Frugal Fridays: Frugal on the Web

I often hear, "Frugal Fridays is great, but where can I get information on money saving tips, living frugally and general information about personal finance issues the other six days of the week?"  [Well, maybe I only hear this in my own head, but I still hear it, OK??]  I've found lots and lots of good websites and today I wanted to share some of them.  This way, in the future, if you are jonesing for some financial advice in the middle of the week, you will no longer have to wait till Friday to satisfy your craving.  This list includes some sites that I don't really use myself, but others have recommended as useful.

On-Line Magazines
There are a lot of sites devoted to financial news and information.  Some of these are part of larger news organizations while some are devoted to this one topic.  Many of the articles include timely and helpful tips and advice.

MSNBC Money is one of my favorite sources for current financial information and helpful advice.

CNN Money is another one of my favorite source for general financial information.

Kiplinger has advice primarily geared towards investing activity, but there is a lot of good information on budgeting and other financial advice.

Motley Fool is mainly a site for investment advice, but their Personal Finance section often has interesting articles as well.

Yahoo! Finance has a section on personal finance with articles and columns.

Reuters Personal Finance department often has really helpful articles.

Money Saving Tips and Frugal Living
There are many websites out there devoted to helping people learn new ways to live more frugally.  Many of these have discussion forums where you can share hints and get suggestions from other like-minded people.

Hillbilly Housewife has lots of advice and comes highly recommended from many users.

Fly Lady is a site and a system that  has been highly recommended to help people organize all aspects of their lives, including their finances.

Debtors Anonymous has some very good information for those facing large debt.

Tightwad Central is a site filled with money saving tips and ideas.

iVillage is an on-line community with information addressed towards women.  However, their financial advice is applicable to everyone.

The Simple Living Network has a lot of resources including a free newsletter.

Dollar Stretcher has advice on saving money in all sorts of aspects, including everything from your home budget to your investment strategy.

Living a Better Life has articles, links to resources and other household financial information.

Frugal Living on about.com has more hints and tips.

Financial Blogs
There are some people like me out there who like to write about financial stuff, but rather than piggy back on a high traffic site like this, they actually try to build their own site.  

The Finance Buff is a techy nerd after my own heart.  Many of the posts are geared towards investing and savings analyses.

The Consumerist is somewhere between a consumer activist and a gossip site for consumer affairs.  If you are having difficulty getting a dispute resolved, or if you just like seeing what bad (and good) actions some companies have taken, check them out.

Life on a Shoestring Budget is a blog devoted to passing on money saving ideas.

Frugal For Life is another blog with money saving ideas.

Frugal Families has tips that are directed more towards families, rather than individuals.

Free Money Finance has information that is intended to help you grow your net worth.

My Money Blog is another site with information about growing your net worth.

Blogging Away Debt is the chronicle of one woman's family's attempt to dig their way out of massive debt.

Update [2008-5-16 15:39:51 by sarahnity]: I just found one more:  The Simple Dollar.  I love the tag line "Financial talk for the rest of us."

Newspaper Columnists and Radio Shows
There are some people who actually get paid for handing out weekly financial advice.  What a concept!  I've found really interesting stuff from each of these guys, some of which I may have even borrowed once or twice for these diaries.

The Savings Game: Humberto Cruz is featured weekly in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The Color of Money:  Michelle Singletary writes a weekly column on household financial advice for the Washington Post.

Everyday Cheapskate by Mary Hunt is a weekly column syndicated in newspapers.

Clark Howard has a syndicated daily radio show.  You can also listen over the web.

Book Sites and Other For-Pay Sites
While there is a lot of great info available for free on the web, sometimes it's nice to have information off-line and there may be other helpful information it is worth paying for.  Here are some websites that market books either I've found helpful myself or others have recommended.  Many authors include extensive resources on their websites you can access for free.  I've also included some websites that sell services or advice here.  I haven't paid for any of the information on these, so I can't judge that, but they all do have some resources available for free.

Consumer Reports is one of my favorite off-line magazines.  Their web site has a lot of information for free as well as some you must pay to access.

Money and Happiness is the companion site for the book of the same name by Laura Rowley.

Nolo Press is the first place I look if I want to but a book on any legal or financial topic.  They don't always have what I'm looking for, but I've never been disappointed with any of the books that I've found.

The Simplicity Resource Guide is the companion site for books by Linda Breen Pierce on Simple Living.

Frugal Fun is the home site of Shel Horowitz, author of The Penny-Pinching Hedonist.

Minyanville is primarily concerned with investment advice and information.

Money Instructor has lesson plans to teach children and adults money skills.  Much of this is available for free.

That's all I have for now.  Be sure to share your favorite links in the comments below.

Frugal Tip of the Week: Gas prices have skyrocketed and the summer driving season is fast approaching so we are all looking for ways to improve our cars' mileage.  Unfortunately, not every great tip you hear really works.  Don't get fooled by these Gas Saving Myths.  Pay close attention to #4 on this list.  While proper tire inflation will help improve your mileage, over inflating your tires is a really bad idea.

