Emmy and Paul. Love your programs, I learn so much. I wanted to tell you that I'm 64 on social security and I allow myself about 350.00 a month for food and gas for the car. Well, I've really worked hard to make all my meals this month using everything I been stocking up on. I figure if I don't start eating it. It will go bad. So I'm ousting things in a cycle as you said eating oldest things first. You would be so proud of me!!!! I still have my $350.00 for the month untouched just by cooking a my own things and eliminating all outside food. I stopped eating out 2 months ago and I haven't drank pop since 1999. I've tried new things and I like them too. I'm getting g it, it's sinking in. Thank you. 🥰
We have stopped buying baked goods and make all of ours at home. I make cookies, muffins, baked oatmeal, bread, cakes, dinner rolls. It is so much cheaper, better for you, and usually tastes better.
@@bhallmark3390 Anything with words "Gluten free or Keto is 10x the price, I too make all my dessert, snacks, candy, cookies, etc at home, sure does save a ton
One thing that we have implemented is to "package" up leftovers immediately in single serving sizes (think TV dinners). This makes for quick "grab and go" lunches, and we are more mindful of making sure we are eating the leftovers. We also make our own pizzas or wraps using left overs. 2023 has become very no waste focused for us.
I’ve been learning how to sew on my own. I had my own sewing machine. I got all the fabric, thread, thread holder, cutting mat, rotary cutter, and craft cart along with a craft table all for free from several Facebook groups I belong to. It’s been so much fun and such a blessing. My friend gave me a few lessons and with UA-cam it’s been great. Making my first quilt.
I've also been learning how to quilt. Melanie Ham's youthbe channel has step-by-step tutorials for beginner quilters, along with other levels, styles, etc.
Hi Em! I diy clothes. I purchased much larger sizes at the thrift shop. I cut them up and make myself a new fabulous outfit. Sewing has saved me a lot of money over the years and gives me great satisfaction as well . Love the channel 😊
I have done this a few times myself.....I find not only a big savings with purchasing thrift items to remake, but, I look for items with brand names that are made of higher quality fabrics than what I would find at Joann's or Hobby Lobby - the closest and only local retailers selling fabric in my area.
Tip: When cooking any type of Beans, lentils, dry goods leave it soaking overnight in cold water and it will reduce the time of prep and will be delicious soft!❣️
I make mine in and instantpot and don’t soak it over night. It taste so good. You can google it. I think it’s 2 cups of pintos to 6 cups of water and pressure cook 50 minutes.
Wow those beans looked amazing. I fixed my toilet, it was leaking, so I got on UA-cam found out how to fix it n did it. The seal was $ 5 n now it's good to go, n saved me BIG bucks not having a plumber come out to do it. It really felt empowering to know that this granny fixed her own toilet.
If we look back in History especially pictures you will find people were much slimmer then now ,,I am not body shaming here , as I myself am over weigh what I am pointing out is , back then they eat only Mother Nature ,no boxed food full of carbohydrates,and used everything they had and they also did not snack like we do today , Celebrations were far and few between ,,, Emmy you have such a great way of bring that back to us ,,keeping it simple is the easiest way ,,,,I find such peace in the everyday chores so Grateful everyday . Today I went to Dollar Tree with list in hand and got exactly what I needed Not what I Wanted ,,,😊
Oh my gosh, I have changed how I do things so much over the past couple of years. I've learned to develop the patience it takes to cook (not a fan, but I can change!) dinners from scratch (including bread!) and plan my meals. I've relearned to sew! I've learned to plant and grow a garden, then freeze it. I've learned to find all sorts of things I need online for free. I've learned to stay home and entertain myself with books and educational finding. I walk a ton with the doggo daily and take advantage of the parks system where I live. When I look back, there have been plenty of changes. The only epic fail was the decision to cut each other's hair. He ended up bald and I ended up with something I really can't describe that took about a year to mend..:D It was worth a try. LOVE your content! Thank you!
I also cut my son's hair for the first time and I kept warning him it may not be very good. He said well if it turns out bad I'll put gel in it and spike it and it'll look like a Hollywood hair cut 🤣🤣. Thank goodness it turned out ok but it did take about a week of trimming weird strands of hair to make it look cohesive lol.
For less expensive haircuts, go to a cosmetology school. Students are learning, and all work is supervised by an instructor with real-world experience. We have several in our area where prices range from $12 - $25 per service plus msterials (hair color, perms, etc.). I live in CA, land of the expensive. My last haircut cost $17 + tip for an experienced advanced level student. There are also plenty of UA-cam tutorials on haircuts.
Fermented my cabbage into sauerkraut, sprouted seeds in jars since lettuce is expensive now due to rains in California and fermented garlic and ginger in honey to make cough medicine. Like you and Paul, we rarely go out to eat either. Thank you for inspiring us to make our homes cozy and comfortable having pillows blankets and a home movie . We have popcorn. Food made together from scratch is our way of creating deeper relationship. We’ve been married 53 years by the grace and love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. May He continue to bless you and Paul, as you encourage all of us!!✝️💕
Frances Gannon, what are your favorite seeds/beans to sprout? I have lentils started right now. I have heard that popcorn seeds sprout nicely. I'm short of sprout -tables - planning to stock more this week. When it is not below zero I'm going to get lettuce started in the window.
I have just relocated to Leicestershire in England and I’m needing to start all over again. Having a new kitchen to set up I’m having to rethink everything. My DIY to kickstart me off was turning a large under the stairs cupboard into my storage pantry. I only spent from my moving fund to get storage solutions. I had one fail and I was tired and in so much pain I ordered in a pizza to be delivered so that meant I had to spend over a certain amount to qualify. £23. One meal. That’s a large amount from my food shopping budget and could have fed me for a week 🤦🏼♀️ I love that we have all the videos on this channel to go back and use as reference when we need to. Stay safe and warm xx
One of my favorite repurposing tips is that I take old envelopes that we get in the mail (or whatever we get from holidays like Christmas or Birthdays, etc.) and I turn them into gift tags! I just take the blank side of them and draw the gift tag design of my choice and then I draw and cut them out, and then I hole punch them, and then I stick them in a repurposed candle jar (I love reusing candle jars for organizing things all throughout the different rooms of the house)! Most times I get anywhere from around 15-30 or more sometimes (depending on how big I draw them/how far apart I space them) per envelope! It's so much fun, and they'll last you for a long while!
My hubby is a spontaneous spender. I share ur videos when he begins talking about wanting to replace appliances or tools. I say "need or want." Gives him time to reconsider. Like time out for child.!!😃
Had to get a new vehicle. The previous owner was a smoker. But the price was right and the mileage was low so we got it. It takes time to eliminate the smoke smell. What I have done is saturate a rag in vinegar and place it on a dish, and leave it in the closed vehicle overnight every night. It's been almost a week now, and the smoke smell has greatly reduced. Like I said, it takes time. My best advice for anything in life is "Have Patience." I love your videos. Keep up the good work! 👍
New sub here from England UK. What a super channel! And great subscribers with helpful tips. Thank you. I live in a small rural village, and I'm a greatgrandma. My mum was born in 1915 so I learned so much from her. We don't have TV by choice. Instead we read, I knit, crochet and am now learning patchwork. A few likeminded friends and I have created a group. We meet up once a month and show our craft work, swap extra threads, yarn, fabric others might need, books we've read and now jigsaw puzzles! We make lap blankets for our local hospice, baby hats and incubator blankets for the maternity unit, etc. Recently I've been cutting down old tee shirts into one inch wide strips which when pulled create great yarn for shower mats, pet crates and can be used for rugs. My husband does our own repairs and decorating using UA-cam videos to learn new skills. We recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, and we laughed when one grandson asked what we do all day... We wonder how we held down full time jobs because life is so busy, Sorry to ramble but just wanted to say hi!
Ella Gracie, Hello from Oregon, USA. My late husband was born in England and has a brother still living in Bath. I like your idea of meeting up once a month to share with friends. Take care.
My DIY this week was using some olive oil left in the bottom of the bottle that had that had gotten too old and rancid to cook with. I have a lot of beautiful old wooden furniture pieces and paneling that get very dusty and dry this time of year from the gas heat. I'm using the old olive oil as a conditioner on the wood! I dab it on liberally, let it sit for a bit and then rub it in and buff. It does an amazing job! Much better than furniture polish!
As part of my Christmas present, from my employer, we all received a throw pillow. It's pretty comfortable however the material is already pilling. So I decided to buy some fabric and make covers for all of my throw pillows. This way they'll all match, and I can wash the covers, when they need to be.
Love this idea Amy N ,I have been wanting to do this too for my 5 pillows and heating pads too,,I have some old towels that are still in Great shape I can turn into covers ,I agree all the same colour ,,Kiss ,,keep it simple ,,❤😊
Hi Emmy & Paul, for DIY I cut my partner's hair, which saves around $35 a cut and I purchase my hair dye when half price and dye my own hair, which saves around $90 at the hair salon. I do my own manicures and pedicures too. Doing our hair was scary at first, though now I've been doing it for years, so I'm confident now. I'm in my late 50s and my partner is late 60s, we always talk about what our parents did when we were young and follow suit. I'm so glad we have UA-cam to teach us mostly everything we need to know.
