Convenience items

[Occamstazer]

How about powdered ranch dressing mix?
I found it yesterday in A CANISTER for $6!

So much better than buying those little packets for $1.50 each.

Ranch chicken tonight, anyone?

And if anyone really makes real ranch dressing, please do tell

 

[peachykeen]

Well, my SO would agree with y'all about the shredded cheese! We buy plain frozen pizzas- our pre-packaged, pre-made indulgence when we get home from work tired and need something to eat. Then we add cheese, tomato, olives, onions, stuff like that, and that's dinner! I would buy a chunk of mozz and slice it up for the pizza, but SO loves the already shredded stuff.

Other than that, my SO just recently swore off paper towels! I like sponges and rags, myself.

Just wanted to say, hubby and I started making our own pizza dough in the bread machine and its been the best thing ever. It's very simple, we start the dough about 1.5 hours before we want to eat (thats how long the dough cycle is) and spend that time catching up about our days and watching Wife Swap (lol). 30 minutes before the dough is done we get back into the kitchen, one does the dishes and the other preps the ingredients for the pizza, including the cheese grating duty (i hate this). Then rolling out the dough is fun and simple.

Our fave toppings are brocoli, bacon, and chicken. Every pizza we make has brocoli on it, its just so divine. We use feta cheese occassionally too, SO GOOD.

Homemade pizzas are well worth the effort- truly. Once you make your first pizza, you will never want delivery or storebought again.

I'm getting hungry thinking about it...

 

[savingdogs]

Convenience things I have a hard time giving up:

Occasional latte from coffee stands.

I'll list those premixed salads from the market. Also, "healthy choice" frozen meals for my work lunches are so cheap and easy, although I occasionally bring leftover dinners or eat from "dollar menus" at fast food places (that is probably a convenience right there, too). But heh, some of those dollar menus are a good value!

I also would never have given up disposable diapers or feminine products when I needed them.

Also could not do without plastic trash bags, ziplock baggies. And I use alot of paper towels and can't imagine that so many people listed it on the things they could give up thread.

 

[lupinfarm]

One thing I cannot do at home and I refuse to do at home is COFFEE

We live on a well and well-coffee is AWFUL..

I CANNOT drink it, no no no no no!!

So, my biggest vice as far as convinience goes..?

Gettin' at coffee at Tim Hortons, we usually pair it with things like picking up feeds or other things but I just can't live without my Timmies...

My day is not complete without my large 1 milk 1 sweetener lol

 

[The Vail Benton's]

I used to be the same way about my coffee - there is NOTHING like circle K french roast in the morning (just my opinion)! However, since I don't work everyday anymore, and the nearest Circle K is 13 miles away, I buy distilled water and use that in my coffee maker. NO, it is still not the same, but it doesn't suck either.

 

[patandchickens]

I'm not sure that deodorant and toilet paper are 'convenience items' in the same way that, say, a detergent-and-fabric-softener combo is, or boxed mac and cheese or frozen pizza

Beyond the deodorant category, then, I would say that my most indispensible conveniece items (consumable, not appliances) would be

-- some immediately available form of caffeine delivery, either diet Coke or instant iced tea (pref. the un- or low-sugared stuff when I can find it)

-- storeboughten jars of peanutbutter, bottles of ketchup, and jars of Ragu spaghetti sauce (the latter only for when the homemade stuff runs out, as it seems to every year)

-- tampons

Also store-boughten dried pasta, if that counts as a convenience.


Pat

 

[sylvie]

Dog biscuits. While I do make healthy ones, when I run out it is easier to buy a box, then use up the box before making more.

 

[Ohioann]

I have several of these and don't consider them luxuries. The crockpot uses less energy and doesn't heat the kitchen up; the sewing machine makes clothes and crafts I can sell, the dehydrator and vacuum sealer make my garden last a lot longer and when I find good bargains in meat or veggies at the farmer's market. With just two of us to cook for I love the portion control capability with the vacuum sealer.

I'd have to add:
Crockpot
Bread machine
Sewing machine and overlocker
dehydrator
Vacuum sealer

Those are my convenience items, makes my life a little easier and a lot yummier.

 

[lupinfarm]

I agree with the Bread Machine and Slow Cooker suggestions!