May 9th, 2008 by Sara Noel |
photo by Jonny Hunter
Coffee drinkers unite! It’s time to get green and frugal with your coffee grounds. Don’t home brew? Starbucks is on board with a program that provides free grounds for customers to use in their gardens. Establishments, family and friends can provide them, too.
According to J. Trent of the University of Nevada, Reno, newsroom, Manoranjan Misra, a professor at the university, has developed a process to extract biodiesel from used coffee grounds. While we wait for them to be used as an alternative fuel, here are a few ways you can reuse your grounds. continue reading » »
May 8th, 2008 by Sara Noel |
photo by RBerteig
Muffin pans can be a lifesaver when you have guests and don’t want to spend all your time cooking. Use your pan for brownies, meatloaf or cheesecake, or line them with foil and use them as gelatin molds. You’re limited only by your imagination. Here are a few frugal ideas to start you off.
continue reading » »
May 5th, 2008 by Sara Noel |
photos by twelve paws
DEAR SARA: I just found out that I’m pregnant, and I want to be prepared for baby expenses. I don’t see the need to spend a lot of money, but it’s difficult to pinpoint where frugality stops and excess begins. It’s such an exciting time. Can you offer a few frugal baby tips? — Rachel, e-mail continue reading » »
May 4th, 2008 by Sara Noel |
photo by crystl
I’ve always been a cheap date. No, not the “check out my poster collection” type of cheap date, but the kind that enjoys a picnic in the park or splitting the bill. But there’s a fine line between being creatively frugal and fun and being downright tacky. On a first date, if my date whipped out a restaurant coupon for our meal, that would be a deal breaker. Now, when my husband has a coupon for a meal, I’m happy to save money. A few of my favorite cheap dates are going to the beach with lunch in the cooler, nature hikes and cruising flea markets.
The following are a few reader-submitted tips for inexpensive dates. continue reading » »
May 3rd, 2008 by Sara Noel |
photo by osbock
My husband and I grocery shopped together for years. We weren’t the happy, hand-holding-while-shopping couple. No. We were more likely to be the couple circling the parking lot forever to find a close spot and having the great debate in Aisle 4 over which cereal to buy. Sometimes he even went as far as to replace items I’d put in the cart with items he thought were better. I’d get home and swear I had bought Italian bread only to find a loaf of fat-free wheat bread. I refer to this as one of the “what is this?” post-shopping moments.
continue reading » »
Sara Noel
