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Q I am just wondering what your thoughts are on 
making your own mixes.  As opposed to purchasing them on sale.  Is it 
still cheaper to make your own when you can get cake mixes for .79, or brownie 
mixes for .99.  I can usually pick up cornbread mix for around .25 on a 
really great sale and .33 - .35 regular price.  I know muffin mixes are 
pricey and it's always cheaper to make those myself, but am wondering about the 
others.....
 
Thanks,

Kari, Iowa

A Hi Kari-

Anything pre-made will cost you more than doing it yourself. But
sometimes the cost is so slight that it's really not worth it to make
it from scratch. Baking mixes, like Bisquik, cost 6 times more than
making it yourself. But sometimes the store brand version is on sale
and makes it very affordable. The mixes at the sale prices that you
mention are very worth the buy. And, I agree, muffin mixes are very
over priced., Once I found a sale with a coupon so they were less than
$1 each, making them well worth it.

Blessings on you and your family,

Jonni MccCoy
Miserly Moms

Q My 4 yr old daughter is allergic to many ingredients in food including Peanuts, eggs, soy, wheat, corn, and walnuts.  I have a tough time staying within my budget on her food alone.  Do you have any good tips on saving money in this area? 
 
Christen 

A
Hi Christen
We had alot of food issues with my son while he was growing up. We found two things that helped the most. First, we had to rely on our own cooking in order to save money. The premade items for specialty diets are so expensive. So I would recommend getting some good cookbooks that will guide you through this. Here are a few to start with, but also ask your local librarian to help you research titles more extensively:
Food Allergy Cookbook by Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne
Allergy Cooking with Ease: The No Wheat, Milk, Eggs, Corn, and Soy Cookbook by M. Dumke Nicolette
The Ultimate Food Allergy Cookbook and Survival Guide by M. Dumke Nicolette

Second, when buying items that are premade, use the same shopping techniques as you would a regular grocery store. Plan your meals around what sale items they are featuring that fit into your diet. Also, buy in bulk and save. If there is a coop in your area, I would join them and buy items at a discount.

I hope these will help you get started.
I also have a chapter in Miserly Moms on specialty diets. Please check the book out form your library and see if the added tips might help.

Blessings,
Jonni McCoy
Miserly Moms


Q     Hi! I am reading "Miserly Moms" right now and it's fantastic! However, the
recommended websites (p.49) for free coupons are American. Could you
suggest any with grocery (or personal care...like toilet paper and
toothpaste) coupons valid in Canada? SmartSource is American, and
CoolSavings doesn't say.
Again, thanks for your time and an excellent book,
~Kathleen**
Edmonton, AB, Canada
A Dear Kathleen:
What a great question! I have done some research for you and found several
sources for online coupons in Canada. I hope these are helpful!

Many links for Coupons: http://www.frugalshopper.ca/links/

SC Johnson coupons: http://www.scjohnson.ca/

Proctor and Gamble: http:www.brandsaver.ca

General coupon site: http://www.couponnetwork.ca/main.asp

Grocery and other coupons: http://www.save.ca/en/index.htm

Valpak coupons, including grocery: http://www.valpak.com/vpcol/home.do

Freebies & Printable Coupons:
http://www.freemania.net/samples/canadianfreebies.htm#coupons


Blessings,
Jonni McCoy
Miserly Moms

Q I am a SAHM of a family of five.  We live on one paycheck.  We live in a two story home.  The upstairs is very hot, while the downstairs is frigid.  If we turn the heat down all the pipes downstairs freeze.  We have tried to close the upstairs vents, but that is not helping.  We want to cut our heating bill.  Would it be advantageous for us to purchase a kerosene heater for downstairs to heat there and being able to turn the heat down for the upstairs?   If not, any suggestions.  Just this month our gas bill was $500.00.  We are on the monthly payment plan to even out the differences in monthly amounts and for I know exactly how much our bill is every month.
 
Nora
Joplin, MO


A Thanks for writing. Heating bills these days are a tough problem! If you have that extreme of a difference between the upstairs and downstairs, I would try a few things.

If you want the heat down at night, you can avoid the freezing pipes by allowing the water to drip a tiny bit from the faucet. But the extreme cold you are experiencing makes me think you have some other leak issues.

First, check for any leaks in the lower level. Check all window seals for old or loose weatherstripping. What works best for me is to have a wet hand on a cold day and run it slowly near the edges of all windows and doors. Any place that feels colder than another needs new weatherstripping.

Second, make insulated drapes for the windows. We lose so much heat through the glass. I bought insulating fabric at my local fabric store and made simples drapes. It helps!

Third, if you have a fireplace on the lower level, make sure the flue is closed tightly. An open flue is like an open window. Also consider adding glass doors to the fireplace to help keep the cold outside when the fire is off.

I recommend turning the heat down to 45 degrees at night and only heating the rooms you sleep in. We don't use kerosene because we don't like the smell and aren't sure of the safety with animals in the house who might knock it over. We also think we found a cheaper heating source for a room. They are ceramic heating panels. They attach to  the wall but heat the walls of the room instead of the air. They cost much less to heat a local room. Here is a link to their site. With these on in our bedrooms and turning the heater down to 45 degrees, we shaved over $100 per month off of the bill.

-Miserly Moms


Q Is there a way to clean my gold dinnerware without purchasing expensive products. Also, I have sterling silver that very badly needs to cleaned.
Can you help me?


A I think we can help.
For the silver, you can spread a thin layer of ketchup on them, and let it set for 10-15 minutes. It eats the tarnish away and rinses right off.

Another way is to try the following recipe:

Electrolytic Cleaning Solution:
Take a large pot, such as a spaghetti pot, and line the inside with aluminum foil. Pour all of the ingredients into the pot and stir with your plastic spoon. Place the silver into the solution. Bring this to a low boil for a few minutes. Then turn off the burner and let it sit for another couple of minutes. Then, using the colander or strainer, pour out the solution. Rinse with cold water. Throw away the aluminum. It will be dirty because the oxides on your jewelry were transferred to it.

As for the gold, I would buy the polish rubs that are sold for it. It is a different kind of alloy and worth the extra cost for the right cleaner.

Blessings,
Miserly Moms






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