Busy Mommy Media» Frugal Grocery Shopping

#Couponing & The Internet

Pamela — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:46:18 +0000

The internet is your friend when it comes to coupons. You can download and print coupons. You can see the sales that will be coming up in the next week and you can find out what the best deals are through coupon match up sites.

Sites to Check Out

Frugal Living NW http://www.frugallivingnw.com – Coupon Match-ups & coupon alerts

Krazy Koupon Lady http://krazykouponlady.com – Coupon Match-Ups & coupon alerts

Wild for Wags http://www.wildforwags.com – Deals at Walgreens

Totally Target http://www.totallytarget.com – Deals at Target

Coupons.com www.coupons.com – Hundreds of coupons in constant rotation

Smartsource www.smartsource.com – Hundreds of coupons in constant rotation

Red Plum www.redplum.com – Hundreds of coupons in constant rotation

Get Social With Your Favorite Brands

Befriend your favorite brands on their homepages and Facebook pages. If you ‘Like’ a product that you use often, you might get a coupon right away or in the future. Sign up for product eNewsletters, though it does fill your mailbox (you can create a free gmail address that you use just for coupons so that it stays separate from your personal or work mail box), almost every newsletter will contain a printable coupon. Here are some parent companies that you should sign up with to get coupons for the most common products:

P&G Brand Saver – www.pandgbrandsaver.com – all Procter & Gamble Products like Crest, Listerine, Pantene, Pringles and lots more– coupons and samples

Betty Crocker – www.bettycrocker.com – this includes General Mills Products – coupons

Kraft Foods – www.kraftfoodskitchen.com – all Kraft Products – coupons

Kimberly Clark – www.kimberleyclark.com – all Kimberley Clark products like Huggies, Cottonelle, Viva and many others – coupons

A Few More Tips

You can print two coupons per IP address – so if you have more than one computer in your home, you can print twice per computer. If you have a wireless printer, you can also print from your smart phone (must have a particular app installed). Use the back button to print the second time.

Purchasing coupons on eBay is an option but one that you should do with extreme caution. You want to purchase from sellers with good reputations – positive feedback of clean clipping and fast delivery.

Another tip is to send your favorite brands a little love using their Contact Us section on their website. Often times they will send you some high value coupons (sometimes even making the item free) just to say thanks!

You can also visit my blog for tips, trends, tricks and other general ideas about how to live a busy life on a budget – The Busy Woman’s Guide to Surviving Motherhood – www.outnumberedmama.com (I also host a lot of product giveaway).

#Couponing For Beginners: Do’s and Don’ts

Pamela — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:11:08 +0000

You do not have to pack your house with 900 rolls of toilet paper or 80 bottles of shampoo to make use of coupons. Forget what you have seen on television and take a step in the money saving direction.

Do:

Take your coupons with you on every shopping trip. You never know when an unadvertised sale item will be free with a coupon you happen to have. And your store might have marked down an item that you can get for near free when you add your coupons on top.
STACK, STACK, STACK. The basic idea of couponing is this – you combine the coupons you have on hand (manufacturer’s and in-store) with the in store sale price to knock the price down to next to nothing. Coupons usually show up two to three weeks before the items go on sale at major retailers. So it’s important to get your newspapers every week.
Double check your coupons and know the store’s policies before you enter to shop. Your shopping trips should be carefully planned as much as time permits. Make sure the coupon has not expired and that you can use more than one in a single transaction if that’s the plan.
Try new brands and flavors. The original purpose of coupons was to get people to try a product other than what they already use. So a lot of coupons will be for new products, flavors, or sizes. Make sure that the item you are getting matches the item(s) that coupon is for. The point is don’t be so brand specific that you are missing out.

