ECON Frugal Tips for October 2010

[Deena in GA]

We had a great thread for September thanks to all the info you are all sharing! I learned a lot! Here's the link: http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=369887

To kick off October, here's a tip courtesy of www.hillbillyhousewife.com : To reuse inner cereal bags for freezing, cut off the tops and down the middle to make a plastic sheet. Then drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the plastic and freeze. No matter how sticky the dough is, it doesn't stick stick to the plastic. After the dough is frozen hard, you can put it into a ziplock type bag. (I thought this might be useful with the holidays coming up. You can make up cookie dough in advance and freeze until needed.)

Your turn...

 

[bluetick]

I used to use plastic wrap to cover food reheated in the microwave, then read that it gave off something harmful so switched to waxed paper as a cover. Those bags inside cereal boxes are basically waxed paper, so I use them first when I have any.

 

[The Freeholder]

If you use a vacuum sealer to repackage bulk goods, make your bags oversize. When you open them, cut off at the seal and the wash and dry them. Reuse the bag over and over until it's too small to be useful.

We've been doing this for some time now; it really saves on the bags. Just be sure to get them good and clean between uses.

 

[Deena in GA]

Has anyone else made the Christmas ornaments where you take a milk cap and use it as a template to cut out pieces of old Christmas cards? I remember you fold the sides of the circle up, making a triangle and then glue the sides together. I just can't remember how many circles it takes to make one ornament. It sounds crazy, but you end up with a round ornament that is really pretty. You can glue pieces of lace or ribbon over the edges to make it even prettier.

 

[StringBean]

With cooler (read: baking) weather coming, start saving those stale bread heels. Bread pudding is a big hit at my house. Its also a good way to rotate your stock of raisins, currents, cranberries, nuts, dried fruits.

If you don't have one already, start a freezer "soup" container. Any/all leftovers go in the container, and when its full, make soup out of it. Different each time, but really cuts down on the food waste. I keep "non-edibles" like celery tops, onion skins, carrot peels in a separate container to make broth. I strain those out and toss before adding the stuff from the freezer container.

JJ

 

[Amazed]

I have at least half a dozen non disposible razors that I've gotten for under $2, some free, from the drug stores specials. I just ran across this tip for preserving the razor blades. Those things are expensive!

People try all kinds of tricks to make razor blades last longer, including storing them in oil or even placing them on a prism to channel pyramid power into the blade. However here is a simple technique that seems to work: dry the blade after use. According to the Chicago Tribune, the concept is this: razor blade dullness stems more from oxidation and microscopic rusting, rather than from contact with whiskers. Water that sits on blades between shaves causes the oxidation. Corrosion can cause metal on the blade to flake off and the edge to become blunted and jagged. That results in blades pulling and tearing hairs instead of cleanly slicing through them.

By blotting his blades on a towel after use, someone extended the use of a blade from ten days to five months.
Or you can also “rinse the razor in water, shake excess droplets, dip it in alcohol, give it a good swirl (it really does clean far more thoroughly than water), then shake out and prop it in its holder. The alcohol drives the water out and then quickly evaporates.”

 

[ainitfunny]

It may sound SILLY to those of you with families but here are some of my tips, particularly useful to those living alone, or on a diet:

You CAN cut a banana in half with a sharp knife and just eat HALF, if you leave the remainder to sit out on the counter to DRY afterwards. It will form a thin skin on the cut and will still be as fresh a day or two later as if it was never cut. Just take a sharp knife and make a thin cut to cut off the dry end. NEVER wrap or refrigerate it after cutting it in half.

The same is true of a CUCUMBER, except you refrigerate it UNWRAPPED after you cut it in half, allowing a dry skin to form over the cut end.

STILL Stuck with a bunch of radishes AFTER you finely slice one or two up into the salad for color or added zest?? Just STEAM, FRY, OR BOIL the remaining radishes for an interesting side dish you can call "BABY TURNIPS" because that is what they taste like. (If you are making a stir fry, WASH WELL and throw the RADISH GREEN TOPS into the stir fry (or soup) for a low cal nutrition boost.

Those rock hard, dried out raisins (or prunes) will be just as good and moist with a quick dip or (simmer) in a LITTLE boiling water. (Just remoisten what you will use immediately or very soon)

And if you garden or buy organic- - - CARROT TOPS ARE EDIBLE/nutritious . (Some people do not like the taste though, but experiment and search the net for recipes that include and improve the taste. SO ALSO ARE BEET TOPS/GREENS and they have a better taste.

