We all have favorite things we use everyday. Oprah does a show every season about her favorite things.
So, in that same spirit I would like to list a few of my favorite things.

• Miracle Thaw-a metal sheet(aluminum, I think) that defrosts meat in a couple hours on the counter. I know there were reports about it not being safe because meats are sitting out at room temperature to defrost, but honestly we've never had any problems thawing meat this way. If I'm shorter on time I use the microwave's defrost option.
• Pampered Chef classic scraper. Let me first say I am not a big fan of Pampered Chef parties after a consultant stalked me about hosting a party (I still get emails from her 7 years later!) Doesn't stain or get bent out of shape! I've had this one for years and love it.
• Pampered Chef rice cooker. Microwaved rice comes out perfectly every time. I never cook rice on the stove anymore.
• Pampered Chef nylon pan scraper. I use one of these everyday. It originally came with a baking stone(broken) used to scrap it clean. However, it works great for removing baked on food from other baking dishes and pans and even dried food spills on counter tops.
• Swivel sweeper. I bought mine at CVS about a year ago and love the little thing. Gets under tables with ease and picks up everything from salt to dog hair. Because of its design it cleans right up to the base boards! You won't replace your regular vacuum with the Swivel Sweeper, but for the quick jobs it fits the bill.
• Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals foundation. I love, love, love this makeup. First off, it lasts forever. Secondly, my face never breaks out when I use this foundation. Lastly, it covers so well and yet I don't even look like I'm wearing makeup. I bought it off EBay last time I needed a replacement and it was much cheaper than buying from QVC or ULTA or even the infomercials.
• Craftsman Tools. Enough said. What else could be said about tools that if broken will be replaced by just taking it to the store for another one. Tools that are guaranteed forever. Wouldn't it be great if everything we bought had a lifetime guarantee!

Next time I will post about some of my not so favorite things that I wish now I had not wasted my money on.

Storage

Yesterday, I replaced the summer wreath on front door for a pumpkin plaque. I have one linen closet in which I keep seasonal decorations except for Christmas decor, those are in the attic. I was trying to fit this wreath back into the linen closet and there was really no space for it. After a few minutes of struggling I had the idea of hanging on the inside of the door. There it would not loose its shape and would leave me more space for other items. A couple of other clever storage ideas I use are placing folded sheets between the mattresses. And, all my pot lids are are stacked in a strainer for easy access. Anybody have any good storage tips of there own?

Stockpiling and Aldi

I really like shopping at Aldi, but they don't take coupons, have loss leaders or run sales. That being said their prices are consistently lower than other grocery stores and I shop there weekly. If you have never shopped at Aldi you can check their store locator to find a store near you. I used to stockpile items from sales from other grocery stores matching coupons with the sales. I still do if the items are close to being free by doing so. All this got me thinking how could I stockpile using Aldi to fill my cupboards. I came up with a plan to spend an extra $10 a week on stockpiling by picking 2 items and buy extra of them. This week it is peanut butter and rice. Next week will be flour and sugar since baking season is upon us. Obviously, this only works for groceries with a long shelf life and if you have the space to store the goods.

Sidebar: Stockpiling is a great way to fill your pantry now for when times are more lean. However, you have to be careful when you have an abundance of groceries the "there's more where that come from" mentality can lead to using more than is really needed.

Yeah, We made it!

Well, we did it! We made it last week with only $23 in the bank! My husband spent $15 on gas leaving us a grand total of $8 in the bank. I learned this week that I am more disciplined than I thought. I could have pulled out the CC, but I'm tired of working to make them rich! If we don't have the money we can't afford it(whatever it is), period! Some things I did to fill my time were, a lot of extra cooking and baking, working extra hours and doing free and cheap things with my 3 yo. This week is not going to be a non money spending week, however I am buying only necessities this week at Aldi and the bread store. No thrift store (my weakness) for me this week.
On a different note I wanted to share a Coconut Cookie recipe I made last week. These were marvelous.
Tip: Put a piece of bread in the cookie jar to keep homemade cookies moist. I usually use the end piece as we don't eat those anyway!

Small Things Add to Big Savings Over Time

Here's a list of small things I do today to save money:

• Double a recipe and freeze half. Use the frozen meal instead of fast food for a quick meal when you are short on time.



• Shut all cabinet and closet doors. Don't pay to cool/heat "dead" space.



• Try living without one convenience item for a short time. Paper towels or paper plates are a good items to try and avoid. Even a week without them saves money. If you do use paper towels for drying hands don't throw them away. Save it for wiping up a spill. And after a paper towel dries works great to clean windows.



• When using oven, turn off the oven 5-10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.



• Use less of everything! A smidgen of toothpaste is enough to clean our teeth. Use 1/2 lb.- 3/4 lb of ground beef in a recipe that calls for a pound and "bulk" it up by adding rolled oats while browning. No one will know it is in there! Use half the recommended amount of laundry detergent.



• Wash clothes in cold water. They will get clean.



• Dilute liquids. Things like dish soap, shampoo, and even ketchup can easily be diluted.



• Write down every meal you cook this week. You just started a meal plan!



• Unplug appliances that are not being used.



• Hang laundry to dry on a the line or on small drying racks.

I would love to hear what small things others do to save money.

A $23 Week.

After all bills were paid last Friday there was $44 left in the bank for the week. Normally, we would fall back on the CC to get through the rest of the week. But, we have a pact not to use our CC's anymore and live on what we make! Out of the above balance I spent $11 at Walgreen's for a couple of free after rebate items, and $10 for a trip to the pumpkin patch with the preschool on Thursday. So that left $23 for the rest of the week. Now I don't have a $10 a day Starbucks habit or spend $100 a week on a "just shopping" trip to Target. However, I do usually stop by the Goodwill once a week and run to the grocery store and check out the 50% off meat bin. I also love to stop by a few yard sales on Saturday mornings, but I refrained even though there were a ton around town! I have plenty of groceries in my freezer and pantry so food has not been a problem. I normally cook at home everyday and pack lunches for the family anyway, so there is no big difference there. I have found myself baking more this week. Well, it is midweek and I think we are going to survive our "no spending" fast. It is really a freeing feeling. Maybe I will choose to have a no spending week in the future...maybe.

Boiling Ground Beef?

I found ground beef for .99/lb at the grocery store last week so I bought 10 lbs to fill the freezer. Now, I had never even heard about boiling ground beef until a few weeks ago when I read an article on the subject. Intrigued by the idea I decided to give it a try to make quick work of cooking it all. I placed it in a large stock pot and covered the meat with water. I boiled it until the meat lost its pink color, drained it in a colander over a big bowl, and measured by 3 cups increments into freezer bags. I covered the big bowl and placed in the refrigerator and let it cool. The fat rose to the top after it cooled and I removed it and poured the broth into freezer bags as well. Standing the freezer bag inside a tall container large enough to hold the amount of broth you want to add and draping the sides of the bag over the container makes them easier to fill. Then, just zip the bag and pull it out of the container and lay the bags flat in the freezer. Now I have 11 bags of low fat cooked ground beef crumbles and 2 bags of beef broth ready for to use for quick tacos, spaghetti or whatever other recipe I choose in which to use them!