Frugal Friday

[ecosophia]

Welcome back to Frugal Friday!  This is a weekly forum post to encourage people to share tips on saving money, especially but not only by doing stuff yourself. A new post will be going up every Friday, and will remain active until the next one goes up. Contributions will be moderated, of course, and I have some simple rules to offer, which have changed as we've proceeded. (As things have settled down to a nice steady conversational pace, for example, I've deleted the rules about only one tip per person per week and about limiting the length of comments; I was worried early on about people flooding the forum with too much too fast, but I think we're past that risk.)

Rule #1:  this is a place for polite, friendly conversations about how to save money in difficult times. It's not a place to post news, views, rants, or emotional outbursts about the reasons why the times are difficult and saving money is necessary. Nor is it a place to use a money saving tip to smuggle in news, views, etc.  I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #2:  this is not a place for you to sell goods or services, period. Here again, I have a delete button and I'm not afraid to use it.

Rule #3:  please give your tip a heading that explains briefly what it's about.  Homemade Chicken Soup, Garden Containers, Cheap Attic Insulation, and Vinegar Cleans Windows are good examples of headings. That way people can find the things that are relevant for them. If you don't put a heading on your tip it will be deleted.

Rule #4: don't post anything that would amount to advocating criminal activity. Any such suggestions will not be put through.

With that said, have at it!

Comments

consolidation

[(Anonymous)]

I had been to one in Silicon Valley quite a few times over the years.

They were affected by government mandates as originally the dry canned foods were canned at the centers and would be done by volunteers. They had all food safety precautions, hair covers, cleanliness etc.... I helped once. And, the centers of course then mostly had bulk dry goods in 50 lb sacks, dont know if they do alot of that any more or not.

So, here is a hint. In Mormon culture everyone should help, in one way or an other, all ages and levels of "able". So in my first few trips, that is what you would do, you would at least offer to help, did any of the items need canning up ? Did they need any other help ? They may say no, they may take you up on it, but you will be seen as a normal proper person by offering to help or helping. It wasnt such a transactional experience back then, although of course cans and grains and warehouses cost money, so you would also pay an appropriate amount.

Then, the amount of home canning centers consolidated, the silicon valley one is no more. It would be quite a drive to the next one out. Now, the Stakes themselves likely arrange a community run to a center every so often for storage goods. Which is fine, but that means the other part of the center doesn't have the same experience. You see, the other large room in the building was a small "grocery store" part of the Mormon welfare setup, I was toured thru it once when I was up there. Set up like a small grocery store, slightly bigger than a minimart. Grocery carts. Only one brand of each category of goods, and each one a non-profit product of the Mormon church. The Mormon church has farms and commercial canneries. Alot of work is done volunteer, not sure of the percentage. SO, a person that has been cleared to go shop there would be able to go down the aisle and pick up canned tomatoes and sauce, spaghetti and elbow macaroni, canned fruit, canned veg, frozen veg, milk, cheese, eggs, meat, dishwashing detergent, TP, etc... and the cannery of course already has the flour, beans, rice. So now that the centers have been consolidated, I dont know how that works, maybe it is just ordered on an order form instead of putting physically into you shopping cart, but that does change the experience alot I bet.

I have tested out the dehydrated carrots and onions sold in the number 10 cans by the Mormon canneries, and they are very good products. You soak those carrot pieces in some water, and they plump up into proper little carrot pieces, firm like a carrot not mushy like canned carrots. Same with their diced onions, onion smell and texture, just wet from being soaked. One can of each is alot of onions and carrots, and I highly recommend. The thing to remember is that the carrots are not rated for 30 years like the flour or grains, so eventually you will need to rotate out, I havent rotated mine out yet. Except that can that year that I had to use all winter of course. I have also opened and tested out the refried beans, which also are not 30 year product. It is alot of refried beans. But, an advantage is you can use a little or alot, no need to have portions of a can. For the refried beans, I believe you want more water than they say and a little oil if you have any.

Atmospheric River

Re: consolidation

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, when I went that single time, the centers were still called "Mormon canneries." But for the reasons you mentioned they've apparently had to turn into much less of a volunteer operation. There was nothing like a store at the little cannery I visited-- it was just a small nondescript building. Windowless if I recall correctly.

*OHC*