One of the biggest ways you can waste money is to let produce go bad before you use it. This often happens when we buy too much of something, get too busy to use it as intended or even forget about it in our fridge. It is almost maddening to open the fridge and see produce you now have to toss in the garbage because it has gone bad. Here are some tips for using up produce when you know you won’t be able to use it up in time for what you bought it for instead of tossing it in the garbage.
Tips for Using up Produce Before it Goes Bad:
Use your freezer.
If you have onions or peppers that are turning over-ripe, dice them and place them in zipper bags in the freezer. The freezer will stop the ripening process and it will allow you to use the vegetables for things like omelets, casseroles and slow cooker meals in the future.
Get Creative with bananas.
Pretty much everyone knows that over ripe bananas are perfect for banana bread, but you can also use them for pancakes or for thickening up milkshakes. Just cut the bananas into chunks and flash freeze by placing on a cookie sheet for a few hours and then storing in plastic freezer bags.
Start a compost pile.
If you have scraps from vegetables or fruit or you have some produce that is totally unsalvageable, this is the perfect start of a compost pile. Composting is great for gardeners as well as just fertilizing bushes, trees and even your lawn.
Over-ripe produce is perfect for soups.
No one will know the difference. Soups are historically known for being created out of need to use leftovers. In fact, some of the best soups ever made were made up just from what people have at home needing to be used up.
Fruit that is starting to go bad or is bruised can be used for pies, tarts, sauces and compotes.
Simply throwing some apples in a small slow cooker with some seasonings is all it takes to make a delicious applesauce.
If you are a big fan of smoothies, don’t go out and buy expensive frozen fruit for them.
Instead, look for ways to turn discounted produce at the store and fruit like bananas, berries and pineapple that you have at home into smoothie-ready chunks in your freezer.
Don’t assume that because part of the fruit or veggie is bad, all of it is.
With some fruits like berries, this is usually true, but with many, it isn’t, and you can use part of the vegetable or fruit with no problem. We are so used to buying produce that isn’t blemished or bruised that we think one that is, is no good any more.
Make Homemade baby food.
If you have a baby who is on solids, produce that is starting to turn (but is not moldy) or is bruised is perfect to make baby food with. Just stick it in a food processor and you have homemade baby food ready to go.
One way to avoid having produce waste is to only buy it as you need it or shop organic or local. While it may seem more expensive this way, it actually saves you a lot of money if you are the type that throws out produce frequently because it will have a longer shelf life in general.
I’ve got a question for you today! I’ve been doing a bit of daydreaming lately, specifically about things I want to do here at Simply Frugal. So yesterday while I was driving around town, I was thinking about you all. So…:
I’m Wondering: What skill(s) do you wish you knew that could impact your finances positively?
This could be budgeting skills, sewing skills, canning skills, learning to have fun without spending…etc
With summer quickly approaching, you might be thinking of hitting the road or the air for vacation time. There's just one thing...you're on a budget and what you have been envisioning for a vacation, is just not going to factor in. What to do, what to do.
Enter the Staycation: your vacation on a budget. No packing, no sore rear ends from sitting in a car, no airport delays. Simply enjoying what your city and surrounding areas have to offer.
Here are a few of my tips to make your Staycation memorable:
Spend the week before playing catch up
This doesn't sound fun but believe me, when there are no chores or work to distract you during your staycation, you have no reason but to enjoy your family, enjoy time for your favourite hobby, and enjoy your break from your regular routine! If playing catch up the week before really doesn't sound appealing, make a conscious effort to deliberately avoid household chores or work during your staycation.
Order your local Entertainment coupon book
Currently, Entertainment coupon books are on sale for $12 each with free shipping. That's a great price for a book that's jam packed with coupons for your local attractions. More often than not, the coupons are for 2 for 1 admission! You can order your Entertainment coupon book here, if you'd like. The books also feature dining coupons and shopping coupons.
Be Adventurous
Try a restaurant with an ethnic cuisine you're not used to. Hike the tallest mountain in your area. Take a local art class. Try something you've always wanted to try, but you've kept putting off because you've been scared or lacking the push to be confident!
Enjoy what your area is famous for
Why do all the tourists flock to your city in the summer? Where I live, we're famous for our wineries, orchards and lakes. It wasn't until we had family come for a visit, which I partook in my first winery tour experience. Even though I'm not a wine drinker, I thoroughly enjoyed the history and even the free wine tasting!
Know it's okay to splurge if the budget will allow
You're on vacation. Eat every meal out if you want. Or spend your entire budget on that river rafting excursion you've been saving for. Step out of your normal every day, non-vacation, routine.
So, are you excited to start your fabulous Staycation? I sure am! I've got some great ideas going through my head!
Along with baking soda, I’m also a huge fan of using vinegar around the home. My current favourite way to use white vinegar is in the dishwasher (instead of Jet-Dry) and in the washing machine (instead of fabric softener).
But, there are a ton of other ways to put vinegar to use!