Don’t:

Just Pay For It. If you have done your homework and calculated out your total prior to shopping (try to make your list with the regular price, sale price and the price you expect to pay), and then the register says something else, ask what happened. Stores have hundreds of sales going on at any given time and all of them are manually entered by a human (each store has to do it themselves based on the items that they actually carry) so mistakes are made. This is also why it’s good to have the sales ad handy.
Drive all over town trying to get a deal. You need to take into account your time and fuel expenses. For example, say a product is on sale at Safeway and after coupons it will be $0.48 and that same product is on sale at Albertson’s and after coupons it will be $0.38. If all of the other items on your list are a better deal at Safeway and you would only be going to Albertson’s for this one item, is it really worth the $0.10? Sometimes yes – sometimes no, just always think it through.
Buy 50 of something you will never use and just put it on your shelf. Even if it’s an amazing deal, money maker or free, if you will never in a million years use it in your home, leave it at the store. If you will truly and honestly take it to an appropriate place for donation – have at it!
Clear a shelf of all that they store has, it’s just bad etiquette. If it is the last two or three, don’t feel bad, but if you are taking all twenty items, reconsider. If you will be purchasing a large number of the same item in a single transaction, you can call ahead and ask the store manager to either pull it from the back stock or special order it for you.

#Couponing: Tools of the Trade

Pamela — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:33:50 +0000

To be a successful couponer, you need to have few items on hand to make the tasks of list making and shopping easier. Here are the most important couponing tools of the trade:

Scissors – you need one pair of quality scissors to use at home, that will cut through more than one piece of newsprint or thicker paper without struggle. You also want to have a pair of smaller (kid sized, but not necessarily “safety”) scissors to carry in your coupon bag/binder so that you have them in the store to cut coupons that you might find in the ad or on the shelf. I keep mine in my small zippered pouch.

Calculator – you can use the one on your smartphone, but it is also good to have one of those small calculators in your bag so that you don’t have to worry about trying to figure out a deal and getting a phone call. You don’t need anything fancy, just plus, minus, multiple and divide functions.

Binder with clear inserts or Accordion Filer – it’s a preference thing, but a binder does allow you to see more of your coupons without having to pull them out of the section in a filer. You can use baseball card holders, currency holders and sheet protectors to organize your coupons by size. Whichever you select is up to you, but you have got to have something more than a plastic baggie full of coupons.

Small zippered pouch – when you are going to be doing some price-checking, or you have multiple transactions planned out, it’s good to have these coupons in a small zippered pouch so that they are easily accessible. It’s also a good place to keep coupons that you need to use before they expire, or will use frequently (like meat coupons that you will be checking prices on every trip you make to the grocer).

Paperclips – when you are doing a shopping trip with multiple transactions, you should divide your coupons into stacks and then paperclip them together for easy sorting. If you are going to be shopping at more than one store, you might want to use a binder clip to group by store.

Notepad – you will be making lots of lists, to make sure that you are getting the deals that you want, so it’s smart to have a notepad in your coupon bag. You may also want to make notes while in the store if you get an unexpected Catalina or you see preview of a deal.

Shoulder Bag or Zippered Binder – you want something to “contain” your couponing paraphernalia and allows for easy carrying in and out of the store, either a zippered binder or a shoulder bag with a zipper. This will help keep your coupons safe from the weather as well as from going everywhere if your binder gets knocked over.

Successful #Couponing: Part 2

Pamela — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:33:25 +0000

While it is true that couponing takes time, effort and fair amount of work, to be a successful couponer, does not mean you have to devote every waking moment to it. If you haven’t read the first part of this post click here: Successful #Couponing: Part 1

Planning Ahead

Plan out your couponing shopping trip – to the penny if you can. Use coupon matching sites to help you know what the best deals are. The more you plan it out, the smoother it will go in the store, so be as detailed as you can listing product name (and variety if necessary), size/ct., retail price, sale price, coupon value, and price you expect to pay.
Look at your calendar and shop accordingly. After major holidays you can find items that might have holiday specific packaging, which will be marked down with the rest of the holiday items.
Understand the coupons and sale prices usually coincide for free or near free pricing only twice a year. So if you CAN, buy enough to last your household six months.

Opportunity Awareness

Never go into a store that accepts coupons without your coupon binder. You never know when a store may be putting an item on sale – due to overstock, or package damage – that was not advertised.
When you have time, walk the outer perimeter of the store instead of the inside aisles. These endcaps often have items marked at clearance pricing.
Expand your store horizons – shop for cleaning products at home improvement stores, or hair products at a pharmacy.

