What homemade things save money compared to store bought?

[mommyoffive]

I was about to homemake some granola and this got me thinking.  Am I saving money doing this? 

What things that you make homemade save you money compared to store bought? 

 

I know for us elderberry syrup saves us $$ compared to store bought. 

[HomeAgain]

-Spice mixes.  I stopped buying packets for gravy, seasonings, etc.  We make our own and put aside what we don't use immediately.  Same with dressings like barbeque sauce and salad dressing.  I grow many of our own herbs, too, so I don't spend money that way.
-Slippers and mittens.  I can spend $20 on wool yarn, make 4 pairs, and still have some yarn left.  And they're always the right size.
-Worksheets.  I make my own units for my kid when he needs something extra.
-compost for fertilizer


I think most of our savings is in the lack of use of things, though.  We don't buy pens anymore for two of us because ds and I use fillable fountain pens.  A bottle of ink lasts years.  We use cloth napkins (I think one set is about 8 years old), we use silpats instead of lining cooky sheets with foil or parchment paper.  We use washable mop heads.  It's all the little things, you know?

[mommyoffive]

Just now, HomeAgain said:

-Spice mixes.  I stopped buying packets for gravy, seasonings, etc.  We make our own and put aside what we don't use immediately.  Same with dressings like barbeque sauce and salad dressing.  I grow many of our own herbs, too, so I don't spend money that way.
-Slippers and mittens.  I can spend $20 on wool yarn, make 4 pairs, and still have some yarn left.  And they're always the right size.
-Worksheets.  I make my own units for my kid when he needs something extra.
-compost for fertilizer


I think most of our savings is in the lack of use of things, though.  We don't buy pens anymore for two of us because ds and I use fillable fountain pens.  A bottle of ink lasts years.  We use cloth napkins (I think one set is about 8 years old), we use silpats instead of lining cooky sheets with foil or parchment paper.  We use washable mop heads.  It's all the little things, you know?

 

What is that? 

[HomeAgain]

2 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

What is that? 

Silicone baking mats.  It's a brand name.

[mumto2]

Sometimes you need to do it in order to have exactly what your family likes, for instance granola w/out m&m’s. Something like that I just hope for same amount of money with a higher quality.  

I am not sure that this would be considered homemade but I frequently buy huge cuts of meat on sale and package/freeze it in meal sized portions myself for our family.  The huge advantage is I remove any fat during my initial work and cooking is really quick after that.  

[Farrar]

Snacks, bread, and baked goods in general.

Increasingly not everything does though. Sometimes the precut veggies are actually cheaper, just as an example.

[HomeAgain]

3 minutes ago, mumto2 said:

Sometimes you need to do it in order to have exactly what your family likes, for instance granola w/out m&m’s. Something like that I just hope for same amount of money with a higher quality.  

There is that.  Dh learned how to cook really well, which saves us money because we don't like to go out to eat very often anymore unless it's something like burgers and fries or cheap pizza, both of which stand alone for what they are.  We have a family book of recipes that has everything from Chinese food to the most amazing French onion soup I've ever had outside of a $100/plate restaurant.  It's got a depth of flavor that you only get with time.  We like eating at home now...and I couldn't have said that 20 years ago when our diet consisted of Hamburger Helper and convenience foods.

[BarbecueMom]

Yogurt, for sure.  The rest of the things I make from scratch are probably cheaper than store bought gluten free versions, but the same price or even a bit more than the cheapest you can find without food restrictions - spice mixes, BBQ/pizza sauce, granola/granola bars, baked goods, those little crunchy mini tortilla strips you put on soups and salads.

Oh, and refilling foaming hand pumps with hot water and a couple squirts of dish soap.  Much cheaper than buying the foaming soap refills.

[PeachyDoodle]

I make my own multipurpose cleaner out of vinegar and dish soap. We use it for most everything -- kitchen, bathrooms, general cleaning.

[SereneHome]

Some things are a no-brainer for me.  Like growing lettuce or tomatoes or herbs in the summer.  But I am in New England, so our growing season is like 5 minutes long.

But I always always always consider time in figuring out if somethings is truly worth it.  A lot of times for our family  there are really no savings.

[PeachyDoodle]

1 minute ago, texasmom33 said:

Do you mind sharing your recipe? ?

