Two easy ways to save a few dollars:
1) Tear your paper towels in half. The makers of the Select-A-Size paper towels had to be a Mother. I have been tearing mine in half for years. And I continue to do so, because the SAS ones are far more expensive than your basic store brand. I just hold up the end of the towel, tear up and there you have it. Now, it would be even more frugal (and Green) to use cloth napkins and rags, but I'm not willing to do more laundry to save on paper towels. You gotta pick your poison, I always say.
2) Make your own chicken broth. I cook tons and tons of chicken. I use it in quesadillas, BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches, pot pies, chicken noodle soup, chicken ziti bake, chicken salad, etc. I throw some chicken breast or quarters in a big stock pot filled with water and boil them for 30-45 minutes or so. Then I remove the chicken and add some salt to the broth and let it cool. As it cools the fat floats to the top and sides and you can skim some of it off with a spoon. (*You can also put it in the refrigerator and the fat will rise to the top and harden and you can scrape it off.) I'm usually in too much of a hurry to refrigerate, so what I do is take a large colander, put a paper towel or two in the bottom of it and set the colander into another large stock pot or bowl. Pour the broth slowly into the colander. The paper towel filters out the fat and particles and you are left with a 99% (or so) fat free broth. I then just put it in plastic containers and pop it in the freezer!
Neither of these tips will make you rich. When I make the broth I always tell my husband "I saved us two dollars today!" But that is two dollars we can put towards vacation AND I'm not wasting! To me it's worth the effort.
