Shop Less And Cook More Efficiently With Smart Saving Tips From America's Cheapest Family - The Economides

1. Plot out a month's worth of meals.
 - Write down your favorite meals.
 - Take inventory of what you have on hand.
 - Look over the sales ads and fliers.
 - Gather coupons.
 - Map out your meals for the month.
 - Keep track of prices by making a price book.

2. Shop once a month.
 - Be flexible. You can swap meals during the month to different days.
 - Borrow it.  Ask a neighbor or friend for a missing ingredient.

3. Cook in Batches
 - Start the night before by putting meat in the crockpot, so it will be ready in the morning.
 - Clear your schedule.
 - Have your family help cut fruits and vegetables.
 - Make a list of what needs to be done and assign something to each family member.
 - Prepare the containers and label each one.
 - Start cooking

4. Keep your frozen food fresh
 - Seal containers tight.  Squeeze out as much air as you can.
 - Use durable containers.
 - Get rid of moisture.  For foods like breads and muffins, let them cool to room temperature before heating.
 - Skip freezing fresh fruits and vegetables.
 - Don't cook pasta all the way before freezing.
 - Cook potatoes fully before freezing or they will turn black.

Clean the Wheels of a Can Opener

Clean the wheels of a can opener with an old toothbrush and white distilled vinegar.

Tips For Picking Ripe Oranges At The Grocery Store

To find ripe oranges at the grocery store, choose oranges that feel firm and heavy for their size.

Alternative Fabric Softener

Did you run out of liquid fabric softener while doing your laundry?  Use hair conditioner instead during the rinse cycle in your washing machine.

Keep Babies And Young Kids Clothes Clean

Have your child wear an old adult-sized T-shirt over their clothes while they are eating, painting or doing anything else messy.  It gives an old T-shirt a new use and keeps your childrens clothes clean!

Cancer Fighting Fruits

Did you know that the seeds in the pit of stone plants contain cancer-fighting properties?  The property is Vitamin B17, also known as Laetrile.  Stone plants include apricot, apple, peach, cherry, orange and nectarine.  Apricot kernels carry the largest amount of B17 out of all of the stone plants.  The seeds also contain a small amount of cyanide, which could be toxic in large amounts.  From what I have researched, if you eat one of these fruits a day with the seeds, you would be in the safe level.  


You can crack the pit open with a nut cracker and either roast them or eat them raw.  You should chew them to release the B17 before you swallow. You could also grind them up and add them to cereal or apple juice and drink quickly.  It does have a bitter taste.


Sources: 


about.com
healingdaily.com
anticancerinfo.co.uk

10 Tips To Stop Colds Before They Start

10 Tips To Stop Colds Before They Start

1. Wash your hands often
2.  Get enough rest
3. Clean the surfaces of things that are frequently touched or shared by others (phones, keyboards, counters)
4. Eat healthy foods like Chicken Noodle Soup and Orange Juice
5. Use garlic when cooking.  It detoxifies and has antibacterial properties.
6. Drink plenty of fluids, but try to avoid alcohol and sugary drinks.
7. No hands touching the face.
8. Drink herbal teas that contain Echinacea, Astragalus and Licorice Root.
9. Aerobic exercise.  Get your blood pumping.
10.  Open some windows for a few minutes to get some fresh air in the house.

Recipe: Quick and Easy Chicken

Don't feel like being in the kitchen?  Here is a quick and easy chicken recipe that will get you in and out of the kitchen in no time!

Ingredients

4 Chicken Breasts
1 Packet of Onion Soup Mix
1/2 Cup of Italian Salad Dressing

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Place Chicken Breasts in Baking Dish
3. Coat Chicken with Italian Dressing and pour the rest over it to bake
4. Sprinkle Onion Soup Mix over the Chicken
5. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes (40 minutes if the Chicken is thick).

Remove Mineral Deposits from Coffee Makers

Remove mineral deposits from coffee makers with white distilled vinegar. Fill the water reservoir with 1 cup or more of white distilled vinegar and run it through a whole cycle. Run it once or twice more with water to rinse clean. 

Frugal = Healthy

Families who live frugal lives, normally are healthier.  They cook more meals at home, buy less junk food, walk or bike to their destinations and reduce alcohol and cigarette purchases.

A Weekly Meal Plan Can Save Time and Money

I am starting to do weekly meal planning.  I find that I save more time by doing the meal plans than before when I used to wonder what I would make for dinner around 5pm.  Now, I am beginning to realize how little food my family of four needs.  We used to buy $100 or more groceries each week because we would buy whatever looks good.  Now we are beginning to whittle down our grocery bill.  I have also begun to throw away less fresh produce since I buy with a plan to use it up soon.

