Money-Saving Tip

This is a tip I received a few years ago in my email from a friend. It was a forward and at first I didn’t pay much attention. I love paper towels and wouldn’t want to be without them but there is no way you can afford or have the room to put a years supply of paper towels in your storage. I knew I used too many, especially when we were cooking and had no running water for clean-up. That is when I remembered my email.

This email is about using coffee filters in place of paper towels. I’d never bought coffee filters before and wasn’t even sure where to look for them in the store but after re-reading the email I decided to find out.

I was headed to Costco that day and decided to check them out. Turns out they were amazingly cheap and so many in a package; something like 1000 for under $3.00 for the large cup type. It also turns out there are 2 different kinds. Not knowing exactly which to get I got some of both. They have seriously cut down my use of paper towels as well as the amount of dishes I dirty for things like sandwiches, draining cooked bacon, etc.

I’m attaching a copy of the email so you can consider saving. If not on paper towels then at least on the amount of dirty dishes you have each day. I wish I had known about these when my kids were little. They would be great for serving sandwiches and snacks.

Coffee filters .... Who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Store or your favorite Warehouse Store for almost nothing - even the large ones. Use them to:

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
5. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
6. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
7. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
8. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
9. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.. SMART!!
10. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
11. Put a few in a plate for your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
12. Use to separate fresh tortillas to keep them separated.
13. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquéing soft fabrics.
14. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
15. Serve a sandwich, hot dog or donut instead of a using a plate.
16. Great for making stir fry – slice or dice veggies into filters rather than dirtying numerous dishes.
17. Use to warm leftover pizza, French toast or almost any leftovers in the microwave.
18. Use to line a strainer or sieve anytime you need a more fine strainer
19. Include in a lunchbox for a paper plate substitute.
20. Use as a place to keep spatula or measuring spoons when baking to help cut down on messes.
21. Great to use when making crepes to keep them from sticking together while cooking remaining batter.
22. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
23. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
24. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
25. Use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
26. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
27. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
28. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
29. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
30. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
31. Grate cheese or chocolate into a coffee filter rather than using a dish or plate.
32. Slice tomatoes into a coffee filter to absorb some of the juice before putting on a sandwich.
33. Place coffee filters under a baking rack to catch drips when frosting cupcakes, donuts or cookies.
34. Use to catch any spills when measuring spices, baking cocoa or other baking ingredients. Just funnel any spills easily back into original containers.
35. Put powdered sugar into a coffee filter before dipping or rolling warm cookies to prevent messes.
36. Use a filter when decorating a cake, cookies or cupcakes to catch any messy spills or to hold different tubes of icing.
37. Use a coffee filter under messy syrups, jellies or honey containers to prevent sticky table or countertops.
38. Coffee filters are great for "breakfasts on the go". Keep hands clean by putting your jelly-topped toast or greasy egg-sausage sandwich neatly tucked inside.
39. Use under mugs of hot chocolate to keep the mess off the table.
40. When making lemon, orange or lime zest, use a coffee filter. Let extra unused zest dry on the filters until thoroughly dried, then store in a tightly sealed container for future use when you don't have fresh fruit available.