What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[TooCheep]

I store cans/jars by expiration/best by date- so, one section for 2023, one for 2024, etc. I always look in the soonest expiring first before moving on. There certainly are other ways to organize, but it works for me.

 

[gtaus]

I've tried several versions of the auto rotate racks (homemade and otherwise) and gave up on the idea.

I had given up on the idea even before tyring it. I just don't see how it would help me to use those auto rotating storage units that take up so much space. Also, just trying to find a system that fits into our cabinets has been next to impossible.

I write the month-year of purchase on the top of the can, keep then on box bottoms (the cut off bottoms of boxes the stores sell them on). In rows of like kinds if we don't use many. ... Month-date bought is close enough to work well and much faster than looking for exp. dates on the cans.

I might try that. Our old eyes are having a harder time finding the expiration date on some items. We are getting pretty good at putting the date and label on our leftovers in the refrigerator. Would not be too hard to write the date on the top of the cans.

I store cans/jars by expiration/best by date- so, one section for 2023, one for 2024, etc. I always look in the soonest expiring first before moving on. There certainly are other ways to organize, but it works for me.

I know the problem with us is that it takes a lot of effort to take out the old cans in the cabinets, put the new cans in the back, and moving the older cans up front. In theory, I would always like to use up the oldest stock before the newer items. It's not so easy in our cabinets that are 12 inches deep. It's much better on the new shelves I built because they are only about 5 inches deep, enough for 2 cans front/back, so it's pretty easy to move them about.

It's one thing to save money by buying up items on sale, but if you end up tossing expired food out because your organization is lacking, then you are not saving money.

Appreciate the feedback and will be thinking about what might work best for us. Thanks.

 

[TooCheep]

It's one thing to save money by buying up items on sale, but if you end up tossing expired food out because your organization is lacking, then you are not saving money.

Yup. Try to minimize waste by keeping up the rotation in whatever form you choose. One thing to be aware of is that those expiration/best by dates are only minimally useful.

Many foods, particularly canned foods are actually good and edible long past their labeled expiration date, so don't be quick to toss them. Those dates represent how long a corporation is willing to stand behind the product, not when they suddenly go bad. I've eaten canned veggies 1-2 years past their best by dates before I got properly organized and they tasted fine and I had no ill effects.

Know why water bottles have expiration dates? Not because they are packaged in plastic. It traces back to New Jersey regulators that required dates on all packaged food/drinks, including water. Those regulations were imposed long before we learned that BPA was a problem. Ancient water doesn't go bad just because it is sitting on your shelf.

If you ever are in that situation (older food), here are some things to watch out for:

• Dented cans- I try not to buy these and if I dent one will try to use it right away before any possible seal problems can can allow pathogens to grow.
• Bulging cans or if gas escapes when you open it- These represent possible cases of botulism, which can be fatal. Not worth the risk- toss it.
• We are actually equipped with an evolutionary superior form of bad food detectors- our eyes, nose and taste buds. As long as you avoid botulism and it is good to your senses, the food is almost certainly good.

 

[SmiYa0126]

When I had my physical in June 2020, the PA asked me three or four times how I was feeling/adjusting/coping with the covid situation. I finally told her, We have 25 acres to roam around with our dog. We call/text with friends/family often. We. Are. Fine.

We are the luckiest people I know.

Same! We moved to our right acres in fall of 2019, feel so bad for the people that were cooped up for so long, so cruel

 

[SmiYa0126]

Also, go to discount stores, I score cheap shelf stable items, even if it's expired by a month or two. Cheap OTC meds, shampoo,. conditioner, sauces that you may want to try but don't want to spend $5 in case you dont like it.

 

[gtaus]

One thing to be aware of is that those expiration/best by dates are only minimally useful.

Many foods, particularly canned foods are actually good and edible long past their labeled expiration date, so don't be quick to toss them.

Yes, canned food can be good for many years beyond their sell by date. But it's still a good idea to rotate your canned goods and use the oldest cans first.