I absolutely love these videos. They encourage me to rethink things I do out of habit. One thing my husband and I started to do is to roast a turkey breast or bake a ham (bought on sale) and then slice it up for sandwich meat. We portion it out, allowing for a week of sandwiches at a time, and freeze them. It's so much cheaper than the packages in the store.
Michelle I have purchased a turkey breast and a ham and commented on another channel about this. The prices of sandwich meat are astronomical. Also not all the chemical additives. Many good meals and bones for soup.
Can't wait to try the sugar hand scrub! My hands take a beating and they get so scruffy and sore in winter. Also, I've been organizing drawers and closets recently. I have found so much usable stuff I'd forgotten I had and had been planning to buy more! Including winter insulating tape, spring gardening seeds, writing materials and a big bag of sugar I bought to make Xmas cookies but forgot where I'd put it! Then I organized my sock drawer and found several pairs of heavy woolen socks to wear indoors on these cold days.. That was at least $50 or $60 saved just by not rebuying these things I'm already had!
For laudry, instead of liquid softener, I usebaking soda and the white is whiter with this; instead of Javel, I use vinegar with a Borox powder and it works wonderfully. Now for cooking, often I don't have a cauldron lid so I use an aluminum plate. For washing the linoleum floor, I use lemon vinegar and it smell so good and clean real well. I wash my hair with a natural soap or best yet a vitamen E bar soap and hair become so silky and clean. I bake my hand made bread and to keep vegetables crunchy, I keep them in a jar with half oil and half vinegar. I make my own face cream to exfoliate with yougourt, vitamin E, a bit of oil and rose essence and my face is clean and soft. So for now, that's what I wanted to share with you. Thank you so much for what you do, it needed much in ourdays. God bless!
Yes to cooking from scratch is number one . Making home cleaning products . Using cut up old towels to make cleaning rags . Using mayonnaise for baking for when I am low on butter and eggs . If I bake using not too many ingredients and only two eggs max . Lucky to live near an orchard so I can purchase cheap apples so I make lots of stewed apples and apple sauce .I use this for dessert, crumbles, cakes and muffins . Homemade soup is a winner too. Thinking seriously of making my own soap as everything is ridiculously dear even here in Australia.
My favorite DIY is Foaming Dish Soap. I buy a nice bottle of Mrs. Meyers dish soap (natural and smells nice,) and add some of it to an empty foaming hand wash bottle along with water. This sits at the kitchen sink. We use it for our hands, to wash an apple or lemon from the bulk bin (think of all the hands that touched it!), we put it on a sponge to hand wash a few dishes, or even just on our fingers to wash a little measuring spoon or ice cream scoop. We save the bottle of full strength dish soap for bigger dishwashing jobs. Saves money and is so convenient!
Boy, I have never seen such beautiful diced potatoes Paul. Every little cube looked like it had been measured with a ruler! We have cooked potatoes in bacon grease for years. We also use it to make hot spinach salad and green beans. The baked beans looked wonderful. I use my Instantpot all the time so I'll be sure and try your recipe. I DIY salad dressings, seasoning mixes for tacos or chili and make my own pumpkin pie spice. At Christmas I make my own marshmallows. Everyone's favorite is peppermint dipped in chocolate.
I love making special breakfasts, scratch muffins, and a Denver omelette, oh my!!! Or Toad-in-the-hole, with powered sugar and lemon juice, my kids loved stuff like this. Often no sausages, still fun! (we had very little money). Now a days we rarely eat out, but since we are now are mortgage free, (we moved to a cheaper state!) we tip heavily! What a joy to be able to bless some one else!!! :-)
I roasted a chicken vs buying a rotisserie chicken. We ate the chicken one night, had enough leftover meat to make a chicken pot pie, chicken noodle soup and homemade bone broth. Yes, from a chicken that cost $4.75. And, it was so simple!
Great luck finding a chicken that cheap. Around here it’s cheaper to buy a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s or Costco than cook it yourself. A whole chicken usually runs over $6.00.
@ann seabolt I used to think so too but recently realized that pound for pound the raw chicken is actually cheaper. The cost comes in when figuring out if making it yourself is more cost effective.
Those beans looked like my moms old fashioned baked beans that she baked for hours in the oven. SO good. One of the things I do is make my own salad dressings. I don't make salads every day so the bottles tend to get old and I don't know if I should be using them. So I just quit buying them and make my own fresh. and I like it better.
Stuff I DYI…making my own broths. Great way to use meat bones and/or vegetable scraps. Making my own bread. Making my own cleaning rags out of tattered towels or clothing. Drying leftover fresh herbs. Making my own spice mixes or sauces vs buying them (e.g. make my own pumpkin pie spice mix vs buying actual pumpkin pie mix. Make my own bbq sauce vs buying bottled bbq sauce). Make my own scratch paper using the unused side of papers, mail, etc, vs buying note pads.
I just love your channel. It is so well rounded and informative. I am retired and my husband is planning his retirement in a couple of years. We have started to live as if he is already retired and getting use to a smaller income. I have pick up some great tips from you and Paul. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great idea. Will it be age 62 or full retirement age. Stick it out till full retirement age if you can, even if he isn',t working. You will get more than just $100 a month if you do. Everyone told me to go out at 62 and I didn,t. The clerk said I got ,$300 more dollars a month for waiting. The more you get in your check the bigger the raises.
❣️ Breakfast out is my special thing as well ❣️ I used to love truck stop places where you can watch the guy cooking... My father was a trucker and knew all the great one's!
Yay, Emmy, I’m so happy you gave the instant pot a try…..remember, do not store it with the lid closed, turn the lid upside down and sit it on the pot….sometimes it doesn’t seem like a time saver….it has to come to pressure, has to release pressure, but the joy is you can leave it and do other things, no watching, no stirring, etc…..yesterday I made chicken bone broth, cooked for hours with no tending….I make pasta of all sorts, mashed potatoes (no watching, boiling over on the stove), chicken, roast beef, the list is endless….I encourage you to keep trying other foods…..loved seeing sweet Dixie….since I’m 72 years old, I do so many DYI things, it’s hard to name something….eating out for breakfast is my favorite meal, too….my hubster is the king of homemade breakfast 🤗 thanks for sharing all your tips….
Carolyn your comments are always so uplifting! You have been with us for so long...we appreciate you so much! I just wanted to say thank you dear friend!
We've been making bread over the last year. We just tried your bagel recipe. Turned out great. // My husband loves lunch meat. These past few months we've been baking whole hams and turkeys, slicing and freezing them, and making bone broth in the crockpot, freezing it in containers as soup starters.
I just love the way you both support each other on your frugal journey. I tried making homemade breakfast burritos in the pas,t but it was a a fail. I found some Jones Dairy chicken link sausages; I no longer eat pork. I cooked my sausages with some onion and peppers that I had in the freezer, then I added some eggs that I scrambled to the pan and cooked it. Once my filling was cool enough, I put them in tortillas with some cheese sprinkled on top and some salsa. The hubby and I ate a few for breakfast and we wrapped the rest in parchment paper, put them in a freezer bag, then stuck them in the freezer for a quick breakfast. The hubby said they were better than the breakfast burritos that I used to pick up from McDonald's every once in a while. I have never made homemade baked beans but I do love them. I think I'll give this a try the next time we barbecue.👍
I’m 74 years old and live in an independent senior community. They provide us with a continental breakfast and a big lunch: protein, 2 starches, 2 vegetables, soup and a side salad. I take home and augment the soup with beans or chicken and any leftover veggies- making it into a hearty stew for supper. If I don’t like the soup that day, I’ll make a lean protein sandwich and have fruit for dessert.
Those potatoes look so good! I recently made my daughter's birthday cake and frosted it with .99 cake mix and frosting. We got Outback take away as I had $50 in gift cards that I got from cashing in credit card points. Our meal was $25 out of pocket for 3 meals. My daughter turned 29.
I make lavender infused vinegar for my cleaning. I use home grown lavender, so I can make it very concentrated. I then use 1/3 cup vinegar to 2/3 cup water. I use it for an all purpose cleaner. It is especially good for mirrors. No streaks and no vinegar smell, just the wonderful lavender scent.
I make our cookies homemade, I even make cookie dough balls for the freezer because we just don’t eat the entire batch. Now we just grab a few dough balls from the freezer, not necessarily the same kind, and cook what we want for that night. No waste no temptation.
Love my instant pot! Made veggie broth this weekend, quinoa this morning and butternut squash soup tonight for dinner along with homemade whole wheat bread from my bread machine! Guess I like kitchen appliances! 😂
I just put peels gradually in a jar that has vinegar in it. No need to wait until you get a bunch. Also, the spent peels make a great garbage disposal freshener just run a couple of them through it every so often.
