Economizing Measures

Making Some Changes

2009-12-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

I am making some changes to facilitate having more time to complete importnat tasks in my life. One of those changes is to stop posting on this blog. While I feel the information I have shared is important and helpful, I also do not want to be redundant by posting on the same topic over and over.

I am sure there are lots more topics I could cover, especially if I did some research on those things that do not apply to my life, like weddings and children and family issues. Being single has its own issues and I feel I have addressed pretty much all of them here already. I have touched on some of the others when something ocurred to me, but since I am working full time again, I no longer have the luxury of time to do research on extra things.

All that said, I thank everyone who has read the posts herein and especially those who have taken them to heart. I hope some others may still stumble upon this blog and maybe learn something new.

For those that would dearly love to have tips and hints and more to read each week or day, use this link http://blogsearch.google.com/

and enter a word like saving, frugality, simple life, recycling, thrifting and so on. You will find many more sites to add to your reading list.

There is a possibility that I will add content at some future time if a pertinent subject comes up, but for now I need to cut back and regroup. Thank you all again for reading.

I will still be posting on my regular blog at http://canterburycottageherbals.blogspot.com/ all about my crafts, pets, gardening, herbs, and so on.

Simply Simplify

2009-11-28T10:12:00.000-06:00

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. -- Henry David Thoreau

I read quite a lot of Thoreau in my late teen years. It has always stayed with me even when I have not heeded his words. The older I become, the more I read and the more wisdom I gain, the easier it is to see that Thoreau was right all along.

That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. -- Henry David Thoreau

I seem to be getting rid of things that I have long held onto because of silly reasons. They were gifts, they were expensive, everyone else has one, etc. I performed a major de-cluttering earlier this year and I am still working on it. I think it may be an ongoing process for a while. Almost every week I have a grocery sack of stuff to donate to the charity shop.

I'm not saying I have stopped buying things we need, nor have I stopped buying items like books that we 'could' live without. I am not into depriving my mind of stimulation. But I do buy most items second hand. What do I care if there are notes in my newest cookbook? Or a couple of dog-eared pages. It is still perfectly readable and much more affordable. Borrowing from the library is great except you can't keep it forever and some book I like to read over or refer to many times.

The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run. -- Henry David Thoreau

I no longer use credit cards, I never use short term loans and so far we have had enough even when something goes wrong. I had a car repair this week and thankfully had enough to take care of it. I have cancelled the Direct TV totally even though I am now working again, because I found I didn't need it and I did not watch enough of it to justify spending a whole day's wage to pay for it each month. Movies I own and my new found radio programs as well as my books are my entertainment. This has simplified things and slowed down my pace.

I am really enjoying the slower pace. It is amazing how one can get all wound up on having to do everything quickly just by watching the fleeting images on the TV screen. Commercials especially flip from one image to another so fast you don't have time to think, and thus feel you must go purchase that item because you just have to. I don't feel that anymore. My stress level is almost non-existant. Of course my new job has a bit to do with that as I love it and I can move at my own pace.

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone. -- Henry David Thoreau

I feel very blessed and more real since I started on this simplifying road. It may be the one less travelled, perhaps that's why it is so peaceful, but I encourage everyone to try it.

Drive Thru Breakfast Time

2009-11-14T08:31:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make. Since I got my new job I have gotten lazy and have been buying my breakfasts. I know it costs more, I know it costs too much even for a $1 sausage biscuit at McDonalds, when you do it every day. I also know it is not healthy. Some days I have even gone to the Donut Shop for a kolache and a donut when the line is too long at McDonalds. I know all this, so why have I done it especially since it is also not very healthy? Laziness pure and simple.

For less than it costs me to buy breakfast for 2 days I can eat for 2 weeks on oatmeal. And I like oatmeal. But it means I can't keep hitting the snooze button, that I actually have to get moving a litlle earlier. I'm awake, just don't want to get out of my warm bed. I told you, pure laziness.

The steel cut Irish oats are my favorite as they are nuttier in taste and have some texture, they are not just mush. But they do take longer to cook, at least 20 minutes. So I am resolving to make my breakfasts from here on out and if that means I cook the oats in the evening while making dinner and just reheat them in the morning, then that's what I am going to do.

My heart will thank me, possibly my waistline will thank me and I know my pocketbook will thank me. Even the planet will thank me for creating less garbage from all those napkins and bags and wrappers. And if you are wondering why I don't just eat cereal with milk? its because my innards can't tolerate milk any more.

So, where could you save money and possibly be healthier and/or greener if you just stopped being lazy in one area?

Thrift Store Buying

2009-11-01T20:40:00.000-06:00

I have written before about buying things you need from thrift shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army and a myriad of others you may have in your local area. I thought I would bring up the subject again just as a reminder to those of you who don't usually shop these goldmines or have never thought of it. I'd also like to clear up some confusion some folks have about these shops.

The items in charity thrift shops are usually donated by local people when they de-clutter or clear out after someone has passed away. Sometimes local stores donate unsold items that are brand new with tags still on them. A local motel donates used but very serviceable sheets to one of my nearby stores. What I am trying to show is that it is not all junk no one wants or worn out clothes only fit for rags.

Items I have gotten this year include 2 beautiful jackets nearly new for $17 that I am positive would have $75 or more each retail, 2 new corner shelves for my kitchen redo for $1 each, brand new books with the dust jacket in pristine condition for $1 each, peruvian wool yarn, enough to make a sweater for $5, a stack of about 20 or so cross stitch patterns to resell, some brand new, a box full of evenweave linen in various colors for cross-stitching, some still marked at $20-50 per piece and I paid $20 for the boxfull. Several really nice shirts for my resident poet at $3 each and a vintage basket to keep my knitting in for $5.

Think about what you need and before you go off to the local department store or big box store, check the thrift shops first. You may not always find what you need but sometimes you do and always at a rock bottom price.

One blogger I like to read set out to not buy anything new for an entire year and they are still mostly living this lifestyle. They have discovered the joy of the hunt, the mystery of what can I do with this?, the satisfaction that they are reusing something that might have ended up in the landfill and the blessings that come from giving your money to a charity that uses it to help other people or animals.

Why not try your local charity shops this week. You may be able to cut your Christmas present budget and not use that credit card, you can feel good about where the money went, you can even use it as a tax write off!

Soup to Save $

2009-10-17T19:30:00.000-05:00

I have written about making soup before, about how time saving and money saving it is as well as how nutritious. This week I tried something new I read about on another blog on cooking. It was so very simple and delicious and saved uneaten food from being thrown out which is very wasteful, especially in the pocketbook.

What you do is take all your leftover vegetables and whizz them in the food processor or blender with a bit of water or broth. I had leftover potatoes and carrots from a roast pork dinner and we were tired of eating them, plus the pork roast was all gone. So I whizzed up those while also sauteing some onions and garlic for a flavorful addition. I whizzed those too. Then I took some leftover smoked sausage and peeled off the casing, cut into chunks and whizzed that to add to the pot. We had a bit of gravy left so in it went and of course water to thin things a bit.

It was wonderful, a thick flavorful soup that we had for supper and lunches the next 2 days. The lady who wrote the blog article says she uses anything left over and it always seems to come out good. The one she had made was a green color from the green vegetables she used, mine was orangy from the carrots. Make it as thick or thin as you want, it is wonderfully warm comfort food.

Excellent for someone not feeling well or who can't chew well and for babies too!

Remember you can home can the leftovers!

Stockpile It!

2009-10-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

Creating a stockpile of food is one of the best ways to save money and to be prepared in case of an emergency situation. Some folks have a 2 week stockpile, others have 2 months or even 2 years worth of food. The choice is yours.

The easiest way to do it is over time, a little at a time. Buy extra when something goes on sale. We are talking non-perishables here. Filling your freezer with meat that is on sale is great until the electricity is out for a week, then whatever you haven't cooked and eaten is lost. This is why I recommend learning to can foods using a pressure canner. That way even meat will last indefinitely. You can also buy food or condiments in the huge cans and can it in smaller jars, it saves a lot do that also. But if you do not can your own food you can still purchase a little extra each trip. If you can buy in bulk like at Sam's or Costco you can save money on your extras that way too.

(Do not store home canned food with the rings still on as this photo shows. It traps moisture and causes rust which may rust through the lid as well.)

Think about what foods you want to buy extra of. Rice, beans, canned goods, cereals, flour, sugar, peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, pet food, toilet paper, soap, etc. Only buy items you like as there is no sense in stockpiling stuff you will never eat or use. Some items like pastas, beans, cereals, flour and sugar you may want to transfer to airtight containers to make sure you do not get pantry moths or ants. Good plastic containers or empty jars with tight fitting lids of all kinds work well. Clear containers work best for me as I can see at a glance what I have. Check freecycle and thrift stores if you need to get some more containers.

Once you start stockpiling and your pantry is full, where do you put more? Organize closets to give you more space or store things under the bed. It's amazing how much stuff can be put under the bed and hidden by a bedskirt. Some of those under bed storage bins are helpful. How about under the sofa? There are lots of unused spaces in our homes if we get creative. Attics, sheds and garages are not good choices because of the temperature fluctuations. Very short term only or for items like bottled water. Those who live in hot climates sometimes build out cold rooms with insulation and a small A/C unit, some people have basements or root cellars which are excellent as long as they are not damp.

One thing you will want to do is to go through your stockpile and organize it as you use items and replace them. Put new stock at the back just like the grocery store does. You can use a marker to date the cans and boxes to make it easier. Remember that the canned items are not bad just because the date on the can is past, as long as it is not bulging or rusty or leaking, it should be ok. Cereals and dry beans will not be at their best for more than a few months. Most home canned and tin canned foods from the store will last years. If you ever open anything and it smells bad, throw it out. Older fruits and vegetables sometimes will not be at their best color or they may break down but are still fine to eat.

Some folks, especially those with a large stockpile, make a list of what they have and keep it up to date. It's best to clean and organize at LEAST twice a year so you don't end up throwing food away because it is no longer good to eat.

Check out this link for some more stockpiling tips and food recommendations: http://www.birdflumanual.com/articles/foodStockpilingTips.asp

The stockpile I started last fall when I was told I would be laid off in 5 months really saved me when I went on unemployment. Groceries have not cost much and even though I am now employed again, I am keeping up my stockpiling as it saves money in the long run.

Banish the Vampires!

2009-10-08T16:30:00.000-05:00

No, not your favorite Twilight vampires....electricity vampires!

I just received my newest electricity bill and it was half what it was last year this same time, less than $70. Why? I can only put it down to the fact I am using less electricity in 3 areas. One is I am not using the dryer as it is not heating. How 3 loads of laundry a week can make that much of a difference I don't know.

The other things are I am putting the computer to sleep when not in use and since I turned off the DirecTV I only turn on the power strip for the DVD player and TV when I'm actually watching a movie, it doesn't stay on all the time.

Here's your guide to things that suck electricity like vampires suck blood even when not in use. If it has a light that stays on or a clock that stays lit up even if you don't have it turned on or if it is run by a remote. In my house it is the TV, DirecTV box, DVD player, clock/radio which I need for the alarm, microwave, window a/c unit, stove, power strips and battery chargers for phone, camera and weedeater.