Niceties

While you are a customer – like everyone else – your transaction may be a little more involved than others. So be polite and patient to both the other people in line and the cashier.
Never take more than a few coupons that are available in a store – peelies, tear pads, hangtags, booklets, recipe cards, etc. It is rude and will ultimately result in stores not putting them out as frequently or requiring you to ask for them at customer service.
Be the coupon fairy sometimes – if you have more coupons for an item than you plan to use or they are expiring soon, place them on the shelf next to the product. It’s a nice way to share the wealth, and make sure that a coupon doesn’t go to waste.

Stockpile Management

Rotate your products regularly. If you have a large amount of something, write the expiration date on the part of the label that will be visible while stacked on the shelf with a big marker, this will make it easier to see which to use first.
Do not get a large amount of an item that your family would never ever use – even if it’s free – unless you truly and honestly plan to donate it. For example – don’t get 30 bags of cat treats, just because they are free, if you don’t have a cat! Also consider the life of a product. If you have worked out a deal to get 20 pounds of strawberries for free or close to it, you need to be sure you have a means to use them all or freeze them.
Store items properly – cool dry place for most items, and freeze all of the freezable items.

Successful #Couponing: Part 1

Pamela — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:25:34 +0000

Successful couponing is not about having 90 tubes of toothpaste or 80 bags of dog food. Successful couponing is about having an adequate supply of the items your family uses on a regular basis, so that you will not run out and have to pay full retail for that product. It is also about stretching your budget, and being able to buy high quality items for less than the price of generic. Here are some more tips on how to be a successful couponer.

Clipping and Collecting

You can either clip each coupon and put them into a filing system or you can save whole pages/inserts, it is a preference issue, as well as a storage system.
You need to decide how many papers you want to get based on what you expect each to have in them.
When shopping you should always scan the shelves for coupon booklets, blinkies, peelies, hangtags, recipe cards and tear pads. You can usually find useful coupons all over the store if you keep your eyes open. If you have small children with you, give the task to look for coupons on the shelf – it will keep them busy and engaged.

Organization

Choose a binder with clear “baseball card organizer sheets” or an accordion filer.
Divide your coupons into categories. Choose categories that are right for you, as well as make sense to you. Suggested categories: Frozen Foods, Fresh Meats, Beverages, Cooking/Baking, Cereal, Snacks, Perishables, Non-Perishables, Medications, Personal Care (can be broken up into Dental, His and Hers), Cleaning Products, Paper Goods, Non-food Misc., Pet Food
You must attend to your coupons weekly, at the very least. You also want to purge your coupons at least twice a month – checking for expiration dates, as well as to ensure that use a coupon before it expires. But keep in mind that you do not have to use a coupon just because, it just means you look for a deal on that item.

Understanding Policies and Procedures

Carry a printed copy of your most commonly frequented stores’ policies in your binder. And check to see if things have changed at least once every few months.
If a checker performs the transaction in a way that conflicts with the written policy, refer to it. Be polite and ask for clarification, from a manager if necessary. While each store might have their own practices, they should at least honor the corporate policy.
Do your best to read fine print – on both manufacturer’s and store coupons. Some coupons list specific limitations on using multiple coupons in a singular transaction, others have limitations on scents/flavors or sizes.

Come back next Friday for part two with more tips on how to be a Successful couponer.

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Lorie — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:56:42 +0000

One of the top New Year’s Resolutions made by people is to lose weight and/ or eat healthier. Many people give up after the first day of working on this goal. There are so many excuses people give as to why they cannot eat healthier, but one I hear a lot is that it cost too much money to eat healthy. There are a lot of ways you can spend less at the grocery store and still eat healthy. Being a good example of eating healthy will help encourage your children to eat healthier too. Here are a few ideas to help you save money while still buying healthier foods at the grocery.

Plan Meals and Snacks

If you want to succeed at eating healthier, it will be easier if you have a plan to follow. Make a weekly meal plan of what you and your family will eat. Include all meals and snacks you will eat for the week. There are a ton of great websites to help you find healthier recipes. A few of my favorite are Spark People, Weight Watchers, Skinny Taste, Eating Well, Cooking Light, and Skinny Crockpot. Once you have a plan make a grocery list and stick to it.

