Friday Read & Write: The Budget Is Tight!

This week I picked up a couple of new books at the library because we are kicking the credit card habit and living within our means and our means are pretty small.  One income and seven people is a practice in severe dollar stretching. Yet, it can be done because we are doing it!

The first pick is Making It: Radical Home Ec. For A Post-Consumer World by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen. The book is divided up into sections; daily needs, weekly needs, monthly needs , seasonal needs and infrastructure (solar cookers, dry toliets, honey extractors).  I'm hoping to find ways to reduce expenditures and if an alternative to shampoo does the job then I'm sold.

My next pick is The Key: How To Write Da** Good Fiction Using The Power Of Myth by James N. Frey.  As we need money, I need to start producing writing that provides income. My first love is fiction so why not harness the power of myth in my novel?

My third pick is a book I already own.  The 2013 Writer's Market Guide.  I am using it to find and enter writing contests and to get my articles, poetry and short stories to the right people and hopefully published.

Of course my writing has to come after everything and everyone else on the homestead so it is a challenge.  But of course, one I welcome. Why not throw one more plate up in the air.

On an ending note... my daughter found out that it costs $175 to participate in our local Homeschool Performing Arts play this year.  Our funds are too tight to contribute to this but she has started a fundraising campaign using Go Fund Me.  If you feel led to help her out you can go here and contribute.  Every dollar helps.

Have an awesome day!

Getting Ready For A Garage Sale

I've been cleaning, sorting, purging the entire house.  We have too much stuff.  Garage sale time! Next week Wed.- Fri. 8am to 5pm.  Stop by if you're in the area!  You need my stuff!

Frugal Friday- Free is good! True Beauty!

My four beauties!

And one crazy boy!

If y'all head over to http://safethusfar.blogspot.com/ she is having a giveaway sponsered by Vision Forum. You can win your choice of one of five different VF conference albums- one of which is on raising Godly daughters! That was my pick as I currently have 4 lovely daughters and perhaps the Lord will bless us with more. You have to hurry though! The give away closes tonight at 10pm! (EST) God Bless!

For more Frugal Fridays head on over to http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/

Frugal Friday- Dave Ramsey

The DH and I went to see Dave Ramsey live last night. Even though there was a hoard of people at the sold out venue, we still managed to have a good time and walked away, not with new knowledge (well some facts were new to us) but with a vision. He used a clip of a gazelle trying to avoid getting eaten by a cheetah as a visual on how we should be trying to avoid debt. Worked for me.

This morning my son counted his money and had me price a video game he wanted. He tried to convince me that he had most of the price and I could just pay for the rest. Uhmmm... not! Seemed like a good time to start in on the "save till you can pay for it fully" lesson and start moving him away from instant gratification. It is, however, much easier to be good when it is not your money and desire that is in the way.

Now we have to come up with a budget and stay on track. We are on Baby Step One. Not sure how we are coming up with $1,000 but it will be time to look at our "stuff" really carefully. We really are in for a total money makeover and lots of delayed gratification. We are definately not purchasing a house without 20% down and are even considering 100% down.

I recommend Dave Ramsey to any one. You don't have to buy his books or pay to see him live. Listen to him on the radio or tv. He's not saying anything new but he is really good in the motivation department.

Mom, would you be angry if I sold my china?

For more Frugal Friday posts, check out www.biblicalwomanhood.com

Frugal Fridays- Homemade Basket Filler

I don't know about you, but I hate spending money on Easter grass. I would much rather come up with my own version then shell out my husband's hard earned cash, paying for shredded paper.

Anyone with their own paper shredder (which is quite a few people these days) can make use of their shreds for Easter basket filling. It's frugal and "green".

Start with an empty basket. Fill it to your liking with regular shreds. Pick a matching or coordinating color of construction paper or tissue paper and shred it. Add the color to the top of the basket and there you have it, a basket ready to be filled with Easter goodies.

Have a great Easter. Praise be to God for his wonderful plan of Salvation through the death and ressurection of His son, Jesus Christ!

For more Frugal Fridays go to http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com and see Crystal's blog.

Frugal Fridays- Outing at Lake Michigan

I love living in Western Michigan. We are only 1/2 hour from Lake Michigan. It is fun to go to the lakeshore in all seasons. In Summer we swim and lounge, in Winter we awe at the ice formations on the lake, in Fall the forest foliage adds beauty to the beach. I will count today as early Spring.

We need to take my youngest to the doctor very near the lake shore and since we will be in the area we will stop by the county park. From Memorial Day to Labor Day there is a nominal charge but the rest of the year is free.

We will be bundled in winter coats but it is fun to explore the forest paths and see where spring is bursting forth. In a few more weeks we will be flying kites, and packing picnics.

For more Frugal Fridays go to Crystal's blog at http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/ .

Christmas Tray Finds

I found "such a deal" at a local thrift store! I went in looking for a couple Christmassy plates, tins or trays so that the DH could take treats to work and not have to worry about bringing the plates home. I found a plastic Christmas tree shaped tray for $1 and a pretty plastic plate with a jolly looking St. Nick on it for .50 cents. I was good to go. I figured I was saving at least half buy purchasing them used but when I got to the counter I found out that they were both half price. I paid .80 cents total! (Tax you know.) What a deal and so much more festive then tinfoil or one of our everyday plates. Yeah!

Garage Sale Treasure Hunts

I posted yesterday about treasure hunting and the head mistress over at http://exoticeatingexperiment.blogspot.com/ commented on garage sales being her treasure hunt. I, myself, find it hard to concentrate while shopping garage sales because I've always got my kids with me and I always seem to end up in front of the beanie baby box with them begging and after one or two stops they want to go home.

