Sure you know that you shouldn’t let the water run when you’re brushing your teeth or washing dishes. And that you can reuse water. But there is one tip that you don’t see very often, and it will save you time and money.
Use less detergent.

We don’t really need so many suds to keep our dishes clean. People who make their own detergents know that the amount of suds has nothings  to do with cleaning power. Manufacturers add chemicals to make detergents have more suds. And in commercials, the bubble baths, dishes and toothpaste all have lots of foam—it’s visually appealing and encourages us, especially children, to use more than necessary.

The problem is that the more detergent you use, the more precious water you’ll need to dilute it. If you don’t dilute it enough, the detergent doesn’t clean the dishes and the excess soap (i.e. money) goes down the drain.

Too much detergent makes excess suds, and requires large amounts of water to clean off the soap. You should only need to rinse a dish briefly for it to be clear of soap.

If you think you may have been using more detergent and water than necessary, here are some tips.

1. Pre-dilute liquid detergents in the bottle or dispenser. This works better than trying to get out very small amounts.
2. Wrap a rubber band around the neck of a pump dispenser to limit the amount that comes out, especially if you have kids.
3. Put a small amount of detergent in a bowl or dishpan, and then add water for soaking. Start by washing glasses, then the dishes, ending with the dirtiest pots. You’ll probably use less soap and water than working with a sponge and running water. Detergent added to a bowl of water must be mixed well to be effective
4. Attach a sprayer device to your faucet to remove soap with the least amount of water.
5. Put less detergent on your sponge and see if you get similar results. Experiment until you can get dishes clean with a minimal amount.
6. Rub detergent between your wet hands to dilute it further.
7. Add a few drops of water and shake to get out the last bit of detergent from the bottle.

Manufacturers’ instructions often recommend using more detergent than necessary. Experiment until you get the results you need in your dishwasher and washing machine. Laundry should smell clean, not fragrant when it comes out of the machine. And extra detergent clogs up your machine.

Ten Tips for Saving Money, Energy and Water with Your Dishwasher

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Photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

We love pasta around here. But the package directions, and most cookbooks, call for huge amounts of water. Boiling all that water takes time and money. The cookbooks are wrong. Here are ten creative ideas for making pasta frugally.

1. Cook as usual, but use less water. Start with half the amount you usually use. The pasta will cook just fine, but you will need to stir it every two or three minutes to prevent sticking. If you get distracted easily, set the timer.
2. Use an electric kettle instead of the gas to heat up the water, then transfer it to a pot on top of the stove. It’s more efficient, but keep in mind that electric kettles need to be replaced frequently.
3. Cover the pot so that the water will cook faster. Now my mother did not do this, and I’m sure she had a reason. It was probably to give the chlorine from tap water a chance to escape. Covering partway will have the same effect. Keep off the cover when you are cooking the pasta.
4. Choose a type of pasta where all of the water is absorbed, like couscous or baked varieties (e.g. farfel).
5. Get the Fasta Pasta for the microwave. Boiling large quantities of water in the microwave is inefficient and time-consuming, but with the Fasta Pasta you’ll feed four people in ten minutes. At under $10, it makes a great hostess gift.
6. Make pasta like risotto. Risotto is a soupy rice casserole with vegetables and sometimes meat.  It can be cooked on top of the stove or in the microwave. Saute vegetables and add half a cup of stock at time, cooking until the pasta is soft but not mushy.
7. Cook the pasta for less time. If you are cooking pasta to bake in a casserole, it should cook about 2/3 of the recommended time. As with any food, overcooking wastes energy and lowers quality.
8. Cook extra and save. If you don’t add sauce, cooked pasta will keep in the refrigerator for four or five days. You can also double a casserole recipe and freeze.
9. Don’t pre-cook. Prepare the lasagna as usual, but with uncooked noodles. Add extra liquid, cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake. You’ll need to increase baking time as well. You can buy “pre-cooked” noodles, but they are pricey.
10. Drain cooking water from your pasta into a large bowl and use as a base for soups, sauces and stews. It’s loaded with starch, especially if you didn’t use much water to begin with, and will add body to your recipe.