The DirecTV box, DVD player and TV are all on one power strip so it's easy to just switch it off when not in use. The a/c unit will soon not be needed--I'm in TX remember, and I'm trying hard to remember to unplug chargers when they are done. The stove and microwave are impossible to unplug and I use the clock on the microwave as the house clock.

So if you want to save some bucks on the electric bill, turn off and unplug. One of the easiset ways is to plug stuff into a power strip and then when you're done using the stuff, just flip the off switch. I can't promise your bill will be cut in half, but if you put up a clothesline as well it just might!

Tobacco for Less

2009-09-30T19:32:00.000-05:00

Let me preface this post by saying I don't smoke, never have. But many of my friends do as well as my resident poet. Many of us are on tight budgets and need to save where ever we can. Some folks would say stop smoking but some things are very hard to stop. I do not judge people for smoking. There are way too many other habits that are more destructive in my opinion, so please don't send me hate mail.

That said, here's some tips to save some money since our present US government has decided to tax it to death. You could slow down on how many cigarettes you smoke. You can buy by the carton instead of the pack. If you are near an Indian Reservation, most sell tobacco cheaper than elsewhere. You can purchase out of state or online but beware as you may receive a tax bill from the government as one lady I read about did. It was exhorbitant. You have been warned. Also you want it from a reputable source as you don't want to be smoking anything but tobacco.

My resident poet rolls his own cigarettes using papers like the ones above. The loose tobacco is about half the cost of pre-made cigarettes. It was about 1/4th till Mr. O decided to fund healthcare for illegal alien children with proceeds from hiking up the taxes on it. Still, rolling your own is a very economical way to go if you really can't or don't want to quit. Not sure you are dextrrous enough? Zig Zag makes a handy little roller that practically does it for you.

If you don't want people thinking you might be smoking a joint, or you prefer a filter, you can get tubes with the filter attached. They come in menthol as well from several different makers. For these you will need to buy the filling machine, a plastic gizmo that fills it in a split second.

Where do I get this stuff you ask? Any tobacco shop should have it all and you can purchase papers, tubes and the machines online from various places including Amazon and Ebay. Just be careful of buying tobacco itself online for the reasons mentioned above.

Saving your Clothes with Mending and Altering

2009-09-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

It looks like with my new work schedule that this blog is going to have weekly posts rather than twice a week. So look for a new post sometime over each weekend. That's not to say I might not do more, but it seems the best I can commit to for right now.

This week I'd like to give a crash course in mending clothes because it will save you from buying more clothes and spending too much in having items repaired. Most people either own or at least have seen little sewing kits like the one above. They can be found in most stores, even grocery stores. Handy to have, especially when traveling, but not the best for real mending. The threads in these kits tends to be inferior and break easily.

There are minimal items needed: needles, thread, scissors, tape measure, pins and seam ripper.

For needles, any sharp needle will do, I suggest ones with large eyes for ease of threading. Most people wet the thread and poke it into the eye, I wet it, hold it tight between finger and thumb, the end barely showing, then slide the needle eye over it.

For thread I suggest getting small spools of general sewing thread in white, black, brown, beige, blue and any other colors you normally wear. I have a lot of teal and purple clothes so I keep those colors on hand. There are 3 types of thread you will find in a fabric store; general sewing, quilting which is thicker and stronger and buttonhole twist which is even thicker and stronger. If you sew a lot of buttons on you might want to consider the buttonhole twist in the color you use most.

For scissors I suggest the small embroidery scissors as you can use them to cut open seams or cut off old buttons. A regular pair of sewing shears is very handy if you need to shorten hems quite often or need to cut pieces of fabric. The #1 rule with these is to never ever, NEVER EVER use them for anything other than fabric or thread. Paper, plastic and so on will dull them to the point they will need sharpening and it is very hard to find someone that does it and does a good job these days.

A tape measure is needed if you are going to be hemming slacks or skirts and dresses. Most are a coated fabric for durability.

Pins are used to hold fabric in place and any kind will do. I've even used safety pins when that was all I had to hand.

A seam ripper is the handiest to use for opening seams although you can use embroidery scissors if you are careful.

The sewing shears will be the most expensive item here and they are optional. Most of these are about $1-2 each.

Most everyone's grandma had a box or tin with these items and more than likely lots of odd buttons too. I suggest that when an item is past wearing, to cut it up for rags and save the buttons for use on something else. If you lose a button or 2 you may find enough in your stash to replace the whole lot on your shirt and give it a whole new look without buying any. If you have ever looked at the price of buttons these days you will know its worth saving them.

Sewing on lost buttons is the easiest thing to do, simply in and out the holes enough times to hold it on well. It if is a shank button with a flat back and a loop sticking out the process is similar in that you are tacking down the loop part to the fabric. It is best to take your first stitch not too tight and then to wrap the thread several times between the loop and the fabric before making more tacking stitches. This strengthens the whole thing which you will need as mostly these kinds are used on coats and jackets. Sewing snaps is pretty much the same as buttons.

Most blouses and shirts come with extra buttons --I save mine in a decorative box in the bedroom-- If I don't have any extra but totally lose one, I will often use a button from the bottom that gets tucked in a waist or from the top if I never button the collar as they will never be seen or missed.

The other main thing you will want to learn is to hem. Pant legs, skirts, dresses and shirt sleeves are all hemmed the same. It usually costs about $7 to get a something hemmed, which isn't a lot but what if you can save that much and only use 30 minutes of time while watching TV?

If you only need to turn the hem up once it is usually easier to leave the old hem in place and fold it up and stitch, then press with your iron. Keep your stitches about 1/4 ' apart and do not pull them tight or you'll get puckers. Thread a needle with about 18", knot one end. Pull through the old hem or the inside edge to secure it. Move forward in either direction about 1/4' and catch 1-2 threads of the fabric which is the back side of the main body and then up through the hem edge on the inside. Just keep repeating till its done and knot the end.

If you are short like me and need to remove several inches of fabric then you will want to measure the inseam (inside leg seam) of a pair of pants that is the right length - same with a skirt using the side measurement. Alternately you can put them on inside out and have someone else pin them up in place for you. Trim the extra off but leave 1 1/2 -2" for the hem. Measure twice, cut once! Moving around the hem turn the raw edge under at least 1/4" or more and pin it in place as you go. Then you are ready to hem it. You can make shorts from long pants, short sleeves from long sleeves this way and extend the life of the garment.

These are the most needed alterations and they don't even require a sewing machine.
One other thing you may need to do is repair a split open seam. Match your thread color and just resew the seam with a running stitch -- up, down, up, down -- taking the smallest stitches you can. I sometimes go back over it several times depending upon where the split is and how much strength it needs. If you have a sewing machine it's even faster to mend.

From here you can go on to learn to put in gussets to give you a little more room, let seams in or out, replace zippers and so on. About the only repairs I recommend taking to the professionals is if it needs re-weaving because of a hole or tear. It is worth the money on a quality item.

If you have any questions please post them in comments and I will answer. I have many years experience in sewing and am happy to help.

Autumnal Decor the Natural & Cheap Way

2009-09-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

Most women and some men I know like to decorate their home and table for the Fall and the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays. I hope to inspire your creative side with today's post while also saving your pocketbook from a beating.

When I was a child growing up in Michigan where you actually have fall color, I would collect leaves in a myriad of autumn shades and iron them between 2 pieces of waxed paper to keep and display. You can still do that and they make a pretty display in window. Taking a step upscale from that, why not use some of the perfectly free craft supplies that Mother Nature provides every year in the form of leaves, pinecones, dried grasses (some call them weeds), ferns, nuts and acorns and seed pods. A little hot glue, twine and raffia and you are set to go.

How's this for a quick and easy idea? Looks like they used lavender but you can use any dried grasses or cattails. (Spray cattails with sealer or hairspray to keep them from popping out with fluff and making a mess.)

Simple is best, it's the old less is more adage. A branch or two of colorful leaves or berries, or maybe some sprigs of fern and you have a very pretty bouquet. Put it in just about type container from the glass ones shown here to even just a tin can for a more rustic look. Tie on a twine bow and there you are. And no watrer needed! Add a few leaves instead of petals or confetti on the table and you have a very festive look.

If you grow gourds or pumpkin, use those along with pinecones, leaves and nuts in a big bowl or on a big platter. I've even put something similar on my coffee table. Adding a pretty colored leaf to the napkin is a wonderful touch anyone can do and it looks so elegant. If you buy smaller pumpkins for Halloween but don't cut them, you can use them for Thanksgiving also. Mom used to get a small pumpkin and cut the top off and clean it out, then assemble a bouquet in it for the table. Add cut flowers if you have some from the garden or again go for the dried grasses and cattails, small branches and such.

This is probably the prettiest idea I saw online. Just a piece of cloth, burlap would look great, a leaf and some raffia. If you don't own votive holders, save small jars or ask on freecycle.com in your area for baby food jars, someone always has plenty. Also with jars you have a lip so with a little wire you can make hanging candle holders!

Wreaths are always popular and if you can find some vines growing on your property you can wrap them into a rustic wreath and hot glue pretty leaves and such to it. Just make sure it's not poison ivy! I've also used the cheaper straw wreaths and glued things to them or you can use the styrofoam kind and wrap with some scrap fabric first. Check you local charity thrift shop before buying anything from the craft store, I quite often see old grapevine and straw wreaths in mine. They also have plenty of baskets oh so cheap and those can be painted or left plain. Then add your nature collection and sit it on the porch or hang it on the door for a new look.

Take a nature walk and collect your free materials. Come by my house and you can have all the pine cones and sweetgum balls you want. You may even find some magnolia seed cones. If you have kids, get them to help too. I once taught a girl scout group how to make pictures by glueing leaves and twigs and such they collected to a piece of poster board. One little boy who had joined us made a wonderful frog picture as the green leaf he had chosen was just the right shape.

If you are buying fruit anyway to eat, why not fill a bowl or a glass hurricane or some other container with the fruit as your table or counter decor. Add in a few leafy branches and there you are! I hope this has inspired you to try new things and to see how you CAN decorate even if you have no budget for it.

As a green postscript: All your natural decor can go in the compost pile when you'r done with it. Mother Nature will give you a whole new supply next year.

Shades of Max Headroom

2009-09-07T12:51:00.007-05:00

photo courtesy of Vayne Solidore

I'm getting on my soapbox today because something has just irritated me once too often.

Perhaps you remember a TV show called Max Headroom from some years ago? The basic premise revolved around the fact that the populous all had TV sets, even the homeless had access to them, they were on 24/7 and off switches were illegal. The media were in control of pretty much everything and controlled the people through the TV which they needed almost like a drug. Sound familiar yet? The intro picture was always "20 minutes into the future..."

That time is no longer in the future, in fact it is fast becoming the past. With infomercials on almost all channels past midnight and ad time sometimes half of the slotted show time, even sponsor ads on public TV, you would think everyone had bushels of money to spend on stuff they don't need. But they are not done yet, oh no! The advertising departments have devised even more ways to part you from your money.