I can't believe you guys had never fried potatoes in bacon grease!!! That's the only way my parents ever cooked them. I prefer some chopped onion and salt and pepper added near the end of the cooking time, but everybody is different. Pepper and bacon together is such a great pairing. I need an Instant pot! Those baked beans looked amazing! And that recipe is easy. I've been using natural cleaners more and more. I use a lot of baking soda as an abrasive and vinegar. (Adding vinegar to baking soda is always fun, lol.) The orange peals and vinegar is a really good idea. Thanks for another good vlog!
Being Italian you may appreciate this. Family lore back in the forties my aunt used to cut up my uncles old underwear and use the material for dinner napkins. I'm not kidding. I fell off my chair when I heard that one. A bit above and beyond frugality. Downright crazy but true story.
When I was a kid one of my chores was dusting. The dusting cloth was my dad’s old underwear( cotton jockey shorts). Never gave much thought about it until my friend came over and was mortified I was holding my dads underwear. Lol honestly it was a perfect use. My dad was a larger guy so I could refold the cloth to get a clean side and get the whole house dusted easily.
DIY? Oh so much. Always do my best to cook from scratch. Never use pre-made meals here. No more canned soup either. Yuk! My homemade soup is sooooo much better Once I use up my commercial cleaners, I plan to make my own. I have an Instantpot and it has taken me a couple of years to adjust to using it. I will NEVER make pot roast any other way except a pressure cooker, it is amazing! I am a homing pigeon at heart, my home is my happy place, content to read and knit. Love your content!
I too love mechanical pencils, I have been using #2 pencils for years and just came across an old pencil bag in a notebook from when I took a tax class, that had some mechanical pencils...yay, I struck pay dirt. We had a date today, it was a beautiful scenic drive through snow covered woods to my husband's doctor's appointment. I packed a cooler and thermos, so we had a nice luncheon picnic in the car before the 1 1/2 hour drive home.
Another excellent video! I so look forward to seeing what advice you are sharing with us. Your voice is in my head daily, in my kitchen at the grocery store. I used to buy things simply for the sake of being prepared for the just in case moments or because it was a good buy. Now I buy only what I need. Shopping from within my home first. My husband and I live on Social Security, and you are helping us live within our means and know it's OK to not be like the money spending Jones. Living a simpler frugal life is much more enjoyable!
Just love all of your tips. I've found over the past few years, I'm happier staying home. My husband asks if I need to do anything and it's usually no. We love having breakfast for dinner. We did find a place that serves extremely large servings for breakfast and it wasn't that much $$. I ate a little and brought the rest home. My son came over and him and his family ate the leftovers and they were full. My mom always cooked fried potatoes in bacon grease.
I’ve been making cider vinegar from the peels and cores of apples from my friends’ orchards. It’s delicious, organic and practically free. And we’ve had lots of apple sauce.
One thing that I have been “DIY’ing” is seasoning blends - such as taco seasoning, curry powder, Italian seasoning (made from dried herbs from my garden). These blends taste soooooo much better and it saves on that expense. I reuse seasoning glass bottles to keep these in my cupboard. Thanks for all your great recipes. Bread making is next on my list.
I’ve also made homemade yogurt several times lately when milk gets near it’s expiration. It’s great in pancakes, breads, cakes, and many other recipes. 😊
Love, love all your ideas and suggestions. I also use pine, cedar needles in vinegar to change from the orange scent. Love the orange scent in the spring, love the pine scent in the winter.
Shower cleaner dawn, vinegar water mix. It cuts through that white hard soap scum after sitting for 30 min. The tub is so shiny! I keep a stack of white rags on my counter that I use for all clean ups instead of paper towels. I have a large family and we use 2 rolls of paper towels a month (if that) and it saves me $ throughout the year.
Dishwasher tablets dissolved in a spray bottle of water will clean a shower after soaking for 30 mins rinse with water you are done works on ovens too especially the oven door🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘
I make my own laundry soap, bathroom air freshener in the kitchen, from scratch BBQ & Worcestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce, all salad dressing, sweet pickle relish, jellies & jams, bread, tortillas. This winter I want to master bar soap making - I wish all of Americans would get back to their families old ways of simpler DIY ways.
I built a yard for my dogs. Cut the trees, peeled the logs, dug the post holes (saved the clay for future use) and made the gate by lashing sticks together. Used fencing we already had (saving for quality welded wire fencing) because the fencing is temporary I tied it in place for now.
Turn the heat down to about 3 and cover. When they are cooked through, take off the lid and up the heat just a bit and brown the taters. While cooking add pepper and garlic powder. So good. The onion is a must.
Implemented the orange vinegar cleaner a year ago . I also learned how to open the “disposable” swifter wet jet bottles. Now I refill them with my cleaner to wipe the floors. I also use a reusable pad from the $1 store on the swifter wet jet mop. 😊 Now that’s I’m buying lemons and grapefruit. I’m also using those peels for cleaners. :) The kids love making homemade lemonade.
We have cut my husband’s hair with a flowbee for years. Found a backup one at Goodwill just in case one breaks. Then a couple of years ago I ordered Creaclip and my husband now cuts my hair. I also do home gel manicures. We have probably saved $100’s of dollars every year.
And you get reliable results on haircuts. In my area, salons cut hair poorly and charge a lot. I've never seen such bad haircuts anywhere else I lived! I am going to learn to cut my family's hair because of this.
So many great ideas! Here’s one from our home- we fry pancakes, eggs and potatoes in bacon grease. When we have too much to keep in the refrigerator, it goes into the freezer. We have bacon once a month so we always save it. I hit the motherload in Price Chopper today- $2.45 for a pound of breakfast sausage! I bought ten and garlic sausage for the same price. It was my first outing with my granddaughter and her baby seat took up most of the cart, so shopping was a challenge but we did it!
💥🤣 oh my goodness!! Raised on fried potatoes in bacon grease, beans refried in bacon grease and eggs fried in bacon grease! Oh I envy you discovering them for the first time!! Enjoy and don’t forget salsa and tortillas 😍
Hi Emmy and Paul! I love your channel! Every time I watch, it validates the lifestyle we strive for, staying home, working on our lovely historic property, cooking from scratch, use what you have, and using your time to create a warm and cozy home life! Cooking from scratch is such a joy. I have a year until retirement, so we are really practicing more frugal ways, and looking forward to being home every day! Thanks for your inspiring videos! PS, the instapot beans are FABULOUS! We make them regularly, and so much more flavorful than the canned varieties!
Making my beverages from scratch, lemonade, tea, hot and cold, coffee and cold brew. I spend a lot, not on take away beverages, but buying it prepared at the grocery. 🤔
Hi! I am a new viewer to your channel. So far, I have really enjoyed the videos I’ve gotten to watch. Some thing that my husband and I do that is inexpensive and actually saves us money is go to the library. Instead of buying books new or used, I check them out from the library. Also at our library, we get 50 free copies per day. Our printer broke, and my husband uses it for work. The library copies have been great until we can afford to repair or replace our printer. The library is actually on our drives to work, so no extra gas money spent on our visits. And we can check out dvd’s that we don’t already own. For us, this entertainment option is totally free and provides a change of scenery and a serene environment to visit. You may have covered libraries in your other videos, again I am new here. Your videos are so warm and welcoming, you inspired me to share. Thank you for your channel, your ideas, recipes, and advice.
My library provides up to $7 a week for printing. My printer is finicky and the ink cartridges are very expensive. So, I ride my bike the whole mile to the library, and print what I need. Good for you,using the library!
I don't have DVD's but i have been watching free "Netflix" like channels, I have found too so far, I have watched some favorite old movies. I have not spent money in my no spend 2023. I found some rice stick noodles, and I have organic veggies in the freezer, and I have several containers of non GMO veggie broth powder. Every night for dinner I make this simple soup for about 50 cents and it is delicious. In the meantime I've been reading but because of my blindness it's about 20 pages a day. My DIY this week was I made homemade Halvah with pistachios for a birthday gift, I had never made it before and it was a gift that cost me nothing. MY other DIY was a friend requested a gift of my laundry soap, I had a little milk basket, and four milk bottles, I painted and stenciled the basket and filled the basket with 3 bottles of laundry soap, and one of stain remover spray. again it cost me nothing. I have saved a significant amount of money this month so far I am living on 50% of my income the rest goes to savings.
Way to go on giving a couple of new techniques a try! Your breakfast potates looked cooked to perfection. Here in New England, Friday night bean suppers are a tradition and I have cooked many a batch of baked beans the long way. My church has a monthly breakfast and homebaked beans from scratch are always on the menu. I have never used an Instant Pot, but will say, ours looked perfect and I am sure they were absolutely delicious. My husband and I loved to DIY and try to figure out how we could make the things we love, Over the years we learned to make our own sausage, cheese, and because we were surrounded by maple trees, even made our own Maple Syrup (though that was admittedly a multi-year learning curve and ALOT of work). It is always great to give new things a try, the worst that can happen is that it doesn't turn out the way you hoped, but your video showed a couple of the Best things that can happen! Love your channel, thanks for the uplifting video
Something I've done to save money on food was to grow my own veggies by the windows. I have no access to a yard, so I'm stuck doing indoor gardening, but I save tons on basil! And I'm hoping to grow my own spinach since I like spinach, but buying it in a store always results in produce going rotten and being super wet at the bottom... I started indoor gardening in 2020 before lock down happened, and every year since, I've gotten more ambitious with what I want to grow despite being limited to indoor gardening.