Buy Fruits and Vegetables in Season

Fruits and Vegetables are really important in the diet if you are trying to eat healthier, but fruits and vegetables can cost more and be a little scary to add to your list. Look for fruits and vegetables that are in season, you will find that these cost less. If you find a really good deal on them buy more and freeze for later use when they are more expensive. I have done this with strawberries, blueberries, and green peppers to name a few. A few fruits and vegetables that are in season in January include broccoli, cabbage, grapefruit, oranges, and lemons.

Buying fresh is best but also check prices for frozen and canned. These can often be better deals when they are not in season. Buying from farmers markets and cooperatives can also save you money. Also consider planting a garden. This will not only save you money on fruits and vegetables, but can also help you get more activity in your day. You can also preserve garden food by canning or freezing to use when they are not in season. Visit the Ball Canning and Preserving website for more information on canning and freezing.

Buy Generic Brands

Generic brand foods have come a long way, so don’t be afraid to add those to your buggy to save money. Many generic brands taste really good, have the same nutrition, and are usually significantly cheaper. Make sure to check the nutrition label on the product to compare nutrition facts between the brand and generic. Recently I was buying low fat cheese singles and decided one day to look at the generic brand to compare. Not only was it the same in fat and calories, but it was also at least $1.00 cheaper and included more slices per package. So don’t be afraid to include generic brand foods in your healthy eating plan.

Shop at Convenience Stores/Pharmacies

Most convenient stores, like gas stations, and pharmacies sell food at a much higher price. However you will find some deals there too. Many of these types of stores will have items they sell for cheaper to get customers in the store to buy other higher priced items. One item you will find this true for is milk. Some of these stores will have milk for the cheapest around as well as other items. So don’t leave these stores out because you think they are more expensive. There can be at least a few good deals in these stores.

Shop Outlet Stores

Outlet stores are a great way to save money at the grocery. My biggest piece of advice when shopping at these types of stores is to look for dates on products. Some of these stores will sell items with really bad sell by dates that might not make it a great deal after all. One of my favorite outlet stores is bread outlets. They have lots of bread choices that are healthy, including whole wheat, which you can often get for as little as one dollar per loaf. Just be sure to stay away from junk food in the bread outlets. There are several outlet stores across the country. The one I have closest to me is United Grocery Outlet.

Frugal Thanksgiving Ideas

Lorie — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:20:44 +0000

Many families are still struggling with the high cost of food. Thanksgiving is one holiday that we spend more money on food than usual. Being frugal does not mean we have to give up all that food we enjoy eating, it means that we just need to plan for this extra expense in our budget. Here are a few ideas to make your Thanksgiving a little more budget friendly.

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is one of the best pieces of advice you can get for planning a frugal Thanksgiving. If you plan several weeks ahead, you will find that there are plenty of coupons and specials to help you get the most for your money. Plan to spend a little each week on the extra items you will need and then you will not feel like you are spending so much money. You can also plan ahead by getting most of the food items cooked ahead of time. This will allow you to spend more time with your family on the big day. Here are a few recipes for you to try that you can make ahead of time.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Make-Ahead Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce

Freezer Apple Pie

Shop for the Cheapest Turkey

During the holidays, many stores will mark down turkeys. There are also great coupons on turkeys and other Thanksgiving foods during this time. Right now you can get a coupon for $3 off a Butterball Turkey when you buy 4 other products like Stove Top Stuffing or Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. This is a great deal because lots of these products are already marked down. Many stores also offer deals like buying so much in groceries and then you get a free turkey or a greatly reduced one. This can be a good deal if you really need the other items you are buying to get the great turkey deal. While turkeys are marked down so cheap, consider buying a second one to place in your freezer for a future dinner. This will save you money later.

Bake Your Own Pies

If you buy a pie from the store you can easily spend $10 for each pie. Why not make your own pies for Thanksgiving. You spend a lot less money and get more pies since most recipes will make more than one pie. Here is a basic pie crust recipe that includes a video. With a little practice you can easily make your own pies and save money.

Choose Potluck

One great way to save money and have more time with the family is to have your guest bring dishes for the dinner. Most family members will be more than happy to help you out. This will also give you a good selection of different foods.

