The gas/food balance

Until the past couple  of days, I had forgotten how much the price of gas influenced the price of food.  For example, a 5lb bag of sugar at Food Lion that was 2.99 is now 3.59.  Coconut Oil was 5.49 at Food Lion and now was 6.29.  Cucumbers were .69 and now are 1.29 each.

Plan well, shopping lists, menus and travel.

Speaking Engagements

I have 2 speaking engagements coming up.  I am so excited and nervous at the same time.



The First one is at our church's Whole Ministry Center at 7pm on January 13th, and the topic will be related to food, grocery shopping, meal planning, making things homemade, gardens, etc - pretty much anything food related.


The second one will be at our local library in their multipurpose room in the back on Monday January 31 from 630pm until 8pm.  I will begin with the same topic (different crowd) but will expand into laundry and electricity as needed.


I am soooo excited!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

If you like the Old Schoolhouse Magazine and it's store - now is the time to shop.  They are having a huge sale.  Their planner (normally $39) is $10, and lots of their ebooks are $1-$2.  I racked up !

Skip the soup, pass the hash

My family is not big into soups.  I like soups, but not too frequently.  My husband even less so.  Therefore, all of those 'cheap meals' cookbooks have huge sections I don't use.  However, I tried something last night that might be a new breakthrough for me.

My husband is a meat and potato man.  So, we eat a lot of meat and potatoes in various concoctions and contortions and whatever.  He also only likes leftovers once.  Well, okay - new challenge.  I know that soup is a cheap meal, and the idea of soup of leftovers is catchy among tightwads like me.  But if the family does not like soup, what do you do --make hash!

Easy Leftover Hash

Meat
Veggies (fresh and leftover cooked)
Diced Potatoes (about 1 cm so they cook quickly)

Put potatoes in skillet with a little olive oil and cook for about 10 minutes until they are almost tender, and any veggies (I like to add additional onion, celery, carrot, green pepper, etc - whatever I have that I don't want to spoil in the fridge), let those cook a couple of more minutes then dice up what ever meat you had leftover (yes, you can do this with meatloaf and meatballs, and even taco meat, just run a bit of hot water over them to rinse old sauce/seasoning off.).  Add the cooked meat and cooked leftover veggies toward the end.  Stir until all is hot and potatoes are completely done.

At this point, you can do several things:  1) serve as a dry hash, 2) make a little gravy in the pan with it ( or add some cream of whatever soup you want)  and serve it over old homemade bread (soaks up gravy), or 3) top it with cheese and serve.

There are a few things to keep in mind when doing this:
1) match your flavors well - leftover taco meat does better for a soutwestern style hash, so go with those flavors; same for meatballs and italian, meatloaf chunks (minus the tomato topping) do well in a swiss style hash, etc, etc.
2) experiment and write down what you did and how your family reacted
3)  this same concept can be applied to making it a hamburger/chicken helper style meal, your meat and veggies additives are just already done for you.

Let me know if you come up with any 'rock star' dishes

.15 notebooks

It's back on!!  The .15 notebooks are here again, please get some along with all of the other supplies you will not see this cheap again until next year.  Here's my own list of favorites:

• 1subject notebooks, college ruled, .15 each (I have purchased 46)
• 12 ct. crayola colored pencils, 1.00 (I purchased about 8)
• 11ct. WASHABLE magic markers, .70 (I purchased about 10)

You can use the notebooks for anything.  For instance:

• Journaling
• Phone message book
• Lesson Plans (1 or 2 days per page leaving lots of room to write and jot and tittle)
• Recipes
• Lists
• Kids doodle pads and drawing books (they don't care about the lines, so neither should you)
• Books just to have on hand to write your thoughts down

Think about it, the cute journals in the store go for an easy 3.50, give you kid one of these, and let him or her draw their own artwork on a piece of paper, or print something cute off of the computer, and paste it on, but don't pay a ton for a notebook

Just write on the front what it's for and who it's for and go with it.  Options:

• 'Mom's Thoughts'
• 'Bible Study Notes'
• 'Jacob's Kindergarten Lesson Plans'
• 'Booklist, Field Trips and other Enrichment Activities for Kindergarten 2010-2011'
• 'Recipes and attempted Concocktions'
• 'Money Saving Mommies best Ideas Ever'  (wink, wink)
• 'Shopping list'
• 'Blog ideas'
• 'Ideas to save more money around my home'
• the list goes on.......

