As a mom of 8 (now 5 at home), I use my Crock-Pot about 5 times a week. Also I tend to bake several things at once to maximize my energy savings. Great channel! Thank you both!
Wow I never knew how inexpensive it is to use a crockpot. I’ll probably be using it more often! You guys are a wealth of information. Thanks Hope and Larry!
Love you channel. My mom taught me to take bars of soap, unwrap them and set the bars in a bathroom drawer for a few months. They harden and last twice as long. More compact to store than liquid soap and still works great.
Also keeps moths and silverfish at bay! I use Sandalwood soap in my underwear drawers. It leaves a beautiful fragrance, and as you said, the soap cures, making it last twice as long. Note: always place your soap on a raised dish to stop it going soggy and dissolving prematurely. You can use a small square of green scourer pad if you don’t have a dish with drain holes in it. Sharon from Australia 🇦🇺 🦘
Y high school English teacher had anlt catholic family. He also did the unwrap soap for linger lifem he also said they smashed. ThebTP rolls so they didn't roll so fast.. lol..great tips
I like to mix Palmolive with Dawn. 2:1 parts. Then, I put soap on a scrubby after soaking dishes in hot water, I scrub all dishes- cleanest first, then rinse. Everything gets really clean, and I use wayyy less for whole sink load. Technique matters!
Hold the phone... My CROCK POT!? Uses only a few cents per HOUR??? (rewinds to hear it again five times) I am a queen 👑 of frugality. I make everything in my five different sized crock pots. Coffee, tea, and any small amount needing heating goes into that tiny old potpourri crock. I taught my boys to Crock-Pot their favorite briskets. We bonfire the chicken legs at the beach. There are SO many ways to be frugal in a classy way. I am glad to be in tune with the crockpot life style. Never knew it was so much of a money saver. ❤️ You two are amazing checking out the actual costs of usage.
Been married for 51 years learnt all these tips with in 1st year still use original brands that we found best value. Always buy on special and keep a reasonable quantity. When we were first married the specials would rotate every 8 weeks and we would watch which suppermarket had the best specials. Love scotch bright products. Blessings
Instead of scotch brights, we use either luffa gourds that we grow. One vine grows well over 100 gourds, and after they mature to over 2 feet long, you will have over 2-3 years worth of sponge/scotchbrights. They hold soap awesome and they aren't as abrasive but tough enough to scrub, yet still gentle. Another thing we have used are mesh citrus bags cut into strips and then I crochet them into a circle. They work awesome and are very scrubby. This is what we used before growing the luffa.
I'm loving these videos. Thank you both for taking the time to do this. Your new technology is great. I was not aware of the low cost of using a crockpot.
Hey, J G, we're glad you are finding it helpful. Thanks for the thumbs up on the new tech equipment. Our 20 year old equipment was definitely wearing out.
Joyce - I agree. My Mom & Grandma taught me that as a kid, it really works, things heat up so much faster. It doesn't have to be just for liquids either. Hard boiled eggs I put the lid on and bring to a boil, shut off heat and let pan stay on the burner for 15 - 20 min., cooks the eggs and saves energy. Depending on how you like your hard boiled eggs is how long or not you let them sit. Do not open lid until you are ready to remove eggs. I have a gas stove, can not speak how this would work for electric.
I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to calculate all of these comparisons! There’s no way I could take all the time to do this so I’m thankful to you as I can use this information. 😊
This video is right up my alley - I LOVE using my slow cooker. I'm just a "family of one" but I make big batches of things in the slow cooker nearly every week and freeze the leftovers in individual servings or pack them up to take to work for lunch. Yesterday was homemade pasta sauce that will double as sauce for a homemade pizza - and there is enough n the freezer for several more meals.
Love the tips! I personally switched to using zote bar soap to wash dishes. It’s pretty cheap, effective, lasts a very long time, and I can stock up on a dozen or so at a time and it takes up such little space.I also use baking soda or washing soda as an a scouring pad, works well! I also use the natural loofah gourd to scrub- I can get 6 months out of a 1/2 loofah, then I Can compost it at the end. I also use cloth diaper inserts that can be folded into thirds for paper towels and bar towels. They are super absorbent, lint free, and are so thick and well made that they can take a hard washing with bleach. You can actually buy them used which are better because they have been washed repeatedly and that makes them highly absorbant. Just toss them in the wash with bleach and they are good to go
Gosh, I love that you mentioned Zote. I have a few bars of Zote, but thought it was only good for laundry, Thanks! I still have one or two of those pre-folded cloth diapers around the house. I used them for inserts, too when I cloth diapered. They have become dust rags all these years later.
Do you grate the soap? Canada doesn't have Zote, but we do have Sunlight liquid dish soap (my favourite) and bar soap (great for rubbing on laundry spots).
@@catslove3884 Can you find Fels Naptha soap bars? My mother in law swears by it to get collars and cuffs clean. I would grate it and add water for a stain remover.
@@juliejackman2649 you bought a used gift card? I am talking about a card from some store that has all the money on it used. I bet you are talking about the little square things about 2" square for scraping pans? In my opinion, an old gift card is even better because it is flexible and best of all free. .
Thanks for the kitchen tips! You missed one key kitchen appliance though, the pressure cooker. I like the pressure cooker better than the crockpot. It's fast and convenient. I'm not sure how much energy the pressure cooker uses, but I'm sure it's very cheap.
If you buy an instant pot wait until may, june or july. I paid half price by waiting. Because of christmas prices are starting to go up. I love my instant pot, it is one of the new small appliances that I actually use. If you like yogurt be sure to get one with the yogurt button.
Love the clear quality of the video! Congratulations on the upgrade! I no longer have a crockpot, but my electric pressure cooker has a crockpot feature and I have definitely used it! I also love that it does other things, so multiple uses in one appliance to find room for. Win-win! 😊
Sometimes I forget them, too and they are about two miles from our home. They are super good at sending coupons periodically. That's when I tend to go shop there.
As a teenager, I was visiting my dad. I was helping my step mom with the dishes. She stopped me and gave me a quick lesson on doing dishes. My mom had owned a dishwasher for years and we only washed pots and pans that wouldn't fit. I had no clue about her method that she had learned in home economics in high school. Many off us don't realize there are better ways to hand wash them.