I love breakfast out also. But, this low spend year, I'll eat few meals out. But I make delicious breakfasts regularly. This a.m. I had: blk. ☕, o.j., scrambled egg with left over canned ham, cheddar cheese and a slice of whole grain bread with strawberry preserves. Hardy & good. Nothing beats the flavor of bacon grease in cooking. My parents always cooked our beans from scratch. So good! 😋 Thanks Em & Paul, another great video. 🤗
I wanted a fireplace. I put the TV into a mahogany bookcase we had, and stacked the books on top with the pages facing out, so they look like creamy bricks, in a chimney shape. I just put on the fireplace videos off UA-cam. I got a fireplace scented candle. Now I can enjoy my book and a hot chocolate in front of the “fire” and it didn’t cost anything!
I do lime and lemons in the summer and oranges (sometimes add a little cinnamon) in the winter - mmmmmn. I also deep clean any plug holes with any vinegar left over from pickles - waste not want not as my nanny would say. At trick from my nanny is to scoop the remaining egg white out after cracking an egg and pop it on your face - amazing for the skin. I now soak and cook my own beans then freeze them in portions - no more cans for me lol. Some are just the beans, some are mixed and some are in soups or chilli. I also buy cheese and shred it myself (melts so much better) and now make my own bread on a regular basis. Keep up the good work x
I quit going into stores to many ways to buy whats NOT needed. Impulse buying- I do Amazon I check ratings and then put in my cart to think if they are needed and the best is getting ideas of what I have already have that can be repurposed also using Prime to read books for free , plus free ship on my purchases.
I love potatoes cooked in bacon fat! I don't make bacon often but when I do, I look forward to the replacement for butter. I make a frittata almost every week with whatever is left in the fridge. Tonight I made one with roasted veggies that I chopped up and I bring it to work for breakfast. This week I added leftover turkey and last week was leftover ham. Thanks for your encouraging videos!
Thank you for all the wonderful info for being frugal. For the first time, I made applesauce and substitute it in my pancake mix in place of oil. They were so good and fluffy as ever.
Another great, encouraging video, thank you and Paul. This morning I took several of my hubbies long sleeved shirts that he has worn a hole or two in. We buy those iron on patches in various sizes and use them pretty often. My hubby is hard on the elbow of these shirts. The rest of the shirt definitely has a lot more life in it, so if I "plug" up the worn hole it makes the shirt so useful for a lot longer time. All you need is some iron on patches and an iron, the directions are on the back. Rather than throwing the shirt away, it now has a new life. I'm definitely going to try the backed bean recipe. I remember the "old" bean pot that people used to use to cook the baked beans in the oven. Thanks for all you both do. Liz
Baked beans look great. I make all kinds of beans in my instant pot all the time. I also like making roasted potatoes in the air fryer and then topping them with queso cheese. Have you ever thought of doing a video where you make copycat recipes from home versus fast food or restaurants places ?
Good use of your InstantPot to use dried beans (that you don’t usually enjoy eating). Through the years, my InstantPot has mostly been used for making navy bean or split pea soup as a way to use up a left over ham bone, I enjoy beans, especially as soup. A couple of months ago, I was given about 10 lb of last fall’s pinto bean crop by the farmer who grew them (my son’s FIL). They really needed picking through because they haven’t been through a packaging plant. Pinto beans have a different, but delicious, creamy flavor as bean soup. They are traditionally used for refried beans and chili.
A little tip. you can use sugar scrub all over your body, not just hands and feet, it helped me get rid of my razor bumps on mz legs and those tiny acne, I have been using it for years, and the oil leaves a skin so moisturised and soft, once a week is enough. It can also be sued to remove tanning cream if that is something that you do!
My hands get so dry during this time of the year. An old trick my mom used to do is Vaseline to cover your hands and then put on the old fashioned white gloves overnight and your hands come out so soft. I could see using the sugar scrub and then Vaseline thick ointment, cover with white cotton gloves overnight and your hands will be so soft and smooth.
....Your Channel came up as a Recommendation, and I am now a Subscriber.... I cannot tell you how much I enjoy your Content. ... being older ( yes, I'm in my 60's, lol,) I have an appreciation of the things you speak of ,and although I don't wish to " stay home " ALL the time, I find that there's many things to be content with, when at home ....yes, in days gone by...it was Church Service, or Picnics, and as you mentioned, the Picture Show . My Grandmother was an amazing cook, she taught me to cook ( as a teenager) and to use bacon drippings ( saved) . She made almost everything from scratch.. .. I make a side dish I call " Cajun Baked Beans" and they are delicious... using White Beans, or the Navy Beans . I've made them for many years ( since 1989!) and when I've taken these to a picnic, pot luck, etc . there are not any left, ever. Lol. It's so much better to make your own Beans. :) I have not done it as yet, however, I am going to try my hand at making my own butter. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙂😊✨️
Bacon grease is liquid gold. In addition to fried potatoes (with onions), I bake small potatoes when making other dishes, in oven, refrigerate and use in a variety of ways. I will never buy a bagged French fry again. A small baked potato can be cut into 8 wedges (leave skin on) and fried in skillet with bacon grease, flipping once. Great wedge fries.
Emmy and Paul. Love your programs, I learn so much. I wanted to tell you that I'm 64 on social security and I allow myself about 350.00 a month for food and gas for the car. Well, I've really worked hard to make all my meals this month using everything I been stocking up on. I figure if I don't start eating it. It will go bad. So I'm ousting things in a cycle as you said eating oldest things first. You would be so proud of me!!!! I still have my $350.00 for the month untouched just by cooking a my own things and eliminating all outside food. I stopped eating out 2 months ago and I haven't drank pop since 1999. I've tried new things and I like them too. I'm getting g it, it's sinking in. Thank you. 🥰
We have stopped buying baked goods and make all of ours at home. I make cookies, muffins, baked oatmeal, bread, cakes, dinner rolls. It is so much cheaper, better for you, and usually tastes better.
I make our baked goods too. We only eat gluten free items and they are ridiculously expensive to buy premade.
Impressive! Congratulations!
@@bhallmark3390 Anything with words "Gluten free or Keto is 10x the price, I too make all my dessert, snacks, candy, cookies, etc at home, sure does save a ton
That is Awesome,we never stop learning , give your self a pat on the back .😊
One thing that we have implemented is to "package" up leftovers immediately in single serving sizes (think TV dinners). This makes for quick "grab and go" lunches, and we are more mindful of making sure we are eating the leftovers. We also make our own pizzas or wraps using left overs. 2023 has become very no waste focused for us.
We do this too😋❤️😊
Me too. I'm doing that also 👍
That’s what I do. I hate food waste. It’s like money in the garbage.
I like this one serving size leftovers too. It really works well for my family.
Great idea!
I’ve been learning how to sew on my own. I had my own sewing machine. I got all the fabric, thread, thread holder, cutting mat, rotary cutter, and craft cart along with a craft table all for free from several Facebook groups I belong to. It’s been so much fun and such a blessing. My friend gave me a few lessons and with UA-cam it’s been great. Making my first quilt.
Oh how wonderful!
I've also been learning how to quilt. Melanie Ham's youthbe channel has step-by-step tutorials for beginner quilters, along with other levels, styles, etc.
Hi Em! I diy clothes. I purchased much larger sizes at the thrift shop. I cut them up and make myself a new fabulous outfit. Sewing has saved me a lot of money over the years and gives me great satisfaction as well . Love the channel 😊
What a great idea! Do you make a smaller version of what you purchased, or a completely different garment?
That's something I really want to learn how to do. This inspires me.
I have done this a few times myself.....I find not only a big savings with purchasing thrift items to remake, but, I look for items with brand names that are made of higher quality fabrics than what I would find at Joann's or Hobby Lobby - the closest and only local retailers selling fabric in my area.
I did this to make my childrens clothing, large mens pants would make 2 pair for my 4 year old,
Tip: When cooking any type of Beans, lentils, dry goods leave it soaking overnight in cold water and it will reduce the time of prep and will be delicious soft!❣️
I make mine in and instantpot and don’t soak it over night. It taste so good. You can google it. I think it’s 2 cups of pintos to 6 cups of water and pressure cook 50 minutes.
I was going to ask about that... I have never cooked beans from scratch, but I bought some and thought you were supposed to soak them first. :)
@@conniesmith3544 You soak it, to get the gas out and to give you less unpleasant smell, when you eat it, not because of getting them soft.
@@robbiegleason4462 Better you do,.... it removes the gas and you will fart less or not at all!
@@claudiaweber4564 but that's my favorite part.
Wow those beans looked amazing. I fixed my toilet, it was leaking, so I got on UA-cam found out how to fix it n did it. The seal was $ 5 n now it's good to go, n saved me BIG bucks not having a plumber come out to do it. It really felt empowering to know that this granny fixed her own toilet.
