MAKE DO for one more day!

I have a tale to tell of a 'not so pretty' bedspread. This bedspread covers a queen size bed in our
office/guest room/sewing room /cat room.  The bedspread was given to me about 8 years ago. It was missing the pillow shams so I turn it sideways to cover the sleeping pillows. It's an older print and certainly doesn't look like the comforters I see in the stores. It adds no spark to the room whatsoever.

Strawberry tower and BB girl!

I often think about buying a new bedspread but then I check the prices and decide that I can make do for one more month. I've asked myself 'why' I think I need a new bedspread since there are no holes in it and it's not falling apart. There is still a lot of life left in that old bedspread. I'm not sure but I imagine it's because it doesn't fit the image of the bedrooms I see on TV. It would be nice to have a beautiful room when company comes to visit.   But, once I think about other needs... real needs... I decide to be content a while longer. Trying to gain the approval of others can be costly in more ways than one.

"Our identity in Christ, knowing that we belong to him, serves to remind us that material luxuries, status symbols, and clothing, houses, and cars are meant to be enjoyed but were never give to stamp a sense of identity on our lives. Our gracious Lord has already done that.:    Jeff Manion

The garlic is doing great!

One 'need' is a dental and eye care fund. I use the 'envelope' method to save for upcoming expenses so we're not caught off guard. I have 'envelopes' for car repair, savings, vet bills, hair cuts/weave, DMV registration, birthday gifts, alms and a general household savings for appliance repair or replacement.  But, I do not have an envelope for dental or eye wear. We have a new dental procedure that costs $95 a couple times a year. I need to prepare for that ahead of time. My sweetheart will be needing glasses sometime soon.  So, I moved things around in my budget and I will be taking out a little money each month to put in a dental/eye wear envelope.

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Proverbs 13:11   ESV

 If I put money into 'fluffing' my nest then I won't have money for future dental and eye wear expenses.  It's more important to care for our health needs than impress someone with a fancy spare bedroom. (The cats really don't mind the bedspread at all! *wink*)

My camellia bush  is full of flowers this year.

So for TODAY, I am learning the wisdom in lessons of contentment and making peace with my old bedspread for ONE MORE DAY and thanking God that I HAVE a spare room with a comfy bed to put that old bedspread on. I'm working on changing the way I think about this bedspread. I'm finding ways to enjoy it. I'm practicing thankfulness by God's grace. His grace really is sufficient. 

 * Now there is GREAT GAIN in godliness WITH contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 1 Timothy 6:6 ESV

 * Keep your life FREE from the LOVE of money, and be CONTENT with what you HAVE, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5 ESV

  *My emphasis

*~*~*~*~*~*

A Typical Frugal Day

Here are a few things I've been working on this past month:

1. I made a new batch of spot remover for the laundry. This time I didn't add baking soda to the recipe as I have in the past because I thought it was rough on the clothes. I keep it in a quart canning jar above my washing machine with a tooth brush.

 Spot Remover

2/3 cup Dawn detergent (original blue formula)

2/3 cup ammonia

2 cups warm water

'Hen and Chicks' are blooming.California weather has been so warm that the plants think it's Spring.

2. I love trying new recipes. It keeps it fun in the kitchen. This salad dressing was from Barefoot Contessa's website on Food Network. The salad was wonderful but a little pricey with the Feta cheese and the Kalamata olives. I'll watch for the olives at my discount canned food stores and sales on on the Feta cheese since it freezes well. It would be a lovely salad to take to a potluck (blessing).

Greek Salad

* Put in this order in the bowl. 

1 large head Romaine Lettuce, chopped.

2-3 whole ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges

1 whole cucumber, peeled, cut in fourths, diced large chunks

1/2 whole red onion, sliced very thin

30 (or 1 cup) whole pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half (used less)

Fresh parsley, chopped roughly

Salt and pepper

Toss with tongs

Toss above ingredients with tongs. Just before serving add 4 oz. Feta cheese and squeeze with a little fresh lemon juice. Squeeze fresh lemon over the top.

Greek Salad Dressing

 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2  tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 c. good red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Kosher salt (I used sea salt)

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil (I used grape seed oil)

(I added about 1 tsp. Erythritol to sweeten)

I made the dressing in a canning jar and kept it in the fridge for 24 hours. Shake regularly (the jar! *smile*)   This is my new favorite salad dressing. (I made a double batch to keep in the fridge for lunch salads)

I love this picture of the 'grands' being silly for Grammy. They were so young then.

3. This is the second year that we had our taxes prepared free through our local library. We waited 2 hours  but it saves us a lot of money.

4. I finally used up the floor cleaner that we found in the garage when we moved here.  It's so expensive to purchase cleaning products so I did a search and found a recipe to make my own. It works great. As always, please check any cleaning recipe on an 'out of the way' spot to make sure it works well on your floors.

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup rubbing alcohol

1/3 cup vinegar

2-3 drops of dish washing soap

I put the lettuce pots on an outside table to deter the snails.

