Tightwad Gazette Tour | Credit cards sure have changed!
Look at me, with only two weeks between Tightwad Gazette installments. Let's go. 🙂
Turn your jeans into a japron, a jote bag, a jorganizer, a jest...
Lots of ideas here.
These ideas probably work best with jeans that aren't stretchy; your worn-out skinny jeans might not work as well as more traditional denim.
I was about to raise my eyebrows at the idea of teens wearing the denim vest, but then I googled and it does seem like the young and stylish might be currently wearing denim vests.
Please see screenshot:
Credit cards 30 years ago!
I don't think I got my first credit card until Lisey was born, so...2001/2002? Thus, I have no personal experience with credit card scene at the time the Tightwad Gazette was written.
It is apparent in reading this article that credit card rewards did not exist at the time. In fact, the benefit of paying an annual fee was just that you got a lower interest rate!
And back then, the main monetary advantage of using a credit card was that you could keep your money in your bank account for an extra 45 days, to earn interest. But given the era, Amy cautions that you need to take into account the cost of the stamp it takes to mail your bill in. 🙂
I mainly use credit cards for the rewards they offer. I have my Citi card for the 5% back on groceries, my Amazon card for the 5% back on Amazon, and my Southwest card for pretty much everything else.
I charge nothing that I wouldn't pay cash for, and I have my accounts all automatically set to be paid in full online every month (no stamps necessary!). I pay $0 in interest and just happily pocket the rewards.
Amy would approve. 🙂
Creative Deprivation
This is one of those article that I do remember reading! Creative deprivation is based on the concept that you enjoy things more when you don't get to have them all the time.
The more you get what you want, whenever you want, the less you appreciate it. I suppose in a sense you develop a tolerance for it, or a numbness to it. It becomes the bare minimum that you expect in order to function.
(Which is, I suppose, rather analogous to the way drug/alcohol tolerance works.)
You know how in houses where the TV is on all day, the kids tend to not pay attention to it? But in households where the TV is rarely on, kids will watch a show with rapt attention.
In the same way, if you always buy your kid a toy or a treat when you go shopping, it will become the bare minimum they expect, rather than a delightful treat.
At the time, Amy believed that children were overstimulated by the constant presence of the TV, and I can only imagine what she thinks about the current overstimulation in both children and adults because of phones and tablets!
She says, "I suggest you step off the merry-go-round. Though this might seem more boring at first, eventually you'll come to enjoy a game of checkers or trying a new bread recipe or, one of Jim's favorites, watching the freezer defrost." Hehe.
One thing I'd add to this article: being able to engage in creative deprivation is something of a privilege. There are plenty of people on this planet who live lives of necessary deprivation, and being able to deprive yourself by choice is a blessing in and of itself.
How to save on funerals (!!!)
This article contains some names and addresses of organizations that offer assistance with funerals, and I assume they are mostly out of date.
But still, this is an important topic because death-related arrangements tend to be pricey. And give that it is a time of intense grief, people tend not to have the bandwidth to think about money-saving options.
For me personally, the plan is this: donate whatever is useful to medical science, then cremate me and use some kind of soil amendment to make my ashes safe to put in the ground.
(Cremation ashes are very alkaline and have high sodium levels so they're actually not good for the soil on their own.)
This method strikes me as affordable and also not wasteful. I personally do not wish for my living relatives to spend their money on preserving my dead body; I'd rather have the living use the money for themselves. I also like that cremation avoids the use of things like formaldehyde.
There are other affordable and eco-friendly burial options too, like burying an unpreserved body in a biodegradable casket, or no casket at all.
And you can make a non-legal Letter of Final Wishes document just so that your wishes are clear. 🙂
Are mixes cheaper?
Apparently back in the day, an expert was saying that sometimes mixes are cheaper than cooking from scratch.
So Amy went granular and did price analyses to find out. Her conclusion: the only mix that was actually cheaper was a Jiffy baking mix for biscuits.
But she also did taste tests, and on that front, the from-scratch versions won out every time.
Amy wonders if these mixes actually do save very much time, and I have had the same thought many times as I have mixed up a batch of pancake batter. It seriously takes just a few minutes, start to finish, and I cannot imagine that a pancake mix shaves much time off of that.
A batch of brownies is awfully quick as well, and so are biscuits (although I can see where the pop-open-a-can breads do save time!)
Anyway, I mostly avoid mixes for the taste reason; I think the homemade versions of most things just taste better.
Also relevant: You'll be slow at first, but you can get faster!
Freezers for small households
This one piqued my interest because I am now part of a very small household of two (which is a big change from the household of six I used to inhabit.)
In the article, Amy argues for the sensibility of owning a small chest freezer even if you are a single person, and I'm on her side here.
When I first moved into this house, I had nothing but my kitchen freezer and it didn't take me long to get annoyed with living that way.
You can't stock up on sales (like butter at the holidays or meat mark-downs), you can't do things like freeze homemade chicken broth and applesauce, and you can't buy things in bulk (like bread from Sam's club.)
So, I bought this chest freezer, which is less than $200.
And I have been a much happier camper ever since!
Note: I always use a non-self-defrosting freezer. The self-defrost cycle is what contributes to freezer burn in kitchen freezers, so to me, a self-defrosting extra freezer feels self-defeating. I want to be able to throw stuff in my freezer without worrying it's gonna get freezer burnt in a short while.
Whoa! Amy wrote about menstrual cups
Somehow this article completely fell out of my memory, but here it is. I had no idea menstrual cups were even a thing back then.
I've been on the menstrual cup bandwagon for many years now, and I can vouch for the fact that it is a serious cost-saver over pads or tampons.
Period underwear on the other hand...as I wrote before, those are not quite such a clear-cut win.
I love her last paragraph:
I have personally conducted a nine-year study on the pregnancy/breastfeeding method to avoid the purchase of these feminine products. After thorough and intense calculation, I have determined that one cannot fully recoup the cost of children through tampon savings.
Hehe.
And this is even more true if you are like me and your periods come back promptly despite round-the-clock exclusive breastfeeding. Sigh.
A DivaCup was life-changing for me! I've never, ever looked back.
I relate to so much of what you say about body preservation. I hope when I pass, all the options are far more eco-friendly and accessible!
@Elisabeth, same experience for me with my menstrual cup. I think sex ed classes should expose people to their existence since those companies (unlike period underwear companies) are not venture capital-backed and lack big ad budgets. Menstrual cups are a huge money saver and I absolutely LOVE not having to deal with tampons during the day.
@Stephanie, well the problem is sex ed classes. In all to many places, sex ed is just say no. Little to none factual teaching for males or females. If you can't talk to your child(ren) about the facts of life, find someone who can. Lack of information can be lethal these days.
@Selena, exactly
- a few years ago, I read Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death. An interesting read, would recommend!