Use Leftovers

When planning your Thanksgiving meal, plan for leftover meals. I can easily get two or more meals with my leftovers. One casserole I love to make is the Thanksgiving Memories Casserole. My kids love it and you can basically use what you have leftover. This will also help to stretch your food budget and not make you feel like you are spending so much money on one meal.

Frugal Back to School Lunches

Lorie — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:10:18 +0000

It’s that time of year where many families start getting ready for their kids to go back to school. One thing every child will need everyday is a lunch. As a parent, you will have to figure out what you plan do about school lunches. You want to feed your child a well balanced meal but one that won’t put a big dent in your budget. Here are a few ideas to help you save money on those school lunches.

Compare Prices

Take a look at the school menus and decide if you feel it is a well balanced meal for your child. Also consider the price of the lunch and how much it would cost for you to bring food from home. It will depend on what school your child goes to and where you live to determine which one is the better value.

Free/Reduced Lunch Program

If your family is at a certain income level, your child may be eligible for free or reduced lunches. Every year, you will need to fill out a new eligibility form to see if your family qualifies. If you qualify you would be able to save money and not worry about school lunches altogether. So, take advantage of the school lunch program if your family qualifies.

Back to School Sales

If you decide to bring lunches form home, then you will want to stay on the lookout for items you will need. Grocery stores place a lot of lunch items on sale during the back to school buying time. This usually starts mid July through August. You will also find a lot of coupons for lunch items during this time. This is a great time to match coupons and stockpile on items your child enjoys for lunch.

Buy a Lunch Kit

During back to school time stores offer lunch kits (or boxes) at a great deal. Buying one now will save you money later. Many kits come with a thermos and plastic containers to store foods. Usually you can find one of these for under $10. You can also purchase extra plastic containers if needed. These will help you save money by preparing items on your own.

Buy in Bulk

Buying foods your child enjoys for lunch in bulk will help you save money. Some items that you should consider buying in bulk are puddings, yogurt, juice pouches, and canned fruits.

Use Leftovers

Buying your own lunch kits will allow you to save money by using leftovers. Leftovers can be heated in the morning and placed in a thermos to eat later for lunch. Leftovers will stretch your food budget for lunch.

Consider Making It Yourself

Cooking from scratch may take longer but it will save you money on school lunches. If you feel like you do not have the time to cook from scratch, consider making weekly snacks on one day, like Saturday, for the whole week. Making your own snack size portions from larger cans and bags will also get you more for your money than buying the premade individual servings sold at the grocery store. Here are a few items and recipes you can make for your child’s lunch to save money.

Air popped popcorn

Cut fruits and vegetables

Granola bars

Trail mix (I just use whatever I have on hand like cereal, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, candies like M&M’s and mix it up)

Cookies (Use your favorite recipe)

Pudding (Make a big box of instant pudding and then make individual serving size to pack in lunch)

Cakes (Leftover cakes work great in a separate plastic box with a fork)

Homemade Fake GoGurts (Freeze these and place in lunch box by lunch time they will be thawed out to eat)

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/412013

Freezing Muffins for a Quick and Frugal Breakfast

Lorie — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:37:46 +0000

Since so many fruits are in season during the summer, you can usually find them on sale at the store. I like to wait until my berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) go to $1.00 a package and then I buy them up and freeze them for later use. It’s so nice to be able to make a pie or cobbler in the winter with fresh fruit from my freezer, and I think they taste so much better than store bought frozen. Another thing I like to do with those berries is make muffins with them and then freeze those muffins for later use. This makes a quick and frugal breakfast for another busy morning.

Freezing Muffins

Freezing muffins is really easy. After cooking the muffins according to your recipe, let them cool completely. I like to wrap each muffin individually with wrap and then place enough for a family breakfast in one large freezer bag. Make sure you get out all the air in the bag. I like to wrap them individually to prevent freezer burn. The muffins can stay in the freezer for up to three months, so make sure you label and date your bag.

Reheating Muffins

Reheating muffins from the freezer is really easy and quick. First, you can get them directly from the freezer and place them back in the muffin tin and then place them in 350 degree oven until heated through. If you have time to thaw them out before using them, you can just place them into the microwave for 20 second interval until you the muffin is as hot as you like.