Most stores have music playing, some way too loudly for my taste, and of course for years they have made announcements of store specials. Those don't bother me so much and sometimes they even inform me. What really ticked me off was when they started putting TV sets in every store trying to push merchandise on me that I don't need or want. Blaring away louder than the music piped in and annoying the hell out of me. Kroger, HEB and Walmart have them and the other day I had to go to Walgreen's. Imagine my thoughts when I walked past an end cap with pens on display only to have a motion detector turn on a screen blaring away to me about the pens!!! Like I don't know what to do with a pen! There were several of these and I think I must have passed every one. One can't even shop for needs anymore without being accosted by this kind of stuff.

Along those same lines, what is it with all the TV sets in almost every restaurant these days? It used to be sports bars had them and maybe the bar area of a restaurant had them, but now they are in every corner and then some of most restaurants I visit. The place I used to work had 2 in the break room going constantly. Maybe I'm weird but if I go out to eat it is to have dinner and conversation with others at my table or to read a book if I'm alone. I don't need to watch a 4 foot TV of the latest Dr. Phil show, news or soap operas. And they never turn it off if you ask, shoot, they never turn it down if you ask! Some places I don't go anymore because of the situation.

Here's another reason that having those insidious TV sets everywhere annoys me: People stare at the thing so hypnotically no matter what is showing. They cease to converse and interact with each other, preferring instead to stare slack-jawed at a box spewing mostly garbage. And they don't even realize what they are doing! Its almost as bad as cell phone users...but don't get me started on that subject. Does anyone else find this intrusive practice annoying?

If you have never seen Max Headroom, you might try renting it or borrowing it. If you are a fan and would like it in your collection this link offers the entire collection for $24.95 http://fantasticflix.net/product_info.php?products_id=425

It's a great almost sci-fi show, I think you'll find it enlightening. Of course, being a great show was guaranteed to get it cancelled after one season.

Saving by De-Cluttering

2009-08-28T23:15:00.005-05:00

I like to post at least twice a week and I apologize that hasn't happened this week. I started a new job and I am getting used to working days instead of nights, getting used to being away from home after being laid off for 4 months. It's a big change but a good one as I really love my new job.

This post will be a bit different as I want to write about something I'm doing that in the long run will save me money, but you wouldn't think that at first. What I have been doing since I got laid off from work is going through the house and decluttering. I can't have a yard sale where I live so it has all gone to the charity shops as donations. The short list of how it is going to save me money is:

1. I won't buy something a second or third time because I can't find it. ( I found 3 hole punchers!)

2. You reap what you sow and I have already benefited because of donating so much stuff. Freebies from the charity shop girls, etc.

3. Selling a few items on Etsy or EBay has netted me some extra gas money, technically not saving but I spent less of unemployment money.

4. Less clutter means less stress so I don't need to buy more St. John's Wort.

5. Less stuff in the house will make it cheaper to move one day.

6. I can see what I really have and make better use of it which keeps me from buying more stuff.

There are many sites on the net that will teach you about decluttering as well as several TV shows. I've seen them and read them and learned a lot. The one thing everyone says is how much lighter they feel after the purge. I feel it too. I can be a pack rat so here's how I looked at it in order to actually do it. I took William Morris' quote literally:

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe beautiful."

Add to that 'If I haven't worn or used it in the last 1 to 1 1/2 years I am not going to, so get rid of it.'

Those 2 quotes (the second one is mine) held me in good stead. I took one area or room at a time and filled grocery sacks which I hauled to the charity shops sometimes twice a week. The small bags make it easy to carry and you feel like you have done a lot when you fill one. Tackling a small area at a time helped so that I did not lose focus or get overwhelmed. Even if it is one drawer or one box, it IS progress. I am by no means done. I continue each week with organizing more things. Organizing is the flip side to decluttering. This helps everything have a place which helps everything stay in place. Not having a place for everything is a large part of how this house got in such a mess to begin with. I did not have the messiest house in America so I didn't need the Clean House crew to help me, but some areas were a bit overwhelming.

One thing I did was to use a plastic tub or box to put things in that didn't go where I was cleaning. Then I had to figure out where they went and sometimes it was AWAY. Some things like craft supplies, tools and mailing supplies got a new home in a re-configured closet. You can see that on my other blog. Just shelves but it made a world of difference. An unused area in the living room has become home to storage drawers for tools and craft supplies very near to my free desk my resident poet brought home for me. I am also thinking about WHERE I put things. Will it be a convenient place near where I use it so that I WILL put it away? So far so good.

I have shifted not only where things used to go but also what they are stored in. Last weekend I patiently took apart all the 200+ music Cds and put the discs and booklets in one large notebook case that will fit on an empty shelf under the CD player instead of in 2 large wooden box holders and a shelf in 3 different rooms. Less to dust, gives me more shelf space, weighs less and is easy to use. I should have done this years ago. The plastic cases are difficult to recycle but some people use them for crafts, picture display or to replace broken ones so they are going on freecycle. I tool the time to remove the paper from the back of them and that went in the recycling box for paper. The notebook case weighs less than one of the wooden boxes and with a handle it can easily be carried anywhere. It was less than $20 at Wally World and I feel it was a good investment.

I did buy plastic drawer bins and 4 tubs at Wally World on sale but I also got 7 at one of the charity shops for $2 each. Again, a good investment as they will last for years. I'm not a huge fan of plastic but it's cheap, lightweight, gets the job done and won't be seen.

Here's a site on dealing with clutter I have found helpful, they even have free calendars you can download to motivate you daily. http://unclutterer.com/

I say do a little at a time and keep going, its working for me.

The 3 R's, or is it 4?

2009-08-23T19:45:00.004-05:00

What I wanted to write about today was how you can save money from literally ending up in the trash as well as helping out good old Mother Earth. This is the only home we've got so we need to take care of her. Don't worry, I'm not about to get all smarmy on you. What I am talking about here is save yourself money by reducing your purchases of things that get thrown away because they can't be recycled - like paper towels and napkins, paper plates, Styrofoam and so on. The amount of money some folks spend on these items in the home is atrocious. Try cloth napkins, rags for cleaning, real plates, cups, glasses and flatware and take your own reusable containers to the restaurant for leftovers. The amount of water you use washing them is much less than what you spent for the item and the trash man to haul it away. And speaking of trash, check out this chart

*
Decomposition Rates
Paper 2-4 weeks
Leaves 1-3 weeks
Orange Peels 6 months
Milk Carton (VOC) 5 years
Plastic Bag 10-20 years
Plastic Container 50-80 years
Aluminum Can 80 years
Tin Can 100 years
Plastic Soda Bottle 450 years
Glass Bottle 500 years
Styrofoam Never!That's definitely something to think about. Below is a chart of the different numbers used for plastics.

1= Soda bottles, water bottles, vinegar bottles, medicine containers, backing for photography film

2= Containers for: laundry/dish detergent, fabric softeners, bleach, milk, juice, shampoo, conditioner, motor oil. Newer bullet proof vests, various toys, trash and shopping bags.

3= Pipes, shower curtains, meat wraps, cooking oil bottles, baby bottle nipples, shrink and cling wrap, clear medical tubing, vinyl dashboards and seat covers, coffee containers.

4= Wrapping films, frozen food bags, sandwich bags, squeezable bottles, flexible container lids.

5= Tupperware®, Reusable microwaveable ware, syrup bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, microwaveable disposable take-away containers; disposable cups and plates.

6= Disposable cutlery and cups (clear and colored), bakery shells, CD cases, meat trays, "cheap" hubcaps, packing peanuts, Styrofoam insulation, Styrofoam cups and plates and egg cartons.

7= Products labeled as "other" are made of any combination of 1-6 or another, less commonly used plastic.

Be aware that not all recycling stations will take all numbers of plastic. In fact most will not touch numbers 6 or 7 and some only take 1 and 2.

Plastic is undeniably the biggest trash headache in the world, so think about what you buy and use and see if you can cut down on even a little of it. Cloth shopping bags are a great example and last for years and I find them much easier to handle than the plastic ones - they don't get holes poked in them! How about eggs in paper rather than Styrofoam cartons, reusable drink containers filled at home, take your own cloth or net bags when buying produce or bulk foods. Things like that are so easy and cost less.

And now for some good news, according to Wikipedia, the quantity of post-consumer plastics recycled has increased every year since at least 1990. In 2006 the amount of plastic bottles recycled reached a record high of 2.2 trillion pounds. So what else can you do? Buy products that can be recycled instead of thrown away if you can't replace it with a non-trash destined item. Buy products that contain recycled content including:
Paper products like notepads, tissues, paper towels, cardboard boxes, and printing and letter paper
Plastic products like trash bags, fleece jackets, and sleeping bags
Home Building and Repair products like recycled-content siding, recycled content-asphalt and aluminum roof shingles, and wooden doors and wallboard.

So put your hard earned money into things that will last buying quality, Reduce by buying second hand and using your own containers and bags, Reuse that cloth napkin or rag, set up a home Recycling area and have Respect for our old Mother Earth and each other.

Children's Birthday Parties

2009-08-19T18:26:00.003-05:00

OK, it's not that I ignore the expenses associated with children, it's just that I don't think about it because I don't have children unless you count the 4-legged furry kind that go "meow". But I got to thinking about birthday parties and how they have changed over the last 40 years. Most people now plan a huge excursion to Chucky Cheese or some other horrendously expensive place or have an organized theme party at home in a perfectly landscaped yard with a petting zoo, magician or clown. They also feel they have to invite everyone in the school class, the Sunday school, neighbors and cousins. You just know the sky will fall if you forget someone that invited your child 2 years ago to his party.

All kidding aside, huge organized parties like that may be fun and memorable but are way over the top. The top of your budget. I suggest a change in plans that you may find just as fun and memorable, less stressful and definitely easier on the wallet.

First of all, have your party at home or a friend or relative's home if yours is too small. I would suggest the backyard if it is warm weather or the largest indoor room you have, perhaps even the garage.

Tables and chairs. Children are not that picky, gather all you have, use pillows if need be, covered with extra pillow cases for easy clean up. Or how about blankets or sheets on the floor or ground like for a picnic? Be creative and think outside the box. Of course, if it is a small party maybe your dining room table will be just fine.

Decorations. Why spend all that money for decorations you will use once and throw away? You can still have a theme party if that's what your child wants, but look to your creative self again. What can you and your children make instead of buy? How about flag and pennant buntings like those pictured below? Use paper or fabric scraps, cut and glue or tape to a string. One lady used old wrapping paper she had and made paper fans and hung them the same way upside down for her daughter's party. Cut out shields and have your kids draw designs on them with crayons or markers. You could use cardboard or cut up cereal boxes even. How about coloring book images? Balloons are fairly cheap and lots of places will fill them with helium cheap. Of course there is the old fashioned crepe paper that's also inexpensive.

Make your decorations part of the food. For a medieval feast I helped organize many years ago, we made Viking boats out of watermelons and filled them with melon balls complete with a paper sail on a skewer. We made bread in simple animal shapes like turtles and bears. We also used pita bread as plates.

Food. Make easy, no mess, make ahead snack foods instead of the usual chips and dip. Add carrot and celery sticks. I ate my weight in carrot sticks at a birthday party I went to as a child because they were novel, I had never had them before. Cut cheese into cubes and maybe have some goldfish crackers for a pirate party. Check some recipe sites online for appetizers and go with non messy finger food. The cake and ice cream can both be homemade but store bought is OK too. Maybe Grandma wants to bake the cake for you? Instead of sodas, how about lemonade or Kool-aid or a fruit juice punch? There's lots of recipes out there.

