Yes, this is an affiliate link, so if you buy something I might get something, but mostly this is about how I use/value Kindle Unlimited.
Yesterday I came across ratings for Tablets recommended “for the kitchen” and was somewhat surprised to find the 8 & 10 inch Kindle Fire to be often high on the list in terms of Price/Value.
It seems like many of the new cookbooks sponsored by a particular brand (including Ninja Foodi) offer Kindle Unlimited members the chance to read the book for free. Often these books are available this way long before my local library has them available.
There are many other books available and I find that is a good way to “try out” an author unfamiliar to me/
The most important aspect is attitude. Most of us, that that means anyone reading this – has access to to the Internet, so if we are willing we can learn a great deal (pun intended) of what we need with a bit of patience (not a virtue I am well-known for) and willingness to try different “search” approaches – something I seem to enjoy so there is that.
It Is Not my job or anyone else reading this to judge you or your choices. I am human, and frankly sometimes I read things in various “groups” – Warning in advance, Picky Eater is a hot button. Although I will admit thanks to smart parents, we found reasonable middle ground by the time I was about 6 it involved Green Beans and was finally settled by my mother saying “well know you have proved she is just as stubborn as you – I am going to reheat those beans and she is going to eat them and that is the compromise” She did, I did and after 13.5 hours at the dinner table and got to leave the table. Other negotiations included Cream Cheese vs Peanut Butter (I just don’t like anything peanut except Peanut Oil for some AirFry) I got lucky on that one because my Dad also preferred Cream Cheese to Peanut Butter.
There are some who think it is about survivalists aka/preppers living off the grid – yes, there are some of those among the Frugalistics category.
There are those whose circumstances do not allow anything less than careful spending because of limited resources – sometimes long standing and sometimes caused by an unexpected event such as a major medical or loss of employment.
There is of course necessity. Your family may not have unlimited or even adequate resources to any number of reasons. Although times have gotten better these last few years, there is always a possibility they may not stay that way.
There are others who for an endless list of reasons choose to live lightly on the earth and so see value in a creed of using only what one needs.
Although a bit of politics here – I just wish they many would do better research so while I respect their intention, their execution often leaves the door open to far too many unintended consequences.
Others choose frugal living so that they can afford some of the non-necessities such as an occasional trip or other treat that would not be possible if do not set something aside on a regular basis –
Generally speaking it is not yours or mine to judge – but yes, I am human and sometimes I want to grab them and shake some sense into their head. There are more times when I lose patience with those who feel they must impose their methods on others.
For the record I DO Believe in encouraging children to “take a stand” I DO NOT believe their choice should be forced on other members of the family – more about that when we get to food.
Mostly I think each of us has to find what works best for our individual situation and most importantly learn to adapt and occasionally swallow some false pride and accept help.
It does not matter why you feel you need to continue or begin. What is important is that you listen to all who are generous enough to share what works for them and see if it can be adapted to your life – If not, be courteous enough to scroll on by – It may be just what someone else needs or will spark something useful to another.
Make no mistake, change takes commitment, initially it can be time consuming, but once you have your system in place, it goes pretty quickly after you get the “habits: established” it get easier
As an “Ingredient Label reader” – SINCERELY TRYING TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE HEALTH ISSUE I have been searching for information about the currently in vogue “Impossible” & “Beyond” meat substitutes. from reasonably reliable sources wondering How Healthy Popular Plant-Based Meat Really Is, According to Nutritionists
And in no small part in hopes of finding facts. And
maybe even real info on its production and how all that processing
compares with the environmental effects of responsible farming.
As a health issue, so far this is the best I have been able to find. Hopefully so of my family and friends may know of other at least reasonably unbiased source of technical information I promise to read any links added to the comments –
In the meantime, since I have been noticing a number of posts including these “fake meats” I hope all will read and consider reading and “thinking about” these articles from Prevention magazine and Women’s Health
The search is still on for reliable production information to see if these products truly are “better for the environment” when objectively evaluated .
I would encourage all but especially parents to read the complete articles because just as all meat is not a complete diet, apparently none of these products are either.
