Low Cost Simple Living Products

[try2bfrugal]

I have a shopping list of relatively inexpensive simple living items I either have bought or want to buy that should save more money in the long run than what they cost. I was just curious if the other members here had items they would add to the list. Here are some of mine.

Rechargeable batteries
Battery charges / solar chargers
LED light bulbs
Assorted motion sensor and dawn to dusk LED lights
Drying racks to replace using the dryer
Crock pots and stainless steel rice cooker to save energy in the kitchen
Cloth napkins, cleaning towels and handkerchiefs
Natural cleaning supplies - vinegar, washing soda, Dr. Bonner's soap, spray bottles, baking soda, and related items
Reusable shopping bags
Mesh and fabric drawstring produce bags to replace disposable plastic bags
Kill a Watt meter
Weatherstripping
Draft stoppers
Stainless steel pot scrubbers
Metal nail file
Solar lights and solar string lights for the back patio for sitting out on warm nights and out front at Christmas time

[leslieann]

Vegetable seeds
Clothes line in basement (for when you fill up the racks)

[rosarugosa]

Microfiber cleaning cloths
Salad spinner :)
Sturdy re-usable containers for bringing lunches to work (those ziploc ones that are so popular right now are really crappy)

[miradoblackwarrior]

How about a thermos for bringing your own coffee to work? Also good sturdy boots, and a good coat (or two) that will last a while.

[Gardenarian]

Hi try2bfrugal - Nice list!

I have not tried the solar light or string light, though I am interested. I wish there was a solor panel with a plug so you could just charge it up and plug anything into it (computer, radio, lamp, battery recharger) - wouldn't that be simple??

My library has a Kill-a-Watt that we can borrow. I have it checked out right now.

Having the right spray bottles and stuff really helps - I love the bottles that turn a small amount of liquid soap and water into foam.

I would also recommend having a compost container on your counter (a coffee can with a lid will do) and a compost pile outside. Saves you energy if you normally use the disposal, and saves having to put things in the trash. (And you get free soil.)

[libby]

-resuable water bottles
-library card
-hot water bottle for extra warmth at night when the heat is turned lower

[miradoblackwarrior]

Also extra blankets, extra socks, somebody to love ; )

And cooking from scratch from all the basics.

[Rosemary]

Leakproof thermal travel cup for coffee or tea
Assorted insulated bags for carrying meals (we have one that is family-size as well as 3 for us to use individually)
Ice packs for packing food
Thermal food jars for packing soup or chili (we use these almost daily)

Basic sewing supplies for making repairs, re-attaching buttons, etc

Things that aren't 'things' but rather tasks -
- organized storage spaces so that you can find what you're looking for - for instance, the binoculars? an extra power strip? candles? Mine are in labeled bins.
- an organized kitchen so that cooking is quick and easy
- systems for appointments, to-do items, etc. My DH is suffering from his lack of organization today as he went on a business trip without two essential items, which has cost me two hours of my time today. Both of these items I had reminded him about.

[shadowmoss]

Good pressure cooker, the kind that can't explode and you can cook beans in.

[bunnys]

Bread machine. Bought mine used @ thrift store for $7. Loaves are much cheaper @ < $1 per loaf homemade rather than $3-4 bucks per store bought loaf.

[try2bfrugal]

Good pressure cooker, the kind that can't explode and you can cook beans in.

I have been on the fence about getting a pressure cooker. I think using one would save time and electricity, but the instructions for the last one I bought said if I didn't follow them exactly I could scald my face, so I gave it away. I didn't want to burn my face if I got distracted by the dog or something around the house.

What kind do you have? I have been thinking about getting an electric one with an automatic release valve.

[try2bfrugal]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. Keep them coming.

[Selah]

I would add high-quality, insulating, blackout drapes, which are good for preserving heat in the winter and keeping cool in the summer. And of course, I'd replace all the windows in our apartment to energy efficient windows, and also get electric rolling shutters that could be controlled by a timer. And under-floor heating! Oh, the list goes on and on in my head!

[SteveinMN]

the instructions for the last [pressure cooker] I bought said if I didn't follow them exactly I could scald my face, so I gave it away.
That's lawyer talk for people who lack common good sense. Your regular pots will do the same thing if you take the cover off when it's hot. So will a foil cover on a dish in the oven.

try2bfrugal, good-quality pressure cookers have multiple redundant features to prevent the explosions and scalds that afflicted our grandparents. In addition to the pressure regulator that lets the PC do its work, my main PC has a separate section of the lid which will release excess pressure and a switch which must be engaged before it even will build up pressure. There also are multiple indicators that there is pressure in the pot, so I know that before I try to take off the lid. About the only real restrictions anymore are to not over-fill the PC and to be careful with foods that foam a lot when cooking (like grains).