If you ever are in that situation (older food), here are some things to watch out for:

• Dented cans- I try not to buy these and if I dent one will try to use it right away before any possible seal problems can can allow pathogens to grow.
• Bulging cans or if gas escapes when you open it- These represent possible cases of botulism, which can be fatal. Not worth the risk- toss it.
• We are actually equipped with an evolutionary superior form of bad food detectors- our eyes, nose and taste buds. As long as you avoid botulism and it is good to your senses, the food is almost certainly good.

Important safety tips which I agree with. Thanks for posting...

 

[gtaus]

Also, go to discount stores, I score cheap shelf stable items, even if it's expired by a month or two. Cheap OTC meds, shampoo,. conditioner, sauces that you may want to try but don't want to spend $5 in case you dont like it.

The only expiration dates I really am a stickler on are the expiration dates for dairy products. If it's past the sell by date, I pass. You might get an extra week or two on meat, but not much longer. So be careful with dates on meat. But dry goods last a lot longer then their sell by date and canned goods many years.

Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, I would shop at the Dollar Tree. They were terrible in rotating their stock and it was very possible to buy an already expired fresh food product. If it was a meat product out of date by a day or so, I would ask for a discount, which at the time was 50%. But you had better plan on eating that stuff up fast when you get it home.

Now, our Dollar Tree has become the Dollar Tree (Plus) and everything is $1.25. I don't shop there much anymore because WalMart sells the same stuff, in larger quantities, usually for the same price or less. Also, the Dollar Tree (Plus) no longer carries many of the items I used to buy prior to the lockdown. It has become more of a convivence store for many items that used to be a bargain. There are still some good deals to be had at Dollar Tree (Plus), but not nearly as many good deals as a few years ago. At least, not for the stuff I was buying from there.

Frugal Tip: Buying in larger quantities is not always to best choice to save money!

Before you reach for that family sized box of food, thinking you will get a better deal, be sure you check out the price per unit. Lots of times I have seen that a smaller box of the same item will be cheaper than the big "discount" box.

Also, if you buy a big discount quantity of something because it is cheaper per unit, make sure that you will be using it all up before it goes bad. Too many times, just Dear Wife and I, have bought a big discount unit of something only to later throw half of it away because it did not get used up in time. For just the 2 of us, we are often better off buying a smaller jar of something that we can eat before it goes bad, even if it costs slightly more per unit than the big discount quantity. You don't save money if you end up throwing half the food away because it went bad.

 

[SmiYa0126]

The only expiration dates I really am a stickler on are the expiration dates for dairy products. If it's past the sell by date, I pass. You might get an extra week or two on meat, but not much longer. So be careful with dates on meat. But dry goods last a lot longer then their sell by date and canned goods many years.

Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, I would shop at the Dollar Tree. They were terrible in rotating their stock and it was very possible to buy an already expired fresh food product. If it was a meat product out of date by a day or so, I would ask for a discount, which at the time was 50%. But you had better plan on eating that stuff up fast when you get it home.

Now, our Dollar Tree has become the Dollar Tree (Plus) and everything is $1.25. I don't shop there much anymore because WalMart sells the same stuff, in larger quantities, usually for the same price or less. Also, the Dollar Tree (Plus) no longer carries many of the items I used to buy prior to the lockdown. It has become more of a convivence store for many items that used to be a bargain. There are still some good deals to be had at Dollar Tree (Plus), but not nearly as many good deals as a few years ago. At least, not for the stuff I was buying from there.

Frugal Tip: Buying in larger quantities is not always to best choice to save money!

Before you reach for that family sized box of food, thinking you will get a better deal, be sure you check out the price per unit. Lots of times I have seen that a smaller box of the same item will be cheaper than the big "discount" box.

Also, if you buy a big discount quantity of something because it is cheaper per unit, make sure that you will be using it all up before it goes bad. Too many times, just Dear Wife and I, have bought a big discount unit of something only to later throw half of it away because it did not get used up in time. For just the 2 of us, we are often better off buying a smaller jar of something that we can eat before it goes bad, even if it costs slightly more per unit than the big discount quantity. You don't save money if you end up throwing half the food away because it went bad.

