I keep a running list in my purse of kitchen gadgets and small appliances I'd like to have. I look for new, in the box, never used or lightly used items at thrift stores to make my income stretch further. My stainless steel pots and pans came from thrift, all with lids, most under four dollars. I’ve found a Cuisinart ice-cream maker, a bread machine, a hand-held chopper, a popover pan and a Microplane grater, all under ten dollars, all never-used, still in the original packaging, with instruction books.
This fall, I looked for a yogurt maker. I love yogurt, especially plain, tart Greek yogurt, but I don’t like paying upwards of a dollar per half-cup at the store. In the 1980s, I used a Salton yogurt maker for three or four years.
I wasn’t particularly thrifty. The homemade yogurt tasted better to me than store-bought. It didn’t have unpronounceable additives, fillers or gelatin. The re-usable cups with the tight-fitting lids didn’t take up landfill space. The yogurt maker made the process nearly fool-proof and easy.
For some reason, I stopped making homemade yogurt. My yogurt maker went off to Goodwill. Yogurt was no longer a regular part of my diet.
Fast-forward thirty years. I’ve resolved to eat healthy foods and exercise to lose weight, build bone density, keep my heart healthy and lower my blood sugar. A daily yogurt fix is part of my diet. 'Yogurt maker' went on my thrift list. In October, I found a Salton Yogurt maker, new in the box, for six dollars. I love my new Salton, too.
So, make a list of things you need in the kitchen. Research brands, features and prices online. Keep it with you for thrift shopping and add up the savings.
To see how much I love my new Salton yogurt maker, visit my healthy eating blog, Pat Eby, a Food Writer Skinnies Up. Read how to make yogurt cheese, or try this fast and easy yogurt breakfast. Good shopping. Good eating.
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