Sure. I heat 12 oz of white vinegar in the microwave for about 2 minutes. (Bonus -- this makes your microwave easier to wipe clean if it needs it! Mine always needs it.) Then I add the vinegar to a spray bottle, followed by 10 oz of blue Dawn dish soap. Shake to mix. 

[Sunshine State Sue]

Vanilla.  I write the cost of my ingredients on the cheap bottle of vodka.  One time it cost $10 total (probably used 6 old beans with 3 new beans).  One time it cost $25.  Vanilla bean prices fluctuate sometimes dramatically.  I buy 750ml vodka and use 6 new beans or 6 old beans plus 3 new beans.  I once compared it to store bought pure vanilla and was very proud of how much I am saving.

[Teaching3bears]

Hand soap, cleaning sprays, rags instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper.

Muffins, biscuits and other baked goods.

Popcorn.

I can't think of anything else right now.

 

[KungFuPanda]

My best practices are:

making bread

diva cup

shopping Aldi’s first THEN filling in with other stores

basic sewing skills (think curtains)

basic carpentry skills (utility shelves)

very basic electrical skills (swapping out lights)

Our weakness is eating out.  Keeping an emergency non-cooking meal keeps the unplanned  take-out in check. (Marie Calendar’s family sizes pot pie if I have the time to bake, linguine and clams for a super quick option. Frozen veggie soup is a vegetable for any meal ?)

I used to make yogurt, but now I just buy the giant bucket at Costco.      

I’ve also recently come to terms with the fact that we’ve become a half gallon milk family.  It costs more, but I’ve thrown some outvand that’s just sad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Liz CA]

2 hours ago, Sue in St Pete said:

Vanilla.  I write the cost of my ingredients on the cheap bottle of vodka.  One time it cost $10 total (probably used 6 old beans with 3 new beans).  One time it cost $25.  Vanilla bean prices fluctuate sometimes dramatically.  I buy 750ml vodka and use 6 new beans or 6 old beans plus 3 new beans.  I once compared it to store bought pure vanilla and was very proud of how much I am saving.

 

Just started this about 2 years ago and was surprised how easy and cost effective it is. Every cookie recipe seems to use vanilla.

[Liz CA]

13 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

My best practices are:

making bread

diva cup

shopping Aldi’s first THEN filling in with other stores

basic sewing skills (think curtains)

basic carpentry skills (utility shelves)

very basic electrical skills (swapping out lights)

Our weakness is eating out.  Keeping an emergency non-cooking meal keeps the unplanned  take-out in check. (Marie Calendar’s family sizes pot pie if I have the time to bake, linguine and clams for a super quick option. Frozen veggie soup is a vegetable for any meal ?)

I used to make yogurt, but now I just buy the giant bucket at Costco.      

I’ve also recently come to terms with the fact that we’ve become a half gallon milk family.  It costs more, but I’ve thrown some outvand that’s just sad.

 

 

Found this to be key. When we all arrive at 6pm and nothing is prepared (does not happen every day but 2 times per week) it's nice to have something decent to pull out of the fridge or freezer. I like Adelle's chicken and portabella sausage links and dh likes TJ's potstickers.  Quick and easy. 

[katilac]

 

4 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Silicone baking mats.  It's a brand name.

 

Do be aware that colorful silicone baking mats and colorful flexible cutting boards look a great deal alike, but the cutting boards most definitely melt in the oven. #truestory #goodbyecookies 

[HomeAgain]

6 hours ago, katilac said:

 

 

Do be aware that colorful silicone baking mats and colorful flexible cutting boards look a great deal alike, but the cutting boards most definitely melt in the oven. #truestory #goodbyecookies 

? I'll keep that in mind.  Also, the reverse is just as bad.  We lost a silpat when dh decided to cut pizza on it instead of transferring it to a cutting board. #inshreds #definitelynotmeantforthat

[regentrude]

13 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I was about to homemake some granola and this got me thinking.  Am I saving money doing this? 

absolutely.

But my biggest reason to make my own granola is that I can control the ingredients and the sugar content. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by regentrude

[regentrude]

36 minutes ago, OKBud said:

Yogurt and granola are ones I stopped doing because it was kind of a drawn out process with more cleaning than I am into right now.

No idea about yogurt, but I find granola quick and simple. One bowl, one baking sheet with parchment, 3 minutes hands on time, 15 min in the oven. All the cleaning is putting the bowl n the dishwasher and washing my hands.

