It's Cheaper to Do This than That Thread

[Alesia]

You can freeze avocados? I did not know that. Do they turn brown when frozen?

I've tried it a couple of times. If you put some lemon or lime juice on them, it helps minimize the browning. The texture is weird, though - they get slimy and mushy. They don't taste all that great, either.

I'll stick with fresh.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I've tried it a couple of times. If you put some lemon or lime juice on them, it helps minimize the browning. The texture is weird, though - they get slimy and mushy. They don't taste all that great, either.

I'll stick with fresh.

They are best for recipes that call for mashed avocado, but I have never had them get slimy. Also, only the very outside turns brown, no lemon or lime juice needed. Maybe that is what caused yours to turn weird?

 

[TwoMisfits]

I've tried it a couple of times. If you put some lemon or lime juice on them, it helps minimize the browning. The texture is weird, though - they get slimy and mushy. They don't taste all that great, either.

I'll stick with fresh.

Darn - texture is my spouse's one big hang up...and here I was hoping I could do this (b/c I LOVE avocado - just had it diced and drizzled with lime juice and salt on my "enchilada/taco/fajita" combo dish tonight (known as "it's Mexican, mom" to my kids - this is what happens when you have the makings of steak fajitas but you only have taco and enchilada seasoning packs in the house at 4:30pm) - it was the perfect "cooling agent" vs the lettuce not in my house and worked amazingly well!...and now, my spouse wants me to "screw up" more often b/c he loved the seasoning way more than usual, b/c the enchilada dry seasoning pack has a serious kick, especially when you don't dilute it with the normal tomato sauce...

 

[runwad]

We like to get Chipotle once a week and love their guac, but the cost keeps going up. Chipotle actually has their guac recipe on their website. We wait for avocados to go on sale ($0.59 each) and then buy a bunch. We let them ripen, cut them in half, remove the seed and then freeze them. When it is Chipotle night, I take out 2 avocados from the freezer, let them thaw and then make the guac. So we get the same guac for less than 1/3 the cost.

I didn't know you could freeze avacados. Do they stay green and not turn brown?? I make my own homemade guac all the time. I'd love to have them in the freezer, never thought of this duh

edit: Should've kept reading I see my question was answered. Dang it, I don't want them brown that is unappetizing to me.

 

[aea71]

We buy blocks of cheese in bulk when on sale, shred in the food processor, and freeze. It's typically at least half the cost of already shredded bagged cheese and avoids additives like anti-caking agent.

 

[TwoMisfits]

My best advice is "buy what you use and use what you buy"...otherwise known as "know yourself."

For example, when it comes to seasoning, I know I use dill, cinnamon, and black pepper a lot, so I buy these seasonings in bulk. I also know I use rosemary, thyme, and basil a lot, so I grow them in my garden b/c they are easy and bountiful (and I dry the basil out at the end of one season to get me to the next, while my rosemary and thyme actually grow all 12 months for me).

However, I know I only make Mexican dishes 1-2x/month, and when I do, I make different types (enchiladas, fajitas, tacos), so I buy my Mexican-type seasonings in packaged envelopes that I can use per meal - if I bought it in bulk, it would lose flavor long before I was anywhere near finished with it. The same for my Indian dishes - I buy those flavors in premade jars of sauce b/c I would never get through all the different spices I'd need, and I also prefer different types of dishes (butter chicken, lamb korma, lamb jalfrezi, etc).

So, "one size fits all" doesn't usually work in many areas...it's better to know what you use, what you're willing to use (will you actually use the other 4/5ths of the hoisin jar after making a homemade teriyaki sauce - if not, maybe buy a prepackaged teriyaki), and what you won't use...

 

[Alesia]

They are best for recipes that call for mashed avocado, but I have never had them get slimy. Also, only the very outside turns brown, no lemon or lime juice needed. Maybe that is what caused yours to turn weird?

I tried it without the lime juice and both the color and the texture were worse.

I think it may be just a personal taste thing. I have a friend who makes guac with frozen avocados all the time. She likes it, I think it's gross.

 

[pershing]

Who gets 59 cent avocados? We’re lucky if they go down to a dollar each! I’m gonna try freezing one avocado in halves. It’s worth the try for me ‘cause I don’t like onions, so making my own is the best.

Geez two people said rosemary as most used. It’s my least used spice! What do you use it in? I agree with the dill- have to have it on my eggs, tuna fish..any fish actually. I make salad dressings with it. Chive I love for potato’s and stuff- I use it in place of onions and scallions. Oregano, greek my fav and basil. If only for the fact that when the wind blows over them during the summer, the smell is wonderful!

I thought of two more things:

Some people might find this gross, but spoilt milk can be used for making pancakes or pudding. Something about heating the milk makes it ok. I mean, the milk shouldn’t be chunky, just smelly.

Second thing- you know how you get all these funky hot cocoa mixes as Christmas gifts? Some don’t taste great. You can make homemade brownies with it. Allrecipes best brownies recipe works.

 

[lisaradz]

Great thread!

Here's my tip - Always check retailmenot app before buying anything. So many times I've been in line and i can pull up an extra 10 - 20% off. For online shopping, always go through Ebates. It's usually just 1-4% back, but every once in a while I have gotten 15% off shoes and they always seem to have free shipping.
Costco for prescriptions.

