14 Ways to Save Money of Groceries

Pin It I found this article on Yahoo by Rebecca DiLiberto the other day and thought it had some good tips.

1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.

2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.

3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.

4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.

5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.

6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.

7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.

8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.

9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.

10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.

11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.

12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.

14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

Getting Out Grease Stains

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A couple weeks ago, I was making carnitas for a LOST party we were having with some friends.  I had just finished setting everything out to be served, when I looked down and saw this:

Grease stains!

This was one of my favorite shirts and I thought it was ruined for sure.  Before throwing it out, I decided to do some online research to see if there was anything I could do to get out the stains.  One thing I read about was to use dish soap.

I used Oxy since that's what I had in my kitchen at the time:

I put soap on the stains and then rub it in to the fabric.  I then let my shirt soak in hot water for 15 minutes.  I put it in the washing machine and then let it air dry - just in case the stains hadn't come out.  Once my shirt was dry I checked it out and.....like magic the grease stains were gone!  Yay!

Hard Water Stains

Pin It We recently moved and had to go through the whole process of deep cleaning our old apartment for "check-out".  We had everything but the tub/shower ready.  No matter how much we scrubbed and scrubbed the hard water stains just wouldn't come off.  Right before the check-out I was talking to my mom and she told me I should try vinegar.  It worked great!

Don't waste your time and money on cleaners like this 

that don't work well and can be expensive,

When distilled white vinegar gets the trick done faster and with much less scrubbing.

Price comparison on these two products: 

Kaboom is about $6 for 32 oz and Vinegar is $3.66 for 1.32 gallons