Tightwad Gazette | Selective squeamishness
If you're new here: we're doing an intermittent series where we revisit articles from The Tightwad Gazette, aka the Bible of frugality. 😉
It's been a while! We last visited the Tightwad Gazette in November.
But now that the holidays are over, it's time to get back into a groove. 🙂
Selective Squeamishness
In this essay, Amy rightfully points out that Americans* have an illogical sense of what is gross and what is not.
*maybe this is true elsewhere too?
For instance, her neighbor threw away an apple that her daughter had taken two bites out of ("I can't save this germy apple!).
Amy was surprised at this, because as all good tightwads know, it's very simple to cut out the bitten part and use the rest of the apple. And the same is true if a piece of produce has a bad spot; we tightwads remove the funky part and keep on rolling. 😉
People are also oddly grossed out by second-hand clothing ("someone else wore this!") even though we all routinely try on clothes in a fitting room that have recently been on someone else's body.
And really, that's worse than buying, laundering, and THEN wearing secondhand clothing!
The knit, fleece-lined earband that I wear all the time on my winter walks is one I found on the road (I walked by it multiple days before assuming it was well and truly lost).
I brought it home, washed it, and I use it all the time. Some people might be grossed out by this but really, once an item has been washed and dried, I fail to see any hygiene problems.
Homemade convenience foods: sensible or not?
I remember this article! Amy talks about how she almost blew out her food processor by trying to make homemade Grape-Nuts. Ha.
Her point is that sometimes we frugal people put forth an enormous amount of effort trying to reproduce some cheaper version of a manufactured convenience food.
But sometimes it might be more sensible to just eat something cheaper; for instance, you could just eat bulk oatmeal instead of making homemade Grape-Nuts.
Or you could eat toast and jam instead of trying to replicate frozen toaster strudel.
She shared a few homemade convenience foods she does find sensible.
- seasoned salt (which surprised me because it's so cheap in total and you use so little)
- taco seasoning mix (I made a version of this a lot when my kids were all at home)
- bread stuffing
- tomato soup (the basis of which is a can of tomato paste, so I dunno how much sense this one makes)
- onion soup mix
- chocolate syrup
- cream soup mix (a mainstay for the days when casseroles were such common fare!)
- seasoned rice mix (like Rice-a-Roni)
Payback Time
I think about this question all the time; if I buy something that can conceivably save me money in the long run, how quickly will I get my payback?
Funny enough, in the last Five Frugal Things, which I wrote before this post, I mentioned that the clippers I bought for Chiquita's claws paid for themselves in the first use. That's a quick payback!
This is a useful concept when you are buying non-disposable items too. A menstrual cup lasts for years, costs $30, and you only need one. It's a no-brainer to see that it pays for itself in just a few months' worth of periods.
But reusable period underwear don't tend to last quite as long, and you need multiple pairs. The payback time for those is gonna be longer, and I don't know for sure if the undies last long enough to actually reach the payback point.
I thought about this when I bought my lunchbox for work; it cost $24.99.
But given how many work/school lunches I pack, and how in general, homemade food is about half the price of food from a cafeteria/restaurant, I knew the investment in the lunchbox would not take long at all.
You know an area where I've seen people make false promises about payback?
Every time I've had to have windows replaced or a heating system replaced, I've been told, "Oh, this will save you so much money on your energy bills, it'll pay for itself!" and honestly, I think the monetary savings from these items has been seriously overblown.
Never have I seen the level of savings the manufacturers/salespeople promised!
Dumpster Diving
I'm not gonna lie, dumpster diving does intrigue me. I know lots of great, usable, salvageable stuff gets thrown away in America, and it would be nice to put some of that to good use.
But I don't know if I will ever be brave enough to actually do it. I think I would need an intrepid guide to help me get started! Ha.
That said, when my sister-in-law and I dug through the treasure house and salvaged things, that felt a little like dumpster diving (except it felt a little more above-board.)
And I have picked things up off the curb on trash day; just nothing that's actually in the trash can.
Does a bread machine save money?
This question feels like a sign of the times because back in the 90s, bread machines were all the rage.
And bread machine recipes were so common, I found myself modifying them to be made without a bread machine.
Now, as I calculated before, homemade bread does save money, even when compared to super-cheap store-brand white bread.
But Amy wrote a long article detailing why bread machines don't usually last long enough or get used often enough to pay for themselves.
For me personally, they have never felt terribly tempting. This is because:
- I am lucky enough to know how to make bread in other ways, using my Kitchen-Aid (decidedly NOT a unitasker machine)
- I have never wanted to devote kitchen space to such a large unitasker appliance
- I don't like bread machine bread as much as regular homemade bread (assuming it's baked in the machine)
You probably could get a very good deal on a used bread machine at this point in history, though, and in that case, it would probably pay for itself pretty quickly.
Alrighty! Let's discuss bread machines, dumpster diving, homemade convenience foods, and selective squeamishness!
I'm so interested to hear your thoughts. 🙂
P.S. We'll pick up around page 459 next time, if you're following along in the big three-volumes-in-one book.
? about the treasure house— Is there any way to see updated pictures of it?
Just curious how it has/is turning out.
@Julie, that’s exactly what I was thinking! I’d love to see the after photos!
I personally have zero qualms about wearing thrifted or found clothing or eating less than perfect produce, however, I would offer a word of caution about dumpster diving. My grandfather was a prolific dumpster diver (he still dabbles, at age 90!), and has found many, many amazing things over the years, including food, which we never had an issue with eating. However, he has said that in the last 10 years or so the police have really stepped up trying to shut down dumpster diving and he's been confronted numerous times. This deters me from trying because as much as I love free stuff, I don't think I love it enough to be harassed by police officers about foraging for it.
@Hana, I would love to see the encounter between a 90 yo dumpster diver and a cop. Just the thought tickles me. Go Gramps!
@Bobi, I can just imagine the YouTube video ...
@JDinNM,
"I've been doing this since before you were born!!" 🙂
@Hana, dang it, your grandfather has been doing it longer than I have!
@Hana, proud of your grandfather. They never was a nail on the road that my grandfather didn’t pick up. It’s a great occupation as his age and a good hobby. And a night in jail beats bingo night.
@JDinNM, it would be quite something! He goes around on his bike with all these huge baskets and bags attached to it for his foraged treasures!
@A. Marie, have you ever had a cop encounter??
@Hana, I find the being harassed by LE to be hypocritical. Not okay to go through a dumpster yet it is quite fine for anyone to go through my trash can sitting on the "curb" (which doesn't exist in rural areas). . Don't give me the private versus public "reasoning"- the refuse service requires it to be on the "curb". And frankly, it is okay to enter a store that is on private property but not their dumpster? If you are making a mess, yes, that is cause to intervene.
@Selena, I wonder if it more concern about something happening to someone in a dumpster and then the liability suit against the business who filled the dumpster with rnticing items and the company that owns the dumpster. After all, we do live in a litigious society. Lol
I was thinking about Amy's apple episode the other day. I notice that a lot of people don't use handkerchiefs...but is a tissue better? Living in Michigan and having a constantly runny nose in the winter, I prefer a handkerchief, especially if I'm outside. Trying to find tissues in my pocket and they fall apart, produce dust that makes me sneeze more and don't mention accidently washing them in the laundry. I also trim my dogs nails and it's such a savings. I also put in a handheld shower head and wash my dog with it. It's definitely paid for itself also.
@Jill A, Having lived through the era of handkerchiefs (especially for men!), I'll take the dust and decomposition of a tissue any day. A runny nose is one thing but handkerchiefs filled with thick mucous, blood and other nasty substances is definitely gross to me.
And what about the grossness of cloth diapers? Apparently most people definitely have squeamishness in this category. 😉
@Bobi, ha, I guess I’m totally not squeamish about handkerchiefs, especially if they are used daily then set aside to launder. We all have different squeamish points !
@Jill A, I find handkerchiefs don't irritate my sensitive nose as much as tissues! People really don't use them anymore, last Christmas I had a cold and my brother-in-law said "how many of those cute little cloths do you have?" LOL those are handkerchiefs my dude!
@Bobi, I agree. I have no problem buying a couple boxes of tissues a year. I also use paper towels as napkins. And toilet paper, I don’t want reusable toilet cloths. I have read that in terms of complete biodegradation in a compost pile, a plain paper towel can take around 2-4 weeks. And if they would take all the messed up trees from natural disasters there would be a steady supply of wood for paper products.
@Bobi, we use handkerchiefs, period panties and our kids were in clothes diapers. I work in the medical field and before I get disgusted, things are really out off hands.
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, Funny, I have the opposite reaction.
Here's how I get tissues frugally: Those cute little pop-up boxes don't hold all that many tissues, typically 85. The conventional rectangular boxes usually have 200-300 for about the same price. I carefully open the sides of the small boxes and refill them from the conventional shaped boxes. I feel like I'm really getting away with something.
@Tiana, "And if they would take all the messed up trees from natural disasters there would be a steady supply of wood for paper products." - for most part this is a valid point. Not all trees make good paper pulp however. BUT.. what isn't good for pulp is likely good firewood - either for good BTUs in a wood stove/wood furnace or campfires. If nothing else, they can be turned into mulch.
@Dicey, That's a great idea. I have many of those space saving tissue dispensers around the house, but I agree they are spendy in terms of number of tissues per box compared to the rectangular boxes. I'll try out your method next time I go to buy more square boxes.
@Tiana, the decomposing and wood sourcing is not the only issue regarding paper towels/tissues (oh if only), but the production - water and chemical use, waste, transport etc.
I also have no issues with wearing thrifted clothes or cutting bad parts out of food!
For me, the main question is how much time it's going to take to shop around for deals or make something from scratch. If I have more time I'll try out more of those things but not so much during a busy week.
