The Frugal Beagle

There are savings that can be made in your kitchen in terms of environment, money and the time. Some of these advices may seem obvious for you and perhaps you already practice them, even so there’s no harm in repeating these simple savers.

• Wash reasonably. Some detergents are concentrated and you only need a little amount. Don’t waste them.

• When hand washing either clothes or dishes, always start from the cleanest items. It may save both detergent and water.

• Washing up bowl is a better alternative than sink. It requires less cold and hot water, which can be expensive on a long-term. Washing up bowl allows rinsing really dirty items on cold water on one part of the bowl. It will make your task easier and you also need less hot water.

• Don’t wash anything with a hot running tap

• Don’t boil more water than you need: it is a waste of fuel and water. If you’re making hot water for a cup, it is faster and more efficient to use a saucepan with the lid on. It is also a good idea to use a gas cooker instead of an electric kettle.

• Vegetable steamer is an efficient way to cook a large amount of vegetable, tofu and thin slices of meat

• Use pressure cooker to prepare a dish faster and efficiently

• If you use a gas cooker don’t let the flames engulf the saucepan. It can ruin your pan and a waste of fuel.

• You can do many things with an oven. Main course can be cooked together with the vegetables. Once you understand how to cook different things at once, you may save plenty of time and minimize the amount you need to wash up. Certain recipes such as casseroles are perfect for cooking with an oven and it’s alright to overcook it a little bit.

• If your bake often, you should prepare three or four times the usual amount and freeze the extra. You can save fuel and time in preparation.

• It’s possible to turn off your oven 10 minutes faster as the oven can retain enough heat to cook the dish for the next 15 minutes. It only applies for dishes that are cooked for an hour or more

• When cooking, you should keep the lids on pans, unless instructed otherwise.

• Thinner and smaller food will be cooked faster, while saving you some cash.

• If you know beforehand that you’ll be cooking something out of the freezer, put it out of the fridge for an hour or so. It will use less energy and cook faster.

We have all heard stories of how children of the bygone days only had a stick and a hoop to play with, and if those kids were lucky they might get a lump of coal or a bag of marbles. That was a far cry from how 21st century children can get their sophisticated toys.

One of the common problems is that many popular toys are derived from television or films programs. Whatever might be fashionable for one month could be old-fashioned the next when a new action figure arrives. A popular television series or cartoon might be accompanied by a wide range of merchandises such as clothes, stickers, books, or even snacks.

Children display an extraordinary degree of tenacity when it comes to asking parents buy these products. It’s all very well for those who can afford to indulge their children with expensive things; but for parents with a limited budget or even for middle class family, it may not always possible to buy all the latest toys. Trying to teach your kids about managing money and instilling a sense of control is an important part of being a good parent. Kids need to learn that they can’t have everything they want without putting an adequate amount of effort first, although explaining this to your child may not be easy. Keeping a child entertained doesn’t have to be expensive. We may laugh at memories of how children were laugh in the past, but maybe we often forgot how it incurs a great expense. Many of the old games and pastimes have been forgotten in a haze of computers, consoles and television. Just remember that game consoles have only been around for less than two decades. People might reason that keeping children entertained has always been costly, but at least technology seems to fall in cost as it improves in quality. Further, there are many excellent multimedia educational packages available today which will become cheaper as time goes on. Parents who are not familiar with latest electronic devices, have some alternatives to keep their children amused. These are a few examples:

• Dressing up box for dolls, All families should have a dressing up box. It contains tiny outfits for soldiers, Indians, nurses, and cowboys. Children, especially girls, love putting on adult clothes on little dolls, especially dress, wigs and hats.

• Papier mâché, All you need is paper, water, flour and a little glue. You can shape many things you want, which then can be painted.

• Face paints, These are often available from toy shops or joke shops. Children may spend hours painting their bodies and faces, and they’ll find it even more entertaining if you allow them paint yours.

There are literally hundreds of ways to relax with your family: some may need money, others could be free. If you’re on a tight budget then it’s better to do a limited amount of activities to save money than indulging yourself with costly pursuits. Having an exciting family entertainment doesn’t necessarily have to be costly, these are five ways to have fun with your family without harming your financial situation:

1. Rather than going to the movie, which can cost you $15 for the whole family, hire a DVD. To make the experience better, make your own hot-dogs and pop corn and turn off the lights.

2. Don’t forget to make the best of the countryside while it is still free. Kids enjoy walking on the woods, it’s a good way to make them familiar with the nature, and good for your health as well.

3. Look out for free shows which are often advertised in local newspapers. These shows often take place in open public places, town halls or churches. Just because a show is free, it doesn’t mean you’ll have a second-class entertainment, many voluntary entertainers are both skilled and dedicated.

4. Dining out is absolutely entertaining. It gives you the chance to let other people trouble themselves with the cooking, and doing the dishes. You also feel like someone special, and the meal may surprise you with its unique texture and taste. In some countries, eating out is a costly luxury, while in other countries, eating out is only slightly more expensive than cooking at home and is therefore enjoyed often. So how to save money while eating out? Go for restaurants that give special deals, fast food chains and pizza restaurants are particularly tempting in this respect. Remember it is often more affordable to order a menu package than ordering à la carte. A menu package is usually designed for a certain number of people, so you can choose the appropriate package size for your group.

5. A good way to save money on entertainment is by buying stand-by tickets. Many concerts and theatres offer discounts on the performance day and in some cases you may get half the price, it is a good way of seeing live shows on the cheap. If you’re attending a popular show, however, there could be a huge demand for seats, and the price gets more expensive on the performance day. It is usually a good idea to buy the ticket as soon as you can, as you might end up buying one from a ticket tout and pay much more than the original price. This is, certainly, something that you shouldn’t be doing if you’re trying to save some money.