- in one of the WIS WWA lasagna led to discussion of bechamel vs shredded marscapone. I was surprised to read people think it takes much time to make bechamel sauce. Like pancakes, you can make it in a few minutes, with staple ingredients ( I am much on team home made, but to date and after many disappointments have not mastered the skill of making mayonaise)
- we have a self defrosting freezer, to my regret but to my husbands delight
@JNL, I always recommend all of Jessica Mitford's books. Such a delightful person.
And yeah, we had my mom cremated in a cardboard box and interred the ashes into the grave of my father and brother.
Keep trying with the mayo! Easier if you have a immersion blender.
Shredded mozzarella, not mascarpone. It's not so much that it takes time to make bechamel, it's just that I grew up with the Italian-American recipe for lasagna that doesn't use it.
The subject of what cooking/baking shortcuts work for you is interesting to me. For instance, my mom didn't mind serving jarred sauce for weeknight spaghetti, but she'd never serve lasagna without homemade sauce. And she got annoyed with me for using Sara Lee poundcake in my trifle instead of making my own ladyfingers. However, pudding mix is an abomination, we agree on that!
@Rose,
LOL, *SAME* with my Italian-American mom and lasagna. She always made her homemade sauce before making it - there was just no other way to make lasagna worth eating. 🙂 She would not have cared if you used Sara Lee pound cake in a trifle, though.
@Rose, pudding mix because so few have ever had homemade pudding. My toxic grandmother made the best chocolate pudding. Between her, my other grandmother, mother, and mother's sisters, it is a wonder I do not weigh 300 lbs.
@JNL, Try some blender recipes--they are easy to find for making mayo.
I agree with your ideas about creative depravation. When our children were little, they had a 1.5 hr tv show/dvd limit per day. I wrote each of their names on a 3x5 card, taped the three cards to the inside of the tv cabinet door, and clipped three black paper clamps on each card. Each clip was worth 1 show (30 minutes); a kid's movie was normally approximately 80 minutes but only cost 2 clips. Each kid could use their clips as they wanted, but if they watched a show together, they each used the appropriate number of clips. They had to bring me the clip(s) before they could watch. Clips couldn't be saved for the next day. They enjoyed having control over their viewing time, and we, as parents, didn't have to nag them to turn it off.
Computer games had a similar method. We used a simple egg timer at the computer that they set to one hour, and if there was evidence of tampering with the time left, I would use the microwave timer to verify during future gaming (only had to do that a couple times).
Granted, this was LONG ago and, therefore, pre-smartphone/tablet/etc, but there were Nintendo DS, and micro. Our oldest got a DS at age 12, the middle one at age 10 because of a loooong family car vacation, and the youngest also at age 10. Being that their concept of time wasn't a problem anymore, they were good about "put the game away". They also knew they had to do homework and chores before playing/watching.
So to comment on today's problem of constant screens--just don't do it. There's no reason a little child possibly needs to have constant video entertainment. A phone is a tool; teach them how to use it properly (yes, including apps and 911), and put it away when not in use.
@Beth, My sister never limited TV or computer time with her daughter and I tsked a lot. My kids liked to read and draw and so on, and her kid....doesn't do anything creative. sigh. I saved all the nicest kids' books for her and she's never read any of them.
@Rose,
Our two kids, now plus and minus 30, were brought up on a time- and content-constricted screen regime, the younger benefiting a bit by starting "screen" younger than the elder they differ a few years. However, our youngest reads, writes, and draws, and plays any and all instruments, and our eldest spends hours on online games (be it multi player games, with real-time friends). Also board games, by the way, with friends, not with me *bursts out in tears*
Still, would definitely restrict screen time again.
@Rose,
And we read to them endlessly. The best part is, when your children start recommending you books they like.
@JNL, Yes. I'm really proud of well read my children are. My daughter is an artist and plays the guitar, bass and piano. My son seems to have given up on his guitar and the piano, but he's been able to hold a conversation with anyone about anything since he was 12 or so, when he and a friend of mine got into a long conversation about the Levellers/Diggers. Meanwhile, I'm thinking, "Uh, I sort of remember that..."
But they both really love Grand Theft Auto.
@JNL, My son and I got into an argument the other day over who bought "Orwell's Victory" by Christopher Hitchens and read it first. I was right, of course, it was me. Heh.
@JNL, and @Rose,
We never limited our son's screen time, and still don't (he's 14). He grew up drawing, playing with Legos, tried painting but didn't really like it; he wrote and illustrated his own "books" (made out of folded printer paper); he built buildings and various things out of boxes, toys, Tervis drink lids, you name it - including a play guitar out of a soft drink carton, duct tape, a ruler, and some yarn. He started playing trumpet in 6th grade, started playing drums soon after that, and loves music of all kinds. He's created at least three of his own languages, including specific alphabets to go with each language. Using video games, he has built cities and roller coasters. Watching YouTube videos, he has learned about geography and flags of the world, to name two things that have helped him in school (some of the other stuff he's watched is bananas, lol).
My point being: just because a kid has more or unlimited screen time does not automatically mean they will not engage in other activities. For those parents who have or do limit screen time, that's great. Not yucking anyone's yum!
@Liz B.,
And while my son is not a reader, we did read to him all the time. It's just not his jam.
@Liz B., Hey, if it works for you and him, more power to him. I've always been an Internet cheerleader because there is just so much information out there if you know how to find it and use it.
I probably won't get over asking my teen girl if we can go now and she says, "Hold on a sec, I've got the cops on my ass" on GTA. Heh.
@Rose,
Lol about GTA. 🙂
I get a little defensive about the whole screen limits thing - could you tell?. Ha. As older parents, my DH and I needed more than an hour or so to try and get things done in the evenings and weekends. Fortunately, our son has used screen time for (mostly) good, not evil.
@Liz B., we never limited ours either. Ours gravitated to things other than TV but we did have numerous VHS tapes (a lot of Disney - between what I grew up on and the kids, it doesn't take long for a song to get stuck in my mind lol). Nice weather they were outside, not so nice in the basement with various toys, books. Crafts were done upstairs.Given choices, kids usually gravitate to what suites them best.
@Liz B.,
We don’t limit screen time either (kids are 17,12,8). We do talk about making sure that our lives are well rounded and we aren’t spending too much time on any one thing (screens or otherwise), and we spend a lot of time talking about creating vs. consuming and from there they self-regulate. I figure those are the skills they need to navigate screens as adults. And Honestly they all spend less Time on screens than I would let them have if I limited screen time, and the vast majority of that is creating or facilitating creating (stop motion videos, photo editing, coding, etc), so it works for us.
@Rose, Not reading to children is likely a sin! I'm so sorry to hear that her kids were book deprived 🙁 We always read to our 3 kids, and they loved storytime (with character voices & accents :), and as they got older they had "book club" together and I could find them piled into couches and cozy places reading together. I'm delighted that they still love to read!