@@vicky4u21 I don't do anything special. Use the dishwasher mostly. Try and keep all the food bits and grease from going down drain. Put a little bit of hot water and detergent in sink and start with plastic first and work my way from least grimy to max. Add rinse water to washing water as I go along until have enough. Sometimes just soak to loosen stuck on bits.
YES, YES, YES your charts, experiments and product information were extremely helpful to me. As I live in Australia, not all Brand products are the same but the methodology certainly is! It gave me a jolly good idea to look at what I was purchasing in the equivalent and make my adjustments where they were needed. Thank you so very much for the time and energy you've put into this segment. PLEASE Hope, continue to make your charts like you've done with the existing ones. I found them intriguing, easy to follow and extremely helpful! Bless you Hope and Larry. Keep up the marvellous work you're doing. Sending love and hugs, xx Gill 🦘 Australia
Thank you very much, that was a brilliant tip about the product-recalls, I have never thought of that. We use a dishwasher for our main washing up, however for the dishes which can't fit/shouldn't go in there I wash by hand and I usually just use a very small amount of detergent (less than a teaspoon), I swirl the brush in in (or I used to apply direct to a scourer sponge) and wash directly in the water with the plug in the sink, then I rinse while the water is still running and do the next thing - that way I have usually finished washing and rising before the sink is even half-full of water (water costs money to use and heat too). I also usually turn the oven or stove-top off a minute or two before the item is completely finished, so pasta when it is very al dente or bread a minute or two before the timer goes off - the oven doesn't loose heat that quickly and in a year of baking bread once per week I have saved nearly one hour of electricity and cooking on the stove at least 5 times per week I will have saved over 4 hours of electricity, it all adds up!
Lillian, thanks! I didn't even think about the tips to shut off the burner and the stove for the last few minutes I do that, too. I'll be adding those to the next video. Thanks ever so much for mentioning them. Like you, I have measured the water use when doing dishes and most of the time, they can all be washed and rinsed with less than 1 sink of water.
If you wash in the sink you could save water by washing in a bowl in the sink and you will find you only need to fill the bowl one third or one half of water.
I have a third use for the scotch bright pads. After the bathroom I clean mine and put them in the workshop for paint removal and asorted shop projects
Larry & Hope…you look 👀 so much brighter now😃. What great quality this video has! The picture is SO sharp & crystal clear🌟. I LOVE it. Awesome video & tips! THANK YOU 🤗.
I also own three crockpots of diff sizes. To keep heat in, I throw a folded clean kitchen towel over the crockpot. Then it cooks efficiently even if the day is breezy or we’re running the ceiling fan. Even more so in winter when the kitchen is cooler.
Thank you Mrs. Hope and Mr. Larry for those tips. Pls. Pray so that I can find a job. I’m 64 year olds, fairly healthy, energetic butt I don’t seem to scored any job after several jobs interview. I’m very clean, bilingual ( Spanish, Italian language proficient). I just want prayers so that I don’t became depressed and not hopeful.🙏
Omg, that’s a great tip on the foaming hand soap. I swear my family drinks foaming hand soap. There are 3 of us and we use a bottle every two weeks. I am glad they wash their hands so well, but I’m going to go broke lol. Can’t wait to utilize your tip
Just found you love this content it's how I've always lived my life but i still pick up tips I've never thought of. I always use Dawn and buy as big as i can my husband uses to clean his greasy hands i use for grease on clothes for cleaning and of course dishes
Wow! Your charts were really helpful. I didn't realize that I could save that much money just by batch cooking and using energy-efficient smaller appliances. I used my microwave, instant pot, toaster oven and stove top just to keep from heating up my kitchen in the summer, but didn't realize that was also saving money. I will have to dust off my crockpot, too!
Videos look and sound great 👍 TY And I really appreciate the charts, mostly bc it's not just your opinion, you're showing us how you calculated things :) Sending love 👋from Ontario 🇨🇦
Thanks so much for the tips! I actually switched to using a baby bottle brush instead of sponges and it’s 3 years old and still doesn’t need to be replaced! Definitely helped with the cost of sponges!
Hi Hope and Larry! Hope, you are such a wonderful teacher. Your children are very blessed to have you as their teacher. I use my toaster oven almost every day. I have a DeLonghi brand that my mother gave us when we got married 35 years ago and it is still going strong. I have an 8 x 8 casserole dish that fits in it perfectly. I cook casseroles in it, baked potatoes, biscuits, etc. I also love to use my Crockpot. I would love for you to do a video on how to do the math in order to figure out the price of various things: How can I figure out how many watts each of my appliances take? How do you compare the cost of the different sizes of toilet paper rolls even among the same brand? Now is the time I wish I had listened better in math class! Keep doing the great videos!
When buying to we go for the most square foot total that is usually printed next to the size of roll measurement. We buy the biggest amount for the least amount of cost. Unit pricing is another way we use math to decide what to purchase. Eggs for example I take the cost of the eggs divided by how many eggs in the container. This answer is what each egg is priced at. I live in Iowa and found a 60 count of eggs for 18 cents per egg. Math helps to decide on the best value!
Love this! We are really on a thrifty run now and your videos are so helpful. We just found a popcorn machine and nice coffee maker on the street! Feel so blessed with the "new" gadgets 🙏😀
Oh, I forgot I have another good idea David, the genius toasterer, gave me. After you have loosen the lettuce leaves, place a paper towel over the lettuce before closing it up in an air tight container. The paper towel will absorb the moisture in the lettuce which makes it possible for the lettuce to stay fresh and crisp longer. The paper towel trick work for bread that you put in the freezer too. In fact, come to think of it, I wonder if the paper towel would work with other veggies in your crisper. I'll have to test this out. I love hearing all the great ideas you and your readers have shared. I look forward to learning new ideas.
Larry loved heading the tip from David "the genius toasterer". I think "double sided toasting is coming to the Ware house. He's right, by the way. Adding that paper towel will increase the shelf life. I teach the exact method that David uses. Did you request my fruit and veg freebie? There are charts on increasing the shelf life of 15 fruits and 15 vegetables. Here's a link to get it if you don't already have it: underthemedian.com/produce-guide/
Hi Hope and Larry. With your program and words, I have learned so much. I thank you. I so enjoy learning from you both and I think you are an adorable couple. This is really needed at this time, so many folks need your guidance, and I'm so glad you are available to us. Thank you so much for your insight and for sharing it so freely with us.