Edited October 28, 2018 by regentrude

[J-rap]

It's funny that granola was your example, because I was wondering the same thing when I decided to start making my own last month!  I'm picky -- store-bought granola is always way too sweet for me and I like more nuts, but I'm sure the first batch I made was more expensive than store-bought!  Since then, I've realized that if I can buy things in bulk, such as at a co-op, I'd certainly save money.  Unfortunately we don't have a store like that in that in our area, so I'll probably hold off making it again until I can get to one.

One thing that definitely comes to mind is soup!  I make lots of bulky soups, and can make a pretty good soup for next to nothing.  I often use some kind of legume, and then whatever ingredients/leftovers we happen to have on hand.  But really, most soups -- even ones with meat -- can be made for a lot less than bought.

Edited October 28, 2018 by J-rap

[marbel]

Granola is cheaper for me, because I buy all the ingredients at Costco and have them around all the time - nuts, oats, maple syrup or brown sugar. I think that's almost all that's in the recipe, except for a little oil and salt. I make it less sweet. Well, I haven't made it in a while.

I don't think yogurt is cheaper, but I like my homemade yogurt so much better than store stuff. It is very easy though it does require some hands-on time and of course a lot of hand-off time. 

Homemade bread is definitely cheaper.  

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by marbel

[Guest]

Pizza is probably the most used in my house. I hardly ever buy or order pizza. I have even done homemade pizza for birthday parties. I also have done this with breaded chicken strips. 

Breads in general. 

Herbs.

Homemade cleaning products. 

 

[mommyoffive]

11 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

My best practices are:

making bread

diva cup

shopping Aldi’s first THEN filling in with other stores

basic sewing skills (think curtains)

basic carpentry skills (utility shelves)

very basic electrical skills (swapping out lights)

Our weakness is eating out.  Keeping an emergency non-cooking meal keeps the unplanned  take-out in check. (Marie Calendar’s family sizes pot pie if I have the time to bake, linguine and clams for a super quick option. Frozen veggie soup is a vegetable for any meal ?)

I used to make yogurt, but now I just buy the giant bucket at Costco.      

I’ve also recently come to terms with the fact that we’ve become a half gallon milk family.  It costs more, but I’ve thrown some outvand that’s just sad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dh has gained a lot in these areas over the years and it has saved us so much!

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, regentrude said:

No idea about yogurt, but I find granola quick and simple. One bowl, one baking sheet with parchment, 3 minutes hands on time, 15 min in the oven. All the cleaning is putting the bowl n the dishwasher and washing my hands.

 

I agree.  I tried it last night and it was so easy. 

[mommyoffive]

Ok who has some good granola recipes?  I didn't love the one I made last night. 

And soup recipes.  I have never made my own. 

[KungFuPanda]

15 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Dh has gained a lot in these areas over the years and it has saved us so much!

It DOES save a lot and there’s no reason to leave it to the men. It takes less skill and physical effort that caring for a baby or cleaning out a closet.

Becoming a master carpenter or electrician takes years and skills and expensive tools  Learning to build a box with wood is easy and cheap. Wiring a new light is a lot like screwing off the top of a toothpaste tube then replacing it. YouTube videos will walk you through it ALL. 

I once installed my dishwasher and the only “skill” involved was knowing to turn off the power first and that righty is tighty and lefty is loosely.

Edited October 28, 2018 by KungFuPanda

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, KungFuPanda said:

It DOES save a lot and there’s no reason to leave it to the men. It takes less skill and physical effort that caring for a baby or cleaning out a closet.

Becoming a master carpenter or electrician takes years and skills and expensive tools  Learning to build a box with wood is easy and cheap. Wiring a new light is a lot like screwing off the top of a toothpaste tube then replacing it. YouTube videos will walk you through it ALL. 

I once installed my dishwasher and the only “skill” involved was knowing that righty is tighty and lefty is loosely.

 

Very good point.  I should focus on that a bit now.  I have always wanted to take a basic car repair class. 

Very impressive!  You go girl. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Fruit.  You buy a fruit tree for not very much, and you stick it in the ground, water it for the first year and then once in a while during hot weather after that, dump unsalted veggie cooking water on it for fertilizer, and in just a couple of years you are feeding the whole neighborhood.