@Sophie in Denmark, and not just bad parts of food. A bird pecked strawberry - just cut around the peck. Occasional nibble (less so since we caged our patch), cut around it. Same goes for any other produce, including homegrown potatoes. If the skin is green (sunburn as we called it), cut it off.
I'm far pickier when it comes to best used by date for certain items. Better half is not always good at checking dates. Peanut butter I'll consume past the best used by date (within reasons - many months isn't going to cut it). Mayo - no. Dairy case pasta - no.
I too have used a hat that I found on the footpath of one of my regular walks. After washing I couldn't find a problem with it. It's nice to know someone else has done this too. I'm also happy to wear charity shop/ second hand clothing. I haven't dumpster dived but do buy short dated food that is relatively shelf stable eg protein bars etc. Waste not want not. I also try to pass things on to a place they will be used. I found 8 sets of christmas lights in my attic this year, I am a single person with no kids, who puts up a single tree every year. A friend who loves lights and has grandkids was very happy with the extras and some racing santa and elf toys I passed along. This is better than throwing it away or consigning it to a charity shop where it may not sell. I'm horrified by how much of charity shop stock actually ends up in landfill.
--My threshold for being grossed out is so far out of the mainstream, I think I'm in another watershed entirely. 🙂
--I'm too lazy to actually make something like taco seasoning. I just pull out the spices I want at the time I need them and shake them in until it tastes right.
--I have started making chocolate syrup in the past couple of years, though. It encourages my perpetually-skinny child to drink more milk, which he needs.
--The worst part about bread-machine-baked bread is the hole in the middle where all the butter drips out.
@kristin @ going country, I bought a used (ever so slightly) bread machine off of Marketplace and use it all the time. It does all the work of mixing, kneading, and proofing then I bake it in my own loaf pan. That way I have a lovely loaf of homemade bread with no hole in the bottom.
On the homemade convenience foods- I don’t have the book, but I wonder if some of these are also about taste. I love tomato soup, for instance, but dislike canned tomato soup. I grew up on Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and I HATE it now but could see the utility of a seasoned salt made to one’s own taste. I have similar feelings about onion soup mix and cream-of soups. My husband says I only like inconvenient food, which is fair.
Bread machines- I had one years ago that I got for free and used it every week. It’s not as good as homemade bread in the oven, but it’s a lot cheaper and better than store bought bread and much faster than regular homemade bread because you just put everything in the machine and turn it on. I passed it on when we moved but now that I’m working again, maybe I should look for another one at the thrift store. I was making all of our bread before returning to work and now I just don’t have time and we are buying lackluster sandwich bread at Aldi.
I’m not morally opposed to dumpster diving, but please take into account that stores don’t want people to do it because they don’t want them to get hurt and then sue the store.
So if you get caught, you can get hauled into court for trespassing. For that reason, I wouldn’t advise it. It’s a class 2 misdemeanor in my state, which can expose you to jail time.
@Tarynkay, I agree with you about dumpster diving, I don't partake, but I take issue with stores who don't want to get sued but refuse to donate items or secure their dumpsters with locks or fences.
My mom stocked Hallmark cards at CVS for awhile when she retired. When they pulled the holiday cards and cards that weren't selling, as well as gift wrap and balloons, they were instructed to put them in the dumpster and were threatened with being fired if they took so much as an envelope home.
@Bobi, that just doesn't make sense to me. For things like that, why wouldn't they want to give unsold items to their employees? Wouldn't that be a plus for the employees that would then help with employee retention? It doesn't cost CVS anything.
I also wonder about what cleaning crews at hotels are allowed to keep. I get that most things would need to go to the lost and found if left in a room but if I leave an unopened jar of peanut butter, can the crew take it home? I'm not sure but anytime I have anything that can be used that I can't take back home with me, I put it out (neatly) in hopes that the cleaning folks can use it.
@Bobi,
My sister worked for Hallmark changing displays, too. They were at first allowed to give unused cards to senior centers, but soon it was trash them or else.
@Tarynkay, until the most recent election in California, you couldn't be arrested, convicted, or even stopped from stealing up to $950 from a store. And in your state, you could be jailed for dumpster diving! We live in such weird times.
@CrunchyCake,
I feel the same way about excess food that the cafeteria (in the hospital where I work) has after serving a meal. They don't donate it to any local organizations that "rescue" food (guessing it's fear of liability, though there are laws absolving liability in this type of situation), and they don't offer it to the food service employees, even though those employees are some of the lowest paid employees in the entire hospital. Instead, the food gets thrown away. it makes no sense to me.
@Liz B.,
I will say it’s harder than you might think to give food away. I used to manage a bakery and we would have unsold pastries every night. We would try to give these to the local homeless shelter, but it was very difficult to get anyone to pick them up. We weren’t able to drop them off due to the shelter hours. By the time someone would get around to coming for the pastries, they would have gone moldy. We finally gave up and started dropping them off at the fire station. So at least they got consumed.
@CrunchyCake, greedy corp america is worried that employees will hide or otherwise make it difficult to sell an item in order to take it home. Same goes with some fast food joints. I had an uncle who worked at KFC - once it got to a certain hour at night, no more cooking chicken. Better to disappoint customers than to have employees take home leftover chicken instead of dumping it in the trash.
The food waste in the US is truly appalling. Better half had breakfast out with his buddy. They both took home their leftovers. I had a tasty side dish of hash browns with my dinner tonight.
I have zero issues with thrifted clothes. They always get a good wash and are fresh as new. Some of my favorites things were bought second hand. I'm also the sort who cuts a "bad spots" off produce, and I will use wrinkly produce, too. I figure I work hard for my paycheck, I'm not going to just toss it in the trash. No way am I going to re-use ziplocs, or cloth hankies. I feel that Kleenex is more hygienic, and I can pack my lunch in containers. I had a bread machine in the 90's! I loved it and we used it all the time until a child let the paddle get chewed up in the disposal. That signaled the end of my bread-making days. And lastly, I don't buy canned soup anymore - probably because I'm not cooking for anyone but me, so casseroles are a thing of the past at my house.
@Gina from The Cannary Family, The sodium content in canned soups is off the charts, even in the so-called "reduced sodium" varieties. Not sure anyone should be buying it.
@Gina from The Cannary Family,
@Gina from The Cannary Family, my mother would buy toys at garage sales. If she could safely "boil" them, she would. Otherwise she'd give them a good cleaning. Many squeamish people have NO issue using a kiosk at a medical clinic, fast food restaurant, public transportation etc. If I am forced to use a kiosk at the doctor's office, do NOT talk to me until I've sanitized my hands. Note to self - buy one of those "pens" that can be used on an iPad/kiosk.
Love these Tightwad Gazette posts! I've been thinking a lot lately about how much different foods save money if made from scratch.
I bought my bread machine from Goodwill for $10 many years ago. It was so clean it clearly was not used much, if it was used at all. We had to replace the belt years later which was truly a pain to do. That took 2 of us but the belt was inexpensive. While I don't bake the bread in the machine I am unable to knead the dough long enough so this works for me. All I ask of it are to knead and raise the dough.
My Kitchen Aid does not do a great job of kneading bread.
I have enough room for large machines that make my life easier. 2 Instant Pots one is also an air fryer, 1 bread machine, 1 Kitchen Aid mixer & 1 Nesco Roaster.
@Mar, Nesco roasters rock.
Oh, my comment got eaten.
I love my bread machine, but I use it primarily to knead dough. It's so easy to set up, set the timer, and have the dough ready to go. I don't like baking in the machine- I'm not great with exact measurements- and that can lead to inedible loaves.
I use store bought season salt and taco mix; they have a consistent flavor. My homemade attempts are not.
I'll be less squeamish at home with respect to food. When I'm out and about, I might not want to mess with a partially eaten apple or the like. And second hand clothes- I grew up as the baby of a large family so most things were second hand! I like thrift stores but for some of my kids, it's hard to find their sizes.
@mbmom11, Same for me with the bread machine! I use it to make dough, which means I can make bread or rolls on workdays as I work from home. I bought a used one on eBay and searched for ones made in Korea, Japan, or the United States, with the reasoning that they would last longer. Mine was a bit more than $50 including shipping and is made in Korea. I figure I've used it at least 50 times already and it fits on top of my pantry. Nearly all of my clothes are secondhand. Honestly, I can buy better quality used items than I could afford buying new ones.
For the first section, I immediately thought of Katy from The Non-Consumer Advocate. She usually finds articles of clothing and takes them home and washes them and then uses them, or gives them away. Nice to see others do that too. I'm not sure I could. I have visions of ruining my washer with all the dirt on the item.
As for making my own spices, my husband is into the healthier eating thing to try and get his blood pressure down and the packets of spices are notoriously full of salt and salad dressings have bad oil and sugar added. And with the age of the internet, there are plenty of recipes on line to make your own spices and salad dressings easily.
And in my life, I have not attempted anything with yeast. I'm not sure I would know what to do (hence the reason I mentioned the Aldi's pizza dough yesterday). Yeast is pretty precise in my opinion. Maybe I'll try it someday. Another reason I don't do yeast items is I like bread and butter too much. LOL
As for dumpster diving, not gonna do it. Stores now a days like to destroy their items totally before throwing them away, so it would not be worth it.
@Maureen,
Before putting dirty dumpster-dived hats or clothing in the washing machine, either wash it outdoors with the water hose or soak it in a bucket of soapy water. You'll get the mud and gunk off and then you can launder as usual. Of course, you dump the bucket outdoors or down the toilet so as not to mess up your sink with the dirty water.
@Fru-gal Lisa, I vote for outside if you have a septic system.
I am not squeamish at all when it comes to food. I cut off bad bits all the time and since I have a cast iron stomach, I eat questionable food all the time. I even deliberately buy slightly questionable food (such as bruised apples) if I'm going to use it before that bit becomes retinal, so the food doesn't end up in the trash.
I take home all sorts of my own leftovers and scraps from restaurants, including extra sauces.
I don't object to used clothes but since I don't like clothes shopping, buying used clothes is minor torture for me.