5. A new law passed in California that the egg laying companies have to give chickens room enough to move around in their cages. As a result, our egg prices have double. I had no idea about the law being passed until I went to buy eggs and saw that a box of eggs had literally DOUBLED. Gasp! So, I started adding water to our scrambled eggs. Normally, for 1 serving I'll use 1 egg and 2 egg whites but now I cut back one egg white and fill half of the egg shell with water and add it to the scrambled eggs. It makes the eggs fluffy.  I've also cut way back on low carb baking which uses a lot of egg whites. I stretched our eggs to last an extra week.

6. I went to taste some sugar free cranberries I was making on the stove and the syrup scalded my lip. It was bad. I should know better. I remembered my daughter in love had given me an aloe plant. I used it often throughout the day. The burning stopped and it healed quickly.

7.  I have a small ironing board for quilting that a friend made years ago. The cover has been stained for years and I've always wanted to make a new one. My daughter in love, a few friends and I are planning on sewing together once a month, so this was just the encouragement I needed to replace it. I used the old cover as a pattern. The material was free from a friend. It turned out great.

8. I stretched my hair appointment for an extra month. I put $20 in my envelope fund each month to pay for hair needs. Normally I go to the hair dresser on the 3rd payday but I always have to dip into the budget to pay the balance of the bill. So by stretching my hair appointment for an extra month, it freed up that extra money to use somewhere else.  A friend said that my gray 'roots' just look like a lighter blonde. Such a nice friend. *smile*

9. My sewing machine turn wheel froze up and wouldn't not turn. I read the manual and oiled it but it still wouldn't move. I looked on You Tube for a video on repairing sewing machines and found one that showed how to take it apart.  I took the sewing machine apart and had my husband oil it where he thought it needed oil. Now, it works good as new and I saved a repair bill.

Onions and garlic in a raised bed I added last year.

10.  I found whole milk on sale for $2.99 for my sweetheart. It's normally a dollar more. The expiration date would come sooner so I froze half of the gallon. It doesn't end up being watered down since it's whole milk and has a higher fat content.

I have more things on my list that I did this past month but I'll save them for another time. Groceries continue to rise and our electric has gone up.. yet the Lord continues to teach me how to be content with all He has given. We really are a blessed nation! I thank Him for His goodness throughout the day as I go about my work. He has been so good to us!

Saved, Re-purposed and Re-used:
~ Rubber band from radishes (washed and reused)
~chicken bones, cooked (chicken broth)
~ Salsa jar (to discard grease)
~ Gizzard from whole chicken (I freeze them until I have enough to make a meal
~ Chicken liver from whole chicken (fishing bait)
~ plastic bags (LC tortilla bags, vegetable bags,etc. washed and reused)
~ Small sturdy box (drawer organizer)

Well, these are just a few things I've done this month to stretch our income. How about you ladies? How are you doing with your grocery budgets now that prices continue to rise? I love to learn from you!

Blessed to be home!

Georgene

Temptations that Defeat Frugality

There are many reasons people practice frugality. Some reasons may include: saving for a new home or car, living on one income, retirement, giving to those in need, or Christian education.  And, there can be just as many temptations that sidetrack us from those goals. 

"Blue Dawn" morning glories!

I have several reasons I practice frugality. I find it helps me fight temptation if I remember what my goals are. Mainly, I want to be a good steward of the resources the Lord has entrusted to me. Secondly, it enables me to stay at home with my husband.  Thirdly, if I can save money by living below our means then I have money to give to others in need...which will lay up treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6)

It's important to keep those reasons at the front of my mind because it's so easy to be influenced by the temptations that bombard me daily through television, magazines and the stores advertising strategies. I pray regularly while shopping because I can feel the pull of all the enticing goodies as I walk up the store aisles.

One of the most dangerous threats to my goals for frugality is the 'pride of life'. I've been battling it this past week:

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:16  ESV

(The NET BIBLE translates pride of life as  'arrogance produced by material possessions').


The Wesley Commentary was very helpful in explaining what it means:


"The pride of life - All that pomp in clothes, houses, furniture, equipage, manner of living, which generally procure honour from the bulk of mankind, and so gratify pride and vanity. It therefore directly includes the desire of praise, and, remotely, covetousness. All these desires are not from God, but from the prince of this world."  

There is nothing wrong with making our homes comfortable or attractive. But, I get into trouble when I use the things of this world to promote myself or to be accepted by others. Then my focus is not on serving but on having others serve me by promoting my reputation.

Say for instance, I'd like to invite a new couple from church over for dinner. But, I find out they both work and make a good income and now I'm starting to hesitate inviting them because they live in a higher income neighborhood and drive newer cars. I start to compare what I own to what they own. I drive a 1998 Ford Ranger (that squeaks horribly) and live in a lower income neighborhood in a 745 sq. ft. home. This is where the downward sin cycle begins if I don't get control of my thoughts. 