Everyday bread—when I was doing this often because I was home, we saved no less than 2/3 on this, and everyone swooned with joy at potlucks and bake sales when I brought simple homemade white bread.  Pizza dough—I used to keep a part sour rye pizza dough in the fridge most of the time.  Whenever we wanted gourmet pizza I could pull out half, knead it a little, let it relax, punch it down, and make pizza.  This was great and very cost effective.  

Re. Baking—it doesn’t pay to bake if you don’t buy your main ingredients in bulk and do it a lot.  Ex. If you stock all the flours and sugars in small, expensive quantities it ends up costing a lot.  If your 25 lb sack of flour goes bad because you took 3 years to use it up, it ends up costing a lot.  So it’s important to take those kinds of things into account when you’re figuring this out.

For us, cooking really good food even if it’s on the expensive side pays off in healthiness and also in going out to eat less often.  But we have to have time to do it, and we just aren’t home as much anymore.  So I’ve started to stock those main dishes in a bag somewhat, because although they are not ideal, they are a savings over eating out.

 

[KungFuPanda]

1 minute ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Very good point.  I should focus on that a bit now.  I have always wanted to take a basic car repair class. 

Very impressive!  You go girl. 

Thank you. I feel ridiculously proud when I can do something that stays done for more than a day. ? Part of me also feels like men, in general, will embellish how hard these things really are. It’s the man-cold version of chores and we’ve been fooled. 

[marbel]

11 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

<snip>

I’ve also recently come to terms with the fact that we’ve become a half gallon milk family.  It costs more, but I’ve thrown some outvand that’s just sad.

We also buy  half-gallons.  The cost difference seemed negligible when I considered what I was throwing away.  

ETA: I got curious and am not going to the store today, so I just looked online at walmart.com. A half-gallon of reduced-fat milk is $1.83.  A gallon is $3.61.  (I don't buy milk at Walmart and I buy full-fat, but I assume prices for other milk at other stores are similar since milk prices are so highly regulated.)  That's not enough of a difference to offset throwing milk away.  Also, fridge space.

Edited October 28, 2018 by marbel

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, marbel said:

We also buy  half-gallons.  The cost difference seemed negligible when I considered what I was throwing away.  

ETA: I got curious and am not going to the store today, so I just looked online at walmart.com. A half-gallon of reduced-fat milk is $1.83.  A gallon is $3.61.  (I don't buy milk at Walmart and I buy full-fat, but I assume prices for other milk at other stores are similar since milk prices are so highly regulated.)  That's not enough of a difference to offset throwing milk away.  Also, fridge space.

Not to derail, but wow -- your milk prices are a lot higher than ours! At our local Walmart a gallon of their store brand whole milk is $1.56. A half gallon is $0.93.

[mommyoffive]

Just now, Pawz4me said:

Not to derail, but wow -- your milk prices are a lot higher than ours! At our local Walmart a gallon of their store brand whole milk is $1.56. A half gallon is $0.93.

 

That is so cheap!!!  Jealous we are huge milk drinking family. 

[marbel]

8 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Not to derail, but wow -- your milk prices are a lot higher than ours! At our local Walmart a gallon of their store brand whole milk is $1.56. A half gallon is $0.93.

Wow, that is cheaper!  You also have a bigger difference between gal and half-gal than I see.  

Also not to derail, but that's why the periodic "what do you spend for groceries" threads here are generally not really useful.  Prices vary so much by area. I remember moving from Oregon to Pennsylvania.  Chicken and pork prices were much cheaper here in PA, but beef was higher. And produce!  So very much more expensive in PA. Which makes sense, really, since so much produce comes from the west.  And south. Citrus is so crazy expensive here. 

[katilac]

16 hours ago, Sue in St Pete said:

Vanilla.  I write the cost of my ingredients on the cheap bottle of vodka.  One time it cost $10 total (probably used 6 old beans with 3 new beans).  One time it cost $25.  Vanilla bean prices fluctuate sometimes dramatically.  I buy 750ml vodka and use 6 new beans or 6 old beans plus 3 new beans.  I once compared it to store bought pure vanilla and was very proud of how much I am saving.

 

Where do you buy your vanilla beans? 

I think vanilla should be in everything. 

[creekland]

We've found that eating out more really decreases my grocery budget.  The key is keeping them as separate budget items.  ?

That said... we do our own rice and bean recipes and use dried beans tossing in only a little meat if at all.  It's quite cheap, can be tweaked to fit our tastes, and can last for a couple of meals.