Here are 10 uses for Vinegar:
#1 – Clean Your Bath with Baking Soda and Vinegar: The bathtub can get quite dirty after a lot use and neglect. That doesn’t matter though, because you can clean your bath quickly and easily with both baking soda and vinegar. Just give dirty areas a good dusting of baking soda, follow with vinegar, and scrub vigorously with a sponge while the mixture fizzes away. Clean away any leftovers with water.
#2 – Clear up and Prevent Bruises: All of us have suffered a nasty spill of some kind (and I’m not talking about the kind where someone drops a drink) and those bruises can become extremely sore after a while. However, you can make all those nasty bruises go away; just soak some cotton gauze in a bit of vinegar, apply it to the bruised area, and let it sit for around an hour.
#3 – Brighten Your Laundry: You have a choice, spend a pretty penny on some fancy “all-color, stain-fighting, super-effective” laundry agent, or you can spend a couple of bucks on some plain, white vinegar. Just add 1/2 a cup of that stuff to your wash cycle to reinvigorate and brighten all the colors in all of your laundry loads; reds, blues, greens, yellows, blacks, and whites!
#4 – Hot Vinegar Drain Cleaner: Is the sink not draining as quick as usual? Chances are it’s probably a little clogged up by grime and such. This isn’t a problem though, all you need to do is pour roughly a half of a cup of vinegar and a half of a cup of baking soda down your drain, wait a little more than 15 minutes, and then follow it all down the drain with hot (preferably boiling) water.
#5 – Frost-Proof Your Windows: We’ve all had to wait that dreaded 5 minutes every winter morning; the windows are slowly-but-surely clearing up and you’re already 10 minutes late for work. You can help keep the frost off your windows by spraying a solution that’s 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water on your car windows every few weeks.
#6 – Deodorizer: Hate having to hold your breath when open your trunk to put the groceries away, or maybe that musty old closet is getting to be a little too unbearable? You can freshen up the smell of these places quite easily! All you need to do is give a slice of white bread a soak in some white vinegar, place the soggy piece of bread on a plate, and keep it in that closet or trunk for a night. Things will start smelling good again in no time!
#7 – Clean Fresh Produce: Whether you are the gardening type or you just took a stroll through the produce section at your local grocery store, you never know what’s clinging to the surface of your fresh fruits and vegetables. If you’re not feeling safe about your food, you can always wash them with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar mixed with 1 1/2 liters of plain water for a nice, bacteria-cleansing wash.
#8 – Clean Rust Off of Old Tools: So, you’ve finally gotten grandpa’s old tool box open, expecting gold and treasure, and just got some rusty old Depression-era hammers and screwdrivers. You can clean up grandpa’s old tools easily; just submerge them in some plain white vinegar for a couple of days until the rust is all gone.
#9 – Streak-less window cleaner: If you have some vinegar, water, and dish soap lying around, you can make a window cleaner that outperforms most others. Put 2 cups of water, 1/4 of a cup of plain white vinegar, and 1/2 a teaspoon of your favorite dish soap all into a spray bottle then have clean, clear windows in no time at all.
#10 – Keep Pests off your Pets: Is Fido biting and scratching away at himself because flea season has started? You can keep those bugs away by filling a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water and applying it to your dog or cat’s coat before rubbing it in. Be careful with cats though, they’ve been known to get a little resistant and violent when vinegar and its “horrific” scent get involved.
Baking soda is one of the most commonly used items in our home. Not only do I use it for baking, it’s one of the main ingredients in my homemade cleaning products! Baking soda is actually so versatile, I have a list of 10 other unique uses for it!
Here are 10 uses for baking soda:
#1 – Car Surface Cleaner
You love your car, right? It gets you from Point A to Point B and then back to A again at the end of the day. So naturally, you want the best for your car, so it can get you back to point B the next day. You can keep your car’s paint job nice and shiny by making a baking soda paste (There’s no specific amounts of powder or water you need, just make sure it’s a nice paste) and rubbing it all over your car’s dulling paint job. Let the paste sit for 5-15 minutes and then rinse your car off. Voila, now your car looks as good as the day you bought it.
#2 – Mouthwash
Have you checked out the price of oral care products lately? You and your children no longer have to deal with minor tooth decay thanks to the advent of baking soda. If you mix a single tablespoon with half of a tall glass of water, you have some pretty effective mouthwash.
#3 – Skin Exfoliator
For those of us who strive for clean, smooth, baby-like skin, this trick will serve you all quite well. You can make a nice exfoliating paste for your skin by mixing 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water. When applying it, you should gently massage it on your skin, getting as much coverage as you want. When you’ve gotten it all massaged on, rinse it all off with some warm water.
#4 – Tougher Laundry Detergent
Maybe you’ve heard about using vinegar to brighten colors in your laundry before, but what can baking soda do? 1/2 a cup of the stuff mixed in with your detergent makes your detergent work much more effectively, making clothes cleaner and colors brighter.
#5 – Homemade Clay
If you have an artist in the family (or maybe you are the artist), the following project could be a fun thing to do. If you mix some baking soda in with 1 1/4 cups of water and a cup of cornstarch, the result is something quite similar to store bought modeling clay. Afterwards you should go and find an air-tight tin to maximize its shelf life.