 

[kymom99]

CHeck goodrx for prescription prices and shop around. Prices can vary widely from one place to another

 

[TwoMisfits]

Who gets 59 cent avocados? We’re lucky if they go down to a dollar each! I’m gonna try freezing one avocado in halves. It’s worth the try for me ‘cause I don’t like onions, so making my own is the best.

Geez two people said rosemary as most used. It’s my least used spice! What do you use it in? I agree with the dill- have to have it on my eggs, tuna fish..any fish actually. I make salad dressings with it. Chive I love for potato’s and stuff- I use it in place of onions and scallions. Oregano, greek my fav and basil. If only for the fact that when the wind blows over them during the summer, the smell is wonderful!

I thought of two more things:

Some people might find this gross, but spoilt milk can be used for making pancakes or pudding. Something about heating the milk makes it ok. I mean, the milk shouldn’t be chunky, just smelly.

Second thing- you know how you get all these funky hot cocoa mixes as Christmas gifts? Some don’t taste great. You can make homemade brownies with it. Allrecipes best brownies recipe works.

Rosemary is my go to (and it pairs with thyme a lot) - it's in my potato soups, my beef and beer crockpot sandwich recipe, pretty much every pot pie and American/Irish stew I make, my red wine sauce, my homemade gravies, etc - my spouse LOVES rosemary, so I use it in so many things (especially since it's free to me...

 

[DizMe]

CHeck goodrx for prescription prices and shop around. Prices can vary widely from one place to another

This is good advice. Be sure to check the cost of cash vs insurance for prescriptions, too. Sometimes it's cheaper to just pay for it than to go through the insurance! And shop around with pharmacies for this.

 

[Moramoon]

Speaking of retail me not, I always use cashbackmonitor before I make a purchase online to see who's offering the biggest percent back and then go through their shopping portal.

 

[Eastern]

We like to get Chipotle once a week and love their guac, but the cost keeps going up. Chipotle actually has their guac recipe on their website. We wait for avocados to go on sale ($0.59 each) and then buy a bunch. We let them ripen, cut them in half, remove the seed and then freeze them. When it is Chipotle night, I take out 2 avocados from the freezer, let them thaw and then make the guac. So we get the same guac for less than 1/3 the cost.

Never thought of freezing them.

 

[hsmamato2]

I shop 2nd hand stores regularly for general clothing needs for the family. It saves a lot of money overall. Occasionally I can't find something we want or need, so I buy it on sale brand new.(as well as the standard clothing items I only buy new lol like undergarments) I try to buy only the things we need or will use for anything,food,material goods etc. I use very few processed foods, as that saves a lot of $ (we don't eat a lot of sugar,etc I shop at Aldi mainly,with a few side trips to costco once in a while to stock up on almonds and walnuts,etc. Just sticking with Aldi is huge for us- I love the idea of freezing the avocado before it goes bad in the fruit dish...I'm going to remember that one. I do that with bananas all the time, I peel and freeze them,keep in a ziploc bag for smoothies.

 

[Still_N_Charge]

Check goodrx for prescription prices and shop around. Prices can vary widely from one place to another

To piggy back off the Goodrx suggestion, I pull up prices and discounts on Goodrx and Singlecare. Sometimes one is a significant savings over the other.

 

[Action City]

I shop 2nd hand stores regularly for general clothing needs for the family. It saves a lot of money overall. Occasionally I can't find something we want or need, so I buy it on sale brand new.(as well as the standard clothing items I only buy new lol like undergarments) I try to buy only the things we need or will use for anything,food,material goods etc. I use very few processed foods, as that saves a lot of $ (we don't eat a lot of sugar,etc I shop at Aldi mainly,with a few side trips to costco once in a while to stock up on almonds and walnuts,etc. Just sticking with Aldi is huge for us- I love the idea of freezing the avocado before it goes bad in the fruit dish...I'm going to remember that one. I do that with bananas all the time, I peel and freeze them,keep in a ziploc bag for smoothies.

Unfortunately, if I shop at Aldi, I have to make another stop at the grocery store, as Aldi doesn't carry nearly enough of what we use. So I've cut out Aldi altogether so I only have to make one stop on my shopping day.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Spinach is another good one to buy at the salad bar. You can get quite a bit of spinach for under .50. Our local salad bar stopped carrying arugula by itself or I'd do the same with it.

 

[tvguy]

Don't make your meal plan for the next week before going to the store.

Make your meal plan at the store based on what proteins and vegetables are on sale.

Last thing we would have thought about having this week was Corned Beef, but it was on sale last week, so it was Sunday dinner and leftovers for sandwiches a few days this week.

 

[tvguy]

I used to read frugal message boards - there was quite a contingent that made their own laundry soap. It sounded pretty expensive TBH.

I maintain it's cheaper to stock up on TP, Paper Towels, Canned goods, etc at Costco and just be done with it rather than collecting coupons and chasing the deals around town. But then again I'm an impulse shopper and am better off not being in the stores!

It's also cheaper to take of yourself now then to let yourself fall apart. Same can be said of car maintenance and home maintenance.

My only exposure to Costco was when I was on the Little League board and we bought hot dogs, buns, paper plates napkins and TP for our snack bar and restrooms. Just don't get it. We were saving 50 cents on an 80 pack of toilet paper, over Smart and Final and Walmart, but someone had to drive 6 miles to Costco, wait in some crazy line for 15+ minutes to check out , when the closer stores had you in an out in 5 minutes.