•  Tips for links

  I'm still looking for more guest authors.  Please email me at frugalfridays (at) gmail.com if you have an idea you'd like to cover.

  by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:09:17 PM PDT

  •  Hoping for better advice

    in the links that you've provided than what I've found on the 'net so far! I've been assembling recipes that use ingredients donated to our local food shelf. It seems too many folk don't know what to do with non-minute rice or dry beans! And then there's the vegetables like kale, artichoke, turnip, rutabaga, fennel, beets, beet greens, etc., that are sometimes donated but clients are reluctant to take.

    In my search for recipes, I've tried putting "cheap" into my search strings and have been very disappointed with the result. It seems ground beef (which cannot be had here for under $2.59/#) is considered "cheap" and far too many recipes feature it. I'm needing the kind of recipes that feed a family of 4 for $2-3 worth of food/meal...total, not per person!

    The old adage for the poor folks here is trying to decide between food and fuel (referencing fuel oil for heating) during the winter. Now it's between food and gasoline and I shudder to think about the impact colder weather will have on that equation!

    Thank you so very much for the links!

    by mamamorgaine on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:19:26 PM PDT

    •  Well I Have A Couple Suggestions Related

      to food. I've found finding online food options based on price of the meals alone tough. I might suggest Food Network, but I don't think it lets you search by cost. Plus it is my experience when searching for stuff like you are looking for you get "simple" receipts, not inexpensive ones.

      What I would suggest is a local Flea Market, spring garage sales, or a used book store. It is my experience when I was eating on a very limited budget a few of the older Southern Living cookbooks (around 1970-1980) are helpful. One called Southern Living: The Casseroles Cookbook (Copyright 1975) is strongly suggested.

      Many of the recipes deal with noodles, a canned soup, canned veggie, bread crumbs and other stuff. I am not saying you can make something for under $5 each time, but not much more and you'll get more then 1-2 meals out of at least. And in many instances the meals are better reheated.

      Hope that helps a little.

      by webranding on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:27:19 PM PDT

    •  Check out these links too

      I did a diary just on food related links (shopping, storing, cooking, etc) a while ago: Linkolicious and there may be some in there that would help.  I also link to recipes users had posted in past Frugal Fridays diaries.  

      It's been so long, I mean to do this topic again soon.

      by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:27:57 PM PDT

    •  Just Another Comment

      I think I mentioned this to you before and you said it wasn't an option, but getting together with another couple of people and getting a SAMs card would be helpful. If you're trying to buy single servings (and I do understand why) of just about any meat or even canned produce you are paying 40% or more then if you can buy in bulk and freeze and/or save.

      For example, I think I bought eight pounds of frozen chicken thights and legs last weekend at SAMs. You add some bulk rice (not that in the bag junk) and veggies you are getting into your price range.

      by webranding on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:34:20 PM PDT

      •  Oh The Price For The Chicken Was $5.99 n/t

        by webranding on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:35:11 PM PDT

        •  chicken warning

          In one of my industry daily newsletters yesterday (for those that don't know I co-own/run an ice cream parlor/cafe) there was a huge article that boiled down to this: with the high cost of feed, chicken will very shortly (by end of May) be in short supply on store shelves and prices will be sharply increasing
          just thought i'd give the heads up...if you have extra freezer space...stock up now!

          by Spedwybabs on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:33:06 PM PDT

          •  Thanks, 'babs! n/t

            by lamzdotes on Fri May 16, 2008 at 03:25:48 PM PDT

      •  Mentioned to me?

        Pardon if my memory gaps are gaping wider than usual...did you mention this option to me or to sarahnity?

        Turns out it's not an option for me, either, since I'm not sure where the nearest SAMs is located. I think about 1 1/2 hours away if there's one in Burlington (VT). And when you're leaning on a food shelter for sustanence, buying in bulk is usually right out!

        On a related topic, I'm not sure if I saw it on DailyKos or during my other searches, but I stumbled upon a new poverty/nutrition study. It found that for young children (under 10) that poverty affected their nutrition, but far less than was expected. Teens fared much worse with some of this attributed to the nutritional demands of a maturing body. Adults (over 25) fared the worst and in addition to the poor nutrition even experienced regular caloric deficits in their diet.  I take this study to mean that when families prioritize the food, younger members are buffered from hardship as much as possible. (the availability of governmental programs helps as well!)

        by mamamorgaine on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:46:46 PM PDT

        •  I Thought I Mentioned It To You

          but I was basing that on the situation you outlined here, not your screen name, from a comment I left a couple Frugal Fridays ago. Good luck. I'll keep trying to think of something that might help :)!

          by webranding on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:52:40 PM PDT

          •  It is really difficult

            When I had no money one Summer, I at least could run up a tab at my CSA, which wasn't due until late in the Fall.  (Ideal for students without Summer funding!)

            Basically, being poor is really expensive beyond a certain point, since you lose access to the kinds of economies of scale you're talking about.  (Or are represented in my recipes.  The people rec'ing them up are very unlikely to be food insecure.)

            by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:28:53 PM PDT

        •  Angel food network

          I saw Angel Food Ministries mentioned in another diary here a few days back.

          I'm not sure if it would be helpful?

           
          Also discovered that food stamps can be used to buy seeds for raising food. (Thankfully don't need this info myself, but here it is for anyone who does.)

          by Lashe on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:05:34 PM PDT

        •  If VT is similar to WMA

          Then if you can't buy in bulk, you are going to be eating whatever greens you can get locally, but at least eggs and dairy are reasonably available.

