The best product recommendations are the ones that come from people who actually own and use the products that they're recommending, and that's what this list is all about. The following products are my personal favorites – they are the products that I've found to work well and to be worth the price that I paid for them. They are the products that I would recommend to my friends.
With that said, here are my frugal favorites:
1. RePac Reusable Sandwich Bags
Photo © Erin Huffstetler
Product Description: A reusable sandwich bag, with zippered closure.
Why I like Them: I used to use and recommend Wrap-N-Mats, but after a while they started to get moldy, so I went looking for something better. After trying a few different resuable sandwich bags, I discovered the Re-Pac bags, and I couldn't be happier with them. They're made of mold and mildew-resistant fabric; have zippered closures (meaning there's no Velcro to wear out); and they come with a lifetime warranty.
Tip: Buy an extra set, so you'll have one set to use while the other set is air-drying. I bought four sandwich bags and four snack bags for my two kids.
2. Lodge Cast Iron Muffin Pan
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: A six-cup muffin pan made of cast iron.
Why I Like It: It's indestructible. Cast iron holds up to heavy use, and looks better with time. I expect this to be the last muffin pan that I ever buy.
Note: Keep an eye out for vintage cast iron muffin pans at flea markets and antique stores. You can sometimes find pans with more than six cups. I scored an 11-cup muffin pan at the World's Longest Yard Sale last summer.
3. Smiths Two-Stage Pocket Knife Sharpener
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: A pocket-sized knife sharpener with a carbide slot for sharpening dull knives and a ceramic slot for creating that perfect razor-sharp edge.
Why I Like It: It does a good job, and it's small enough to tuck into the drawer with my kitchen utensils.
4. Klean Kanteens
Photo© Flickr user tiffanywashko
Product Description: Stainless steel water bottles with BPA-free lids.
Why I Like Them: I like these so much, it's going to take a list to tell you why. Here goes:
- They're made of food-grade stainless steel
- The walls are thicker than what you find in most stainless bottles, so they're a lot more durable (my kids have dropped these a zillion times, and they still look great)
- The lids are interchangeable (I can use the same lids on our 8 ounce and 12 ounce bottles)
- You can buy replacement lids (great if one gets lost or worn out)
- There are several lids to choose from, so you can customize the bottles to your needs
Note: Klean Kanteen sells plain bottles, as well as painted bottles. I chose plain bottles because I think they'll hold up longer.
5. Misto Oil Sprayer
Erin Huffstetler
Product Description: A refillable cooking spray bottle made of stainless steel or aluminum. The lid pumps up and down to create the pressure needed for spraying – no aerosols needed.
Why I Like Them: Commerical cooking sprays are expensive, and they usually contain silicon – yuck! I own two Misto's: one for olive oil and one for canola oil – sure wish I had discovered these sooner.
Note: More companies have started to make refillable oil sprayers, so Misto isn't the only option. I've seen other brands at Target and Ross recently.
6. Lodge Logic Pro Cast Iron Griddle
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: A 20-inch long, reversible cast iron griddle with a grease gutter along one side.
Why I Like It: This griddle fits over both burners, so it greatly increases cooking space, and it has two sides: a smooth side for pancakes and a grill side for burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. I got lucky and found mine at a yard sale, but this griddle is definitely worth full retail.
Note: I use mine so often, I just leave it on the stove all the time.
7. Smart Strip Power Strip
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: A surge protector that turns off power to devices that aren't in use to eliminate phantom energy users around the home.
Why I Like Them: I don't like paying to power electronic devices that I'm not using (heck, I don't even like paying to power the ones that I do use!). These power strips, eliminate all that electronic waste. I have one hooked up to each TV to power down the DVD player and VCR when we're not watching.
8. Crate and Barrel Microwave Corn Popper
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: A microwave popcorn popper that's made of glass.
Why I Like It: You don't have to buy bags of microwave popcorn to enjoy microwave popcorn. This popper cooks up a batch of popcorn in less than three minutes (two minutes forty-five seconds works for me), and it doesn't require any oil. I also like that it's made of glass. We used to have a plastic popcorn popper, but I don't like to cook anything in plastic.
9. Kids Konserve Stainless Steel Containers
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: Stainless steel storage containers with colorful, leak-proof lids. Sized to fit in lunch boxes.
Why I Like Them: I don't like to store food in plastic containers, and spent years looking for something to replace the containers in my kids lunch boxes. I finally found these, and quickly fell in love with them. They're made of heavy-guage stainless steel, and come with tight-fitting lids that are easy enough for little fingers to manage. I fully expect a single set of these to last my elementrary-aged kids all the way to graduation.
10. California Car Duster
Photo courtesy of PriceGrabber
Product Description: A car duster with special, wax-treated cotton strands. It picks up dust without any cleaners and works better the dirtier it gets.
Why I Like It: This is one of the best things that my husband brought to our marriage. It's great for getting pollen off the cars in the spring without having to wash the cars (what my husband bought it for), but I've since discovered that it works great for dusting all the baseboards and molding in the house.