Kill Germs with a Safe and Inexpensive Cleaner Found in Your House

Spray full-strength white distilled vinegar on doorknobs and then wipe them dry.

Real Simple Magazine on sale for $19.95/year

Real Simple Magazine is now on sale for $19.95 per year through Amazon.com if you sign up for the 1 year auto-renewal.  You save $35 off the retail price!  Real Simple Magazine is about simplifying your life.

Simple Test To Find Out If Eggs Are Still Good

I have found a way to test the eggs in your fridge to see if they are still good.  Fill a large bowl with cold water and put an egg in.

-If it sinks to the bottom, it is fresh.  

-If it sinks to the bottom, but stands straight up, it is good, but needs to be used soon.

-If it floats to the top, it needs to be thrown out.

Recipe: Mediterranean Chicken

Recipe: Mediterranean Chicken


Ingredients

3 Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1-2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Cups of prepared Farro or other rice-sized grain
1 Cup Greek Olives, Pitted
1 Cup of Artichoke Hearts
3/4 Cup of Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Crumbled Feta
1/4 Cup Parmesan
1/5 Cup of Italian Salad Dressing

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare Farro or other rice sized grain as directed on package.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pan
4. Mince Garlic and brown in the pan
5. Cut Chicken Breasts into small pieces (1 inch or smaller cubes) and cook in pan with olive oil and garlic.
6. Slice Olives, Artichoke Hearts and Sun-dried Tomatoes.
7. Remove pan from heat and mix in all remaining ingredients.
8. Stir until completely combined.
9. Pour into a baking pan ( 8x8 or 9x9)
10.  Sprinkle with extra Feta or Parmesan if you like.
11. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Cellfire Coupons - Load Grocery Coupons onto your Loyalty Card

I have been using Cellfire coupons for a while now and I usually save a few dollars on each grocery shopping trip with them.  They are convenient and easy to use.  There is no need for scissors since they are electronic.  You just load the coupons onto your stores loyalty card from their site.

You don't have to remember to bring your coupons with you since they are loaded directly onto your card.  They have loads of coupons for grocery and personal care products.

Clean Small Parts on Baby Bottles

Use a Q-tip to clean small areas on baby bottles and nipples.

Recipe: Italian Breaded Pork Chops

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com

ITALIAN BREADED PORK CHOPS

25 Min

Cook Time:
35 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 pork chops

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In a separate small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic, reserving for other uses.
4. Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place coated pork chops in the skillet, and brown abut 5 minutes on each side.
5. Place the skillet and pork chops in the preheated oven, and cook 25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 527 | Total Fat: 24.6g | Cholesterol: 247mg

Money-Saving Tips from a Stay-at-Home Mom Book & eBook is now on sale for 25% off!!!

Money-Saving Tips from a Stay-at-Home Mom Book is now on sale for 25% off through Lulu.com.  In this short book, I share with you some things I learned along the way that have taught me to live and eat well for less. I cover grocery shopping techniques that will cut your grocery bill in half, cooking healthy meals from scratch, homemade cleaning supplies which are healthier and cheaper and gardening to save money.

Get Rid of Mineral Deposits in a Tea Kettle

Get rid of mineral deposits in a tea kettle by adding a few cups of white distilled vinegar and letting it sit overnight. If more drastic action is needed, boil full-strength white distilled vinegar in the kettle a few minutes, let it cool and rinse with water a few times.

15 Uses for New Dryer Sheets

1. Clean baked on foods from cooking pots and pans by filling the pot or pan with warm water, placing an unused dryer sheet in the water and letting it sit overnight.  The baked on food should come off easily with a sponge.

2. Put unused, scented dryer sheet in a closet, drawer, luggage or at the bottom of a waste basket to keep it smelling fresh.

3. Remove soap scum from a shower door by wetting a new dryer sheet and scrubbing the shower door with it.  Rinse with water when you are done.

4.  Repels mosquitos.  Rub on your clothes and keep close by when you go outdoors during mosquito season.  You can put a dryer sheet in your belt loop.

5.  Eliminate static from your TV and computer screen by wiping screens with a dryer sheet.

6. Picks up pet hairs.  Rub over an area with pet hairs.  It will act as a magnet!

7.  Deoderize shoes.  Place a new dryer sheet in each shoe over night to deoderize.

8.  Push a threaded needle through a dryer sheet to stop the thread from getting tangled.

9.  Cleans paint off of paintbrushes.  Soak paint brushed in warm water with a new dryer sheet overnight to help get the pain off the brushes.

10. Get rid of static in your hair.  Rub an unused dryer sheet over your hair to remove static.

11.  Get static out of clothes.  Instead of buying expensive anti-static sprays, Rub a dryer sheet over your staticy clothes.  They do not take up much room in your purse or desk at work.

