Pantry Stocking 101

Would you like to have a full, well-stocked pantry that saves you money? The secrets to stocking your pantry is to follow a few guidelines that make it a frugal venture instead of a wasteful one. Before you even think about stocking up, you should know exactly where you will be putting things. If you aren’t blessed with a large built in pantry or closet, you may have to get creative, storing pantry items in several places. Make sure that your pantry storage is in an area that is dry, not damp. Only stock up on items that you family … Continue reading →

How to Find Pantry Storage Space

In a recent post, I talked about all of the frugal benefits of having a small home. A small home can save you quite a bit of money, especially in the long run. But one thing a small home usually doesn’t have is extra storage space. And when you combine lack of storage space with stockpiling and cooking from scratch (two practices that can also save you a lot of money) you may wonder if you are going to be in trouble. Finding pantry storage space isn’t always as hard as you might think. Here are some tips on how … Continue reading →

The Frugal Garage: Long Handled Tool Storage

We moved to a new house this past spring and are still trying to get organized. One area that is in need of some help is the garage. When we moved, we used our garage as a sort of staging area for a lot of our boxes. Now, we have to finish putting away those boxes (and furniture), and organize the whole thing. Our goal is to me able to fit the family car in the garage by wintertime. It would be really nice to be able to load the kids up in the car while it is still in … Continue reading →

Hidden Storage for Stockpiling

There is no doubt that stockpiling can save you a lot of money, especially when it comes to food goods. But lately, I have been hearing from folks who want to stockpile but just don’t have the room. I can appreciate this. It means that you all must be doing a great job of living within your means and not falling into the whole McMansion Phenomena of buying more house than you need, right? Well, whatever it means, this article today is here to show you that you can do some stockpiling even in a smallish space. Here are some … Continue reading →

Storing Staples: Eggs

Do you buy in bulk and stock up on sales to get the best prices and save money? Knowing how to properly store your stuff will keep it from spoiling, and that is very frugal. With our move, I am low on the basics and must begin stockpiling again. Staples are important to have on hand; those items such as flour, eggs, bread, milk, etc. In an earlier article, Storing Staples: Flour, I covered the ways to store your flour to keep it safe and bug free, and to keep it from spoiling (yes flour does have a limited shelf … Continue reading →

Storing Staples: Flour

Buying in bulk and stocking up during sales is a great way to be frugal. But, if those items spoil or otherwise go to waste, you will wind up losing money instead of saving it. Proper storage is essential when you are talking about staple items. Staple items include things such as flour, bread, milk, eggs, butter and anything basic that you usually have to have on hand. A great additional advantage to storing staples is that you will always be prepared in case of emergencies. For the first bunch of tips for storing staples, let’s start with flour. Here … Continue reading →

Frugal Lessons from The Amish: Cooling Food

If you have ever been in an Amish kitchen, one of the first things you will notice is that something is off. You’ll stand there for quite a few minutes before you figure it out. There is no hum from the refrigerator. You know the hum; the one that we never really ever notice in our homes except late the night when everyone else has gone to bed and we are quietly having a cup of tea or midnight snack. Oh the Amish do have refrigerators of a sort. There are two ways that they keep food cold. One is … Continue reading →

Frugal Storage: Finding Creative (and Cheap) Ways to Store Your Stuff

I love watching the organizing shows, such as Clean Sweep and Clean House. I am amazed at how much stuff people try to fit in their houses. Sometimes these house are twice the size of mine with what looks like plenty of closet space. Many times the people have invested in expensive storage systems that go unused. While de-cluttering is a must when you can’t see the floor, good storage strategies are important, too. If you stockpile items to save money or to be prepared, you know how important storage is to your efficiency and your sanity. Here are two … Continue reading →

Tips for Not Confusing Organization with Buying More Stuff

This entire week we have been focusing on not buying more organizational products for storage and looking at what is already in the home. Frugal Living is a challenge in today’s economy so learning to see a treasure in a piece of trash is something you must learn. Here are a few tips on recognizing items for what they can be, rather than what they are. What else can be used for organizing? – Baby Food Jars – Containers used for other items (ie. Plastic Lego containers and buckets that no longer host the item, etc) – Paint Buckets, and … Continue reading →