My PCs are a Fagor and a smaller Hawkins, both of which go on the stovetop. I'm not a fan of the electric ones for the same reason I'm not a fan of electric stoves (the heat management is far less precise).


As for my nomination for a low-cost simple-living product, I would say a good set of basic hand tools: screwdrivers, pliers, hammer, etc. A person can fix a lot without many specialized tools (though there is something to be said for the right tool for a job).

[try2bfrugal]

That's lawyer talk for people who lack common good sense. Your regular pots will do the same thing if you take the cover off when it's hot. So will a foil cover on a dish in the oven.

try2bfrugal, good-quality pressure cookers have multiple redundant features to prevent the explosions and scalds that afflicted our grandparents. In addition to the pressure regulator that lets the PC do its work, my main PC has a separate section of the lid which will release excess pressure and a switch which must be engaged before it even will build up pressure. There also are multiple indicators that there is pressure in the pot, so I know that before I try to take off the lid. About the only real restrictions anymore are to not over-fill the PC and to be careful with foods that foam a lot when cooking (like grains).

My PCs are a Fagor and a smaller Hawkins, both of which go on the stovetop. I'm not a fan of the electric ones for the same reason I'm not a fan of electric stoves (the heat management is far less precise).

Okay, thanks for the feedback. I am looking at separate small electrical appliances because in our house cooking is one of our highest uses of electricity. We get graphs from the utility company on hour by hour electrical usage and the lines just skyrocket at meal times whenever we use the electric oven or electric cooktop. It is interesting because our newer model fridge and washer each use less electricity per hour than a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. Unfortunately there do not seem to be energy star ratings on cook tops and ovens, so I am trying to piece together some more energy efficient ways for us to cook. Pizza in the wall oven and boiling a big pot of water for pasta cause really huge spikes in our electricity usage.

Small appliances seem to heat food more efficiently, so I though with a pressure cooker that didn't use the electrical cook top we could get the electric bill down further, due to a higher energy efficiency of the separate appliance and shorter cooking times due to the pressure cooking.

[Mrs-M]

Great list! Great thread!


Clothesline
Home-canning ware (jars, rings, etc)
Reusable coffee filter
Rubbermaid/Tupperware food savers/storage containers
Artificial Christmas Tree
Re-purposed towels/cloths (cleaning, polishing, wiping, etc)
Old-fashioned cloth diapers (pins, rubber pants, liners, pail)
Bicycle
Sewing machine
Wooden drying rack (clothes)
Waterproof nylon pull-on pants (cloth diapering). I probably expected too much out of waterproofs, when I was diapering, so the nylon version didn't work for me, but many moms swear by them.

[SteveinMN]

Small appliances seem to heat food more efficiently, so I though with a pressure cooker that didn't use the electrical cook top we could get the electric bill down further, due to a higher energy efficiency of the separate appliance and shorter cooking times due to the pressure cooking.
I think it all comes down to those darn priorities (again! :D). Before I moved into this house, I rarely used the wall oven in my apartment -- for what little I baked and broiled, it was easier and seemed more efficient to me to use a toaster oven. OTOH, toaster ovens don't do toast really well. And they'll do a lousy job heating up a pizza (commercial or homemade) unless you want to make it a couple of pieces at a time. >8) But I don't eat toast often, so I gave up that last bit of cooking proficiency. And I never made pizza at home anyway.

Small appliances typically are more efficient because they have less to heat or cool. In your circumstance, it might make more sense to go electric if the size of the cooker is sufficient. But I have seen stovetop PCs as small as one quart (liter) (it's why I own two, actually -- it seemed ridiculous to fire up the 6-quart model to make a couple of cups of barley or such). Another alternative would be to batch cook in an oven, though that likely will mean you'll be filling up a fridge or freezer for later reheating.

[try2bfrugal]

I think it all comes down to those darn priorities (again! :D). Before I moved into this house, I rarely used the wall oven in my apartment -- for what little I baked and broiled, it was easier and seemed more efficient to me to use a toaster oven. OTOH, toaster ovens don't do toast really well. And they'll do a lousy job heating up a pizza (commercial or homemade) unless you want to make it a couple of pieces at a time. >8) But I don't eat toast often, so I gave up that last bit of cooking proficiency. And I never made pizza at home anyway.

