Friday, May 3, 2013

Exhausted from making extra money?

I've found that it's a balancing act when I try to make extra money. It doesn't really matter if it's outside my home or projects IN my home.  Too many hours added on top of an already full job taking care of my home and husband can begin to feel like a pressure cooker and I'm the one with the short fuse. 

I've had some experience making extra money.  I've done ironing, sewing, typing, babysitting and foster care all from home. I started my own used homeschool book business and ran it for 10 years. These are all things I did while my children were under 18 years of age. Recently, I've worked part time outside the home when my husband became disabled. I currently work 2 days a week/3 hours a day. I've never worked full time outside my home.



A few months ago I realized that working 5 days a week (even though it was part time) was putting me into a 'zone' where I was tempted to be irritable with my husband. We talked about it and decided to cut back my schedule to 6 hours a week. (There were other things that counted towards this decision too).  This has been the perfect amount of hours for me. I'd rather pinch pennies at home and work less hours and have peace in my home. Better to do with less. God gave us wisdom to know when to quit!

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
    Be wise enough to know when to quit. Proverbs 23:4 NLT





(I wrote an article on home businesses here). 

How I saved money this week at home:

1.  I made a list of leftovers and posted it on the fridge door. I lost a bowl of coleslaw last week and found it too late. Money down the drain. I plan to write any leftovers that go into the fridge on this list and check it before dinner each night. 

2.   I've harvested spinach, strawberries and broccoli from my garden. YAY!

3.  We've been pulling a weed out of our front lawn hoping that we won't have to spend $25 on a weed fertilizer.

4.  We don't have central heat and air so I'm always looking for ways to keep the house cool.  I've been cooking outside on a camp stove when it's hot.  I have a high BTU camp stove and also a large counter top oven in the garage. 

Boiling egg shells for liquid fertilizer
5.  I made my own tartar sauce (for the fish I fried on my outdoor grill). Mayo, ketchup and pickle relish. 

6.  I've been buying 2 boxes of canning lids from each paycheck so I'll have a nice stash by the time canning season hits. 

7. I packed away the electric blanket for the summer. My mother always taught me to not sit on electric blankets and store them away when not in use to help them last longer

8.  My mother gave me some flowers from her yard. FREE landscaping. 

How about you? Did you start any new projects this week to save money? I appreciated  your good advice for saving money on flea meds.