(full disclosure--I work in a library 🙂
@Beth, There is another dimension of screen use for children. Some experts worry that it is limiting the growth of imagination. Disney especially has created an empire that kind of fixes what is a princess, what is a prince, etc., and children who have to make them up actually are growing and stretching their imaginative power. The jury is out, but I think there is something to this--and I am a happy reader partly for never having had screens when I was growing up. Turns out reading is also helpful in teaching writing, so the benefits of screens are hard to justify in that competition.
I think that mixes can save you money if it's something you make infrequently. Like if you never baked, but had to make a chocolate cake for a party, it would certainly be cheaper to buy a cake mix compared to a bag of flour, vanilla, and a jar of cocoa powder. I cook and bake regularly, but I have some relatives who wouldn't have those ingredients on-hand.
Or...I will confess, my favourite chocolate cake (Stella Parks' Devil's Food Cake) costs more to make than a box of cake mix, because the cost of chocolate and the cup of whipping cream is so high. But it is so much better than a box of cake mix that I'll call it worth it 🙂
@Meira@meirathebear,
Do you have a recipe link for the Devil's Food cake?
@Mary Ann, the cake and icing are in her book "Bravetart." I got it from my local library. This is just the cake though, with a different icing:
https://www.seriouseats.com/bravetarts-devils-food-cake
Aww, such a cute little freezer! I have two giant chest freezers, one for meat, one for vegetables, grains, etc. Given my location, they are very necessary for me. I shop my freezers rather than stores and always have extras of everything in there.
Oh yes, my freezer would not be NEARLY enough for you!
@kristin @ going country,
Having two giant chest freezers makes so much sense for you and your family!
I agree with baking from scratch rather than using mixes. Even if mixes are cheaper I don't think they match the quality of from scratch cooking. You can always bake extra and freeze it (in your extra freezer).
We do not have an extra freezer but we do have an old refrigerator and find it handy. Our kitchen refrigerator is counter depth so it does not hold a ton.
I agree with deprivation, to a point, and that it can be a privilege as well as a way to appreciate more in life and lead to creativity.
I didn't know that about self defrosting freezers. I'm glad I bought a freezer that is not self defrosting to store all of our extras. It's a stand up stainless steel one, so it matches the other kitchen appliances and doesn't look out of place -- we don't have a basement so it sits in the kitchen. And I can showcase my magnets on it!
My in-laws donated their bodies to science. Kind of shocking for the first death as there was no body to celebrate, but my father-in-law thought funeral people where there to rip you off. He had it all arranged.
On the other hand, my sister-in-law donated her body to science, but it was returned as not compatible! I guess the hospitals are getting more selective as to who they take now and how many bodies they have on hand. So then, not only did the spouse have to deal with the death, he also had an additional responsibility of a returned body and had to hire a funeral home. Do some research if that is how you select your funeral.
Funny story about the diva cup; my sister ordered one in the early 90's to test it out. She didn't like it and gave it to me to give to my daughter (who was less than 10 yrs old at the time). I said to her what is she going to do with it, and my sister said, she can use it as a toy with her Barbie dolls. LOL
@Maureen, as I've noted in several previous comments, I donated DH's body to the local medical school. You're correct that a medical school might not accept a body if it doesn't meet the school's specs (including death from certain infectious diseases, morbid obesity, etc.). But DH's body was accepted, and I was and am at peace with every aspect of that decision. I've made preliminary arrangements to donate my own body likewise. If I should be turned down, then cremation and disposal of the ashes as Kristen describes would be OK with me. (I should probably add a note about that to my final instructions.)
@A. Marie, My body goes to the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. I made note of that in my healthcare directives and let my agents know. Fingers crossed everyone does as requested... I won't know one way or the other!
@Maureen,
I think people have a very different attitude towards donating their remains than say 100 years ago [As in Porgy and Bess, where the saucer is passed to give poor Robbins a funeral - otherwise he will go to "the medical students"].
Perhaps as a result the universities can be more picky now.
Will not go into related gruesome Victorian stories now - Halloween is a year away
@JDinNM, you made me smile. You sound a bit like my dad. When he was terminally ill, we discussed his last wishes. His directive was simple: do what ever will make you happy. I won’t be joining you.
@JDinNM,
Your last sentence reminds me of an anecdote I read in Reader's Digest: an elderly man had two cemetery plots, one in Florida and one "Up Nawth" (the northern state where he used to live). His children asked him where he'd prefer to be buried. He replied, "I don't know -- surprise me!" LOL!
@Maureen,
I had NO IDEA they could "reject" a donated body as "not compatible"! Yikes!
@Liz B., neither did I. I just thought they would take anyone. But I guess way too many people are donating now. I just felt so bad for my brother-in-law, who had closed a door, only to have it opened again. That broke my heart.
@Maureen,
That IS heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your brother in law. I guess if a person wants to donate their body after death, it might make sense to have a back up plan, if possible....or earmark funds for family to use to pay for cremation or whatever the alternate plan includes. (Again, assuming they have the resources to do so).
I'm so glad I don't have to worry about period supplies. also I find the idea of a cup ga-ross.
Re early 90s rewards, I did get quite a few miles with my Amex, which was nice. When I did business travel that made the points quickly come through so we did get some cheap vacations. I sent my parents to London for my mom's 50th birthday via points.
@Rose,
I thought I was the only one who finds the idea of a menstrual cup, umm, gross.
Also glad I don't need any period supplies any longer.
@Liz B., my daughter tried one out in her early 20’s and found it very uncomfortable. I may recall (not 100% sure) she got hers “stuck” at one point. Regardless, she found it an ordeal and passed it on. So while they are economical, clearly not for everyone,
I always make some things from scratch, like cakes or muffins, because box cake mixes taste fake and awful and the texture is spongy. But if it's a weeknight and I'm tired, ya damn sure I'm going to make biscuits for biscuits n gravy from a can or use Pillsbury pie crust for a quiche. I just don't have the energy and they require no cleaning up after rolling out, etc. For Thanksgiving pies I make my own pastry.
I do use Bisquick to make pancakes a lot of the time. When you're really really tired, anything that saves a bit of energy is welcome.
@Rose, I had never made brownies from a box - I find the taste to be a bit funky no matter the quality/price. I had a friend who was shocked that brownies could be made from scratch as she had never had one that didn’t come from a box.
@Rose, I typically make things from scratch and for a few years was on a quest to recreate my mother's waffle recipe. I tried cookbook recipes, internet recipes, the recipes of friends and coworkers. Nothing was quite right. And then a memory surfaced of my mother making waffles for my friends the morning after a sleep over, but they tasted like soap. And I suddenly remembered that she inexplicably kept a box of Bisquick in the same cabinet as the laundry powder. So I bought a box and sure enough, my mother's waffle recipe was right off the box of Bisquick. 🙂
I am going to defy expectation and talk about mixes.