Entertainment. Kids need to be involved, not just sit back and be entertained. How about old fashioned games like one that used to be called party line or telephone. The 1st child whispers a sentence to the next person and so on around the room. The last person repeats it aloud and it is usually very different from what it started as. Hot potato played with a ball is fun, we even played that with a hacky sack in a recent training I went through for work. The old pin the tail on the donkey, pictionary, charades and many more are all great fun and pretty much free.
*

Presents. Presents are for the birthday child, not the guests. I am not sure when guest presents or favors started being used but they seem silly to me. If you insist on them try to come up with something that won't just get thrown away and added to the landfill. Perhaps some cookie treats to take home or pictures of the group quickly printed off your computer if you have a digital camera. Or how about autograph books made from whatever paper you have, cut to the same size like 3" x 5" with 2 holes punched and a ribbon or yarn or string tying them together. Maybe the guests would enjoy making their own as a group project. Add some drawings to the front and let everyone sign each other's book. Now that's memorable!

If you truly feel you are not creative and just can't make your own stuff for the party, try freecycle.com in your local area. I see people offering and asking for party stuff all the time. Check your dollar stores as they may be cheaper than the party stores.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy the day. No one will care if your yard or house is not perfect, the kids just want to have fun and so should the grownups.

Alternative to TV

2009-08-16T21:12:00.004-05:00

If you've been reading this blog for a while then you already know that I suspended the DirecTV for 6 months. I don't have a converter box so I don't get local channels either. I have been watching the movies I own and picking up some at charity shops for $1 each. My machine plays both DVDs and VHS tapes so it works out well. I also splurged and signed up for Netflix which I think is a great deal. I believe Blockbuster has a similar plan.

What I have realized is that I really don't need to watch TV and after the first few weeks didn't even miss it. Will I be starting up the DirecTV now that I am starting a new job tomorrow? Doubtful. And when the 6 months are up I am not sure I will keep DirecTV, we'll see.

What I have discovered in the last couple of weeks is that talk radio can be very entertaining. If you like talk shows, you can listen to talk radio hosts rant about all kinds of stuff. That tends to wear me out though. If you are interested in christian programming, there are stations that have talk shows and preachers as well as music. There is even an old time drama show from Chicago on one of our local stations. There are kids shows reminiscent of the old Mickey Mouse Club features. Of course there are sports programs galore for all you sports nuts out there. A local classical station has some educational spots amongst the music and who could resist The Prairie Home Companion?

I am somewhat of a night owl (which will change tonight) and a program I have found fascinating and entertaining is Coast to Coast. If you have never heard it and even if you don't think you are interested in paranormal stuff, give it a listen. The other night they were discussing Einstein and his life and work. Sometimes it is aliens or crop circles, ghosts, time travel, past lives, esp, and so much more. You can learn about Bigfoot, the jersey devil and thunder birds.

So if you are in need of cheap--make that free--entertainment, take a lesson from Grandma, just turn your radio on!

If you would like free downloads of old time radio programs check out this link: http://www.glowingdial.com/

Finding Craft Supplies for Less

2009-08-12T18:00:00.003-05:00

Most people have hobbies even if it is just watching their favorite TV program. Some hobbies can be quite expensive like scuba diving for instance, but most only get costly when you need to replenish your crafting supplies. If you have kids you may go through a lot of supplies. Here are some ways to save money and even get supplies for free.

Watch the papers and flyers for sales at your favorite craft stores, some have sign up lists and you'll get an email or a flyer in the mail. Hobby Lobby, Michael's and Joann's Fabrics are just a couple of these stores and when they have markdowns after a holiday I like to snatch up items that are up to 80% off. One thing to remember is to only buy items you know you will use otherwise you are wasting your hard earned money. Also check out the dollar type stores in your area, you may be surprised at what you will find.

Once again, remember to look through your local charity shops. Many times I have found sewing, embroidery and knitting supplies as well as glue, paint, Sculpey clay, glitter, wood, beads and so on. Check out the office supply area for paper, binders, acetate sheets and look over the frames with or without pictures or glass. Lots of folks will buy old paintings on canvas and gesso over them to paint what they want at a much reduced price from retail on a new canvas. See if the old wallpaper rolls will suit for a project other than your walls like scrapbooking, collage or decoupage. I remember my favorite coloring book as a child was an old wallpaper sample book, which you can still get for free from most wallpaper stores.

Making your own supplies. If you do a Google search you'll find articles on how to make your own Playdough, salt dough and so on. You can make clay items without buying anything if you live in an area that has natural clay. Mostly in the southern US you'll find red clay or gray colored 'gumbo clay'. Just dig some up, add water, knead it for a while and you can sculpt to your heart's content. Sun dry or bake in the oven and it will last for quite a while, it's how the Native Americans did it.

Go to yard sales, estate sales, auctions and resale stores. Try freecycle in your local area. I see lots of people offering all types of craft supplies and others asking for certain items. It never hurts to ask. Craigslist is another site to check out for free items.

Think outside the box. Before you put that cereal box in the recycling bin, could it be cut up and used for crafting? How about old magazines, newspapers, paper sacks, glass jars and so on? Look up tutorials on making yarn out of plastic grocery sacks, or fusing them into thicker plastic for other crafts. Braid bread bags to make rugs for the porch. So much of what we throw away can be reused for crafting purposes.

Check out these links for inspiration and tutorials:

http://dollarstorecrafts.com

http://www.craftster.org

http://crafttutorials.net

http://www.instructables.com
*

Do an Internet search and you will find hundreds more. Remember to ask yourself, what else could I use instead of the suggested item. It could be lurking in your closet already.

Save on Back to School Supplies

2009-08-04T20:59:00.005-05:00

It's that time again to stock up on school supplies. Even with the tax free weekend now including supplies it can get fairly pricey. If you are on a budget and need some alternate solutions to shopping at your local mega mart, stay with me.

Let's try free. FREE! OK, I probably have your attention now. Check over the school supplies left from last year. Get crafty. Could the binders and notebooks from last year do just fine with maybe a coat of paint or a new cover? Decoupage paper, photos, fabric, stickers, just about anything to an existing binder. If you don't have mod podge, try watered down white glue. Have your children draw or color on paper bags, butcher paper or any scrap paper and use that. Add glitter, sequins, etc., etc., etc.

Check your paper supply, you might still have some hidden away. Pens and pencils can sometimes be gotten free at local businesses, just don't grab a handful, play nice. Banks are a good place for pens, check yours. Of course that means you need to go in not just do a drive thru trip.

You might also join freecycle.com for your local area and ask if anyone has what you need.

After free, low cost is best. Check yard sales and thrift shops. One near me always has a plethora of binders, file folders and other office type stuff that will work just as well for school supplies. Don't pass by the binders with printed business names, just get creative. If you don't see it, ask. They may have pens and pencils, crayons and such where children can't get to them and you can't see them. Sometimes you can get them for free if you are in need.

These same places are a great place to look for school clothes too. And if you are handy at sewing, try clothes a bit too large and alter them or cut apart an adult item to remake for a child. This is probably easier for girls' skirts than anything else. Shoes, backpacks and lunch coolers can all be found at these places too.

You may not find everything you need for free or at the yard sales and thrift shops but it never hurts to look and it could knock a chunk off your bill at the local Wally World.

Cooling Summer Drinks and Treats

2009-07-30T17:12:00.003-05:00

Summer heat is upon us full force and keeping cool drinks around can get expensive as well as add way too much sugar to your or your children's diet. I'd like to offer some suggestions for cheaper and more healthful options. First of all, plain old water! Cheap, good for you and we all need a lot of it especially in the summer heat.

OK, so the kids want something for their sweet tooth. Instead of sodas and power drinks, try fruit juices. Make sure you get real 100% fruit juice not the juice cocktails. The juice cocktails have a lot of fructose or corn syrup in them. Real fruit juices can be pricey even at Wally World. Try the local dollar stores. My Dollar General has the big 2 liter for $2 of grape and cranberry juice, $1.50 for apple juice. You can mix them for a fruit punch or add a cup to a 2 quarts of plain iced tea rather than adding sugar. I like to add a glug or two to plain water for a more refreshing alternative.

If you grow your own fruit or get a good buy on them, whiz some up in the food processor and add water for your own juice. Although I do not advocate using the throw away cups in the above picture. If you grow mint, crush a sprig in your hand and add to your glass for extra coolness.

If you are really broke there is always Koolaid, just don't add so much sugar, it really doesn't need that much. I only use about 1/2 what they say but you'll need to taste it and see what you like.

For refreshing frozen treats use any of the combinations above and freeze in plastic cups or Dixie cups if you have them and make Popsicles. The sticks are available where ever crafts are sold and are very cheap.

Do you have other recipes or ideas you'd like to share? Please leave a comment.

How to Re-Decorate with Little or No Money

2009-07-27T18:58:00.003-05:00

If you're like me, when you have the time you have no money to do those large re-decorating or remodeling projects. Since being laid off I have been De-cluttering and organizing. Since I knew about the layoff several months in advance, I was able to plan for the lean times and it has truly helped having a stocked pantry and freezer. So I am able to do some projects while I have the time, but I still need to not spend much.

The picture above is my kitchen. Very small as are most kitchens in single wide mobile homes. These are the cabinets and counter top she came with. One of the first things I did 9 years ago was to texture and paint the walls as the wallpaper was a hideous dark green and dark red stripe with vines. Absolutely, totally H.i.d.e.o.u.s! I have been stuck with the mint green counters though for lack of funds to replace it. I also have a very large collection of vintage red handled kitchenware that has overtaken the kitchen. So some major re-doing is in order.

A decorator friend said how about putting some of the kitchenware in a glass crock? Didn't have one, but I did have a gallon size jar from my grandmother's house that holds quite a few of the smaller pieces. No money spent there!
I thought how about wire baskets? Didn't have any so I went shopping. None of the charity shops had any, so I stopped at Hobby Lobby thinking maybe I could get at least one. I was able to get 3 as all the garden stuff was marked 1/2 off and then they took another 80% off of that! My kind of sale as I got 3 different wire baskets for the same price I would have paid at a charity shop, $7 for all, the picture above is of one. And the hatchet looking thing is for chopping ice I think.
*
Next I wanted to change the wall color and paint the cabinets. Paint is cheap, especially at Wally World. I got my inspiration from a blog I like http://theletteredcottage.blogspot.com/ . She painted her cabinets black and added corbels. I will be adding corbels also, since I don't need many and they are about $9 each at Home Depot. I didn't want black cabinets but I did want a darker color. the picture below is a test spot of a color that is growing on me. I will paint a black base with the brown/gold on top and distress the edges. Paint techniques are fairly easy and give you a lot of wow factor for not much money. And if you hate it just paint over it.

