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Kitchen Savings Tips

stack of dish towels on a dish

7 Kitchen Savings Tips

I love spending time in the kitchen, but if I’m not careful, it can go from a place where we eat to a place that eats up my time and money!

I’m all about simplicity, efficiency and saving money, and a kitchen is a place that offers many opportunities to practice all of these things! Below are 7 of my favorite tips saving in the kitchen.

Hefty-Trash-bags

Use Quality Trash Bags

Hefty Ultra Strong is the trash bag for me. I have ditched cheaply made bags and now use Hefty Ultra Strong trash bags because of their outstanding quality and their new, lower price. Their name says it all, they are ultra strong are tear and puncture resistant, which means no more ripped trash bag disasters!

This saves money in the long run, with no need to double up on bags. I love a strong trash bag, but my favorite thing about these trash bags is that they use Arm & Hammer odor neutralizers– they smell great! I love opening my trash cupboard and catching a whiff of an invigorating, clean scent.

My favorite scent is their Citrus Twist. For those of you who prefer unscented, Hefty Ultra Strong offers that option, too.

 

Hefty-Trash-Bags-2

Want to try them out too? Here is a Swagbucks offer for you..purchase two or more Hefty trash bags at Walmart and earn a $10 Walmart gift card!

sliced lemon
Lemon slices in a jar
mason jar of lemon slices

Freeze Lemon Slices For Instant Lemon Water & To Keep Them From Going Bad

I always buy organic lemons, as I don’t want pesticides swimming around in my water. I have noticed organic lemons do seem to go bad faster than non-organic.

My solution? Slice the lemons, stack them in a mason jar, and freeze them. It keeps them from going bad, it makes your lemon water nice and cold, and they can be used in teas & cocktails, too.

Prefer limes? I have found limes super refreshing in a glass of sparkling water with just a touch of real organic maple syrup. It is like making your own healthy lime soda, and limes can be sliced and frozen, too!

frozen mason jar
can of tomato paste in freezer
can of tomato paste

Tomato Paste Saver

Most recipes call for only a small portion of tomato paste, using just a tablespoon or two, and the rest often goes to waste.

To prevent this, open both ends of the tomato paste can. Remove ONE end, BUT LEAVE THE OTHER IN PLACE.  Store in a mason jar in the freezer overnight.

The next day, use the metal end to push the paste out of the other end. Slice into one-ounce disks, place back into the mason jar and store in the freezer up to 3 months.

 

refrigerator full of mason jars

Use Mason Jars For Storage to Save Money on Plastic Bags or Containers

I have very little plastic in my kitchen, thanks to mason jars! I use them every day for food storage and boy, do they make me happy!

Food looks pretty in them, I don’t have to keep buying plastic that just gets thrown away, it is easy to see what is in them when they are in the refrigerator, & glass does not stain like plastic containers do!

I keep all lids and rims in one big bowl & the jars on a shelf in the cupboard.

mason jar lids
mason jar lids

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

Never buy over-priced, way-too-much-salt, sometimes ‘msg added’ taco seasoning packets again! This taco seasoning mix is so easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought packets!

It gives a much richer, “homemade” flavor to every recipe I use it in. I have used it to season ground beef for tacos, nachos, and taco pizza. I have used it to season refried beans or lentils for vegetarian tacos. It is great to season shredded chicken, too!

 

Taco Seasoning Recipe

Taco Seasoning
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Save money by making your own taco seasoning. This tastes much better than any seasoning you will buy. It is worth making your own! 

Recipe Type: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: taco seasoning
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
  1. Mix all together & store in an air-tight container. I use--yep, you guessed it--a small mason jar. Use 3 teaspoons (more if you want a stronger flavor) per pound of meat. Add 2/3 cup water and simmer down until water is absorbed.

Kitchen-Savings-Tips

Use Cloth Napkins

I have two dear friends who taught me to do this by doing it themselves. Whenever I would go to either of their homes, even just for coffee and snacks, they would set out their beautiful printed, cloth napkins.

I loved that they gave a bit of a fancy, special feel to our little get-together, & the prints that each of them chose showed off their individual personalities.

Cloth napkins are so pretty & one can save a bunch of money by not having to buy paper napkins over and over!

a window with a curtain hack

Simple Curtain Hack

I’ve featured this Simple Curtain Hack here at New Nostalgia before, but it is so good I gotta share it again! It is so inexpensive & easy.

All you need is a tension rod, two tea towels, and some drapery hooks. No sewing or tools required!

………………..

mason jar and metal lids and rings

{For Your Pinning Pleasure}

So there you have it, my 7 top Kitchen Savings tips. Do you think you will use any of them? Do you prefer scented or unscented trash bags? Which Kitchen Savings tip is your favorite?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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  • Sheri
    August 30, 2016 at 11:45 pm

    These are all awesome ideas!! I can’t wait to try freezing lemons!! Putting food in mason jars is genius! Love it! I will try out the cloth napkins this weekend as I have some friends coming over for a small get together. Thanks for sharing all your tips!!

    • AmyNewNostalgia
      September 6, 2016 at 12:45 pm

      You are so welcome. Comments like yours keep me posting. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

  • Candy S
    July 27, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    Love the idea of freezing the lemons and using mason jars instead of plastic containers!

    • AmyNewNostalgia
      July 28, 2016 at 4:02 pm

      Yes! We think alike. Glad you liked the post.

  • Linda
    June 12, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    I love all of these but freezing lemons & limes are my favorites!!! I have wasted so many of these by only using a partial one. Now no more waste.
    Î, too, use cloth napkins for myself & company. My mom gave me a large collection of cloth, some even silk napkins that were wedding gifts when she married my dad. Back then they put the the groom’s initials on everything, these napkins are no exception. My dad died when l was only 15 so these have much sentimental value along with saving me money when l choose to use these over paper

    • AmyNewNostalgia
      June 20, 2016 at 2:08 pm

      LOVE that your napkins are useful AND sentimental. So sorry to hear of your Dad passing when you were so young!

  • Earlene
    May 26, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    I bought some every day bandanas from Walmart and washed them up. That makes a great napkin. Got the idea from Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.

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