As I finished up my previous posts about sightseeing in the Seattle area, I wanted to get some reader input on more fun and frugal things to do in the Seattle/Tacoma area!

Peggy asked:

I was wondering if you could make some recommendations on things to do and sites to see while in Seattle. Can you recommend places to shop as well? I enjoy flea markets and farmers markets. We all enjoy Living History museums so we will probably go to Ft. Nisqually.

I loved Pike Place Market in Seattle, which is somewhat like a farmer's market, live musicians, and lots of little shops (used bookstores, tea, musical instruments, spices, and probably a hundred more things we didn't have time to see!). After paying for parking, you can basically explore all over. :) I've bought bananas and some wonderful huge apples for snacking while there... and if you love tea be sure to check out the Vital Leaf tea shop there! :) (Read more here)

The Columbia Center in Seattle was another favorite, with a beautiful view (plus the fun of being transported to the top of a skyscraper!).

The Farmer's Market in Ballard (a north Seattle neighborhood) is well-loved by many but we haven't been there yet.

I've also heard that the Museum of Flight (on the south side of Seattle) is a great one!

We enjoy riding on a ferry (since it's something we have only done a couple times!) and after touring the battleship in Bremerton, we took the Bremerton ferry across to Seattle. (The ferry is cheaper that direction.) You can find all the ferry schedules and fares here. :)

There are lots of nice parks and hiking trails, though we've only explored ones north of Seattle for the most part. :)

So, dear local readers, what do you recommend for the Seattle area? :)

(Chili with chips, cheese, and sour cream)

After reading my price breakdown for homemade pizza, a reader asked if I'd be willing to share more about how to figure out the cost of food.

Really, it's all in the math. (Why does one of my least favorite things have to be such a part of everyday life?) ;)

1. Figure out the price per ounce/pound/cup/etc.

This is done by dividing the cost of the item by the units in the package/item.

Example: Package of 3 romaine lettuce hearts costs $1.99. Divide by 3 to figure the unit cost of one romaine heart, which would be $0.66.

2. Figure out the price of the amount used in your recipe.

This is done by multiplying the unit cost by the number of units your recipe calls for.

Example: If your recipe calls for one romaine heart, then the cost of the lettuce in your recipe will be $0.66.

Let's do another example:

(Read more...)

Like many families, we eat pizza every week, usually on Fridays. :) I almost always make our own pizza, unless we have a coupon for free pizza. (Sounds odd, but we've gotten two free Papa John's pizzas since we moved here 6 months ago!)

After making pizza so many times, I've pretty much got it just how we like it. Ordering pizza isn't much of a temptation when my homemade is better and MUCH cheaper!

We like a fluffier crust with a crispy bottom. I liberally butter the pan before spreading the dough. When all the toppings are on, I let the pizza rest for 20-40 minutes and the crust does it's rising before I bake it. This requires a little more time but not any more work. :)

I serve my homemade pizza with a salad or some kind of vegetable on the side.

Simple pizza crust price breakdown:

2-1/2 cups bread flour = $0.28*
1 teaspoon sugar $0.01
1 tablespoon active dry yeast = $0.12*
1 cup filtered water = $0.01
2 tablespoons butter = $0.10*

Pizza toppings price breakdown:

8 ounces (1 cup) sauce = $0.47*
16 ounces (1 lb.) shredded mozzarella cheese = $1.60*
2 ounces turkey pepperoni = $0.66

Total cost for 16-inch turkey pepperoni pizza with extra cheese: $3.25

Add an additional few cents for chopped veggies and Parmesan cheese (if using) and oven usage.

*Denotes items purchased in bulk from Costco. Other items are also purchased in bulk or on sale.

How did I ever cook without Costco?! :) While I am not usually saving a lot compared to Aldi's food prices, the quality is a huge step up!

After reading my other post about preparing for a new baby, a number of people have asked for more information about what I would consider to be necessary baby things to own.

So get ready for a photo tutorial of our baby stuff! :) We're currently a family of 5 living in a 900-sq.ft. apartment. Even though I didn't consider myself a packrat, I pared down even more when we moved here 6 months ago. Read more...

This week's frugal tip is one I've been relying on for years, whenever I happen to get a little bleach on my denim skirts or even when I'm repairing a small hole in jeans. Read about what I do to restore denim to wear-away-from-home condition!

We use lots of grain (especially wheat!) at our house. When I purchase grain, I store it in buckets rather than leaving it in the 50-pound paper bags.

The empty brown paper grain bags can easily be torn and composted, if you do composting.

For a long time now, we have stored the childrens' building blocks in an empty grain bag. It's the perfect size and I love that it's a soft, comfy paper rather than plastic. :) (When the blocks are not in use, I store the bag upright in the bedroom closet.)

