Thank you ladies for all your insight on these things, the dishes came out clean, and i made sure it was a dirty dirty load to test it and see how well it worked, it worked:yahoo:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post457536-110.html

I tried the instant oatmeal recipe and it's really good. I tested it on Kevin and he couldn't tell the difference. I had to tweak it a bit to get just the right balance of brown sugar and cinnamon.....but it costs less than a penny a bowl.....versus the pre-made kind that's almost .40 a bowl. Kev eats four to five packets at a time....so it's going to be a big savings for us. I want to get some dried fruit and make the fruit/cream version. You just put a bit of non dairy creamer in the mix along with the fruit.

If ya'll try it let me know how yours turns out! :)

DDs and I have been doing that for years. We just buy the plain stuff, make it and add our "embellishments" like brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, berries, raisins, cranberries, nuts, etc. They pick and choose what they want in it.

Also, just recently we started doing the same with rice. I had left over rice and one morning I decided to make it for DD17. I reheated the rice and put a little cream in it and then added raisins and cinnamon. She loved it.

These are far cheaper than buying boxed cereal and I am sure much healthier choices.

Kelly - I don't "make" my own. I just buy the quick oats, heat the water, and then add the stuff. It takes the same amount of time as the packaged kinds do but less sugar.

Tips from CNN Money, Gerri Willis
 

I received this in my email today and figured it might help someone. :)

Quote:

Cut the cost of your bare essentials Some tips on saving money for those things that are impossible to cut completely out of your budget. By Gerri Willis, CNN NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- There are some things you just can't live without. But here's how you can pay less for your essentials. 1. Check your plan Is the grass always greener with someone else's cell phone plan or credit card? Check out billshrink.com. This free Web site lets you enter in some information about your usage and compares this against other offerings in the market. You'll get a personalized list of what other cell phone plans or credit cards would fit your needs - and an estimate of how much you would save annually by switching. 2. Get the resources It's rare to find anything free - especially in health care. But we've put together a few resources for free and reduced cost services. Check out free Federal clinics at ask.hrsa.gov/pc You do not have to have health insurance. Pay what you can afford. You can get immunizations, checkups, dental care and prescription drugs. Find out what free clinics and other free care is available in your area at the Association of Medical Colleges. That Web site is aamc.org/uninsured. If it's just medicine you need, you'll want to check out some programs intended to cut the cost of prescription drugs. Many drug manufacturers sponsor what's called "patient assistance programs". These programs are intended to help those who otherwise can't afford prescription drugs. Here are some places to go: freemedicineprogram.org and rxassist.org. 3. Cut your insurance Keep your credit score as high as you can because it's the basis for the rate you pay on car insurance. Most car insurers filter your credit information into a formula to determine what your "insurance risk score" is. This score determines how likely you are to file a claim. And what you do for a living counts, too. Some insurance companies give discounts for people in certain low-risk professions in a few states. If you're an economist, an accountant or a teacher you may be able to shave some dollars off your bill. If its home insurance you want to lower, consider raising your deductible. Don't lower your coverage - but think about raising the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance kicks in. And ask about group coverage.

Got my box of 24 bars of Fels Naptha Soap yesterday!! I bought two hand-held graters at the store and told my boys that was their new job....grating up the soap for me!! You can buy it pre-grated on the soapsgonebuy website but it's way more expensive. Plus, they get a good arm workout with the grating exercise!!

I have been meaning to post this sorry, im an idiot:) :eek:I myself am not using Fels Naptha we are using a soap bought at a Hispanic groceries its called ZOTE so if you are having trouble finding Fels Naptha the Zote brand comes in a few makes and am pretty sure you will be able to find a brand of this soap regardless of name at a Hispanic grocers......one is pink smells purty and the white one has more bleaching type of super powers, think there was a blue one which was one that had pseudo fabric softener added, like i said I meant to post this a while ago I just... I dont know... am an idiot lol