Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Homemaking Tip - Frugal Living

A month or two ago I started reading a blog called The Prudent Homemaker.  She and her family have been living from their food storage for many years.  She has incredible, edible flower beds.   Her family has learned to live on less due to the current economic situation and her husband's line of work.  Each week she posts her frugal accomplishments.  I enjoy reading her list and the comments where her readers are encouraged to share their ideas.  I'm sharing a few of my frugal accomplishments with you this week.


Calvin needed a couple dozen hamburger buns for a scout activity.  Store bought hamburger and hotdog buns are a rip-off and homemade buns are quick and inexpensive to make. 

One Hour Buns

5 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbsp Saf yeast
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 Tbsp salt
3 Tbs oil
2 cups hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients together and stir well.  Add oil and hot top water all at once.  Continue to stir or mix for five minutes.  Let dough rest five minutes then roll out on lightly floured surface.  Place buns on a cookie sheet and let rise for 20 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until nicely browned.

The secret to making good hamburger and hotdog buns is the can.  I'm not fooling.  Baked bean cans work great.  Just cut the top and bottom out with a can-opener.  If you want to make hotdog buns, squish in the sides of the top of the can into the shape of a long skinny bun. 

Another perk when you make your own buns is that you can make the right amount (instead of buying a bag of 8 buns for your 10 pack of hotdogs).   


 We bought chicken feed with money collected from selling eggs, and fed the chickens leftover food scraps (a moldy squash from the storage room, lettuce core, etc.). 



Made Ray a birthday gift by covering a cocoa can with paper and filling it with a batch of homemade caramels.   



Pureed old fruit and dried it into fruit roll-ups. 

How about you?  What were some of the ways you saved money this week?

3 comments:

Rachel said...

I found four shirts for Bert, a pair of pants for Calder, and two skirts for myself at Goodwill. Total cost - 19.00. SCORE

Cali said...

I read your blog and felt more motivated. I hope you do this each week. I also made levin eat his oatmeal

Alisa said...

I sent clothes with my husband who was flying to Colorado to give to my nephew, that way I didn't need to mail them. :) does that count?
I have never made hamburger or hot dog buns, but I have started making our own bread. I think I will have to try and make our own buns now. Tucker asks for his birthday meal to have pb&j on hamburger buns and hotdog buns. He thinks it is the best!