What are some more good uses for empty paper grain bags?

A few of my ideas:

Flatten a bag and use it as a shoe mat/rug near the door, to catch mud or dirt.

Tear and crumple to use as padding in packages.

For large gifts, place in grain bag, staple top shut and affix a bow.

Let children play in/with empty bag until it's torn to bits (then compost!) ;)

Cut bag down the side and across the bottom and give children huge pieces of drawing paper!

Use as a trash can liner.

What do you do with empty grain bags? I'm sure there are more things I'm not thinking of!

For more frugal tips and ideas, visit Jessica's blog today! :)

(Ruth discovers Puget Sound...)

Last week I wrote about how we get free shampoo and conditioner from Rite-Aid.

Well, in the process of moving 2300 miles and getting re-situated, we finished off our shampoo stash. (I am not able to stockpile huge amounts of free stuff like the CVSers, unfortunately!) :)

To hold us over until the next free-after-rebate deal on higher-quality shampoo, we bought a bottle of Suave shampoo. I try not to be too picky about most things in life but all that free Fructis and other more pricey brands had us spoiled! (I also had very long, thick, fine hair.) We couldn't stand the Suave shampoo! Very shortly it was replaced with the next Rite Aid freebie. ;)

But now I had a partially-used bottle of Suave shampoo. I was excited when I read somewhere (can't recall where though!) that old shampoo and a stiff brush works great for scrubbing the shower!

I tried it and it worked great! I'm so happy to now have a good use for the rest of the cheap shampoo! :)

Visit Jessica's blog today for more frugal tips and ideas! :)

One of the handful of stores in our former hometown was a Rite Aid store. Over the years, we have been blessed to get many items there for only the cost of sales tax, through their Single Check Rebates program.

Their weekly sales flyer highlights any items that are free-after-rebate for the week, and the info can be submitted online and the next thing you know you're getting a check in the mail for the price you paid, minus sales tax.

Four simple steps and you're supplied with free shampoo, conditioner, tooth brushes, etc... read more! :)

Italian Cheese Bread, served with Easy Lasagna

When we first moved here and started attending a church which has a potluck every week (which I love!!) I experimented with making a variety of different foods to take. We ended up deciding to take this cheesy bread every week since:

It's easy.
It's affordable.
Everyone loves it!
It tastes great cold (can be made ahead).

Price breakdown for the Italian Cheese Bread:

2-1/2 cups bread flour = $0.28*
1 teaspoon salt = $0.01
1 teaspoon sugar $0.01
1 tablespoon active dry yeast = $0.12*
1 cup filtered water = $0.01
1 tablespoon vegetable oil = $0.03*

1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing = $0.25
1/8 tsp salt = 0
1/4 tsp garlic powder = $0.01
1/4 tsp ground oregano = $0.01
1/4 tsp dried thyme = $0.01
Dash pepper = $0.01
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese = $0.09
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese  = $0.40*

Total price for one 16-inch pan of cheesy bread, minus energy for baking: $1.24

*Denotes items purchased in bulk from Costco. Other items are also purchased in bulk or on sale.

Now, add that price to the fact that every week I take two 16-inch pans of this bread to church and it's usually completely devoured, and you'll know why this has become our potluck food of choice! :)

What are your favorite potluck foods? Do you like to make/take the same thing every time, or do you go for variety?

Be sure to visit Jessica's blog for lots of frugal ideas and tips today! :)

P.S. If you like price break-downs, I wrote about our (staple) homemade wheat bread costs here!

Here's another favorite breakfast from my childhood! Panhas, also called Scrapple, is similar to fried cornmeal mush, but has some extra flavor and can even contain meat scraps for additional flavor and protein!

This recipe is the recipe my mom made during my childhood, with one exception: she used pork broth (and scraps) rather than chicken broth. Since we don't eat pork, I use chicken broth and it works great! My mom always served panhas with her homemade brown sugar syrup.

My parents' ancestors were from Germany and this is a common ethnic food eaten by German descendants in Pennsylvania, Ohio (where I grew up) and elsewhere.

My parents always called it Panhas (pronounced "pawn hoss") but as I was researching the origins of the recipe online, I discovered that the name "Scrapple" is a more common name for this food.

Panhas/Scrapple is usually a family recipe and it seems like most people who have heard of it or make it, use a recipe that was handed down from family members. I'm sure there are many ways to make scrapple; this is my mom's recipe and it's delicious! :)

Have any of you heard of or eaten Panhas/Scrapple? If so, do you like it? :)

If you've missed the other two posts in this series, you can read about Milk Toast here and Popcorn Cereal here! :)