The picture quality is amazing, congratulations ! I’ve been cooking since I was 9 years old and I’ve learned a lot today. I took a screenshot of your chart and I will be making good use of it. Thank you both for your smiles and enthusiasm !😎🌻🙏🥰
Cindy, that makes my heart so happy. I love that you've been cooking since age 9. It's such an important life skill to know how to create meals from raw ingredients.
I use Dr. Bronners Castille soap. I make my own foaming hand soap with 1 tsp of soap and distilled water. I add essential oil and it works great. Working on dish soap. In meantime, I use a dish soap bar. It works good. I use handmade scrubbies. They work well. You can wash them and reuse them. You share alot of great tips here.
I'm one with a dust web crock pot🕸 lol Its on the counter now, never knew it was cheaper to use, Thanks! Love your show! Your new equipment is working great!
Charts were very helpful. It is amazing how much or how less one appliance over another costs. It was eye opening. Toaster ovens and crock pots {3 of them} are my friends especially during the summer. Larry, you mentioned making a grouping of toast in the toaster oven---WELL my husband used our 2 slot toaster to cook 4 pieces of bread. {Drum roll, please} Place two pieces of bread into ONE slot and two pieces of bread in the second slot. Cook as usual, and when the bread pops up, turn the breads so the toasted sides are facing each other and put the breads back into the toaster to cook. {Before pushing the slide down to start the toasting process, you may want to lower the time so your breads don't overcook.} Now when the toaster pops up you have 4 slides of hot toast made in a 2 slot toaster. You're welcome. :)
Kathrine Richardson I think the idea to double up on making toast in a 2 slot toaster is brilliant! I will be trying that idea next time we go camping in our rv! Thanks a bunch!
I love my toaster oven. I’ve had one almost as long as I’ve been married…32 years. I use it daily and it’s big enough to do most of my baking and cooking in. Scotch Brite always, and I cut mine as well. I buy Dawn in the gallon pump jug at Sams. I figured out the price per ounce, but I can’t think of it now, but it was cheaper per ounce than any of the smaller bottles in the grocery store. My mamas was born in 1906 and my papaw 1897…if I’m recalling correctly. They were a young married couple during the depression, so I learned a lot from her growing up. She is where I learned to love and use a toaster oven from in my teen years. She loved her smaller appliances. I use my toaster oven to make four slices of toast at a time. It may fit 6. I love my crockpot as well. My mom always worked full time, so she used one a lot when I was growing up. Always such great and practical advice from you guys. Congrats on the new equipment. Keep on bringing your wonderful videos.
We use blue Dawn. It also works on getting stains out of clothes. Scrub it into a stain and wash normally. Estate sales often sell soaps and cleaning supplies reasonably. My Frugal Home got me started making scrubbies from mesh vegetable bags. // I'm interested in knowing how you make bread in the crockpot. That sounds cool.
Crockpots work best for quick breads or steamed breads. Although I've read multiple places that traditional bread can also be cooked in the slow cooker. I did a steamed rye in our homemade solar oven - which cooks at about 250 degrees. The crockpot would be very similar. It turned out beautifully. Crockpot bread doesn't rise as high as oven baked bread. For comparison, the crockpot interior is like a very moist 200 degree oven. Here's a link for quick bread: www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/we-can-bake-quick-breads-in-a-slow-cooker
Great info. Moving to new place that is all electric. Going to be an adjustment for natural gas. Will definitely be using crock more now that I see difference than stovetop for soups. Would love to see your white bean soup recipe.
Loving this. I've just got dispensers in the bathroom for body wash and hand wash. Told my kids, 1 pump hands, 2 pumps body. I'll bet it lasts ages. Thanks guys. 👍
Great content the charts really show the savings. I totally agree little savings are the things that matter. People don’t realise how all those pennies add up over the year. I am all electric in the kitchen and have been wondering about a toaster oven but you have today convinced me. Picture are much clearer on your new equipment. Love your frugal tips you have saved me loads of money since I found and subscribed to your channel, you have both become on line friends. Keep up the good work x
So excited to experience your new gear! Congratulations. Thank you for another great video! I had no idea the drastic difference between cooking methods and cost. I'd love to know the recipe you use for WFPB pizza calzones! YUM! I'm fairly new to your channel. Do you share recipes as well?
I have recipes on the website. Check under "$50 menus" to see my weekly menus. underthemedian.com/category/50-menu/. My original recipes are under the "Cheap Eats" tab: underthemedian.com/category/cheap-eats/. Here's the link to the calzone recipe (not my recipe). I don't add vegan cheese, though. I just add homemade marinara and veggies. veggiesociety.com/vegan-calzone-recipe/
Hi, I'm curious why you didn't include a microwave in with other cooking appliances. For example, I will microwave a potato rather than bake it. Liked all your tips today!
I do them for about 3-4 minutes in the microwave and finish them in the toaster oven. I don't care for the flavor when they are just cooked in the microwave. Somehow they taste kinda raw.
We buy red skinned potatoes and micro bake them in microwave about 4 min per potatoe,then we put plant based butter on them,then top with sour kraut! We have been eating them that way for 30 years plus!👍
I am loveing your channel so much! My husband,while at work was thumbing through you tube channels came upon yours and shared a link with me,I have been hooked ever since!👍
Love the HD! I'M sure Larry will give us the details soon on the great deal he got on the camera. Note about the sound, Feel like there is still a variant initially when the sound goes from Hopes voice to Larry's nice baritone voice. Just an observation. I only noticed in the beginning this video. Love your content!!!
There are no paper towels in my kitchen. I use something I can wash and reuse. I can get two reusable towels at Dollars tree for a dollar. I have about twenty of them and keep them in the kitchen as paper towel substitute. With paper towels I feel like I'm peeling off rolled money and throwing in the trash. What a waste.
@@UndertheMedian YES, I would definitely check it out. That's one of the best deals I've ever seen at DT! I picked up several, since I didn't think that would last long! I hope you find some!