I'd use a bread machine if I needed bread in large amounts, like my Brit friend in Hong Long did for her kids. Then again, I don't eat a lot of bread.
I don't like actual dumpster diving because I don't like the idea of climbing up and into a container with who knows what mucky stuff in it. I have no problems trash-picking, though. A couple of weeks ago I lugged home a 40 gal clear Sterelight (sp) container I happened upon on trash day.
I do think of cost per use when buying things, such as the pricy bag/case for work. It looked professional and was perfect for reading material + laptop + lunch containers and I used it every day for at least 15 years. That's at least approximately 3750 uses already and it looks almost as good as the day I bought it.
@WillamB, I think about the cost per use for things as well! I have a nice purse I spent a decent amount of money on, but have used very regularly for 3 years and it continues to look as nice as when I bought it.
@WillamB,
I never dive IN to a dumpster, I just pull things out of it. Sometimes I use a garden rake. But there are enough goodies sticking out of the dumpsters that I don't need to look at the bottom of the container.
But my friends Dee and Sharon used to actually dive in; they were PE majors and really athletic, so they could jump in and out of stuff pretty well. They had a system: Dee played basketball and was taller so she'd boost Sharon into the dumpster. Dee would serve as the lookout; Sharon would toss out items to Dee. Their dumpster dive route was an alley behind Main Street in our quaint little college town, and they'd get stuff from the bookstore's and gift stores' dumpsters, not the restaurants or groceries. They'd put the stuff in the trunk of Sharon's big car and then go to the big city flea market to sell their items once they got enough to make some good money.
@Hannah, your purse is a baby. I bought my Coach "saddle bag" in 1995, and the strap is just now beginning to look frayed. 😎
@Fru-gal Lisa, that is so funny! What are Dee and Sharon doing now? Running eBay stores? Consignment shops? I'd love to hear the rest of their stories!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, your Coach bag is a “teenager “ as I have one from the 70’s that belonged to my mom !
@WillamB, I also have a cast-iron stomach (I think I'm more acidic than most people weirdly, at least that's my dentist's theory) so maybe I should be more bold with food 😉
@WillamB, I'd venture to say there are farmer genes in you. While I have never been a fan of white milk, it is what I got on my grandparents farm. Same with my father and his sibling. They butchered their own beef, pork, and poultry. I have memories of my grandmother catching a chicken, breaking its neck, plucking, gutting, and roasting whole/cutting it up. Her skills were phenomenal - never found even a pin feather.
There is a local egg farm not far from me. As with any farm selling its product, they follow the safety rules. Cripes, everyone knows where they live!
I have no problem with thrifted clothes. Once washed they are fine.
When staying in a hotel people automatically accept "used" bed linsen or towels - it is always washed and clean and Reader for the next customer.
So why fuss about thrifted/handed down clothes?
@Lea,
bed linen
@Lea,
My dad always says you can’t give away a used mattress but people will pay $300 a night to sleep on one!
What a valid point!
I love my bread machine, because I can have bread ready after we’re out for the day, or immediately after church, to serve when people are over for lunch. I also love to make doughs, for pizza and cinnamon rolls. My husband bought it for me as a gift about 10 years ago, and I think it’s paid for itself by now with regular use.
I’m a huge fan of used clothes, after washing and drying it doesn’t bother me at all that someone wore them previously, especially for my children, as they are pretty hard on clothes. I can’t imagine actually buying my kids all new clothes, since both when I was a child and now as a parent, we get primarily thrift store/hand me down clothing (with some important exceptions).
Questionable produce doesn’t bother me at all, but I draw the line at questionable meat/cheese. I always ask myself “would I pay $15 (or whatever the cost of the item was) to not get food poisoning? And the answer is always yes for me.
@Hannah, That's the question I ask about avoiding food poisoning, too. I would pay a whole lot to keep from getting sick (and my family, too).
Me? Squeamish?? Given my hobbies of thrifting, trash- and bottle-picking, and occasional dumpster diving, certainly not!
Dumpster diving: Less often these days, in part because I'm trying not to accumulate more stuff (though not always succeeding), and in part because I'm too old and lame to want to get far into a dumpster these days. And, as other folks have noted, stores are making it more difficult--though the dumpster at my nearby Dollar General remains accessible and usually unlocked. But remember that not all dumpsters belong to stores. I check the ones at three nearby apartment complexes from time to time. (My preferred time for doing all of this is first thing in the morning, when few people are about.)
Bread machine: Surprisingly, yes. My next-door neighbor (not NDN, but the other one) gave us one about 15 years ago in exchange for DH doing her snow shoveling, and it's still going strong. I agree with others that bread machine bread isn't quite as good as regular homemade bread, but it's still a lot better than store-bought.
Homemade convenience foods: Rarely. I do make a couple of spice blends (particularly my version of Essence of Emeril), but that's about it.
*bursts through the wall like the Kool Aid man*
I LOVE our bread machine! We bought it in Januaty 2022 and have used it 2-3 times a week since. It's Hamilton Beach, a less expensive model. I calculated it out before buying and we were saving money by the end of the fourth month of use.
It works for us for a few reasons:
1. The type of bread we prefer to eat (whole grain, no preservatives) is expensive, and we eat a lot of bread.
2. I tried to make all of our bread the regular way for a few months but since I work outside the home it was burdensome and I wasn't enjoying it.
3. The bread is good enough; it's not as good as regular homemade bread or bakery bread, but it's as good as a loaf you buy at a grocery store
4. It takes five minutes or less to set up and three hours later a loaf of bread is ready--we can leave the house, do other things, or set it on a delay and have it ready for the morning
5. If I want to make challah or rolls I use the dough setting and then shape it later.
Downsides:
1. Like I said, the bread is good but not amazing (this is because it's not baked in a preheated oven so it's a bit drier.)
2. It's noisy! If we lived in a house it wouldn't matter but as it is we never run it overnight because out bedroom is right off the kitchen with just a pocket door.
3. Our machine won't last forever; the pan is already warped and will likely need to be replaced this year.
So on the balance I'm really happy with it! It's not something i planned to own, but since the cost of living keeps rising, it became a real way to lower our grocery spending. When this one gives out, we plan to buy a Zojirushi (it's like the Vitamix of bread machines lol.)
(Oh, and you can totally use regular bread recipes and regular yeast in a bread machine, just with simple mods which I'm happy to share if anyone is interested.)
@Meira@meirathebear, "[A]s good as a loaf you buy at a grocery store" -- which I'm pretty darn sure was also made by a bread machine. Just a bigger one!
@Meira@meirathebear, hee hee, love the Kool Aid man exuberance!
@Meira@meirathebear, I like my bread machine too. It is my third, and since I discovered the wonderful recipes in Beth Hensperger's cookbook, have never looked back. The machine saves time and produces wonderful breads, doughs, cakes, and jam.
@Meira@meirathebear, you’re making me wish I’d picked up that free bread machine off the curb! It looked brand new.
When my son was little, I made mini handkerchiefs out of old t-shirts. They are great for constantly runny noses. I still have some I use for my allergy issues.
Related to the replacing of a furnace or windows “paying for themselves” … We were looking into adding solar panels that were supposedly going to save us money. We only have enough roof space to cover 40% of our electricity usage, and even after the tax incentives, we’d essentially break even every month. No thanks!
@JenR, I'm with you on the solar panels, but for more reasons than just the roof space or the return on your investment. No one ever mentions the human cost of mining the ingredients of those panels, or the lifespan or eventual disposal of those panels. Nor does anyone talk about batteries—the same things—the horrible way the ingredients are mined, the lifespan, or the disposal. They do not honestly disclose whether or not the electric companies actual pay you for the power you generate, because no one knows what the electric companies will actually do in the long run. No one talks about the fact that if the sun is covered by clouds or smoke, then the panels are collecting power.
They are good for some folks in some situations, but it is NEVER "one size fits all" (or even most).
@JenR,
I cut the back of my husband old shirt into handkerchiefs. After I turn the cuff and collar once. We are totally off grid with solar energy but we live in the caraibes.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I have full solar. 27 panels and 4 batteries. We don’t have home electricity outside of solar . We live on Curacao.
@JenR, a furnace rated over 80% efficient is typically not worth it. Windows, insulation, and duct work (read: depending on the age of your house, it may not be efficient) are a factor. We replaced all our duct work when we bought our current home.
Old furnaces built up heat then released it. The new furnaces start blowing hot air as soon as it is hot.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, there is a company that has figured out how to recycle solar panels. We'll see if it stays in business or not.
Our homeowner's insurance only covers the cost of replacing panels based on them generating (if memory serves) 100% of your average electric bill over the last year. So if you're selling excess power back to your electric company, insurance is not replacing those panels. I really can't blame them.
I bought my inexpensive bread machine at Ollie's Outlet with a high value percentage off a single item coupon. It was used at least once a week for nearly two years, until DH got a diagnosis of gluten sensitivity. I still use it occasionally to make pizza dough for our son. It paid for itself in a couple of months. It does not have sophisticated enough settings to use it for gluten-free bread. If it did, we'd still be using it weekly.
The great benefit of a bread machine is the same as using a Crock-pot: you can set it and go do other things while it safely cooks your food. I don't have many kitchen appliances but look on them as reliable electronic kitchen staff that make my life easier.
I know canned soup is not terribly expensive, BUT I have discovered that EVEN LESS EXPENSIVE is... the corresponding flavour cup-a-soup powder mix that usually gets sold in packets of 4 sachets. I use cream of mushroom soup for a couple of different casseroles, and if you make up the soup with a bit less water than asked for, you have the right quantity for a recipe that wants a can of whatever soup it is.
And it takes much less room, and most important, you've got 4 servings for the price, approximately of one can. I know. Mind = blown!
