients.
Have your children seen you trying to duplicate the
flavor? People and especially teenagers are not always
receptive to change. I would try having the homemade
brand oatmeal already in their bowls when they come to
the table. I would in addition leave some of the old
instant oatmeal packages lying around the kitchen just
for the effect. If the deception works I would continue
the charade for a month before you announce they had been
eating the homemade oatmeal for the month. I would
eventually reveal the truth because I do believe in using
deception only to reveal to a family member that it is
the brand name they are in love with and not the taste.
I had been making our own ketchup for months and pouring
it into the old (clean) squirt bottles. One day my son
saw me making the ketchup. I revealed to him that I had
been making the ketchup for a few weeks. He shrugged and
walked away “Oh that is nice it tastes fine to
me.”
Lastly, If this is a line you want to draw in the sand
offer to let the teenagers buy the name brand for
themselves with their own money. It is amazing how many
times they opt for the homemade version of something.
Do the math. If your family eats a lot of oatmeal making
your own could save you a significant amount in a years'
time. Roughly figure out the cost of the purchased
oatmeal, and then figure the amount of the homemade
version and how much your family saves. Offer to put the
savings towards a special night out for the family or to
help purchase a longed for new entertainment item such as
a new television.
I hope some of these suggestions help. As you requested
we will be mailing you a free copy of our book,
Frugal
Cooking, with our thanks for a good
question.
More Thrifty
Thoughts: Extend the Life of your lettuce
Moisture is the enemy
of lettuce. Once you have brought the lettuce home and
cleaned it, it needs to go in a sealed plastic bag.
Unfortunately unless you use it immediately, the moisture
can cause the lettuce to turn brown quickly. To solve
this problem, put clean lettuce in a freezer bag that has
been folded over several times and punched with a paper
hole punch. This will allow air to circulate around the
lettuce. In the bag insert a clean dry sponge to help
absorb any leftover moisture that may be left on the
lettuce from washing it.
Top
If you can't taste the
difference, why pay the difference?
Save with store
brands
While giving speeches
I am often asked if I purchase store brands or if it is
cheaper to buy national brands and use a coupon. To
figure this out I took one recipe and prepared it two
ways—using only name brand products and using my
frugal method.
Aunt Shirley's
Pretzel-Bottom Salad
2 cups crushed
pretzels
Half cup of sugar
1 & half sticks
margarine, melted
8 ounces cream cheese,
softened
1 cup sugar
2 containers (8-oz.)
whipped topping
2 packages (3-oz.)
strawberry gelatin
2 cups of pineapple
juice, heated
2 packages (10-oz.) of
frozen strawberries
Half cup of chopped
nuts (optional)
Mix pretzels, half cup
sugar, and melted margarine. Pat into a 9-by-13 inch cake
pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Mix
cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and one container of
whipped topping: spread over crushed pretzels. Dissolve
gelatin in hot pineapple juice and add berries with
juice. Let partially jell in refrigerator. Then spread
over cheese mixture. Top with other package of whipped
topping. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired. Chill.
Cut into squares just before serving.
Now, here's how much
it would cost to make Aunt Shirley's salad with
name-brand or no-name brand products.
Jay's pretzels $1.59
1&1/4 cups Dominio
sugar .28
1&1/2 sticks
Parkay margarine .72
8 oz. Philadelphia
cream cheese $1.19
2 packages (3 oz.)
Jell-o gelatin $1.10
Pineapple juice
(leftover) free
2 containers (10 oz.)
frozen strawberries .84 each, $1.78
2 containers Cool Whip
at $1.49 each, $2.98
Total Cost $9.64
No-name:
Pretzels .49
1 & half cups
sugar .15
Margarine .38
Cream cheese .69
2 packages (3oz.)
gelatin .57
Pineapple juice
(leftover) free
2 packages (10 oz.)
frozen strawberries $1.78
2 containers (8 oz.)
whipped topping .59 each, $1.18
Total Cost $5.24
I have not noticed a
difference in the taste between the name-brand salad and
the no-name salad. If I can't notice a difference in the
taste then why should I pay $4.40 more?