Have you used any of these tips? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

You may also enjoy:

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Photo credit: roger karlsson

Ten Ways to Eat Well on a College Student’s Budget

1. Buy Your Own Groceries Instead of eating out all the time, you can save a lot of money if you are willing to buy some groceries and prepare some of your food in your dorm. You can buy a small refrigerator and a hot plate to store and later prepare some easy to make meals. Cook eggs for breakfast, make a sandwich for lunch and keep some fruit for a snack. What might cost you five or ten dollars at a restaurant will only cost a couple of dollars if you are prepared to make it yourself.
2. Go Home For Meals Whenever Possible If you live near home, make it a point to go home on weekends and take advantage of Mom’s home cooking. She’ll probably be happy to see you and will serve you whatever you want. She might even give you some extra food to take back to college.
3. Ask Grandma for a Care Package. Grandmothers are a good source for some extra supplies. Call Grandma and tell her how you are doing at college. Drop a few hints about how much you miss her delicious cooking and you might be surprised by a care package full of delicious baked goods and other delicacies.
4. Sign Up for the On Campus Meal Plan When you are signing up for the year, be sure to take advantage of the school’s meal plan. Most colleges will have different plans that entitle you to a certain number of meals each week. For a flat fee, paid along with your tuition, you can be assured that you will be able to get healthy meals while you are on campus. You may be covered by financial aid or your parents may help with the one-time charge. Then, when you are hungry, all you do is show your meal card and then you can eat all you want.
5. Work Part Time at a Local Restaurant Some college students find part-time work at a local restaurant. While you’ll probably just earn enough for some spending money, you will also benefit by getting some free meals.
6. Get Your Girlfriend [CM: or boyfriend?] to Cook for You Yes, you can sponge off your girlfriend and not feel too guilty. She probably will insist on you coming over for dinner every so often and you should not disappoint her.
7. Visit a Local Food Bank If you are really struggling to find adequate nutrition, you could visit a local food bank. They don’t usually ask for proof of your need and you can stock up on some basic foods.
8. Grow Your Own Vegetables A small garden is great for growing tomatoes and some other healthy fruits and vegetables
9. Clip Coupons Take advantage of coupons for savings at local restaurants and also when shopping for groceries. Coupons can be easily attained through online sites. Simply select and print the coupons you can use.
10. Buy Generic or Store Brands Why waste money on national brands when the store brand is just as good and 30% less. Being smart will help save you hundreds of dollars each year.

The frugal website Wisebread asked readers for suggestions on staying cool in the summer without air-conditioning. Since drinking is an important part of staying cool, I’ve collected tips on saving and quenching your thirst at the same time. While purchased drinks are a dispensable part of the grocery budget for many families, there are ways to save even if you already drink only tap water.

1. Make changes gradually. It’s great to be frugal, but your family needs to come on board too. Start by buying fewer bottles of sweet drinks during each shopping trip, saving them for weekends, or diluting with tap water, gradually increasing the amount (sneaky but it works). Be prepared for some grumbling, but if you stick to your guns your family will come around. You’ll get used to drinking water too.
2. Avoid bottled water. These are expensive and may not be regulated as carefully as tap water. And they generate a lot of garbage.
3. Filter out the filters. Some people prefer the taste of filtered water. But filters keep out valuable minerals, and must be replaced on a regular basis. Beware of home reverse osmosis systems, which waste more water than they filter.*
4. Keep tap water “on ice.” Freeze a glass or plastic bottle half-full. Take one out and add more water, refilling it for as long as the ice holds out. This gives you a supply of cold water for several hours, while the refrigerator stays closed.  When it’s empty, put it back in the freezer half-full. This one requires advance planning; try to keep several bottles in your freezer.
5. Take it with you. For short trips, fill a small half-bottle of ice with water. For longer trips, freeze two bottles: one half-full, and one nearly full. Add water to the first before your trip. Use the bottles to keep your food cold, and save the second for drinking water later in the day. Keep bottles in old, clean, sports socks to soak up condensation.
6. Save on dishwashing. Water glasses don’t need to be washed as often as those used for other drinks. Buy colored cups or mark glasses with the names of family members, to avoid taking a fresh one each time. Or paint names on a shelf or turntable. Wash the glasses twice a day.
7. Don’t overdo it. Even though tapwater is cheap and dehydration a serious matter, it’s still best to avoid drinking excess amounts. Advice to drink a certain amount each day doesn’t take into account body weight, activity level, or the temperature and humidity. If you drink to thirst, your urine is clear, and you urinate every 2-4 hours, you’re drinking enough.
8. Make it elegant. Pour tap water into a pretty pitcher, with a slice of lemon or a sprig of mint.

