Monday Q&A | Stand Mixer Alternatives, Coupon Sites, and Internet
Every Monday, I answer a few of the questions that my readers send me. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in a future Q&A post, just leave me a comment here or email me (thefrugalgirl [at] gmail [dot] com) and put Q&A in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
I noticed most of your recipes use a stand mixer to mix all ingredients, what do you suggest for someone who does not have one?
-Bianca
A mixing bowl, a spoon, and a good strong arm can certainly fill in for a stand mixer! People have made bread for centuries without a mixer, so it's quite doable. The mixer just makes the process easier by starting the gluten development before you even get to the kneading stage.
If you don't own a stand mixer, then just make sure that you mix the dough up really well in the early stages, and knead it thoroughly. I wrote a little more about this in my "Do I need a stand mixer?" post.
Are there good sites out there where you can get coupons online without signing up for something? I don't want to be on email lists, get ads, etc., I just want to search for coupons for things that I use regularly like basics. The coupons in the paper are rarely for things that we actually buy!
-Ruth
Yes, there are! The one I use the most is Coupons.com
(aff. link), but you can also print coupons at SmartSource without signing up for anything.
I can't guarantee that those sites will have coupons for the things you need, as most coupons are for new products and for more processed foods (you'll have a hard time finding coupons for plain oatmeal, plain yogurt, baking soda, cocoa powder, buttermilk and so on), but it might be worth taking a peek, and you may have some success finding coupons for toiletries, at least.
I see you are very good about recycling things and not paying full price for items, etc...including your cell phone. But how do you get internet service on a frugal budget? We don't have internet right now and I kind of like it but my kids are getting older and need to do research for projects, etc..and are always asking me to get internet service. But since I'm so careful with our money I don't want to pay a lot if they really do need it. Any suggestions?
-Patty
Well, high-speed internet service is one of those things that I consider a necessity at this point in time. I couldn't exactly blog without it, after all!
Also, our internet saves us money in a variety of ways. Our phone service (Vonage) runs through our internet, which gives us free long-distance, our TV service (the Roku box) goes through the internet, I pay bills online (which saves me stamps), I keep up with people online (which saves me writing snail mail letters most of the time), and I print coupons online.
Plus, we use the internet for homeschooling purposes, for shopping research, for discounts on shopping, and for entertainment (blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and so on).
I really can't imagine living without it!
Our internet is Verizon Fios, which costs $55/month, and I consider it to be well worth the price. If our internet bill started to be a budget-stretcher for us, I'd look for ways to cut other areas of my budget...the internet would be one of the last things to go.
(Verizon does offer some slightly lower Fios prices. We had a $45 plan previously, but it didn't provide quite the bandwidth that we needed, and since we could afford the extra $10/month, we upgraded.)
I guess I'd just encourage you to shop around and see which company offers the most competitive price (it'll vary from area to area so I can't give you much specific help), but I wouldn't necessarily encourage you to stay internet-free in the name of frugality. Consider all the value and convenience a home internet connection provides, and you may find that the savings the internet offers will negate or or at least soften the blow of the monthly internet bill.
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Readers, what do you have to say about these questions? The floor is yours!
Today's 365 post: Daddy's lap is a good place for a Sonia
On stand mixers: I didn't have a stand mixer until I got married (DH came into the marriage with one!), so for any recipe that used one, I just used either my own strength (beating whipped cream by hand is really not as hard as it looks) or a cheap handheld mixer (egg whites on the other hand...)
For bread, if you can get a hand mixer, I'd recommend it. Getting that extra leap on gluten development can make kneading a lot easier.
On internet: We get our internet through our phone line. We decided to get a landline in case of emergency, as you don't have to state your location if calling 911 from a landline. Cincinnati Bell charges $70 for our landline plus internet. If finances got tight, we'd cut the internet. We live 1 mile from a library that has wireless, and DH's work has internet, so our internet use at home is mostly convenient/recreational.
I'm so with you on the bowl/spoon/arm option!
I was looking into mixers, but decided that I would probably need the more expensive, professional grade models to keep up with the number of loaves I make...and I just wasn't ready to spend that much. So it's just me, my spoon, and some crazy kneading sessions.
Have a wonderful Monday!