Here is another recipe
where I do most of the work myself for big savings.
Spendthrift
Method
2 # Frozen Ore Ida
Hash Browns $2.09
Half cup chopped
onions .16
1 can Campbell's cream
of celery soup .85
1 can Campbell's cream
of chicken soup .83
1-8oz. carton sour
cream$1.19
2 c. grated Sargento
cheddar cheese $2.00
Total cost of
Spendthrift Casserole $7.12
Let potatoes thaw.
Combine all ingredients except for one cup of the cheddar
cheese. Put potato mixture in a well-greased 9X13 pan.
Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 1 &1/2 hours @375
degrees.
Frugal Method
Potatoes (4 cups) .36
Half cup chopped onion
.05
White sauce mix .05
Half cup chopped
celery .18
1 teaspoon chicken
broth base soup .05
1-8oz. carton sour
cream .69
2 cups graded cheddar
cheese$1.60
Total Cost of Frugal
Casserole $2.93
Peel potatoes and
shred in blender to look like hash browns rinse with cold
water. Keep covered with cold water until ready to use.
Cook celery and onion in a small amount of butter until
tender. Using 2 cups cold water add 1 & half cups
white sauce mix. Cook on medium heat until white sauce is
thick. Add chicken broth to white sauce mix stir until
dissolved. In large mixing bowl, add drained potatoes,
cooked onions, celery, white sauce mix, sour cream, and 1
cup of cheddar cheese. Put the potato mixture into a
well-greased pan. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for
2 hours @ 375 or until potatoes are tender.
Top
The Joy of Instant Oatmeal
The host of a radio
cooking show in Indianapolis asked me recently to share
my homemade microwave oatmeal mix recipes with her
listeners. I love to give out this recipe this time of
year. It is taken from my book, Frugal
Cooking, which can be purchased from me
directly.
Oatmeal is probably
one of the most perfect foods God has made. I love a bowl
of hot oatmeal with butter and sugar. I can eat a bowl of
oatmeal in the morning and not feel hungry until noon,
unlike cold cereal that leaves me hungry by midmorning.
Ever wonder why? Oatmeal is harder to digest, therefore
it stays with you longer. Most cold cereals are digested
quickly because many are made with a lot of air.
Michael, my oldest
son, is fond of flavored oatmeal microwave packets. These
can cost 25 cents per packet or more. He can eat three
packages. After combing through several recipe books and
combining recipes, through trial and error, I was able to
make a recipe that closely duplicates the ready-made
packets. I knew it was good when Michael ate four packets
in one sitting.
I was trying to
duplicate the following flavors: Maple & Brown sugar,
Apples & Cinnamon, Peaches & Cream, and
Strawberries & Cream. Here is the basic recipe which
can then have different flavors added to it. When adding
the flavors mark the name of the flavors on the baggies
with a marker or sticker. Save the bag for another batch.
Regular Oatmeal
3 cups quick cooking
(uncooked) oatmeal
Salt (optional)
7 plastic zipper
sandwich bags
Take one cup of dry
oatmeal and pulverize it in a blender or food processor
until it resembles flour. Put in a bowl and set aside.
Into each baggie put a half cup of the unpowdered oats
and two tablespoons of powdered oats and a half teaspoon
salt.
To prepare empty the
package in a bowl, add a half cup water, and microwave
for about 1 minute on high. Stir and let stand for 2
minutes.
Apple & Cinnamon
Oatmeal
To each package of
regular oatmeal add 1 tablespoon sugar and a half
teaspoon cinnamon. To save time add a heaping tablespoon
of the cinnamon/sugar mixture I keep in the cabinet to
sprinkle on toast and cinnamon rolls. I also add 2 or 3
tablespoons of dried apples to each baggie.
Peaches & Cream
To each package of
regular oatmeal, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of dried peaches
and 1 tablespoon of non-fat dry milk.