Agreed 100%! Except yogurt and sour cream. The meat is usually pretty low quality, I usually pass on it. Once you have farm fresh meat sometimes we can't even eat the organic from the grocery store.

I grew my own carrots and beets two years ago, they were small but the best ones I've ever had.

 

[ChicksnMore]

How to use a store's smart phone app to save yourself some money.

I resisted getting a cell phone for the longest time. I am not a social butterfly, and I don't make, or receive, many calls anymore. However, my bank now requires us to use their bank app to scan checks for deposits. My military bank, USAA, is stationed in Texas but I live in Minnesota. I have the option of sending checks through the mail, but that takes time and I really don't want to risk any deposit being lost in the mail. So, I had to get a smart phone and cancelled my landline phone that I had for the past 30 years.

But, there are many other advantages to using your smart phone.

Almost all the stores I shop at now have their own phone apps. What I find very useful is using their Shopping List feature. I know Harbor Freight and Home Depot both have a little heart icon that you simply tap on and that item is automatically added to your shopping list. I don't get notices on sales for those items like I do for Amazon, but what I can do is just tap on the item in the list and quickly see if that item is on sale for this week.

Also, for Harbor Freight anyway, it tells me if the item is in stock, or not, so I can decide if it's worth my time to swing by there to pick it up or save a little gas money and time and go straight home. Harbor Freight also has a link on their app with their in-store sales and specials, so you can easily check out the new sale items for the current period.

If you are a veteran, Home Depot now requires you to use the phone app for the military discount program. That's 10% off many items and well worth it when shopping. I bought a few clearance items at Home Depot today, originally $15 but marked down to $5, and I got another 10% off the clearance price using the phone app with my military discount.

Some places even give you an initial discount or cash reward for downloading their app and making a purchase online with your phone. I have not personally been able to use one of those deals, yet.

Forgive me if this just old news to you younger people, but I'm just finding new ways to save money with my cell phone apps. I hope it might be interesting to someone else and maybe save them some money.

My DH broke down last year and got his first cell phone...for shopping. He still isn't using it as a phone, but anything to keep coupons, rebates etc assessable.

 

[gtaus]

My DH broke down last year and got his first cell phone...for shopping. He still isn't using it as a phone, but anything to keep coupons, rebates etc assessable.

I can relate to your husband. Dear Wife ordered me a cell phone from QVC. It was the cheapest smart phone with 1 year Tracfone service, 1500 mins of talk, 1500 text, and 1.5 GB data. At the end of the year, I still had something like 1400 mins of talk, 1450 text, and 1.5 GB of data to carry over. The cell phone from QVC only cost something like $80 for one year service, so I actually came out way ahead when I cancelled our landline phone which cost me $30.00 per month.

I mainly use my smart phone as an mp3 player. I put on headphones hearing protection with Bluetooth and listen to recorded radio programs or audiobooks while I'm out mowing the lawn, trimming grass with the weed wacker, or using the chainsaw to cut up trees, etc.. Next, I have discovered it is a useful tool for shopping, using the stores phone apps for discounts and coupons. Sometimes I take pictures with it. And I use it for making deposits to my bank. Not used too much as a phone, but that's OK with me.

BTW, I am a firm believer and advocate for using hearing protection whenever you can and certainly whenever you should. Although I'm now in my 60's, my hearing is still very good. That's important to me. My father had ear problems from birth and throughout his life and was next to deaf when he was my age. I know that limited him in a number of ways. Unfortunately, he was not able to even use hearing aids for the type of hearing loss he had. So, I have always been very protective of my hearing.

Frugal Tip on safety equipment!

I will tell you that no matter how much money you spend on personal safety gear, or equipment, it is nothing compared to an Emergency Room hospital visit or life long pain and suffering which might have been avoided. As a RN, I had many patients that damaged their bodies and now live in pain everyday. Some of them could have prevented personal injury if they used personal protection as simple as hearing and eye protection. Lots of patients suffering with back injuries from lifting too much, or too heavy, and would do anything to turn the clock back and do it over again but smarter this time. Protect yourself.