In our area, we have a municipal tip where recycling and garden waste and so on can be taken and attached to it is the best shop ever where workers at the tip and the general public can hand in things that still have life, but are being got rid of. They sell the stuff for a tiny amount and the money goes into the local area improvement trust, for park benches and path clean ups and extra litter removal and all sorts of other local, small scale things. That shop is fantastic. Need the next size up bike? Go there first. Want some golf clubs to try out? Go there. After some storage baskets?
And so on. Love that place.
@Caro,
My cousin had the best green thumb ever. He also could've had a black belt in frugality, if there was such a thing.
He'd go to what he called the "dead plant section" at big box stores, buy their ailing plants for pennies on the dollar, take them home and nurse 'em back to health. He had this grow shelf -- a plant shelf that had grow lights above it -- and it would be just what the doctor ordered as far as reviving plants went. His patio was full of huge, beautiful flowers and plants and they all be either from the dead plant section or cuttings grown from those plants. They all looked so spectacular, they could've been pictures in a gardening magazine.
Wish I had his ability! I'm trying to get into growing houseplants, but I have a lot to learn. I even killed a cactus once!
@Caro, ooooh I love the idea of that shop! Hats off to your municipality!
@Caro, that "municipal tip" sounds fabulous! The word "tip" tips me off to the fact that you must live in an entirely different part of the US or even a different country than I do. (I'm in the People's Republic of California, where everyone is from the government and there to "help" us.)
@Fru-gal Lisa, tell your cousin (if he's still with us, which I hope) that I do the same thing at the "dead plant section" at my local Lowe's, whenever I feel that my houseplant collection needs refreshing. I have a small south-facing sunroom that works similar wonders in bringing plants back from the dead.
So for the "Ick factor" I grew up in a house where my parents were broke and my mom had a high sense of being unnecessarily grossed out by some things. We never wore secondhand clothing unless we knew where it came from. When I clothed my then infant daughter in garage sale garments both my mother and mother in law felt it was something of a scandal. My daughter doesn't own many secondhand clothing items these days but that's more because hunting clearance and discounts is a better deal most of the time.
Also I never got more unsolicited criticism and people grossed out on my behalf as to how we cloth diapered our daughter.
If you want to make homemade Grape Nuts I actually have a recipe. Go to a local gravel pit and pick up a bunch of pebbles. It will be about the same taste and texture. 😛
I just buy Aldi Seasoned Salt. It might save me a quarter or something but it would save me that quarter once every couple years or so.
Converting from electric heat to gas heat 100% paid for itself in just a few years. We went from having $600/mo electric bills to $200/mo combined electric and gas (Oh how I long for the days of cheap energy!) I suspect if I still had electric baseboard heat it would be astronomical! Remember that I live in one of the most expensive states for electricity which is yet another reason I really dislike the people online saying "just switch to a heat pump, bro!" (turns out heat pumps don't work in the land of $0.25/kwh where negative temperatures and snow are a part of life for a third of the year.
I made bread for years and never really got into the bread machine fad. I don't make bread as often as I do for a host of reasons but I can say that it's not the huge money saver that it once was.
@Battra92, if you don't mind me asking, do you use gas for anything other than heat (like water heater, dryer, etc.)? We have gas heat, which we love, and are seriously thinking about switching more things over. I'm curious if the savings are the same/similar for the dryer and other things.
@Danielle L Zecher, we have a gas water heater but not a gas dryer. We had the electric one which still worked fine. We use a clothesline more than the dryer in the summer and I use indoor line drying in the winter.
Electric ovens and induction cooktops are better than gas for most people IMO.
@Battra92, thanks! We're in a similar situation w/ the electric dryer working just fine.
The stove/oven are the only things I'm not at all interested in switching to gas. I've never used a gas oven. I've used a gas stove a few times and really didn't like it.
@Battra92, Love your Grape Nuts recipe! My mom loved those things when I was a kid. She'd leave her bowl in the sink in the morning and when I came home from school, if there were any left in the bowl, even swimming in a little milk, they were definitely hard as rocks. I don't know how people chew them, they literally never soften!
@Bobi, I'm with you on Grape-Nuts. I never understood why people ate them in the first place, let alone wanted to make a version of them at home.
@Bobi, I adored GrapeNuts as a kid, and even now remember how I would love a bowl. I even like them crunchy! But if you heat them in milk, they turn softer and are also delicious. Hot GrapeNuts was one of my favorite breakfasts as a kid.
@Battra92,
Another heat pump non fan here. I dread winter due to the heat pump.
I also love your recipe for grape nuts!
@Karen A., oh I remember hot Grape-Nuts. They are delicious! I personally like them cold, but yeah, they need to sit in milk for a couple minutes. They have a great flavor.
@Battra92, ugh I hate electric stoves/ovens.
@Karen A., I too like Grape Nuts. Better half has heated them in milk also.
I have always loved thrifted clothing. Since the pandemic, though, DH is wary of shopping in person, so I haven't gone as much. I have no qualms about secondhand clothing (aside from underwear, socks or bras, obviously) or housewares. My favorite sweatshirt right now is one I found in the parking lot of a park, it just happened to be my size and black and is very cozy. I took it home, washed it, and wear it every day.
I was very proud of one of my kids a while back when I saw them take an apple out of the fridge, notice it had a big bruise, shrug, and cut it up to eat it, throwing out the bad part. I never told my kids to do that but they must have noticed it or absorbed our frugal ways.
@Karen A., I despise shopping, but somehow, in a thrift shop (especially in another state) it feels like a treasure hunt rather than shopping. The thrill of finding the right thing is a real buzz!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I know *sigh* and I do manage to get to garage sales, which kind of have the same feel sometimes.
@Karen A., I wouldn't say 'obviously' in regards to undergarments... many of my bras have come from Goodwill, and I've gotten swimsuits too! I don't really see why clothes against someone's chest skin is more unhygienic than clothes that touch backs or armpits, which shirts already do.
I've even used secondhand cloth feminine pads, though those came from someone I knew. They had stains, but I laundered them and they work fine! I am lower on the squeamish chart than most, but I am not too worried about it - my machine launders everything and then it's good to go.
@Rachel, I see your point! I am tricky to fit when it comes to bras, so I've never thought about looking for them at thrift stores. And I guess I just lump them in with underwear, mentally.
I would also use secondhand cloth pads--I used cloth pads for a long time after my second was born, and they were so much nicer than the disposables!
My husband used to dumpster dive for electronics at a recycling depot. He founds lots of treasures (though, admittedly, it was all electronic stuff so it wasn't quite as gross as a multi-purpose dumpster).
We buy almost all our clothes second-hand. Even bras. Underwear is always new. That's about it. Not only is it cheaper, I find better quality brands at thrift stores. Plus, since if I find something in a size that doesn't work, I can't just ask the store worker for a larger size, it naturally reduces how much I can buy. It IS frustrating to find a perfect pair of jeans that are one size too small, but that's part of the process of thrifting!
My parents made all their own bread for decades and still do make homemade rolls. They are delicious, but I've decided it isn't worth my bother since we don't eat a lot of bread. I try to buy bread on sale or at 50% since it's nearing its expiration date and then I put it in the freezer and just pull out a slice at a time as needed.
I do make my own taco seasoning!
@Elisabeth, the LLBean jeans that fit me just right have been discontinued, as have my husband's favorite Carhartt shorts. So it is a necessity to find them second hand, which means staying vigilant on eBay, and knowing the exact model/item # and size. Then, I can buy them with confidence, knowing the quality and the fit. Of course it still requires careful inspection of the descriptions and photos. (I knew the jeans I just ordered had a weird white spot on one back pocket. . . been considering @PNW Casey's suggestion of using fabric paint to turn it into something decorative but not inclined to draw more attention to my donkey. . .)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
Haha!!!
I don't understand being squeamish about second-hand clothing. I don't buy a lot of it, but that's only because I'm plus-sized and have a hard time finding my size in thrift stores. If anyone has tips, I'd love to hear them! I wash all purchased clothes, including brand-new things, before wearing them, so I don't see a difference.
I might be a little bit of an outlier about food, but I'm extremely prone/susceptible to food-borne illness, which almost always results in needing IV meds/fluids. That's a lot more expensive than any food (and miserable!), so it's just not worth it. I'm a stickler for expiration dates, smelling it, not eating food from certain places, etc.
I love my bread machine, but it was a gift. I asked for it for Christmas over ten years ago, and my M-I-L bought me a really nice one. I go through spurts of using it more than other times, but overall, I use it enough to justify the space. Honestly, if/when it breaks, I will definitely replace it.
I cannot imagine taking the time to try to make something like cereal or toaster strudels. I agree about eating something else. Or waiting for a sale. I used to try to make a lot more from scratch because it's cheaper and healthier, but lately, I've been trying to be more realistic about what I'm able and willing to do. I've started keeping some convenience items on hand, and our overall spending has definitely gone down. If I leave work two or three hours late, I'm not going to come home and make pizza dough and sauce from scratch (cheapest option), but I will put a frozen pizza in the oven (a lot cheaper than getting pizza delivered). Like I said in my Meet A Reader, one thing I've taken away from your blog is not letting striving for perfect get in the way of achieving good. I do still cook from scratch as much as I can because I enjoy it, it's healthier, cheaper, and lots of other things, but I'm also trying to be realistic about the times I can't/won't.
We switched to cloth napkins almost six years ago, and while I haven't done the math, I'm pretty sure they've more than paid for themselves, and they're a much more pleasant experience. Oddly enough, it was your blog that inspired me to make the switch. I don't remember the exact post, but it was something about doing what you can to be more environmentally friendly and frugal. I decided that cloth napkins were something we could easily do. I don't think I'll ever give up paper towels, though!
Like another commenter said, there are some definite legal concerns with dumpster diving. Depending on your career, even a misdemeanor charge could mean job loss. It would for me, and I'm pretty sure there's nothing in a dumpster worth risking that over.
Personally, it's not something I would ever do between legal concerns and safety concerns. I'd worry about being exposed to some really nasty stuff (biohazards).