Awesome Kate ,such a great feeling of empowerment ,I also fixed a leaking tub ,I was so nervous but like you UA-camd it 😊😅 big High Five to you 🎉
If we look back in History especially pictures you will find people were much slimmer then now ,,I am not body shaming here , as I myself am over weigh what I am pointing out is , back then they eat only Mother Nature ,no boxed food full of carbohydrates,and used everything they had and they also did not snack like we do today , Celebrations were far and few between ,,, Emmy you have such a great way of bring that back to us ,,keeping it simple is the easiest way ,,,,I find such peace in the everyday chores so Grateful everyday . Today I went to Dollar Tree with list in hand and got exactly what I needed Not what I Wanted ,,,😊
Oh my gosh, I have changed how I do things so much over the past couple of years. I've learned to develop the patience it takes to cook (not a fan, but I can change!) dinners from scratch (including bread!) and plan my meals. I've relearned to sew! I've learned to plant and grow a garden, then freeze it. I've learned to find all sorts of things I need online for free. I've learned to stay home and entertain myself with books and educational finding. I walk a ton with the doggo daily and take advantage of the parks system where I live. When I look back, there have been plenty of changes. The only epic fail was the decision to cut each other's hair. He ended up bald and I ended up with something I really can't describe that took about a year to mend..:D It was worth a try. LOVE your content! Thank you!
😅😅😅
What a great comment Jan. Through your successes and your mistakes... growth & wisdom 🥰
I also cut my son's hair for the first time and I kept warning him it may not be very good. He said well if it turns out bad I'll put gel in it and spike it and it'll look like a Hollywood hair cut 🤣🤣. Thank goodness it turned out ok but it did take about a week of trimming weird strands of hair to make it look cohesive lol.
For less expensive haircuts, go to a cosmetology school. Students are learning, and all work is supervised by an instructor with real-world experience. We have several in our area where prices range from $12 - $25 per service plus msterials (hair color, perms, etc.). I live in CA, land of the expensive. My last haircut cost $17 + tip for an experienced advanced level student.
There are also plenty of UA-cam tutorials on haircuts.
We have one here that’s basically free. They request a canned good for the food shelf. I think it’s still under $10 if no food shelf donation.
Fermented my cabbage into sauerkraut, sprouted seeds in jars since lettuce is expensive now due to rains in California and fermented garlic and ginger in honey to make cough medicine. Like you and Paul, we rarely go out to eat either. Thank you for inspiring us to make our homes cozy and comfortable having pillows blankets and a home movie . We have popcorn. Food made together from scratch is our way of creating deeper relationship. We’ve been married 53 years by the grace and love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. May He continue to bless you and Paul, as you encourage all of us!!✝️💕
Oh 53 years! How wonderful!!! Frances, thanks for watching and your very kind words! God Bless you and yours as well!
Very well said and I totally agree.
Frances Gannon, what are your favorite seeds/beans to sprout? I have lentils started right now. I have heard that popcorn seeds sprout nicely. I'm short of sprout -tables - planning to stock more this week.
When it is not below zero I'm going to get lettuce started in the window.
@@MalikaBourne Hi! I’m growing alfalfa sprouts, mung beans, pea shoots and broccoli/radish sprouts. So good in salads, wraps and on top of soups!
I have just relocated to Leicestershire in England and I’m needing to start all over again.
Having a new kitchen to set up I’m having to rethink everything.
My DIY to kickstart me off was turning a large under the stairs cupboard into my storage pantry.
I only spent from my moving fund to get storage solutions.
I had one fail and I was tired and in so much pain I ordered in a pizza to be delivered so that meant I had to spend over a certain amount to qualify. £23. One meal.
That’s a large amount from my food shopping budget and could have fed me for a week 🤦🏼♀️
I love that we have all the videos on this channel to go back and use as reference when we need to.
Stay safe and warm xx
So happy you move was a success!! You stay warm and safe as well!
Fried potatoes are a staple in rural Kansas. For a better experience, don't peal them!
My husband got a bread maker for me for my birthday, I love it and I’m saving so much money with a family of seven
That is awesome!
Writing a journal with prayers to God🙏🫲🏻
Beautiful Jill!
One of my favorite repurposing tips is that I take old envelopes that we get in the mail (or whatever we get from holidays like Christmas or Birthdays, etc.) and I turn them into gift tags! I just take the blank side of them and draw the gift tag design of my choice and then I draw and cut them out, and then I hole punch them, and then I stick them in a repurposed candle jar (I love reusing candle jars for organizing things all throughout the different rooms of the house)! Most times I get anywhere from around 15-30 or more sometimes (depending on how big I draw them/how far apart I space them) per envelope! It's so much fun, and they'll last you for a long while!
what a clever and creative idea! Thanks for sharing Marissa Joy!
My hubby is a spontaneous spender.
I share ur videos when he begins talking about wanting to replace appliances or tools.
I say "need or want."
Gives him time to reconsider. Like time out for child.!!😃
My husband is credit card happy on Amazon all the time. Trying to curb his spending is challenging….😮
Had to get a new vehicle. The previous owner was a smoker. But the price was right and the mileage was low so we got it. It takes time to eliminate the smoke smell. What I have done is saturate a rag in vinegar and place it on a dish, and leave it in the closed vehicle overnight every night. It's been almost a week now, and the smoke smell has greatly reduced. Like I said, it takes time. My best advice for anything in life is "Have Patience."
I love your videos. Keep up the good work! 👍
So smart to do that! thanks for sharing Marinda!
New sub here from England UK. What a super channel! And great subscribers with helpful tips. Thank you.
I live in a small rural village, and I'm a greatgrandma. My mum was born in 1915 so I learned so much from her. We don't have TV by choice. Instead we read, I knit, crochet and am now learning patchwork.
A few likeminded friends and I have created a group. We meet up once a month and show our craft work, swap extra threads, yarn, fabric others might need, books we've read and now jigsaw puzzles!
We make lap blankets for our local hospice, baby hats and incubator blankets for the maternity unit, etc.
Recently I've been cutting down old tee shirts into one inch wide strips which when pulled create great yarn for shower mats, pet crates and can be used for rugs.
My husband does our own repairs and decorating using UA-cam videos to learn new skills.
We recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, and we laughed when one grandson asked what we do all day... We wonder how we held down full time jobs because life is so busy,
Sorry to ramble but just wanted to say hi!
Ella Gracie, Hello from Oregon, USA. My late husband was born in England and has a brother still living in Bath. I like your idea of meeting up once a month to share with friends. Take care.
Welcome Ella! Thanks for being here! 50 years how wonderful!!
My DIY this week was using some olive oil left in the bottom of the bottle that had that had gotten too old and rancid to cook with. I have a lot of beautiful old wooden furniture pieces and paneling that get very dusty and dry this time of year from the gas heat. I'm using the old olive oil as a conditioner on the wood! I dab it on liberally, let it sit for a bit and then rub it in and buff. It does an amazing job! Much better than furniture polish!
As part of my Christmas present, from my employer, we all received a throw pillow. It's pretty comfortable however the material is already pilling. So I decided to buy some fabric and make covers for all of my throw pillows. This way they'll all match, and I can wash the covers, when they need to be.
Love this idea Amy N ,I have been wanting to do this too for my 5 pillows and heating pads too,,I have some old towels that are still in Great shape I can turn into covers ,I agree all the same colour ,,Kiss ,,keep it simple ,,❤😊
The best thing about your cozy music room is the cute little DIXIE BELLE! 🐾 🐾 😘
Our little blessing lol!
Hi Emmy & Paul, for DIY I cut my partner's hair, which saves around $35 a cut and I purchase my hair dye when half price and dye my own hair, which saves around $90 at the hair salon. I do my own manicures and pedicures too. Doing our hair was scary at first, though now I've been doing it for years, so I'm confident now. I'm in my late 50s and my partner is late 60s, we always talk about what our parents did when we were young and follow suit. I'm so glad we have UA-cam to teach us mostly everything we need to know.
That's wonderful Catherine!
I bake my own whole wheat bread. The house smells amazing on the day I bake my bread.
I absolutely love these videos. They encourage me to rethink things I do out of habit.
One thing my husband and I started to do is to roast a turkey breast or bake a ham (bought on sale) and then slice it up for sandwich meat. We portion it out, allowing for a week of sandwiches at a time, and freeze them. It's so much cheaper than the packages in the store.
What a good idea!
Thanks so much Michelle!
Really good idea and saves unnecessary plastic too!
Michelle I have purchased a turkey breast and a ham and commented on another channel about this. The prices of sandwich meat are astronomical. Also not all the chemical additives. Many good meals and bones for soup.
@@vixxcottage Exactly. I like to make a big batch of ham and bean soup from the ham bone and can the soup.
Can't wait to try the sugar hand scrub! My hands take a beating and they get so scruffy and sore in winter. Also, I've been organizing drawers and closets recently. I have found so much usable stuff I'd forgotten I had and had been planning to buy more! Including winter insulating tape, spring gardening seeds, writing materials and a big bag of sugar I bought to make Xmas cookies but forgot where I'd put it! Then I organized my sock drawer and found several pairs of heavy woolen socks to wear indoors on these cold days.. That was at least $50 or $60 saved just by not rebuying these things I'm already had!
