Frugal Kitchen Tips #1

Thought I'd share some things I have learned from my Mom, dear friends and experience on saving money in the kitchen:

*Buy in bulk.- If you do a lot of baking, save money by buying flour, sugar, etc. in bulk. Many organic products are also cheaper this way.

*Buy local food- Not only can this be more cost efficient, but the farmer/grower gets a more fair price than if you were to buy the same thing off a truck that just traveled several hundred or thousands of miles to bring it to you. This is naturally a more healthy choice too, as the food isn't filled/covered with preservatives, colorants, etc. to make it look good after traveling so far.

*Save the bacon grease. -I know, probably most of you have fallen out of your chairs with this one. Trust me, no, don't trust me-study for yourselves- by using the bacon drippings to grease your pans instead of using oil, butter or almost butter, not only do you save some money, and add flavor to whatever you're cooking, but I guarantee that a little bacon grease is better for you than shortening, margarine and vegetable oil. I think everyone should have a copy of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon it's all in there. Ok, enough of that. Just pour the drippings into a Mason jar(you can strain it if you like) while it is still liquid and keep sealed on the counter/in the pantry for 3 months, the fridge for 6 months or the freezer for 9 months.

*Stop packing sandwiches in sandwich bags. For those in the family who work outside the home, pack lunch in a reusable container instead of baggies that will just be tossed at the end of the lunch hour. We found this one at Dollar Tree. It doesn't say BPA free, but we are ok with that, since no liquids or hot contents will go in it (I have glass for those). It is tall enough to fit two sandwiches, and still has room for some chips, cookies, etc.

*Divorce Dawn. Make your own dish soap. I don't have a dishwasher, so I do all my dishes by hand. I am currently using this recipe, and I like it a lot. I did the math and found that this recipe only costs me .87 cents/pint to make, and I haven't needed to use anymore than I did Dawn to get the dishes clean-except an ultra greasy chicken platter, but still, that's not bad. And I like the way it smells! I have only made it with Ivory so far, no essential oils yet. You should try this at least once! ~Bonus- it is better for the environment too!

*Invest in cast iron. With proper care, it will certainly outlive you. In fact, I have never heard of a cast iron pan wearing out after normal use and proper care.(I assume somewhere in the world it must) It has always been because it was abandoned to rust away. Obtaining cast iron cookware can be really cheap. Of my daily used collection, I found two pans at yard sales for less than $10 each and fixed them up. One my husband had given to him years ago, one I bought at Goodwill for $7 and the other three were an anniversary gift from my parents. I also have an old dutch oven (deep pot with a lid). I've had it so long I can't remember where I got it (flee market, I think?) I think I paid around $15-20 dollars for it, but not really sure. I know it must have been somewhere in that ball park. I love cast iron because it heats evenly, non-stick (after use), it releases a small amount of iron into the food you cook in it, it's attractive, I can put a pan right in the oven without melting the handle, and since they are of heavier weight than stainless or aluminum, food doesn't burn on easily. ~Note- Teflon and aluminum are both toxic, emitting harmful chemicals into your food  and should be avoided.

*Break up with Bounty. We have recently gone "paper towel-less" here, and it has been fine. I should have done it a long time ago. I confess, we were spending about $7-8 dollars a month just on paper towels. That may not sound like much to some, but that is $84-$96 dollars a year on something that is 100% going in the trash!!! These are our new ''paper'' towels. $4/dozen that will be used over and over and...you get it.

*Save the butter wrappers. I just learned this one from my friend Noel a little while ago. Instead of tossing them, stick them in your butter drawer to grease pans later. This is especially good if you use olive oil to grease your pans, this is bound to save some oil over the course of several years, for no extra cost.

*Ditch the sponge-use dishcloths. A dishcloth will long outlast a sponge, they are easy to make, and/or readily available at craft fairs/stores, etc. Or you can just use the towel-like ones that are in just about every store. I like using them because sponges give me the willies. When I see a sponge, all I can think of is a little pillow filled with bacteria. I'm not a germ freak, but I'd rather not be smearing bacteria all over my dishes, the table, highchair, and counters. This way, I use a fresh dishcloth every day, and just toss it in the laundry when I'm done cleaning the kitchen at night. Homemade knitted or crocheted ones make nice gifts!

*Save on coffee/filters. We just buy cheap coffee, and use reusable filter baskets for both the Keurig and regular coffee pot. This not only eliminates waste, but saves on having to buy paper filters. We only buy K-cups as a treat now and then. Even if we bought the cheapest store brand ones I have found, it still comes out to be about .33 cents/cup. I usually have 3 cups of coffee a day (two in the morning, one in the afternoon) so it would cost nearly $1/day for just me to have coffee, not counting Darlin. We can buy a large can of coffee for $6/$7 and it will last nearly two months.

*Go for used. You can find second hand kitchen items just as good as new. Here I bought a colander for $2 and a sturdy pizza cutter for .10 cents at Salvation Army. I found the antique pastry blender on Ebay for $1.50 (I love antiques!) and the gravy ladle for $1.59 at Marden's.

*Save the paper products. Use cloth napkins, and ''real'' dishes on a daily basis, buying paper only for large parties. This also eliminates waste while saving money. Here I whipped up a couple napkins from leftover fabric I had from making Big Boy's ''snuggies". Just cut some cloth (you could even use old towels or clothes) to the size you want, fold over and press the edges, then run a zig-zag stitch all around to keep it from fraying. As far as the "extra dishes" goes, it seems plates are the most popular paper product of choice for every day use. I find that for me, at least, plates are nearly effortless to wash and you could wash several plates in less than a minute. So why not give ''no paper'' a try for a while? It may not be as inconvenient as you thought.

And so this concludes frugal kitchen tips #1. What do you do to save money in the kitchen? I'd love to see what others do, I am always looking for more ideas. Hope y'all have a great day, and stay warm!