TIP- The "whiter" the celery stalk, the better (MILDER TASTE) the eating, especially raw, but if you are going to COOK the celery in something (like soup) the greener the stalk the stronger the celery taste.

NEVER NEVER NEVER EAT RHUBARB LEAVES, THEY ARE VERY POISONOUS. LIKEWISE TOMATO AND POTATO LEAVES ARE POISONOUS. Cut off ALL the skin parts of any potato that has turned green, such parts contain SOLANIN, a poison.

 

[KerryAnn]

Christmas is coming. In October, I begin making beautiful snowflakes out of construction paper to decorate the few gifts I give. One snowflake takes me about 20 minutes and only one sheet of construction paper, scissors, a ruler and a glue stick, but people think you spent hours, they're so intricate and pretty.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

The one I attached here could have used one more cut. The green one is really pretty.

 

[ainitfunny]

BEFORE Y2K, I bought a FIFTY pound bag of carrots, (at a wholesale restaurant supply for $4.50) not thinking about where I was going to PUT them so they would not spoil. When I got home, It hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought about it and REPLANTED THEM in November, along my front foundation border plantings. They kept fresh and fine for a couple of months.

 

[Garryowen]

I had a friend who used to mulch his carrots about two feet deep in the fall. All winter he could go out and dig some carrots to eat. They continued to grow very large, and were remarkably sweet. He said they got sweeter all winter. His mulch was deep enough that the ground normally didn't freeze under it.

 

[Amazed]

KerryAnn, those are gorgeous!!!

 

[Amazed]

How's this for frugal.

Free life insurance -- no, really
MassMutual offers the working poor a $50k policy to educate their kids -- and pays the premiums for you.
Posted by DonnaFreedman on Friday, October 1, 2010 11:40 AM

It sounds too good to be true: a free 10-year term life insurance policy that will pay $50,000 toward your children's education if you die before they finish school.

But the LifeBridge Free Life Insurance Program is real, and it's accepting applications from parents and legal guardians. The $50k can be used for college, trade school, prep school and even preschool, or to pay off a dependent's current student loans.

You may qualify if you are:


A permanent, legal resident of the U.S., and between the ages of 19 and 42.
The parent or legal guardian of a dependent child or children under the age of 18.
Employed full or part time with total family income of between $10,000 and $40,000.
The only member of your household who has applied for LifeBridge.
In good health as determined by the company.
MassMutual's goal is to write $1 billion worth of LifeBridge insurance. It's more than halfway there, having approved 11,400 policies since the program began in 2002.

Why is it taking so long to get rid of free insurance? Mostly because it sounds too good to be true.

But there really isn't a catch, says spokeswoman Cindie St. George. MassMutual pays the premiums "as a way of giving back to the community."

Since it's hard enough to pay for school even with two adults working, the loss of a parent or guardian may keep some kids from going at all. The insurance "is all about protecting their children's education," says St. George.

The funds are administered by a trust and can be used for tuition, fees, campus housing, books and other expenses. (In one case, LifeBridge paid for a new computer so that a young woman could take classes online.)

Bing: Paying for education
If you have more than one child, the money is split evenly among them. Survivors have up to 10 years or until age 35 to use it all.

And if your family's income goes up during the 10-year term? You get to keep the policy anyway.

LifeBridge is available in every state. You can apply by phone or with an agent in your area. Use the agent locator tool to find the nearest office.

To find out more, download the LifeBridge FAQs and/or an application (both are .pdf documents) from the company's Community Responsibility Page.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1811061

 

[maric]

For all you knitters/crocheters out there http://www.woolworks.org/ is a great site to find FREE patterns that use very little yarn. I turn my leftovers into socks, mittens, etc. And theres even a pattern for socks using 2 needles, same with mittens. They work up in a snap.

 

[Be Well]

Making bread is much, much cheaper - and tastier - than buying it. People who haven't tried baking bread should try. It's easy, yeast is very forgiving, and measurements in bread recipes are really just suggestions! I don't want to post a bunch of recipes (aka "suggestions") here but if people are interested I will in the Kitchen department.