Strawberries &
Cream
To each package of
regular oatmeal add 2 or 3 tablespoons dried strawberries
and 1 tablespoon of non-fat dry milk.
Brown Sugar &
Raisin
To each package of
regular oatmeal add 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar and 1
tablespoon of raisins.
What is the cost of
homemade oatmeal mixes, per one package serving?
Regular flavor.02
Brown sugar.03
Brown Sugar &
Raisin.04
Apple &
Cinnamon.05
Peaches & Cream.08
Strawberries &
Cream.10
These packets are
equal to two packages of the store bought kind. If you
normally eat two, try eating only one of the homemade
version.
Now is not the best
time to buy peaches and strawberries in the stores so it
is best to make the peaches and strawberries mixes when
those fruits are in season.
Buying dehydrated
fruit is expensive. Making your own is fast and easy. To
dry fresh fruit, wash and remove the skin from apples or
peaches, remove tops from strawberries. Cut the fruit
into small chunks. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper;
place the fruit on the cookie sheet in a single layer.
Place the cookie sheet in a cold oven. Turn oven to 210
degrees. When the oven reaches that temperature turn the
oven off but DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Leave fruit in
the oven for 8 hours or overnight. Remove the fruit from
the wax paper with a metal spatula. Store in an airtight
container or add immediately to prepared oatmeal.
Top
DIeting
You may have made a
New Year's resolution to lose weight. I have made this
resolution so many times that I fall into the category of
a professional dieter. I started my first diet when I was
16, lost weight and almost died. What are the first three
letters of diet? I dieted at 16 because a chart said I
should weigh 132 pounds. I weighed 142 and did not look
fat. That was my tuna and carrot stick,
don't-eat-until-you almost-faint-diet. I have been on the
high protein diet, the seafood diet, the grapefruit diet,
and the fruit, vegetable no meat, milk or dairy diet.
There is the eat whatever you want but chew it 10 times
diet. How do you chew Jell-O 10 times?
The visualization
diet? I visualized the food in my stomach and asked it
what it was hungry for. My stomach never gave its opinion
except to growl at me. It finally had a conversation with
my brain and said this is stupid.
Then there was the
“eat whatever you want but eat sloooowly” diet.
If I wanted an M & M, I could and suck on it until it
melted. I could eat the whole bag, but it would take a
month. This was not a bad diet, except while sucking on
my M & M, my stomach screamed, “Will you tear
that bag open and put 25 of those things in your mouth at
once and quit torturing me?”
I saw the breathing
diet on an infomercial on late night TV. I was too cheap
to order the tape so I decided to try breathing better on
my own. I didn't lose any weight but I did feel better.
Then there was the
“I can eat whatever I want as long as I wash it down
with diet pop” diet. I drank at least one 2-liter
bottle of diet pop every day for 15 years; it never
helped me lose one pound.
Two years ago I gave
up carbonated beverages. I started by drinking
decaffeinated diet cola, then slowly started drinking
lemon-lime, and then water. Now I drink mostly water with
one or two glasses of lemon-lime per day.
I have lost and gained
hundreds of pounds. Since April I have lost 18 pounds. I
will share with you my professional opinion of how to
loose weight. Drum Roll ...EAT LESS AND EXERCISE MORE!!
That's it. You knew that!
In April, along with
drinking more water and less carbonated beverages I
started exercising. I walk up and down our long driveway
for 30 minutes per day. When it turned cold I found an
exercise program that involved walking while watching a
tape on the VCR. The cost of the tape was $15. I exercise
about 4 to 6 times per week. In the spring, I hope to
exercise twice per day.
This time of year you
will be bombarded with diet and exercise programs. You
really don't need to purchase a lot of expensive exercise
equipment. In my new exercise tape they use weights. I
went to my kitchen cabinet and got two identical cans of
soup. These work perfect as barbells.
Look for extra
exercise opportunities. Park farther away and walk. Play
a game with the kids on the floor. Shovel snow or clean
the bathtub. I didn't get this way overnight and it won't
take me overnight to lose the weight.
Top
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By Marenda Babcock