I've rationed many things like laundry soap and shampoo. When it comes to dish soap all my sense goes down the tube. I know I use too much. I will try the tablespoon idea. Thanks Akso I keep the dirty scrubbing pads in a bag and label it so no one uses them on dishes. My son needs those microfiber pads. He uses too many paper towels. I cook 2 meals on my charcoal grill thanks for mentioning cooking I forgot I had potatoes in there. For tomorrow's supper. Slow cookers can be used to keep food warm.
It helps me to dilute my dish soap 1:3 ratio and I also dilute my hand soap. It also helps me to use wash cloths and hand towels and rewash them when I have a full load. 🙂
Just a tip...wash microfiber cloths together or with other low fiber type materials (not sweaters or towels). NEVER use ANY SOFTENERS on them or they will stop working (I use vinegar in all my rinse cycles to soften and help remove more soap and dirt). My cheaper microfiber towels haven't survived intense dryer heat well either. 😳
@@johnballard6725 agreed! But, I have found that having both is necessary for my household. I'll buy the better longer lasting paper towels when my older children who are paper towel-wasters move out. Some things I'm just not keen to wash out of my clothes like occasional pet or people bio-messes (ie poop or throw-up) and, wiping up broken glass after vacuuming and sweeping said areas very well. That's just my preference though.🤷♀️
Crystal picture quality guys. Appreciated the charts too. I was just wondering: would you say a crock pot has any advantages over a slow cooker? Thanks so much for your time. 🙏🙏🙏
I cut up my grandson’s receiving blankets and use the cut up prices as napkins. I love using them as it reminds me of when he was a baby. He is 27 now and married. It is a nice reminder.
@@UndertheMedian we see him and his wife twice a month. I don’t think I ever showed him but I have shown them to his mother, my daughter. I don’t use them for company just me and my hubby use them.
I purchase large containers of dish liquid& hand soap,lotion too ive been refilling for decades now! MyEX was embarrassed by that! I saide who knows?, knowbody! And who cares!
I agree,palmolive is my go to for washing dishes by hand,I also use ajax lemon,and dawn dish soap gets saved for laundry stain treatment. I am allergic to dawn dish soap in my dish pan.
You two are just so darn cute and supportive of each other and make a great team. I love your channel!
As a mom of 8 (now 5 at home), I use my Crock-Pot about 5 times a week. Also I tend to bake several things at once to maximize my energy savings. Great channel! Thank you both!
Wow I never knew how inexpensive it is to use a crockpot. I’ll probably be using it more often! You guys are a wealth of information. Thanks Hope and Larry!
I have been using a crockpot for years, uses less energy than my 26 yr old stove.
I love crockpots and pressure cookers, saves on gas & electricity
Love you channel. My mom taught me to take bars of soap, unwrap them and set the bars in a bathroom drawer for a few months. They harden and last twice as long. More compact to store than liquid soap and still works great.
That's a great tip! I never knew that.
Also keeps moths and silverfish at bay!
I use Sandalwood soap in my underwear drawers. It leaves a beautiful fragrance, and as you said, the soap cures, making it last twice as long. Note: always place your soap on a raised dish to stop it going soggy and dissolving prematurely. You can use a small square of green scourer pad if you don’t have a dish with drain holes in it.
Sharon from Australia 🇦🇺 🦘
Y high school English teacher had anlt catholic family. He also did the unwrap soap for linger lifem he also said they smashed. ThebTP rolls so they didn't roll so fast.. lol..great tips
Congratulations on your new equipment. The picture quality has improved greatly!
Thanks, Linda! We're excited to be able to have clearer audio and video quality.
I like to mix Palmolive with Dawn. 2:1 parts. Then, I put soap on a scrubby after soaking dishes in hot water, I scrub all dishes- cleanest first, then rinse. Everything gets really clean, and I use wayyy less for whole sink load. Technique matters!
@@shoppergirl8904 Great tip!
Hold the phone... My CROCK POT!? Uses only a few cents per HOUR??? (rewinds to hear it again five times) I am a queen 👑 of frugality. I make everything in my five different sized crock pots. Coffee, tea, and any small amount needing heating goes into that tiny old potpourri crock. I taught my boys to Crock-Pot their favorite briskets. We bonfire the chicken legs at the beach. There are SO many ways to be frugal in a classy way. I am glad to be in tune with the crockpot life style. Never knew it was so much of a money saver. ❤️ You two are amazing checking out the actual costs of usage.
Been married for 51 years learnt all these tips with in 1st year still use original brands that we found best value. Always buy on special and keep a reasonable quantity. When we were first married the specials would rotate every 8 weeks and we would watch which suppermarket had the best specials. Love scotch bright products. Blessings
Instead of scotch brights, we use either luffa gourds that we grow. One vine grows well over 100 gourds, and after they mature to over 2 feet long, you will have over 2-3 years worth of sponge/scotchbrights. They hold soap awesome and they aren't as abrasive but tough enough to scrub, yet still gentle. Another thing we have used are mesh citrus bags cut into strips and then I crochet them into a circle. They work awesome and are very scrubby. This is what we used before growing the luffa.
Yes a cheap product is a waste of money. My favorite is Dawn.
I'm loving these videos. Thank you both for taking the time to do this. Your new technology is great. I was not aware of the low cost of using a crockpot.
Hey, J G, we're glad you are finding it helpful. Thanks for the thumbs up on the new tech equipment. Our 20 year old equipment was definitely wearing out.
That was great! I learned lots. One thing I think helps, is put a lid on a pot while it’s cooking
Joyce - I agree. My Mom & Grandma taught me that as a kid, it really works, things heat up so much faster. It doesn't have to be just for liquids either. Hard boiled eggs I put the lid on and bring to a boil, shut off heat and let pan stay on the burner for 15 - 20 min., cooks the eggs and saves energy. Depending on how you like your hard boiled eggs is how long or not you let them sit. Do not open lid until you are ready to remove eggs. I have a gas stove, can not speak how this would work for electric.