It's really interesting reading the comments and different takes on what is/isn't worth spending the money or taking the time for or what is/isn't gross to someone.
These are fun to read. The Tightwad Gazette was revolutionary at the time. For many of us who came of age in the 1980s, Amy’s ideas were far from mainstream.
I have bought many of the things I own secondhand - clothing, furniture, kitchen equipment, artwork. Antiques and vintage items are really just old, used stuff. There are only a handful of items that I prefer to buy new - underwear, bras, and running shoes.
Since my children are grown, I rarely buy any type of convenience items. I did dabble in making some of my own food items after reading TTWG; however, only a handful of things stuck with me. To this day I make my own granola, soup, stock, muffins, and beans. Like Kristin in the country, I don’t make spice mixes. I prefer to season my cooking as I go.
I have picked up items from the curb. I never have really dumpster dived, but years ago I “dumpster picked.” My friend’s neighbor had passed away and her niece ordered a dumpster trashing everything in the house. We took lots of goodies off the top: Fire King, Nippon, vintage sports equipment, treasures galore. We did ask if we could look through the dumpster ahead of time.
I no longer make bread. Fifteen years ago, I found that I could not each wheat or gluten. I wonder if anyone has attempted to make GF bread in the bread machine.
@Bee, re: GF bread in a bread machine, see @Ruby's comment above. Evidently it isn't feasible in an older machine--but perhaps newer machines could handle it.
@A. Marie, I saw an inexpensive machine at Aldi that had a GF setting but did not buy it. Frankly, inflation is kicking my butt and the wallet is on lockdown. The more expensive ones have it built in or are designed so they can be programmed for the correct number of rise/punch dowlock down.
I'm trying to get DH to just eat other grains with his meals instead of bread, which is tough because he's a bread fiend.
@Ruby, that would be "the correct number of rise/punch down cycles." Jeeze, auto-correct has been drinking!
@Ruby, Apparently auto-correct is "punch" drunk! (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
Thrifted clothing doesn't bother me in the slightest. Everything gets washed or, if it's something like leather boots, stuck in the deep freezer (within a plastic grocery bag) for a few days to kill any hidden funk/creepy crawlies.
One of the reasons I kept my co-op grocery store job as long as I did was the liberal write off policy. All day of or damaged food was donated, but staff had first choice, and some things--like raw meat--couldn't be donated at all. That job is actually why we have a mini chest freezer--I was coming home with $50-100 of free food, depending on the shift! We're talking dented yams, organic grass-fed roasts, etc. It was seriously weird having to adapt having a grocery budget again after I quit. (The area was increasingly dangerous at night, and I was forever stuck closing.)
A good friend of mine is a garbage man by day, and the stuff he and his co-workers save during a given week could nicely furnish an entire house. For our part, we owe him multiple antique gilt frames, fencing, a ginormous antique GE fridge (it doesn't work, alas, but it makes for a pretty garage storage locker), garden gear, and other items without measure.
I don't bake bread that requires yeast or kneading because 1) all yeast hates me and 2) my hands live a hard enough life. We were given a kitchen mixer with a bread hook attachment, so I will be trying again in the near future! Our 9.5 x 9.5' kitchen is perfect for us but also means unitaskers like a bread machine are forbidden.
Re: energy savings vs. promised improvements, I'll be taking on our windows this spring and summer. Construction vibrations down the road finished off the ancient glazing, and the insulation strip between the original sash windows and the storm windows should also be replaced. I've been researching repairing antique windows, plus my local hardware store crew (who all live in old houses) loves sharing their knowledge and cheering one on--I'm game! I've no interest in dropping the cost of our house into new windows when I know I can remedy this myself (wearing safety gear, of course) while respecting our 1890s house's still solid original parts. They really don't build them like they used to!
@N, look into energy tax credits (federal and your state) you may be eligible for when you replace windows, doors, roof, HVAC - any energy efficient improvements.
@N,
I think it’s a fantastic idea to repair the original windows in your home! Vinyl windows have an expected lifespan of 20 years and can’t be repaired. I’ve repaired windows on three houses and it’s really not difficult at all. I have a couple that need some more significant repairs due to rotten wood, but hope to find a way to fix those as well.
There are studies out there that show that old-growth wood windows with good-fitting storms are VERY nearly as energy-efficient as new windows. And you’re not contributing to more plastic production or waste in the landfills when they crap out in 20 years.
Good luck on your project!
I am not brave enough to dumpster dive but I do drive around on Thursday evenings. ( just one big loop) to check out trash piles. I have gotten many side tables and patio finds this way for us and various family members.
I cut up wrinkly apples and baked them with cut up sweet potatoes last night, so that answers the question of using less-than-perfect produce in my case. I wear second hand clothes, pick up hair bands in parking lots and wash them to use, and wear used shoes (which I spray with disinfectant and sit in the sun or wash, of washable). I have a second hand quilt on my bed and a second hand sofa and chair in my living room. I am not very squeamish.
My husband climbed into a dumpster behind a school one summer and saved some old roll-down maps, the kind that used to hang over chalk boards in every school back in the day. My daughter has one at her house now, and we had one hanging for years in our house. He trash-picked a plant still in its pot. I trashed picked the base of a concrete bird bath, he found a resin squirrel that now hides in our wildflower bed and I picked an old black and white art print out of the trash can at my former job. I got my son-in-law to help me pick up a four-drawer file cabinet set out at the curb in my daughter's neighborhood. Dumpster diving is illegal here now, but picking up stuff set out by the previous owner is still okay - so far.
I've never used a bread machine, but I rarely make bread anymore - I'd never get payback on it before it broke.
Speaking of payback, I was assured I would see quite a drop in my power bill with my new windows. I can tell they are better insulated than my old ones by touching them or standing near them, but see a big drop in my bill? No. However, I had to replace my windows after hurricane Idalia, so payback time is not really an issue in this circumstance.
I make some homemade mixes ahead, and they do save some money, plus, although my blood pressure is fine, I still like that these have so much less salt than commercial mixes. I make a meat rub, ranch dressing powder, taco seasoning, French onion soup mix, shawarma mix and garam masala, all of which use little or none of the spices I avoid.
I don't use "cream of" soups. There aren't that many things I make that call for them. I just make my own sauce.
I remember Amy writing about selective squeamishness, and wondering how many people who wouldn't wear second hand clothes take their own linens to hotels.
@JD, are you willing to share your ranch dressing powder recipe?
@JD, My bills didn’t go down when I replaced my windows either, but the whole house felt warmer and it was so easy to open the windows on nice days. I hope the people I sold to the house to enjoy them cuz I had them less than 3 years. :-{ (Was not expecting to move!)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
It's at home, but I will get it to you one way or another. I can't provide a link to it because I changed it some, plus I don't remember the original link!
@WilliamB,
I can tell the biggest difference in my bathrooms, where cold air was pouring in during the winter and hot air in the summer. My house is more comfortable, but the savings still isn't noticeable. Like you, I am overjoyed to be able to open my windows again on pretty days. And it's nice not having to mop water off the sills and floors after a blowing rainstorm, during which the windows were completely closed.
Icky factor? Yes and no.
I used to love to go thrifting but now prefer buying more things secondhand from consignment where they are more selective on what is sold and keep the stores cleaner on average. I have allergies to most things such dust, cigarette smoke, animals, mold, strong laundry scents, and find the thrift store environment is often quite dirty, plus many clothes are noticeably dirty, covered in pet hair etc.
I'm not against rescuing clothes by washing them, but it has to be something I really like to be worth the effort at this point.
Another thing I enjoy are estate sales, but being in some houses that trigger my allergies and are full of decades of dust, dead insects etc, it really puts me off buying things unless it's something I can really sanitize like Pyrex.
One icky thing we did was to cloth diaper our twins, and once they were out of diapers, we kept a stash of the highly absorbent prefolds as cleaning rags. I still have some cleaning rags that used to be burp cloths after nearly 15 years. I think it's about time to get rid of these!
Growing up in the 80s my parents had a bread machine which I loved when waking up in the morning to a loaf of warm bread. Sometimes the flour didn't quite mix in and the bread had a thick crust with the center kind of collapsed, but it was still worth it.
Now if I bake bread the actual kneading is what I like about it, so I don't really want to skip this step. We have at times kept up baking most of our bread, but now when we eat far less bread I don't bake that often. I am feeling the inspiration coming on though 🙂
Oh, one more thing, our house has no insulation and is very drafty. We had to redo our siding and added some kind of thermal wrapping at the same time that went under the siding, which has done a great difference in keeping the house warmer without running the heat on as high. Same thing when we redid the flooring. Comfort is also nice even if the investment doesn't pay off in short run.
@Kristina M., last year the final, much mended cloth diaper in my rag stash wore out after 34 years of service.
@Ruby, that is impressive!
Our Chinese prefolds lasted well over a decade after they retired from diaper duty, and I have considered buying a fresh new stack as they were far superior to any other cleaning rag I've had 🙂
I don't buy thrifted clothes too often anymore. I used to all the time when my kids were young. I basicallly wear a same thing daily, levis, Black T shirt and a demin sirt or LLBean fleece, if cold out. If I did need something though, I'd go to Goodwill even with it's higher prices these days.
I've been making bread since 1975. Mostly without a machine. but I did get a thrifted Zojurishi bread machine and use that on occsion for just the dough, and then bake in the oven. Mostly I'm a huge sourdough fan and bake that weekly.
I will buy on occasion artisan bread from 2 local bakeries, Truckee Sourdough and Baker and the Cake maker bread. They are pricey but sometimes I want a good sourdough rye and that one is hard to do at home.
I LOVE thrifted clothing - it allows me to wear better quality brands and fabrics.
The thrift shop I volunteer at has everything half off the last week of the month. I will buy shirts that I can garden or do messy housekeeping in without caring if I get stains or bleach spots on them.