"Comparison is a thief, stealing gratitude, joy, and generosity." Jeff Manion

 I begin to wonder if they will judge me by how I live (fear of man). If left unchecked this fear can lead to buying unnecessary items like a new bedspread or new dishes and if entertained for too long it could even lead to moving to a more expensive neighborhood in order to impress others or buying a new car. All of these choices will lead me farther away from my goals of frugality. These choices could also reveal a heart that is set on the things of this world and not on things above. 

Summer birthdays!

I need to remind myself that my worth does not come from what I own ... but by WHO owns me!
Then he said, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."  Luke 12:15 NLT

You were bought with a price. 1 Corinthians 7:23  NIV


Instead, I should be rejoicing with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15) for the special gifts God has given them (just as He has blessed me!). My mind should be set on how I can best serve them and make them comfortable while visiting. How can I help them to feel loved and valued while in my home? What can I cook for them that they will enjoy? How can I focus on them while we are talking so I can find out more about their lives and know better how to pray for them?

Trying to impress others by what we own will never bear good fruit. It only serves as a means to enslave us to the fear of man and certainly will not help us reach the goals that we've set to live with less FOR A PURPOSE. 

Blessed to be home,
Georgene

Do you ever struggle with the desire to impress others by what you own? Or do you sometimes feel 'lesser than' because you don't own what others do? Do you find it's a trap for you to spend more money?

More summer gatherings

***

 A Typical Frugal Day

1. I get upset with myself when I waste food. I found some small containers at the dollar store that I'm using for leftovers. This past month I tried to freeze more and more of our leftovers so that I wouldn't take a chance of losing any of them to 'forgetfulness'. I am practicing putting leftovers IMMEDIATELY into the freezer instead of leaving them in the fridge.

2. Bacon was on sale this week so I bought a package for my husband. He loves bacon. I normally buy turkey bacon at the dollar store because I don't like spending $4 for one pound of 'breakfast' food but every once in a while I like to surprise my husband. I  save the grease and use it for sauteing vegetables. This time I poured some of it into my salad dressing for flavoring. 

Winter veggies

3. I love to cook and really love to bake and even though I enjoy
the rhythm of washing dishes I sometimes get tired of doing it 3 times a day. An elderly friend told me that she runs a pan of hot soapy water before she starts cooking and washes as she cooks. I'm sure many of you already practice this but it was news to me. What a difference it makes! I'm almost done with my dishes before I've finished the meal. I try to make it a game and set a goal for myself. I'm easily entertained! :-)

4.  God spoils me! He really does! I can't count how many times I have thought to myself that I need 'this or that' and God has answered that 'thought' in such an amazing way. I have a pair of garden clippers that are broken but still work so I haven't wanted to spend money on a new pair. Amazingly enough a GOOD pair of clippers were found in the middle of the road while driving the other day. 

5. I'm trying to use chicken more for my meals since it's so inexpensive. I've been searching the internet for new recipes. I've tried quite a few of Pioneer Woman's recipes and they've always turned out great. I tried a new recipe called Chicken and Beef Fajitas and we really liked them. They were extremely flavorful and spicy. I let them marinade overnight. Here is the link: 

Chicken and Beef Fajitas by Dee Rummond 

6.  I use hairspray and it caked on to my curling iron to where my hair was sticking when I tried to curl it. While my curling iron was still hot (and unplugged) I sprayed oven cleaner on the barrel and let it sit for about 10 minutes. I then took an SOS and scrubbed off the hairspray. Good as new!

Watermelon from our garden! It was wonderful!

7. The price of meat continues to rise. I spent a few extra minutes at the meat aisle the other day to see if I could find any cheaper cuts of meat. I try to keep it under $1.99 a pound but lately that is becoming impossible unless I buy chicken. I was thrilled to find a family pack of ribs for $1.99 a pound. The entire package was under $10. It will feed us for 3 days. Buying in bulk can save money. 

8. My shower tiles baffle me! They are old and I fight mold in the grout. I tried a new homemade shower cleaner that I liked. I warmed 1 cup of white vinegar and then put it in a spray bottle. I added 1 cup of Dawn (blue) detergent and then shook the bottle. I sprayed it evenly over the tiles and let it sit for 2 hours. Then I scrubbed the tiles. 

9. I have a "FLYLADY" notebook for my housekeeping schedule that I've used for years. I decided to add more dividers for: 
- Company (Favorite meals for visiting guests)
- Gardening (homemade bug repellants and fertilizers, etc.)
- Household Products (Product numbers for items such as refrigerator filters, spa chemicals,etc. and where to buy them and the price). 

I'm getting to 'that' age where I am more forgetful plus it helps to have a place to keep these details. 