I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to calculate all of these comparisons! There’s no way I could take all the time to do this so I’m thankful to you as I can use this information. 😊
This video is right up my alley - I LOVE using my slow cooker. I'm just a "family of one" but I make big batches of things in the slow cooker nearly every week and freeze the leftovers in individual servings or pack them up to take to work for lunch. Yesterday was homemade pasta sauce that will double as sauce for a homemade pizza - and there is enough n the freezer for several more meals.
Love the tips! I personally switched to using zote bar soap to wash dishes. It’s pretty cheap, effective, lasts a very long time, and I can stock up on a dozen or so at a time and it takes up such little space.I also use baking soda or washing soda as an a scouring pad, works well! I also use the natural loofah gourd to scrub- I can get 6 months out of a 1/2 loofah, then I Can compost it at the end. I also use cloth diaper inserts that can be folded into thirds for paper towels and bar towels. They are super absorbent, lint free, and are so thick and well made that they can take a hard washing with bleach. You can actually buy them used which are better because they have been washed repeatedly and that makes them highly absorbant. Just toss them in the wash with bleach and they are good to go
Gosh, I love that you mentioned Zote. I have a few bars of Zote, but thought it was only good for laundry, Thanks! I still have one or two of those pre-folded cloth diapers around the house. I used them for inserts, too when I cloth diapered. They have become dust rags all these years later.
Do you grate the soap? Canada doesn't have Zote, but we do have Sunlight liquid dish soap (my favourite) and bar soap (great for rubbing on laundry spots).
@@catslove3884 Can you find Fels Naptha soap bars? My mother in law swears by it to get collars and cuffs clean. I would grate it and add water for a stain remover.
Thanks. I just put some in my Amazon cart.
Thanks for the tips! I bought lufa seeds last year, but never planted them, so I'm definitely going to try planting them this year!
A used gift card (plastic) makes a great scraper for pots and pans. Got just enough bend to them and small enough to get in corners of square dishes.
A used gift card works well for removing soap buildup in your bathroom sinks.
Dora, I LOVE that tip! Thank you for sharing. I would never have thought of that use for them.
Great idea
Great idea! I bought mine from the pampered chef about 20+ years ago that probably cost a lot. 😬
@@juliejackman2649 you bought a used gift card? I am talking about a card from some store that has all the money on it used. I bet you are talking about the little square things about 2" square for scraping pans? In my opinion, an old gift card is even better because it is flexible and best of all free. .
Wow. I usually listen to you guys vs watching while I clean. But when I glanced over and looked, yes! HD is super clear!
Thanks for the kitchen tips! You missed one key kitchen appliance though, the pressure cooker. I like the pressure cooker better than the crockpot. It's fast and convenient. I'm not sure how much energy the pressure cooker uses, but I'm sure it's very cheap.
Instant Pots are a high draw appliance... at 800-1100w. But, they typically run for a shorter time resulting in a fairly low use of power.
This was very interesting. I’d be curious to know if the Instant Pot is more cost effective than the crockpot?
If you buy an instant pot wait until may, june or july. I paid half price by waiting. Because of christmas prices are starting to go up. I love my instant pot, it is one of the new small appliances that I actually use. If you like yogurt be sure to get one with the yogurt button.
@@faithboothman9496 I hear ya. I’ve already got mine and make yoghurt all the time. I make my cream cheese too from the yoghurt. Love my IP.
Amazing picture quality! I noticed it right away . You are the only frugal living channel that I know that is full HD! Congratulations
Love the clear quality of the video! Congratulations on the upgrade!
I no longer have a crockpot, but my electric pressure cooker has a crockpot feature and I have definitely used it! I also love that it does other things, so multiple uses in one appliance to find room for. Win-win! 😊
I always forget about big lots, thanks for the reminder!
Sometimes I forget them, too and they are about two miles from our home. They are super good at sending coupons periodically. That's when I tend to go shop there.
You are doing great. You are real and I appreciate it. I had to buy a car during Covid and I know I paid to much I had no choice !
As a teenager, I was visiting my dad. I was helping my step mom with the dishes. She stopped me and gave me a quick lesson on doing dishes. My mom had owned a dishwasher for years and we only washed pots and pans that wouldn't fit. I had no clue about her method that she had learned in home economics in high school. Many off us don't realize there are better ways to hand wash them.
Would love to hear how u do dishes to save?
@@vicky4u21 I don't do anything special. Use the dishwasher mostly. Try and keep all the food bits and grease from going down drain. Put a little bit of hot water and detergent in sink and start with plastic first and work my way from least grimy to max. Add rinse water to washing water as I go along until have enough. Sometimes just soak to loosen stuck on bits.
@@karenewald5451 thank u for sharing!
Charts are great -- keep them coming, please!
I love both of you . I would still watch you even if the horizontal was rolling, like the old days. Do you remember tv's doing that.
YES, YES, YES your charts, experiments and product information were extremely helpful to me. As I live in Australia, not all Brand products are the same but the methodology certainly is! It gave me a jolly good idea to look at what I was purchasing in the equivalent and make my adjustments where they were needed. Thank you so very much for the time and energy you've put into this segment.
PLEASE Hope, continue to make your charts like you've done with the existing ones. I found them intriguing, easy to follow and extremely helpful! Bless you Hope and Larry. Keep up the marvellous work you're doing. Sending love and hugs,
xx Gill 🦘 Australia
Thank you very much, that was a brilliant tip about the product-recalls, I have never thought of that. We use a dishwasher for our main washing up, however for the dishes which can't fit/shouldn't go in there I wash by hand and I usually just use a very small amount of detergent (less than a teaspoon), I swirl the brush in in (or I used to apply direct to a scourer sponge) and wash directly in the water with the plug in the sink, then I rinse while the water is still running and do the next thing - that way I have usually finished washing and rising before the sink is even half-full of water (water costs money to use and heat too). I also usually turn the oven or stove-top off a minute or two before the item is completely finished, so pasta when it is very al dente or bread a minute or two before the timer goes off - the oven doesn't loose heat that quickly and in a year of baking bread once per week I have saved nearly one hour of electricity and cooking on the stove at least 5 times per week I will have saved over 4 hours of electricity, it all adds up!