I am just dry brushing a golden color over the existing paint and texture so I won't need as much paint as if I were totally re-doing it all, another savings. The 2 tiles are counter top options or back splash. Another option for counter tops is probably the one I will go with, which is to just use wood and soak it with linseed oil to repel any water. I did some price comparisons for my 27 sq ft counter area: Corian $1100 installed, Formica $850 installed, premade Formica which I would have to cut down (scary) $300, tile $270, wood $60. This was a no brainer for me.
*
Now for most projects I try to find my materials at the charity shops or on freecycle or craigslist for free or low cost. This project may be more difficult as I need really good wood for the counters so it will probably have to come from the store, not many people giving away oak or birch sided plywood. But doing the labor myself will save tons. I will need someone to install the faucet though, not because I can't but because I am unable to crawl on my knees to work under the sink. I have a friend though who will help me and my bad knees.
*
The rest of the project will be to texture the walls in the dining and living room as it is all open to each other. I already have a 5 gallon bucket of sheetrock mud and if I didn't it is so cheap as to be ridiculous. I will buy the paint in the right color as I will be living with it for a long time. However I have used paint from the charity shops and cheap $5 gallons from Big Lots before with good results. You don't always need $40 a gallon designer name paint.
*
Re-using what you have in a new way is another no cost way to re-decorate. Sometimes it is fun to remove all small items and pictures from a room and make yourself replace them with items from other rooms. This is especially fun in the bathroom.
*
I got a lot of my ideas from watching shows like Design on a Dime and Decorating Cents and even From Junky to Funky. Blogs and other websites can be a gold mine of inspiration and I keep a file to save pictures I like for reference. The library can be helpful with books on paint techniques and decorating ideas as can the internet. Do a blog search on your style or your project and you will find lots of cool sites, most by others who did it themselves. All of the information for free. I'm not knocking decorators, they do a great job, but when you have no money....time to try your own hand at it. You may discover a whole new talent and you will surely gain more confidence and keep more money in your piggy bank.

Saving Water, Saving Money

2009-07-24T13:57:00.003-05:00

Water. We all need it, we all use it, our planet is 75% water. You would think water would be cheap since there is so much of it. But ... most is in the ocean and is too salty to use for drinking and other things. Also, the fresh water we have available is polluted quite often and must be treated to be usable. Water treatment and sewage disposal are expensive, hence our water bills sometimes get very high, especially in areas where there is drought or low water tables.Here are some ideas for saving on your water bill and for saving water in general which is good for the planet.

First, if you have any leaky faucets or toilets, repair them NOW! They can cost you plenty, especially toilets, I can attest to that. My water bill with a toilet that kept running even though we replaced the guts ran my $50 a month bill up to $97. A second gut replacement fixed the problem. Don't skimp, buy the more expensive parts, they are cheaper than the water bill will be.

It's a super hot and dry summer here in Texas and the plants in my garden are suffering. In order to save on the water bill, water in the early morning when it's cooler to stop evaporation, hand water plants with your hose rather than using a sprinkler, use soaker hoses to get the water right where you need it - you can even bury the hoses. You can also put in french wells, sometimes called ollas. You can use any extra pot , clay or plastic as long as it has a hole or holes for drainage. Bury it almost to the rim between plants, it works extremely well in vegetable gardens. Then fill the pots with water so it goes straight to their roots. Use mulch like grass clippings, bark, pine needles or newspaper to hold the moisture in as long as possible. Use drought tolerant and native plants.

Unless you have one of these fun toilets, put a brick or a sand or water filled soda bottle in the tank to displace the water. This is for the older tanks that use 3-5 gallons per flush. Save water in a bucket while the shower heats up or scoop out of the tub and use that to flush the toilet - double duty! Some folks don't flush all day unless it is #2. When replacing a toilet, try the new ones with 1/2 and full flush options.
In the kitchen I put a pitcher under the faucet while waiting for the water to warm up and use it in the cat's bowls or for watering plants or if I am going to need water for cooking or drinking. When I hand wash dishes I use a bowl or dish pan and dump that into my mop bucket for watering plants outside. The soap won't hurt them. If using your dishwasher, make sure you fill it before you use it and air dry to save a little more on electricity. You can install inexpensive aerators on kitchen and bathroom faucets as well, and don't forget about the new low flow shower heads when it's time to replace yours. This can save gallons per shower.
*
If you have the option, you can divert the gray water from your washing machine to a barrel outside or drain it into a wash tub sink in the laundry room. Again this can used to water plants outside if you are not using a water softening agent. Using cold water to wash clothes will work just as well and you can save a little more here on the electric bill.
*
When washing your car start with the roof and work down soaping from a bucket first then turn on the hose to rinse. Do it in sections so the soap doesn't dry. Try to wash it on a grassy area so you don't have runoff into the street sewer and it will also water your lawn.
*
If you have any more water saving tips or stories, please leave a comment. The more we share, the more we learn, the better we live.

Christmas in July

2009-07-20T01:28:00.003-05:00

I know it is only July but it is time to start thinking about the gift giving time that comes in December. For most people it is the most expensive time of year, especially if there are children in the family. I am going to put forth some different options to the usual Christmas shopping that most folks do.

Now I'm a little odd in that I really don't do much in the way of Christmas presents any more. There are no children to consider and as my family and friends are all in the second half of their lives, none of us really needs more stuff.

But sometimes I do give gifts and I like giving handmade ones like the soaps in the picture below.

If you make soaps, they make lovely gifts especially when combined with a hand knitted or crocheted wash cloth. These are very nice for teacher and co-worker gifts or anyone you don't know all that well.
I also make bath salts and scrubs and they are also nice presents for the ladies in your life and are not hard to make, the internet has hundred of recipes, even children can make bath salts. I put mine in recycled jars like jelly jars and I decorate the lids. I also include a spoon picked up at the charity shop or a yard sale for pennies.
*
But maybe soaps and salts are not your thing but baking is. A vintage tin or a box of homemade cookies, fudge or some other goodie that keeps well is always a welcome gift. I put together a basket for my boss one year of homemade canned pear butter, jelly and pickles and he really appreciated it. Baskets of all kinds can be had for less than $1 at most charity shops and you may even have some hanging around in your closet. It they don't look spiffy enough, a little spray paint at $1.39 at Walmart will spruce things up.
*
If you sew, how about a garment, pillow, table cloth, quilt, etc.? I have given all of these at one time or another. I also gave a tablecloth and matching napkins as a wedding gift once. Buying the fabric and cutting and hemming them myself was quick, easy and much less expensive than buying a ready made set. And the fabric matched the colors they were using in their dining room.
*
Maybe you draw or paint or take great photos like the one below. They can easily be printed out on your computer printer in any size and framed using a frame you already have or one picked up at a charity shop or a dollar store. It's amazing what nice ones you can find for a low price. If you have some watercolor paper or pick some up at Walmart, print on that for a different texture and it will give you the look of a painting. Play with the options in your photo program for more artistic looks and don't forget to sign your work of art.

Perhaps you cross stitch or do other embroidery, maybe you like to create items made of wood, put together great scrapbook pages, make gorgeous cards or jewelry, write and play music or act (think Cd's or DVDs). Do you write stories or poetry, are you a genealogist? You could put together a book on your computer of your work, make multiple copies for family members. Just share what you love doing, you are sharing a part of yourself and it will mean more to the recipient than a new sweater from the department store. All this goes for children too, they love making things and I remember making some of the neatest things in grade school for parents and grandparents and they were treasured for years.

If you feel you are not creative or crafty, then think about gift certificates of services you can do for your loved one, like babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing, etc. Check out the charity and resale shops to see if there is a vintage something someone on your list would appreciate. These places are also great for finding items for children as there is usually a plethora of games, toys and stuffed animals which can easily be cleaned or books in decent condition. Check your local freecycle or craigslist and you may find what you want there either free or low cost.

Another option I have seen and done before is to either make a donation of money or better yet, volunteer time to a charity in the name of the giftee. This is a good lesson for children in helping the less fortunate be they human or animal and in showing the true reason for all the gift giving without buying into all the commercialism. These are presented as options and as always, you will need to decide what is right for you and your family. For me and mine, being together and sharing a special meal and a special day with thanks to God is enough, anything more is tinsel on the tree.

If you have other ideas for low or no cost gifts, please add a comment.

Keeping Your Cool

2009-07-16T19:04:00.003-05:00

It has been exceedingly hot here in the Houston, Texas for weeks now. Record highs over 105, high humidity and very little rain have made for a blistering summer that started in June and we are all trying to keep cool. It's been hot enough to make me believe there might be something to global warming other than just a cyclical climate change.

But how do we keep cool without emptying our bank account? There are several ways that will work. If you have central A/C, set your temp up higher. It might not be as comfortable but will save you money. If you have a programmable thermostat, use it and set the temp up to 90 degrees F when you will not be at home, why waste all that energy and money is no one is there to enjoy it?

The next thing you can do is utilize fans. They are vastly underrated in my opinion, I couldn't live without them, all year long. The fans pictured above are table top models, they come in a variety of sizes, are usually metal or plastic and they oscillate. Oscillating fans will help keep the air moving and moving air is what makes you feel cooler even if the temperature is high. This type of fan is also available in a pedestal form. Most types will have 2 or 3 speeds and usually have a switch to keep them from oscillating if you prefer.
This is my all time favorite kind of fan, I have 2 at the moment but at other times I have had as many as 5. Again, these will have 2-3 speeds and are usually made of a metal frame with plastic grids and blades. Known as box fans, I also call them window fans as they fit nicely in a window to either draw in or push out the air depending on what you need. But be WARNED, do not leave them in the window if it is raining as it will kill the motor if it gets wet and could cause an electrical fire hazard.

And this is your normal type ceiling fan. Some people love them, others hate them, but they do cool the room and help keep it warmer in winter if you utilize the directional switch, clockwise for winter, counterclockwise for summer. These come with or without light kits ,some have remote controls or work on a wall switch. 5 bladed fans work better than 3 or 4 bladed ones and a 30 degree tilt on the blade is excellent.
*

All fans will help to keep you cool and use a lot less energy than the A/C unit. You do however need to keep them clean. Most fans come apart easily for cleaning and make sure your pieces are dry before putting it back together and turning it on.

An old trick is to put a block of ice or a bowl of ice in front of the fan to cool the room. The same principal is used by the outdoor water mister fans. Another old trick is to sleep under a damp sheet or to dampen your clothing. This, of course, is for times you are home with just the family about. Cotton and other natural clothing in a light weight is the best as it breathes and absorbs sweat. Cool showers several times a day do wonders. I can attest to these as I have spent weeks without electricity in high heat and humidity after hurricanes have come through the area. I also lived for 9 years without any A/C, just fans. Use light blocking shades or film on your windows to keep out the hot sun. I have also seen where you can mist water and stick up bubble wrap as an insulator, of course this may not be feasible if your neighbors complain or if you can't afford the bubble wrap.

I have read where window A/C units are much more efficient than central air. I have a small unit in the bedroom because last year we had some trouble with the central air and it took some time to get it repaired. Because of that experience I can say I believe the statement I read is true up to a point. If you are only cooling 1 or 2 rooms I think it is cheaper, but if you need to cool the entire house and the house is large then it is probably not. And don't forget to close off vents and rooms that are not being used to save a little more.

And when I lived those 9 years without A/C I had my own way to keep cool, use someone else's! I would spend time at the library or you could walk the mall, window shopping only, LOL. Visit friends who can afford to run their A/C. Go outside and play in the sprinkler! Or play in your neighbor's sprinkler if you need to save water. Many communities have a pool available also at no charge.

Have you got any more tips to share? Please comment!