Everything Bagel Seasoning Blend Comparison It is quite possible I got carried away with this Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. And yes I do know there are meds for OCD. However, I did learn something – For those concerned with Salt/Sodium, the best choice might not be Aldi’s. In terms of Price/Value/Sodium, The winner is the 11.5 oz Olde Thompson
Locally (Maryland) Aldi/Stonemill 2.3 oz at $1.95 Trader Joe – 2.3 oz at $1.99 BJ’s – OldeThompson – 11.5 oz at $4.99
What surprised me most was the substantial difference in Sodium between the Aldi/Stonemill brand and ALL others. The Aldi Stonemill had 95mg of Sodium – may be why some like its taste best but for those with special diet needs, the better choice may be Olde Thompson or Trader Joe at 65mg.
There at least another 6-10 “entries” on Amazon (trust me that is NOT the place you want to buy this seasoning but if you do – this is my affiliate link to the Olde Thompson as you can see it is double the price at BJ’s or Costco – and I included some links to other brands in my “store”
Basically all had at least the same 5-6 ingredients. Not necessarily listed in the same order. Sesame seeds, Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, Poppy Seed. The “top 3” also include Black Sesame Seeds. Various descriptions were used for the form of Garlic and Onion.
If you like a PDF of the Chart which includes information for Aldi-Stonemill, BJ’s/Costco-Olde Thompson, Trader Joe, Safeway, Walmart/Great Value, McCormick’s and Castle Foods – email me with I will send copies until I remember how to include the link here. e mailto:wheatcarr@gmail.com
Please Note: Use at your own risk, I am human there may be mistakes. I did deconstruct 10g each of the Aldi, TJ & OldeThompson – For many reasons including respect for the rights to corporate formulas, ONLY publicly available information is included. Ingredients are labeled in the order shown on brand labels. Other Prices may vary by area.
Thank you to Paul Donahue, Cyndi Balke and Laura Coble Graham for their helpful added information.
So tell me, what is your favorite way to use this Spice Blend, I think it lends a sort of middle-eastern/asian taste, or it maybe I just like it in Fried Rice.
A bit back I asked on FaceBook how you defined Frugal and got quite an interesting variety of answers.
Frugal,to me, means taking the time to research the product with the best value ratio. That is not necessarily and in fact rarely is the least expensive.
If I heard it once I heard it a million times growing up that what is what worth having is (a) worth working for and (b) worth waiting for and of course the occasional “when you have job, you can waste your money that way if you want”? Tough love was often a staple in our home. My parent grew up during the depression so frugal living was embedded and I guess passed on.
There are many reasons for frugality – and at different times in my life, I have probably been motivated by any or all. For some, it is how you were raised. Others are frugal because they must be – whether by sudden change in circumstances or simply attempting to live within their means. Another common reason is to be mindful of how one spends so that one can afford other things (that worth working/waiting/saving for thing)
A frivolous frugal is my unwillingness to work with cheap yarns. If I am going to put that much of my time and energy into a project, then I want the best quality materials. so that means careful spending in other areas to afford the better yarns. It also often means fewer projects, but frankly that is okay.
Sometimes it means eating a LOT of hamburger meals so for a special occasion that expensive roast or exotic dessert is “on the table”>
There are more, but these seem to be the often cited.
Notice I have not mentioned the words cheap or miserly because really they have nothing to do with Frugality. Besides I prefer to focus on the positive when possible. And, as a smart mentor once told (well more than once) Cheap Can Cost You Dear – so that is not frugal.
Over the last years (even back to the hey day of Compuserve and Yahoo groups) I have been reading and occassionally commenting in “lists” and groups that focus on living frugally or “sustainably” or even some survivalists = because you can learn somethings even if you do not agree with the reasoning.
Today, the due diligence is a whole lot easier because so much information (although sometimes with questionable accuracy) available on line the “job” is much easier and as often as not can also be over whelming.
One thing I do know “for sure” is that I very much value the “habits” taught by my parents and several wonderful women who taught me cooking, knit, crochet and sewing basics as neighbors and “long distance” – not too mention parents who also instilled the importance of taking care of what you have “so it lasts”… because without them, there have been times in my life where those lessons were invaluable.
I do NOT consider myself a paragon of virtue – there are far too many times in my life where I listened to my heart over my head and that usually does not end well. But I have been very fortunate in many ways and so give thanks to those who have taught and otherwise helped me over my lifetime.
The question is always where to begin. for most I have often read it all starts with a need (whatever that might be) and a willingness to understand and determine “Need” vs “Want”
But there is no reason why one can’t learn the habits and how-tos before the emergency.
P.S. I have no idea where this line of thought is headed, but suspect there will be more – and of course I welcome your thoughts and experiences – because we can learn from each other.