If you have kids, get a  ton so they have their own, if you do not have kids, I would still get about 25 and have them ready to go anytime.  At .15, that's a bargain.

Stockpiling

This is a newer thought for me, and I mean stockpiling as being a more intense effort than 'stocking up'. Our economy is not better than it was just 6 months ago, and I have been thinking that it may be wise of me to create a stockpile in case of even more difficult times, especially since we are a single income family.

Creating a stockpile does not need to take up a ton of space nor a big investment. For our family, I plan to dedicate just $5 a week to creating our stockpile. I plan on placing the items in different places around the house, like in the back of closets or in other storage areas where the items will #1 be out of the way, and #2 not be used just as routine items. I also will list them items (like a log or an inventory) of where the items are, what they are, how many and the expiration date (so I can rotate items out seasonally and nothing goes bad).

As a side note, does anyone know how I can post any of my listing/recording keeping documents to share - I can't figure it out.

Spring has sprung, and so have sprouts!

Vegetables are one of those things that elicit 2 types of reactions: yum and yuck - mostly dependant on your age group. If you are one of those people who likes to serve veggies to your spouse, your kids, yourself and pretty much anyone else that comes along, try growing a few. I planted a few things in my flowerbed right along with my flowers last year and had a great return. For instance I had 3 grape tomato plants, that probably cost about $2.50 each, but it yielded at least 600 tomatoes over the course of about 3 months. Now, in the grocery store a pint of conventional grape tomatoes is about $2.50, and the organics are about $4. Each pint is worth about 40 grape tomatoes. So, let's do the math:

• 3 plants at $2.50ea yielded 600ish tomatoes = 200ish per plant (.013 each tomato, about 16 per week for 3 months in the summer)
• 1 pint at $2.50 = 40 tomatoes (.063 each tomato)
• A tomato plant in the Southern US will yield fruit for about 3 months
• 1 pint of tomatoes a week for 3 months = $30
• 2 plants that produces for 3 months = $5.00

You can save about $25.00 by having 2 plants that produce during the summer, plus you make your plants as organic or not organic as you want depending on the water and fertilizer you use. If you want to go even cheaper, plant the tomatoes from seeds inside about 4 weeks before the last frost - then you get probably 20 plants for about $1.50 - you'll be giving away tomatoes! Or better yet, let your kids open up a front yard produce stand and you can sell the surplus and teach your kids about money. I personally also planted basil, rosemary, parsley and oregano in my flowerbed because the cost of 1 plant is generally equal to the cost of 1 of those little plastic prepaks of the same herb, so if I just use each plant one time I'm even, if I use it twice or more, I'm saving money already. And as an added bonus, my rosemary, parsley and oregano have survived the winter to give me a second year of fresh herbs!!!

This year, I have also planted green beans, broccoli, mixed lettuce, greeen leaf lettuce, spinach, green onion, chives, cilantro, and bell peppers. My husband is going to till up a portion of the backyard so I can have a small garden to work with the kids. We'll both be learning this year, but I think it's a good lesson for both them and me. If you can't have a garden due to space and or time, go for just a couple of herbs in some flowerpots, they'll be easy to maintain, and give you lots of savings since fresh herbs are so expensive anyway - more bang for your buck

PS - If you're local, I'll be happy to give you some clippings of my own herbs for you to root and grow yourself. I'll also share a few sprouts if you want to pot something.

***If you feel intimidated by the thought of 'gardening', please don't. It is not that hard - but start small. I think most people feel like failures over this because they start too big or too complicated. Find something you like - maybe tomatoes and green beans and just plant 2 of each to start. Next year, you can go onto some more adventurous stuff. You need the encouragement of having a few plants do well in order to gain the confidence to work with many.

Why choose ramen?

I am not a fan of ramen noodles. When I was a kid, I loved them all, every salty flavor. Of course I am also a chip lover, but I have been appalled at the price of chips lately - over $2 and sometimes oer $3 a bag. Ramen noodles are about $.11 a package, and cook in about 3-4 minutes in the microwave, and you don't even need the special microwavable kind, the plain plastic wrapped kind will work in a microwave safe bowl with water in it. Plus, the ramen noodles are filling. I'm not saying it's a healthy snack, but it is a cheap snack that most teens will eat, and remember that chips are not a healthy snack either.