A while ago those "no knead" bread recipes were making the rounds and I have experimented with them; very easy to do. Just need more time for rising. They taste like those fancy bakery European style bread and seriously they don't require kneading. I actually knead them for maybe one minute just to incorporate enough flour in but they are simple to make. Recipes say to bake in a very hot Dutch oven inside your oven but that's for the shiny hard crust, which DH doesn't like, so I just bake them normally. Easier anyway, and I always like to save time as well as money. There are other things to do in life besides cook and clean up.

I also make at home masa tortillas, flour tortillas, chapattis, and naan (flatbread with yeast). Much cheaper and so much better. Recipes/directions upon request.

I buy a loaf or two of bread maybe once a year and I'm always sorry since it's so airy and usually not very tasty. The only "store boughten" bread i like is the very expensive "artisan bakery" kind which is over $4 a loaf!

 

[FREEBIRD]

Be Well---I can bake regular bread but I'd love your recipes for flour tortillas, chapattis, and naan (either here, or in the Kitchen). Thanks!

I used to put up apples to keep for the winter by wrapping apples with no soft spots in newspaper, and packing them in my big Coleman picnic cooler and putting them in my unheated attic. Lost only an apple or two very rarely, just go up and get what I needed---they'd last from October clear into January. The trick is that no apple can touch another apple, hence the newspaper wrap.

 

[Be Well]

I wonder how something like that would work for potatoes or onions. Unfortunately I can smell the newspaper on food (icky to me) but perhaps plain paper would work, or maybe something else like sawdust? Or heck, shipping peanuts?

I'll post recipies either here or in the Kitchen, whichever people think suitable.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

BEFORE Y2K, I bought a FIFTY pound bag of carrots, (at a wholesale restaurant supply for $4.50) not thinking about where I was going to PUT them so they would not spoil. When I got home, It hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought about it and REPLANTED THEM in November, along my front foundation border plantings. They kept fresh and fine for a couple of months.

Carrots are pretty easy to dry -- just cut them really thin with a good knife, and spread the thin disks on pans or whatever, and just let them sit for a few days on your kitchen counter.


When they get dry enough, you can vacuum pack them with a Food Saver and keep them for many years.

 

[Deena in GA]

Good tips! Aint, thanks for sharing those tips that are particularly for singles - most are good to know for everyone!

Be Well, go ahead and post the bread recipes here, and if you want, you can put them in the Kitchen too. I do bake bread, but find myself doing whole wheat tortillas more often now. They're yummy with peanut butter on them.

 

[fairbanksb]

Went to Publix today. They had Maxwell House coffee on sale. Those 11.5 oz. vacuum packed gound coffees that look like bricks. Anyway they were $1.99 ea. With the way coffee has increased in price lately I stocked up. They also had Barilla pasta, buy one get one free. Pasta is cheap but it's cheaper at half the price. Progresso soup, buy one get one free, and Hamburger Helper.

 

[Deena in GA]

My daughter discovered that by putting in a different zipcode at one of the internet coupon sites, she got completely different coupons, including more things that are actually on sale here.

Also, the thread on main about heating reminded me to say insulate, insulate, insulate. It saves you much money in the long run. Even, as mentioned on last month's thread, putting up the insulated draperies or blankets on your windows. Don't forget those round, but long, door thingies that lay on the floor in front of the door to stop any drafts. Rolled up towels work well for that also.

 

[Kook]

To save on toothpaste.....

......cut the tube open after you've squeezed it all you can. Scrape the remaining paste out and store it in a film can. (Washed, of course) You can sometimes get up to ten more brushes per tube!

Speaking of film cans, I ask for them at Wally World's film dept. and have hundreds of them. They are useful for so many things. If you have a handful or less of some sort of hardware you don't want to throw away, put it in a film can and hot-melt-glue one piece on the lid so you can see what's in it. The single piece will still be usable as the glue will peel off easily.

Also, to save on floss, tie the floss in a circle. You can grip it easier, so you don't need as much to go around your hands, plus you can rotate the part that is inserted between the teeth. I do it every time and it works well!

To get the last drops of ketchup, mustard, etc., out of the bottles, microwave them briefly and they will flow out.

To keep sponges cleaner, after you wash them, put them wet into a covered ceramic mug and microwave them. The steaming action will sterilize them. Doesn't save money but makes things cleaner.

I mix 25% water into my shampoo, it stretches the usage quite a bit, and gets my head just as clean.

