It is what this website is all about. Here are some great ways I discovered lately:
1. Laundry detergent & Fabric softener. No matter which kind you buy, they are all starting to put the number of loads that they do. I bought some Downy the other day, and a small bottle said it did 40 loads, and the bigger bottle did only 26. Ultra concentrated, it said on the small one. I’d been buying whatever appeared to be on sale, and still used my same old measuring method. I use another cap for detergent (Not the one on the bottle), and just throw it in the washer with the Downy ball. It comes out clean. But after thinking about it, I did my very own “Does it work?” with both the laundry detergent and the Downy. First, I measured out capfulls of both to see if a cap was really a “load”. Sure enough, allowing for a couple of spills, there were as many capfulls as it said on the bottle, for both Arm & Hammer and Downy concentrated. So, I put only the amount of the capful in my wash load. And only a capful of Downy in my Downy ball, instead of to the line. (I still used my extra cap, but now I know how much to put in it.) I do have a water softener which I love, but with all that, IT WORKS! No telling how much extra laundry detergent & Downy I have been pouring down the drain. About double. That is just like paying twice as much as I needed to. So if the concentrate is a good price per load, get some and try less. Apparently it is the same stuff with more water removed, and you dump it in the water anyway.
2. Bread. Sometimes there is a sale on bread, but you just can’t buy 3 months worth, unless you freeze it or something, and who has room for that in their freezer? Not me. Never have tried any of those “green bags” for bread, but here is a FREE way to make your bread last longer. Save the last bag you had bread in and double-bag your new loaf. If your last loaf got moldy, be sure to rinse the bag first. Just slip it over the new loaf, and it will last longer. Actually, any bag large enough to put the loaf in works, and the heavier the better. The problem with bread you buy is the bag! Try putting some water in an empty bread bag. It will run out of several holes in the bag. If a Ziploc bag did that, I’d throw it out! No way would I expect it to keep anything fresh. Also, leaving the heels on both ends and using the bread from the middle helps a lot.
3. Ziploc bags. If you only had something dry or not too messy in one, you can rinse them out and use them over. I’ve tried several methods of drying them, and the best I’ve found is to put a towel over a coke bottle (or something similar) and turn them upside down over the towel. Depends on the size of the bag what size bottle to use. I have a gallon-sized gatorade bottle I use for the gallon size bags and also to water my plants.
4. Dehydration of Foods. It takes up less room and lasts 10 times as long. You can make perishable foods into non-perisable foods, and “stock-pile” when they are on sale. I have 4 dozen eggs dehydrated that will last 5 years in my vacuum-sealed pouches, and 1 year after they are opened, and intend to pick up several more dozen at Walgreen’s this week for 99 cents per doz. I have done extensive experimenting with the recipe and also the rehydration, and would be happy to share it if anyone would like it. You can’t tell after they are reconstituted and scrambled. I promise. No difference in cornbread or cakes or any baking, either. Also have done some beef jerky, peppers, and a few other things. This is kind of new for me, but I’d love to share any recipes anyone has out there. I want to start on vegetables and fruits next.
