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Interesting tips re keeping costs down

Field east

A lot of us out there are doing things that keep costs down, makes life more engaging and interesting , can be talking points with our friends, contribute to sustainable living, keeps us closer to nature, enhances our DIY ability, etc. I will start off with a very simple one which is as follows :-
Most of us discard honey , jam and other jars once they have been roughly scraped by a knife.
I now 'scrape them clean' using a rubber spatula. You know that timber handled thing used , for example, to spread cream on the top of a cake. Will hold off on others until I see if there is any interest in the subject

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Field east

Field east wrote: »

A lot of us out there are doing things that keep costs down, makes life more engaging and interesting , can be talking points with our friends, contribute to sustainable living, keeps us closer to nature, enhances our DIY ability, etc. I will start off with a very simple one which is as follows :-
Most of us discard honey , jam and other jars once they have been roughly scraped by a knife.
I now 'scrape them clean' using a rubber spatula. You know that timber handled thing used , for example, to spread cream on the top of a cake. Will hold off on others until I see if there is any interest in the subject

This is first effort at a new thread and have just realised that it is in the totally wrong thread. Will mod please reposition it
PS . Forgot to mention that you could , for example, get enough jam for up to two slices of bread

Boards.ie: Niamh

Moved to Coupons & Living Frugally.

bilbot79

Eat a few raw carrots while you're cooking your bolognese. It will make you less hungry and you can save half the expensive dinner for the next day. Carrots are highly nutritious, low calorie and cheap!

L1011

If your bolognese is 'expensive' you're doing something wrong

ItsFrugal

Coconut oil - works great as a mouth wash and one of the best fats for cooking with. I'll swish it in my mouth for about 5 mins after flossing. You get coconut breathe and this : "About 50% of fatty acids in cocnut is lauric acid. Research shows that in the body lauric acid gets converted in to a highly potent anti-viral, anti- bacterial and anti fungal substance, called monolaurin. Such pathogens as candida albicans, helicobacter pylori, HIV virus. measles virus, herpes, cytomegalovirus, Esptenin-Barr virus, influenza and many more are susceptible to monolaurin. Lauric acid is alo one of the natural ingredients of human breast milk, protecting the baby from infections."

bilbot79

L1011 wrote: »

If your bolognese is 'expensive' you're doing something wrong

It's not but compared to carrots it is!

madmaggie

I bought tiny little kilner jars for when I make jam. I found putting jam in a large jar meant that it went mouldy, and was wasteful, where the tiny amounts are eaten quickly. Plus they look cute when put out with scones.

Jellybaby1

I've never bought jars for jam. I just keep all my old jam jars, marmalade jars, mayonnaise jars etc. They just need to be properly sterilised.

Field east

madmaggie wrote: »

I bought tiny little kilner jars for when I make jam. I found putting jam in a large jar meant that it went mouldy, and was wasteful, where the tiny amounts are eaten quickly. Plus they look cute when put out with scones.

Do not know your personal situation but consider , for next jam session, to enquire from friends, family and other acquaintances about your need for small jars. For example, there are a number of baby food products that come in very small jars - circa 100 mls.
Re moulds, main reason /s could be:-
(1) jam in pot stored for a long time. Jam that is very hygienically made, a 50% plus sugar content and stored in a cool place will last longer.
(2) Wax disc not used. The wax disc with the wax side turned down on top of the hot jam helps to deter mould growth.
(3) the less sugar you use the shorter jam will last.
(4) Insufficient level of hygiene. all containers/ utensils used must be sterilised or heated to the recommended temp and for the recommended time. Scald lids with the synthetic seals with boiling water twice or heat to circa 90degrees C for 15 min

(5) is there someone unbeknownst to you sticking a licked knife into the jam, lid left off the jar for a long time and the jar is left in a warm area. All such actions contribute to contaminating the jam and mould 'spores' are in in most environments and 'looking ' for a substrate to develop on.

Hope you will find some of the above of some use

madmaggie

Thanks field east, lots of good advice there, and I will put it into practice.

When I said jam going mouldy I meant opening a pot of jam, and using it once, then having to throw out the remainder for not having used it up. Sounds like you have lots of experience in the jam making department! I learned in school, but still have the odd failure.