The only spice blend I swear by is Penzey's Chili 3000 or Chili 9000. Totally worth it and they elevate my chili outcomes.
I had 2 taco seasonings that I tossed because, as one commenter already mentioned, the primary ingredient was salt and it was way too much. I make my own taco seasoning -it’s not rocket science.
I have not had success with bread machines but am going to try again with a recipe my BIL has perfected (it has lots of different stuff in it and we love getting gift loafs).
I am not above curbside “picking” and have gotten useful items. I also love to cherry pick (and pay for) items for garage sales friends might be planning. I don’t garage sale much - my thrift shop volunteering scratches that itch enough. I am at an age where I am giving away beloved treasures to people who I think will appreciate them and use them. To clarify, I am not dumping things on my kids or friends. I often take a photo and send it asking if they have interest or space for something. It is so rewarding when I get a resounding “yes”!
My husband is squeamish about reading library books but fine with reading used books. His rational is that library books have been read by many people (so full of germs, crusty food etc) while used books probably only have a few readers so less germs.
@Amy Liz, that reminds me of friends I had years ago who wouldn’t use the library for fear of germs, etc. I found that amazing - it had never occurred to me that might be an issue. I LOVE the library - it feels like shopping for treasure- it is my happy place. Nothing better than a stack of fresh books to peruse. I have to pay an annual fee to use my district library because I live outside the district. It is so worth it and immediately pays for itself with one visit. I would gladly pay more.
@Jean C, Agree! I read library books almost exclusively and am lucky to live in Portland, OR where we have an incredible library system, little free libraries in every neighborhood and a great used-book marketplace! These facts make it all the more ironic that my husband is library-book-phobic!
Re heating system savings:
Although the part of the house that we live in has HVAC, there is a mother-in-law suite separated by the garage that is not on the central air/ central heat. That room is poorly insulated, as are pretty much all older houses where I live. I used to cool that room in the summer with a window unit and heat it in the winter with space heaters. Neither of those really worked all that well; both required me to start them much earlier than I actually had to start teaching, the window unit wouldn’t bring the room down below about 80° in maximum summer heat (and while 80° might be tolerable for those sitting on a couch, it is completely intolerable for a student standing at the music stand for an hour), and I could never get the room evenly heated in the winter.
About a year and a half ago we took out the window unit and replaced it with a mini split for the cost of several thousand dollars. Oh my goodness! The room is much more comfortable in both summer and winter, and better yet, I only need to turn on the mini split about 30 minutes before my first lesson. Our power bills immediately dropped by $100-$150 per month. It is going to pay for itself in just a year or two more, but even if the payoff took longer, the benefit to both the environment and comfort in the room is well worth it.
@Meg in SoTX, to clarify, the mother-in-law suite is used only for teaching private violin lessons.
I don't recommend true dumpster diving. Maybe side of the road trash diving would be safer. I have a slight connection with this person (ex of a friend's son-in-law...)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/body-woman-who-vanished-while-dumpster-diving-found-landfill-n1135696
@CHW, Sad story.
A few days after Christmas, I found a pair of Apple Airpods in the case on my morning walk! I posted several times on our neighborhood site asking if they belonged to anyone and got no bites. I wasn't about to let them go unused, so I cleaned them very carefully with alcohol pads and gave them a go! They work great! I would never have bought a pair for myself, but I'll use these happily!
I was in a high end thrift store one day and overhead a two teenage girls talking in the line. One girl said her mom told her she couldn't buy pants or jeans at thrift store because she may get a STD from them. 🙂 Theoretically, maybe lice, ringworm, or something if you didn't wash the clothing? I've never heard of that actually happening though.
@Marlena, you cannot catch stds from clothes!
Imagine if STIs lived on surfaces like that; we'd all be at risk.
And honestly, they wouldn't be called STIs anymore because transmission via jeans is decidedly non-sexual. lol
@Marlena, Anyone who believes that probably believes you can get pregnant that way too. 😉
@Bobi, that reminds me of a ridiculous rumour I heard growing up of a girl getting pregnant from a toilet seat!
@Sophie in Denmark, oh...I know that. It gave me a giggle. And anything you could get (lice, bedbugs, etc) would be on any type of clothing at all!
I don't have issues with ick. Cloth diapers. Handkerchiefs (my kids now think kleenex are disgusting...especially because they find much-used all the time in odd places left by little old ladies). Food that the food pantry is getting rid of. Cloth napkins. Thrifted clothing. Butchering animals. Cleaning out chicken coops. Library books. I think when you have a large family, you'd be overwhelmed fairly quickly by ick if you let yourself.
Paybacks? Clippers for hair cuts. I have been cutting hair for 20+ years with the slippers we were gifted for our wedding. I cannot even begin to figure out how much we've saved.
Bread machines are not worth it for our large family, but a large KitchenAid is. I throw all the ingredients in, let it mix, keep adding flour until just right. So easy to do while doing other things.
@Jody S., yes to the clippers! I’ve only had mine a few years, but they paid for themselves the first time I cut my husband’s hair.
I will happily cut bad spots out of produce and mold off of cheese. I will turn sour milk into pudding and use limp veggies in a soup. I've used items that were past their use-by date and survived just fine. (I wouldn't do this for meat or fish -- unless it's something I froze before the expiration date and pulled from the freezer later.) I love used clothing and am happy to trash-pick useful items.
You're right that the payback time for some things is oversold. We put solar panels on the house not because we expected a quick payback, but because we thought it made sense environmentally.
I make my own seasoning mixes because I can suit them to our taste and I know what's in them. Sometimes the homemade item simply tastes so much better -- as in homemade bread. I still have an old breadmaker. I don't use it that often, but I do occasionally take it out to make dough for rolls when I'm pressed for time. Most of the time I make bread with my Kitchen Aid.
I've never dumpster dived and would be nervous about getting caught.
@Cindi, I've read here about others turning soured milk into yogurt or pudding. The first time I tried it, the bad taste came through in the yogurt. The second time I tried it, it did a weird separation during the heating process. So I don't understand how this works for other people.
I suppose this would depend on how funky the milk has gotten; I only making pudding with milk that is very slightly sour!
Sometimes I think even a non frugal purchase is a very good purchase. I am an avid bread machine user! I have an oh so not frugal Zojirushi machine, purchased at the very beginning of the Covid outbreak for over $300. Not a frugal purchase. However, I've found I can't eat American flour. I cough afterwards, and if I eat more than a very little bit it becomes a very serious lasting bronchitis cough (one cough lasted 3 years straight before I gave up wheat and then disappeared totally within just a few weeks of no longer eating it. I went gluten free for several years. A couple of years later I found I can eat Italian flour with zero difficulties. As much as I want. I've tried eating our flour periodically but the results are instant - I'm coughing within the hour. So weird, and I've heard a lot of theories on why this might be (additives, domestically used pesticides, etc.). I dislike most gluten free breads you can purchase or make so I make my own bread in my machine now with the Italian flour. I'm particularly fond of pumpkin bread and banana bread and make that the most. It is so darned easy to just throw everything in and it is delicious because it's just plain old Italian flour I'm using so no weird after tastes or textures! I'd say I have made at least 1-3 loaves every week since I purchased it. So that would be an average of maybe 500 loaves total over the last 5 years. I believe my not so frugal purchase did pay for itself during that time, but more than that I am able to enjoy the bread things that I love. I bought the expensive machine as I wanted a normally shaped bread loaf, it had a variety of settings including gluten free and custom, I love Zojirushi products, and I thought it would be a good long term purchase. One of the little paddles did become a victim of the garbage disposal a couple of years back, but I was able to easily order replacements for it as well as a spare pair for the future for I believe under $20 for all including the shipping. The spare pair is tucked away in case I ever need them. Being a major brand does enable me to get replacement parts for a long time as well. I did also look for a very long time (a year or two) for a second hand Zojirushi at thrift stores, facebook marketplace, etc. with no luck. Ebay prices were not really a savings once you factored in shipping. I have zero regrets for this purchase. I think it's a lot like a Kitchen Aid mixer or Bosch mixer. I suspect this bread machine will last me many years to come and because it's so easy to use and gives such great results I use it consistently. I have made room for it on my counter and keep my mixer in the pantry as it is used less. I have occasionally used it to make jam or pizza dough but very infrequently. The flour is also very expensive, so again, I don't consider it a necessarily frugal purchase. I did have a much less expensive Cuisinart bread machine (made tall skinny loaves) which I used semi regularly before I went gluten free. So I'd had some experience with bread machines and knew what I wanted differently. I could have purchased a less expensive model. I could have purchased a different brand thrift shop model for pennies on the dollar (they're everywhere). But I don't regret getting exactly what I wanted in this case. It was a good buy for me!
@KJ, I have heard from others that they are able to eat breads made from European flour. I have been hesitant to try this, but commercial GF bread is really a bit like eating cardboard. Perhaps I’ll try to bake a loaf before investing in a bread machine.
@Bee, my son in law also can not tolerate gluten (although he has stomach issues vs. my cough issues). He also does not get sick from the Italian flour I buy. Also, during a two week trip to Germany he was able to eat whatever he wanted with no issues. I would not try it if you have celiac disease, of course, but if you only have a sensitivity it might well be worth the risk of a one time try! The other benefit is I don't even need to gluten free setting any longer since it is not a gluten free flour. Gluten is not the problem for me. It's something else about American flour... I also have a pasta machine and we have a pizza oven... I use the Italian flour for all of it. So nice to be able to have flour again. I'm not as sure than the pasta machine was a good buy. It is a lot of work still (mostly clean-up) so I generally substitute broccoli or cauliflower for noodles, but occasionally it is nice. The pizza oven, on the other hand gets used a ton.
My sister lived near Yale for a few years. She used to dumpster dive when the students would go home for summer break. She found that the wealthier students would throw our some very nice clothing rather than pack it all to take home.