Lillian, thanks! I didn't even think about the tips to shut off the burner and the stove for the last few minutes I do that, too. I'll be adding those to the next video. Thanks ever so much for mentioning them. Like you, I have measured the water use when doing dishes and most of the time, they can all be washed and rinsed with less than 1 sink of water.
If you wash in the sink you could save water by washing in a bowl in the sink and you will find you only need to fill the bowl one third or one half of water.
I love the info about the recall. Thank you.
I have a third use for the scotch bright pads. After the bathroom I clean mine and put them in the workshop for paint removal and asorted shop projects
Larry & Hope…you look 👀 so much brighter now😃. What great quality this video has! The picture is SO sharp & crystal clear🌟. I LOVE it. Awesome video & tips! THANK YOU 🤗.
I love your new set-up. It seems a little darker than usual. As always, thank you so much for making this video.
I also own three crockpots of diff sizes. To keep heat in, I throw a folded clean kitchen towel over the crockpot. Then it cooks efficiently even if the day is breezy or we’re running the ceiling fan. Even more so in winter when the kitchen is cooler.
Same with bread maker. More consistent results if it's covered.
Thank you Mrs. Hope and Mr. Larry for those tips. Pls. Pray so that I can find a job. I’m 64 year olds, fairly healthy, energetic butt I don’t seem to scored any job after several jobs interview. I’m very clean, bilingual ( Spanish, Italian language proficient). I just want prayers
so that I don’t became depressed and not hopeful.🙏
🙏🌹good luck with job search.
Gladys, we will certainly pray for you. Take one step at a time and keep looking.
Don't Give up or get discouraged, prayers Almighty God blesses you with the right position Amen
I really appreciate you guys. I got my toaster oven versus regular oven question answered here so thank you.
Omg, that’s a great tip on the foaming hand soap. I swear my family drinks foaming hand soap. There are 3 of us and we use a bottle every two weeks. I am glad they wash their hands so well, but I’m going to go broke lol. Can’t wait to utilize your tip
Just found you love this content it's how I've always lived my life but i still pick up tips I've never thought of. I always use Dawn and buy as big as i can my husband uses to clean his greasy hands i use for grease on clothes for cleaning and of course dishes
Thanks for the tips! I stop buying scouring pads I use bags from oranges and onions works great on pot pans and Pyrex
Jenifer, thanks for the tip. Other people mentioned that, too. I love the idea of repurposing.
Yes! They don't hold bacteria like sponges, boiling water in pot a little bleach, cleaned up 😃
The charts are perfect as I am a visual leaner when it comes to numbers. Your information is brilliantly and simply explained. Thank you.
Wow! Your charts were really helpful. I didn't realize that I could save that much money just by batch cooking and using energy-efficient smaller appliances. I used my microwave, instant pot, toaster oven and stove top just to keep from heating up my kitchen in the summer, but didn't realize that was also saving money. I will have to dust off my crockpot, too!
Videos look and sound great 👍 TY
And I really appreciate the charts, mostly bc it's not just your opinion, you're showing us how you calculated things :)
Sending love 👋from Ontario 🇨🇦
Scotch Brite is the best.
So happy for you, the quality of the video is so much clearer!!!
Yay, Jen. We were hoping that it would make a difference.
Love the tips and charts. It shows me that I need to use my crockpot more. Keep the tips/charts coming! Thanks for conducting this experiment.
Thanks so much for the tips! I actually switched to using a baby bottle brush instead of sponges and it’s 3 years old and still doesn’t need to be replaced! Definitely helped with the cost of sponges!
Need to try that out
Love the new setup! You guys always make great, useful content 😊
Thanks so much! We appreciate you watching.
Hi Hope and Larry! Hope, you are such a wonderful teacher. Your children are very blessed to have you as their teacher. I use my toaster oven almost every day. I have a DeLonghi brand that my mother gave us when we got married 35 years ago and it is still going strong. I have an 8 x 8 casserole dish that fits in it perfectly. I cook casseroles in it, baked potatoes, biscuits, etc. I also love to use my Crockpot. I would love for you to do a video on how to do the math in order to figure out the price of various things: How can I figure out how many watts each of my appliances take? How do you compare the cost of the different sizes of toilet paper rolls even among the same brand? Now is the time I wish I had listened better in math class! Keep doing the great videos!
When you buy an appliance, it says on the big yellow sticker how many kwh (kilowatts per hr) it uses. Energy star will save even more.
When buying to we go for the most square foot total that is usually printed next to the size of roll measurement. We buy the biggest amount for the least amount of cost. Unit pricing is another way we use math to decide what to purchase. Eggs for example I take the cost of the eggs divided by how many eggs in the container. This answer is what each egg is priced at. I live in Iowa and found a 60 count of eggs for 18 cents per egg. Math helps to decide on the best value!
When buying toilet paper it should have read not to!
Congratulations on your new equipment! Yes I can really only use Dawn. I have hard water and it is the only sudsy soap that will clean greasy dishes.
Great info! I'm one with dust webbs on my crockpot!
Love this! We are really on a thrifty run now and your videos are so helpful. We just found a popcorn machine and nice coffee maker on the street! Feel so blessed with the "new" gadgets 🙏😀
i have been doing the scotch pads tricks for years. it works great.
Oh, I forgot I have another good idea David, the genius toasterer, gave me. After you have loosen the lettuce leaves, place a paper towel over the lettuce before closing it up in an air tight container. The paper towel will absorb the moisture in the lettuce which makes it possible for the lettuce to stay fresh and crisp longer. The paper towel trick work for bread that you put in the freezer too. In fact, come to think of it, I wonder if the paper towel would work with other veggies in your crisper. I'll have to test this out. I love hearing all the great ideas you and your readers have shared. I look forward to learning new ideas.
Larry loved heading the tip from David "the genius toasterer". I think "double sided toasting is coming to the Ware house. He's right, by the way. Adding that paper towel will increase the shelf life. I teach the exact method that David uses. Did you request my fruit and veg freebie? There are charts on increasing the shelf life of 15 fruits and 15 vegetables. Here's a link to get it if you don't already have it: underthemedian.com/produce-guide/
@@UndertheMedian I must have missed the fruit & Veg freebie because I do not recall the info. Thanks I will get it.