12.  Removes chewing gum from objects.  Rub a wet dryer sheet over stuck-on chewing gum to help remove.

13.  Dust everything in your house with a used dryer sheet.  No dusting spray required!

14. Place a new, scented dryer sheet in your vacuum bag to add a fresh scent to the room while you are vacuuming.

15.  Cleans bugs and tar off your car.  Rub an unused wet dryer sheet over any bugs or tar on your car to help remove them.  Does not remove paint!

Does anyone else have any creative uses for dryer sheets?

Clean and Deodorize Sink Drains With Natural Cleaners

Clean and Deodorize sink drains with natural cleaners. Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda down your drawn, then pour 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain. It will foam. Kids love to watch this. Let it sit for half an hour, then pour hot water down the drain. Repeat once a month. You will have clean, fresh sink drains for a fraction of the store-bought cleaners. Plus, it is all natural with no toxic fumes so you can safely clean around your kids.

           

Quick and cheap way to remove make-up

Quick and cheap way to remove make-up. Use baby wipes! You can even use them on sensitive skin.

Free Financial Advice

I have found two great sites filled with free financial advice:

1.  http://www.clarkhoward.com/  .  Clark Howard teaches you how to Save More, Spend Less and Avoid Getting Ripped-Off.  You can also watch his show on CNN Headline News.

2. DaveRamsey.com . Dave Ramsey also has a book called "Total Money Makeover"

Get out of Debt by Freezing your Credit Cards

Get out of Debt by Freezing your Credit Cards.  Yes, you literally freeze them in ice!  Put your credit cards in plastic sandwich bags filled with water and freeze them.  This will make it hard for you to use your credit cards.  If there is an emergency, you could always thaw it and use it.  Word of warning:  Don't thaw in the microwave.  It will destroy the card and possibly the microwave too.

Safely pick up shards of glass without a vacuum cleaner

If you break something and end up with small shards of broken glass you can pick them up by gently pressing a piece of Play-Doh or a slice of bread on the area.  Make sure you throw it away somewhere safe so kids do not accidentally find it and play with it afterwards.

10 Energy-Saving Tips

10 Energy-Saving Tips

1. Make sure the flue/damper on your fireplace is closed when not in use.

2. Caulk, seal and weather-strip around windows where you can feel a draft.

3. Lower your hot water heater to 120 degrees.  If you are leaving the house for a few days, turn your hot water heater all the way down to the vacation setting.

4. Change your furnace filter monthly.

5. Turn your thermostat down.  Wear more layers in the winter and light-weight clothes in the summer.

6. Make sure you have adequate insulation around your house.

7. Have your appliances serviced yearly.

8. Replace your old furnace with a new, more energy-efficient furnace.

9. During the winter, keep curtains and blinds open during the day to let warmth in and close curtains and blinds at night to keep cold air out.

10. Wrap your water heater with an insulating blanket.

Natural Remedies for Kids

I was recently reading the January 2011 edition of my Parents Magazine and found an article called "The Best Natural Remedies for Kids".  They have done the research to find the best tested and expert-recommended natural remedies.  Here is what I found:

Colic: give baby or child chamomile tea.

High Blood Sugar: give cinnamon to child.  Sprinkle it in cereal or put it in cookie recipe.

Reflux: Have child, 4 or over, chew sugarless gum.

Sunburn: Smooth aloe-vera gel onto the burn or snap a leaf off of an aloe plan and squeeze gel onto burn.

Upset Stomach: Give child Ginger tea or fresh ginger.  Ginger ale contains a very small amount of ginger.

Nasal allergies: Add foods like apples, blueberries, raspberries and onions to your childs diet.

Coughs: Honey soothes irritated membranes by coating the throat, making swallowing less painful.  It also contains illness-fighting antioxidants and antimicrobials.

Diarrhea: Give child foods containing probiotics like yogurt, buttermilk, some soy foods and beverages and supplements.  Look for foods containing Lactobacillus reuteri or L. reuteri.

Save Money by Using People Shampoo on your Dog or Cat

You can save tons of money by using your shampoo on your dog or cat.  I recently used Pert Plus (dandruff control) on my dog when bathing her since we ran out of her regular doggy shampoo.  Her fur was shiny and she didn't have any dandruff afterwards!  I was able to get the Pert Plus for free by using a coupon while it was on sale.  Pert Plus has a shampoo and conditioner in it, which I think helped, since my dog's skin is usually itchy after baths.

Best Deals of January

January is the best time to buy:

- Air Conditioners
- Gas Grills
- Homes
- Bicycles and Sporting Goods
- Furniture
- Linens and Bed Sheets
- Carpeting
- Digital Cameras