Want to stretch eggs? Crumble crackers into them and let them sit for a few minutes, then scramble them. Feeds more people in a pinch.

I'll probably think of more later,

Kookster

 

[Usually Curious]

Kook, to stretch eggs I put a diced, cooked potato in my scrambled eggs.

My dh bought me a tortilla press. I'm anxious to use it.

 

[exiled2tx]

I used to use plastic wrap to cover food reheated in the microwave, then read that it gave off something harmful so switched to waxed paper as a cover. Those bags inside cereal boxes are basically waxed paper, so I use them first when I have any.

Actually, many of those bags inside cereal boxes are now plastic, although they may not feel like it.

There are different types of plastics and not all of them give off something (or at least they don't give off the same stuff). I don't have enough information though to discuss the different types.

 

[Mary]

KerryAnn, those are wonderful! Can you make them *really* big?

Does anyone know if I can move the rivet at the top of DH's jeans so they don't have to be worn for a day before they get loose?

Also, I have a ton of leather belts - anything I can do with them? For gifts or for uses around the house.

I'm not really that creative in arts and crafts things wish I were!

Deena, I love these threads, thanks

M~~

 

[Sage Brushfilly]

I use solid deodorant. When each container is "empty" I save them up until there are 3 or 4. Then take a toothpick and run it around the rim to loosen the remaining deodorant and dig it out in as much one piece as possible. Place them in the last tube of deodorant after you reverse and lower the last piece of the stuff. You need to pack them in and mush them together. This digging out the remnants of stuff in tubes works for concealers--just put it in a small dish and use your fingertips to apply. It is amazing how much is left unused if this isn't done. Lipstick is another one. I mix the remnants until I get a color I like and put it in some small container and use a brush to apply.

 

[KerryAnn]

You can make them really big, but you must use very, very stiff paper to do so, or they collapse with their own weight. Or you can spray paint them to help them hold up.

 

[Be Well]

A mixture of baking soda and fine salt works very well for tooth powder. I make my own sometimes using powdered clay, salt, powdered herbs and essential oils. Tastes really good, works very well, and is cheap.

I will post those bread and flat bread recipes soon, on this thread. Just need to get my files back on my computer.

Here's another money saver: Mending! Some people just don't mend. My mother taught me how to mend when I was a girl. Almost anything can be mended as long as the main part of the garment isn't just worn through. Rips, tears, snags, holes - all can be mended. Even wool socks can be darned. I find mending a soothing fun thing to do.

Patches can even be made decorative with embroidery thread around the edge, contrasting fabric, etc. I often cut pockets out of skirts, dresses and pants because I don't like to have pockets, but I save the pockets for using in case the garment needs mending at some point.

Clothes can be re-made, too. For instance, a long sleeve shirt, if the elbows blow out, or cuffs get worn, can be turned into a short sleeve or sleevless shirt. Longer dresses can turn into a shorter dress or long top, and so on. I save almost every good piece of cloth and use it for something. For instance, I found a pair of brand new linen pants but they were way, way too big for me (thrift store). So I cut off the waist band and they're in my mending bag to turn into smaller pants.

 

[ivantherussian03]

I just made 4 large pizzas, and stacked them in the freezer. It is amazing what the difference is between the cost of ingredients and a retail pizza at the local pizza joint. It might be 25 bucks.

i used my air miles and traveled this summer. I got a 1000 dollar ticket for the cost of taxes, and security fees, 100 bucks.

I could write about this stuff all day.

 

[Deena in GA]

That's a great idea about making pizzas in advance and freezing them! On soccer practice nights I have a hard time coming up with supper ideas that don't take too long and sometimes end up going to town to grab something to eat from Burger King, which I don't like to do and it costs a good bit in gas. Having pizzas already made and in the freezer would be wonderful! That's what I love about these threads - y'all give me ideas that make me feel foolish for not having thought of them a long time ago, lol. Keep up the ideas!

I've been browsing through some ideas of how to save money on gas and didn't find anything new, but was reminded about not carrying extra, unneeded weight around in the car. Sometimes I forget to take things out of the car and don't notice them anymore. For instance, I have a box of bags with magazines and such in them that I was sent to hand out to the homeschoolers in my group. Everyone in my group that wanted one, got one, but I still have half a box left. It's kinda heavy, so I'm going to go out and take that box out of the car. And make the kids clean out their stuff,

 

[txgalatheart]

Empty bottles

"Empty" shampoo, conditioner bottles are not empty. If you carefully cut the bottles with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors you will have another week or two or three of product. I use this procedure will all bottled items in my bathroom.

