I've been an editor with ThriftyFun since 2005 and became Editor-in-Chief in 2009. My mother, Susan, was the founder of ThriftyFun and scrimped all her life to have enough for her kids. In my life, I am always balancing what I want with what I need, in regards to my money, my time and my health.
Thanks to everyone who makes ThriftyFun a wonderful place to find answers.
Giving Household Items Within Your CommunityI am active in my local Buy Nothing group, where members gift furniture, clothing and other useful items to people in their local area. It is run on a Facebook page for my neighborhood, an area is a mile or so wide, bounded by the major streets. There are several different Buy Nothing neighborhoods in my city. This allows the members to be sure they are giving and receiving to their own neighbors, making pickups easy and bringing local communities together.
Beef Bone BrothMy friend won the meat from an entire cow at a school raffle. She gave me about 6 pounds of beef bones to make broth and had another 4 pounds for herself. I made this recipe with her and then made it again at home. This nutritious broth can be used to make all sorts of soups: French onion, beef barley or even pho.
Storing and Caring for Face MasksAlthough mask mandates were stopped earlier this summer, the new variants of COVID-19 are bringing them back. Many areas require masks for any indoor public places and some places, like hospitals and courtrooms, have never stopped requiring them. Here are some tips and tricks that may help you keep your masks organized and at hand when you need them.
Pho Bò (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)This delicious soup is a favorite at my local Vietnamese restaurant. I thought it would be fun to try to make it at home. I made it from scratch, including the beef broth. I also made crispy fried shallots (hành phi). Store bought broth and crispy shallots or onions would be just as delicious.
ThriftyFun Updates (March 2022)We are announcing some big changes to both our newsletters and contests as of March 1st, 2022.
How Are You Using Your Stimulus Payment?
Many U.S. citizens are receiving money from the government this week, in order to stimulate the economy and help struggling families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a big help for many people, including my family. I'm using about half of the payment to cover an upcoming surgery and the other half will pay off a hospital stay from last February.