YAY! That's great Janet!
For laudry, instead of liquid softener, I usebaking soda and the white is whiter with this; instead of Javel, I use vinegar with a Borox powder and it works wonderfully. Now for cooking, often I don't have a cauldron lid so I use an aluminum plate. For washing the linoleum floor, I use lemon vinegar and it smell so good and clean real well. I wash my hair with a natural soap or best yet a vitamen E bar soap and hair become so silky and clean. I bake my hand made bread and to keep vegetables crunchy, I keep them in a jar with half oil and half vinegar. I make my own face cream to exfoliate with yougourt, vitamin E, a bit of oil and rose essence and my face is clean and soft. So for now, that's what I wanted to share with you. Thank you so much for what you do, it needed much in ourdays. God bless!
God Bless you as well, thank you!
Yes to cooking from scratch is number one . Making home cleaning products . Using cut up old towels to make cleaning rags . Using mayonnaise for baking for when I am low on butter and eggs . If I bake using not too many ingredients and only two eggs max . Lucky to live near an orchard so I can purchase cheap apples so I make lots of stewed apples and apple sauce .I use this for dessert, crumbles, cakes and muffins . Homemade soup is a winner too. Thinking seriously of making my own soap as everything is ridiculously dear even here in Australia.
Yes, we have cut down eggs in cooking too Mary!
My favorite DIY is Foaming Dish Soap. I buy a nice bottle of Mrs. Meyers dish soap (natural and smells nice,) and add some of it to an empty foaming hand wash bottle along with water. This sits at the kitchen sink. We use it for our hands, to wash an apple or lemon from the bulk bin (think of all the hands that touched it!), we put it on a sponge to hand wash a few dishes, or even just on our fingers to wash a little measuring spoon or ice cream scoop. We save the bottle of full strength dish soap for bigger dishwashing jobs. Saves money and is so convenient!
I love Mrs Meyers too, it keeps fingers from cracking.
Boy, I have never seen such beautiful diced potatoes Paul. Every little cube looked like it had been measured with a ruler! We have cooked potatoes in bacon grease for years. We also use it to make hot spinach salad and green beans.
The baked beans looked wonderful. I use my Instantpot all the time so I'll be sure and try your recipe.
I DIY salad dressings, seasoning mixes for tacos or chili and make my own pumpkin pie spice. At Christmas I make my own marshmallows. Everyone's favorite is peppermint dipped in chocolate.
Oh my goodness!! Peppermint marshmallows dipped in chocolate! Sheila you are amazing!!
I love making special breakfasts, scratch muffins, and a Denver omelette, oh my!!! Or Toad-in-the-hole, with powered sugar and lemon juice, my kids loved stuff like this. Often no sausages, still fun! (we had very little money). Now a days we rarely eat out, but since we are now are mortgage free, (we moved to a cheaper state!) we tip heavily! What a joy to be able to bless some one else!!! :-)
I roasted a chicken vs buying a rotisserie chicken. We ate the chicken one night, had enough leftover meat to make a chicken pot pie, chicken noodle soup and homemade bone broth. Yes, from a chicken that cost $4.75. And, it was so simple!
Much healthier too I bet!
Great luck finding a chicken that cheap. Around here it’s cheaper to buy a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s or Costco than cook it yourself. A whole chicken usually runs over $6.00.
@ann seabolt I used to think so too but recently realized that pound for pound the raw chicken is actually cheaper. The cost comes in when figuring out if making it yourself is more cost effective.
Those beans looked like my moms old fashioned baked beans that she baked for hours in the oven. SO good. One of the things I do is make my own salad dressings. I don't make salads every day so the bottles tend to get old and I don't know if I should be using them. So I just quit buying them and make my own fresh. and I like it better.
My sister sent me a breadmaker for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm making my own bread! I won't be buying bread anymore! 🍞🥖
You both have brought your A game in 2023. So enjoy your channel!
Well thank you!
Stuff I DYI…making my own broths. Great way to use meat bones and/or vegetable scraps. Making my own bread. Making my own cleaning rags out of tattered towels or clothing. Drying leftover fresh herbs. Making my own spice mixes or sauces vs buying them (e.g. make my own pumpkin pie spice mix vs buying actual pumpkin pie mix. Make my own bbq sauce vs buying bottled bbq sauce). Make my own scratch paper using the unused side of papers, mail, etc, vs buying note pads.
I just love your channel. It is so well rounded and informative. I am retired and my husband is planning his retirement in a couple of years. We have started to live as if he is already retired and getting use to a smaller income. I have pick up some great tips from you and Paul. Thanks for the inspiration!
Great idea. Will it be age 62 or full retirement age. Stick it out till full retirement age if you can, even if he isn',t working. You will get more than just $100 a month if you do. Everyone told me to go out at 62 and I didn,t. The clerk said I got ,$300 more dollars a month for waiting. The more you get in your check the bigger the raises.
So happy our videos are helpful! We have a bunch on retirement and how we managed beforehand!
I’ve been finishing my own stitched work. Framing and pillow and such. Not professional but it’s gets better every time.
Love that Kathy!
❣️ Breakfast out is my special thing as well ❣️
I used to love truck stop places where you can watch the guy cooking... My father was a trucker and knew all the great one's!
Oh we love that too!!
Yay, Emmy, I’m so happy you gave the instant pot a try…..remember, do not store it with the lid closed, turn the lid upside down and sit it on the pot….sometimes it doesn’t seem like a time saver….it has to come to pressure, has to release pressure, but the joy is you can leave it and do other things, no watching, no stirring, etc…..yesterday I made chicken bone broth, cooked for hours with no tending….I make pasta of all sorts, mashed potatoes (no watching, boiling over on the stove), chicken, roast beef, the list is endless….I encourage you to keep trying other foods…..loved seeing sweet Dixie….since I’m 72 years old, I do so many DYI things, it’s hard to name something….eating out for breakfast is my favorite meal, too….my hubster is the king of homemade breakfast 🤗 thanks for sharing all your tips….
You are so right about storing the instant pot with the lid upside down. I thought I was the only one who does it 😃
Carolyn your comments are always so uplifting! You have been with us for so long...we appreciate you so much! I just wanted to say thank you dear friend!
We've been making bread over the last year. We just tried your bagel recipe. Turned out great. // My husband loves lunch meat. These past few months we've been baking whole hams and turkeys, slicing and freezing them, and making bone broth in the crockpot, freezing it in containers as soup starters.
This is a great way to “make your own” lunch meat. :) so much cheaper and less plastic
Waste. ❤
Sounds great!
I just love the way you both support each other on your frugal journey. I tried making homemade breakfast burritos in the pas,t but it was a a fail. I found some Jones Dairy chicken link sausages; I no longer eat pork. I cooked my sausages with some onion and peppers that I had in the freezer, then I added some eggs that I scrambled to the pan and cooked it. Once my filling was cool enough, I put them in tortillas with some cheese sprinkled on top and some salsa. The hubby and I ate a few for breakfast and we wrapped the rest in parchment paper, put them in a freezer bag, then stuck them in the freezer for a quick breakfast. The hubby said they were better than the breakfast burritos that I used to pick up from McDonald's every once in a while. I have never made homemade baked beans but I do love them. I think I'll give this a try the next time we barbecue.👍
I'm sure it wasn't a total fail!! The beans were good!
I’m 74 years old and live in an independent senior community. They provide us with a continental breakfast and a big lunch: protein, 2 starches, 2 vegetables, soup and a side salad. I take home and augment the soup with beans or chicken and any leftover veggies- making it into a hearty stew for supper. If I don’t like the soup that day, I’ll make a lean protein sandwich and have fruit for dessert.
How wonderful! So happy you are eating well!
More often these days I hear your voice Emmy saying…let’s get into the kitchen.😊. Really enjoy your encouragement!
BHAHAH! So sorry ...lol!
@@FrugalMoneySaver Don’t be sorry….it’s a good thing!😊
Those potatoes look so good! I recently made my daughter's birthday cake and frosted it with .99 cake mix and frosting. We got Outback take away as I had $50 in gift cards that I got from cashing in credit card points. Our meal was $25 out of pocket for 3 meals. My daughter turned 29.
Oh what a lovely birthday!! Happy Birthday to your daughter!
I make lavender infused vinegar for my cleaning. I use home grown lavender, so I can make it very concentrated. I then use 1/3 cup vinegar to 2/3 cup water. I use it for an all purpose cleaner. It is especially good for mirrors. No streaks and no vinegar smell, just the wonderful lavender scent.
I make our cookies homemade, I even make cookie dough balls for the freezer because we just don’t eat the entire batch. Now we just grab a few dough balls from the freezer, not necessarily the same kind, and cook what we want for that night. No waste no temptation.
Love my instant pot! Made veggie broth this weekend, quinoa this morning and butternut squash soup tonight for dinner along with homemade whole wheat bread from my bread machine! Guess I like kitchen appliances! 😂
Emmy- try making stock in the instant pot! Chicken, veg, water, 2 hours pressure. Slow release. Delicious ! You’ll never buy box stuff again!
Sounds great!
