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Money saving tips to reduce meals eaten out

A clean kitchen can be a tool used to lower the amount of money spent eating out. Kitchen cleaning may not be extremely high on the household to do list. However, having a clean kitchen can pay off in hundreds of saved dollars each month. Maintaining a clean kitchen creates an inviting environment that is easy to spend time in, and entertain friends. Having an unclean kitchen is one of the top for reasons that people decide to eat out. No one wants to clean extensively before preparing a meal. Here are three tips to help maintain a clean kitchen.

Money saving tips to reduce meals eaten out

Keeping surfaces clean is the easiest way to make an area appear to be clean. Make it a habit to immediately place old food in the trash or garbage disposal after each meal. Fill one side of the sink with hot soap water. Use a hand held scrub brush made for dishes to quickly remove all grease, grime, and particles off of the dishes. Use a grout cleaning brush for counter tops that have older tile patterns for stuck on food and grime.

Kitchen Cleaning

Load your dishwasher, or place clean dishes on the dish drying rack. Use a wet micro fiber dish towel to cleanse all surfaces. Then go over each surface with a dry micro fiber dish towel. Eliminate germs with Clorox disinfecting wipes.

The kitchen or dining room table should be is inviting as possible. Think of your kitchen area, as being better than dining at a restaurant. Use cloth tablecloths, vinyl tablecloths, or simply keep the wood, tile, or glass tabletop clean. Have some type of visual interest item on your kitchen table. This item could be fresh flowers, small plants, artificial flowers, or scented candles. Choose colors that match the existing décor of the kitchen or current holiday season.

Cleaning Kitchen Floors

Use a cleanser that will pick up grease and dirt quickly. A great example is an ammonia based product or Pine Sol. A kitchen floor that is sticky or full of dirt is not inviting. Use your broom to quickly pick up in the trash that is on the floor. Use a Swiffer or a steam mop to go over the entire kitchen floor quickly. When using a traditional mop, quickly mop the floor and dry with an old bath towel.

Cleaning kitchen floors promptly after each meal ensures that if will be clean for the next meal that will be served. Crumbs left behind under the table can easily be picked up with a vacuum on the floor setting. Try to use the vacuum or sweep after each meal when serving small children.

Eating out two to three times a week could easily total $100.00 or more for a family of four. $5200 over the course of one year is money that could have been spent on savings, investments, or a vacation. Spend a few extra minutes in the kitchen after each meal to help maintain a clean kitchen. Kitchen cleaning is a task that can be quickly accomplished if everyone in the household does a small part. Use these tips to help keep the kitchen clean.

How to Save Energy with a Stove and Oven

We all want to save whether it be energy, money or time. No one has to run out and buy all the latest gadgets and products. There are simple steps people can take to start to save energy today. So while the world is going green, every home can do it’s part by remembering these easy tasks.

Save Energy on the Surface

While cooking at the start of the dish, turn the dial to the high. Once the food has started, turn it back slightly lower than the directions or recipe calls for. When the food is nearly done or if it’s a dish that is on the stove for a long period of time, turn the burner completely off and the heat still in the pan will cook the food the rest of the way. Put a lid on it and the heat will stay inside.

Make sure that the pan being used is the right size for the burner/element. A pan too small for the element wastes energy. Also make sure the pots and pans have smooth bottoms for maximum connection to the heating element.

For a gas burner, turn the the flame so that it just touches the pot. The food will be cooked correctly and there is also less chance or burning the dish. Flames that rise too high use too much energy.

Another thing people don’t often think of is keeping their stovetop clean. A dirty stove may make the dish take longer to prepare thereby using more energy than necessary.

Using Less Energy in the Oven

Make sure all food is completely thawed. Frozen food takes longer to cook thus more energy is used. Most foods should be thawed in the refrigerator to reduce the chance for bacterial growth. However, read package directions for specific thawing instructions or go online to look for thawing times and methods.

Make sure the oven doors seal is in tact. A leaky seal will release heat. Also keep the seal clean as dirt and left over food particles will also keep the seal from being tight against the oven frame.

Preheating an oven is not always necessary and uses more energy. Most foods don’t actually need it. After a time, the cook will figure out which do and which don’t need preheating and for how long.

Put the oven racks where they should be before the oven is turned on and the food placed inside.

Cook foods together in the oven. If several foods require different cooking temperatures, adjust cooking time for that specific food to either shorten or extend and remove from the oven when they are done.

Keep track of cooking time with a kitchen timer and don’t keep opening the oven door, releasing valuable cooking heat. Use the light in the oven equipped on most stoves to check on food progress.

Other Ways to Save Energy Cooking in the Kitchen

Consider a microwave. It uses less energy and cooks faster. Sometimes taste and doneness can be a factor, while other foods are perfect for microwave cooking.

Toaster ovens use less energy than conventional ovens.

Newer slow cookers use less energy than conventional ovens depending on the length of the meal.

A pressure cooker is quick and efficient for some meals, though it’s a little more difficult to learn to use properly.

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