I started this blog a year ago, ’cause I found out that a lot of people did not know the skills I took for granted. It’s been incredibly fulfilling, as well as a learning experience in which I add new savings strategies. (And with money so tight, I need to watch every dime.)
But tonight is a prime example that being frugal doesn’t mean sacrificing a good lifestyle. I’ve got an incredible beef stew cooking in the crockpot, using the top sirloin that I got for $1.74 a pound using the grocery shopping skills noted in this post. I rounded out the meal with fresh French bread made in the breadmaker for pennies, as I detailed in this post.

Before dinner, I did a half-big clean of the house, including these tips on cleaning the bathrooms. I then cleaned the downstairs in 35 minutes. Not bad. I’ll do the sparkle cleaning of the baths tomorrow.

After work Monday, I plan on hitting Walgreens to pick up the freebies — it’s easy, as noted in this post and this post. I may even bake a cake tonight so we have some sweets for the week — we’ll see. But rest assured, I will have a superb bed to settle into (and it’s all turned down as I suggested in the post).

The big point on this post is that everything builds on something else. A little planning here and there will make your life easier. You just gotta take small steps.

Back to work tomorrow!

I have been busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest with work, but this is when my Prohomemaker skills come into action big time.

After wrapping up most of my work, I stopped by one grocery store to snag two specials — boneless ham for 99 cents a pound for a 4 pound ham and asparagus for 99 cents a pound (cost 72 cents). I cut the two hams in half, and have the makings of 8 dinners (and leftovers) for 2 people! Hitting the specials at one store is a great tactic to save money, as noted in this post.

After I got home, I took care of more work, but still had time to make this easy recipe for yummy scalloped potatoes to go with my ham — no cream and no soups. Just easy and good!

I needed chopped onions, but I had some ready to go in the fridge, as noted in this post, so it was no problem at all. I had the potatoes in the oven in less than 15 minutes. (Why do you think I can write now, because everything is cooking!)

I am going to have to work this weekend, too — that will make 14 days straight with no day off. But I have dinner set for one day, because I used the “Cook once, eat twice” tactics noted in this post, so we will still have a homemade dinner of Chicken Divan even though I had to work. I will probably make a soup for the other night. But I have the ham, so just have to throw the stuff into a crockpot for split pea soup.

I didn’t get a chance to hit Walgreens today to hit the specials noted in this post, but I will shoot for tomorrow. Free is a reason enough to make ths stop. And, Farmers Wife, the rebates are easy — I will post details later.

So, I wanted to say again, see how these tactics add onto one another? They will make your life easier! I have not been crazy all day.

By planning, and thinking ahead, my life has been manageable. Honestly, these tactics work!

Do you know what’s for dinner?

What time is it?

If you are trying to decide at 4 or 5 p.m., you are setting yourself up for insanity — or at least, calling on an expensive prepared frozen dinner ($8), a pricey ordered-in meal (read a $15 pizza), or the worst, going out for dinner ($25+).

But by just taking 5 minutes in the a.m. before you go to work, or 5 minutes midday if you work at home, your dinnertime can be so much more enjoyable — and cheaper!

People ask me the easiest way to save money, and the answer is simple — eat at home!

But, yes, it does take time — 5-15 minutes to decide on a menu, and then 30-60 minutes to make a multi-course dinner. The secret is the prep is everything.

Deciding early in the day will allow you to defrost any food needed, as well as plan what you may need to buy to make dinner.

Add in using excellent prep skills done days in advance, and you will have dinner prepared in 30-60 minutes, these include roasting chicken in advance, mincing onions ahead of time, slicing bell peppers in advance, washing produce when it comes in the house, having cheese ready for you, and know what you have in the pantry.

Use these skills, and you have saved nearly an hour off making dinner — and saved between $6 and $20 each night! I hope you see how all these tips add onto each other to make your life easier.

Want some recipes? Click this link for the ones previously posted. I gave them to our married receptionist today, and she was so happy to give her some basic dishes she could use.

So, I will end like I started — what’s for dinner? Tonight, we are having kielbasa (defrosted at noon) with onions and bell pepper (bought on the way home), smashed potatoes (pre-cleaned) and peas. Not bad, huh? … and less than 60 minutes in the kitchen! (Hey, I even had time to post this 30 minutes before dinnertime!)

Try these tips and see how much time you’ll save - and how much money!

Prohomemaker is pooped! But I used so many skills tonight that I just had to share. (Click anything in bold for the tip, and see how well it works!)

First, the reason for my poop-ness, I had lunch with a client, showed property to him, and then showed property to another client, then performed some duties as president of our Homeowners Association. Yes, I have a career life beyond blogging, you can see it all here.

But the Prohomemaker skills came into action when I got home!

First thing I did was sort through the stack of mail to get rid of that pile. (By the way, got free samples of Prilosec and Pantene in the mail today!) Next, I changed into something comfy, and then put some fresh towels out in the bath for tomorrow from the organized vanity. The house was neat because I followed the tips in this post — I just had to plump the sofa and pillows.