When you say mixes are not faster, I wonder if you're taking into account the additional time it takes if you have not memorized the recipe or have a favorite recipe to reach for automatically.
Now I'm going to talk about creative deprivation. Now that my various funds (emergency, etc) are sufficiently funded, that is one of the main reasons I underspend my income and resist the small treats (such as my favorite candy bar, which is now only available as an import). Even though I'm pretty good at finding joy in things for a long time - my KitchenAid standing mixer made me smile for years - familiarity does diminish the special feeling after a while.
PS: in many jurisdictions, it's illegal to be buried in preserved in a plain box unless you can demonstrate a sincere religious basis.
My choice is donation: transplant, research or students, body farm. Followed by cremation of whatever's left.
Lee Hays of the Weavers agreed with the idea. When he was dying (from complications from diabetes, I think), he wrote a poem that he entry to Pete Seeger's wife, who was a fellow gardener.
If I should die before I wake
All my bones a sinew take.
Put me in a compost pile
And decompose me for a while.
Sun, rain, and worms will have their way
Returning me to common clay
All that I am will feed the trees
And little fishies in the sea.
When radishes and corn you munch
You may be having me for lunch.
And then excrete me with a grin, chortling
"There goes Lee again!"
Oh, yes, the first time you make a recipe, it is not faster! But that's why I included this link in the post: https://www.thefrugalgirl.com/you-will-be-slow-at-first-but-you-can-get-faster/
I feel like the searching for a recipe part is very time-consuming. But once you have a recipe you love and you make it a lot of times, you can definitely get faster than a mix for something like pancakes.
@WilliamB, oh, gosh, Lee Hays's final wishes are hilarious. I wouldn't mind being composted myself, except that we're probably some years away from effective and widely available human composting. So donating myself to the medical school is fine with me.
I should also point out that anatomical donation is one of the most economical options. You do have to pay a funeral home to make the arrangements and get the body transported to the school, but that's it. The school covers the cremation costs once the body has served its purposes.
@A. Marie, Human composting is legal in New York! A friend of mine wants to try it.
Me, take my organs if you want em, burn me up, mix my ashes with my dogs' (I have all their ashes), and toss me in the ocean.
I had BFF's brother mix her ashes with her favorite cat's. He didn't even realize she had the cat's ashes, until I pointed out the urn labeled "Atsu," the cat's name. Men never notice anything, I swear. And I have a quarter of her ashes in my bookcase right now.
@WilliamB, do tell—what is that imported candy bar??
@WilliamB, I’ve had my KitchenAid for 6 months now, it still gives me a little zing of joy to see and use it. I hope that last awhile.
Also, it’s PINK!! I used to avoid buying things in pink in high school, because I was worried I’d outgrow the color preference. During the pandemic (my college years) I realized 2 things, though: 1. I’ll take small joys where I can easily get them and 2. I’ve loved the color pink (esp light pink) since I was 5, so the preference isn’t going anywhere 😀
@Andrea G / Midwest Andrea, I dislike pink in most cases, except in kitchens. No, I don't understand my brain either. I have a pink fridge and 1950s pink stove.
My KitchenAid color is called guava glaze and it's a very nice shade of pink. My previous one, from my last house, was lavender. I let it go in my tag sale which I probably shouldn't have!
@Rose, yes, I know it's now legal. But effective and widely available? Not yet. So I'm sticking with my current plan.
@A. Marie, IDK, I think it's more fun if someone stumbles across a human hand at random! "Oh, that. That's Myrna. I'm going to use her on my roses next spring."
@A. Marie, Seattle has a human composting place. https://earthfuneral.com
@WilliamB, love the poem. I think the responsible thing to do is set aside (for your heirs or whoever) enough funds so at a minimum you can be cremated. Not sure what the going rate is these days? Maybe $2,500?
When my sister passed away a few years ago she wanted to be cremated, we called around and found the local cremation service. A nice lady helped us with the process and kindly told us that she could, for $250 extra, help us with the paperwork or alternatively we could go to a coffee shop and fill it out, on line. She also advised us to initially order just one death certificate (not multiple copies) and to check to make certain all the information was correct. That was good advice because despite 2 of us inoutting the data, reviewing it together, there was an error on the initial death certificate. (I guess we were more “fried” and not thunking clearly at the time).
My sister had had 2 beloved dogs cremated. We were able to commingle their ashes with hers which was nice. She had specific instructions where she wanted her ashes distributed (2 different locations) and we were able to honor that.
My family has hear many times that I want to go out in “the cheap seats” and that no one should profit from my demise.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, It's the Lion Bar, by Nestle. It's like a KitKat with a 100Grand on top: wafer cookies, caramel, rice krispy-style cereal, chocolate.
@WilliamB, if it was dark chocolate, I'd be a goner. Thanks for satisfying my curiosity!
I remember the section on repurposing denim jeans. I’m looking at the apron pictured and I think that it would make a fantastic gardening apron.
I rarely use mixes because of the sodium content. I suppose they can be less expensive if one rarely cooks, but I keep many spices on hand. Thus, I can mix my own when necessary.
Creative deprivation is an interesting concept. I do think that we become used to things which is one of the reasons that it is so difficult to cut back. I also think that money can impede creativity.
I have a recent real life example.
Over the weekend I told my sister that I was looking for a new coffee table. She responded by telling me that I could probably find a nice one for $1500 or so. I laughed because I realize this, but can do. Then she asked me my budget, and I told her I’d like to keep it around $100. She was flummoxed.
However, I’m not going to throw money at this problem. I can make do with what I have until the right comes along. I have been scouring Facebook marketplace, estate sales and thrift stores and I’m not afraid of a fixer upper. It will show up eventually. My sister on the other hand always pays retail.
@Bee, what flummoxes me is the idea of paying $1500 for a coffee table! And I applaud you for your patience; you're right that the right one will come along eventually. I scored a pre-loved coffee table for $25 at a garage sale this summer that looks as if if grew here.
@Bee, I've seen some wonderful coffee tables made from dining tables with the legs shortened.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, That is a wonderful idea!
@A. Marie, My sisters and I are much different that way.
@Bee,
$1500 for a little coffee table? OMG! That is absolutely outrageous!
I admit I did tsk to myself when I saw Kristen using a jar of tikka masala mix when it's so easy to make.
@Rose,
Well, if I had Kristen's schedule, so would I!
Choose your battles I say, I go for the pancakes 🙂
@JNL, Ha! We're the kind of household that has fenugreek in stock. Honestly, homemade Indian or Chinese is pretty easy if you have the stuff around, which is a big caveat frankly, but it also tastes a zillion times better homemade. I love Indian but I prefer much hotter than tikka masala, which is a British curry anyway.
