What did you do to save $ today?

[Wannabefree]

I got a great deal on hot dogs and put a bunch in the freezer. 60 cents a pack for Bryan

 

[stubbornhillfarm]

I'm sure this is not a "news flash" to anyone. But it dawned on me, that for cooking, I should be using dry milk instead of milk from the grocer a $4.00+ a gallon. I did it in home made whole-wheat blueberry pancakes. If I can just remember to do that every time, I will save a bundle!

 

[k15n1]

I'm sure this is not a "news flash" to anyone. But it dawned on me, that for cooking, I should be using dry milk instead of milk from the grocer a $4.00+ a gallon. I did it in home made whole-wheat blueberry pancakes. If I can just remember to do that every time, I will save a bundle!

What have I been doing all these years?

Hmm... The dry milk I have is non-fat, which might make a difference in some recipes. But I keep cream on hand, which solves that problem. Also, I've heard of a whole-milk dehydrated product recently. Anyone heard of it?

 

[ORChick]

Back when I was still using dry milk I kept it on hand for convenience only; at that time, and in my area it was not cheaper than liquid milk ... or, if so, then only by pennies. I don't know, this may have changed; its been a long time. However, I wouldn't use dry milk now for any reason; even if it were way cheaper. And it was some of the members here at SS that started me on that path. There are many old threads explaining why dry milk is not a good thing; this is just one of them.

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2016

Here is a quote from www.realmilk.com : "Powdered skim milk is added to the most popular varieties of commercial milk one-percent and two-percent milk. Commercial dehydration methods oxidize cholesterol in powdered milk, rendering it harmful to the arteries. High temperature drying also creates large quantities of nitrate compounds, which are potent carcinogens."

 

[TTs Chicks]

I called my mortgage company and had them recalculate my escrow payments for this year (taxes and insurance went down) so instead of going up my house payment is going down

 

[k15n1]

Back when I was still using dry milk I kept it on hand for convenience only; at that time, and in my area it was not cheaper than liquid milk ... or, if so, then only by pennies. I don't know, this may have changed; its been a long time. However, I wouldn't use dry milk now for any reason; even if it were way cheaper. And it was some of the members here at SS that started me on that path. There are many old threads explaining why dry milk is not a good thing; this is just one of them.

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2016

Here is a quote from www.realmilk.com : "Powdered skim milk is added to the most popular varieties of commercial milk one-percent and two-percent milk. Commercial dehydration methods oxidize cholesterol in powdered milk, rendering it harmful to the arteries. High temperature drying also creates large quantities of nitrate compounds, which are potent carcinogens."

Hmm... I don't find this very convincing because it lacks credible sources. But it doesn't matter and it's OT anyway. Thanks for sharing your motivation to become SS. I'm trying to remember if there was a single moment I started thinking about being more SS. Can't think of anything in particular. I kind of grew up with my parents *doing* lots of things and encouraging me to learn how to do things. This forum sorta cemented a lot of it together, though.

Back on topic, I saved money today by cooking up some potatoes I grew last summer. I stored them in the garage, which functions as a makeshift root cellar. And we had canned orange slices, which were from when I got 20 lb of oranges for 0.50 $/lb. They were in light syrup, which isn't the best, but we also ate an onion pie (also from the root cellar), canned chickpeas cooked from dry, salad greens, and green beans, so maybe the healthy and unhealthy parts equal out... come to think of it, everything came out of a jar today, even the meat broth!

 

[ORChick]

Back when I was still using dry milk I kept it on hand for convenience only; at that time, and in my area it was not cheaper than liquid milk ... or, if so, then only by pennies. I don't know, this may have changed; its been a long time. However, I wouldn't use dry milk now for any reason; even if it were way cheaper. And it was some of the members here at SS that started me on that path. There are many old threads explaining why dry milk is not a good thing; this is just one of them.

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2016

Here is a quote from www.realmilk.com : "Powdered skim milk is added to the most popular varieties of commercial milk one-percent and two-percent milk. Commercial dehydration methods oxidize cholesterol in powdered milk, rendering it harmful to the arteries. High temperature drying also creates large quantities of nitrate compounds, which are potent carcinogens."

Hmm... I don't find this very convincing because it lacks credible sources. But it doesn't matter and it's OT anyway. Thanks for sharing your motivation to become SS. I'm trying to remember if there was a single moment I started thinking about being more SS. Can't think of anything in particular. I kind of grew up with my parents *doing* lots of things and encouraging me to learn how to do things. This forum sorta cemented a lot of it together, though.

Back on topic, I saved money today by cooking up some potatoes I grew last summer. I stored them in the garage, which functions as a makeshift root cellar. And we had canned orange slices, which were from when I got 20 lb of oranges for 0.50 $/lb. They were in light syrup, which isn't the best, but we also ate an onion pie (also from the root cellar), canned chickpeas cooked from dry, salad greens, and green beans, so maybe the healthy and unhealthy parts equal out... come to think of it, everything came out of a jar today, even the meat broth!

Sorry, I must not have been clear. Its really not terribly important to anyone but me, however my motivation to want to live more simply, and do more for myself, was established a long time ago. What I meant here was that several SS members brought things to my attention (dry milk and its problems being one of them) which helped me along. For a long time *cheap* was my focus (and when one's income is low this is a good focus to have); during and after my DH's cancer year I found that I was more concerned with *healthy*. Now I have not only *maximum* levels, over which I will not go when buying things, but I also have *minimum* levels of quality that I will not go below, particularly as regards food. Dry milk happens to fall under the *minimum*. I have offered the information above. I find it, combined with other reading I have done, to be compelling. I have no problems with the fact that you do not.

 

[hwillm1977]

I'm sure this is not a "news flash" to anyone. But it dawned on me, that for cooking, I should be using dry milk instead of milk from the grocer a $4.00+ a gallon. I did it in home made whole-wheat blueberry pancakes. If I can just remember to do that every time, I will save a bundle!

What have I been doing all these years?

Hmm... The dry milk I have is non-fat, which might make a difference in some recipes. But I keep cream on hand, which solves that problem. Also, I've heard of a whole-milk dehydrated product recently. Anyone heard of it?

I bought some of the whole milk stuff at the bulk store because I was making gift jars for my mom for Christmas... I only bought enough to make 2 jars of the 'Cream of whatever' soup mix and it was $13!!!! I could have almost bought 2 gallons of milk for that (our milk is $3.90/half gallon). I'll just keep buying real milk from now on

I saved money today by waiting for the mid-winter window sale at the hardware store... I ordered all the windows we need for the house for 20% off... we'll be going from 130 year old single pane wooden windows that leak to energy star rated single hung vinyl windows, that open and close! I can't wait to sit in a snug room where you don't feel a breeze from the windows every time the wind gusts.

 

[FarmerChick]

hw
those windows will make a huge diff.
20% is good on things like windows.

 

[hwillm1977]

hw
those windows will make a huge diff.
20% is good on things like windows.

I can't wait... we've been saving FOREVER (or three years), and just ordered 9 new windows... it's like a dream come true now that the house is paid off we can start actually fixing up to livable standards