Making Changes to Save Money and be Green

2009-07-14T15:38:00.007-05:00

Everyone knows what these are. The question is, how many do you use per month? How many end up in the landfill? How much money are you literally throwing away each month?

OK, I admit I buy them too. But in my defense, I try to only use them to clean up really yucky stuff like cat puke. Sorry for the grossness here. We are a 2 person household with 1 indoor cat, I buy 1 roll of paper towels about every 2 months. For all the regular messes that need cleaning up I use rags. You know, those holey t-shirts, odd socks, threadbare towels cut up. I have a stash under my kitchen sink for cleaning, painting and dusting. Since the paper option is getting so expensive for the decent kind, about $2 a roll, I find the rag option to be a more economical one and greener too as it makes less trash and uses less trees. And we need trees to breathe.

How many of us have used the throw away paper version of these beauties? I have a glove compartment full from when I last did drive thru breakfasts, months ago. And at one time I bought paper napkins to use each day. But I got a stack of 12 cloth napkins at a resale shop for the same $2 it would have cost for a package of throw away ones and these are reusable. And I can have fun folding them in all the pretty shapes in the picture above. Here's a link where you can learn how: http://www.customlinenservice.com/napkins.htm
You can also make your own by hemming squares of fabric. Get creative with embroidery on them. I am able to reuse mine for a day or two before washing as we each have our own to use. Saves water and trees!
These little sponge gems are most often made with petroleum products and usually don't last very long anyway. They get smelly and dirty way too quick. I have switched to homemade knitted dishcloths out of cotton yarn which is about $1.25 a skein and you can get 2-3 out of every skein. (If you don't knit and don't care to learn, you can always use a rag from the rag stash.) Cotton works best and they will usually go 3-4 days before I need to wash them. Different households may have slightly different results. But if you wring them out and lay out to dry you don't have to wash daily. The knitted cloths also make great gifts.
*

This is a close up of a metal pot scrubber. These work great but very soon get rusty and have to be tossed in the trash bin. As a greener option try the plastic scrubbers, but you can always make your own with net bags like onions come in or any extra netting you may have in the sewing stash. Making your own scrunchy scrubbers is a good kid's project too, maybe they will even clean those pots for you! These will last longer than the rusty metal ones and you can use them gently on Teflon.

Have any more ideas? Please make a comment and share.

The Economical Soup Pot

2009-07-11T14:09:00.004-05:00

I am in the cooking mode today and thought I would share what I like to put on my table at least once a week. SOUP!

Soup is one of the most economical meals you can make, and the food budget is quite often one of the largest expenses in the home. For those that garden, the produce you grow can save a lot on your food budget, but for those of us who cannot grow much due to space limitations or those who don't grow anything, we must buy everything we eat.

Most often I use no recipe for soup as I make a typical vegetable soup with left overs and add in anything else I may have on hand. Usually I start with left over meat and broth, it can be anything from pot roast, chicken, ham, sausage to even hamburger. Lots of people like fish also. I typically freeze leftover meat and broth if not using it immediately, just so we don't get tired of the same taste day after day. So in the pot goes the meat cut small and the broth or water with broth mix. Then I add any dried beans or peas that may need a longer cooking time. Next is any root vegetables like fresh carrots, potatoes, onions and such that will also need a little longer cooking. Closer to the end I add any left over cooked vegetables I may have in the refrigerator that need using up, canned vegetables, herbs and spices to taste.

Sometimes it is just a few ingredients, sometimes a lot. If I don't have much in the pot and need to fill it out, I'll add barley. If it needs thickening I'll add a little oatmeal and on occasion I have used instant potatoes. No broth? I have started soup with tomato juice and tomato sauce before. Works well if you are vegetarian as well.

This week's pot had beef, beef broth, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, lentils, barley, tomatoes and jalapenos. I like lentils as they cook faster than other legumes.

I have a huge pot and there is just me in the house this week so today I am canning the rest in pint jars for future use.

Soup - one of the easiest dishes to cook, one of the healthiest dishes to eat, one of the tastiest dishes to serve

And why did I choose medieval images for this post? Not just because I love all things medieval but to illustrate that soup has been a basic food since time immemorial.

Our green note for today is to make your own vegetable broth out of all kinds of vegetable pieces you might normally throw out. To water add carrot ends and peels, celery trimmings, onion ends, cabbage and spinach leaves, in short any vegetable matter that is clean but not what you want on your plate. Boil this and let it reduce, you can add herbs and spices near the end, garlic also. Then strain and freeze or can for later use. Either add the strained leavings to the compost pile or bury in the flower bed and it will add to the nutrients in the soil.

Recipes for soup are everywhere, don't be afraid to modify what you find, experiment and have fun. If you wish to add a favorite soup recipe, please make a comment.

Grocery Store Savings

2009-07-08T16:06:00.002-05:00

I just learned something new about grocery shopping that may help others out on saving money as well.

There's a grocery store I don't go to much as it is not as close to home, but being in the neighborhood for a resume writing workshop, I went in as they have great prices on their own fresh bratwurst. The name brands are usually $4.99 for a package of 5 links, this store makes their own and they are $1.99 for 5 links. Hence I like to stock up if I am near the store. I stopped in on Monday, the first day AFTER the holiday weekend (July 4th). They had apparently overstocked and didn't sell as many as they thought they would. I was able to pick up a total of 6 packages for $1.00 each. I am making a reminder to myself to check after a holiday weekend to see if meats usually grilled are marked down. I notice there are always holiday item marked down but never thought about regular food items before.

Stockpiling is one way to save lots on grocery bills. Buying in bulk at places like Sam's, buying like items when they go on sale and so on. It does need to be something you will actually eat, as it is wasted money if no one likes it. You also need to have room to store it. Stockpiling helps you to have plenty on hand for weeks you don't have a big enough income to buy much. As an example, I bought chicken breasts when they were on sale for 99 cents a pound, boiled and canned them for chicken salad, stirfrys, casseroles and such. They could also have been frozen but I don't have a large freezer and this way I still have food if another hurricane knocks out power for a week or two. Something to think about.

Refurbish Your Clothes Closet

2009-07-05T19:13:00.003-05:00

We all need clothing, and we all need to replace it at some point. We all know how to shop a sale at the Mall but there are other ways to save money when shopping for clothing. These ideas will work better for some than others depending on the sizes you need and what type of clothing you need.

No matter whether you need a summer blouse, jeans, a suit for work or even a wedding or prom gown, I would recommend looking at second hand shops first. From consignment shops to charity shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army and a variety of resale shops, they choice is quite large. While it's true you will find 'old' clothes, you will also find brand new, worn once and only worn a few times clothes as well, all for pennies on the dollar. Pretty much all sizes will be available but you will have an abundant choice if you are the average size. And remember that if it is a bit too large or too long, it can be altered to fit at a minimal cost unless you can do it yourself , in which case it is no extra cost.

Also try yard sales, church rummage sales and freecycle.com to find what you need. On freecycle you can even post your want or need. Another free source of clothing is to have a clothing swap. This is quite popular now, simply call together a group of friends to bring to one location all their clothes and accessories they no longer want and trade with each other, and have a get-together at the same time.

If you need maternity clothes, in addition to the sources above, check out this link for more ideas for free or low cost maternity clothes http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/17838/how_to_make_maternity_clothes_from.html?cat=7 There are some really good ideas here.

There is usually a plethora of children's clothing at all the sources I've mentioned and most in good condition simply because children grow out of them so fast. Shoes too can be had for children and adults from all the same places.

Always check the clothes and accessories carefully before you buy and if you can, try them on so as not to waste the money you do spend. You are being frugal and green as you are saving clothes from the landfill by giving them a second life.

And for the green note for today, reuse what you have by mending, when it is too worn for work or school, wear it on off days, when it is too worn for that, use it as work clothes for cleaning and painting, after that use it for rags, quilt or craft pieces, save buttons for other uses. Every small amount kept out of our landfills really does help. Let's take a lesson from our grandparents and our other ancestors and use everything we can until there is nothing left of it. Then, if it is a natural fiber like cotton, linen, silk or wool, add it to the compost pile.

Biggest Kitchen Table Discussion

2009-07-02T11:47:00.002-05:00

One of my all time favorite blogs is having another 'Biggest Kitchen Table Discussion and Challenge' It is time to scrutinize your budget and your life, your spending habits and wasteful habits and try to bring them under control. So Rhonda at http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/ is this week starting with a challenge, to have a no spend week starting on Friday July 3 thought the next Thursday. Please check out her blog for details.

Rhonda also has great posts on gardening and keeping chickens, budgeting tips and many other useful topics if you are trying to economize as well as trying to go green. She lives in Australia and is a fairly well known journalist. She also has a book going to be published about her and her husbands efforts to live a sustainable life.

More Frugal Tips from 1948

2009-06-27T19:47:00.003-05:00

According to my 1948 book, and I'm pretty sure it still holds good today, If you use one higher wattage light bulb rather than several lower wattage bulbs you are saving more energy. That should be true whether you use CFLs or not, but you are using CFLs aren't you? They are expensive but even if you just buy a couple at a time and replace as your old ones burn out, you are saving money in the long run and being green in the easiest way possible.

The second tip is to make sure you dust the light bulb as well as the lampshade , apparently you can increase your light as much as 50%. Lighter lampshades give off more light so you need less wattage, more savings.

I will skip the entire section on getting more heat from less fuel as it is hopelessly outdated as are most of the fix it yourself tips. We just don't have the same types of furnaces, screens, flooring and so on. One really good tip was to fix any leaky faucets or toilets immediately because they will run your water bill up enormously and waste many gallons of water for which you pay twice, the water and the sewer charges.

Mileage stretchers and fuel savers for your car!

Start, drive and stop smoothly, don't race the engine, keep your tires inflated properly and keep up on the regular servicing. Turn off the engine if sitting for even 2 minutes. The best way to save gas is to drive between 55 and 60. If you follow an 18 wheeler with a 100 yard distance safely you can save around 11% on gas consumption as the big truck breaks the wind resistance for you. Plan your errands all for one day and try to make as few stops as possible or try to map out a circular route with mostly right turns. It saves gas and time. Try to avoid excessive driving on very hot days as it wears down the tread on the tires 5 times faster (not sure if that still holds true with today's tires, but it makes sense).

That's about it for the money saving tips from 1948. There were more fun ideas but they didn't necessarily save money and of course, some were not practical at all these days.

Frugality 1948 Style

2009-06-25T09:42:00.003-05:00

I was perusing through one of my vintage household hint books, this one from 1948. There were some odd hints, but also some practical and frugal hints and I thought I would share them with you. These tips are ways to cut costs in your kitchen. The book says even back in 1948 that Americans wasted 20% of their food through spoilage and overgenerous portions that went uneaten. I'm sure that percent is larger now.

Uncooked smoked meats will stay fresh for a long time if you saturate a clean cloth with vinegar, wring out and wrap your bacon or ham with it, then wrap in waxed paper and store in the refrigerator. Same goes for cheeses as well.

To make meat go a long way combine it with rice, cracker or bread crumbs or cereals. This works well in meatballs, meatloaves, hamburgers and such. And don't forget casseroles with their addition of noodles or macaroni or vegetables.

Turn 1 pound of butter into 2: Bring your butter to room temperature and beat it till creamy. Add 2 cups evaporated milk a little at a time. Keep beating until all the milk is absorbed. Chill till solid.