Freezing Muffin Batter

Another way to freeze muffins is to just freeze the batter. In this method, all you do is make your batter as directed in the recipe and then place the batter as you would in the muffin tins. Next, place the whole muffin tin in your freezer until the batter is frozen solid. Then all you do is break the frozen batter from the tins with something, like a butter knife, and gently get it out. Then place them in a freezer bag and get out all of the air. Make sure to label and date the bag. Frozen muffin batter will last for about four months in the freezer.

Reheating Frozen Muffin Batter

To reheat frozen muffin batter, just place the batter back into the muffin tins. You will then need to wait until the batter has completely thawed. Then you can heat the muffins as directed in your recipe. This method is not one I choose for a quick breakfast. If I know I’m going to have the muffins in the morning sometimes I’ll place some wrapping over the muffin tin and then thaw the batter overnight in my refrigerator. Then all I have to do is place it in the oven in the morning.

Berry Muffin Recipes

There are lots of berry muffin recipes that can be found searching online. Here are a few of my favorite ones.

Berry-Smash Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Raspberry Muffins

Photo Credit: Dano

Roasting a Whole Chicken

Lorie — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:56:42 +0000

I used to think that buying a whole pre-cooked chicken at the grocery store was a great deal. The last couple of times I bought one it seemed so small. I think it was about 3 pounds, if that. It did not even feed my family of six one meal much less expect to have leftovers from it. I went to the grocery and found that buying a whole chicken and cooking it at home was actually less expensive. I was a little scared at first of roasting my own chicken, but it is similar to roasting a turkey and I have done that often. So I went online and found some information and recipes about roasting chickens. The whole process was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I usually get my chickens for $0.99 a pound unless I can find them on sale for less, of course. I try to get the biggest chicken I can so we can have leftovers. If you think you are too busy to roast a chicken during the week, consider making it on the weekend and then using the leftovers for meals that week. If you are wondering how to roast your own chicken, here’s how to get started.

Roasting Tools

You will need a roasting pan to cook your chicken in. You also want to look for a roasting rack., some pans already come with one of these. The rack allows the chicken to cook more evenly since the air circulates freely around the whole chicken. It also allows the chicken to sit freely away from its droppings, which will give you a crispier chicken. You can find roasting pans for pretty cheap at Goodwill stores. I found mine at Wal-Mart in the clearance section for $10. It’s been something I have used quite a bit. If you don’t have a rack, you can make a bed for your chicken with celery pieces, cut up lemons, and garlic. To allow for easy clean-up you can also line your pan with aluminum foil.

You will also need an instant read thermometer. This will help you make certain that the chicken is cooked to the proper temperature and under cooked, but also not overcooked either.

Preparing Your Chicken

Once you get your chicken home from the store there are several things you need to do before roasting. First, make sure your chicken is completely thawed out. Next, remove the neck and giblets. Then, wash the chicken with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and then rub spices on the chicken to season it. I personally like to place a small amount of olive oil on the chicken and then rub it with seasoning salt. After you complete these steps, you are ready to place your prepared chicken in your roasting pan.

Cooking Methods

There are two ways to roast a chicken. The first method is the regular method. With this method, you preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and then cook your prepared chicken for 20 minutes per pound plus 15 additional minutes. This method is the easiest, but sometimes does not give the appearance you want. The second method is the high heat method. This method leaves a crispy, darker skin. It is also my favorite way to roast a chicken. In this method, you preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Cook your prepared chicken for 10-15 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for 20 minutes per pound. Be sure to use your meat thermometer to check for doneness. Place the thermometer in the inner thigh; if it reads 165 degrees F, then your chicken is cooked.

Whole Chicken Recipes

There are a lot of really great whole chicken recipes to try. These usually have different spices to rub your chicken with before cooking. Here are a few I like:

Spicy Rapid Roast Chicken

Simple Whole Roasted Chicken

Chicken Leftovers

One of the main reasons I make a whole chicken is for the leftovers. You can use leftovers in soups, casseroles, and other recipes that use chicken. Don’t forget to save the carcass of the chicken. You can make your own homemade chicken broth to use in other recipes later. You can also make gravy out of the droppings. So, don’t let any otf those things go to waste either. Here’s a great tutorial on making homemade chicken broth.