How a breadmaker changed my frugal life

In October 2006, I bought a Toastmaster model TBR2 bread maker for $20 from a craigslist posting. It was one of my first craigslist purchases and the woman said she used it only a few times. I had been searching for a horizontal loaf bread maker for a while and did not want to pay the eBay prices so finding this bread maker locally was a great purchase for me. After testing the bread maker and liking the final product, my goal was to make all my own bread and no longer purchase it.

I was aware my bread consumption patterns waxed and waned. One week, I would make toast every morning for breakfast and then the next, I would not touch the stuff. The preservatives in store-bought bread would keep it for a long time, but I thought the smaller one-pound loaf my bread maker could produce would work well for me. I could always make more when I had a high-demand week and compost the moldy parts if I did not quite finish the loaf in time. As homemade bread is perservative-free, it does mold a lot faster.

However, I did not realize the full benefits of a bread maker. Not only could I made the honey wheat I enjoy, I could make other items such as pizza dough. This has meant that pizza is a staple in my diet. I can get tired of the same thing, but oddly enough, I have been enjoying pizza at least three times a month with little sign of stopping. In fact, I prefer my pizza to much of the chain takeout pizzas.

Not only have I made bread since I purchased the bread maker (without ever resorting to hitting the store for a loaf), but I have experimented with other breads. I bought a used cookbook on making lots of breads in a breadmaker and have found a banana-cream bread that makes fabulous cinnamon toast! I use bread flour for best results and have purchased yeast in bulk since I bake several times a month.

My $20 bread maker has really helped me become more frugal and enjoy a greater variety in my diet. I estimate that a loaf of honey wheat bread costs me no more than $1 to make even with the recent price increase in flour. My pizzas (since I buy jar sauce and pepperoni) are closer to $3.50-$4, depending on toppings. I make everything fresh in my kitchen, I really enjoy a meal I make myself and the smell of baking bread is hard to beat.

There are two drawbacks to breadmaker bread: the hole in the bottom from the mixing paddle and the crumbly nature of the honey wheat bread. Neither is enough to affect my usage or the bread's taste. I appreciate what the bread maker has done for me and believe this a great purchase for me. Ask friends if they have a bread maker in their basement. They might let you have it and you might discover a new frugal meal-maker for the kitchen.

Frugal Christmas gifts

With Christmas creeping even closer, I have been taking time to do some baking. The recipients of my gift include my colleagues, my grandparents and my neighbors. Since today is the last day the majority of my colleagues will be at work, I needed to get all my baking done in time. My current selection includes gingersnaps (a favorite of my mom's father and I like their bite), chocolate peanut butter cookies (Reese's chips in a chocolate cookie) and Danish cookies. I made a fourth cookie but most of them were a failure. I am not sure where I went wrong but when I try something different, the results can be mixed.

However, my most frugal gift is to a friend at work. She likes to knit and create silver jewelry among other arts and crafts. My aunt had tried to crochet, decided it was not for her and then asked her relatives at Thanksgiving if anyone wanted the yarn she purchased. I took it because I thought of my friend. She had a tall kitchen garbage bag full of yarn in four colors. I also asked if anyone in my family had any silver jewelry they no longer wanted and my sister contributed two rings. Other than a cost of a few minutes of my time, I am giving my friend a gift of free stuff but they are all items she will use.

I intend to bake two more batches of cookies and two loaves of lemon poppy seed bread to make sure I have enough for my neighbors and family. My neighbors are getting gifts because they have been kind enough to help me throughout the year whether snowblowing out my driveway, mowing my lawn while I was overseas or allowing me to borrow a wheelbarrow. These efforts save me time, money and my body so I want to show my appreciation.

Other than baking, all I have left to do is wrap three more gifts, pack up the baked goods and write out a couple cards. Despite my tone, I am feeling some stress and am looking forward to my time off. Hopefully, you are dealing successfully with holiday stress and enjoying being with family and friends.