          That said, 4 people for $3 really pushes it, even with bulk grains.  4 people for $3 each is easy.

          by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:07:40 PM PDT

    •  beans, lentils and dried peas are the way to go

      on such a budget...as I am sure you know.  one pot meals with whatever veggies are in season can be very tasty when prepared with spices.  I would suggest that food banks also ask people for donation of spices, because they make all the difference in the world to a pot of beans.

      Properly soaking the beans and rinsing them and cooking them for the length of time will help.  Old Rodale recipe books have loads of recipes.

      by SeaTurtle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:51:13 PM PDT

      •  Paella would work, I think n/t

        by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:58:58 PM PDT

      •  Cassoulet is really cheap too n/t

        by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:05:20 PM PDT

      •  I grow herbs in the garden...

        ...along the fenceline and in pots on the porches (on windowsills during the winter). Make my own substitutes (that aren't really substitutes) with sea salt (buy it by the pound, it's worth it) and mix in whatever sounds good or is in this week.

        Grow thyme, basil (LOVE the smell of drying bunches!), sage, rosemary, taragon, sheep sorrel, chives, cilantro/cardamom, oregano, savory, six kinds of mint, lemon balm and always lots and lots of garlic, scattered everywhere amongst the veggies. Dry these in bunches, put the dry into clean canning jars with used lids to store until I'm mixing. Also grow six or seven kinds of peppers (sweet and hot) every year, these dry fine in ristras or cut into strips and sun or oven dried. Grind [whatever] up to powder, mix with the salt and put into spice jars. Some mixtures without any salt.

        You've gotta buy peppercorns and bay leaves (they don't grow here), good in particular mixtures. Always include bay in anything that goes with beans, it helps "de-poot" them. You'd be surprised at just what you can grow in little pots, there's usually more than enough. Most can be dried and ground, including garlic cloves (slice first) and greens (dry like chives). Some is best fresh, particularly basil with tomatoes.

        Homemade curries/seasoning salts are very fine to have on hand, cost nothing but seeds and dirt and salt.

        by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:34:10 PM PDT

        •  can I come over? pretty please... : )

          by SeaTurtle on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:47:50 PM PDT

      •  Legumes, grains and a flavoring

        is the way to eat cheap and healthy

        There are lots of choices in each category, too.

        You can even use meat as a flavoring, if you like... but then it's like 1 oz or less per person.

        by plf515 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:42:54 PM PDT

    •  I see a lot of eggs in your future

      Kale and artichokes are things for which there are a ton of recipes.

      You need to go to the Asian store and get a large bag of rice.  Since you have beans, you can mix it.  Then get some tofu and an egg, and you can make fried rice with Kale.

      Really this is quite a low budget unless you can amortize things over a few meals, though.

      by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:55:54 PM PDT

    •  I am going to bust $3 with this

      But quiche is pretty cost effective.  With 3 eggs, 1c cream, 3 leeks, and a pie crust, you can make quiche that will feed 4.  (Albeit w/o anything green involved other than the leeks.)

      by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:58:28 PM PDT

      •  Variant

        4 eggs, a cup of milk, a pie crust, a can of mushrooms (3/$1 on sale), and a couple handfuls of (or half a box of frozen) spinach.

        by Lashe on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:08:30 PM PDT

        •  There are like a zillion variants

          Herbes de Provence  makes them all work.  Sundried tomatoes are nice too.  As is Gruyere, but these are unnecessary elaborations that make the cost go up.

          An even more elemental baked egg dish is to just saute some spinach with garlic, and make a nest in a ramekin, maybe with toast on the bottom.  Crack an egg on top, drip with creme fraiche and bake at maybe 400 until the whites are just barely done.  

          Of course, anybody who can waste time on this stuff is probably in no immediate danger of starving, but it's cheap to make.

          by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:14:03 PM PDT

    •  Recipe sources

      I know I sound like a broken record sometimes, but I'd check the cookbook section in your local library.  If they don't have the kind of cookbooks which you're looking for, you should be able to order them through inter-library loan at the library.   You can also borrow magazines from the library....

      My favorite "cheap" cookbook is the More With Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre.   It was first published about 25 or 30 years ago, but it's still very useful.

      Great frugal diary!

      by worriedgranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:14:03 PM PDT

    •  I bought Marian Morash's book...

      ...The Victory Garden Cookbook years ago when we moved to the mountains and I took up growing my own. What the heck do you do when you've got bushels of eggplant or bussels sprouts coming in all at once? How dumb is it to plant more than one vine of zucchini, and does ANYBODY eat that stuff? What the heck is celeriac, and what's a fennel good for?

      All the veggies, alphabetically listed. Harvesting, storage, prep, preservation, and more recipes for each thing than you knew existed anywhere. Oh... and when I'm hard up for something I just bought a bunch of at the farmer's market, I just google it, followed by "recipes." Returns dozens of great sites with collected ideas and recipes for everything - canning, freezing, drying, cooking, whatever. I've collected so many great recipes off the web I'll have to get a 3-ring binder.

      The Answers are Out There... §;o)

      by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:20:43 PM PDT

      •  Fried Zuccini Flowers!!!

        I will admit that more than one zuccini vine might be overkill, I would, at least, plant two.  Fried zuccini flowers might sound odd, but they're great!