If your milk has turned sour, use it in baking in place of buttermilk. Alternately you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to each cup and deduct 2 teaspoons of baking powder from the recipe. If milk is just starting to turn, restore it to sweetness by adding a pinch of baking soda. If a recipe calls for buttermilk and you don't have any, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and stir.

If your soup is too thin add a little oatmeal to thicken it. I have also used instant mashed potatoes on occasion.

Save the liquid from canned vegetable to make soups and stews. You can also use leftover gravies. (I freeze mine till needed).

Save the liquid from canned fruits to make sauces to pour over cake or ice cream. All you need do is thicken them by heating and adding a little sugar and/or cornstarch mixed with water.

Save your cut off ends of vegetables and left over ends and bones of meat to boil down into broth. This can be canned or frozen till needed. Crack the bones if you can so you will get all the nutrition out of the marrow. Strain and use or freeze or can in jars.

Here's one of mine, we rarely eat the heels of bread but I save them in an extra bread bag in the freezer. When I need bread crumbs I thaw out how much I need and use the food processor to get the crumb size I want. If you toast the crumbs on a baking sheet in the oven til they are thoroughly dried out, you can store in an airtight container in the pantry for a long time. You can make your own croutons in much the same way, just cut the bread into squares and toast in the oven, you can add spices like garlic powder and basil on top, though I would not add olive oil if not using immediately.

I also save left over vegetables for soups in a container in the freezer. I keep adding till it is full then when I make the soup, it goes in near the end as those vegetables are already cooked.

Have lots of leftovers from a too large pot of chili, soup or beans? Can them in pint jars for quick and easy portions, better than store bought soups! Some will freeze well also. I have found that rice and noodles do not freeze well, they turn to mush.

A green note added to this: either compost or bury kitchen vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and egg shells to make richer soil for your garden or flower beds. Do not use meat scraps as that will attract mice or rats. Less in our landfills makes for cleaner air to breathe and it decomposes to enrich the soil. It does not do that in landfills as the ground area is sealed, it just makes methane gas.

Homemade Laundry Powder

2009-06-20T13:05:00.004-05:00

I am copying a posting from my other blog over to here as it goes along with the previous post on cleaning supplies. Hope you enjoy and if you have other recipes for cleaning supplies, please comment.

I have decided to make my own laundry powder as it is cheaper than the ready made, has less chemicals and actually cleans our clothes much better. In fact the first load I washed, cleaned my washer of the somewhat greasy ring around the top of the basket. YEAH! I used the recipe that Rhonda Jean from the Down-to-Earth blog gave but with some minor adjustments as we don't have soap flakes here in the US.
4 cups grated plain soap - I used Ivory soap as I didn't have any plain made up.
2 cups Borax - I used 20 Muleteam Brand
2 cups Washing Soda - I used Arm & Hammer Brand
Mix it all together and use just 2 tablespoons per load.
Yes, really, just 2 tablespoons!

*
I made a double batch and filled my new container you see in the picture above. A vintage bulk size tin with the label intact and an enamelware lid that actually fit it. I was hunting for an enamelware pot and lid, but this caught my eye and I had to have it.
*

Added notes: grate the soap with a large hole grater and be careful of your fingers and knuckles. This laundry soap does not foam or make bubbles and is excellent for use in a front loading washer I am told. As stated previously, it works great in my standard washer.

The cheaper cost of the ingredients and the small amount needed to use make the savings on this pretty good. Another way to save is to add 1/2 cup of plain old white vinegar to the rinse cycle to avoid having to use fabric softener or dryer sheets, both of which cost more than vinegar.

Cheap and Green Cleaning Supplies

2009-06-16T18:49:00.005-05:00

About a year ago I got really tired of spending so much money on cleaning supplies. Toilet cleaner, counter top cleaner, glass cleaner, floor cleaner, etc. Then I read where about 'green' cleaners. They are not so toxic but still cost plenty.

So I started reading some of my vintage household hint books. We're talking 1890 to 1930. Some of their cleaners included items like turpentine, but for the most part household cleaners were made using just a few inexpensive items. The pictures you see in this post are the two main ingredients and if you buy the store brand they are even cheaper than cheap.

Vinegar and Baking Soda (Sometimes known as bicarbonate of soda). I use them for everything. The vinegar has anti-bacterial properties and the baking soda provides the scrubbing action. Just add vinegar to plain hot water to mop the floor, vinegar and water to clean your windows with newsprint for a sparkling shine, add vinegar to your rinse cycle in the washer to not have to buy those dryer sheets, put a little soda followed by vinegar down your drains to keep them fresh and clean and let vinegar sit in your toilet overnight and no more rust or calcium deposits as vinegar will clean coffee pots and any number of items with hard water buildup. Soak a rag in vinegar and wrap it around faucets to get rid of those buildups. Fill a vase with it and the lines of scum go away. Add it to a pan with stuck on, burnt on food and later it will lift away. There are a ton of uses for vinegar, just do a google search and you will see what I mean.

Baking soda is a great scrubbing powder for sinks, dirty dishes, toilets, etc. Add enough vinegar to make a paste or sprinkle it liberally onto a lemon cut in half. You could make lemonade the old fashioned way and save those lemon halves for your cleaning day, they whiten and brighten. Salt on lemon will also work at removing gunk from pots and pans

And how much cheaper can you get for cleaning supplies???? I got a gallon of store brand vinegar for $1.68 and a large box of baking soda for $1.23. It will last me a long time.

And the icing on this cake is that you are not using harmful chemicals you can't pronounce! It's a win win situation.

Saving Money on Groceries

2009-06-13T23:07:00.003-05:00

I went grocery shopping this morning and spent $35 for what we needed for the next week - for 2 people. I could have easily spent more and just as easily could have spent less as I picked up a couple of things to stock in the pantry like tuna. Today I'd like to share some of my money saving strategies for stocking your pantry.

I think we all know about coupons, whether they are store or manufacturer coupons. Some folks are able to save hundreds using coupons and more power to them. I just don't have the kind of time it takes to put together everything to save like that. I do use store coupons if they are for things I will use. Today I got a free gallon of milk for buying at least $15 in groceries. I rarely use manufacturer coupons and here's why. I can get a better price buying the store brand which is quite often made by the same company than by using a coupon for the name brand. Also, most of the coupons in my mail are for packaged foods, snack foods and junk foods, which I keep to a minimum. They are not just unhealthy, they are much more expensive than cooking it from scratch. Convenience foods they may be but they will eat into your budget, no pun intended. You will need to decide what is right for you, but I challenge you to cook real food versus using convenience food and see if you don't feel better and save money too. Also check the store flyers you get in the mail to see what's on sale for the week.

*
I also shop at more than one store, not necessarily on the same day. Get to know your local stores and keep a list handy of who has the best prices on what. For instance, I know I can get the best price on canned vegetables at Kroger if I buy their store brand.

Juices, pet food, cleaning supplies, foil and sometimes coffee are cheaper at one of the several dollar stores. A grocery store 7 miles away has the best meat with the best prices as well as a great produce section with excellent prices. Walmart, of course, will win out on other items. Depending on where my errands take me decides which store I am shopping in that day. I have also found out on which days they mark down produce, meats and bakery items. I am not a baker, so I will buy french bread, rolls and such marked down because they are a day old. Some folks also ask about the vegetables they are throwing out and can often get them cheap or free, I have not done this, but I'm told it works for some. My guess is it will work better at a smaller store than one of the mega marts.

One reason I didn't need to spend a great deal today is that my freezer and pantry are pretty full of meat. I bought chicken when it was on sale and boiled it all, boned and skinned it, canned the chicken and the broth. You could also freeze it if you don't want to pressure can it. 1 pint of canned chicken is enough to make a casserole to last the 2 of us for 3 meals - yesterday I made King Ranch Chicken Casserole, we had lunch, dinner and lunch today, no left overs now.

In the freezer is sausage, bacon, hamburger, cubed steak, pork chops, bratwurst and more chicken in case I want to fry it. All this was purchased over time when items were on sale. I don't keep meat more than 3 months usually. Today I bought only 1 pack of chicken breasts on sale for 99 cents a pound as we already have so much canned in the pantry.

If you do home canning, buy the bulk containers of vegetables and such and can them in pints or quarts yourself. One of those huge cans of green beans is only about $3.50, much less than buying all the little cans. But check the price per ounce, have a calculator with you. For instance I found that buying the smallest jar of peanut butter was cheaper per ounce than buying the largest container of it. This will vary depending on the brand. I usually buy store brands, but some items I will still insist on name brands because of the quality.

Save more by growing your own food, especially the more expensive fruit and vegetables. You can always grow a patio tomato plant and many other vegetables do not mind growing in a pot or tub. Those large plastic bins work very well if you cut or drill drainage holes.

Save by baking your own breads, cookies and cakes from scratch. They taste better too. Try making your own pasta or noodles, flour and eggs are cheap. When I have left over ham, especially with the bone, I make a big pot of beans and can it in pints. They are just the right size to add to a meal and a $1 bag of beans makes about 4-6 pints, which if you bought cans of beans would be about $4-$6. Make soups and can them for quick meals or lunches, some can be frozen as well.

Keep a stocked pantry of staples, buy when they are on sale or you find a good deal. Canned food in tins lasts several years at least and food you home can will last many years, but you'll probably eat it before very much time passes. I keep rice, beans, barley, noodles, pasta and ramen soups as well as canned food in my pantry.

Some people plan their menus and shop with that in mind to keep from buying things they don't need. I like to make sure I've already eaten before I go shopping or else everything looks good and I spend too much. Shop the outside aisles for the real food, not packaged food. If you are buying cereal, check out the cereal in a bag rather than the box, many times it is much cheaper and check the price per ounce.

I hope these tips will help you save on your grocery bill and please leave a comment if you have more grocery money saving ideas.

Recycling - It CAN Make A Difference

2009-06-09T20:50:00.004-05:00

One step at a time, little by little, we can make a difference and make our planet a better place. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to do that. Take a little time and think about it.

PAPER

Paper is one of the easiest items to recycle as almost every school and many businesses have specific dumpsters for paper and cardboard. Many areas have special containers that get put out with regular trash pick up making it that much more easy.

Think about what kind of paper you throw away, receipts, cereal boxes, newspaper, old lists, junk mail, cardboard boxes, phone books, packaging of all kinds. All of it can be recycled into more paper without cutting down more trees or filling up our landfills. You can compost it as well.

GLASS

Glass jars that food comes in can be recycled by most trash pickup companies, ask if yours does. If not, can you use that jar for storing something like screws, beads, art or sewing supplies, herbs, pasta, beans, etc.? I recycle smaller jars to hold my bath salts I make and sell, some hold dry goods or sewing notions. Some are actually good to save for canning food as the canning lids fit perfectly. All others get recycled, including wine bottles and beer bottles and such. Most glass recyclers need to have the colors separated. They can make new jars or bottles and one company even makes counter tops with pieces.