10.  Things I saved this month:
     - Plastic packaging  for: brownies, brown sugar, pinto bean bag
       (washed and reused as storage bags)
     - Cotton inside my vitamin bottle. (I used it to take off my 
       old fingernail polish.) 
     - Vegetable trimmings and peelings (compost)
     - Tea bags (I use 3 used teabags to make 1 cup of tea)
     - A T-shirt that was worn out. (dust rag)
     - Past income tax paperwork (shredded and put in compost pile)
       - Tinfoil not used on dairy or meat. (washed and reused).
     - Low carb tortilla bag that had a nice little ziplock. (washed    
       and reuse as a storage bag).

Ordering our Days

Our days are full of choices from the moment we wake up until our head hits the pillow at night. Choices as to how we will spend our minutes... minutes that run into hours... and hours that accumulate into days. Each choice can lead us towards a goal or hinder. It's so important to live life with God's glory in mind. 

Years ago I attended a bible study that encouraged us to write a yearly mission statement using only Scripture. From the mission statement we would then write out a yearly, monthly, weekly and finally a daily schedule. This practice was a tool ...

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

Psalm 90:12

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Sweet Peas and cabbage

I haven't made a mission statement in years but I do find myself mentally evaluating my daily choices and how I am spending my days. When life gets so hectic that I find the order of my days upset and my relationships strained then it's time to look at the choices I'm making each day and how I'm spending my time. 

For instance, if I cram too many outside activities in to my week (shopping, church activities, visiting friends) then it can affect my relationship with my husband. How you may ask? *smile* When I am gone too many days from my home then I get behind in my work. If get too far behind in my house work,laundry and dishes then I am tempted to being anxious. When I'm tempted to be anxious then it can affect how patient I am with my husband. When I'm impatient with my husband... well you get the point!  *smile*  One unwise choice can lead to other unwise choices which can ultimately affect the important relationships in my life. 

I also find that I'm tempted to not spend time with the Lord in the mornings if I'm behind in my daily work or too busy outside my home. Spending time studying God's Word is one of the greatest joys in my life and I want to keep it as a top priority. I have to plan to set aside this time otherwise it doesn't just happen. 

It's such an old plant but I just hate to pull it out while it still tries to bloom. 

It's to be expected that busy times will come in our lives. It's unavoidable. Family members will need help when they are sick or moving or we will have days when we are helping with the grandchildren.  As a result we will get behind with our work at home and that's okay. Our work at home should never be an end all of itself. It's only when we are making unwise daily choices that become an established pattern that consistently affects our relationships that we need to consider making some changes. Or if our house is so out of order that we cannot fulfill the command to be hospitable. 

I need God's wisdom to know how to order my days to bring Him glory. Isn't it wonderful that we just have to ask and He freely gives it? 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5,6

***
Any extra minutes are being spent working on my paid projects. Here are a few things though that I did this week in my home:

1. I have a very small closet compared to the ones in the newer homes. I've been blessed with some hand-me-downs but now my closet is crammed full. It's a good thing. I took most of my clothes out and started sorting to see what I really had. I made separate piles of long pants, caprices, tank tops, short and long sleeve tops, skirts and dresses. I got rid of 1 box and 1 bag of clothing. It feels so good to open the closet and see it neat and organized. It's good to bless others with my overflow rather than hanging on to unused items.

2. I bought a different kind of mayo on sale and just didn't care for it at all. So, instead of letting it go to waste I have been using it in recipes where you can't taste the difference. This week I made a Low Carb Chocolate Mayo Cake and also a banana bread recipe for my mother.

I got this picture too late last week to post. My son & his family giving up his day to build our fence. 

3. We harvested a very large head of cauliflower from the garden. I melted some coconut oil on a cookie sheet in the oven and then tossed the cauliflower in the oil with some garlic salt and pepper. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes.  (Thank you Pam!) It was yummy!

4. As I said above...I was given a large bag of clothes. Some of the tops were cute but too big so I ran a seam down the side and they fit just perfect. I love FREE.

5. I made another batch of homemade laundry detergent. The last batch lasted for months and months.  I've been making the Duggar's Laundry Soap recipe this year. I just don't water it down as much as they do. It saves me so much money.

Duggar's Laundry Detergent

4 c. hot water

1 Fels Naptha Bar soap, grated
1 c. Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1/2 c. Borax 

1. Grate bar. Add to water.
2. Melt over low heat. 
3. Fill 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot water. 
4. Add above mixture. Stir till dissolved.
5. Fill bucket to top with hot water. 
6. Stir and let set over night. 

The Duggar's fill a used laundry soap dispenser 1/2 full of soap and the rest with water. You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons once cooled. I tried this once 
but the smell evaporated.  

6. A friend gave me some leftover pieces of stained glass window film. I put it on the glass panes in our door. It gives privacy, looks lovely and was free. Thank you Yvonne!

7.  I made Pumpkin Pie Spice again for my Low Carb Pumpkin Pie recipe. I had these spices on hand so I didn't have to run to the store to buy a special blended spice.

