Thrifty Tips For Frugal Living

Thrifty Tipz

Grocery Shopping Tips

BEFORE SHOPPING

Check your pantry to see what you already have. Don't spend money on things you don't need. Clean out your refrigerator, it will be much easier to put away groceries and know what you need to buy.

Plan your spending to avoid impulse buys.

Look up prices and sales on the Internet and go where you know you will save the most money and where there are the best sales. More often than not, the best sales are on the front and back of your supermarket flyer.

Prepare your menu for the week around what you already have, and what's on sale.

Shop for items BEFORE you run out of them. If you run out of an item you'll have to pay whatever the store is charging that week.

Due to volume discounts, larger stores are generally cheaper than smaller ones.

Avoid trips to the "corner store".

Make a grocery list during the week. Take it with you when you shop. Stick to it.

If you go to the supermarket early in the morning (before 9am) you have a better chance of getting mark down items. Many local stores mark down fresh veggies and fruits, frozen items, milks, and meats.

Shop alone - this will save lots of money and frustration.

You have heard this before, but it is so true ... don't shop for groceries on an empty stomach.

Due to volume discounts, larger stores are generally cheaper than smaller ones.

Meat is a good source of protein but it's expensive. Cheese, poultry, eggs, peanut butter, dried peas, beans, lentils, and some fish are less expensive and excellent sources of protein.

Buy whole chickens. If you want only breasts, save the dark quarters, freezing for later use. Buying breasts alone is very expensive.

Buy locally grown foods; they are fresher, more nutritious and ecologically smart..

Most bargains are found on the higher and lower shelves. Most expensive brands are at eye level (to get your attention).

Watch for unadvertised specials. Stockpile, Stockpile, Stockpile! If a product you use is on sale, buy as much as you can afford and comfortably store to last you until the next sale. This is a BIG money saver!

Use your freezer to stock up when there is a sale on frozen or dairy items, such as cheese, butter and milk. Yes, you can freeze dairy products.

Just because an item has the word "SALE" on it, doesn't mean you are getting it for a lower than normal price. Know your prices. This is one way that a price book can help you.

Cat Food Recipe

4 cups rolled oats or 8 cups cooked oatmeal

2 eggs

2 pounds ground lean hamburger

2 tablespoons bone meal

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

10,000 IU vitamin A

100-200 IU vitamin E

1 teaspoon fresh vegetable with each meal

500 mg cat vitamin supplement (optional)

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add oats cover and turn off heat, letting oats cook for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in eggs, letting them set from the heat for a few minutes. Mix remaining ingredients. Yield: about 12 3/4 cups. Freeze whatever cannot be eaten in 2-3 days. Daily feeding: small cat— 1/2 to 3/4 cup; medium cat—1 to 1 1/3 cup; large cat—1 1/2 to 2 1/4 cups.

Natural Flea & Tick Repellant For Your Pet

For your own homemade flea repellent collar, take a bandana or rope collar and rub eucalyptus oil, Tea Tree Oil, citronella, lavender or geranium onto it. Reapply weekly.

If you're feeling crafty, here's a recipe for a flea repellent herbal pillow that will naturally repel fleas: 2 parts pennyroyal, 1 part thyme, and 1 part wormwood.

Lavender, peppermint and geranium essential oils repel mosquitoes. Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks. And lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella are natural flea repellents. Blend with 2 ounces of vegetable oil and Dab oils between your dog's shoulder blades. Other effective natural repellents include lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood

Put a drop of lemon oil or rosemary oil on your dog's collar.

A safe, easy homemade flea repellent: cut 6 lemons in half, boil in a quart of water, steep a few hours, then strain the solution into a spray bottle. Sprits your pet's fur, taking care not to spray near the eyes. Don't spray anything in a dog's face; apply spray to the hand and then rub it on the fur.

Flea repellant blend -5 drops citronella, 3 drops lemon, 3 drops rosemary and 3 drops thyme. Put into a 4 oz spray bottle ofdistilled water.

With the recent pet food recall, a lot of pet owners are nervous about giving store bought food to their pets.

Frugal Pet Food Tips and Ideas

Save your eggshells. Wash them immediately after using the eggs. Store in a baggie in the fridge or freezer. When you have a dozen or so, bake the shells for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Place them in a blender and grind to the consistency of fine powder. Use for making homemade pet food.

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