PLASTIC

This one is a little harder unless your trash company or a recycler in your area will take the plastic. Many places have recycling for all numbers of plastic, unfortunately in my area they only take 1 and 2. Texas is far behind California on this one. It's a real shame. However most plastic we use is 1 and 2, like soda bottles, detergent bottles, many food containers, etc. Look on the bottom for the recycle triangle and inside is a number - that tells what kind of plastic it is, they are not all the same. Lots of plastic can be put to another use, use milk jugs with the bottom cut off for plant cloches, cut other bottles to use as scoops, make crafts like piggy banks from bleach or vinegar bottles. I even saw a craft show where they made a beautiful fish mobile from plastic soda and water bottles. Just start thinking outside the box. Plastic grocery bags can be avoided by taking your own reusable cloth totes, but if you have them, some Walmart stores and others have a bin by the door for recycling the bags...or you could cut them into strips and make plarn (plastic yarn) to knit or crochet your own totes!

ALUMINUM

Aluminum drink cans. Here you can recycle and actually make money! I rinse out the cans and crush or fold them to save space and when I have several bags full I take them to my local metal recycler who pays me by weight.

STEEL

Steel cans are what we call tin cans that food comes in. I rinse them, the label can go in the paper recycling bag although the metal recycler doesn't have to have it removed, and again I save them till I have a couple of bags full. I take them along with the aluminum cans to the recycler and make some extra money.

OTHER METAL

Most metal recyclers will take any metal you no longer need or want including brass and copper. Copper is being monitored greatly as there are some out there who will steal it to get the money at the recycler. Be warned they take this seriously. The only thing my recycler won't take is used ammo casings, probably because of the danger of gunpowder residue being left in it. Metal recycling may not make you rich, but it might buy you a nice lunch or some gas for the car.

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

Things like computers, peripherals, TVs, radios, cell phones, ipods, gaming equipment, basically any electronic item that you may have. Some will pay you for the items as they can make money off the materials when separated. The main reason to recycle these items is the lead and mercury contamination that can occur when dumped in a landfill. Do we really want that in our water source?

BATTERIES

This may be a little harder to recycle. It you are talking about car, boat, ATV or golf cart batteries, I would suggest offering them on freecycle or craigslist as some folks use them to store wind or solar energy and they work fine even if they will no longer power your favorite vehicle.

This is by no means a complete list, but the most common items we can keep out of the landfill. And you can always list items on freecycle as someone may need spare parts from your old PC, or need those baby food jars to store nails in.

One last thought on this subject is to think about what you are going to do with the packaging once you use the product - before you make your purchase. Sometimes there are alternative brands that offer a better option on reusing or recycling the leftovers. Check online or your phone book to see what recycling options are in your area.

Please leave your own comments and add to our store of knowledge!

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

2009-06-05T16:01:00.005-05:00

While you're saving all that money by not eating out, I thought I would share a great recipe I got recently from another blogger.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

~4 large cans of diced, pureed or crushed tomatoes in any combination you like.

~2 12 oz. cans of tomato paste

~1 diced onion

~3 grated carrots

~3 diced celery ribs

~1 - 2 diced bell pepper any color

~several cloves of garlic diced or pressed

~salt, pepper, basil, oregano to taste

Saute the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil with a little salt til the onions become translucent. While they are being sauteed, spray your large 4 quart crockpot with cooking spray, add the tomatoes and paste and mix well. When the veggies are done, add those. Cook on low or medium for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Add the herbs, salt & pepper near the end and taste test. Add more herbs if needed.

This is a super easy thing to make and you don't have to stand around and worry over it all day like you would if you were cooking it on the stove top. It is very economical as well. This produced 5 quarts of sauce for me, which I then canned and stored in the pantry. It can also be frozen in containers. Because I already had the veggies and herbs, I spent around $5 for the tomatoes and paste from Walmart. $5 for 5 quarts of sauce is less than Ragu and tastes tons better. I also found I could buy the bulk size cans of tomatoes for under $4 which is about half or less the cost of the large can size I originally bought. I would not be able to fit it all in my crockpot so would need to make 2 or 3 batches, but the extra could be stored in the fridge till I made more the next day or I could can the tomatoes plain and that would be a savings too. You could use your own tomatoes you grew in your garden and save even more money.

Cooking your own food is so much more economical that eating out or even buying convenience food in boxes or packages. And so much better for you as it won't have all the unpronounceable chemicals in it.

A note on being green should go along with this post. Instead of putting your veggies scraps in the trash why not start a compost pile if you garden? I can't have one where I live so I usually dig a hole where I want to plant something in the coming months and bury it to keep out the critters. Some folks have worm farms for their garden and they use up kitchen scraps quite nicely.

Another thing you can do is to recycle the cans you are left with after you empty out your tomatoes. The paper labels can go in the paper recycling bin and most schools seem to have a paper recycling dumpster in case your town does not have recyclable pick ups. The cans themselves can also be saved for recycling. They are steel and don't fetch as much as aluminum soda cans, but they can be sold to a scrap metal recycler and you can not only save money, but earn a little extra money that way.

And one last note here, the crockpot is a great energy saving device to use as it costs pennies to operate.

Cheaper Means of Entertainment - Reading

2009-06-03T19:02:00.002-05:00

Part 2 on cheaper entertainment.

One of my favorite pastimes is reading and if you have actually looked at the price of a paperback novel in the grocery store or bookstore, you have probably gasped as I have. I have not bought a book at regular price in many years, mainly because there are so many cheaper ways to purchase them. You will have to make your own decision on what works for you but here I will present options you may not have thought about before.

*
Check out the used bookstores in your area, either independent Mom & Pop stores or chains like Half Price Books. They sell for at least half the printed cost on the book. An added bonus is most will buy your book if you want to get rid of it, at a discounted price. Also places like EBay, Half.com and Amazon.com are great online sources for cheaper books, especially hard to find ones. Always check out the used section at Amazon as many times they are actually new or in like new condition for a much cheaper price.

Less expensive sources are the charity and thrift shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army and any number of shops for local charities. You will find a wide price range depending on the store, I usually see 25 - 50 cents per paperback and 50 cents to $1 for hardbacks. One shop near me does paperbacks for 10 cents each if you buy at least 10. I bought a lot when I needed easy reading material for lunchtime at work. And if you are buying a large amount, ask for a volume discount.

Yard sales are great especially at the end of the day when you may get a box full of books for a dollar or two. You can always sell what you don't want or freecycle them to someone else or donate back to the charity shops.

There are also online sources like bookmooch where you can post what you have and trade with others, only paying the cost of media mail shipping which is the last affordable shipping available through the US Postal Service.

Freecycle is a great way to get free books, especially novels. If none are posted you can put in your own post as a WANT. And the other great free source is your local library. There you will find all kinds of books you can borrow for free and if they don't have what you want check the computer log and you may be able to have it sent over from another branch.

Reading books online is also a free source available from Google and other places, some universities even have some ancient and extremely rare works available online and/or for downloading to your computer.

One last source for free reading material is to borrow from friends who are readers, but please, ALWAYS remember to return the book in the condition you received it Promptly! You may keep a friendship this way.

Cutting the Cost of Entertainment

2009-05-31T13:33:00.003-05:00

One of the first and easiest ways to cut costs and save money each month is on entertainment. It falls into the 'want' category instead of the need category. My entertainment happens to be my satellite TV service, and quite honestly, I don't think I get $60 of entertainment out of it each month. Not saying I don't enjoy it, but it is usually something to watch/listen to while working on crafts in the evenings. As such it is definitely not a need.

So I called up DirecTV and had them turn it off, they will let you put your service on suspension for up to 6 months. You are still a customer, not breaking any contracts and you will have no bill for up to 6 months. This can be a great advantage to you to get past a hard time. Now I don't have one of those converter boxes for digital TV, bit I haven't watched 'regular' TV stations in years so I am not missing anything. I know, I'm a long way from the norm here.

What am I doing for entertainment you ask? Easy, I have boxes full of video tapes and DVDs I bought second hand through the years and some I taped off TV . Another perk is that I don't have to listen to commercials trying to sell me something I don't want or need or that just embarrasses me. You can pick up used movies at rental stores, thrift and resale shops, yard sales, freecycle, borrow from the library or even just borrow or trade with friends. Some folks use Netflix which is a great deal and they also have those $1 movie rental boxes everywhere now. So either free or cheap works well here.

A note on charity or resale shops, you can usually get the better deals there versus the video stores used section and if you buy a stack, ask for a better price, you will usually get it. And if you have never tried http://www.freecycle.org you should check it out. The postings are items being given away for free, you can also post for items you need or want. Don't forget the library either, it is free to check out book and movies and they may have the more recent ones you want.

If the whole social part of going to the movie theater with friends is what you crave, how about having a movie night in at each other's homes and everyone bring a snack to share? You get the added benefit of pausing the movie when needed and you can be as loud as you want and no one cares.

The other part of entertainment is dining out. I have to admit a real weakness here, I love eating out. But one way to cut costs when you do eat out is to go at lunch time if you can. You will get the same dinner at a lower cost. We have a local Mexican restaurant that serves great fajitas. $9.99 at dinner but just $7.25 at lunch. And it's the same amount of food! Also a single order feeds 2 people just fine or if you are solo, you get 2 meals by taking your leftovers home. Consider where you like to eat out and see if there is a compromise there that will work for you. Of course, not eating out or at least cutting way back will save you money since eating at home is much cheaper if you are really cooking and not eating convenience foods. That subject will be another post one day, recipes included.

Why Am I Writing This Blog?

2009-05-30T17:27:00.003-05:00

I feel the time is right to share with others the things that work for me on saving money, how not to spend money (or at least as much as you have in the past) and still have a full and good life. Being 'green' plays into this as well as we shall see.

Times are hard - again. For me they seem to almost always be hard when it comes to economics. Being a single person with a single income is usually not an easy road.

A little about me is that I am currently unemployed again for the third time in 15 years. I learned long ago that the job security of my parent's and grandparent's day is very much a thing of the past. The first time was voluntary as I quit a job I had grown to hate, the last 2 times I have been permanently laid off and last time it took me 9 months to find a job, hopefully it won't take that long this time. At least there is unemployment to get me by along with all the others out there in this economy, but as you all probably know, the amount you receive is not as much as a real paycheck even without the taxes removed.

So over the years of no jobs and lower paying jobs I have become rather adept at saving on expenses, knowing where I can cut back, what sacrifices I can make to save on expenses. Here I will pass on what I have learned and hope you will share your thoughts too. We all need all the help we can get these days.

The first thing to do is make a list of monthly expenses, house payment/rent, utilities, insurances, credit cards, gas for the car, groceries, eating out and other miscellaneous items. I use my debit card for most things and rarely carry cash over $10, so looking at my bank statement makes it easy to see where I am spending my money. Once you have your list written you'll probably be amazed at what for and where your money went.

I hate the word budget as I feel that is for folks who have enough money to budget expenses with some left over - I rarely have left over money but if you do great! Now that you are looking at your list, highlight only the real necessities, things you really cannot live without and I mean really not live without. Believe it or not a cell phone is not a necessity unless you no longer have a landline.

The items not highlighted are where you make your first cuts, whether that is to get rid of them completely (for a while or forever) or to cut back on what you pay for them each month. Only you can make that decision. Then you look to see how you might be able to reduce the amount you spend on the necessities.

That's where this blog will come into play with hints, tips, helps and ideas. They may not all suit everyone, but everyone should be able to take something good away with them to make their own future better.