Hi Hope and Larry. With your program and words, I have learned so much. I thank you. I so enjoy learning from you both and I think you are an adorable couple. This is really needed at this time, so many folks need your guidance, and I'm so glad you are available to us. Thank you so much for your insight and for sharing it so freely with us.
The picture quality is amazing, congratulations ! I’ve been cooking since I was 9 years old and I’ve learned a lot today. I took a screenshot of your chart and I will be making good use of it. Thank you both for your smiles and enthusiasm !😎🌻🙏🥰
Cindy, that makes my heart so happy. I love that you've been cooking since age 9. It's such an important life skill to know how to create meals from raw ingredients.
Me too. Your charts are amazing. Showed me alot of facts I should be aware of.
Thank you💖
I use Dr. Bronners Castille soap.
I make my own foaming hand soap with 1 tsp of soap and distilled water. I add essential oil and it works great.
Working on dish soap. In meantime, I use a dish soap bar. It works good.
I use handmade scrubbies. They work well. You can wash them and reuse them.
You share alot of great tips here.
Thank you for the charts Hope. They really put things into perspective. Congrats on the new equipment as well. Ya'll look great!
You are very welcome and thank you for the kind words on our new look.
The charts you came up with are VERY helpful. Blows my mind how much you save using your crock pot! Thank you so much!! Love you guys'
I'm one with a dust web crock pot🕸 lol Its on the counter now, never knew it was cheaper to use, Thanks! Love your show! Your new equipment is working great!
You are very welcome and I'm glad that the new equipment looks better.
Excellent charts! Thank you for creating them so we can have that information clearly understood!
Yes, I always get my large hand soap refills at Dollar Tree!
Yes I am just beginning my journey last few years on saving this is very helpful.
Amazing, giant leap upwards in video quality. Congrats on your new equipment. And thank you for your lovely tips, as always. ❤️
Yay! Thanks, Katrine. Good to know it looks better.
Wow, the video clarity is much better, I can really tell!!!!
I love your channel! Hope and Larry you are both so informative. Thanks for all the great tips and tricks in the kitchen!
Natasha, we're so happy you found it helpful.
Awww! You both are glowing in HD! Happy for you!!
Jamila, thanks! At our age, glowing is good. LOL!
Charts were very helpful. It is amazing how much or how less one appliance over another costs. It was eye opening. Toaster ovens and crock pots {3 of them} are my friends especially during the summer.
Larry, you mentioned making a grouping of toast in the toaster oven---WELL my husband used our 2 slot toaster to cook 4 pieces of bread. {Drum roll, please} Place two pieces of bread into ONE slot and two pieces of bread in the second slot. Cook as usual, and when the bread pops up, turn the breads so the toasted sides are facing each other and put the breads back into the toaster to cook. {Before pushing the slide down to start the toasting process, you may want to lower the time so your breads don't overcook.} Now when the toaster pops up you have 4 slides of hot toast made in a 2 slot toaster. You're welcome. :)
LOL! I love this method more than you ever know! So clever!
That is an ingenious idea I had not thought of! Thank you for the brilliant idea!💡
Kathrine Richardson I think the idea to double up on making toast in a 2 slot toaster is brilliant! I will be trying that idea next time we go camping in our rv! Thanks a bunch!
@@lisaward3890 My husband thought of this and I will let him know you liked it. We use this method whenever we have toast.
Sooo clear!! Congratulations!!
I love my toaster oven. I’ve had one almost as long as I’ve been married…32 years. I use it daily and it’s big enough to do most of my baking and cooking in. Scotch Brite always, and I cut mine as well. I buy Dawn in the gallon pump jug at Sams. I figured out the price per ounce, but I can’t think of it now, but it was cheaper per ounce than any of the smaller bottles in the grocery store. My mamas was born in 1906 and my papaw 1897…if I’m recalling correctly. They were a young married couple during the depression, so I learned a lot from her growing up. She is where I learned to love and use a toaster oven from in my teen years. She loved her smaller appliances. I use my toaster oven to make four slices of toast at a time. It may fit 6. I love my crockpot as well. My mom always worked full time, so she used one a lot when I was growing up. Always such great and practical advice from you guys. Congrats on the new equipment. Keep on bringing your wonderful videos.
Love the zoom in and clarity of the camera
We use blue Dawn. It also works on getting stains out of clothes. Scrub it into a stain and wash normally. Estate sales often sell soaps and cleaning supplies reasonably. My Frugal Home got me started making scrubbies from mesh vegetable bags. // I'm interested in knowing how you make bread in the crockpot. That sounds cool.
Crockpots work best for quick breads or steamed breads. Although I've read multiple places that traditional bread can also be cooked in the slow cooker. I did a steamed rye in our homemade solar oven - which cooks at about 250 degrees. The crockpot would be very similar. It turned out beautifully. Crockpot bread doesn't rise as high as oven baked bread. For comparison, the crockpot interior is like a very moist 200 degree oven. Here's a link for quick bread: www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/we-can-bake-quick-breads-in-a-slow-cooker
There’s a huge difference in the video quality. Very engaging to watch. Thank you!
Great info. Moving to new place that is all electric. Going to be an adjustment for natural gas. Will definitely be using crock more now that I see difference than stovetop for soups. Would love to see your white bean soup recipe.
Here you go. This bean soup is probably my most-requested recipe. underthemedian.com/vegan-smoky-white-bean-soup/
Yes. Started using my large toaster oven a lot more.
Have always used my crock pots a lot😎
Thanks
I like Palmolive with Oxi! It's really good on grease. I also cut SOS pads in half.
I cut my SOS pads in half as well! I also cut my sponges in half. I have smaller hands and it just makes sense to do that. Plus, I get twice as much 😉
I too love charts, very helpful. Picture and sound quality is great.
Loving this. I've just got dispensers in the bathroom for body wash and hand wash. Told my kids, 1 pump hands, 2 pumps body. I'll bet it lasts ages. Thanks guys. 👍
The new equipment is great, everything looks really good, much better.
Great content the charts really show the savings. I totally agree little savings are the things that matter. People don’t realise how all those pennies add up over the year. I am all electric in the kitchen and have been wondering about a toaster oven but you have today convinced me.
Picture are much clearer on your new equipment.