@Rose, How is it you've been here so long and still don't understand that this is not the place to be critically judgemental of someone else? Just because what someone else spends money on isn't what you spend money on, doesn't make it a bad choice. Even if it does, this is NOT the place to say so.
@Rose, Easy for you, perhaps. Personally, I think biscuits are easier than either and I've cooked all three for decades.
@Rose, Wish we could edit our responses. I wrote "biscuits", I meant to write "biscuits, pancakes, and waffles." Can't image why anyone wouldn't make those from scratch when they're so easy and so much better than from a mix.
@WilliamB, amen. Kristen's got enough going on in her life right now that I don't think she needs to sweat using tikka masala sauce from a jar.
@WilliamB, How is it you've been here so long and you still don't understand I'm not being critically judgmental of someone else?
My point was we all have different levels of what we think it's worth spending time or not on when cooking/baking and I think it's interesting.
>Just because what someone else spends money on isn’t what you spend money on, doesn’t make it a bad choice.
Who said otherwise? And come on, many commenters here do it all the time. See above re Bee's sister's coffee table.
@A. Marie, Oh for heaven's sake, why is it once again let's pile on Rose time because you don't understand my point?
Kristen likes making pancakes from scratch. I don't. Kristen uses a jar for Indian sauce. I don't. No judgment has been made, except by you two about me.
May I point out that you said that you "tsk"ed at me? Tsk: transitive verb: to express disapproval of by or as if by uttering tsk
That is a judgment by definition and I am scratching my head as to how you think it is not.
It's very mild, like my mom tsking at me about not baking ladyfingers? It's not really a serious judgment? I didn't mention it until the subject of cooking shortcuts came up? I obviously use a lot of shortcuts myself? I've mentioned before how my daughter always teases me about taking too many shortcuts?
Why is everyone always desperate to read the worst into my comments? I'm a nice person and friendly. I thought this was an interesting conversation while I'm trying to distract myself from various bad news. And again, why didn't you OK my response to William, which I thought was fine? Why does unpleasantness always have to pop in? Maybe give me the benefit of the doubt about meaning well?
@Rose, [Coming out of lurker mode to point out that] Sometimes, we wind up with things in our pantry that would be easy to make ourselves. When that happens, the frugal thing to do is to use it, which, in addition to saving some money can also save a little time as well. Which is what I do, unless I think it's going to be so much worse than what I can do myself that the food will go to waste because I'll taste it and decide not to eat it.
Buying mixes can also be a money-saving option when some of the ingredients are used in such small amounts and/or that I use so infrequently that it doesn't make sense for me to buy it (especially with things like spices, which can get pretty pricey). Fenugreek may be something that you have on hand, but unless one of my roommates happens to have some, there isn't any in my kitchen.
@WilliamB, PPS: I probably should have said earlier that I wrote the above in my ironic voice, which is not meant to be taken at face value.
Y'all do you and use a mix for whatever works for you. Me, I buy my pancakes at a diner.
@Bob W, Sure thing. I was mocking myself and my household for having something as weird as fenugreek in the kitchen, actually. We also have a billion other weird spices (many of which have only Mandarin characters on the jars, so I have 0.0 idea) and it's kind of funny? The whole point of its being amusing is that it's weird to have fenugreek around?
And yes, of course re ingredients. I said I used Bisquick for pancakes and canned pop biscuits for biscuits and gravy dinner (very popular in our house) and Pillsbury chilled pie crusts for quiches. I'm not being a snob re food. I like Stove Top stuffing too much for that. And I buy shredded or grated Parmesan while my daughter tsks because grating it yourself is the only way.
Buuut, and I'm not being sarcastic!, I'm glad you de-lurked.
@WilliamB, Welp, as my usual critic here, you made me feel weird, outcast and othered as usual. Thanks a pantload for pointing out that I'm an rotten person who'd mean to everyone else as usual because you can't understand what I write. I cried. You and A. Marie go high five yourselves.
I am sorry to hear that you felt sad and cried. And I also will tell you that I cried when I read your "tsk" comment about my jar of tikka masala sauce. I am juggling everything on my plate as best as I can and sometimes I just need to do something on the slightly easy side to get by. Call me sensitive, but it stung to read your words.
However, I also understand that I am tired and overwhelmed, and also that being criticized for my best efforts is a painfully familiar experience that has left deep scars. As a result, when someone presses on those scars, I am more sensitive to it than perhaps the next person would be. So, I am not going to be snarky to you, but I am saying that sometimes you do not realize that your words can be tear-inducing.
And if you want people to be gentle with you, I think it is only fair to expect yourself to also operate with that same gentleness.
@Kristen, I'm so sorry. I thought it was just a little snarky humor bit, not anything at all important. I mean, who honestly cares if you make tikka masala from a jar? Not me. I thought it was just a minor teasing joke, similar to my daughter eyerolling about my jarred garlic. It never occurred to me anyone would care.
I know I'm a giant pain and weird etc but I really do mean well, and I have a lot of friends who get me. It never occurred to me that anyone would get so upset about a complete nonissue like a jar of sauce. Psst: tonight we're having Rao's jarred sauce on spaghetti. Don't tell anyone.
I don't think anyone knows better than I about being tired and overwhelmed. Every damn day. Every day. I wake up at 8AM and I go to sleep at 8PM. That's why I tried to make the point about minor shortcuts. Is it really any easier to use pop can biscuits? For me, it is; for other people, no, of course not.
@Rose, I think the best takeaway here is:
1. Tone is incredibly difficult to convey with the written word over the Internet. In your head, you may read your words with gentle humor, but to somebody without your context, it can sound completely different.
2. Everyone has a history that frames how they read comments. As Kristen pointed out, being criticized for doing her best (and when you're in nursing school, or any school period while working/raising kids, just getting food on the table at home is a triumph) is a very big trigger for her, given her past history. Everyone has something like this, some sore point that can be very upsetting, that wouldn't upset somebody else.
3. Since we don't know 90% of everyone's history, we need to be understanding when people are sensitive to something that, to us, wouldn't be a big deal.
And maybe we can all just calm down about whether people use readymade mixes or sauces, and just high five each other for getting through a dang day. 🙂
@Karen A., good words, good sense, thank you.
@Rose,
Lol, I once tried to find a lot of spices and ingredients used in Indian cooking at a huge store that sells all kinds of international foods and ingredients (Jungle Jim's, for anyone who lives in my area or wants to look it up online). I had a list, and found most of what was on it, but was standing there, pondering all the things I was unfamiliar with....hmm, I wonder what this spice tastes like; what do you use this condiment for?. An older Asian Indian man was apparently watching me with perhaps some amusement. He finally approached me, and asked if I needed help....I explained my mission was to try cooking Indian food at home, and showed him my list. He smiled benignly, probably took one look at the vanilla-pudding - 30-something person I was, thinking I didn't have a clue how to cook...and finally said, "Indian cooking is...[pause]....complicated". Lol! I did indeed know how to cook, though I admit I still have not tried to make anything more complicated than choley (spelling?). I need to choose a recipe, get what I need and give it a go.