@Rebekah in SoCal, that was the case when the students went home from my local party-school university. I used to make out like a bandit from dorm dumpsters, and DH's student renters used to leave behind plenty of top-notch swag too.
Living in apartment complexes, I used to dumpster dive all the time. Actually, I'd just be taking my trash out when I'd see something and rescue it. When I moved to Florida, I pulled up to the new apartment for the very first time and was throwing away the contents of our litter bag -- and saw some table legs sticking out of the dumpster. The guy who was with me pulled them out and voila! we saw it was a chrome table. Couldn't find the glass top but I got one at Big Lots. That's how I obtained my balcony table.
I also found a pole lamp, books, clothing, a big Corningware casserole (complete with stuck-on macaroni and cheese, fuzzy with mold -- how's that for squeamish?), the lid to the casserole dish, a Martha Stewart shower curtain, and houseplants at the dumpster. I chiseled off the moldy macaroni and washed the casserole out first with a water hose outdoors and then in my kitchen with boiling water and bleach. I also wash clothing and curtains before using and spray Lysol on other items.
People threw all kinds of good stuff away. I saw a twin bed mattress, but sadly, someone else had thrown some baked beans on it, making it really dirty. I wasn't strong enough to pull out the mattress and wash off the beans, so I left it there. My neighbor Kathy got her boyfriend to rescue a futon frame from the dumpster nearest their unit.
Here in Texas, I've found furniture around dumpsters and on the curb. I once picked up a brass headboard while walking the dog. There was a big box of clothing left beside a dumpster, and later a kitchen table and chairs. What I can't use, I take to the consignment store and let them sell it for me; if they don't take it, I donate it to a charity thrift store.
If someone is crazy enough to throw away a perfectly good item, I'm crazy enough to rescue and use or sell it.
BTW, around the last weekend of each month is a good time to check the apartment complex dumpsters bc that's when residents move out.
blurb for the bread machine - using for the dough cycle only then baking in your oven is a good use. it kneads SO well for a hands off approach to bread making. Many can be found at second hand stores for <20 but even if bought new around $60-70- it would pay for itself if you just made pizza for my family of 5, twice. Thats a conservative estimate (I have done the math, ha! Frugals unite! So, using it this way vs not making bread/pizza or other doughs at all - i have found it to be a great frugal investment
I was at a friend’s house, and her toddler dropped some raspberries on the floor, and instead of rinsing them off, SHE THREW THEM IN THE GARBAGE! Raspberries are expensive! The toddler is married now. That’s how long the discarded berries have been bothering me.
I’m wearing thrifted clothing as I type this. I’ve discovered that it’s best not to share this with everyone. Some people don’t get it!
The book, “Make the Bread, Buy the Butter”, is a decent guide to which things make sense to make vs buy.
@Ann, that was a great book!
When I had to learn how to make gluten free breads I failed until I tried a bread maker. My mind couldn’t wrap around such a wet mushy dough so I let the bread machine figure it out. I don’t like the holes in the bottom but dislike 8 dollar loaves of bread even more. But I really don’t eat much bread anymore. I’ve been using bone broth and marinara to make soup lately. I just pour some of each in my cup and nuke it. In the past I’ve had little experiments of making homemade convenience food. None of them seemed worth the time and effort. I don’t even really bother with recipes anymore I just make a bowl of food.
I don’t buy bruised food so no problem there. I tend to only buy what I know I will eat. When kids were in the house I could buy anything and it always got eaten. I had to learn what to buy just for myself and it took some time but one person really doesn’t need much it surprised me.
I always preferred second hand clothing. They look as good as new and cost less than a cookie. Browsing thrift stores and garage stores used to be entertainment and I bought more than I ever needed because it was such a deal. The pandemic helped me break that unwanted habit. I don’t shop much anymore.
I’ve never walked past a dumpster that had anything I wanted to dive for.
I only replace things that break so the payback is yay I have heat again or hot water is good.
We have two kids (age 1 and 4) with a baby on the way. We both work full time. The 4yo has a severe sesame allergy which makes it almost impossible to buy bread at the store (we have only one brand of loaf bread that is safe). So we do use the bread machine, not because it is cheaper or tastier than making bread with a mixer or buying it but because it is just easier. We can dump everything in, push a button, walk away, and come back to bread ready to eat. And our bread machine was free because my mom gave us hers since she never used it. :-)
Squeamish: I had a few seriously over ripe pears last week. I made a Pinterest recipe of pear bread, plus I had a couple of overripe bananas and put them in, too. A couple of months ago, I got some plums from Misfits that never ripened so I gave up and made plum butter. That worked well.
My mom and dad inherited one the first bread makers made and were not too keen on using it and let me have it. I tried using it all the way through the cycle, but the bread would rise and fall before it baked. After that, I did use it a lot for just the mixing/kneading and first rise and shaped the bread into regular loaves to bake in the oven, or into rolls or even cinnamon rolls. I gave it to a thrift store during my one in, one out phase. The Instant Pot took up the old space. I have a KitchenAid to do the kneading now, anyway.
I have very few new clothes. There are certain brands of clothes (Karen Scott, Kim Rogers, Duluth Trader, JMS Classic fit petite (length) jeans that I purchase on eBay. Not as often since postage went up. Our family always did "hand me overs" from other families and "hand me downs" in our own.
The last time I was involved in dumpster diving was last week. My neighbor and I were taking our early morning walk by flashlight. She picked up some trash, and when we got to the nearest dumpster, I hefted the lid (after removing the bear bar), and when she tossed the trash in, her lit flashlight went with it! So, she climbed in, and had to fling stuff around to get to her flashlight, which, of course, had fallen to the bottom of the dumpster. At least she could see where it was because it was lit—I held my flashlight so she could see what she was flinging around. I was very impressed by her agility and her willingness to go after the flashlight.
I guess everybody's squemish in different ways...I didn't have a problem cloth diapering my babies but if it was someone else's kid, I might. I don't have a problem with thrifted clothes or hand-me-downs. In fact, we always get a kick out of seeing pictures from years ago wearing clothes that my SIL had given to our daughters to wear. It would go from my niece to my older daughter to my youngest. Three levels of cuteness in different ways. My SILs and I all traded maternity clothes as we took turns being pregnant. Two of my favorite coats were thrifted. One was a wool peacoat that I bought for $12 that lasted for years and the other was a banana republic trench that will stand the test of time. Always fashionable.
I had a bread maker on my wedding registry in 2003. I used it maybe twice and the bread wasn't all that great so it ended up going to goodwill. I avoid single use appliances for the most part but my family convinced me to get a rice cooker. Ya'll...it was pricy, even with the coupons and gift cars stacked. And it's true - we do eat rice often. And Yes - I have used it to make salmon and rice and also steelcut oats. And it definitely cooks rice to perfection. But even at the per use calculation, it certainly feels like a luxury.
People who are grossed out by second hand clothes strangely don’t express any grossness when they sleep on hotel sheets or use their towels ?!
Your mention of dumpster diving brings me to mention the incredible amount of waste at end of the year college cleanouts. I saw a post recently ( Instagram, maybe?) where a woman documented the curbside “trash piles” at year end dorm move out at Columbia Univ in NY. I was absolutely speechless- multiple unopened packages of food, like new lamps, clothing (some with tags!), books, etc. I’d happily dive through that with zero shame!
Our bread machine died last year. And you know what? So far, no used ones in the thrift stores (though I admit, I don't thrift that much). I have friends who do, and they haven't found one either. LOTS of air fryers and instant pots though. We use those allll the time. I would love another bread machine to try my hand at more gluten free bread. I put it on my wish list for Christmas, but no luck. However, I have just been eating less bread.
I ADORE my bread machine, but mostly I use it for making and kneading bread dough (which I then put in a pan or make into a more satisfying shape, and then bake in my oven) and I also use it to mix and cook up mini batches of homemade jam for my small house! You just "cook" the jam in the bread machine on the Bake cycle. Making jam might even be my favorite use for the bread machine. It's so satisfying and makes some crazy delicious jam!
I got a Zojirushi bread maker at the thrift store for $45. We've used it 2 years so far. My husband makes 100% of his bread in it (and he eats 4+ pieces a day so he goes through a lot). We've definitely got our money's worth!
I make a lot of bread also, mostly in the winter to have with homemade soup for dinner. But my bread is from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." The recipes in the book are simple, and there's a good variety. I must confess, however, we like the basic recipe so much that I rarely make batches of the others, although my good friend loves the cinnamon roll one.
One purchase that has paid for itself at least 100x over is our hair clippers. My husband doesn't have a lot of hair, but they don't give discounts for that at the barber. Despite that, he said I wasted my money when I bought the clippers. He's since admitted he was wrong. We've had them at least 20 years and use them at least once or twice a month. I paid less than $20 for them. Since the average men's cut is now anywhere from $15-$40-something (I had to look it up), you better believe we've gotten our moneys worth.
But there is one thing I bought, which I use mostly for just one thing -- the aforementioned soups -- and that's an immersion blender. I thought long and hard before buying it because, like you, I abhor single-use items. Eventually, I gave in, managing to get a display model, and every time I use it (frequently), I'm glad I did.
Also, I have no hesitation in picking up hats and the like that have clearly been lost. That's how my husband recently ended up with a very nice Nike balaclava. Once washed, it looked like new!
Probably half my wardrobe is thrifted clothes, and I love them! Saves tons of money, but makes it hard to shop even sale price items.
Right now I'm on my 4th or 5th bread machine. Bought first one, won one at local store, bought another at neighbor's garage sale (almost new), given one by daughter who wasn't using it, and last one was display model so got it at huge discount. Have lots of room for storing it and make oatmeal rolls often to freeze for dinner rolls, larger for burgers and/or sandwiches. Wonderful, too, hot out of the oven with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My grandkids love these rolls, so I always have some on hand. It's one of my most used kitchen gadgets, but I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea. Helpful to have because of arthritic hands, too!
i am the queen of take out. but i am trying to do home cooking. hubby and son help out with this because they are great cooks and i am not. when i went to visit our former nanny at columbia presbyterian hospital i went to their cafeteria for lunch. i had a mushroom slice. it was pretty big and was only $2.50. that is way cheaper than the mushroom slices in my neighborhood. it even tasted good. we don't have a car and we don't have air conditioning and we don't pay for gas and electric in our apt. i subscribed to amy's newsletter back in the day. but i gave her book to our nanny.