#6 – Deodorant
Stick or spray? You don’t have to pick either with baking soda; its magnificent quality of being able to make anything smell nice makes it an extremely viable option when choosing deodorant in the morning. No fancy steps at all to doing this: just firmly pat the baking soda under your armpits and go about your day.
#7 – Toilet Cleaner
None of us want to do it. Not a single person in the house wants to deal with THAT one dreaded job. No one wants to deal with the dirty job of cleaning the toilet. Then you remember you have baking soda on your side. Dump roughly a single cup into the toilet bowl and let it sit for about an hour (I don’t know, maybe watch half a movie while you wait). After that hour has passed, go back and flush the toilet. You’ll now have a clean and odorless toilet.
#8 – Deodorize Your Home
Baking soda can deodorize just about anything. You can put an open box in the back of a fridge to keep odors bearable; you can sprinkle some across the bottom of your trash can before you put a new bag in to keep the smells at bay; and you can leave a snowstorm of the stuff on the carpet before you go to work and vacuum it all up when you get home.
#9 – Poor Man’s Foot Bath
For most families, it’s too expensive to buy a personal sauna for the entire family to relax in. So, if you still want their feet to experience the soothing sauna experience, your only friend is baking soda. For a nice foot bath, simply fill a tub with warm water and then add and stir in at least 3 tablespoons of Baking Soda.
#10 – Replacement for De-Icing Salts
We’ve all had that moment; we walk in from the cold winter air, dust our jackets off, and start the boring, monotonous task of getting all the salt off of our shoes. Would you believe that Baking Soda can also help you here? You can substitute a fine dusting of Baking Soda for all those salts you’re tossing onto your driveway and patio. Unlike all the other options available, Baking Soda provides you with good traction and melts the ice just as well as salt. Unlike salt, it won’t cause damage to your shoes or your floors.
I have a friend, a wonderful, long-time friend who is quite the hostess. She's an inspiration to me really. Often she hosts little gatherings with only a few gals while other times she hosts big gatherings with many friends and family. Each and every time I head home feeling very loved and taken care of. She has that knack, you know? She seems to be completely in control without an ounce of stress showing.
But, on a few occasions she's confided in me saying that she does stress out. Especially when she's putting on a large gathering. She wants everything to be perfect and pretty. She also says the more she practices, the easier it gets.
It's silly really, how we strive for perfection in showing others what we can do to make a good party when really, hospitality is all about loving on the people who gather.
Hospitality is something I really want to practice more. I make excuses all the time because I don't think our home is very good for entertaining. Our kitchen only fits one person at a time, and our dining table only sits four. And the toys, oh the toys everywhere! But, on the few occasions that I have had people over, it's been wonderful! It's been a nice time catching up with the people that I've wanted to catch up with! That's what really matters.
First of all, the key to hospitality on a budget is to keep it simple. Here are some ideas to help keep things simple:
Allow others to help
I really appreciate it when the host allows me to get in there and help. Whether it be with dishes or with setting the food out, I love having a task to do. Since I'm not particularly great at interacting with a whole crowd of people at once, this allows me to gather and speak with only a few people that are near my "task" area. I'm more comfortable that way. I'm pretty sure allowing others to help also frees up some of the burden the host may be feeling!
Serve tea/coffee with a simple treat
If you want to have several people over, but can't afford to serve a crowd of people a full meal, just have them over for tea or coffee and a simple treat! The friend I mentioned earlier always has a loaf of banana bread in her freezer that she can easily pull out! On another occasion, a friend invited me over at the spur of the moment and served me coffee with these oven S'mores. It was so simple, but the thought amazed me!
Buy store bought treats
Sometimes to make things really easy, I buy a bag of two bite brownies and serve them up with a dollop of whipping cream. Who doesn't love two bite brownies? Same goes for meals. Sometimes a store-bought lasagna costs less than the homemade version.
Make it a Potluck
If you'll be having a large gathering, turn it into a potluck! Why be responsible for everything when others love to bring some of their favourite dishes?
Plan ahead
Maybe this isn't quite keeping things simple because planning can be extra work in itself, but by planning ahead, you might just be able to stash some homemade goodies in your freezer for an impromptu get-together. Or maybe you'll be able to stock up on a few party friendly things when they go on sale. Or maybe you can spend some time compiling a list of guest friendly meals so you don't have to spend time stressing about what you'll feed your guests.
Don't wait until things are perfect
You or your home don't have to be perfect before inviting someone over. That person may very well be blessed just to see that things aren't so perfect in your life! So what if you haven't done last night's dishes? Or there's crumbs all over the floor? If true hospitality is opening our homes and lives to others then it doesn't matter what state you or your home are in because you're inviting them in where you are at in life. While we generally want our homes to be inviting, and relatively clean, don’t let imperfections hinder your from sharing your home!
Forget about food
I know, I know, a gathering without food is not as fun, but it's doable! Serve some drinks, offer good conversation and bring out a game to get the good times rolling. After all, Hospitality is simply about welcoming others into our homes and lives.
Do you have any frugal hospitality tips? What do you do to keep things more simple? Please share!