Creative deprivation
Now that I am retired and have less fun money I try to stay completely home 3 days a week. If I do not leave my house, I do not spend money here and there.
These days are spent reading. Cleaning. Stretching. Cooking things from scratch. Etc. trying to embrace this.
@Stephanie, i love a stay at home day usually once a week. No gas, no take-out and a re-charge of my batteries.
The funeral thing is true now, as much as it was true then. There is big, big business built around ''giving your loved one a *decent burial*'' Decent = ''don't you want THE BEST for your mum / grandpa??'' really icky upselling. Where I'm from, funeral policies are a big thing, for even (or especially) the most impoverished people, and that is fine. It is a tiny monthly amount and culturally, a big, social funeral is a serious thing to Not Have and families frequently put themselves deep in debt to save face. BUT a lot of these policies will cancel the second you pay 10 seconds late or try really hard to upsell the holders on ridiculous things, far more than they're covered for (there is generally a life insurance payout involved). It is vile. Absolutely gross.
So. The least expensive, least fussy, not in a church (atheist) thing possible. My mum was very clear that she did not want a funeral at all, and wanted the very cheapest cremation and then later, a big party for her friends. We did this and later realised the cost of a very, very nice party at an expensive place for quite a few people cost about 1/3 what even a pretty ordinary funeral ''package'' would have cost. Ew. No.
@Caro, after she died we had a celebration of life luncheon (a month later) in my sister’s home (cleaned and spiffed up for the occasion) where we served food items from her favorite places. It was beyond lovely, relaxing and fun. A younger guest commented on how nice it was and that they didn’t realize one could do such a thing (having only experienced the standard funeral home or church funeral and thought that was required).
@Jean C,
In my limited experience, I've found more and more people choosing small, intimate celebrations of life instead of elaborate (or even more simple) traditional funerals. I love your description of what you and your family did.
I have to be careful with my freezer activity, I have noticed that I will fill up a freezer no matter the size. Mine is mostly stocked with leftovers and homemade items, like jam, applesauce, stock, etc. I think I fall prey to overbuying frozen food on sale. So for me a more frugal approach is to only buy what I know we'll eat quickly.
@Meeghan, Yes. In my previous house, we had a giant Sub-Zero all-fridge and a giant Sub-Zero all-freezer. My personality is such that stuff just got tossed in the back and forgotten about in both. Then I moved to my guest cottage where we had a Smeg fridge with a freezer the size of a pizza box. That was fine, actually. I tried to talk my sister into not getting a huge fridge as she plans her renovation, but she doesn't wanna listen.
@Rose, I am always rearranging my large refrigerator so I can see things. Out of sight. Out of mind. A large refrig is both a blessing and a curse.
@Bee, That's pretty much how I approach everything I own, which is why I've been downsizing so much. My previous house was huge and also had a two-story barn, plus we had a summer house and guest cottage. Almost unlimited storage space, every inch of which was full. If the garage door or fridge door shut, we're good. Trying to do better, but my personality is never going to find a nicely organized closet exciting.
I bought our original stand-alone small chest freezer after reading the article in the TG newsletter. That little workhorse was with us nearly 30 years, until the arthritis in my back made replacing it with a small upright the smart thing to do. It ranks with my sewing machine as the household tool that saves me the most money.
Original Freezer was adopted by the new freezer delivery guy, who was delighted to get a working small freezer for his garage. Long may she live!
When my kids were little (1970s-1980s), Bisquick was a thing. There were periodic cookbooks, too, so you could find creative new uses for Bisquick. (Does anyone remember the magic pie crust pies?) Then we moved overseas to the Middle East, and POOF no Bisquick. I learned that it's amazingly easy to make pancakes and biscuits and dumplings from scratch! Who knew?
I agree with creative deprivation. I love dark chocolate, but I don't keep it in the house. It's such a pleasure to indulge in it just once in a while but the thrill would be gone if I had it daily.
I now live alone and I still consider my freezer to be indispensable. I store bulk meat purchases in it, put flour and grain products in it for a few days to kill any insect eggs (yuck), store half of the dry dog food when opening the big bag so it will still be fresh when the dogs get to it, put up servings of homemade soups and stews for lunches, put up broth, veggies and fruit... I can't imagine trying to do all that with a refrigerator freezer.
Funerals, yeah, I have some fresh experience there. I think what A. Marie did was a good thing, but DH's body was not going to be acceptable, according to a doctor I discussed that with. DH disliked the idea of being shut up in a coffin, so cremation was his choice. We bought pre-paid plans for us both and as an honorably discharged veteran, he qualified for free burial at a national cemetery, as do I as his spouse. A daughter and I made the final small funeral decisions, such as music and stuff, but the big decisions had been made. A couple of months after he was buried, I received a check paying back part of my payments - we had chosen so simply, we didn't even use all the funds available for him. I can't remember final figures, but it came out to between around $2000 - $2500, and mine should be the same.
You have to check with your state, but you may be able to bury your loved one as you wish on your own property. Some years ago, I checked with our state and at that time, at least, that was an option here. The only caveat was that the ground containing the grave couldn't be sold. It would have to be partitioned from the rest of the property if sold and be treated as a private cemetery.
@JD, Yes, my dad, my brother, the stillborn and now Mom are all in the national cemetery for free. That grave's getting mighty full.
As much as I loathe all funerals and don't want one for myself, I have to say Dad's was pretty cool. As we and the hearse left the church, there was an honor guard of NYPD officers in full uniform saluting. Then at the cemetery, the Marines came, folded up the flag, etc.
I could never get cups to work, but then i found "discs" and that shape was the game changer for me. Period underwear, while expensive, is wonderful to have - grateful that it means less worries for my teenager about leaks at school etc.
Re: death plans, I am of the organ donation, then cremation plan.
@Tammy H., did you know that once you reach a certain age (60?) they kick you off the donation list ? I received a lovely letter that said essentially “thanks but no thanks”, “we appreciate the years you were on our potential list “ and “happy birthday”. Come to think of it, that was the bone marrow registry.
In no particular order...
In the 70's, when long skirts and dresses were in fashion, we converted jeans into a skirt. My Dad thought it was ridiculous.
Funerals: In our rural area, many cemeteries have very few burial rules, as long as appropriate depth is maintained. We have a funeral home that offers simplified services with less expense. My sister arranged her own funeral (after she got ALS) with this service and had her own casket made. She also did not want to be embalmed, which usually means that the funeral must be immediate after death, however with modern refrigeration and temperate weather the time can be extended. She arranged for our brothers and nephews to be pall bearers and they lowered her casket with ropes into the grave. For all of the eco-friendly things she had, she wanted us to throw confetti (and had purchased and bagged the mylar stuff) into the grave with the dirt.