What makes you squeamish? What a great question for a nurse. This is an occasional lunch room question at work. As a veteran healthcare worker, I’m most squeamish of bedbugs and lice. K- has anything at work made you squeamish yet? Just curious.
Thus far, the only thing that has made me feel even slightly bleah is a patient's JP drain that was putting out something that looked sorta like gray snot. I felt a teeeeeeny tiny bit like, "ooh yuck" when I squeezed that out.
It's not like I love emptying ostomy bags or cleaning up incontinence or anything (I try to breathe through my mouth!), but nothing makes me queasy or weak-kneed.
Annnnnnd this is why I feel a little like I owe it to the world to do this kind of work. Ha. Not everyone has the gift of being unfazeable in a healthcare setting and I do.
@Kristen, Maybe having children inoculates you from the "ooh yuck" of snot and incontinence.
My sister had a bread machine and it was so nice when I would go visit and she had fresh bread. My daughter bought me one one year for Christmas and my bread always turned out like a lump and it was so dense. It was impossible to eat.
So I finally got rid of it and found out later she had got it at a garage sale. Guess there was a reason it was in a garage sale lol
I have a bread machine- probably 20 years. I don’t like bread baked in the machine but the convenience of using the dough cycle for bread and cinnamon rolls is totally worth it.
I shape my bread and put in loaf pan for another rise before baking.
I once said at a very posh party, I like my clothes like I like my men, gently used ( my husband was wearing a second hand black tie). I have no shame in wearing second hand, I also sleep in hotel bed and rent car. No difference. I buy my jewelry at pawn shops. Dumpster diving was something I loved when I was studying in Paris and did the end of market and asked for bruised vegetables and fruits . Now with a way more comfortable income, we holiday with house and car swap, we just fly business.
My pet squeamishness is for wearing other people's shoes. I know with the price of shoes it would benefit me if I could just get rid of this but so far, no luck. I do make the shoes I own last for years and years and then more years. For instance my hiking boots are over 20 years old but are still holding up.
I picked up a 2nd hand bread maker for $35. I like to bake bread and buns, but find the kneading task painful to my poor hands. I use the bread maker to do the initial combining of ingredients & the kneading, then rise & shape as usual. I was inspired by my Dad, who had the same problem. I figure I saved a machine from ending up in the landfill, and get to enjoy home-baked treats. Win/win
I have year-round allergies, and I used to go through several boxes of tissues a month. A few years ago I bought two dozen cotton handkerchiefs for $20, and they must have paid for themselves within two or three months. I've since added to my stash by cutting up old t-shirts and things.
I guess I'm still selectively squeamish about some things - I doubt I could bring myself to pick up wet, dirty clothes that someone dropped and bring them home to use myself. In general, though, I have no problem with used clothes or anything else used if it can be cleaned thoroughly. I grew up with hand-me-down, garage sale, or thrift store clothes and furniture. I still use some of that same hand-me-down furniture now, actually.
My family had a bread machine in the nineties and I loved some of the recipes we made in it, plus the fact that I could easily make bread myself as a kid. I sometimes wish I had one now, but these days I can make bread the old-fashioned way and I really do prefer it. Bread machines are just so quick and easy, even if the bread isn't quite as good.
Hi Kristen,
I am not sure if I can mention this but I hope so: there's a guy in Canada, specifically living in Montreal who's "career" is as a scavenger, saving things from going in the landfill. He finds the most amazing items that people throw out: war memorabilia, money, old coins, jewellery, old photo's and so on. He has a blog where he details his finds, called "Things I find in the Garbage". It is a most fascinating read.
I am not squeamish when it comes to thrift stores, I buy most of my clothing there, with some exceptions i.e. underwear. I have found some amazing pieces; we even found a black "Gucci" sweater for my HB many years ago, it is suede on the front and back, with knitted sleeves.
I loved my bread machine from 1999, which just broke earlier this year! So I don't know if the comment about them not lasting very long holds up. That being said, I only used it to knead and then baked the bread in the oven, which I think tasted much better. Maybe bread machines burn out faster if you use them for baking? I don't know if I'll get another one, my Kitchen Aid with dough hooks seems to get the job done well enough.
This is a good topic... I've been talking to my dad about this. His brother (my uncle) just bought a house. 1960s. They've remodeled the whole thing--new floors throughout. New paint. New light fixtures. Doors. Door knobs. All appliances. Trim. If it could be replaced, they replaced it. Stuck $200k into the house. It's all done. And they hate it. They said that knowing it's from the 60s gives them an ick factor of all the previous owners. They want brand new. They want to be the first and only owners/users. They said they'll likely stick it on the market later (acknowledging that they'll sell at a loss) and buy new construction in the same area for $$$.
They've always been like this. They do not do used anything. No used appliances. Clothes. Books. Toys. They do not share things with others. They did not allow their kids (my cousins) to have sleepovers anywhere else. Even my house. They do not own anything that had a previous owner. They fully believe it's full of germs, will break/go bad immediately, etc.
I find this extremely disheartening and wasteful. There's something beautiful in the old, vintage, worn from time and others' use. I get that this is completely within their mindset. But they're also the type of people that will throw away a whole apple simply because it rolled on the floor in their own house.
I just... don't fully understand the mindset, but I'm trying to respect the fact that all individuals have the freedom to choose how they live and what they use within their life. I'm very grateful my husband and I share a love of used, thrift, and vintage. <3
Dumpster diving is not for the faint of heart. There is a tribe of people who dive in the dumpsters at strip malls that have stores like TJ Maxx and Five Below. Because of the liability of the store or the mall for injuries that might happen in the diving process, police and private security companies are paying far more attention to those areas. Most grocery stores now compress their waste, so a smashed watermelon doesn't have quite the appeal it might once have had.
I'm an antiquer and junker, and your photo of stuff above looks VERRRYYY interesting to me! I used to buy boxes of Christmas stuff at auctions, take out the items I wanted, and donate the rest. I'm talking large boxes of garlands, light strings, etc. Many of my local thrift stores don't have the space to store that very seasonal merchandise, so they refuse to take it in June or July. On a lovely summer evening, I drove to the back dock of my favorite thrift to "stealth donate" an artificial Christmas tree, and was startled to find a very old couple standing in the dumpster in the back of the store. They both had canes, she used hers to point at the stuff she wanted and he used his to hook the item closer so he could bend over and pick it up.
People throw some really icky stuff into dumpsters. Just saying. Do some research on gleaners and you'll find out what I mean.
Ha! I saw a bread machine free on the curb last month. Didn’t even give it a second glance!
I'm not squeamish at all, but do respect that I have some cultural hesitations about eating eyeballs, dog meat, and other foods that are delicacies in some parts of the world. Used to dumpster dive at the tony college near us, as students often left great stuff at the end of the year--printers, desks, lamps, computers!, clothes, odd furniture, etc. etc. Not allowed any more.
I love my bread machine and use Beth Hensperger's recipes--excellent bread.
Thrift stores and garage sales sometimes have wonderful clothes that need mending or cleaning, and then become my favorites. I also sew, and use buttons and sometimes zippers from these bargain finds.
Prefer tissues to hankies, as my nose is sensitive and runs all the time, all year. I buy tissues in bulk at Costco and made a quilt from the handkerchiefs my late mother-in-law had kept over many years. She had many pretty embroidered ones that made a pretty quilt.
Some of my thrift finds are handsome souvenirs of the past. I like that heavy molded glass bowls do not easily skid or tip, and some old steel pans are excellent for baking.
Sometimes making your own food instead of eating convenience food makes sense, regardless of the cost differences. I am trying really hard to remove as many processed foods and food additives from my diet as possible. (I am convinced they cause weight gain.) When I look at the ingredients on some food labels, I am shocked, even for something so basic as bread.
I use my bread machine as a dough machine and I love it! Yes, of course I could easily make dough, but it's so convenient for me to throw the ingredients in and let the machine do the kneading and rising while I do something else. The dough is ready for me to make a loaf, or some rolls, or cinnamon buns or pizza or whatever my plan is.
So many people I know are squeamish about thrifted dishes and cookware. (Of course I wash these items before use). This is especially confusing to me because all these people happily eat off of "used" dishes in restaurants, eating food that was cooked in "used" pans.
I think this is a useful way to think about purchases but I add in another factor, my time. For example, I have a more than full time job, the bread machine saves me time and I still get fresh bread. I raise money for non profits. A saying I heard years ago sticks in my mind whenever I am doing this kind of think. People have 3 equal kinds of thinks they can gift to an effort...Time, Talent and Treasure.
People sleep between used sheets and use used towels in hotels all the time.
I have had a rare incident of dumpster diving or two but, I have picked up many "free" trash items set out curbside. Some of which I flipped for money, and some which I kept for myself. It's amazing what people throw out.
I embrace using used stuff.
One thing I am a bit squeamish about is: eating out. I know! One of the reasons I avoid it unless I am traveling or really, really like the food is the cleanliness factor of the establishment. Even nice, fancy estuarine can sometimes have poor cleanliness standards in the kitchen (and less expensive places can have higher standards) and I also know there are food inspectors and such but if it’s a kitchen behind closed doors (which it oftentimes is) no one is watching the whole time. I have to stop thinking about it too much when I’m eating somewhere!
You could make a from scratch version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. check out Zimmerman Homestead on YouTube, look for "homemade cereal alternatives".
A good portion of my closet is from children, resale stores and friends.