Small appliances typically are more efficient because they have less to heat or cool. In your circumstance, it might make more sense to go electric if the size of the cooker is sufficient. But I have seen stovetop PCs as small as one quart (liter) (it's why I own two, actually -- it seemed ridiculous to fire up the 6-quart model to make a couple of cups of barley or such). Another alternative would be to batch cook in an oven, though that likely will mean you'll be filling up a fridge or freezer for later reheating.

I just started thinking about how to cook using less energy after our research with the Kill A Watt and tracking our electricity use charts. It is very interesting because the utility company web site doesn't really have all that much help on cutting energy in the kitchen, but for us what we make for meals and how we cook it makes a big difference in daily kilowatts.

[Dhiana]

Hobbies! I used to have the stuff to create everything from stained glass pieces to sewing to gorgeous jewelry to basket weaving!

Now I've focused my creativity into sewing and crochet work with a very little bit of metalworking :) More space to get the work done and a lot less energy used along the whole chain of manufacturing to personal consumption.

[happystuff]

Nice thread. Lots of good ideas! Thanks.

[flowerseverywhere]

solar sun oven

bicycle with panniers or trailer

basic recipe book with ideas for easy recipes your family will eat for a quick go-to meal so you are not tempted to pick up take out or go out.

[rosarugosa]

I've been making salads every day, and the big olive oil bottle doesn't pour very well. I remembered that my Mom had given me a little pouring spout adapter with a bottle of fancy vinegar one time. I filled a small bottle with olive oil and added the adapter and it is amazing how much actual pleasure I get from using it, because it is the right tool for the job. I think my salads come out better now because I can control the flow and distribution of olive oil and I'm using less. Sometimes it really is the little things! :)

[gail_d]

Down or down-and-feather comforter
Water filter (in pitcher and/or on faucet)
Bus/Metro pass

[Mrs-M]

Reel Mower

[bae]

A spool of 550 parachute cord
DMT diamond sharpening stones
Bodum coffee press

[shadowmoss]

Sorry for the late reply on the Pressure Cooker. I have a kind that I bought at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair several years ago. The couple was giving demonstrations of how it worked and all you can do, think State Fair displays. What I like is that the lid actually raises if the pressure gets too much. It has an arm that locks over the lid that is spring loaded to the lid, and excess pressure pushes the lid up via the spring. As the pressure goes back down it lowers again. No huge build up of pressure possible. I don't remember the brand, and to be honest, I sent it home early in my time down here as I didn't want it to get stolen. Of course, I can't use it, either... I got the smallest one so that I could make a bag of lentils or small amount of beans. It is stainless so I can also just use it as a sauce pan. Then again, I also have a complete set of stainless waterless cookware so the PC isn't usually needed as a basic sauce pan. (and, ummm, I don't actually cook, either. This is where the 2 10x20 storage units start to come into play)

[Amaranth]

Fruit and nut plants
Other perennial food plants such as asparagus, horseradish
Herb plants for food, medicine, and other household uses
Herbal use books
Two-sided rotating compost bin
A non electrical musical instrument that’s not too high maintenance
And lots of books of music
Rope and a knot tying book
Modern Pressure Canner
Sourdough Starter
Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day books
Basic cookbooks for standard fare and favorite ethnic foods
Wok with lid and wok tools
Wood stove for heat and cooking that minimizes fuel use
Solar oven
Bicycle with hauling capacity and optional trailer, bicycle generator light
Treadle sewing machine
Treadle woodturning lathe
Grain mill that can be handcranked or bicycle powered

[MaryHu]

My full size freezer in which I store the garden harvest and any good deals I find at the farmer's market or grocery store. I also cook big batches of things and store for those busy days so we don't ever have to eat dinner out.

Our wood burning stove insert has saved a lot on our heating bills over the last few years since we had it installed. We have a landscaper friend who will sometimes "let" my husband help him take out trees and we get the wood.

One of the most important tools is an inquiring mind: being willing to look at things in a new way, learn new things. Being willing to try new techniques, even for things you think you know everything there is to know about.

[Mrs-M]

Great lists/entries!

[fern]

I have a kill o watt meter that i would be willing to trade for something...

[tootall]

Consider that most range cooktops are 220volt and most smaller countertop appliances are 120volt. The 220 volt electrical draw is lower wattage and amperage because it gets it's power at a higher voltage. The power consumption is generally less using a higher voltage, so the stove top probably is more effecient. That's how my journeyman electrician father explained the use of 220volt baseboard heaters versus oil filled 120volt heaters for spot heat.