Personally, I would prefer a slice of homemade whole grain bread and some sliced cheese, and yes, that is healthier, but the title of this blog is 'money saving mommies' so I have to keep the ideas in context

If you show a teenage boy how to microwave his own ramen noodles, he can safely do it himself and take care of his own snack attacks - and teenage boys have lots of these, and they can get expensive. So, pass over the chips and try some ramen instead, and save a big chunk of change.

If times get REALLY tight, and if the economy gets worse, it may come to that, then you could feed a family of 4 on ramen noodles for about $1 or less, depending on everyone's appetite. (I'm not recommending people start doing this on a routine basis, but I do know that sometimes when disaster strikes people feel like they are at the end of their rope and they don't know how they will feed their families, this is just an idea if you have only a buck or 2 to spend for food for a few days)

Frugal Friday

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade . . . . Who hasn't heard that one?

My household is going down by 7.5% due to payroll cuts at hubby's job (hey - at least he still has one). So, I need to cut my variable expenses by about 10% to compensate. That doesn't sound like a lot, but when you already are trying to be frugal to keep costs low, an additional 10% can be a real challenge. So that's it - a frugal challenge

10 ways I can cut 10% off my variable expenses:

1. turn down the thermostat about 3 degrees
2. eat more beans & rice
3. negotiate a trade for services (the lady that cuts our hair like my homemade poundcake so instead of money I give her a cake in exchange for haircuts - makes our hair cheap to maintain), I wonder if the man down the road with hens would trade cake or bread for eggs?
4. increase my use of the crockpot instead of the oven or range
5. do I really need half and half for my coffee or can I get by with milk?
6. discover more ways to cook chicken and ground beef since I have a ton of both
7. cut out all prepackaged food (I generally keep a few things around in case of emergency so we didn't have to order out - but I guess this emergency means I won't buy any more)
8. stay away from the stores - why even bother going if you don't have the moolah to spend
9. more pb&j for lunch and less grilled cheese
10. try to go meatless 2 days a week instead of 1

I welcome other ideas. I already make homemade bread, pancakes, waffles, sauces, etc. I also use my clothesline and make homemade laundry soap and my own household cleaners.

What's a mommy to do?

Magazine Subscriptions

I have a couple of thoughts about these. First of all, if you find yourself buying the same magazine brand 4 times a year - you're better off with a subscription. Most mags on the shelf are 4.99 plus and the subscriptions are about $25, plus they are delivered. If you don't want to commit to the subscription, or you don't want magazine clutter around your house, there's a better option - the library. I know I sing the library song a lot, but it truly is a wonderful place. I currently read real simple, Martha Stewart Living, Sew News, Gourmet, Cooks Illustrated, Southern Living, and many more for free. I can also get my hands on back issues there. So please, if you want to read some magazines, or 'try it before you buy it' then hit up your local library - you won't be sorry.

The Power of Will Power

Okay, I admit it, I have been a little slack in my money saving creativity lately. I've even gone so far as to allow a couple of my feet to drag off the back of the proverbial wagon. But, here and now, I vow to not only get back on the money-saving wagon, but to push my way to the front and grab the map and give out directions. I hope this means that I will come up with some new and creative money saving tips, tricks and ideas.

The Benefits of a Coop

I am a member of a local coop. It participates in the distribution of all natural and organic foods, health products, nutritionals and cleaning products. Generally speaking, those items are not the cheapest on the market, but they tend to be better for you, and buying them through a coop makes them a bit easier on the wallet. Of course, there are many types of coops out there, and I suggest calling your local cooperative extension office (there is usually one per county or group of counties) and asking about coops in the area. Some require a membership fee, but many do not. Most will also allow you to review the catalog for free to determine whether or not it's something you are interested in before you sign up. Remember it only costs time to ask a question and review information, and this may benefit you greatly in the end, so give it a few minutes and see what you come up with in your area.

Free Movie Rentals

The Public Library in our town carries movies of all types. We have rented Veggie Tales, Saturday Night Fever (didn't like it BTW) and We Own the Night (got disgusted with the content after about 30 seconds), and there are many more on my 'to watch' list. We rent these movies for free and the rental is 3 weeks long. Our library is also part of a regional library system which means I can go online and search the library catalog for the entire system (about 6 branches) and have whatever book or movie that I want shipped to my home library (for free) and they even call me and let me know it's there. There's also no limit on how many movies I can have out at once - as long as I dont' abuse my videos while they are in my possession.