Pumpkin Pie

Crust

3/4 c. flaxmeal ground

1/4 c. sunflower seed flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. oil or butter (I used coconut oil)

2 tbsp. cold water

Press into 9 inch pie dish. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Pie Filling

2 c. homemade pumpkin (or 15 oz. canned) pumpkin

1 c. coconut milk (or other liquid)

2 eggs

1/3 c. Truvia  (I used 1/3 c. Erythritol and 1/4 tsp. Kal Stevia. You can find a link above)

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Dash of salt. 

Mix together. Taste to see if it's sweet enough and adjust sweeteners accordingly. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

8. Items I saved this week:

• Low carb tortilla bag (reuse as a baggie)
• Frozen strawberry bag (reuse as a baggie)
• Rubber bands from radishes
• Erythritol bag (reuse as baggie)
• Plastic bags with zippers that curtains came in. (I'll reuse to hold projects that are partially done so I can see what is in the bag). 
• Cracker bag (reuse as baggie)

That's it for this week. So do you gals ever have trouble keeping your priorities straight? Any suggestions?  

Blessed to be home!
Georgene

Don't worry about tomorrow

I was encouraged this week to trust God for TODAY! And to not borrow trouble from tomorrow because today has enough trouble of it's own.  I don't know if He will lead me to work outside my home in the future (my heart longs to be home) but I believe His message has been clear this week. For now...

• Pray for DAILY bread. (Matthew 6:11)
• Seek FIRST His kingdom and He will take care of the food and clothing. (Matthew 6:33)
• Don't worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34)
• Be content with food and clothing. (1 Timothy 6:8)

This doesn't mean I get to sit home and eat Bon Bon's. (Does anyone really do that? *smile*).

You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV 

God has spoken loud and clear through His Word this week. Oh, how I love it when He does. Scripture after scripture has confirmed His direction for me. No more worries. No more doubts. Sweet peace! Nothing compares to the power of God's Word working in my soul!

