Feeling Poor-ly?

I thought it might be time to post some frugal tips since I'm feeling like I need reminded! Maybe you're not feely poor-ly but you don't want to, either! In any case, this post is for us. All of us:

Canning - If you're not and you buy canned fruits and vegetables during the year, you are throwing money down the drain! Seriously. You can find all natural, no spray tomatoes for as little as .45/pound! You don't have to pressure cook tomatoes so we're talking easy! I did a whole post last year on how worth canning is. And my wonderful tutorial on how to can green beans!

Freezing Eggs - When eggs are on sale or buying in bulk (like I do from Azure Standard) you can freeze them! Lightly mix 1 cup of raw eggs (about 5 large eggs) with 1 teaspoon salt and store in airtight container. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Properly frozen, eggs will keep for up to six months! 3 tablespoons of mixture is about 1 large sized egg. They taste good scrambled, in omelets, or in baking.

Make your own food! While this may seem like a given, think yogurt, butter and granola...

Make Christmas gifts! I was surprised the first year I made our parents a photo calendar for Christmas that so many people wanted "just that" for themselves! So, I've thought about it and perhaps because it is personal, it does take time, and it's PERSONAL, it is more special than anything money can buy. As trite as that sounds, I believe it true. So, make whatever you can - knit, photos, sew doll clothes, cookies, bread, dinner, an apron, pet blankets, pet treats, and then make using things you have around the house! Old denim jeans, hole-y blankets. A coupon book for a married couple with kids! A bulletin board filled with things you know that person likes! A new paint job instead of a new bike - paint the old! Or their bedroom... or the bathroom....

Okay, that's it for today. My challenge today?

Write down all the people you buy gifts for at Christmas time. That's it. But write every single person down. From your family, to your kids' teacher, to your secret sister, to your neighbor. Write their name down. And then add a few lines for the people you don't remember you buy for but will suddenly remember them when they show up with a gift for you!

We'll talk about this list later. So make sure you do it. Great!