Frugal Tactics: Rationing to Save Money

Whoever can be trusted with very little 
can also be trusted with much, 
and whoever is dishonest with very little 
will also be dishonest with much.
LUKE 16:10

RATIONING: to control, limit, restrict; conserve

Mr. Peasant asked me to write about my funny habit of rationing things to save money. I don't think I've ever read about rationing as a frugal tactic. Rationing usually has a negative context of scraping by due to food shortages or in wartime.  Let's look at it in a different way. I see rationing things as conserving. It is good to take short showers and turn off lights to conserve water and energy. But, what about conserving ketchup or mustard? How can we stop scraping condiments into the sink and pouring unfinished drinks down the drain? Here, my friends, are all the crazy ways I try to ration to stop being wasteful.

1. KEEP FOODS ON THE DINNER TABLE.

Often, we overestimate how much we'll need in hopes of preventing an extra trip back to the kitchen. Keeping the ketchup bottle and salad dressing on the table can stop you from overloading your plate. When items are just an arms reach away, it's easy to just add more as needed. Let's bring back the pitcher on the table along with the bread basket, the butter dish, and the sugar bowl. Just grab what you want as you eat and pour only the amount you'll drink. Remember, you can always add more. 

2. USE PORTION CONTROL DISHES. 

It's difficult to save a glob of ketchup on a dinner plate for leftovers. Smaller dishes can hold side dishes. Ramekins can help with both portion control and storing unfinished sauces for tomorrow. Whatever isn't finished can be covered and stored in the fridge. 

3. GOING FOR SECONDS IS A GOOD THING.

Since our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, we pile up plates of food we won't finish. Why not start with a small serving and enjoy it. When you are done, ask yourself if you are still hungry. If you want a second helping, make it half the size of the first helping. Going back for seconds is better than scraping uneaten food into the trash.

4. CUT SMALLER PIECES.  GET A TASTE. 

SANDWICHES: I chop the fixings into smaller pieces so every bite has a pickle, onion, lettuce and tomato.  This can take a single tomato or a slice of onion and stretch it's flavor power throughout multiple sandwiches.

SALADS: I cut up black olives, dice a tomato, cucumber and pickled beets to help stretch a handful of interesting vegetables. A few vegetable pieces spread out means everyone gets a little taste. 

SWEETS: Make smaller sized cookies, muffins, or rolls. Freeze cookie dough and bake smaller batches. For a party, serve doughnuts cut in half or bite sized brownies with toothpicks.

PAPER GOODS: I also cut my paper towels into smaller strips for small tasks like sanitizing shavers. I cut my facial cotton rounds in half.

5. USE A LITTLE LESS.

Try using a little bit less and see if you notice. In recipes, I try to use less salt, sugar, and oil. If we don't notice the difference, I'll slowly use less and less until we do notice.

Use a tiny bit less....

• Peanut butter / jelly
• Coffee creamer
• Condiments / salad dressing
• Nuts, raisins or chocolate chips in cookies
• Butter on your popcorn
• Honey on your oatmeal
• Soy /hot sauce
• Vegetable stock (replace some with water)

• Mouth wash
• Shaving cream
• Shampoo
• Face soap
• Perfume
• Air freshener spray
• Laundry soap
• Vitamins (take some potent ones every other day)
• Scotchtape
• Windshield wiper fluid
• Pet foods/ litter

6. GO EASY ON PRODUCTS YOU POUR/ PULL OUT.

• Cover the shaker holes or plug up half the Comet with tape.
• Shake salt or seasonings higher above, so it'll spread over the food. 
• Toilet paper. Try one less square.
• Tin foil, plastic wrap, and scotch tape. Use the least amount you can. 
• It's hard to pour just the right amount of oil. Getting an oil sprayer is a way to stop over pouring.
• Use a coffee scoop instead of guessing. Use a pet food scoop.
• I use the tiny plastic cough medicine cups to pour mouthwash into.

7. EXTEND THE USE OF SOMETHING JUST A LITTLE LONGER.

• Quickly throwing away stinky foods (like onion) in small bags can help you get more use out of each kitchen garbage bag. One piece of diced yellow onion in your trash can can stink up your entire kitchen. Be sure after dinner to place every raw onion peel/piece into a small grocery bag. Tie a knot around that puppy and throw it out immediately.  Other smelly culprits are banana and garlic peels, tuna fish cans, yogurt containers, mayonnaise, and cabbage.
• After church, hang up your clothes and wear them one more time before washing.
• Stop riding too close to the car in front of you. Stop slamming on your brakes and start coasting to the red lights. This will extend the life of your car brake pads.
• Water down your hand soap, shampoo, and dish soap. Dish Soap Recipe
• Use two tea bags for an entire pitcher for iced tea.
• Use iron on patches to keep wearing worn pants.  Preemptively patch a thinning elbow sleeve or knee area.
• How to extend the life of your work boots.
• Make your hair cuts count. Cut three to four inches off your hair and wait longer before getting another haircut. 

1. above Children Feeding Geese, Julien Dupré 1881
2. Mrs Carter enjoys Sunday lunch with her evacuated children in Haywards Heath in 1940 Imperial War Museum
3. Young girl prays before eating school lunch of soup, sandwich, milk, and an apple. 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
4. below US National Archives 1941

Tonight after dinner, be mindful as you wash the dishes of what you're scraping off each plate. Are you throwing money down the drain? Let's stop throwing away food and start saving money. I'd love to hear your ideas! How do you ration to save money? Thank you for reading and God bless you.

Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship. 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN