Frugal Friday Link Up--4 Uses for Vegetable Oil

My daughter and I are reading a great book that we checked out from the library called The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth. What an awesome book! Not only is it about saving the earth, but being frugal as well. We are learning so much and it's full of resources online to check out for more information in each section. It's so great that I want to share the link to it on Amazon too.



We are really working to make sure that lights aren't on that aren't needed. I am hanging the laundry on the line outside to dry. We are not running the dishwasher unless it's full. Washing clothes in cold water is something I started doing about a year ago. Our air conditioner is set at 82---and only comes down to no lower than 80 when needed. We've started a compost pile. We are working hard to not throw anything out that is recyclable, including plastic bags that can be taken to the grocery store for recycling. This is just a short list of some of the things that we do.


Now, on to sharing from the 99 Cent Solutions book. This week it's 4 ways to use vegetable oil:

1. Keep the birdbath operational. In the summer many people have to dump their birdbath after each rain because of mosquitoes. Float a few tablespoons of vegetable oil on the surface of the water. Mosquitoes hate it but the birds don't care.

2. Give yourself a hot oil treatment. Heat half a cup of vegetable oil in the microwave for 20 seconds until it's just warm. Massage on to dry scalp and wrap your head in a towel for 10 minutes. Wash your hair as usual.

3. Remove water rings from wood furniture. Spread a thin layer of vegetable oil over the affected area, and then sprinkle it lightly with cigarette ashes. Use a soft thin cloth to polish the oil and ash mixture gently into the ring and you will see it steadily disappear.

4. Break apart tumblers without breakage. All you need to get those drinking glasses unstuck is a thin drizzle of oil poured all around the top edge of the outside glass. Give it a few minutes to work in and they will separate with ease.


What blog posts have you shared this last week to inspire us all to be frugal and live a simple life? Please share them in the linky.

My Frugal Week May 16-22 (and a question for all)

I did find another large store bag to use for the trashcan before having to buy trashbags, but I found something out.
I've been always buying my trashbags at Dollar General for $1 for 10 of them.
I found out that I can get 15 bags in the black and white label at the grocery store (Dillon's) for just .88!   This will save me several cents throughout the year, and the gas money from driving to the dollar store too.

I did my Walgreen's Shopping on the 16th.

I had a nice coupon grocery shopping trip on the 21st.

I dried and have saved the seeds from a green bell pepper and a red bell pepper.  I really want to try starting the seeds in the house early next year.

I was able to do some yard sale shopping and I loved it!!  Steve's sister gave me $20 for my shopping for helping to get the veggie garden completely weeded.
I was able to get a sheet, a sheet set and quilt batting (used for my quilting), a box of embroidery thread with kits in the box too (thread is for Jasmine to make friendship bracelets with, the kits are going on listia), a vase, silk flowers, pinecone candles (all to help decorate around here)  4 shirts, 2 books (sign language and fairy tales), a belt, googly eyes, a table cloth (new in package), set of wheels for a chair, muffin tin.....and probably other things that are slipping my mind right now.  Oh yes, 2 jars of buttons that we will use for crafting as well.
I only spent $13.80 of the $20 too!

Now here is my question for this post.  Do you think that going and getting commodity foods is frugal, or is it accepting charity??
Every 3 months I can go get government commodity foods at the Salvation Army.  I try not to miss it.  Not because I want a hand out, but because I want to save that much money on our food bill!
Here is what I got last time I went:
3 cans green beans
3 cans mixed vegetables
3 bags of powdered milk
3 boxes of shelf stable milk
3 jars of peanut butter
1 box of Corn Flakes
3 cans of pork
3 cans of beef
4 cans of chicken
3 cans of fruit cocktail
3 cans of apricots
3 bags of rotini wheat pasta
3 cans of orange juice

As you can see from the list, it was a large variety, covered the 5 food groups pretty well, and will serve a lot of dinners.
They don't ask you for proof of income when you go in.  You do have to stand in a long line and bring your own boxes.  I try not to miss is each 3 months, and it's a world of help on having food in the house.

What do you think?

My Frugal Week--April 18-24, 2010

I used to have a nice following on my frugal week posts in themestream (before they went under owing everyone a lot of money)
I want to start posting them weekly to my blog.
I am in a living situation where it's made hard for me to be frugal like I love to be.  I am in hopes that by keeping track and posting weekly, I will be able to get it back.

Week of April 18-24:

I put leftover suppers in the freezer.  When there is enough, I will pull them out and we will have leftover night.  It will be like a buffet with lots to choose from, and the food doesn't end up rotting in the fridge.

I put leftover veggies in a container together in the deep freeze.  When the container is full enough, and I've gotten a good deal on a roast, these will be put in to cook with the roast.

I try to always consider my Walgreen's shopping as frugal.  I do what I can to save what I can, spend as little as I can, and get things we need and want.  Many of the items I buy at Walgreen's also go in to my gift tote to be used as gifts.  If you missed my blog post on my last shopping trip, you can find it here.  Walgreen's Shopping 4/18/10

I dried several pieces of bread that were the ends of the loaves and getting old.  I keep these in a bag in the freezer and use them when making meatballs and meatloaf.  If you know any other good uses for breadcrumbs, let me know.

I will be making totes for the grandchildren for their birthdays.  I am making these out of pillowcases and other materials that I get super cheap at yard sales and second hand stores.  The pillow cases come with sheet sets that I buy cheap, where I use both the top and the fitted sheets in my quilt making.  It worked out that I had an inquiry on if I could make fabric totes.  That prompted me to give it a try, and also gave me an order for 12 of them from the inquiry.

I got a good deal on 2- Stouffer's Family Size entrees this week at the grocery store.  They were on sale for just $3.99 and I had printed 2-$2.50/1 coupons from the internet.  The lasagna is in the oven now for an easy supper after a busy day.

That's it for this week.