I think that every frugal home should have a toaster oven. I enjoy having ours and wouldn’t trade it. A toaster oven can really save money. Here is how.
A basic toaster oven is not that expensive to purchase new. You can get one for as little as $30 during the holiday sales. More expensive ones way cost up to $300, but often aren’t necessary.
I’ve also seen brand new toaster ovens in boxes at yard sales for as low as $5. They are a popular gift, but many times the owners don’t know what to do with them and wind up passing them on. That is a shame.
A good toaster oven can save you money in a few different ways. First, there is cost to run it. You’ll spend much less on energy when you use the smaller toaster oven instead of a full-size kitchen oven. It will also heat up the kitchen less than the full oven will, thus saving you money on cooling costs in the summer.
Another way that a toaster oven will save you money is in the cost of that kitchen oven. While I would enjoy having a double oven, I wouldn’t enjoy having to pay it off for months and months. Instead, I make use of my toaster oven when I need to heat more than one dish at a time. My toaster oven isn’t very large, and yet I can bake quick breads and side dishes while the main meal is baking in the big oven.
A toaster oven is also a quick way to make up breakfast. Remember those quick breads? Because there is less effort and work involved with popping something in the toaster oven (or at least it seems that way) I’m more likely to save on breakfast costs instead of stocking the house with expensive cereal.
The same goes for lunch, where toasted sandwiches, English muffin pizzas or other easy food can be made in a flash. Think of all of the money you can save on convenience food.
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