Going to interject a personal thought here. This seems to be a day and age where many people choose to not have visitation and/or funeral nor graveside services. Unless a person is just a hermit or loner, I have strong feelings for some type of closure. A graveside service, a get-together, a simple memorial, anything to give credence to a person's life ending on this earth. One of the souls I cared for had all of her "close" family in attendance while she was actively dying, and that was their time of closure. I appreciated that.
Biscuits: Wal Mart Great Value frozen biscuits. You'll thank me later. One at a time or all of them baked at once. No more "wampums."
Mixes: I don't feel guilty about using them. And I'm the one that makes Bechamel for veggie lasagne, which is not true Italian either, but a good way to use up zucchini, eggplant, onions and fresh garlic and basil. Plus the CHEESE. Perusing Pinterest throws almost all of traditional fare to the wind anyway. (i.e. Mexican eggrolls, Reuben casserole to name two.)
I inherited the smaller one of my parent's two chest freezers and it's really pretty big. It was 10 years old when they got it used, and I've had it for 24. Having had one growing up on a farm, six kids and two parents, I found it difficult once out on my own to manage just the fridge freezer. I had culture shock buying meat in the grocery store. I freeze extra seasonal fruit and veggies. Buy a quarter beef at a time. I used it a lot when I baked and decorated cakes and was working full time as a nurse. (I'd take off during wedding time.) I don't know what I'd do without it.
I applaud all those that can manage the menstrual cup but I myself cannot get past the ick factor. I know that seems silly but gosh I can't help it. I do however look for sales on tampons and use coupons and rewards bucks to get them for the lowest possible price.
Period underwear. Goodness. I only tried those for the first time about a month ago. I cannot use them exclusively but since I am a heavy bleeder they save my sheets and underwear from stains and to me that justifies their cost.
The only deprivation that we practice is eating out. We have reduced this significantly in our family and so the joy of a meal out or even takeout is very pronounced. My kid likes the novelty while Mom & Dad appreciate that someone else cooked it and someone else will do the dishes.
I excel at cooking and baking but sewing - oh my Lord I am helpless, I cannot sew a button much less turn a pair of old jeans into anything other than what they are. Thankfully my husband can sew a button and do minor repairs. This is embarrassing to me but it is just the truth. We all have our own strengths and challenges.
My chest freezer. Is it wrong to profess outright love for an appliance? 14 glorious cubic feet that save me SO much money!! I am able to stock up sales, preserve leftovers, batch cook on a larger scale. We spent $588 on ours and I am fairly sure that this paid for itself within about 6 months. I cook for a family of four on a regular basis but also have large family holidays at my house and this is the best investment we could have made.
We make pancakes nearly every day for one of my kids and I am on Team Pancake Mix here. It is definitely faster to scoop out some mix and just add water instead of taking out the individual ingredient components, melting butter, and then having measuring spoons/cups and etc to clean up after. When we are out of mix, I make them from scratch, but there is definitely a very noticeable difference in time/effort in my opinion, especially on a school morning when we are trying to get everyone out the door on time!
For other baked goods though, from scratch cannot be beat in terms of flavor and since I don't need to make those things on the daily, I make the effort and we all enjoy the treat.
@Ally, I am with you on pancakes. We only have them once a week or so and usually make them from scratch (for cost purposes only), but it always feels so easy whenever we make them from a mix!
@Ruth T, As I've stated here before, it's weird how some things seem just so much easier. For me it's minced jarred garlic. I hate mincing garlic myself. (And yes, Daughter tsks.) Just hoiking a fingerful into whatever I'm making is like a release from drudgery.
@Rose, I adore minced jarred garlic. I actually prefer it in a lot of things!
@Rose, I use 100% jarred garlic for anything but sliced or whole cloves. I find doing it myself to be very messy, with washing off that sticky garlic juice slowing down my game. The trick to get good pre-minced garlic is to buy the stuff in oil, not water. The garlic flavor dissipates in the water, but the oil keeps it in the garlic.
Here's a very weird thing: I've found that the least expensive jarred garlic-in-oil is the quart jars from Whole Foods. The unit cost is less even than Costco, etc., prices.
As a person whose bachelors degree included a full summer of human dissection I am grateful to those that donate their body to science. Will I? No.
If you are so pressed for time that 5 extra minutes is a deal breaker, then mixes are quicker. I've been in that place.
Just an FYI about chest freezers but some grocery stores have a thing where you can buy a small chest freezer through them and get a bunch of frozen food included. It only happens once or twice a year but it can be a good deal.
Overstimulation is absolutely a thing and I know when you have a child with ADHD things like TV and tablets can be a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I struggle with just doing nothing but at the same time when I do nothing, it can feel really nice.
On a side note, cloth pads also exist and while I don't have the parts to use them, I have washed them more than a few times. My wife swears they are better than disposable ones. They are quite popular in the same circles as the cloth diaper types.
@Battra92, I saw knitting ones in the national museum in the Faroes.
The thing about creative deprivation and suggestion to play a game with someone you live with assumes that you actually HAVE someone to live with. I enjoy having space and reading and various other hobbies but I probably have more screentime than if I didn't live alone. I also choose to go out and see friends rather than stay in. I don't feel bad about it though! I think people can get a bit puritanical about it, especially with screentime.
Well phooey, I tossed 3-4 pair of jeans last year when my best fitting ones went the way of all flesh after 10-15 years of wearing. I could have been the proud owner of all those useful denim items.
I grew up with no teevee until age 10. There were only 2 channels and our time watching was very closely monitored. My sisters and I are avid voracious readers, and I think there is a connection to the lack of screen time.
Somewhere I read that no matter the recipe, boxed mix brownies are always better than from scratch. My experience agrees with this. Dumping a handful or two of chocolate chips in a boxed mix of brownies makes them even better. For awhile, when fat was the enemy, substituting yogurt for the oil was supposed to be a "healthy" solution. (Isn't it interesting how "healthy" means so many different things in the food department—the iterations through my lifetime are enough to give one whiplash.)
I learn so much from this blog, both from Kristen and the Commentariat. I am going to give some thought to creating a Letter of Final Wishes. (Then I'll go dig through a cupboard to see if I saved any of those expired jeans.)
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, My homegirl Katharine Hepburn's brownie recipe (not from a mix) is the best.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cocoa or 2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened baker's chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (30 grams) flour
Pinch of salt
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter an 8x8-inch baking pan, then set it aside.
In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter with the cocoa or chocolate, whisking constantly until blended.
Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the sugar.
Whisk in eggs and vanilla, followed by the flour, salt, and nuts. Mix well.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
After the brownies are completely cool, use a knife to cut them into squares (employing a spatula to help loosen them from the pan, if necessary).
Enjoy while watching your favorite Katharine Hepburn movie.[The Philadelphia Story!]