How do you enjoy your water in the summer? Share in the comments below, and at Wisebread.
The weekly recipe will appear tomorrow.

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Welcome to the 213th Edition of the Festival of Frugality. The Festival is a weekly listing of frugal posts from around the internet. For more information about hosting or submitting a post, see the website.

Thank you for visiting CookingManager.Com.  I share tips and recipes for home chefs who want to save time and money in the kitchen, using fresh ingredients and cooking from scratch. I especially like to save  on water, gas and electricity so be sure to check out my series on appliances. I post recipes every Wednesday. You can get new posts by email or RSS reader, or join my Facebook fan page.

The picture is from a foraging expedition I did the other day with my kids.

As someone who likes to cook efficiently, I know you need a plan. At the start of a new year many frugal bloggers are making plans, for the short and the long term.

Personal Finance

DR presents 5 Financial Goals for Baby Boomers posted at The Dough Roller.

Wealth Pilgrim presents How You Should Be Planning Your Retirement? For Singles posted at Wealth Pilgrim: Money Management Advice, Financial Stress Management, & Resources.

With common-sense tips on saving for a rainy day, Sun presents Create Your Own Financial Safety Net posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary.

PT presents Are You Spending Less This Year? posted at PT Money.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Free Savings Account For Your Savings Goals: SmartyPig Review posted at The Digerati Life.

Craig Ford presents Should You File Taxes Using Tax Software or Hire a Tax Specialist? posted at Money Help For Christians. I like his idea for starting off by using a specialist and teaching yourself at the same time.

Twenty million Americans do it. But Don’t Pay to File the 1040-EZ, posted by jim at Bargaineering.

Peter asks Is There A “Good Reason” To Get Into Debt? posted at Bible Money Matters.

Joe Plemon has a slightly different take on this question, with Is There Such a Thing as Good Debt? posted at Personal Finance By The Book.

Household Tips and Crafts

People who like to cook can overdo it. Erin aka Conscious Shopper presents The K.I.S.S. Method for Saving Time in the Kitchen posted at The Conscious Shopper.

Paula Wethington presents Outfitting Your Frugal Kitchen posted at Monroe on a Budget.

Here’s a long-term project, for a wedding that’s nine  months away. Miss M presents DIY Wedding Project: A Pile of Pomanders posted at M is for Money. The materials are expensive, but she’ll sell the pomanders afterward.

Tom @ Canadian Finance Blog presents Save Money By Making Your Own Household Cleaners posted at Canadian Finance Blog.

Kristia presents Make Your Own Disney Greeting Cards posted at Family Balance Sheet.

Consumer Tips

MDP presents Score Free Stuff on Your Birthday posted at My Dollar Plan.

The Smarter Wallet presents Kids Eat Free Restaurants Offer Great Family Deals posted at The Smarter Wallet.

Daniel Packer presents The Pinnacle of Frugality posted at You Have More Than You Think.

Water conservation is a subject close to my heart. Rob presents Convert Any Toilet Into A Dual-Flush Water Saving Machine posted at Energy Saving Gadgets.

