Frugal Friday - saving on condiments

I LOVE K.C. Masterpiece bbq sauce, but it is expensive. (At least to me and our budget.) I look for sales and coupons but they are few and far between. BUT I can still save $ on my fav bbq sauce and other condiments (such as salad dressing). Look for a condiment bottle that has the "squeeze top insert". Having this insert allows me to pour out a smaller amount (less waste) and have more control over where the sauce is going. Then when you are done with that bottle, pop the insert out with a fork. Stick the insert in the dishwasher with your silverware (make sure it gets clean), and put the insert into any bottle that doesn't have one! :) You may need to look at different bottles to find the right size insert (there seems to be a standard small one and large one). I will admit to buying bbq sauce on sale (I will use it) mainly for the insert. I know these have inserts: Bull's-Eye (small), Sweet Baby Ray's (large), and K.C. Masterpiece (depends on the size of the bottle-the small 18 oz doesn't have it).

The next step is when the bottle is almost empty, remove the insert and set your bottle upside down to let the remaining amount drip out. I will often do this when having french fries at home. I'll pop out the insert and dip my fries in the remaining bbq sauce (that's left in the insert). Then stick the bottle on my plate allowing the rest of the bbq sauce to come down. I am seriously addicted to bbq!!

Some condiments don't work well with the insert, one example is a really chunky salad dressing just doesn't come out very well. The squeeze bottle format is great though for other salad dressings (especially when you want to monitor how much you're getting).

For other frugal hints, visit Crystal at Frugal Friday.