Gilma2010

When you're cooking pasta, when the water is at a good boil, turn off the gas and put the timer on. The pasta will still be cooked when the timer goes off.

I saw this tip on http://www.budget101.com and was a bit skeptical.

I tried it with rice, potatoes and pasta. The only time it worked correctly was with the pasta. Cooked perfectly. For the potatoes and rice, they weren't cooked all the way after the timer finished and I had to boil them up for another 5 minutes.

Anyway, I thought it was an energy saving tip worth sharing!

JJJJNR

If you like a boiled egg, don't throw out the water, use it to make your coffee.

uch

JJJJNR wrote: »

If you like a boiled egg, don't throw out the water, use it to make your coffee.

That reminds me, when we were kids we were always told never to get the water that an Egg was boiled in on your hand or you'll get Warts

fire_man

Times must be very tough!!

L1011

JJJJNR wrote: »

If you like a boiled egg, don't throw out the water, use it to make your coffee.

Considering that the outside of an egg has been in direct contact with bits of a chicken you normally wouldn't go near; and aren't usually cleaned before sale I'd be more than slightly wary of this.

You've boiled it, so anything nasty should be dead but I can't imagine it being the best tasting!

JJJJNR

The water will be enriched with calcium, also the egg shells can be pulverised and made into a calcium supplement, I give it to my Labrador with her normal food.

JJJJNR

L1011 wrote: »

Considering that the outside of an egg has been in direct contact with bits of a chicken you normally wouldn't go near; and aren't usually cleaned before sale I'd be more than slightly wary of this.

You've boiled it, so anything nasty should be dead but I can't imagine it being the best tasting!

I better stop eating cooked chicken full stop in that case, actually meat in general esp sausages, uggh, can you imagine. :rolleyes:

L1011

JJJJNR wrote: »

I better stop eating cooked chicken full stop in that case, actually meat in general esp sausages, uggh, can you imagine. :rolleyes:

If the outside of your sausages have porcine faecal matter on them, you've got quite serious problems.

There reaches a point where frugal becomes insanity and this thread exhibits rather a lot of it.

JJJJNR

I didn't say that, you did. I think your greatly eggsagerating though, so jog on.

Furzy

For those expensive 1890 calls that aren't included in your phone plan visit the website Say No to 1890 (can't post link) - gives lots of local number alternatives for commonly called 1890 numbers.

Furzy

JJJJNR wrote: »

The water will be enriched with calcium, also the egg shells can be pulverised and made into a calcium supplement, I give it to my Labrador with her normal food.

Why would you want to give your dog a calcium supplement??

JJJJNR

I feed the dog left overs which includes a lot of unused vegetables (potato skins, carrot peels etc) so everything helps.

madmaggie

Hens. Scraps in one end, eggs out the other. Show me the machine that can do that.:D

Field east

Get a rubber sole put onto new leather shoes before you start to use them. When they become wafer thin, get them replaced. The uppers / leather sole will then last for ever and ever.

juneg

uch wrote: »

That reminds me, when we were kids we were always told never to get the water that an Egg was boiled in on your hand or you'll get Warts

+1
always told never to re use the egg water. If it could have been used for something we would have used it

laughter189

I think its time to buy a 3-tier steamer - see they are stainless steel ones in Argos at decent prices

Will save on both electricity / water bills

PeterDuggan

When boiling the kettle for a cuppa, use the excess hot water to wash a pot or pan. Saves on water, electricity, washing machine detergent pollution ...and time (You can do it while you're standing around waiting for the tea to brew).

murphf

JJJJNR wrote: »

I feed the dog left overs which includes a lot of unused vegetables (potato skins, carrot peels etc) so everything helps.

Aren't raw potatoes poisonous to dogs ?

brian_t

PeterDuggan wrote: »

When boiling the kettle for a cuppa, use the excess hot water to wash a pot or pan. Saves on water, electricity, washing machine detergent pollution ...and time (You can do it while you're standing around waiting for the tea to brew).

It also means that you will be using completely fresh water for your next cuppa which is as reccomended.

JJJJNR

murphf wrote: »

Aren't raw potatoes poisonous to dogs ?

There cooked in a pot first before given to the dog.