        Here's the recipe:

        Fried Zucchini Flowers

        12-18 zucchini flowers
        1 cup flour
        2/3 cup whole milk
        1 egg, lightly beaten
        Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
        Vegetable oil for frying

        Batter: Mix together flour, milk, egg and salt.  The batter should be fairly runny, slightly thinner than a pancake batter.  If not runny enough, add a little water, one tablespoon at a time.

        Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan to hot but not smoking.  Pour in oil to cover the bottom, about 1/2 inch.

        Gently, gently, dip the flowers in the batter, then fry them until golden.  Do not overcrowd the pan and work in batches if necessary.  

        Drain flowers on paper towel and serve hot.

        Serves 6

        by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:53:36 PM PDT

        •  Ooohhh!

          I love fried summer squash flowers, MUST try these, so thanks! Don't know why I didn't equate zucchini as squash, which of course it IS... Duh!

          by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:59:59 PM PDT

        •  By the way...

          ...here's something I'll bet you never thought of, that my family and friends love so much I've got to grow sage EVERYWHERE just to have enough...

          Sage chips. Just gather the mature leaves (save the babies for savory spice), as many as you can. Wash and spin-dry (with a hand crank salad spinner). Then pop 'em into hot oil - the lighter the better, I like safflower - and fry a bit, drain on newspaper. You can sprinkle with a savory salt if you like, but we just eat 'em as-is.

          Fried kale is darned good too...

          by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:03:37 PM PDT

          •  Fwar!!!!

            Sorry, I've been hanging around the British too long and my hubby learned Queen's English before American.  LOL  Besides, it's more polite than my Spanish euphamisms.  

            That sounds awesome.  I grew up in sage country (wrong variety).  I never heard of that though.  I WILL try it soon.  I can't grow it as I have no yard, but I can get it fresh.  

            Thank you.  

            FYI, my hubby is French.  I'm American.  He cooks Italian (traditional Sicilian), and I cook French.  Kinda funny when you think about it.  I make great pate though I don't follow a recipe.  LOL  I also do just fine cooking Mexican (no burger meat...ugh!).  

            by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:25:09 PM PDT

            •  In ref to the pate

              My husband told me it was great.  He's from Southern France and he's pickier about his food than I am.  I take it as a compliment.  I only know he's telling the truth because A: he's never lied to me that I know of....and B: he asks me to make it every so often.  LOL

              For my pate:  sorry no details.  Not secret, I just don't bother to measure anything.  

              2 pkgs chicken livers (or duck, etc)
              salt
              pepper
              minced garlic (fresh)
              mushrooms (No measurement as it depends on whether or not you even like them) sauted in butter.
              a capful (or more) of Cognac.  I tend to use Courvoisier but it makes sense as my hubby is French and it was Napolean's Cognac.  It's optional, so use it or not and for heaven's sake, pick your own Cognac...just not the really cheap crud as it's nasty.  

              I fry the livers (in butter, not margarine) until done.  I put them in my food processor and add the rest.  I add the rest of the ingredients to taste.  

              by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:41:40 PM PDT

              •  Hehehe....

                ...oh, you just knew I had a paté recipe, didn't you? Being as this is the mountains, and we've 13 acres (surrounded by National Forest) with not one but two creeks running through, we've lots of native brown trout. A Tewa lady taught my daughter how to catch them (angling with fingers) many years ago, she taught grandson. They're not big or fat, but they are mighty tasty and they can catch a bucketfull if they care to.

                I clean them and cook with not much water (salted) in a big pot with a bunch of sassafras leaves tossed in (good tenderizer, smells and tastes wonderful). Then put 'em in the pogie-matic (food processor) with some sweet bells and Vidalias, lemon juice to consistency. THAT is some mighty fine cracker-spread!

                by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:57:44 PM PDT

                •  Ah, noodling, I think the proper term is.

                  My papi was a noodler extraordinaire.  He went out of his way to catch his fish that way.  He always made his dad look bad (they weren't close and it's not tragic), so his dad quit taking him fishing.  

                  It's funny when you consider that my dad won't eat fish or fowl.  He says it's called "fowl/foul" for a reason.  I won't give you his description of fish as it's rude.  

                  Thank you.  You just reminded me of some good childhood memories. LOL

                  Of course, your story reminded me of cooking trout at the campsite.  You had to leave the heads on and cook them until...never mind.  I won't gross out the vegans or vegetarians here.  Not sarcasm or snark.  I realise that my food tastes may bother some.  

                  Note:  I may use duck liver for my pate, but not Fois Gras.  

                  by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 03:17:05 PM PDT

                  •  You are a fount of wisdom, FG!

                    Would you consider writing a guest diary some week?  As I said to Joy below, food is a really popular frugal topic, but I just can't do it justice.  Email me if you are interested.

                    by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 03:56:43 PM PDT

    •  I can live without the beets...LOL

      I do know what to do with dry beans though.   The only two foods I despise are are dill pickles and beets. Not bad,considering that I'll eat stuff that my my mum and hubby won't even look at, let alone eat.

      I grew up on the Mexican Border and life without frijoles is no life at all.  Now I'm in S.F. and can't find decent Mex. food to save my life.  I make my own in self defense.  Refried beans (frijoles) are best made from dried beans.  

      by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:34:31 PM PDT

      •  We LOVE Mexican!