I just put peels gradually in a jar that has vinegar in it. No need to wait until you get a bunch.
Also, the spent peels make a great garbage disposal freshener just run a couple of them through it every so often.
I can't believe you guys had never fried potatoes in bacon grease!!! That's the only way my parents ever cooked them. I prefer some chopped onion and salt and pepper added near the end of the cooking time, but everybody is different. Pepper and bacon together is such a great pairing.
I need an Instant pot! Those baked beans looked amazing! And that recipe is easy.
I've been using natural cleaners more and more. I use a lot of baking soda as an abrasive and vinegar. (Adding vinegar to baking soda is always fun, lol.) The orange peals and vinegar is a really good idea.
Thanks for another good vlog!
I still don't love my InstaPot though LOL!
@@FrugalMoneySaver 😅
Try cooking spuds in duck fat they are delicious 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨
I am loving your sharing of the "old ways". So much to learn from the past! I make my own laundry soap, have for years. Huge savings!
Me to and make shampoo, underarm deodorant
We make potato pancakes with leftover mashed potatoes wrap them tightly and pop them in the freezer.
Being Italian you may appreciate this. Family lore back in the forties my aunt used to cut up my uncles old underwear and use the material for dinner napkins. I'm not kidding. I fell off my chair when I heard that one. A bit above and beyond frugality. Downright crazy but true story.
When I was a kid one of my chores was dusting. The dusting cloth was my dad’s old underwear( cotton jockey shorts). Never gave much thought about it until my friend came over and was mortified I was holding my dads underwear. Lol honestly it was a perfect use. My dad was a larger guy so I could refold the cloth to get a clean side and get the whole house dusted easily.
Emmy I take orange peel and lemon peel and a cinnamon stick and 4 or 5 cups water in a pan and simmer on the stove makes your house smell so good
I’ve started making my own soup and chili in crockpot. Tastes way better than canned.
Dixie sure looked comfy and cozy
Our little angel!
I'm making our own tortillas now, flour & corn, and after a little bit of a learning curve - yum!!!! 😋
Good for you Laura!
DIY? Oh so much. Always do my best to cook from scratch. Never use pre-made meals here. No more canned soup either. Yuk! My homemade soup is sooooo much better
Once I use up my commercial cleaners, I plan to make my own. I have an Instantpot and it has taken me a couple of years to adjust to using it. I will NEVER make pot roast any other way except a pressure cooker, it is amazing! I am a homing pigeon at heart, my home is my happy place, content to read and knit. Love your content!
Thanks so much Linda!
I too love mechanical pencils, I have been using #2 pencils for years and just came across an old pencil bag in a notebook from when I took a tax class, that had some mechanical pencils...yay, I struck pay dirt. We had a date today, it was a beautiful scenic drive through snow covered woods to my husband's doctor's appointment. I packed a cooler and thermos, so we had a nice luncheon picnic in the car before the 1 1/2 hour drive home.
So smart and practical!
I love sewing so I'm constantly sewing things up myself.
Love that so much!
Another excellent video! I so look forward to seeing what advice you are sharing with us. Your voice is in my head daily, in my kitchen at the grocery store. I used to buy things simply for the sake of being prepared for the just in case moments or because it was a good buy. Now I buy only what I need. Shopping from within my home first. My husband and I live on Social Security, and you are helping us live within our means and know it's OK to not be like the money spending Jones. Living a simpler frugal life is much more enjoyable!
That's a wonderful attitude!
Just love all of your tips. I've found over the past few years, I'm happier staying home. My husband asks if I need to do anything and it's usually no. We love having breakfast for dinner. We did find a place that serves extremely large servings for breakfast and it wasn't that much $$. I ate a little and brought the rest home. My son came over and him and his family ate the leftovers and they were full. My mom always cooked fried potatoes in bacon grease.
I’ve been making cider vinegar from the peels and cores of apples from my friends’ orchards. It’s delicious, organic and practically free. And we’ve had lots of apple sauce.
Me too. Such an easy thing to make too.
One thing that I have been “DIY’ing” is seasoning blends - such as taco seasoning, curry powder, Italian seasoning (made from dried herbs from my garden). These blends taste soooooo much better and it saves on that expense. I reuse seasoning glass bottles to keep these in my cupboard. Thanks for all your great recipes. Bread making is next on my list.
Sounds great!
I do a lot of mixes too because of being gluten free
I’ve also made homemade yogurt several times lately when milk gets near it’s expiration. It’s great in pancakes, breads, cakes, and many other recipes. 😊
Love, love all your ideas and suggestions. I also use pine, cedar needles in vinegar to change from the orange scent. Love the orange scent in the spring, love the pine scent in the winter.
Oh what a neat idea! Thank you!
I love this idea!!!
Recently I learned to make a new dessert recipe, berries cobbler. It became my family’s hit to eat it warm with scoop of vanilla icecream.
Sounds delicious!
Shower cleaner dawn, vinegar water mix. It cuts through that white hard soap scum after sitting for 30 min. The tub is so shiny! I keep a stack of white rags on my counter that I use for all clean ups instead of paper towels. I have a large family and we use 2 rolls of paper towels a month (if that) and it saves me $ throughout the year.
Thanks for the tip!
Dishwasher tablets dissolved in a spray bottle of water will clean a shower after soaking for 30 mins rinse with water you are done works on ovens too especially the oven door🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘
I make my own laundry soap, bathroom air freshener in the kitchen, from scratch BBQ & Worcestershire sauce, teriyaki sauce, all salad dressing, sweet pickle relish, jellies & jams, bread, tortillas. This winter I want to master bar soap making - I wish all of Americans would get back to their families old ways of simpler DIY ways.
I built a yard for my dogs. Cut the trees, peeled the logs, dug the post holes (saved the clay for future use) and made the gate by lashing sticks together. Used fencing we already had (saving for quality welded wire fencing) because the fencing is temporary I tied it in place for now.
That is wonderful!
Turn the heat down to about 3 and cover. When they are cooked through, take off the lid and up the heat just a bit and brown the taters. While cooking add pepper and garlic powder. So good. The onion is a must.
Implemented the orange vinegar cleaner a year ago . I also learned how to open the “disposable” swifter wet jet bottles. Now I refill them with my cleaner to wipe the floors.
I also use a reusable pad from the $1 store on the swifter wet jet mop. 😊
Now that’s I’m buying lemons and grapefruit. I’m also using those peels for cleaners. :)
The kids love making homemade lemonade.
Thanks for sharing!
You can make juices with the peels to.
We have cut my husband’s hair with a flowbee for years. Found a backup one at Goodwill just in case one breaks.
Then a couple of years ago I ordered Creaclip and my husband now cuts my hair.
I also do home gel manicures.
We have probably saved $100’s of dollars every year.
I also cook full meals in the InstaPot using the pan in pan method.
I remember that commercial!!
And you get reliable results on haircuts. In my area, salons cut hair poorly and charge a lot. I've never seen such bad haircuts anywhere else I lived! I am going to learn to cut my family's hair because of this.
So many great ideas! Here’s one from our home- we fry pancakes, eggs and potatoes in bacon grease. When we have too much to keep in the refrigerator, it goes into the freezer. We have bacon once a month so we always save it. I hit the motherload in Price Chopper today- $2.45 for a pound of breakfast sausage! I bought ten and garlic sausage for the same price. It was my first outing with my granddaughter and her baby seat took up most of the cart, so shopping was a challenge but we did it!
Great price! Win!
💥🤣 oh my goodness!! Raised on fried potatoes in bacon grease, beans refried in bacon grease and eggs fried in bacon grease! Oh I envy you discovering them for the first time!! Enjoy and don’t forget salsa and tortillas 😍
Paprika? No, no need for paprika. Just salt and pepper, chopped onion and bell pepper good but that was a rarity.
Hi Emmy and Paul! I love your channel! Every time I watch, it validates the lifestyle we strive for, staying home, working on our lovely historic property, cooking from scratch, use what you have, and using your time to create a warm and cozy home life! Cooking from scratch is such a joy. I have a year until retirement, so we are really practicing more frugal ways, and looking forward to being home every day! Thanks for your inspiring videos! PS, the instapot beans are FABULOUS! We make them regularly, and so much more flavorful than the canned varieties!
So wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for sharing and encouraging us!
Making my beverages from scratch, lemonade, tea, hot and cold, coffee and cold brew. I spend a lot, not on take away beverages, but buying it prepared at the grocery. 🤔
Hi! I am a new viewer to your channel. So far, I have really enjoyed the videos I’ve gotten to watch. Some thing that my husband and I do that is inexpensive and actually saves us money is go to the library. Instead of buying books new or used, I check them out from the library. Also at our library, we get 50 free copies per day. Our printer broke, and my husband uses it for work. The library copies have been great until we can afford to repair or replace our printer. The library is actually on our drives to work, so no extra gas money spent on our visits. And we can check out dvd’s that we don’t already own. For us, this entertainment option is totally free and provides a change of scenery and a serene environment to visit.
You may have covered libraries in your other videos, again I am new here. Your videos are so warm and welcoming, you inspired me to share. Thank you for your channel, your ideas, recipes, and advice.
