Living in a recession

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Comment by Marilynne on July 19, 2009 at 10:54am

I have a couple of hints, not just for saving money, but just something I came up with. I use ham bags for a lot of uses. I keep them on hand for putting dozens of jar rings in the dishwasher. Just throw them in the bag and clip closed with a plastic bread clip. I also use them to wash children's tea sets and other small items in the dishwasher. I wrap one tightly around a metal scrubby and tie closed with a good wire, pinched with pliers. It makes the scrubby last 10 times longer.
I make my own kitchen cleaner in a spray bottle with about 1/4 C Ammonia, a couple of drops of Dawn dish detergent and fill to the top with water. It takes grease off of the stove top and counter top and even works as a spot carpet cleaner (nylon carpet). Some of you might object to Ammonia, but I have used it for years and other than the twitch in my left eye and the paralysis in my right arm, it has been safe (just kidding).

Comment by Marilynne on July 12, 2009 at 7:43pm

We have "processed" chickens before, I am fine with it if my husband or someone else "does the deed", I take care of the cleaning. One time we killed 125 chickens for the freezer, and my friend's husband could not eat chicken for a long time after that! And he was a hunter!!! It is good to know how to do these things tho, like cleaning a fish, but in our house the man always did that part, I cook. I have a hard time poisoning mice!

Comment by LeeAnn on July 12, 2009 at 3:21pm

Ok, well i am currently making strawberry Jam. About 18 pints. And yesterday we slaughtered 3 roosters. This was a first for me. I have pics on my facebook page if you are interested. Talk about self reliance, this is the first time that i feel like if i had to live in the mountains like that movie i could. lol

Comment by Kris on June 22, 2009 at 12:19pm

I've done the pinecone fire starters before...they look so cute in a basket, like you said. My kids don't save stuff, but they know where to come when they need some silly little thing!

Comment by Marilynne on June 21, 2009 at 9:00pm

Like I said before, we must be twins, separated at birth..... my daughter is going to have my tombstone etched with "you can make it cheaper"! I hang out clothes all summer, but winter in Oregon...thank God and Whirlpool for my dryer! And anyone over 50 has caught SOMETHING in the wringer in their lifetime. As for making gifts, they are the best! No one else will ever have the same thing, even if it is only an orange juice can made into something useful. I'm still disappointed that L'eggs quit packaging their pantyhose in a plastic egg. I made more cute Easter things from those big eggs. And I have at least one granddaughter following in my footsteps. She is 10, and told me the other day she was just like me, she saved EVERYTHING in case she thinks of a way to use it in a craft or something. I can remember myself (at 10) doing the same thing. A whole family of packrats!! I am always challenging myself to find a use for stuff other people throw away.
Another thing I do, save my (and friends) old candle stubs and dregs of wax from jar candles, melt them in an old percolator set into a heavy large pot of water, and pour them into paper egg cartons (I use the 5 doz. packs). When hardened, we rip off one "cup" at a time to use as a fire starter. Wrap it up in a couple of pieces of newpaper, and light. For the BBQ, I make them from pure paraffin wax (no perfume). They are especially good for camping trips or hiking backpacks.
Be sure to spread several layers of newspaper under them before pouring the hot wax in, as it will soak through sometimes.
For Christmas gifts, I have saved only green wax pieces, melt with paraffin (for a lighter color) and dip pine cones into them. Bundle into a nice (garage sale) basket with a bow. Use one cone to start a fireplace fire with newspaper. You can color your wax with old broken color crayons for different shades, or sprinkle with glitter for a little glitz. It''s fun, and smells good too!

Comment by Kris on June 21, 2009 at 7:44am

I don't know about you, Marilynne, but I'm not sure it's tightwadism, or just plain never enough money. I kind of chuckle over this recession -- I don't remember ever living without a recession! I've almost always canned, and hung clothes on the line (it's amazing how that helps the electric bill), etc. I still feel bad about catching the hand of my daughter's friend in the wringer washer! No, she wasn't hurt and it didn't scar her for life! The kids still laugh about the black and white t.v. we had for years. I make a good portion of any gifts I need, and my one daughter commented that whenever I told the kids that it was going to be a lean Christmas, it usually turned out to be one of the best. So, hang in there guys...

Comment by Rosey on June 8, 2009 at 5:26am

wow those ideas are great. my thing is if its on sale and I can use a coupon at pathmark then we eating it other wise we do eat store brands and it works for us.

Comment by Marilynne on June 7, 2009 at 9:04pm

I am the biggest tightwad on the planet! I have practiced tightwadism for my entire married life, so I should be able to pull up some of the cheap solutions for everyday problems for this column if I put my mind to it.
One thing I have done for years; buy a ($1.50) gallon of fabric softener and pour some into a water bottle with a twist-up top and keep by your clothes dryer. I keep wash-rag sized terry squares at hand, and throw one in the dryer before adding the clothes, squirt with a little of the fabric softener, and throw in the clothes. It works like a fabric dryer sheet, at more than half the cost as the gallon will last for 6 months or more (depending on how many loads you do per week). It works!

Comment by Ashley Housing on April 27, 2009 at 8:55pm

Sounds great Susie and spinningdoggies! Susie, have you joined the canning group yet? I'll have to go check I can't remember.... We'd love to have you talk about canning and recipes to can over there as well :o)

Comment by SusieScrapper on April 27, 2009 at 6:12pm

We've already planted 10 tomato plants, onions, some peppers and strawberries. We can all the tomatoes and also can salsa, we use tons of both around our house.

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