        All in all, your very BEST bet for eating cheap and getting good nutrition to boot is to purchase dry beans and grains in bulk. I can get dry pinto and black beans at the farmer's market in 25 or 50 pound bags for less than 50¢ a pound. 50 pounds is about 6 months' worth of bean meals (and we eat chili beans or Sandanista burritos three times a week at least) for less than $25. I can't grow 'em that cheap! Also buy 5# bags of masa (in the Mexican section, big population here), make my own sopapillas and tortillas.

        Since I work from home, I also make bread - sourdough, so I don't have to spend money on yeast, which costs more than flour. Throw in some barley, rice, oat or even acorn flour (I buy whole grains and process acorns in the fall, grind them with a hand-crank mill in batches, freeze in jars or zip-locks), add some flax or organic sesame seeds, maybe even some sprouts (wheat, alfalfa, radish, clover). A good hunk of that with cheese is itself a meal and quite filling.

        Now all I need are some chickens, and a goose to keep the dogs and foxes away from them! THEN I might get a milk goat... herbed chevre is quite easy to make, my extension agent tells me.

        by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:43:37 PM PDT

        •  Someone after my own heart...

          I too love Mexican as I posted.  The problem is, I grew up with the "below the border" stuff.  Back home, when you order a carne (meat) burrito, it comes with whatever meat you ordered and nothing else. Everything else is on a sidebar, so you can add, or not, to your heart's content.  Beans and rice are on the side.  Here, if you order the same, it comes with beans and rice in the burrito.  I'm not used to it and not fond of it either.  

          My favorite food is Chili Colorado, but I've not really got any kind of recipe for it.  I just set the pot up and dump.  I hate it when other places say they have it, but I find them cheating and using enchilada sauce.  It's NOT the same thing.  ugh!  

          Yee gads!  I'm guilty of thread hijack.  My bad.  I'll go back to reading.  

          by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 03:01:51 PM PDT

          •  Not bad (or I'm bad too).

            As the price of living - every bit of it - gets higher and higher, more and more people are going to find themselves very much stuck not knowing what to do. Poor people in this country are obese not because they eat tons of food, but because the food they eat packs on pounds without much nutritional value. Thus they're hungry all the time, for the nutrients they're not getting. That's a health care issue as well.

            My youngest sister is obese. She doesn't even have a stove in her house, never learned to cook and always buys Wendy's or McDonald's or Kentucky Fried for her family. They're going to lose their house, she's being sued for credit card debt she can't pay.

            She's not alone, and that's very scary to me. If you're eating enough nutrients, you're not hungry all the time. If you're not buying junk, real food doesn't cost that much. If you're making it yourself, you aren't paying someone else to do it for you, and then you've got the money to get to and from work every day.

            It's a mind-set problem in this country. And whole generations of people who don't know how to do for themselves. That has to change, and when it DOES change, the "powers that be" will have a lot less power than they do now. Really.

            by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 03:12:56 PM PDT

            •  A lot of great ideas, here

              Joy, would you be willing to write a Frugal Fridays on food?  It's a really popular topic, but I just can't do it justice.  I'm gonna ask FrugalGranny above too.  There's plenty of room for multiple diaries on this.

              by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 03:53:27 PM PDT

              •  I'd love to, Sarah!

                Will get one to you a.s.a.p., you can use whenever you'd like. I love your series, and since you linked to my blog (Life on a Shoestring Budget), I'll call on a "best-of" from here too.

                Food is the most basic basic. But things are so out of hand and getting nothing but worse, it's an issue that needs some attention. Thanks!

                by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 04:15:53 PM PDT

                •  Great! Or you can pick a date

                  and post it directly.  Email me (frugalfridays at gmail.com) and we can arrange something.

                  by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 05:18:24 PM PDT

                  •  Will do! n/t

                    by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 05:21:08 PM PDT

      •  Beets are wonderful

        Shedded in a good borsch with sour cream on top is heaven.  And beet greens are an excellent late spring early summer veggie-although hard to find for sale out side of New England, in my experience.  Just boil or steam lightly so still a little resistance to chewing, and serve with any meat or fish dish.  If you want to, add butter, or lemon juice.  I like them plain.

        by barbwires on Fri May 16, 2008 at 04:46:33 PM PDT

        •  Golly...

          ...I grow lots of beets because I love beet greens, but borsch... yuck! Russian friends growing up in upstate NY and in FL later, just can't stand the smell of it. Think it's the vinegar, though I make my own (have concord and muscodine vines) wine vinegar and use it in many dishes. Easier than wine, more useful too! Working on balsamic this year, a first (and it's now 9 months old aging with oak, soon to re-pot with tulip poplar because balm is nice...).

          I grew radishes one year that bolted long before I got around to them, grew three feet tall and set seed in these little pea-pod looking things I'd never seen. Brother-in-Law the Sikh (born in Kenya, raised in Britain) visited and got really excited about them. Said he'd grown up with radish pods as part of his daily diet, never knew where they came from if it wasn't the Indian store. So we picked a bunch and I made stir-fry that was wonderful. Those suckers are HOT!!!

          by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 05:46:49 PM PDT

        •  ewwwww!

