Pantry must-haves - Part 2

So, now you're wondering what you should have on hand for a stocked pantry, and if you're going to have to spend mega-bucks to accomplish this. Here's the answer, and you might be surprised.

• 5 lb. all purpose flour - 1.99
• 1 can baking powder - 1.50
• 1 small box baking soda - .50
• salt and pepper - 1.00
• 5 lb. sugar - 2.50
• 4 cans whole tomatoes - 5.00
• 6 cans each corn, green beans, sweet peas - 9.00
• 3 cans each mixed veggies, carrots, potatoes - 4.50
• 3 cans fruit - 4.50
• 10 lb. bag potatoes - 2.50
• 3 lb. bag rice - 2.00
• 1 lb. packages of pasta (macaroni, spaghetti, egg noodles) - 3.00
• 1 lb. bags of a variety of dried beans and peas - 5.00
• 3 lb. bag onions - 1.50
• shaker of chili powder - .50
• 1 dozen eggs - 1.50

That will get you started. As you go along and need them, you'll add

• shaker of cinnamon - .50
• shaker of lemon pepper - .50
• shaker of paprika - .50
• shaker of onion powder - .50
• shaker of garlic powder - .50
• shaker of Italian herb blend - 1.00
• butter or margarine (I prefer butter) - 2.00
• cooking oil (I prefer canola) - 2.50
• box of powdered milk - 4.00
• canned fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna) - 6.00
• 4 cans evaporated milk - 3.00

If you want, you can add fresh meat, fresh veggies and fruit, and fresh or frozen fish to the list to round out the meals. But, these lists will give you enough to get a good start on home cooking without being too involved or expensive. Once things are in place, it's a simple matter of shopping for replacements when something runs out.

Technorati Tags: shopping,groceries

Do you smoke?

Do you smoke? Of course by now you've heard all the health warnings, and all the financial savings you can gain if you quit. However, I'm not here to tell you what to do in that area. It's a highly personal decision you have to make for yourself.

If you do smoke, you might want to try saving a little money by rolling your own cigarettes. You can buy kits that include a tube machine, filter tubes, and tobacco for around $15. You can also buy hand rollers, filters, rolling papers, and tobacco. Buying these things from a tobacco store will cost you a lot less than from a department store, if the department store even has them.

You also might want to get a cigar humidor so that your extra rolled cigarettes and tobacco don't dry out. Dry tobacco burns much faster than fresh tobacco, even though "fresh" has been dried to a point.

Placing an orange peel or a small slice of apple in a large pouch of tobacco helps to keep the tobacco moist enough to roll and burn well. Neither imparts any flavor to the tobacco product.

Carrying rolled cigarettes can be a problem if you don't have a proper case for them. Using old cigarette packs doesn't work out very well because they wind up drying out too much. You can purchase a cigarette case pretty cheaply and use that to help retain the moisture needed for a proper smoke.

Not everyone is going to quit smoking. Some will try and fail. Some will try and succeed. Some will never try. Unless and until you do, at least figure on saving a little money along the way.

Technorati Tags: tobacco

Pantry must-haves - Part 1

Part of generating extra income isn't really generating extra income. Sound confusing? It's not, really.

Part of that issue is to learn to live within your means, even below it. Live a more frugal lifestyle. Being frugal doesn't mean being miserly or doing without a lot of things. It means making the most of what you have already, only making purchases that are absolutely necessary, and setting your priorities so that you aren't going broke before you receive your next paycheck.

For me personally, part of it is means not eating out as much. I can mimic almost any restaurant dish right here at home, and for a lot less money even if you include the energy required to prepare the dish. As long as I keep ingredients on hand, I can cook just about anything!

I find that by doing this, not only do I save money ($20 for one meal at a restaurant vs $20 for enough groceries to make several meals at home), but I enjoy the challenge and the result. Keeping a basic supply of ingredients in the pantry is a must. I didn't go out and buy a lot of stuff to stock the pantry because I've had a home for a long time. I simply re-stock from time to time if I'm running low on something.

I keep a nice supply of whole canned tomatoes, canned fish, rice, various pastas, seasonings and spices, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and a variety of canned vegetables on hand all the time. I make my own hot beverage mixes and my own baking mixes. If I never bought meat again, I could still survive quite nicely on just this short list of pantry items.

In the next post, I'll go into more detail about what pantry items I have on hand continually.

Technorati Tags: shopping

Shopping ahead

Just because Christmas is past doesn't mean gift shopping is over. You might already be shopping ahead for next Christmas or upcoming birthdays or anniversaries.

This year, I did less shopping. I actually made gift baskets for family members that included chai tea, hot chocolate, vanilla latte, and home made muffins of several varieties. I included enough of each for the whole family to have a snack and hot beverage when they got ready for it. I used powdered mix recipes I found online. I did give cash to my teen grandchildren and small gifts to my under-5 grandchildren, but other than that, no purchased gifts.

In this economy, I just couldn't afford to spend a lot of money. Gasoline prices have risen sharply as well as energy costs.

However, I do understand that many folks are still shopping for things like personalized footballs, bath and beauty kits, or electronics, all of which seem to be on sale right now. So, it's really a prime time to shop for next year, isn't it?

Technorati Tags: shopping,gift

New Year's Goals

It's a new year, and most people make New Year's Resolutions. I stopped doing that a long time ago in lieu of setting New Year's Goals. I don't create unreachable or vague goals, either. And I leave myself open to reset the goals, if need be, or create new ones once the original ones have been met.

So what are my upcoming goals?

• Dedicate 2 hours a day to building my eBay sales
• Take a course in Excel to improve my marketable skills
• Visit my Mom at least 4 days a month
• Train two people a week at work so their work skills are improved
• Pass The Gift to Heifer International more consistently
• Clip coupons and really use them!
• Set up a wind turbine for electrical power to parts of my house

As I go along, I may add to this list, but these few items are specific enough and they are doable.

Technorati Tags: New Year's Resolutions

Alone or not?

As I get older, I sometimes wonder if I'm going to end my life totally alone. I don't want to but I also don't really want to be married again, I think. I'm not sure if I want a set of wedding rings again. I kind of like my life as a single person.

I earn my money in a variety of ways, can come and go as I please, and can have whatever I want in my house. I don't have to "report in" to a husband about my whereabouts and activities.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed being married. Knowing a special someone was there with me, through thick and thin.

Who knows? Maybe that "special someone" will enter my life again and I can go through my golden years hand in hand with someone who really cares about me.

Technorati Tags: marriage