Today marks the beginning of a new month, June 2020. A fresh start to have another chance to get it right.
Today I've been doing laundry and working and cleaning in my kitchen. I took my Mother's vintage Tupperware lid holder and moved it to the cabinet under the stove top. It works better to use it for the lids for our pots and pans.
Rather than use paper towels in our kitchen, we use dishtowels, dishcloths, and cloth napkins. In fact, I've not bought any paper towels since April of 2018.
These are the workhorses of my frugal kitchen and save me a lot of money. I figure I save right at $200 a year by not buying paper towels or tissues.
My dish clothes were bought at Amazon where I was able to get 24 of them for $12.95. They will last much longer than a roll of paper towels. I keep them close by the sink, so they are always ready to use.
The majority of my dish towels are Christmas ones, but I still use them for everyday use. These are the dish towels that people get rid of at yard sales, and I come in and buy them. That is why we have so many Christmas ones. Buying them at yard sales saves me money.
Sadly, I don't think we will be participating in yard sale season this year because of corona virus.
Here is another money saving tool in my frugal kitchen:
Potatoes
We regularly make a meal out of baked potatoes. We buy the eight pound bag of baking potatoes at Walmart for $5.92 right now and we normally get two bags per month. Even at that price each potato costs around 50¢ each, which makes for a frugal meal.
I normally serve steamed broccoli with them and have toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, butter, bacon bits, chives, dill, and salt and pepper. To me all a potato needs to be good is salt and pepper, but the other items are good as well when we have them on hand.
Another regular item we use here are onions. I start most of our meals by sauteing an onion. They always make the house smell good and add flavor and goodness to any meal for pennies.
Since I was puttering around in the kitchen I looked through my pantry and decided on what to make for dinner.
Cocktail sausages with barbecue sauce from my freezer, copycat Red Lobster biscuits, rice and cheese, and mixed vegetables from the freezer.
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I buy dishtowels at yard sales, too. They are always new, never used. I did find Halloween that looked more like Spring towels. I paid $.44 for each and got 10 of them at that price. I have lots of dishtowels since I don't buy paper towels.
That is a great price for dishtowels! We have found a lot of really nice wash clothes at yard sales too. Sometimes people just sell the really fluffy new ones rather than use them. I'm OK with picking them up too. :)
Good job keeping costs down and using what you have. I wonder if there will be yard sales this year. None listed here yet. Thrift stores have reopened finally last week. Have a great month!
Thank you, Cheryl. I'm not sure on the yard sales. I know a friend of mine had one recently over in another town. But I can't imagine there will be many this year. I sure will miss them.
We've had a lot of potato meals-thanks to the air fryer. We just love them. I still use paper towels, but really just for greasy things. I probably buy the equivalent of a roll a month, and same for nose tissues.
Oh, that sounds so good, Sam. I certainly understand using paper towels for greasy items. In the past I have lined my dish with newspaper and then laid one paper towel on top of that, which helps save some on paper towels.
Cut up some chicken thighs, added some frozen veg and then a jar (bought on sale) of a butter chicken sauce and served it over rice. It will make two meals for me - one for the elderly neighbour that I take a few meals to during the week - and two portions went into the freezer for later in the month. I'm trying to cut down on the use of paper towels - in the past couple of moths I've lost 3 sheets to large holes (they are all at least 20 years old so I have gotten my money's worth out of them) so I am in the process of cutting them up for rags. They are white, clean and work just fine in the kitchen. I am planning to order cloth napkins on my next Amazon order as I want to switch to them as well.
Oh, your dinner sounds so good, Margie. That is so nice of you to help your elderly neighbor like that. That's great to cut up the older sheets for rags. I think they will work out just fine in the kitchen. I have loved using cloth napkins. They are just the best. I hope you enjoy using them too.
I also have a lot of Christmas towels, for the same reason. Fall kitchen towels are a close second. Over the weekend I saw a few sales, but really didn't think it was worth stopping. Where I am we have rummage sale season from March-May and that season disappeared. I guess there is always the thrift store. Good luck this month!
A lot of my cloth napkins are fall designed. They are soft and we really like those kind. Oh, we really like the rummage sales too, but we won't be going to them or the thrift stores anytime soon. We're still hopeful though that some day we will go back. Thanks so much, Amy. Good luck to you this month too. :)
I try to use paper towels just for draining meat, as well. It's the only thing where I don't use a reusable towel.