Jeff Rose presents Six Tips for Lowering Cost of Your Auto Insurance Premiums posted at Jeff Rose.

More Tips to Spend Less

jim presents Free Directory Assistance posted at Wanderlust Journey.

In honor of new year’s resolutions,Lynnae presents How to Lose Weight Without Spending a Lot of Money posted at Being Frugal.net.

FMF presents a roundup of links on  Where You Live Has a Big Impact on Your Finances posted at Free Money Finance.

Paul Williams presents Make a Will for Free posted at Provident Planning.

That’s all for this week’s edition. To view previous editions, host or submit, visit Festival of Frugality.

Wisebread wrote about her parents’ extreme frugality, leading to an  interesting discussion on the difference between being poor and frugal. When I was growing up, my parents were able to purchase good quality food, clothes and furniture. But my mother did not believe in wasting resources.

Here are twenty ways my mother was frugal:

1. Cooking with little water. Using less water preserves nutrition and saves on cooking costs. But my mother always burned the potatoes, while everything else was cooked to perfection.
2. Same with the kettle. It always held enough for only one or two cups of tea, to save on cooking gas. Forget teabags, there was always tea steeped from whole leaves.
3. Using margarine or butter wrappers to grease pans. Frugality aside, this works great.
4. Scraping out the last of the egg white from inside the shell with an index finger. I still do this; you can get about a teaspoon that way.
5. Setting the heater thermostat to 62 degrees Fahrenheit, when Gerald Ford recommended 65. She claimed that the kitchen, where we mostly sat, was warmer because of the pilot light on the stove. The thermostat was located in the living room. I think she set it to 55 at night. Once when my parents went out for the evening I turned it up to 64.5 and reset it just before they got home. As soon as she walked in the door, my mother ran to check it. My sister recalls getting caught for changing it to 63.
6. Hanging blankets over the windows to keep out the winter air and making the house seem unoccupied. Once, when the car had sat in the driveway for a few days, an intruder tried to enter the house through the garage. When my mother called to ask who it was he ran away.
7. Using the barest amount of anything including soap, tape, butter, oil, sugar, paper towels, water, and electricity. I remembered being appalled when a school friend wrapped a package with an excessive amount of tape. She laughed when I suggested using less, and the teacher praised her because it looked nice.
8. Saving wine left in glasses after the Passover seder to cook with (but only from family members).
9. Saving barely used Chinet fancy paper dinner napkins for cleaning up spills.
10. My Mother’s Re-Recycled Meat Soup.
11. Making a menu after seeing what was on sale, and the price and quality of the produce.
12. Hanging clothes year round. She set up lines in the boiler room (another pilot light) and in the backyard. No dryer.
13. Filling the hot oven with several batches of food, rarely turning it on for just one item.
14. Collecting cold items next to the refrigerator so they could be put away at once. I just suggested this in my posts, tips for saving on your refrigerator bill.
15. Making one pot of coffee in the morning and reheating it in a saucepan throughout the day. Wisebread’s mother did that for several days. I never thought of this as so frugal. Maybe my parents drank more coffee.
16. Throwing out a jar of cooked rice every few months, and nothing else (unless it was inedible, rarely, or had been leftover on a guest’s plate).
17. Scraping off the bottom layer of burnt cookies.
18. Cutting off mold on cheese and serving the rest (also on Wisebread’s list).
19. Making gribenes, or rendered chicken fat, from fat and wings. I guess that’s the kosher equivalent of bacon grease. But my mother discarded most fat from soups and was more health conscious than most 70’s moms.
20. Putting half the loaf of sliced bread in the freezer until it was needed, saying, “A slice of bread takes no time to defrost.”

My sister reminded me of two more:

1. Using half a paper towel. Tightwad Gazette suggests cutting the whole roll in half.
2. Saving energy when making Jello by heating up only half the water to dissolve the powder. Use cold water for the rest.

If you enjoyed this post you may also like:

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