We live in a good gardening area so summer eating is cheap too - all for the cost of a few seeds and/or plants and some elbow grease.  We freeze extra veggies to enjoy them later in the year.

Hubby also knows how to fix or do practically anything saving us a ton of money on repairs from vacuum cleaners to fences to cars to house appliances.  For some things it's cheaper to have them done than his taking the time to do them himself (oil changes in our cars).  He earns more working than it saves if he changes the oil.  For other things it's better if he does them - esp appliance repair.

[teachermom2834]

Pizza is a big one here. Homemade pizza is easy and cheap and a good way to use up odds and end leftovers if you are open to various types of pizza. Sometimes I end up with a crowd to feed that I hadn’t budgeted for and pizza usually saves the day. Homemade pizza is so much more delicious than frozen or take and bake.

Lots of people said soup. A bag of dried beans and odds and ends can make a big batch of soup that will be my lunch for a month for next to nothing. Unfortunately no one else in my family enjoys beans. 

Keeping staples on hand to make a quick dessert when needed to take somewhere. Once a kid needed to take a dessert to a function and I figured I’d just run into the bakery section at the grocery store and grab a package of bakery cookies. I couldn’t believe how expensive that was. Now I keep staples on hand to throw together cookies or brownies or cupcakes when needed. 

I used to do more from scratch (food and cleaning supplies) but Aldi prices make it not cost effective. 

 

[ocolateblip]

Kombucha is $3 per 12oz bottle here, and I can make a gallon for about $1 at home. I drink roughly two gallons a month, so the cost saving there really adds up.

[MeaganS]

For me, definitely yogurt. I make a gallon at a time. 2 quarts and about a dozen+ individual cups. Our alternative would be Yoplait cups, so it definitely saves ($2.50/gallon whole milk, maybe $.50 store bought yogurt as starter) I also do a lot of dried beans and keep an emergency "there's nothing for dinner!" meal. A garden would not be helpful, it snowed in may and a few weeks ago. Our growing season is very short.

Dh makes our pizza but it probably doesn't save us money since he's kind of fanatic about it and bought a special oven and tools for it. I mean, I guess getting comparable pizzas would probably cost $60 or more (these are seriously good pizzas), but I'm comparing to Aldi take and bake pizzas, which is what I do if he's not making them. Cheese alone costs almost enough to break even. So quality for cost we definitely win. 

I make my own artisan bread (in 5 mins a day recipe) to go with dinner when we have soup. It's very easy and cheap and saves a few dollars each time. We all love it.

We make our own birthday cakes and cupcakes and cookies, rarely buying any store bought. Even if we use box mixes and store frosting, we save compared to grocery store pre-made ones. 

We have chickens for the eggs. They don't save us anything, but we like having them.

I do save all the carcasses from whole chickens and turkeys and make chicken stock which I freeze or can. It's very easy with the instant pot (throw them in, quarter an onion or two, break a few carrots and celery, fill with water and set in high for like 3 hours. I usually start it after dinner and get it out in the morning). That saves tons over buying. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by MeaganS

[Emba]

The big food things I save on are pizza and homemade bread. Making your own homemade multigrain bread may not save over store brand white bread, but it will definitely save over an equivalent bread, and taste better too.  Homemade pizza is so much better than store bought frozen pizza that even if it isn't cheaper i don't care, and it is definitely cheaper than eating out pizza.

Cookies i imagine are cheaper, but I've not run numbers, and homemade are generally better to me. I never buy bakery cakes because cake mixes are CHEAP and I hate the icing most bakeries use.

sewing is one of those things that it really depends. Sometimes I can sew for my kids a lot cheaper than storebought, sometimes not. But buying secondhand things in good condition, of good quality, is almost always cheaper than sewing, if I can find what I want. Anymore I mostly sew to have really custom items. I did save a lot by  sewing my daughter and niece dresses for a wedding

[Momto6inIN]

51 minutes ago, MeaganS said:

For me, definitely yogurt. I make a gallon at a time. 2 quarts and about a dozen+ individual cups. Our alternative would be Yoplait cups, so it definitely saves ($2.50/gallon whole milk, maybe $.50 store bought yogurt as starter) I also do a lot of dried beans and keep an emergency "there's nothing for dinner!" meal. A garden would not be helpful, it snowed in may and a few weeks ago. Our growing season is very short.