          Don't ask me why, but I never learned to like beets.  I was forced to eat pickled beets as a child.  I was told I would learn to like them. Oh well.  When I hit adulthood, I tried regular cooked beets.  That didn't fly either.  I'm not a picky eater though.  I'll eat tripas tacos and a few other things that make my mum gag.

          Maybe I'll give beets another chance one day.  

          by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 06:39:23 PM PDT

    •  Recipe mega-sites

      All Recipes can be searched by ingredient and category. Their main dish of Cuban Beans and Rice  has only onion/pepper as the fresh ingredients.

      101 Cookbooks has veggie recipes, some with nice short ingredient lists.

      Recipe Goldmine has a solid list of bean recipes.

      Recipe Source is the absolute mother lode for recipes, sorted by ingredient, ethnicity or category- including a whopping 1639 different casseroles.

      Don't forget bloggy goodness like The Joy of Soup or The Sandwich Project. Use  Robbie's Copycats for when you can't afford to eat out but really want something like Hashbrown Casserole from Crackerbarrel.

      And because it wouldn't be dkos without it, try the Pie of the Month Club, with bizarrely yummy pies made from things that I probably wouldn't eat if it wasn't in a pieshell (like zucchini).

      by histopresto on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:48:43 PM PDT

      •  I can't resist pie recipes, especially oddballs.

        Keep in mind that any squishy pie filling (custard, chopped fruits, etc.) can be baked in a greased casserole dish if you don't have a pie shell.

        Beet Pie!
        Makes a 10" Pie, Preheat oven to 350.
        1 Unbaked 10" pie shell, chilled.

        2 lbs. Fresh beet
        1/2 t. nutmeg
        1 1/4 c. heavy cream (can evap. milk would work)
        1 1/4 c. milk
        1/2 vanilla bean  (or tsp. vanilla)
        1/2 c. sugar
        3 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

        1. Cut tops off beets leaving 1 inch of stems. Boil ‘til tender. Remove from heat and cool. Slip skins off and coarsely grate them by hand, stir in nutmeg and set aside.

        2. Combine cream, milk and vanilla bean in heavy pan, simmer for 5 minutes, remove vanilla bean.

        3. Using a mixer, beat the sugar with eggs and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Gradually add the hot cream-milk mixture, beating constantly. Strain mixture into large bowl and stir in beets, mixing well. Pour into shell. Bake 55-60 minutes until filling is set. Eat warm or room temp.

        White Potato Pie (Yes, it's sweet)
        You need: unbaked single crust for an 8" pie

        2 C. mashed potatoes
        1/3 TB butter
        1 tsp cinnamon
        3 eggs
        1/2 tsp salt
        1 TB orange juice
        1 tsp. nutmeg
        1 C sugar
        2 C milk
        1 t. grated orange peel

        mash potatoes with butter and salt.
        add sugar, slightly beaten eggs, spices and milk. stir well.
        add peel and juice. stir to mix.
        pour into shell & bake until firm (~40 minutes at 350 degrees F)

        Bean Pie
        9" Pie shell, baked empty for 10 minutes and cooled.

        2-15 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained
        3 eggs slightly beaten
        1 1/4 c. sugar
        1/4 c. melted unsalted butter
        1 t. vanilla extract
        1 t. ground cinnamon
        1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
        1/2 t. freshly ground allspice
        1 t. Baking powder
        1/3 c. evaporated milk (if desired substitute soy milk).

        Have pie crust ready. Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, beat beans until smooth. Beat in eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. In separate bowl, combine baking powder and milk. Add to bean mixture—beat well—pour into pie shell. Bake 50 minutes or until FIRM. Cool before serving.

        Amish Sauerkraut Surprise Custard Pie

        1 crust for a 9" pie, unbaked
        2 1/2 c. whole milk
        3/4 c. drained, rinsed, chopped sauerkraut
        1/2 c. sugar
        3 eggs
        1 tsp. vanilla extract
        1/4 tsp. salt

        preheat oven to 425 F (220 C)
        in a large bowl, combine milk, eggs, sauerkraut, sugar, vanilla and salt.
        Pour mixture into the pie shell
        Bake at 425 F for 35 minutes... or until knife inserted 1" from the edge comes out clean... enjoy!

        ZUCCHINI PIE

        You'll need:
        9" unbaked double crust

        2-3 med. zucchini, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4" (1cm) thick slices (6 cups sliced)
        2 TB lemon juice
        1 3/4 cup sugar
        2 tsp cinnamon
        1/4 tsp allspice
        1/4 tsp nutmeg
        2 TB flour
        2 TB cornstarch
        1/4 cup butter, cut into 1/4" cubes

        preheat oven to 400 F. Boil zucchini 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain & rinse in cold water. Toss with lemon juice. Set aside. In a small bowl combine dry ingredients, toss with zucchini slices & spoon into crust. Dot with butter cubes. Add top crust, seal and vent. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

        by histopresto on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:08:35 PM PDT

        •  Guess I'll save my recipe...

          ...for Aunt Granny's Great Mater Pie for when I do a Frugal Food Friday! It's famous... §;o)

          by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 04:22:03 PM PDT

    •  Do you have a school nearby

      that has a dietitics program? All dieticians have to do an internship and they are always looking for ways to do community service. Contact the school and ask them if a student could create healthful, low budget menus. My daughter worked with the WIC program in Madison, WI for a year as an undergrad and then again in Kansas City during her internship.

