Frugal Village

photo by aldinegirl12

DEAR SARA: One of the local stores is running a special this week on cereal, snack mixes and a couple of other things. The deal is really good — 10 for $20, with an instant $10 savings coupon. It works out to $1 a box. My boyfriend said it wouldn’t do any good [...]

DEAR SARA: What is the purpose of stockpiling? I just got to wondering why people stockpile. And yes, I know this sounds like a silly question, but I am just very curious. Is it in case of an emergency? Is it so you don’t have to drive to the store every week? Or is it [...]

photo by adactio

DEAR SARA: Can I freeze deli-style sliced ham? The ham that we like to take in our lunch is on sale half price this week, so I want to stock up. Can I freeze it if I put it in freezer bags? Will it taste OK thawed? — champagnium, Nova Scotia
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photo by how can i recycle this

DEAR SARA: Do you have any ideas on how to make space-saving items from everyday things that most of us have on hand? My oldest children have jobs now and are buying more for themselves, which equals more clutter and nowhere to put it. I don’t have a lot [...]

photo by Mavis

DEAR SARA: I have a question about dry beans. Do they ever expire? My parents have sealed buckets of them that they stocked up on during the Y2K scare. Are they still safe to cook? They’re trying to pass some to me. They say they are still good because of how they stored [...]