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Definition of Frugal – Economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.
Why should I be frugal in my home?
Side Note : Being frugal doesn’t mean you are poor or have no money. It also doesn’t mean you’re going to sell everything you have and use homemade toilet paper. Although if you want to do that, be my guest and let me know how that works out. Let’s find a balance my friends, BALANCE.
Today I am going to give you some great frugal alternatives in the kitchen to swap out with your non-frugal items.
Let’s find out if are you doing these 5 simple things!
1. Paper Towels/ Napkins: Okay let’s be real here. Yes, paper towels and napkins are super convenient, but in reality you are throwing your money away! That is no bueno my friend. Do I buy paper towels? Yeah sometimes, but about 95% of the time I use these great alternatives.
Here’s what you can use instead:
- For Cleaning: Use designated ” cleaning ” wash rags and lint free towels for drying. Tip: For stainless steel appliances, mirrors and windows, use soapy water to clean and then dry with the lint free cloth. Streak free!
- For Napkins At Meals : Use cloth napkins or dish towels. Tip: Buy darker colors for those red sauce nights.
- For Drying Your Hands: Use a clean kitchen towel instead of paper towels.
Here’s what you can use instead:
- Storing in Glass: One amazing benefit to storing your food in glass is that it keeps your food fresher longer and it is easily sanitized. We love using our Glass Snapware and mason jars. You can buy mason jars online, in stores or you can search at yard sales. To be more frugal, I usually save every sort of glass container I get such as peanut butter, sauces, condiments, olives…you get the idea.
- Stainless Steel: For those who pack lunches, there are many options of stainless steel bento boxes and these awesome Thermos containers for hot foods like soup and chili. Stainless steel is easy to clean and sanitize.
Using glass and stainless steel is better for your health and will last longer! Plastic containers are best reused for storing non-food items such as puzzles, toiletries, animal cleaning supplies, etc.
Here’s what you can use instead:
- RUSSBE: They come in snack and sandwich bag size and they are reusable, free of BPA, PVC, latex and phthalates. They come in a variety of colors ( get one set for each family member ). The super cool thing about them is that you just wash them and they are ready to be reused. At about $4 for a pack of two snack bags and two sandwich size bags, you can’t go wrong. They are even sold at grocery stores now too!
Here’s what you can use instead:
- Stainless Steel Bottles: We love our insulated stainless steel Manna water bottles such as these. They come in many colors and keep your water cold for 24 hrs! It’s pretty amazing to see ice cubes from the day before still in the bottle the next day.
- Glass Bottles: Another thing we do is save all the glass bottles we get from buying Kombucha’s and reuse those.
- Baking– Flours, Shredded Coconut, Sugars, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Seasonings and Spices
- Nuts- Raw Nuts, Roasted Nuts, Freshly Ground Nut Butters
- Snacks– Chips, Crackers, Candy, Popcorn Kernels, Croutons, Tea Bags
- Breakfast- Cereals, Oats, Cream Of Wheat, Granola
- Meals- Pasta, Gluten Free Pasta, Rice, Beans, Grains
- Pets- Dog food, Cat food, Bird Seed, Animal Treats
Don’t forget to store your bulk items in glass jars!
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