Ditch your expensive bottle of facial moisturizer and use baby lotion. It is basically the same ingredients and cost a lot less. If it is good for a baby's body it is good enough for your face. Cut the bottle apart when it is empty, you will have more of this also.

 

[Chair Warmer]

"Empty" shampoo, conditioner bottles are not empty. If you carefully cut the bottles with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors you will have another week or two or three of product. I use this procedure will all bottled items in my bathroom.

Ditch your expensive bottle of facial moisturizer and use baby lotion. It is basically the same ingredients and cost a lot less. If it is good for a baby's body it is good enough for your face. Cut the bottle apart when it is empty, you will have more of this also.

I use an easier method. When it's down to the last squirt I turn the bottle upside down leaving it to run to the top and it squirts out easier, then to use up the last residue I add water to the bottle and shake it up real good and squirt the water and suds out to use.

I like to use the baby products too! They seem more healthy.

Mrs.Cw

 

[Usually Curious]

I use an easier method. When it's down to the last squirt I turn the bottle upside down leaving it to run to the top and it squirts out easier, then to use up the last residue I add water to the bottle and shake it up real good and squirt the water and suds out to use.

I like to use the baby products too! They seem more healthy.

Mrs.Cw

I do that, too.

As for products ... there are a lot of good, homemade, frugal, healthy recipes for deo, lotion, etc. online. It's not only a frugality issue, but also a health issue. Lotions, cleansers and shampoos have a lot of very toxic ingredients.

 

[Moggy]

How to stretch a can of apple juice:

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/applepeachtea.htm

 

[Be Well]

I wash my hair with Kirks Castile soap, and then rinse with diluted white vinegar and water. Way cheaper than any shampoo, and I can't handle the chemicals in all shampoos, even the so-called natural ones which are very expensive. Kirks can be found in stores or ordered from the company. I just ordered a case of 48 from them. It rinses out very quickly.

www.kirksnatural.com

They now have other liquidy soap products but I've always used just the regular bar soap.

Here are two more tips:

I save every single glass jar or bottle, wash out carefully with hot water and dry before putting the lid back on. I've actually used some jars for jam (they all sealed perfectly without water bathing), and all kinds of stuff that I make. Larger jars can be used for food storage.

Laundry - there are many recipes for home made laundry detergent; thought of it but never got around to it. This is what I do - I just use much less detergent than recommended and add a scoop of baking soda or Borax, and if the clothes have oils on them like towels, or "industrial" oils like DH's work clothes, I add white vinegar. So I save a lot on detergent that way.

I always hang clothes up on the line except when it's raining or snowing; even if they can't get completely dry on the line, it saves drier using because either I don't have to use it at all, or just maybe 15 or 20 minutes to get them totally dry. In the winter I use two wooden clothes drying racks for drying, next to the wood stove.

Oh, here's another one:

Any time I buy organic oranges or lemons, I cut off the peel and slice into thin little strips and dry on a plate. When brittle, I store in glass jars and use as flavoring in cakes and other deserts. It's very yummy but do not use non-organic citrus fruit peels as there are lots of very bad chemicals on them.

 

[CelticRose]

With cooler (read: baking) weather coming, start saving those stale bread heels. Bread pudding is a big hit at my house. Its also a good way to rotate your stock of raisins, currents, cranberries, nuts, dried fruits.

If you don't have one already, start a freezer "soup" container. Any/all leftovers go in the container, and when its full, make soup out of it. Different each time, but really cuts down on the food waste. I keep "non-edibles" like celery tops, onion skins, carrot peels in a separate container to make broth. I strain those out and toss before adding the stuff from the freezer container.

JJ

O, yeah!!

Bread pudding rocks!!!... Same goes when it's cooler, I make extra rice. Second day old rice makes the very best fried rice AND rice pudding is one the the all time comfort foods

And for those with a dehydrator ......... You can make up your own 'stove top stuffing' ... Save up your bread, cube and toast it, make your favorite stuffing / dressing recipe and then, use your dehydrator. Make your own 'instant foods' and save money and avoid all the extra sodium and chemical stuff, too

Always save leftover bits of veggies / bones and such (each in their own containers) freeze 'em and then mix and match to make up great pots of soup.