      USDA Frugal Food Plan Recipe Book is a 78 page booklet of menus, recipes and tips. There are some realistic tips, like buying a small amount of something at the store salad bar so you don't waste what you don't eat.

      by 1864 House on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:03:34 PM PDT

    •  Don't know where you live...

      ...but I live in southern Appalachia. Official "Depressed Region," so we seem to get a little bit of extra attention on the price end.

      A local (?) grocery chain - Bi-Lo - paid attention when we had a minor citizen protest a few years ago for labeling organic/naturally grown produce and segregating all the GMOs. Now they have a huge produce section divided into regular, natural and organic, and often buy the natural/organics locally (so it's almost as good as the farmer's market). Sometimes they're cheaper than the trucked-in or out-of-country stuff.

      Then they began offering several new (or unknown to me) organic brands of everything in the aisles, all in their own section next to the regular brands. Surprisingly these cost the same or just pennies more than regulars, and often get the store discount if you've got a card. Meaning that if you're careful you can eat organics for the same price overall as regulars. And this includes snack items and processed box-items too.

      But really, if you want to go cheap organic, your best bet are farmer's markets (including tailgate markets at the organic food coop, where backyard growers can sell their extras). You can even buy plant starts there for those great herbs and veggies you'd like to grow in pots on your porch. Fine tomatoes and peppers are grown that way, even in the city!

      And don't forget potatoes. You can grow 'em in a half-barrel under straw and leaves just fine. Had a friend growing up whose father grew them all winter on their dirt basement floor. Made spectacular potato-dandelion stew!

      by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:48:39 PM PDT

      •  THANK YOU!

        I just checked back after making cookies and I'm impressed with the number of replies! Lots of good ideas here, and I'm going to start a document file with all the links so I can share it around at the food shelf.

        Fortunately, I'm one of the few who do know what to do with dry rice and beans, but I don't usually follow a recipe. I'm coordinating with the woman who runs the food shelf 'cause she knows I can cook a bit (I bake better than I cook....) and I have good 'net access to look for recipes. (hubby telecommutes one day a week, so we HAVE to have a good connection...for which I'm very grateful or I wouldn't get my DailyKos fix near often enough!)

        Thank you, again! And if I can catch the diaries on frugal food I certainly will join in the discussion!

        by mamamorgaine on Fri May 16, 2008 at 04:49:36 PM PDT

  •  One more financial blog

    I just found another one: The Simple Dollar.  I love the tag line "Financial talk for the rest of us."

    by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:34:51 PM PDT

•  Free dance music, while laughing your ass off.

  I just can't get enough:

  http://youtube.com/...

  Too much bliss for one free click.

  by Rian Fike on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:13:55 PM PDT

•  I save on gas by

  driving to the airport once a week on Tuesday morning. I then save even more fuel by flying to a far away city to work! My next drive is on Thursday night or Friday when I go home.

  I only fill up every 3 weeks or so, and last week I was AMAZED by how much the price of gas had gone up!

  by mlandman on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:14:50 PM PDT

•  Here's a link for glasses

  Zenni Optical

  This place is excellent. They have a huge selection with  complete single vision  starting at $8.00. Complete Bi-focals start at $25.00. Complete lineless (progressive) glasses starting at $37.00. Complete photochromic glass start at $39.00 Then you can add ant-reflective for $4.95. Plus there are other choices.

  I ordered my new glasses from them and received them in 2 weeks. I got complete progressive glasses with anti-reflective coating and it only cost my $67.00.(I chose a fancier frame) That included $4.95 for shipping. I love them and as someone who needs new glasses darn near each year, this place is a wonderful find.

  by Its any one guess on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:21:19 PM PDT

  •  Thank you. Four of us wear glasses.

    We swam in the wrong gene pool in terms of eyesight.

    by blue jersey mom on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:29:51 PM PDT

•  Great job!

  Thanks. :)

  by rb137 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:44:39 PM PDT

•  Wow! great links

  I use the Consumerist a lot.  I also use a lot of the others as I trade stocks here and there.  I don't clip coupons as they're only good at the regular market and I haven't used it in ages.  I shop at our local produce market that is only one block away.  The gas it saves (though we don't have a car now...another story), makes up for lack of coupons.  

  A side note and it's OT.  I need help.  Actually, my son needs help, and the only countrywide help I can think of are you Kos members.  BTW, my son is in Mass.

  I need a good link to a credit counselor.  I know that a LOT of them are scams.  I need one that isn't.  If any one of you has a suggestion, it won't go ignored.  I may not answer right away, but I'll notice.  

  I dunno if my email shows up in my profile.  Feel free to send me an email if necessary.  

  by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:49:47 PM PDT

  •  Have you checked Debtors Anonymous?

    The link is in the diary.  I'd start there to find help.

    by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:59:32 PM PDT

    •  Thank you

      I was gonna use a lousy excuse for missing that, but it would be a lie.  I missed the link because I'm doing what most mum's do at this point (besides losing sleep).  No matter.  I'm ok now.  I'll look at that one.  :)

      I really like the links you posted and I'm going to look at the few I'm NOT familiar with.