Love your frugal tips you have saved me loads of money since I found and subscribed to your channel, you have both become on line friends. Keep up the good work x
Pat, we so appreciate you being with us. Thanks for the kind comments. We love that our tips are helpful to you.
Great tips. I really learn a lot from your shows.Really sharp picture today.
So excited to experience your new gear! Congratulations. Thank you for another great video! I had no idea the drastic difference between cooking methods and cost. I'd love to know the recipe you use for WFPB pizza calzones! YUM! I'm fairly new to your channel. Do you share recipes as well?
I have recipes on the website. Check under "$50 menus" to see my weekly menus. underthemedian.com/category/50-menu/. My original recipes are under the "Cheap Eats" tab: underthemedian.com/category/cheap-eats/. Here's the link to the calzone recipe (not my recipe). I don't add vegan cheese, though. I just add homemade marinara and veggies. veggiesociety.com/vegan-calzone-recipe/
Yes ! Keep the charts coming. Its super helpful.
Hi, I'm curious why you didn't include a microwave in with other cooking appliances. For example, I will microwave a potato rather than bake it. Liked all your tips today!
I do them for about 3-4 minutes in the microwave and finish them in the toaster oven. I don't care for the flavor when they are just cooked in the microwave. Somehow they taste kinda raw.
We buy red skinned potatoes and micro bake them in microwave about 4 min per potatoe,then we put plant based butter on them,then top with sour kraut! We have been eating them that way for 30 years plus!👍
I appreciate seeing your calculations!
Surprised you haven’T found Aldi’s. Better than Sams in Illinois Aldi is the best value yr after yr.
I am loveing your channel so much! My husband,while at work was thumbing through you tube channels came upon yours and shared a link with me,I have been hooked ever since!👍
Love the HD! I'M sure Larry will give us the details soon on the great deal he got on the camera. Note about the sound, Feel like there is still a variant initially when the sound goes from Hopes voice to Larry's nice baritone voice. Just an observation. I only noticed in the beginning this video. Love your content!!!
I actually noticed this as well; thought it was my hearing ... or lack of. 😊
Loving this video! I'm absolutely a crockpot person and a chart person. Thanks for the great ideas!
There are no paper towels in my kitchen. I use something I can wash and reuse. I can get two reusable towels at Dollars tree for a dollar. I have about twenty of them and keep them in the kitchen as paper towel substitute. With paper towels I feel like I'm peeling off rolled money and throwing in the trash. What a waste.
Coming through loud and clear! Very bright colors! Practical help! Thank you!
I got a 50 oz. bottle of Soft Soap hand soap at Dollar Tree. Felt like I'd hit the jackpot!
I did that same thing today, couldn't believe they had that much Soft soap for a dollar!
Oh my gosh! You guys have so inspired me to go look at Dollar Tree for Soft Soap! If I find any, I'll let you know.
@@UndertheMedian YES, I would definitely check it out. That's one of the best deals I've ever seen at DT! I picked up several, since I didn't think that would last long! I hope you find some!
I love and am enjoying your channel!!! Glad I found you! Blessings!!!
Please do a video on how to make bread in the Crock-Pot 😁❤️👍
I had no idea!! Guess I'll be usimg my crockpot for more things! Thank you for the info.
I've rationed many things like laundry soap and shampoo. When it comes to dish soap all my sense goes down the tube. I know I use too much. I will try the tablespoon idea. Thanks
Akso I keep the dirty scrubbing pads in a bag and label it so no one uses them on dishes.
My son needs those microfiber pads. He uses too many paper towels.
I cook 2 meals on my charcoal grill thanks for mentioning cooking I forgot I had potatoes in there. For tomorrow's supper.
Slow cookers can be used to keep food warm.
It helps me to dilute my dish soap 1:3 ratio and I also dilute my hand soap. It also helps me to use wash cloths and hand towels and rewash them when I have a full load. 🙂
Just a tip...wash microfiber cloths together or with other low fiber type materials (not sweaters or towels). NEVER use ANY SOFTENERS on them or they will stop working (I use vinegar in all my rinse cycles to soften and help remove more soap and dirt). My cheaper microfiber towels haven't survived intense dryer heat well either. 😳
@@sarahmcalpine2058 yes fabric softener will ruin them.
Paper towels ? - a shocking waste of money compared to cloths!
@@johnballard6725 agreed! But, I have found that having both is necessary for my household. I'll buy the better longer lasting paper towels when my older children who are paper towel-wasters move out. Some things I'm just not keen to wash out of my clothes like occasional pet or people bio-messes (ie poop or throw-up) and, wiping up broken glass after vacuuming and sweeping said areas very well. That's just my preference though.🤷♀️
Quality of the video is terrific!!!
Thanks, Dianna. Good to know that you can see a difference.
Crystal picture quality guys. Appreciated the charts too. I was just wondering: would you say a crock pot has any advantages over a slow cooker? Thanks so much for your time. 🙏🙏🙏
They are pretty much the same thing. A Crock Pot is the brand name of a slow cooker. I have several different name brands.
I cut up my grandson’s receiving blankets and use the cut up prices as napkins. I love using them as it reminds me of when he was a baby. He is 27 now and married. It is a nice reminder.
Ohhhh... what a wonderful story of meaningful reuse. Does he ever come over and use the napkins?
@@UndertheMedian we see him and his wife twice a month. I don’t think I ever showed him but I have shown them to his mother, my daughter. I don’t use them for company just me and my hubby use them.
Gmmka snas
Very informative video. Good equipment.
I purchase large containers of dish liquid& hand soap,lotion too ive been refilling for decades now! MyEX was embarrassed by that! I saide who knows?, knowbody! And who cares!
Thank you so much for this. Going to make so many chances in my home
The green Palmolive dish soap is by far my favourite. Other soaps just don't compare in my opinion and I love the large refill bottle.
I agree,palmolive is my go to for washing dishes by hand,I also use ajax lemon,and dawn dish soap gets saved for laundry stain treatment. I am allergic to dawn dish soap in my dish pan.
It's incredibly toxic though. 😱
I like Ajax..the best
Wow! The charts are fantastic. Hope, you and Larry are so intelligent and helpful. In the face of inflation, I am grateful to you both.