~ And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deut. 8:3 ESV

~~~

Here are a few things I did this week along with my typical frugal day routine:

1. I cut all of the curly parsley and plan on drying it. I also have 'hot and spicy oregano' and a flat leaf parsley that need to be harvested.   I'll hang them in the garage and allow them to dry and then grind them. I've really enjoyed using fresh herbs this summer!

2. It's important to take care of what I own for several reasons. First and foremost, because God has blessed me with these gifts and I want to be a good steward. And secondly, because it will help my budget to not replace these items.  So, this week I started preparing for winter. I pulled the patio table under the porch awning so it's out of the weather. I stored the table umbrella in the garage as soon as the winds came up so it wouldn't tip over my table and break it. I pulled in the patio chairs to the garage and covered the outdoor bench with plastic and took down the outdoor blinds. They are safely tucked away until next spring. I will get one more year's use out of all of them.

3.  I checked my soap and it's nice and firm. YAY!!! I took the soap out of the molds and put them in a cardboard box to continue drying. They will be ready for gifts before Christmas.  It's so fun to learn a new skill! Being a homemaker never gets boring!

4.   I made a Christmas list. I found myself getting anxious trying to juggle all the thoughts about what to make and buy.  It really helped to relieve some of the anxiety. I used 40% off coupons this week to purchase a few gifts and started sewing on another one. I'm also crocheting in the evenings.

5.  I still have 5 spaghetti squash left from my garden. My sister told me she found a recipe for spaghetti squash patties. I tried my own version and liked them. I just added an egg, garlic powder and salt and pepper. They would be really good with Parmesan cheese if you can eat dairy. Sauteed in a little butter until brown on both sides. 

6.  I'm out of homemade laundry soap so I made another batch. I've been making my own laundry detergent for around 8 years. I use the Dugger's recipe because it makes 10 gallons. I also tried a new recipe this month to use with my whites only since they need a pick me up. I can't remember where I found it.

3 Tablespoons Borax
3 Tablespoons Washing Soda
2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish soap

Put these ingredients in a one gallon jug. Pour 4 cups boiling water into the jug. Swirl until ingredients are dissolved in the liquid. Let liquid cool. Then fill almost to the top with cold water. The bubbles will overflow out of the bottle.

7. I also ran out of stain remover so I made a new batch.

 

8. Things I saved this week to reuse:

• Envelopes that came with bills that I pay online (used to store vegetable seeds)
• Heirloom seeds from  peppers, cantaloupe, okra, tomato, eggplant, honeydew
• Strings from tea (tie up plants in garden)
• Newspaper saved from a friend. (I lay it down in my veggie garden with straw on the top to discourage weeds).
•  Toilet paper cardboard (compost)
• Egg cartons, cardboard (compost) 
• Washed Seran wrap and baggies to reuse (no meat or dairy)
• Mayo jar to pour grease into instead of it going down my pipes. 
• Grocery sacks. (garbage cans) 
• Vegetable and fruit trimmings (compost)
 

 

 9. I buy Hood Countdown milk for my husband to drink. I am dairy free due to joint pain. The milk is horribly expensive. I found a recipe online to replace the milk but Husband is not interested in drinking it straight so I've made up several batches and use it in recipes. This has helped stretch the store bought milk. I remember doing something similar when the children lived at home. I would either water down the milk for a recipe or I would use instant milk in cake recipes. Sometimes I would use non-instant milk mixed with whole milk to stretch it.

10. I've been wanting to wash one of my blankets and throw rugs before winter but dreaded spending the quarters at the laundromat. I have a sink in my garage so I filled it with warm water and laundry soap and soaked my quilt. Swished. Rinsed. Swished. Rinsed and then hung it on the clothesline. It worked great. It reminded me of when we were first married nearly 30 years ago and I washed clothes in our bathtub. :-) I used my carpet cleaner on the throw rugs.

Thanks so much for all your great tips last week. I'm still researching a lot of your ideas.

What did YOU do to save money this week in your home? And my favorite question is this... do you have a  scripture that encourages you concerning your finances?

Blessings,

Georgene

Preparing to make less money

Life is forever changing. My part time job with Miss Alice will be ending this month. I'm so grateful for the time we had together and look forward to visiting her in the days ahead. She has become a dear friend.

It's interesting that we have been talking (in the comment section) about the 'unknown' and whether we should take on more work when it 'looks' like things maybe tight.. and here I am .. in just that situation. God is pretty amazing to prepare us for situations that we don't even know are on the horizon.

I don't know if I will take on another job outside my home in the future or not. My husband would like  to wait and see if we can make it without me leaving home. So, I've been praying and making some plans on what I can do to make money from home and cut back on expenses.

Here are just a few of my ideas:

1. Christmas is just around the corner. The bank automatically takes $25 out of our paycheck each month for a Christmas savings. This pays for the grandchildren's Christmas gifts. My plan is to make as many of the Christmas gifts as I can for the adults. I'm working on several of those gifts now so that I'll (hopefully) have a nice little stash of gifts by December.

2.The  grocery budget HAS to come down. There is no way around it since I paid for $100 (out of $360 a month) out of my paycheck. Here is my plan (if the Lord wills it):

• Buy 10 pound bags of chicken thighs and legs for each week of the month which will cost from .58 - .89 cents a pound. This will be our main meat but then I'll watch for low beef or fish sales (under $2 a pound) to fill in the rest of the week. One 10 pound bag of chicken will give us 4 dinners and several lunches.
• Eat 'clean'.
• Fix soup 2 times a week to fill in for lunches. 
• Use up frozen vegetables and fruit before I buy any more. 
• Bake Kevin's bread for his sandwiches instead of buying it. 
• Pay $12 yearly fee for the Senior Brown Bag.
•  Buy what I need weekly so that I don't use all my grocery money the first few weeks after paydays. 
• Keep back $10 each week to use for last minute items that I run out of. 
• Set aside $5 a week to stock up my food pantry with the lowest priced sale items. 
• Continue to find recipes that use smaller amounts of meat with more vegetables. Find more meatless recipes. 

3. Set aside an hour in the afternoon to do online survey's,  Pinecone Research, etc.  It doesn't pay a lot but it comes in very handy at Christmas time when I cash in my earnings.