Another coupon tip, a few of my favorite bargain hunting sites are hip2save.com and couponingtodisney.com. both of those sites (as well as others) offer a coupon database that list all current coupons, both paper and internet. you can search by item or brand for whatever you need. that will narrow down your hunt. it has links to printable, as well as dates that they were in the Sunday inserts. if there is an item that you need to buy often, you can look on eBay for lots of a particular coupon. you could easily find a lot of 10 $3 off Huggies coupons for a dollar or two.
You might consider creating an email address just for coupons that you check once a week or so. I am on many different manufacturer's mailing lists (such as Kraft, Arm & Hammer, Coffee-Mate, Kashi, P&G and tons of others) and often are emailed AND snail mailed high dollar coupons you can never find on websites (such as $3 off Kashi cereal or even FREE items such as FREE cheese and hair dye). I save probably 20 to 40 dollars a month on groceries and toiletries by subscribing to these sites. I have been doing this for over a year and we do not have problems with junk mail.
This is what I do also. If I need to sign up for a mailing list I just use an alternate email that I only check every week or two.
The other suggestion I have is to email companies that make your favorite products. Let them know what you like, what your family enjoys, and any suggestions that you have as a loyal customer. Also, ask for coupons! Often they will send you some as a thanks. This ensures that you are getting a coupon that you will be able to use!
Agree.
Create a secondary email account on Gmail and use it everywhere you need to "log in". Learn how to use the filters in Gmail, they are a lifesaver with automatic 'filing'. Also use a password program that generates and remembers all those passwords, that way if a site you use is hacked or has lax security, only one password is compromised. (I use LastPass on my PC, if you use macs I hear 1password is very good.)
For internet I'm sure you can get a low introductory rate (6m - 1yr). Then when it expires call up and see if you can get it again (I've had very little problem getting a lower rate just from calling every 6-12 months). In my experience I can usually get whatever low rate they're offering to new customers just by asking.
This is exactly what I was going to say. It works for us too!
Yes! Do this. We have been on and off a 'special' for 6 years. We are currently getting a faster speed for free. They often do this and are often increasing speed. This is so you get hooked on the faster speed. If you use the internet for business/school or even skype, paying the higher price for good HSI is worth the cost. I totally agree with Kristen here. This is where our media dollars go. We have a prepaid cell plan,no land line and spend very little on TV. Our media bills are about $100 combined a month. Most families I know spend hundreds just on TV (dish or cable) and cell phones then complain about internet cost. It's just what you value.
Since you don't currently have internet, call your local internet service providers (We have Qwest and Cox communications) and ask for their absolute lowest priced package. There is often a tier or two lower than the lowest advertised bandwidth tier for as low as $15 in some instances. I used this $15 tier for a long time while in college, because I generally used internet while I was on campus. It doesn't take much bandwidth to just surf the internet. If you're streaming movies from Netflix, however, you'll need a little more speed. Start low and experiment to see how much speed your family actually needs.
Can youcomment a bit more on how you get tv through the internet using the ROKU? This is something I've been thinking about doing, but my DH likes to watch sports and I'm not sure he can do this with just the internet??
Mixers:
If you're thinking about getting a standing mixer KitchenAid is, without a doubt, the superior manufacturer. KAs rate tops in every Cooks Illustrated and Consumer Reports ratings I've seen for the past 20 years. They're long-lived workhorses as well. Mine has lasted 18 years without needing maintenance or repair, and gets used once a week or more - including breadmaking and meat grinding. If I wanted a standing mixer, I'd be checking Craigslist and Freecycle daily. (I just checked: new KAs are on sale at Amazon.com.)
That said, there are hand mixers that are powerful enough to make bread. Check out Cooks Illustrated and Consumer Reports for ratings. I recommend using Consumer Reports first because they review reliability as well as utility and price. Cooks Illustrated only reviews utility and price. A new hand mixer will cost you roughly a quarter of a standing mixer. Best if you can get one that will run either one or two beaters, it's much more flexible with that option.
Coupon sites:
To my surprise, I get no spam from third-party online coupons sites such as coupons.com. I use a separate email for corporate sites; most are good about actually unsubscribing on demand. In descening order of utility, Coupons.com, Smart Source, and Red Plum are the three third-party online sites. You have to download software to print the coupons (it allocates bar codes, which is how the companies enforce the two-per-customer limits). The software is, indeed, safe to download.