      Again, thank you.

      by FrugalGranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:09:13 PM PDT

  •  Check with

    Catholic Charities or Lutheran Social Services in your area (no religious beliefs required)). They will steer you to a reputable credit counselor.

    by 1864 House on Fri May 16, 2008 at 08:29:36 PM PDT

    •  thank you

      I might not be religious, but I have a healthy respect for religious groups.  I will take your advice.  I should have thought of that sooner.  My bad.  Thanks again.  

      by FrugalGranny on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:17:46 AM PDT

      •  Not at all an obvious solution

        These wouldn't be the first places most people would think of - I work in the financial industry so I know these are good resources from experience.

        Best of luck to you.

        by 1864 House on Sat May 17, 2008 at 09:04:08 AM PDT

•  What a great set of links!

  I plan to check them out further this weekend.  

  As for gas savings, I do several of the things in the list.  Cutting down on trips, adjusting my car, buying cheaper gas, driving slower (which wasn't on the list) and taking some of the junk out of my car so I'm not hauling around so much weight!

  I've seen several blogs where people from other countries have written in about how lucky we are -- because their gas prices are way higher.  However, we have pitiful public transportation here in the US, other than some of the big cities.  Where I live there is no way for my family to get to school or work using public transit.  It is just not functional.

  by ladybug53 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 12:55:36 PM PDT

•  This one will be bookmarked forever n/t

  by plf515 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:01:34 PM PDT

  •  Thanks

    So I guess it would really bug you if I deleted it now?  ;-)

    by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:07:57 PM PDT

    •  That wouldn't be nice :-) n/t

      by plf515 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:22:25 PM PDT

•  Pie!

  and this time, it was honest

  I don't know how to drive.  Of course, I pay for gas indirectly, as fuel affects the price of everything else, but no gas pumps for me

  by plf515 on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:03:30 PM PDT

•  Some sites we use in financial literacy education

  Practical Money Skills

  Financial Football

  by 1864 House on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:06:59 PM PDT

•  My Biggest Gas Savings Were Pretty Much Listed

  I went from Premium to the lowest grade gas. I check my tire pressure often. I combine multiple trips into a single trip each Saturday morning (just takes a little more planning). And most of all, I did away with my gym membership at a place 40 miles away round trip.

  It was costing me more than twice what I paid to the club each month just to get there five or so times a week. I just went by a Play It Again Sports and pick up some equipment and do it at home. More "upfront" money spent but will save it in the long run.

  by webranding on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:08:21 PM PDT

  •  Driving slowly is also good n/t

    by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:15:31 PM PDT

    •  Well I've Always Done That

      I live in a rural area and people will fly by me doing 85 while I'm going 55 (the "official" speed limit. We get to the stoplight and there they are waiting with me.

      Where I have changed is I don't have as much "fun" driving. It might be safe to say I have a pretty fast car and going from 0-60 in about 7 seconds can be fun. Well a lot of fun. But no need to waste the gas. It isn't that much fun.

      by webranding on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:19:14 PM PDT

      •  LOL. "Hurry up and catch the red light"

        is what I say when I see people whizzing past me to stopped traffic ahead.  Meanwhile, I've taken my foot off the gas pedal to coast to a stop.

        by FoundingFatherDAR on Fri May 16, 2008 at 02:12:38 PM PDT

  •  not mine

    where is the "ride a bike" option?

    I now ride a bike to work about 3 times a week.
    this saves me  about 4 gallons  a month.  

    Not that much money, but I love getting the exercise, and I arrive home in a much better mood.

    by biscobosco on Fri May 16, 2008 at 05:03:57 PM PDT

    •  It's included in "etc." in option 1

      if you are doing it to commute to work and option 2 if you are doing it to run errands.

      by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 05:16:33 PM PDT

•  so if I already

  use my own canvas bags, cook 90% of what I eat, eat vegetarian & vegan, combine trips when running errands, use the public library for most books & the used book store for the rest, buy my clothes at Goodwill.....

  What else is there to live frugally & lightly upon the earth?

  by anotherdemocrat on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:09:19 PM PDT

  •  You'll have to stop using the 'net

    It's sucking up electricity. :)

    by theran on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:22:53 PM PDT

    •  LOL!!!

      Oh, I'm planning on one of those U-Crank-Em laptops...

      Figure I can hook it up to a bike pedal contraption and get exercise at the same time!

      by Joy Busey on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:51:52 PM PDT

  •  I don't know what else, you are already beyond me

    You might look at some of those Simple Living websites above.  They might have even more ideas.

    by sarahnity on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:32:10 PM PDT

  •  Maybe

    the next step for you is to encourage the rest of us to do more of the things you're doing.  Write, talk, teach, etc.  If all of us were living as carefully as you are, things would be very different, and better,  for everyone....  

    by worriedgranny on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:42:24 PM PDT

    •  ha

      I was at the grocery store a few weeks ago, and the clerk asked about bags. I held up my canvas one, and as she took it from me to put my purchases in it, I realized I had been using it about as long as she has been alive. (I've used canvas bags since the 1980's) Sigh.

      by anotherdemocrat on Fri May 16, 2008 at 01:44:59 PM PDT

•  #2 on the Gas Saving Myths is only partly correct