Dh makes our pizza but it probably doesn't save us money since he's kind of fanatic about it and bought a special oven and tools for it. I mean, I guess getting comparable pizzas would probably cost $60 or more (these are seriously good pizzas), but I'm comparing to Aldi take and bake pizzas, which is what I do if he's not making them. Cheese alone costs almost enough to break even. So quality for cost we definitely win. 

I make my own artisan bread (in 5 mins a day recipe) to go with dinner when we have soup. It's very easy and cheap and saves a few dollars each time. We all love it.

We make our own birthday cakes and cupcakes and cookies, rarely buying any store bought. Even if we use box mixes and store frosting, we save compared to grocery store pre-made ones. 

We have chickens for the eggs. They don't save us anything, but we like having them.

I do save all the carcasses from whole chickens and turkeys and make chicken stock which I freeze or can. It's very easy with the instant pot (throw them in, quarter an onion or two, break a few carrots and celery, fill with water and set in high for like 3 hours. I usually start it after dinner and get it out in the morning). That saves tons over buying. 

What do you store your chicken stock in when you freeze it? I haven't figured that part out yet.

[MeaganS]

12 minutes ago, Momto5inIN said:

What do you store your chicken stock in when you freeze it? I haven't figured that part out yet.

 

Quart ziplocs. I store them 2 cups in each and freeze them flat so they stack. I have started playing around with canning as we have limited freezer space and a giant pressure canner my grandmother gave all her grandkids when they got married. 

We tend to eat more whole chickens in the summertime and more soups and beans in the winter, so storing it up makes sense for us. And it really does just taste that much better than bouillon. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by MeaganS

[milovany]

I was just talking about the item I'll mention this morning with a friend at church:  Baby wipes!  I haven't had a baby in dipes for a long time now, but since about Baby #2 (of seven), I always made my wipes.

The other one I'm stuck on is homemade yogurt.  Cup for cup, it costs me about one fourth of the largest store bought container (in other words, not comparing to the single servings -- because that would be a far greater savings -- but comparing to the large 32oz container).

Edited October 28, 2018 by milovany

[cintinative]

9 hours ago, Quill said:

Pizza is probably the most used in my house. I hardly ever buy or order pizza. I have even done homemade pizza for birthday parties. I also have done this with breaded chicken strips. 

 

Could you share your favorite sauce recipe?

[cintinative]

2 hours ago, MeaganS said:

For me, definitely yogurt. I make a gallon at a time. 2 quarts and about a dozen+ individual cups.

 

Several posters have mentioned yogurt.  How long does the yogurt keep? I probably buy one 32 oz container every two weeks. 

[KungFuPanda]

6 hours ago, HeighHo said:

Hands down, having a garden is a saver for me.  

 

This is especially true when your garden goes rogue. Here is a photo of my squash haul minus the three I ate. I didn’t even PLANT butternut squash this year. It volunteered in a space where I’d dismantled a hugelkukture and moved the dirt to other gardens. My takeaway was that squash must LOVE an excessive amount of rain. 

[SamanthaCarter]

Custom birthday cakes.

For some, garden. I figure mine just broke even this year. We built and filled 100 sq ft of raised bed space two years ago and it’s paid itself off these last two seasons, with enough seed/supplies banked to not need much cash outlay from now on out. The key is finding the sweet spot of growing produce you eat that you can’t buy super cheap at the market. So for us that means no arugula because we don’t ordinarily eat it. And no potatoes because I can buy them so cheap, I’d be wasting my garden space and effort. 

Edited October 29, 2018 by SamanthaCarter

[MeaganS]

24 minutes ago, cintinative said:

 

Several posters have mentioned yogurt.  How long does the yogurt keep? I probably buy one 32 oz container every two weeks. 

 

I use ours usually within a week, but would probably be fine within 2 weeks. Other posters may know better because ours just gets eaten before its an issue. 

[wathe]

Re chicken stock storage:  I make mine in the instant pot from carcasses like PP.  Then I freeze it in silicone muffin cups.  Then transfer the frozen pucks (each about half a cup) into a gallon ziplock.  That way I can take out exactly how much stock I need without having to thaw a big lot.

Edited October 29, 2018 by wathe

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Could you share your favorite sauce recipe?

I most often use the Don Pepino’s canned sauce in the yellow can, but when I do make my own, it is pretty similar to this one posted by CulinaryJen post #3: https://www.familycorner.com/forums/pasta-sauces/3751-pasta-sauce-recipes.html