I have a pet peeve. I dont understand why people are fooled by labeling on products, fooled by marketing campaigns and sales tricks designed to do one thing and one thing only: Get your money.
Over the years, I have implemented many money saving habits, not because I dont have the money to spend, but because I cant find a good enough reason to spend it . Im gonna start out this thread with the utter RIP OFF of microwave popcorn. That "stuff" that is sold in the stores contains all sorts of weird oil and chemical preservatives (to keep the "butter" from becoming rancid), and who knows what else. Those popcorn kernels fester in that package of "stuff" until some hapless individual has a hankering for popcorn.
There is a much better, much healthier way, folks! Here is a video of Jenny Jones making her microwave popcorn in a regular brown paper bag. I have a slightly modified method, but she sums it up nicely in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSoR8v4GT5I&feature=related
My modified method takes the staples out of the mix. You dont need to staple the bag at all, just fold it over three times and thats all. The bag will lay on its side, and the popcorn will not open the bag.
I use a coffee cup to melt precisely 1/8 stick of real unsalted butter (not margarine or butter substitutes which are processed foods), and then pour it over the finished popcorn and add sea salt or garlic or seasoned salt or even cinnamon and Splenda/sugar for a sweet treat.
The type of popcorn doesnt really matter, since there is absolutely NO difference between so-called "gourmet" popcorn and Jolly Time IMO.
When you do the math, its pretty simple:
1lb of popcorn: $1-2 (yields bowls upon bowls upon bowls of popcorn)
1lb of real butter: $1-2 (butters most of the popcorn)
1 pkg brown lunch bags: $2-3
As opposed to $5 for a box of six pre-packaged popcorn servings (which is equivalent to about a quarter pound of popcorn kernels). This really adds up. It also makes you aware of the exorbitant prices for popcorn in theaters, when you know how much it REALLY costs for them to make that popcorn they are charging you $5 for a bucket for.
Over the years, I have implemented many money saving habits, not because I dont have the money to spend, but because I cant find a good enough reason to spend it . Im gonna start out this thread with the utter RIP OFF of microwave popcorn. That "stuff" that is sold in the stores contains all sorts of weird oil and chemical preservatives (to keep the "butter" from becoming rancid), and who knows what else. Those popcorn kernels fester in that package of "stuff" until some hapless individual has a hankering for popcorn.
There is a much better, much healthier way, folks! Here is a video of Jenny Jones making her microwave popcorn in a regular brown paper bag. I have a slightly modified method, but she sums it up nicely in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSoR8v4GT5I&feature=related
My modified method takes the staples out of the mix. You dont need to staple the bag at all, just fold it over three times and thats all. The bag will lay on its side, and the popcorn will not open the bag.
I use a coffee cup to melt precisely 1/8 stick of real unsalted butter (not margarine or butter substitutes which are processed foods), and then pour it over the finished popcorn and add sea salt or garlic or seasoned salt or even cinnamon and Splenda/sugar for a sweet treat.
The type of popcorn doesnt really matter, since there is absolutely NO difference between so-called "gourmet" popcorn and Jolly Time IMO.
When you do the math, its pretty simple:
1lb of popcorn: $1-2 (yields bowls upon bowls upon bowls of popcorn)
1lb of real butter: $1-2 (butters most of the popcorn)
1 pkg brown lunch bags: $2-3
As opposed to $5 for a box of six pre-packaged popcorn servings (which is equivalent to about a quarter pound of popcorn kernels). This really adds up. It also makes you aware of the exorbitant prices for popcorn in theaters, when you know how much it REALLY costs for them to make that popcorn they are charging you $5 for a bucket for.