French Pressed Coffee

I really like coffee. We usually buy whole bean coffee, whatever is cheapest, from Sam's Club or Costco and grind the beans ourselves. I had been making 3-4 cups each morning in the coffee maker, but it seemed like I was constantly grinding beans! I was using the coffee maker instead of the french press because I didn't have to wash the coffee maker. Also, if I wasn't ready to drink the coffee immediately, it would stay warm on the coffee maker, unlike the french press. It was purely a convenience issue.

My husband pointed out I could use fewer grounds if I used the french press. Also, I wouldn't have to use a disposable filter. (Note: we do have a reusable filter, but I don't often use it as I dislike cleaning it with a toothbrush. However, buying 100 unbleached coffee filters at $4.99 comes out to $0.0499 per use, so I'm opening my eyes to more money which could be saved!) Plus, the french pressed coffee tastes better!

I'm now taking the extra 2 minutes per day to boil water and then wash the french press. One con: the french press does make less coffee. A hidden pro: I consume less caffeine!

Avoiding Pesticides

It's well-known that there are fruits and vegetables known as "the dirty dozen" for their pesticide-ladennes (I think I made up that word!) In case you need a review, they are:
-Strawberries
-cherries
-apples
-Mexican cantaloupe
-Chilean grapes
-raspberries
-apricots
-peas
-peaches
-nectarines
-spinach
-cucumbers (the wax coating actually helps retain fungicides!)

We eat a lot of those things. I've got to do better at finding other sources of fruits and vegetables. My son adores grapes, strawberries, apricots, peas and peaches! However, canned and frozen fruits are washed and treated and this actually destroys pesticides. This makes me feel a bit better since I always buy canned apricots and applesauce for my little guy to eat!

But what are some fresh foods that have the lowest rate of pesticides? What can we feed our children and ourselves and feel guilt-free?
-avocados
-onions
-scallions
-corn
-cauliflower
-cabbage
-broccoli
-green peas
-carrots
-sweet potatoes
-blueberries

Gift Wrap Idea

Do you get more excited to give gifts when they're wrapped in an interesting manner? I sure do!



I just used a paper bag and some ribbon from my stash (I save ALL ribbon...love it!) And I took an old greeting card, free-hand cut a monogram out of it, and poked a hole in the top. Easy, frugal, but really cute!

Cutting Out Cable

Is cable something for which you spend $40/month? $60/month? Maybe more? Maybe you're not sure how much you spend for cable because it is 'bundled' with the internet and phone bills. We've never paid more than $15/month for cable. Currently, we don't have cable and just have an HD antennae on top of our house which picks up basic cable channels just fine.

Sure, we've gone without ESPN, TLC, and HGTV for almost 6 years now. But how much have we saved?

($40 x 12)6 = $2,880

Is it worth it? To us, yes. My husband does love sports. I guess he's just adapted to watching whatever game is on the local networks. And me? I don't really watch TV, except 1 or 2 half-hour shows per week which are on a major network.

I am actually grateful we don't have the temptation of several dozen channels.

Could you give up cable for a year? Think how much you could save...only caveat...if you do give it up, then change your mind, you may have to pay a reconnection fee. Make sure you're CERTAIN you want to be cable-free like us!

Rice and Beans for Lunch

This is a splendid discipline my husband has happily adopted. His BFF (Best Friend Forever) lives in Arizona. This friend likes to cook frugally, too. He told my husband about making a big crock-pot sized batch of rice and beans and placing them in serving-size containers to freeze and reheat as easy and inexpensive lunches.

I used to poke fun at the idea as there seems to be a learning curve* on cooking dried beans, as my husband insists upon doing. He has a point; they are cheaper and HEALTHIER. I used to think rinsing canned beans got most of the salt off, but in actuality, I understand it only removes about 11%. So we soak and cook our own beans whenever possible.

To make your own rice and beans:


~Rinse the beans.
~Soak them in water overnight.
~Cook them in the crock pot on low for several hours (try 4-5 hours, check for tenderness).
~Cook a large pot of long-grain rice. Try about 3-4 cups.
~Mix the rice and beans with about a cup of salsa, a can of tomato sauce, garlic, sauteed onion, peppers, taco seasoning, black pepper, fresh cilantro, etc...
~Sprinkle with grated cheese, if desired.

They're actually really good, if you give it a chance. Healthy. Sure, there's some salt from the salsa or tomato sauce, but WAY less than a salami or turkey sandwich. Healthier. Less expensive. Sure, it takes time (and freezer space, if you do the mass quantities we do) but it's worth it!

*Learning curve: I say this because the first few batches of beans were either undercooked and crunchy...ewww...or overcooked and mushy. So don't give up if the first batch turns out less perfect than anticipated.