Free is better than cheap (like the netflix and blockbuster mail in systems), especially since no one wants to pay for movies they didn't like.

Work, Give, Save, Spend

I was watching Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer this morning and she was speaking about finances. I enjoy these type lectures because I am always looking for a way to save a buck or two. She had 4 topics: work, give, save, spend.

Work: earn your living or assist your spouse in their earning.
Give: tithes, gifts, missions, give with a gracious and loving heart
Save: put away some for emergencies, make it like a regular bill for instance $100 is due in the Money Market account on the 15th of every month
Spend: spend your leftovers, but be wise.

Her thought for debt: list each one by name and amount (i.e. - face the truth), then take the one with the lowest balance and pay it off first (being able to mark one off the list is a positive reinforcer), take what your payment was on the first you marked off and apply it to the next lowest one in addition to your regular payment (budget the same, apply differently), when it is paid off, mark it off and go to #3 and apply the amounts of your regular payment, #2's payment and #1's payment until it is paid off too. Use the same technique through your debt list until they are gone - even if it's 3-5 years.

The problem many people have is they feel the need to reward themselves with a 'thing' each time they reach a goal. Why do we need more stuff? I already need to have another yard sale, the last thing I need to do is buy more junk.

One of my favorite quotes

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

The Dilution Solution

I buy concentrates on just about all of my cleaning products. This saves money since I can add the water myself and storage space because the packages are smaller and I don't have a hug home. I am trying to go green at my home, and I have discovered that the green concentrates are probably 1/5 the price of the regular. So, for all purpose cleaner spray, I use the concentrate and dilute. For window cleaner, not only do I dilute, I actually over dilute simply because I feel like since you could actually clean windows with just plain water and a good microfiber cloth anyway, why do I need a ton of chemicals (ecofriendly or not) to make my glass streak free? Good news, over diluted window spray still makes your glass sparkle and leaves a few extra cent in your pocket, which is good news for me.

I also dilute dishwashing liquid, hand soap, moisturizer, juice for the kids (they don't need all the sugar anyway), fabric softener (and it still does the job), foundation makeup and mascara (keeps it from clumping or looking 'whore-y'.

Line Drying

I know, I know. The first thought that comes to mind is poor people with crusty clothes. But have you ever considered the potential impact line drying may have on your wallet? In the summer you pay to have your home cooled, so why dry clothes in a dryer that's going to fight your AC unity. I'm not saying everything has to be dried on a line, but I bet if you do the heavier items that take too long to dry anyway on a line instead, you'll see real savings in your electric bill. I did, and now I'm drying as much as possible on my line. And it's also eco-friendly since you're not burning extra electricity.

Clutter Costs

Clutter costs money, time, energy, and happiness Money: misplaced bills cost late fees, misplaced library books cost fines, etc. Time: digging through clutter takes a lot of it. Energy: digging through clutter takes a lot of it (again). Happiness: who likes digging through junk and losing stuff?

Advice: get rid of the junk; keep the important stuff organized; after you use it put it away; after you pay it, file it; if it gets dirty, go ahead an clean it and put it away; and last but not least: STOP LETTING THE CLUTTER IN TO BEGN WITH!!(of course, this is the most difficult to do, especially if you live with others:)

Moisturizer

This may be a bit of a stretch for some people, but I'm very oily skinned, so this works really well for me. I buy oil free facial moisturizers, which are about 90% water, and I add more water to it to do a couple of things: 1) thin it out because I am a habitual over-applier which means I waste it and end up with an over moisturized face (not good for an oily girl), 2) make it last about an extra month.

Like I said, this in one of those things that's not up everyone's alley, but that's okay, it's all about ideas!

Deli Meat

Problem: price, at $5.99/lb who can afford more than a couple of shavings on a sandwich.
Solution: slice your own. Bulk ham is about 1.59/lb, bulk turkey (for slicing) about 2.99/lb.

If you don't have your own meat slicer, I wouldn't go out and buy one especially for this, but if you know someone with one they would like to part with, or find one at a yard sale or thrift shop - go for it. I can thinly slice a 5lb. ham in about 6 minutes, the I separate it out into 1lb stacks and use my foodsaver to freeze it and keep the frost off.