4. Use another hour in the afternoon to work on my webpage.

5. Find recipes for household cleaners with ingredients I already have on hand. I found a recipe for a floor cleaner and a sink cleaner.

6.  Continue to grow vegetables year round and 'put up' any extras.

7. Make as much from scratch as possible unless it costs more like mayo.

8. Research cutting cable and internet.

9. Pray for God's grace to trust Him to provide in the days ahead as He has in the past... sufficiently and abundantly!

Do you see anything I may have missed in my list? Can you think of how I can make or save money in my home?

Amazed by His Grace,

Georgene

The Weight of Debt!

The home we moved in to last year was built in 1917 and was in pretty bad shape. It needed a lot of initial work. There have been a lot of small projects since then, too.  I started a bad habit using my credit card to fund these small projects with the goal of paying off the balance once I got paid. Somehow it snowballed and I ended up with a $250 credit card bill. We have been debt free for nearly 5 years (except our mortgage) and even though the unpaid balance was small it still hung heavy over my head. I used every extra penny so I could pay it off. My commitment to staying debt free has been renewed... as long as it is within my power.

The lesson I learned again is that debt feels like a ball and chain hanging around my neck. Secondly, it steals money from future paychecks. Third, it would have been wise to save the money FIRST and then pay for the projects instead of stealing from future paychecks.
 
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.  Proverbs 22:7 NASB

***
Here is how I saved money in my home this week:

1. A friend called and offered free peaches from her tree. I dropped all my plans for the day and went to pick 2 small buckets. Free food rarely comes at a convenient moment. I'm learning to take advantage of it when the opportunity arises.  I've missed out on free food in the past because I didn't flex and give up my schedule.  I froze some of the peaches for smoothies and some will be used in low carb pies. What a huge blessing. I went back a few days later and picked a half a bucket of blackberries and another bag of peaches.

2.  I've been saving egg shells to make another batch of liquid fertilizer. I put them in a bucket with a lid in the backyard until I had enough. A few days ago I made 1 batch to pour on our tomatoes. I need to make another batch this weekend. I boiled a gallon of water and pour it over 20 egg shells and then steeped it for 8 hours. I removed the egg shells before I poured the water on the tomatoes.

3. I'm still trying to reduce my grocery budget. So, I decided to make up a new 2 week menu. I'm going to try something new. I'm going buy a 10 pound bag of chicken each week at .69-89 cents a pound. I'll barbecue it, fry it, shred it.. you get the idea.  I'll either use beef or fish 1-2 times a week and keep the price under $3 a pound.  I'm hoping hubby can tolerate that much chicken. :-)

4.  I have a lot of spaghetti squash in the garden and LOTS of tomatoes. I made 2 batches of spicy tomato sauce which is like a marinara sauce and froze it. I used the tomato sauce to make a spaghetti sauce and poured it over the spaghetti squash. My eggplants are ripe so I used a large one to make Eggplant Parmesan. I used the leftover spicy tomato sauce which is like a Marinara sauce. I picked fresh basil from my herb garden to layer in between.  I wasn't sure if my husband would like it but he loved it. I have enough for one more meal.

5. I ran out of homemade stain remover so I made a new batch. I've been using it for a year and a half and I've had no problems with it bleaching the clothes and it does a good job of getting out new stains. I previously put it in a spray bottle but the end of the sprayer became clogged. So, this time I put the mixture in a quart jar with a lid. I'll use a spoon to dip it out. Here is the recipe:

Homemade Stain Remover

2/3 cup Dawn dish soap 

2/3 cup ammonia

6 tbsp. baking soda

2 cups warm water

Mix together and put in spray bottle or bottle. 

6. I used the heels of the bread loaf to make bread crumbs. I toasted the bread and then put it in a blender until it was the same consistency as store bought bread crumbs.

7.  I used the leftover low carb pie crust to make a few sugar free tarts. I had some leftover coconut cream milk so I made low carb ice cream with peaches and blackberries a few days later. 

8. I pressure canned 5 pint jars of green beans from our garden.

9. Fridays are my 'outside day'. I wash the truck and mow the lawn and do some yard work. I have found that if I assign big tasks to certain days then there is less chance of avoiding the task. Because if I avoid the task then I am tempted to run the truck through the car wash.



10.  I bought my granddaughter her first sewing book and have wanted to teach her to sew. She spent the night last week so I thought it was the perfect opportunity. But, I had given away all my material because I just didn't have room for it. Well, the neatest thing happened. A family member had just given me 2 bags of material a few days ahead. I'm not sure why I kept the material.. especially since I had just gotten rid of a ton of material. But, I did. My granddaughter looked through the material and found a piece of material and some felt she liked.  God had provided every single item we needed for the project. The only thing I didn't have was the stuffing. I prayed and prayed for God to show me what I had in my hand that I could use. I ended up cutting the end of my down pillow and pulled the stuffing from it.   He proves Himself to be my provider .. time and time again. Jehovah Jireh.

The Lord Will Provide... Genesis 22:14

My granddaughter chose an owl for her first sewing project.

 So what have you girls been doing the past week in your home?

How I saved money this week (June 22, 2013)

Life was very full this week. I'm thankful for health and strength to put in a full day's work. I remember a few months ago when my knee joint was swollen and I could barely walk. I did a lot of sitting. I'm grateful that I can now take care of my home again. There are different seasons in our life.  A time to work and a time to rest. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

This week I've been working diligently to put up the produce that we are harvesting. My freezer is full so I need to continue pressure canning whatever produce I can. This will help with the limited storage space I have available.

Here are a few things I did to save money in my home this week:

1. I washed my car at home using 2 buckets of water. One bucket with soapy water (car wash liquid purchased several years ago from Walmart. It lasts forever.) and one bucket with warm rinse water. I didn't think it was possible to only use 2 small buckets to wash an entire vehicle .. but it is.

2. I made a batch of homemade dog food and froze it in small containers.