Dinner was a breeze because I pulled out of the freezer one of my cook once, eat twice dishes — this time it was Chicken a la King, which was made with the pre-roasted chicken breast recipe found in this post. I made the rice fresh, but defrosted the entree in the microwave and heated it on the stove. Of course, it was a little thick, so I thinned it using my quick chicken broth. To add a touch of freshness, I easily minced some fresh parsley to sprinkle on the top.

Dinner got rave reviews from my partner, who thankfully picked up milk at the grocery store, and used my great reuseable grocery bags. (And you can get a free one with the link in this post!)

Of course, we just loaded all the dishes in the dishwasher, because I did the morning routine before I left.

Finally, after such a busy day, it will be wonderful to retire in a hotel-like bed that is already turned down. Can’t wait!

See how these tips can make your life easier? They all add up to make a simple day, even on the busiest one!

Ground beef, of course, is versatile, but it’s expensive. It will go on sale, but it’s always in those darn 3-5 pound chubs. Take it, and run to your stove and freezer.

Why? Because cooked ground beef freezes like a dream — and also equals quick dinners later!
This is a great tip for smaller households (2-4 people) because we are often unable to take advantage of sales for fear whatever is on special will go bad.

For a teeny bit of effort in advance, you will be able to whip out a couple meals in less than 30 minutes!

Here’s the strategy:

You may be tempted to cook the whole batch at once, but I find the small amount at a time allows you to use a normal size frying pan, and it makes it easier to separate later.

So what do you use the meat for later?

That’s what I can think of. By cutting off that 15-20 minutes of cooking and draining time, you are on your way to quicker meals — and enjoying that savings.

Hope it works for you, as well as it does for us.

One of the best hints I follow from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame is when you have guests coming is to make one cocktail — this is a simple tip for dinner parties.
Instead of playing short-order bartender, offer your guests one type of cocktail (and of course a non-alcoholic one).

Yesterday, I served Cosmopolitan Martinis — one of my favorites, because they are chic (and you can prepare in advance. A martini pitcher was the in the fridge before my guests arrived — easy-peasy!) If they are too strong, just top with more cranberry juice.

So here is the perfect Cosmopolitan Recipe:

Cosmopolitan Martini Recipe

Ingredients

4 parts Vodka
2 parts Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 parts Cranberry Juice
1 part Lime Fresh Juice

Mix all in a cocktail server, and serve. Or chill, and stir and serve later.

I did the math for you, and this is if for 4 people:

Ingredients
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup Cranberry Juice
1/4 cup Lime Juice

Enjoy — and enjoy having people over!

What’s your morning routine? Can it be summed up by: “Drink coffee, eat breakfast (sometimes) and get dressed”? No, I’m sure you do more than that, but maybe only sometimes, or when time allows. Am I right, or at least close?

That’s not a routine — that’s a recipe for household insanity.

Your morning routine should not only be the manner in which you get started in the a.m., but also the way in which you make your life easier throughout the day and until you go to bed. We’re talking habits that will make your life more pleasant and your household more manageable.

Let me give you an example. In addition to the standard tasks — eat, drink coffee, etc. — my routine includes tasks that reflect throughout the day and into the night:

Yes, this takes more time, and that means you might need to get up 15-30 minutes earlier, but you will reap the rewards all day long until you go to bed. No more mess to clean up after work. A neater home. A more managed, “no surprises” run through your day.

You do all these tasks anyway — we’re just breaking it up to smaller, more manageable increments. Again, this is a major tenet of my philosophy, a little effort now results in less work later.

Write down your morning routine, and what tasks you could do early on to make your entire day go smoother. Make them habits, and you will be so happy with the results.

When it comes to tasks around the house, laundry is my least favorite. In fact, I hate it. I would rather have a root canal. But it must be done — week in, week out.

Here’s a little trivia: Did you know the term Blue Monday comes from the normal day set aside to do laundry? That’s because it was such a depressing task.

Let me tell you, the hamper is your enemy! It just groups all the clothes together in one dirty heap.

Instead, head to a discount store and buy three cheap laundry baskets — one white, one a light color, and one a dark color. Ours are set up in the closet. As we disrobe, the dirty shirts, underwear and other clothes are tossed in the appropriate basket — darks, colors or whites. When a basket is full, it’s just picked up and brought to the washer. No more sorting through a mound of clothes to do a load of wash!

This underscores one of my main tenets — tasks are better when they are broken down into manageable increments. One day you may need to do whites, another to do darks, but leaving it all for one horrific day is nuts. You toss a load in (no sorting) and get on with your life!

Even those who use a laundromat can use this tactic. It will easily shave an hour because you don’t have to presort. For those with children — especially young ones — it will save you work, and they learn their colors. Sure, you may have to correct the sorting now and then, but it will make your life easier.

I hope you try this trick. Perhaps Blue Monday will become Not Bad Monday.