I came up with that title because I wanted to share that my husband finally decided to buy his own coffee to take to work and make in a machine that makes one cup at a time. Work doesn't provide coffee like some places and he can't plug in his own coffee maker like he could at some other sites. He had been buying coffee at the shop in the building for a minimum of $2.32 per day. Some days he spend up to $4.54. So for about 20 work days a month he was spending $46.40 up to $90.80. He was good about putting the transactions into YNAB for the last month, too. I think that is what put him on this new path! 
We bought a can of ground coffee that cost us about $7. I think one can could last him an entire month at least. But even if he needs twice the amount, we will be saving some cash.
Another thought I had on my title was regarding Halloween costumes. So many are store bought these days. And I did notice that Walmart has some VERY reasonable prices, but with a little creativity a costume can be made with items you already own, thus making the costume FREE!
I'm sure we could take this Don't Buy It, Make It title further. Do you have some thoughts on when it is cheaper to make something than buy it?
Don't Buy It, Make It
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Then I followed an easy tutorial online. With help from NT and my neighbor, built a behind-the-sofa table for about $50 (not counting supplies we already had or would have bought anyway). It's kinda rickety but it's just to rest drinks on, so it doesn't need to be really strong. It's perfect.
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I always take my lunch/snacks/beverages from home. Every day.
My one co-worker eats fast food for breakfast and lunch. Every day.
Granted she is 50-ish and married with no kids. Both she and her husband work. And I am sure she makes good money. Nonetheless .....
October 21st, 2015 at 02:12 am 1445393550
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1 lb dried beans, soaked for 24 hours or overnight, drained & rinsed
3 T shortening
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t salt
1 T cumin
optional: diced onion, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, oregano, black pepper
Cover soaked beans with plenty of water and bring to a boil, then lower to a medium simmer and cook until soft (sometimes an hour, sometimes two). You want them really soft but not quite falling apart. If not making the meal until the next day, leave them overnight soaking in the bean water for even more softness!
Drain beans, reserving the liquid. Put beans in blender and add just enough cooking liquid to cover. Blend until smooth (you could reserve a cup of cooked beans whole or blend up the whole batch.
Melt shortening in large pot w/ lid (I'm fond of nonstick pots for this).
When it's hot add the garlic and (if using) onion, and saute until tender, about 5-10 mins.
Add blended beans and (if you saved some) whole beans. Stir. Warning: they will splatter and make a big mess so for most of the cooking time I keep a lid on, but you want some water to evaporate, so keep the lid ajar. Protect yourself with the lid when you scrape the bottom of the pot, so you don't get splattered with burning hot beans!
Add salt, cumin and any other spices and stir well. Cook for a few minutes and taste; add more of anything you want more of.
Cook until desired consistency is reached; if you want them really thick you just have to cook longer. Occasionally scrape the sides and bottom and mix the dry/lumpy bits back in; that will help them thicken. (If you want them really creamy, you can start with them thinner using more bean juice, and cook even longer.)
Stores well in the fridge for about a week; also freezes and thaws well.
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We make our own pizza crust, and I make a lot of food. We'll be canning applesauce with a friend this weekend.
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