How do you all successfully garage sale? I always hear of wonderful finds but I have yet to discover any. I'm thinking that, for the up coming season, that I will make lists of things for my kids to search for at garage sales- not for them to buy but just to keep them busy- like a scavenger hunt. Any one have any great tips on finding the right stuff, the right sales, the great price and doing it with a handful of kids? Please chime in!

For more frugal talk pop over to www.biblicalwomanhood.com and check out Crystal's blog.

Frugal Family Time: Finishing Christmas Gifts

Here are some simple gifts the kids and I put together for their boy cousins. It is hard to think of things to "make" for boys. We have a number of bottles etc. left over from our body care business we used to run, so we used some of those. We also had a large Costco bag of M-n-M's on hand (we just finished potty training). I had the kids sort the colors and put them in the bottles decoratively. Then we made name tags on the computer and glue-sticked them on. A bit of ribbon, we had on hand, tied and curled around the tops and they are ready. Easy and frugal and the kids had a blast. Tip: Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to pick up inexpensive bottles and containers for gift packaging.

For more frugal ideas for gifts and for family time check out Frugal Fridays over a www.biblicalwomanhood.com on Crystal's blog.

Frugal Fridays

An easy and frugal way to make your house smell great: pour whole cloves (or your favorite spice) into a pot with some water and place it on your stove top. Turn on the burner to high for a couple of minutes to get the water heated and then turn it down on low. The scent of the spices will waft through your house. For more Frugal Fridays go to http://www.biblicalwomanhood.com/ and check out Crystal's blog.

Frugal Friday- paper shreds

So we all know to shred our personal documents right? What to do with the shredded paper? Yes it can be turned in for recycling but did you know you can reuse it at home. 1. Use it to stuff gift baskets. 2. Use it to pad items you are shipping. 3. Create your own home made paper with it 4. Use it as fire starter. 5. Use it as confetti for parties.

If you want to add color use wrapping paper, construction paper or tissue paper in the shredder.

I'm really not to worried about anyone trying to piece together my info.

Multi-purpose sprout lids

I love these lids. Not only do we grow sprouts in a jar with them but they also are used for cookie cutters (for sugar cookies) biscuit cutters (instead of having to buy some) craft templets (for a just right circle) and colorful toys for toddlers. I'm not especially gifted at seeing past an objects intended purpose but for some reason I can do lots with these. Look around your home... what do you have that can serve another purpose?

Frugal Fridays

This is a different kind of post for a Frugal Friday. While I am working to stretch the dollars my hardworking husband brings home I also want to contribute to the family income the way the Proverbs 31 woman did entrepreneurly. I have been blessed/cursed with an entrepreneurial spirit. Here is a list of things I have thought that I might be able to do.

Lampshade design, cushion design, home fashion design( aprons, pot holders etc.), handbag design, video production (on home making and frugality), game inventor (relating to homemaking, frugality etc.), Homeschool tour organizer, Herb grower/seller, vegetable/fruit grower/seller, flower grower/seller (u-pick also), raising chickens and selling eggs, breadmaker, pie maker, cookie maker, cheese maker, dessert maker, calligrapher for hire, greeting card maker, photographer of stock photos for homemakers, cookbook writer, novelist, ebook writer, self publishing, web magazine, web newsletter

Here is my question... as frugal women what types of services above (and any I might not have listed) do you see a demand for or would spend your stretched dollars on and why?

Homeschool Field Trip

Kudos to Classic Corners Inc.- Fine Art and Framing of Hudsonville, MI! For my children's art class on Friday we were studying how artists use light in their work. So of course I wanted to show them the work of Thomas Kinkade- The Painter of Light. One can look at his work online and in pictures (like the calender we have) but I wanted them to see what happens in one of his actual paintings when the lights are lowered and brought back up. (Lights seem to come on and go off.) We don't have an actual gallery in our immediate area but Classic Corners advertised that they have Kinkade paintings so in we went to see if they had light set up for dimming etc. They did and they were great to us. They allowed us to work the lights ourselves and take as long as we wished. Then I allowed the children to each pick a small postcard of his work and went to pay and we were told that we could have them free of charge. Then the man at the counter asked if we wanted to borrow a video tape on Kinkade. Yes! Of course! He came back with two tapes. One for us to borrow for a week and one for us to keep. How generous! Just for taking the time to be kind, helpful and go out of his way for us, even though we weren't there to purchase anything, he gained our patronage because I will go back to the store before any other if I need any services they provide and I will recommend them to others. My kids asked if we could get a Kinkade painting- not knowing what art goes for. I laughed and told them that since we couldn't live in one of his paintings, wear it as clothing or eat it that it was not feasible at this time. They will have to make due with their postcards and our calander.

A picture for this post will come as soon as my techy husband comes home. I'm having trouble with downloading them from camera to computer for some reason.

Update: The process is working just fine today with no help from the DH. Technology is so fickle!

Frugal dinner - Beans and rice!

Tonight I am putting on a crock pot of black beans to simmer through the night and the rest of the day tomorrow until dinner time. I love this meal because it takes so little work to prepare, it is yummy and filling AND it is really, really CHEAP!! I put half a small bag of black beans in my crock pot, cover them with water, add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and turn the pot on low. Tomorrow morning I'll add any seasonings (and a touch more water if need be) and continue to cook it on low until its time to eat. (5:00pm is what I shoot for.) About 1/2 hour before dinner I cook some rice in my rice cooker, heat up tortillas, prepare any toppings (lettuce, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, guacomole) and then dish up! Not a fussy meal at all! I usually will serve some fruit as a side with this meal but that is it. Easy Peasy.