My library provides up to $7 a week for printing. My printer is finicky and the ink cartridges are very expensive. So, I ride my bike the whole mile to the library, and print what I need. Good for you,using the library!
Welcome! So happy you are here! Yes, I talk about the advantages of public libraries constantly in my videos! they are great!
I don't have DVD's but i have been watching free "Netflix" like channels, I have found too so far, I have watched some favorite old movies. I have not spent money in my no spend 2023. I found some rice stick noodles, and I have organic veggies in the freezer, and I have several containers of non GMO veggie broth powder. Every night for dinner I make this simple soup for about 50 cents and it is delicious. In the meantime I've been reading but because of my blindness it's about 20 pages a day. My DIY this week was I made homemade Halvah with pistachios for a birthday gift, I had never made it before and it was a gift that cost me nothing. MY other DIY was a friend requested a gift of my laundry soap, I had a little milk basket, and four milk bottles, I painted and stenciled the basket and filled the basket with 3 bottles of laundry soap, and one of stain remover spray. again it cost me nothing. I have saved a significant amount of money this month so far I am living on 50% of my income the rest goes to savings.
Oh how wonderful Kate!! Your homemade gifts sound amazing!
Way to go on giving a couple of new techniques a try! Your breakfast potates looked cooked to perfection. Here in New England, Friday night bean suppers are a tradition and I have cooked many a batch of baked beans the long way. My church has a monthly breakfast and homebaked beans from scratch are always on the menu. I have never used an Instant Pot, but will say, ours looked perfect and I am sure they were absolutely delicious. My husband and I loved to DIY and try to figure out how we could make the things we love, Over the years we learned to make our own sausage, cheese, and because we were surrounded by maple trees, even made our own Maple Syrup (though that was admittedly a multi-year learning curve and ALOT of work). It is always great to give new things a try, the worst that can happen is that it doesn't turn out the way you hoped, but your video showed a couple of the Best things that can happen! Love your channel, thanks for the uplifting video
Wonderful uplifting comment! thank you!
Have you cooked spuds in duck fat they are delicious 🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘cheers from Aussie
What beautiful views you have from your music room.💗💗💗
Something I've done to save money on food was to grow my own veggies by the windows. I have no access to a yard, so I'm stuck doing indoor gardening, but I save tons on basil! And I'm hoping to grow my own spinach since I like spinach, but buying it in a store always results in produce going rotten and being super wet at the bottom...
I started indoor gardening in 2020 before lock down happened, and every year since, I've gotten more ambitious with what I want to grow despite being limited to indoor gardening.
I love breakfast out also. But, this low spend year, I'll eat few meals out. But I make delicious breakfasts regularly. This a.m. I had: blk. ☕, o.j., scrambled egg with left over canned ham, cheddar cheese and a slice of whole grain bread with strawberry preserves. Hardy & good. Nothing beats the flavor of bacon grease in cooking. My parents always cooked our beans from scratch. So good! 😋 Thanks Em & Paul, another great video. 🤗
Thanks for sharing Judy!
I wanted a fireplace. I put the TV into a mahogany bookcase we had, and stacked the books on top with the pages facing out, so they look like creamy bricks, in a chimney shape. I just put on the fireplace videos off UA-cam. I got a fireplace scented candle. Now I can enjoy my book and a hot chocolate in front of the “fire” and it didn’t cost anything!
How creative and clever!!
I do lime and lemons in the summer and oranges (sometimes add a little cinnamon) in the winter - mmmmmn. I also deep clean any plug holes with any vinegar left over from pickles - waste not want not as my nanny would say. At trick from my nanny is to scoop the remaining egg white out after cracking an egg and pop it on your face - amazing for the skin. I now soak and cook my own beans then freeze them in portions - no more cans for me lol. Some are just the beans, some are mixed and some are in soups or chilli. I also buy cheese and shred it myself (melts so much better) and now make my own bread on a regular basis. Keep up the good work x
Wonderful Sam! We always try to shred our own cheese too! So much better!
I quit going into stores to many ways to buy whats NOT needed. Impulse buying- I do Amazon I check ratings and then put in my cart to think if they are needed and the best is getting ideas of what I have already have that can be repurposed also using Prime to read books for free , plus free ship on my purchases.
I love potatoes cooked in bacon fat! I don't make bacon often but when I do, I look forward to the replacement for butter. I make a frittata almost every week with whatever is left in the fridge. Tonight I made one with roasted veggies that I chopped up and I bring it to work for breakfast. This week I added leftover turkey and last week was leftover ham. Thanks for your encouraging videos!
You are so welcome Lynne!
Have ever cooked spuds in duck fat they are delicious ❤❤❤🦘🦘🦘🦘🐨🐨🐨🐨
Thank you for all the wonderful info for being frugal. For the first time, I made applesauce and substitute it in my pancake mix in place of oil. They were so good and fluffy as ever.
Sounds great!
Have been canning things like tomatoes and green chill and sweet chili sauce
My canner gauge is broken. My goal in the new year is to replace it and do more pressure canning.
Another great, encouraging video, thank you and Paul. This morning I took several of my hubbies long sleeved shirts that he has worn a hole or two in. We buy those iron on patches in various sizes and use them pretty often. My hubby is hard on the elbow of these shirts. The rest of the shirt definitely has a lot more life in it, so if I "plug" up the worn hole it makes the shirt so useful for a lot longer time. All you need is some iron on patches and an iron, the directions are on the back. Rather than throwing the shirt away, it now has a new life. I'm definitely going to try the backed bean recipe. I remember the "old" bean pot that people used to use to cook the baked beans in the oven. Thanks for all you both do. Liz
Another idea for holey elbows on an otherwise good shirt is to cut the sleeves off for a short sleeve shirt. Well, maybe not a flannel shirt though!
You're a person after my own heart!!!!
Love that Carol!
Baked beans look great. I make all kinds of beans in my instant pot all the time. I also like making roasted potatoes in the air fryer and then topping them with queso cheese. Have you ever thought of doing a video where you make copycat recipes from home versus fast food or restaurants places ?
That sounds like a fun video!!
I actually have a copycat recipe for Alice Springs chicken from outback including sauce....its sooo good and easy!!
Good use of your InstantPot to use dried beans (that you don’t usually enjoy eating). Through the years, my InstantPot has mostly been used for making navy bean or split pea soup as a way to use up a left over ham bone, I enjoy beans, especially as soup. A couple of months ago, I was given about 10 lb of last fall’s pinto bean crop by the farmer who grew them (my son’s FIL). They really needed picking through because they haven’t been through a packaging plant. Pinto beans have a different, but delicious, creamy flavor as bean soup. They are traditionally used for refried beans and chili.
I have been growing sprouts this winter. It’s a treat to have fresh sprouts when it’s cold outside
Such a great idea Jacqueline!
I’ve been making the orange /vinegar. Cleaner. It adds a lovely sheen to pine furniture
We used to pay someone to clean out the yard after the winter, and to mow our lawn through the summer. We now DIY
That must save you money for sure1
Awesome radio and beautiful snow. Greetings from tropical Darwin ❤
Welcome! Thank you!
A little tip. you can use sugar scrub all over your body, not just hands and feet, it helped me get rid of my razor bumps on mz legs and those tiny acne, I have been using it for years, and the oil leaves a skin so moisturised and soft, once a week is enough. It can also be sued to remove tanning cream if that is something that you do!
Just be careful using it in the shower...makes the shower floor very slippery!
Started making my own yogurt! Very tasty and much better for you!
My hands get so dry during this time of the year. An old trick my mom used to do is Vaseline to cover your hands and then put on the old fashioned white gloves overnight and your hands come out so soft. I could see using the sugar scrub and then Vaseline thick ointment, cover with white cotton gloves overnight and your hands will be so soft and smooth.
You can use Vaseline as eyecream and lip balm.
....Your Channel came up as a Recommendation, and I am now a Subscriber.... I cannot tell you how much I enjoy your Content. ... being older ( yes, I'm in my 60's, lol,) I have an appreciation of the things you speak of ,and although I don't wish to " stay home " ALL the time, I find that there's many things to be content with, when at home ....yes, in days gone by...it was Church Service, or Picnics, and as you mentioned, the Picture Show .
My Grandmother was an amazing cook, she taught me to cook ( as a teenager) and to use bacon drippings ( saved) . She made almost everything from scratch.. .. I make a side dish I call " Cajun Baked Beans" and they are delicious... using White Beans, or the Navy Beans . I've made them for many years ( since 1989!) and when I've taken these to a picnic, pot luck, etc . there are not any left, ever. Lol. It's so much better to make your own Beans. :)
I have not done it as yet, however, I am going to try my hand at making my own butter.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙂😊✨️
Thanks so very much for the kind comment! So happy you found us!
Bacon grease is liquid gold. In addition to fried potatoes (with onions), I bake small potatoes when making other dishes, in oven, refrigerate and use in a variety of ways. I will never buy a bagged French fry again. A small baked potato can be cut into 8 wedges (leave skin on) and fried in skillet with bacon grease, flipping once. Great wedge fries.