Dinner tonight at our house is going to be a freezer dish - lubia polo. It's a persian rice, beef & bean dish. Honestly, it doesn't reheat perfectly (the rice gets a little too soft), but it made a huge amount, and we're not going to waste it. So, it will come out for an encore performance tonight. ;-)
I understand using paper towels for draining meat. Sometimes that's what we need to do to make it work. It's better than having a greasy dish cloth to wash and dry, which could prove flammable in the dryer, so should be avoided.
Your dinner sounds delicious. Tonight I am going to have a bowl of leftover soup. :)
I'm still using more paper towels than I'd like. I'm going to keep a stack of dish towels near the sink and see if it helps.
I miss going to yard sales and thrift stores. I always buy yarn from thrift stores. Hopefully people will have bigger yard sales once the pandemic is over. :)
I buy dishtowels at yard sales, too. They are always new, never used. I did find Halloween that looked more like Spring towels. I paid $.44 for each and got 10 of them at that price. I have lots of dishtowels since I don't buy paper towels.
ReplyDeleteDinner will be salad and chicken on top.
That is a great price for dishtowels! We have found a lot of really nice wash clothes at yard sales too. Sometimes people just sell the really fluffy new ones rather than use them. I'm OK with picking them up too. :)
DeleteGood job keeping costs down and using what you have.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there will be yard sales this year. None listed here yet. Thrift stores have reopened finally last week.
Have a great month!
Thank you, Cheryl. I'm not sure on the yard sales. I know a friend of mine had one recently over in another town. But I can't imagine there will be many this year. I sure will miss them.
DeleteWe've had a lot of potato meals-thanks to the air fryer. We just love them. I still use paper towels, but really just for greasy things. I probably buy the equivalent of a roll a month, and same for nose tissues.
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds so good, Sam. I certainly understand using paper towels for greasy items. In the past I have lined my dish with newspaper and then laid one paper towel on top of that, which helps save some on paper towels.
DeleteCut up some chicken thighs, added some frozen veg and then a jar (bought on sale) of a butter chicken sauce and served it over rice. It will make two meals for me - one for the elderly neighbour that I take a few meals to during the week - and two portions went into the freezer for later in the month.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to cut down on the use of paper towels - in the past couple of moths I've lost 3 sheets to large holes (they are all at least 20 years old so I have gotten my money's worth out of them) so I am in the process of cutting them up for rags. They are white, clean and work just fine in the kitchen. I am planning to order cloth napkins on my next Amazon order as I want to switch to them as well.
Oh, your dinner sounds so good, Margie. That is so nice of you to help your elderly neighbor like that. That's great to cut up the older sheets for rags. I think they will work out just fine in the kitchen. I have loved using cloth napkins. They are just the best. I hope you enjoy using them too.
DeleteI also have a lot of Christmas towels, for the same reason. Fall kitchen towels are a close second. Over the weekend I saw a few sales, but really didn't think it was worth stopping. Where I am we have rummage sale season from March-May and that season disappeared. I guess there is always the thrift store.
ReplyDeleteGood luck this month!
A lot of my cloth napkins are fall designed. They are soft and we really like those kind. Oh, we really like the rummage sales too, but we won't be going to them or the thrift stores anytime soon. We're still hopeful though that some day we will go back. Thanks so much, Amy. Good luck to you this month too. :)
DeleteI try to use paper towels just for draining meat, as well. It's the only thing where I don't use a reusable towel.
ReplyDeleteDinner tonight at our house is going to be a freezer dish - lubia polo. It's a persian rice, beef & bean dish. Honestly, it doesn't reheat perfectly (the rice gets a little too soft), but it made a huge amount, and we're not going to waste it. So, it will come out for an encore performance tonight. ;-)
I understand using paper towels for draining meat. Sometimes that's what we need to do to make it work. It's better than having a greasy dish cloth to wash and dry, which could prove flammable in the dryer, so should be avoided.
DeleteYour dinner sounds delicious! :)
Your dinner sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteTonight I am going to have a bowl of leftover soup. :)
I'm still using more paper towels than I'd like. I'm going to keep a stack of dish towels near the sink and see if it helps.
I miss going to yard sales and thrift stores. I always buy yarn from thrift stores. Hopefully people will have bigger yard sales once the pandemic is over. :)