I love my stand mixer, and it gets quite a workout! I didn't want to spend the amount of money a KitchenAid requires, so I bought a Hamilton Beach Eclectric stand mixer. I've had it 4 years, use it very, very often, and have really challenged it with some stiff dough. I have not been disappointed, and have never wished I had purchased a KitchenAid instead. Just a suggestion for anyone who wants a stand mixer but has a bit of sticker shock. 🙂
Thanks for the coupon tips. I find couponing difficult, but I know a lot of people get their toothpaste and shampoo free or practically free that way. I am willing to venture out into it slowly.
For learning things like how not to pay for toiletries, I recommend the tutorial(s) at Money Saving Mom on how to play the drug store game. Drug stores have loyalty programs wherein if you buy various things, you get drug store loyalty points/"money" to spend later. (I think one store gives you actual money, but there are still hoops to jump through and strategies to maximize return.) Once you get the hang of it, you use points from previous purchases to pay for this shopping trip, and you get points on this shopping trip to pay for purchases on the next trip.
Fair warning: I don't play the drug store game myself, so I'm only reporting on what others do. By all accounts it takes practice to get the most out of the game. Money Saving Mom and others recommend - as you say - venturing into it slowly.
Our internet service comes from Time Warner. We recently signed up for internet, TV expanded cable, and phone for $99.00 only after considering the actual cost for these three items we were already spending. Our land line had no long distance; we used our cell phones for that. We also had only basic cable - no Fox News, Hallmark. So we took the plunge. Our incrased cost is $15.00 a month which now gives us unlimited local and long distance calling and expanded cable. Oh yes, our internet has stayed the same as we had before the change - Road Runner.
The upgrade is well worth the cost.
I love my KA stand mixer. I use it alot and wouldn't want to make bread without it. I have a bread machine too, that my husband and I received as a Christmas present years ago, and it never gets used anymore. Word of caution about the KA mixer: I ALWAYS unplug mine now and have it sit unplugged on the counter. I used to have it plugged in, and one day due to a storm, there must have been a power surge. Came home to digital clocks being stopped, etc. My mixer didn't work. Sent it back to the manufacturer and it was fixed, which I had to pay for. Taught me a lesson.
One good source for stand mixers is estate sales. The older models tend to be very sturdy and dependable. Get there early - when available, they go fast.
Anyone got ideas for NFL network not in a cable pack? I have got hubby convinced to drop cable, but ONLY if we can get the NFL games. Everything else I can get elsewhere.
In regards to coupons - if you're a regular SuperTarget/Target shopper, I highly recommend checking out the "coupon" link waaaaay at the bottom of their home page (www.target.com). They have aaaaalllll kinds of coupons for things that are used all of the time - even produce 🙂
I just found coupons.com after watching Extreme Couponing. We're out of ink though, so I haven't printed any off yet!
On the stand mixer question: I realize they are a lot of money and you can use your arm, a spoon, and a bowl! That said, I inherited my grandmother's KitchenAid mixer, and I only had to replace it last week. It worked just fine for FORTY-FIVE YEARS. I only replaced it because it started to smell funny if I used it for longer than 30 seconds at a stretch and I couldn't get anyone to fix it. It was still truckin'. I got my new mixer with birthday money, and the way I figure it, $230 over 40 years is a good deal! Plus, my shoulder said thank you.
Have a great week. Do you know of any more frugal meals with the cost of gas sky rocketing?
I have a stand mixer however, I don't use it for making bread. I am all about feeling and I can get it just right if I use my hands. I have little girl arms so kneeding bread is hard work but definitely do able for anyone.
I was paying $35/month for internet however, my friend signed up and as a new customer she was given $10/month for the first year. I called, complained that I had been with them for 10 years... they ended up giving me the $10/month deal for a year at which time it will go up to $30 which is still cheaper than what I was paying before. I will likely cut it off after the year and sign with another provider to get a cheaper deal. It pays to shop around.
If your kids go to public school, they will need internet access. That is why we switched from dial-up to DSL thru our local phone company; my son would take hours to download something he needed with dial-up, when the same thing on DSL took a couple of minutes. Schools more and more not only insist on internet availability, but require certain types of printers, etc. Nowdays it is a necessity to have reasonably current computer equipment, including internet access.
How satisfied are you with Fios?
Definitely the best internet service we've ever had!