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, It took me many, many years to find a recipe that I liked better than box mix + chocolate syrup. Even Cook's Illustrated's incredibly finicky recipe didn't do it. My winner was King Arthur Flour's Chewy Brownies from their Cookie Cookbook. They don't even need the chocolate syrup.
@Rose, thank you for this! If I get my A1C into non-pre-diabetic range, I will make these to celebrate. (I know, I know. . .)
@WilliamB, I am too cheap to buy King Arthur's flour but will remember this recipe. Thank you! Yes, I know their flour is superior, but I am not discerning enough to spend the extra money.
@Rose, agree! This Hepburn recipe is the best and my “go to”! It is perfect. Thanks for sharing.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I like their recipe the best, no matter what flour I use.
Morbid, but while we’re on the topic: for my day job I publish books about the Holocaust. I’ll never be able to unlink cremation and the Holocaust in my mind, so for that reason I want to be buried. I didn’t know there were burial options that didn’t require preservation, I need to look into that.
For those who would like to enjoy some time-saving with homemade taste, check out The Cake Mix Doctor and Make-a-Mix books. They are worth owning a copy.
I had a friend in grad school who had the bag made from jeans! I made one, too, but hers was nicer. I also went through a phase of making pillows out of denim.
I'm going to shock everyone and admit that I used boxed cake mix for most of my kids' birthday cakes. I loved making custom-made themed cakes (Lord of the Rings: Hobbit holes, Doors of Moria; Stargate SG-1, Star Trek, penguins, polar bears, Batman, Spiderman, the list goes on...my youngest once insisted he wanted a "birthday snake" so a snake cake it was). Because I needed to budget my time properly (4 kids and time-consuming cake decor are not an easy mix), and because I am not a reliable cake baker except for Peg Bracken's Wacky Chocolate Cake and maybe angel food cake, I would use whatever boxed cake mix was on sale after asking the birthday kid what flavor he wanted.
But I always made my frosting from scratch. IME the frosting in cans tasted just like plastic, and had a nasty texture, while the cakes, if frosted with good buttercream, were quite acceptable for a kids' birthday celebration. I wasn't serving Paul Hollywood! So the one hill I'll die on is homemade frosting, All. The. Way. I figure that, as Peg Bracken says, the food scientists have worked very hard to make foolproof cake mixes, so we can get our creative kicks from other things. Like building a goldarned hobbit hole out of cake, fondant and frosting. Ha.
@Karen A., my domestically challenged mother used Duncan Hines cake mixes for all of her four children's birthday and half-birthday cakes (we celebrated half-birthdays in my family)--and, frankly, this didn't cut a bit into our enjoyment of the cakes. (But don't get me started on her meatloaf, her tuna salad, etc.)
@Karen A., I am terrible at making icing, so I buy the canned variety and mix in spreadable cream cheese. It cuts the sugar so makes it edible. Plus the husband loves it, so I have finally stopped trying to make a decent from-scratch frosting.
@Lindsey, That is a good idea! I always thought the canned frosting was super sweet, the cream cheese sounds like a delicious solution. I always loved cream cheese frosting...
@Karen A., cake mixes can be the base for many delicious desserts. I don’t bake often for lots of reasons anymore. Speciality flours and baking items can linger in my pantry unused until I finally need to throw them out. So I too grab the Duncan Hines from time to time when I need to bake.
@Lindsey, I need to try that idea. I make cakes from scratch but rarely icing, unless it's the super simple powdered sugar + milk type. Adding cream cheese sounds like a good way to improve it.
After reading the TWG article on menstral cups, I got one. It turned sideways on me and didn't work. Luckily, I had decided to test it out at home first before going out with it. Total waste of money!
I was aware, in the mid-90's, of the Keeper cup. I think I saw ads in a homeschool magazine my mom used to get. I remember that it was made of rubber. I just looked up information about menstrual cups, and the first patent for one was in 1867. So they have been around for quite some time!
*I was also surprised when I read about Amy D. using a menstrual cup back in the 90's! I've been using one for about 8 years now and it's so nice not to have to think about buying menstrual products. She was ahead of her time.
*I'm also not a "mix" person, as I've been an avid baker since I was in 3rd grade and checked out my first cookbook from the elementary school library. A happy, and frugal habit was formed. My mom, though, was not a baker or cook, so she relied heavily on canned biscuits, Bisquick (I guess we really liked biscuits), and hamburger helper-type "mixes". As a working mom who commuted 2 hours a day, this worked for her.
*And that chest freezer is too cute. With 3 teenagers in the house, we could use the extra freezer space. I may have to pursue FB marketplace for one!
Nice article. I'm a big fan of the Tightwad Gazette.
One comment on the mixes -- I can make homemade pancakes that taste just fine, but I'm a HUGE fan of the "Crusteaz" pancake mix. You can use it with an egg and/or milk...but you can also use it as-is, and still come up with a tasty pancake. (Although it's supposed to be used for waffles, as well, I don't. My homemade waffle mix is better.)
I had a menstrual cups for years and I accidentally left it behind on a trip. I replaced it with a menstrual disc and I’m never going back. Same idea but so much more comfortable and more reliable in re: to leak protection. Not sure if it anatomy factors in to this but I far prefer the menstrual discs!!
After reading 99 comments, my take is you do what works best for you. And what works best might not be the same at any point in your life. Don't like box mix, don't use it. However. I suspect most of us have consumed a product made from a mix (unbeknownst to us) and enjoyed it. I make sausage gravy, use jar gravy when having turkey on T-day.
@Selena, I used to make homemade stuffing---cube the bread days ahead of time, saute allll the veggies, mix it up and bake it...it was always delicious. Then one fateful day DH bought some boxed stuffing for a side dish for some meal, I forget which, and the kids devoured it and said, "It's just as good as your stuffing, Mom!" Well. Now on Thanksgiving it's boxed stuffing. And yes, jarred gravy. I can't make gravy to save my life.
@Karen A., my Dad makes homemade stuffing, complete with cooking the giblets and adding to the stuffing. Some in the "bird", rest in a casserole dish. Same recipe Mom used. Better half will not eat stuffing cooked in the "bird". Mom and my oldest child love Stove Top. Mom is gone but I make it for T-Day. I eat gravy over turkey/mashed potatoes/stuffing so Stove Top is edible to me that way lol.
@Karen A., Mom (and Dad) toasted the bread and just tore/tear it into pieces.
And the "rewards" you get from a CC is equal the increase of price of whatever you charged. At best a wash. It is my fervent hope CC rewards become extinct.
My post-life plans are very much like yours, @Kristen, with the added step of prepaying for it. Funeral costs go never go down, only up, and I don't want my children to have to worry about "making arrangements" and paying for it at a time when they are grieving. (I was a zombie when my Dad passed, and honestly have no idea what decisions I made or what the costs were.)