2) We make our own bread too, but I don’t buy yeast anymore except for a special holiday bread. Instead we use only sourdough starter with all our bread. Most of the time, I also add stevia powder to outweigh the sourdough taste unless I want a sour-tasting bread. In the oven with just the pilot light on, it rises in about 4-5 hours, and that’s with 4 cups whole wheat to one cup white flour, and no special dough conditioners or rising agents.

3) We found a store which buys surplus restaurant supply including produce once a week. My favorite deal when they have it is duck–I can usually get one for under $5. Then, I use it 5 different ways! First, we roast it whole (like chicken but takes longer). There’s not a whole lot of meat but it’s rich so we always have leftovers. Second, use the leftover meat the next day for sandwiches, stir-fry or soup. Third, after roasting, pour off the duck fat and store in a jar in the fridge for frying. Fourth, pull off the skin after roasting, snip into small pieces, and fry till crisp in a frying pan (LOW heat). These are “duck cracklins” and are great sprinkled on a salad, or laid on a piece of bread with some cheese for an open-face melted sandwich. Finally, put whatever is left of the carcass and pan drippings into a pot with water and make broth.

4) Another thing we buy at that discount store is out-of date heavy cream. It seems to keep just fine for at least a couple weeks past, and they sell it for $1.50 for a half gallon. We looked up on the internet how to make butter–with any jar, no churn needed. You shake it–it’s fun! This way, I can make butter for 75 cents a pound, not to mention you get the (uncultured) buttermilk left over. We also use it in making ice cream. We culture cream too with a Swedish buttermilk culture, making a wonderful sour cream substitute–use it plain, or make salad dressings, dips and sauces. (Our Ranch dressing is just this cultured cream, onion powder, small amount of garlic powder, oregano, sometimes basil or dill, and a little yogurt to thin it to the desired consistency.)
If you culture the cream before you use it to make butter, you get cultured butter–which you might see at the health food store for $10 or more per pound! (This also turns into butter much faster than ordinary cream and tastes great.)

5) At the right time of year, scout for fruit trees! We have made new friends by spotting a yard covered with dropping apples or plums, knocking on the door and offering to clean up. Often they then offer that we can pick some (or all!) from the tree. We try later to bring back a jar of apple butter or something from the garden in appreciation.

I know this is getting too long, but I have to mention one more…
6) Our freezer is stocked with loads of great “wild-caught” meat–we even had to pick up another used freezer! Here’s how: we talked to the local wildlife department and sure enough, they keep a list of people who will take deer or elk they have to put down or are hit by cars. We even got a bighorn sheep once–even better than lamb! They know what they are doing and will not distribute meat that is unfit for human consumption. Many counties have this service. With no prior experience, my husband and I learned how to butcher a deer! Also, although neither of us hunts, we know many people who do. We don’t ask them for meat they are able to use–but most hunters just throw away the liver, heart and other healthy organ meats. Now our friends save these for us–and bones for making broth. Note: To save freezer space, boil large quantities of finished broth with the lid off till reduced greatly, even down to a tenth or less, and freeze in ice cube trays–instant boullion cubes!!

Some of these specifics may not be possible in your situation, but hopefully they will inspire you to think outside the box a bit. Ask God for ideas!

Also, my grandmother loves to freeze things for easier cooking and she shared the idea of freezing my plastic bags filled with chicken stock, cooked meals, or whatever on a flat cookie sheet or cutting board. Then once they have frozen solid – they stack completely and neatly flat!! After years of trying to fit my bags in flat and finding them later with freezer rack marks or one end sagging but frozen solid that way, it has been a great tip for me.

I can’t wait to read some of the other tips!

When I bring my fresh fruits and veggies home from the store, or the market, I always go ahead and clean them up and get them ready to use. That way, if I need carrots or potatoes, they are clean and ready for me to start chopping. There are a few exceptions like mushrooms and strawberries that do not do well cleaning up ahead of time.

If we have leftover beans, corn, carrots, etc… after dinner, I drain the juice and dump them into a container I keep in my freezer. Every month or 2 when it is full, I make a huge pot of vegetable soup for dinner. This is a great way to save a little money by not wasting the leftovers.

I use alot of chopped onions, garlic and celery when I cook. I like to use my food processor to chop these up in bulk. Then I put them on pans and freeze them. Once they are frozen, I can put them into large ziploc bags, and when I need them, I can just pull them from the freezer, measure out what I need, and throw them back in. This saves me quite a bit of time. It is so easy to chop them in large amounts with the processor.

I have not had time to read all the other tips, so I hope I have not duplicated. I look forward though to reading the rest of them. I need all the time and money saving tips I can get.

Jennifer

Then I have the younger girls organize the pantry. I dont know their method so I cant comment. But at least they help.