Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Extremely Frugal #3

Here are a few more frugal tips I came across that some find "extreme."

Don't throw away a plastic coated table cloth. Although it may not be good enough for your table, you can still use it for picnics, or drop cloths when painting, or cut it up and make place mats from it. Make bowl toppers by sewing a length of elastic around circles of various sizes cut from it and you have frugal, reusable covers for bowls or plates.

Rather than buying cheesecloth to tie spices in when cooking stews or other dishes, use a teaball. Even if you have to buy one, you'll save the cost many times over, since it should last you a lifetime.

When coating chicken or other meat to fry or bake, an old trick is to put the pieces in a paper sack along with the coating mix and shake. However, a vigorous shaking can rip the bottom out of today's wimpy paper sacks. For a frugal substitute, use an empty (washed or not) chip bag. They're much sturdier, and when you're through, you can roll it tightly closed and tape or tie and freeze the remainder for the next time.

8 comments:

  1. Gee, once again things I've been doing for years. Why is this extremely frugal? On the coating mix - be sure to label what you used it for (don't want to cross contaminate) and freeze it immediately - you don't want to chance illness.

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  2. Yep... "extreme" is in the eye of the beholder.

    Thanks, I'd forgotten to mention the labeling.

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  3. Pat,
    Another use for old flannel backed plastic tablecloths is for the liner part of the homemade sanitary pads that are all the rage with the current green movement. Patterns are available by searching online. Pam

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  4. Using a teaball for spices is extreme? I think using an old sock would be more extreme.

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  5. Using an old sock would definitely be more extreme, but there really ARE some people who would find using a teaball (and having to wash it after each use!) extreme.

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  6. I use a large metal tea ball to put my herbs in for soups, crockpots, etc.

    I use the same ball for my tea pot and for putting my nutsoaps for the dishwasher.

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  7. Yep, sarent... the great thing about tea balls is that they're washable and reusable for whatever you need! :)

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