Also ........... Try 'roasting' beef or chicken bones, before you toss them in the stock pot. Deepens the flavor and makes a heartier tasting stock, IMO.

Christmas is coming. In October, I begin making beautiful snowflakes out of construction paper to decorate the few gifts I give. One snowflake takes me about 20 minutes and only one sheet of construction paper, scissors, a ruler and a glue stick, but people think you spent hours, they're so intricate and pretty.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

The one I attached here could have used one more cut. The green one is really pretty.

Those absolutely stunning!!!!

"Empty" shampoo, conditioner bottles are not empty. If you carefully cut the bottles with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors you will have another week or two or three of product. I use this procedure will all bottled items in my bathroom.

Ditch your expensive bottle of facial moisturizer and use baby lotion. It is basically the same ingredients and cost a lot less. If it is good for a baby's body it is good enough for your face. Cut the bottle apart when it is empty, you will have more of this also.

I usually save empty container and when I buy a new one, pour half into the old container, add water and get my own '2-fer' deal

In most cases, shampoo, conditioner, detergent and fabric softener can be diluted by half without affecting performance.

 

[Sully]

I'm afraid I'm not very creative but one thing I do is never throw away an empty lipstick tube. I clean the tube and melt bees wax and let it cool down then add some vasaline and a few sprays of cologne, stir it up and fill the lipstick tube with it. I put it in the refrigerator to harden and then I have 'roll' on cologne. And it doesn't take up much space in my purse.

Sully

 

[ainitfunny]

Who throws away a purse with a broken strap, a backpack with a strap that pulled out or seam came open, a tent or leather jacket with a seam coming apart, a velcro strap on a sandal or shoe that needs fixing, a sheath that is coming apart, or other stuff THAT JUST NEEDS SEWN but is not really appropriate for a sewing machine and a regular needle and thread is not up to the heavy duty sewing job??

STOP throwing away money to rebuy stuff that just needs a few stitches to make it "good as new".


GO BUY A "sewing awl" and watch the video on Youtube as to how EASY it is to fix those things. AT 65 I just went out and bought one, and learned how to fix stuff I USED TO THROW AWAY.

Here is a copy of my post on the prep forum, for those who missed it:

IF YOU KNOW YOU NEED & HAVE "DUCT TAPE" YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE THIS:

Just watched a youtube video on how to use the "Speedy stitcher" manual sewing awl by STEWART CO.( http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SPEEDY+STITCHER+STEWART&aq=f ) to easily and quickly fix those broken purse straps, shoe straps, backpack broken straps and repair/resew canvas and leather tents, jackets, belts, duffel bags, just about anything I USED to throw away when the seam broke, it tore or otherwise needed repaired. You can even "sew" WITH WIRE. You can MAKE STUFF with it too - shoes, cases, sheaths for knife, ax or hatchet, bags etc.

THIS IS A SURVIVAL MUST TOOL AND SKILL!!

It is EXTREMELY EASY to do and the whole "KIT" is tops $20-$25 at the highest price, and the tool alone with a couple of needles can be had for as little as $5.

Go out and get one, or check e-bay,(ACE hardware advertises the kit for $17.99 online:http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=20430

 

[Deena in GA]

I learned something new and frugal from my oldest daughter last night. She made individual meat loafs by putting the meat into muffin tins. She said instead of baking for an hour or more (she's cooking for 7) it only takes 20-30 minutes.

 

[CelticRose]

I learned something new and frugal from my oldest daughter last night. She made individual meat loafs by putting the meat into muffin tins. She said instead of baking for an hour or more (she's cooking for 7) it only takes 20-30 minutes.

COOL!!!

And if one had the time / space, make up a couple of batches of the individual meatloaves, to freeze, for quick meals later on

My better half always made the best meatloaf!!! Even better the next day IMO, cold with catsup and mayonaise for the ultimate sandwich .....

 

[Be Well]

Aintitfunny - that tool looks great. I want one!

About baking smaller - a while ago I decided that rather than baking regular loaves, I'd make flattish ones on cookie pans or large cake pans. To make sandwiches, DH slices them in half sideways, less crumbs, work fine for eating, and bake much quicker.