Cooking with Susie Q

Common $ense with Susie Q
Please read through the first paragraph before you move on. It is surprising how many people out there live in another world rather than ours.
    This is harder than I thought it was going to be. We must live in another world-apart from the rest of humanity. I have been reading and searching for helpful tips to save us money. Here is what I can find from TV, the library and the resources I have accessed so far.
Stop buying Starbucks several times a day, should save you up to $20 per day- ($20 for coffee!) Don’t go out to lunch every day-brown bag three or four times a week, eat out once a week, should save you between 30 to $60 each week. Do your grocery shopping on “double coupon” day, use a shopping “club card”- should save up to $50 dollars a week. That would save us $130 per week. Yes, that should do it.
Now how about for those of us who don’t drink $5 coffee, those of us who already have a desk drawer full of Oodles of Noodles and Cup of Soups and by the way, we don’t have double coupon days. Any ideas?
Well, to be practical, here is what works for me. Check the back of the products you use. For example, Tide, I’ve called the 800 numbers on the back and received several coupons for dollars off, not $1 off if you buy two like the ones in the weekend paper. I’ve done the same thing for my dishwasher detergent Cascade and received dollars off the detergent and the softener. Anything you buy that has a customer service phone number on the back of the bottle or can is a potential savings. They like to hear from you and will send you coupons, just ask.
There are many ways to save money. One of the easiest ways to see this is to set a jar on the counter, and each dollar you save on a sale or coupon, put it in the jar. The savings will pile up quickly. You can save $10, $15 or even $20 the first week! Doesn’t sound like much? That adds up to over $1,000 per year. That would be a nice little savings come Christmas time or when the washer breaks.
Here is another. I had last Friday off, and decided it was time to pull out my stove to clean in behind and the sides of the stove. We cook every day. There are grease splatters among other things on my tile and on the sides of my stove. I have over the years tried many “guaranteed” grease cutters and special sponges. Here is what works. Bowl of warm water (about 1 cup), four or five drops of a premium dish detergent (I used Dawn) and baking soda. The baking soda acts as an abrasive and the Dawn cuts the grease and dirt. Rubbed right off! Took a little elbow grease, but worked better than the Eraser sponge or any of the other grease cutting special cleaners I have tried. I was amazed. How much did it cost? Maybe three cents?
Sometimes simple is the answer. I also had fabulous luck with lemon juice. The store brand is cheaper and I’ve heard that vinegar works as well. I use enough baking soda to make a loose paste and rub it on the glass shower doors. It will take off the hard water stains and if you have town water, you know that the hard water stains can be difficult to remove.
One more and then I will close. With today’s printers, we can print out any number of decorative cards or letterhead. Why not make up some coupons for your time, for example, clean the bathroom, do the dishes, wash the car, etc. For someone with a new baby, offer to baby-sit to give the family a quiet evening or an opportunity to do their errands, mow the lawn, you get the idea. The coupons can be redeemed at their convenience.
Well, that is it for this week. I hope you have go away with a smile and maybe a tip you can use. Have a great week and as always, you can contact me with any tips, recipes or comments at susieqcooking@ ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, PO Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730. See you next week! Susie Q.