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What "frugal" tricks have you found to just not be worth it, either in time or money? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/frugal@lemmy.world
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I've noticed sometimes that there's some half-baked videos or blogs or whatever that purport this or that frugal trick, but if you look at the time or math, it's not actually frugal for you.

What are some examples of that you've come across? The things that "aren't worth it"?

For me it's couponing. (Although I haven't heard people talk about it recently--has it fallen out of "style", or have businesses caught up to the loopholes folks used to exploit?)

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[–] 32 points 2 years ago (2 children)

We use a pressure cooker for our dried beans. 20-40 minutes depending on the bean. You don't have to soak them overnight when using a pressure cooker. I ensure that each batch we make is consumed within five days.

Canned beans are considerably more expensive based on the amount we eat.

If you only eat a can here and there, it's probably not worth making them from dry.

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  • [–] [S] 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I've found pressure cookers are the only way I can get beans tender. (I'm not a great cook.)

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Do you have hard water? That can make beans not get soft if you’re boiling them.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Soaking the beans with baking soda also help tremendously to get softer beans.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago*

    Get the beans and water to a boil, then turn down the heat until it's just simmering.

    Simmer for 1 hour, then taste test. Most dried beans will be tender, but some dried beans that have been sitting on the shelf for a long time might take up to 1 more hour of simmering, for a total of 2 hours.

    I've never had dried beans take more than 2 hours of simmering to tenderize.

    Dried lentils take much less time, usually about 45 minutes.

    Pour off all the water and rinse the beans until the water runs clean. The bean simmering water contains much of the indigestible sugars that make you fart after you eat beans.

    Now the beans are ready to make soups and chili or however you want to use them.

    But yeah, 20-40 minutes in a pressure cooker is a lot faster.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    Dried beans are a huge win for me (with a pressure cooker) because they’re cheaper and tastier… but the biggest thing is that they’re really easy to get in bulk and store. Canned beans are HEAVY and if you walk / bike / take transit to get groceries that can be a big deal too.

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