3.  I made 2 batches of homemade spicy tomato sauce and pressure canned 8 pint jars. I also pressure canned my first batch of green beans. I bought a Romano green bean seed and we love it. It's wider than most and has a buttery flavor.

4. I was blessed with free plant stakes, a medium sized flag pole for the garden and a stepping stone from Freecycle.

5. I purchased birthday cards from the dollar store instead of a drug store. They were very nice.

6.  I bought a belt from the thrift store instead of a department store.

7. We're eating the vegetables in season from our yard. I'm buying very few veggies at the grocery store. An occasional avocado or romaine lettuce head but nearly every dinner meal has a salad or multiple vegetables from our yard. I just heard you can put kale in a smoothie so that will be my next attempt. Hubby says 'no thanks'. :-)

8.  Seeds (broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, pumpkin) have been planted for our fall garden. I was also given some sweet potato seedlings from my daughter in love.

9.  I made another batch of The Duggar's homemade liquid laundry detergent.

10. I'm researching how to harvest stevia and make it into a liquid sweetener. Currently, I am paying nearly $15 for a small bottle. I'm hoping to make my own someday.

There was more but those are the highlights.

What are you doing in your home this week? There is no small task when it's done with love for God.

Using water TWICE!

Summer is right around the corner which means higher water bills. I've been setting aside the difference between my utilities and my assigned budget throughout the winter months while my bills are lower. I'll use the savings towards the higher bills this summer.

 I continue to catch the beginning water from the tap  while waiting for it to turn hot. I throw it on flower beds or use it to flush. I have a shallow container under the faucet in the bath and catch that water when we wash our hands. Any extra water is thrown into a nearby bucket.

I've carefully examined any chance of water waste.  One day I noticed how much water was flowing down the drain from the washing machine rinse water. I researched online to find out a way to capture the water and use it to water the flowers. I also emailed my city officials to make sure there was no ordinance against it in my city. Thankfully there wasn't.

A hole cutter was put on the end of the drill to make this hole in the wall.  (A jigsaw could also be used to cut a hole).   PVC  1 1/2 " pipe was used to drain the water from the washing machine hose to the water container outside.

You can see the drain coming out of the wall into the large garbage can below. A piece of rubber from a mud flap off an old truck was used to guide the water from the PVC pipe into the garbage can.

 It's not shown in this picture but a piece of stone was later put under the opposite side of the can so the rainwater will drain into the hole on top of the lid.

I picked up a free coffee table off of FREECYCLE a while back intending to use it for a stenciled sign (which never happened). The coffee table was cut down to make the smaller table fit for the garbage can.

A hose faucet with a 3/4 inch pipe-to-pipe fitting were used at the bottom of the can where a garden hose can be attached.  The hose can be moved to any area of the garden. I had to make sure that the hose was at a slant so it would drain easily.  The garbage can will not hold an entire washing cycle of water so be sure to have it ready to drain before you start your machine. 

 I did some research to make sure my homemade laundry detergent wouldn't kill plants. I read a good article on how homemade laundry detergent is  safe to use on plants. I'm choosing to not use it on my vegetable plants but only on my flowers. I've been using it for weeks and my flowers are doing just fine. Of course.. I'm not an expert so use your own judgment! I'm not sure if it would harm animals or no so be careful if your animals have access to the water. 

This water.. that would have gone down the drain... is now keeping the plants on the side of my house nice and wet and alive.

How I saved money this week

I've been wanting to keep track of how I've been saving money each week. I'm discovering that small little practices add up to big savings. So, here is how I saved money this week in my household:

1. I have an olive tree that is full of olives in my front yard. I've wanted to learn how to cure olives for years so I finally gathered the courage to tackle it with the help of a dear friend's advice. I spent 2 days picking olives. It's very time consuming because you have to pick one olive at a time (and they're small). I finally got the tree pruner and cut the top branches that were bursting with large olives. That way I could sit and just pick the olives off the branch instead of standing on a ladder while I pick. Once they were picked it was a long process of lye, soaking and a lot of rinsing. I now have 5 gallons of olives soaking in a salt brine. We hope to share with a few neighbors and some of our family.

2. I hung out my laundry on the line. Winter is just around the corner so I'll be hanging some lines in my garage... hopefully next week. I plan to hang my laundry as much as possible through the winter to keep my electric bill low.

 3. I cut back the watering time for the lawns. The grass was pretty much dead when we moved into our home. So, we focused on saturating it with water to bring it back to life. As a result my water bill went up to $127. Ouch! This month I'm setting my timer and only allowing the water to run 10-15 minutes in each spot. So far the lawn looks just fine.

4. I planted lettuce seeds and green onions in a container by the back door.

 5. I made 2 batches of laundry detergent. I've been making my own laundry detergent for years (off and on). It's one of my biggest money savers.

 6. I saved 2 celery stalk ends to regrow. I laced them in small little dish by my kitchen window in some water and they are already sprouting. I'm not sure how tall they will grow. I saw this idea on Pinterest.

7. I realized I was wasting a lot of water in the mornings when I first turned on the hot water faucet. The water would run and run until it finally turned hot. I now keep a bucket outside my back door and bring it in next to the sink. I let the water run into a container and then fill my bucket. I end up with a half a bucket of water from the kitchen sink and the bathroom sink which I then toss onto the new seeds I planted outside my backdoor.

8. I bought whole milk and added water to stretch it. :-)

9. I used cabbage leaves for my breakfast burritos instead of low carb tortillas (which are so expensive).

10. I used a Kohl's $10 coupon and purchased a gift for Christmas.

 I had several new money saving ideas I wanted to tackle this week but I ran out of time. The kids are coming for lunch on Sunday and so I've spent my extra time this week preparing.

Well, that's all I'll write about for now. I'd love to hear how you saved money in your home this week.