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

Winter Work in the Home!

Now that the cold weather is officially here I am spending time on indoor projects. The summer garden kept me hopping between weed pulling and preserving our harvest. There is a fall crop in but it won't entail preserving for quite a few months. So, now is the time to work on projects inside my house.

I first have to complete a few sewing projects for Christmas. Once those are finished I hope to finish two quilt tops. I have everything I need except possibly some batting for one. I've been dragging these tops around for quite a few years. My home is small and they are taking up space not to mention the fact that they are hanging over my head! I need these monkey's off my back! :-)

I also hope to go through several drawers full of pants that need to be taken in. They need to be tried on and then tailored to fit. If I don't get them altered this winter then they will be given away. I have a new potholder pattern I've also been wanting to try for several years. If I happen to finish these projects (one can always hope) then I'd LOVE to go through my closets and throw out what I haven't used this past year.

I've never lived in a home this small before except when my husband became disabled and we lived in a studio cottage as caregivers and a studio barn. Both were less than 300 sq. ft. We kept most of our belongings in storage. Our little cottage is 745 sq. ft. and everything I own is stored within it's walls and the garage. There is no room for excess.

I find clutter bothers me the older I get. I really enjoy tidiness but I rarely reach the goal that my heart hungers for! Yet, I keep trying! It's almost like the clutter is a living entity that would love to take over my house if it's not tamed!

~~~
It was kind of a slow week here on the frugal home front. Lots of  life going on and as a result there is not always time for my part time job of saving money.  Here are a few things I did write down:

1.  We had our family Thanksgiving on Sunday since my children and their families were going out of town. I saved the turkey carcass bones. The next morning I threw them in a huge stock pot and simmered them for 4 hours.  I took out the bones and then added thyme, salt and pepper along with celery, onion, and very few potatoes since we're low carbing. I normally would have added some chicken bouillon cubes but the flavor was just right.

2. Hubby made a comment about being tired of chicken and hamburger.  So, I've been keeping my eyes out for some good deals. I found pork loin roast on sale for $1.69 a pound. I checked the marked down section of the meat department and this time I hit the jackpot. They had New York steaks marked down. I bought 2 small steak for $3 each. This is over my meat budget for each meal with is $2 or less. But, I like to make my husband happy so it was worth it. I'll cut back somewhere else.

3. A dear friend brought me some sweet Pink Lady apples. I hope to peel and slice them for a low carb apple pie (if I don't eat them first!). Thanks Pam! :-)

4. My husband loves bacon but BOY is it expensive! So, what I do is cut the package into 1/4's  and use just a small portion per breakfast. I put the remainder in the freezer. This way we can have a little treat of bacon once a week. I do the same thing with maple sausage that I find at the dollar store except I divide it in half. Sometimes I'll crumble it and use it in an omelet.

5.  The same friend who brought me apples also brought me a bag of clothes she no longer wanted. I found quite a few blouses for next summer and passed the rest onto someone else in need.

6.  I tried a new salad dressing (Balsamic Orange Vinaigrette) to use with the swiss chard in my garden. I also picked a few strawberries to add! (can you believe I still have strawberries growing?). I don't want to break a copyright for the recipe I used but if you do a search you'll find a large selection of this recipe. Store bought dressings are so expensive. I always have oil and vinegar in my pantry to make homemade dressings.

Enjoying some time with my grandson!

7. I have quite a few food allergies that cause joint pain. Dairy is one of them. I heard that some people can tolerate Ghee even if they can't tolerate butter. It's very expensive to buy. I tried making some  this week and it turned out so yummy! I put 4 stick of butter in a crockpot on low until it formed a crust on the top. I scraped off the crust and the yumminess below was saved in a small 1/2 pint jar. Hopefully it won't cause joint pain. I saved the butter crust  for my husband to use.

8.  I started my winter soup container again. I let this practice go during the summer but now I'm trying to keep a pot of soup in the fridge for winter lunches. I'm placing bits of leftover veggies and meat in the container to use for leftover soup.

9.  What I didn't throw away this week:

• Bread wrapper (re-use as a baggie)
• Bread roll wrapper from Thanksgiving dinner (re-use as a baggie)
• Aluminum cans from green beans (recycle for money)
• Rinse water from washing machine (Holding it in the garbage can to use later on flowers when the ground dries out.)
• Appointment reminder that was blank on the back side. Cut in 1/4's and used for scrap paper. 
• Rubber bands from radishes

10.  I'm paying closer attention to serving sizes on recipes and packages. This practice helps stretch my grocery budget and not my pants. :-) I also bought radishes and celery  for snacking in between meals. They fill me up and are inexpensive.


What is going on in your home this week? I've learned so much from you ladies!

Giving on a Tight Income!

For those of us living on less there is a temptation to hold onto our money and not give to those in need. We know the daily struggle to stay within a tight budget. We work hard to stretch our  income to meet all of the expenses. What if we won't have enough to meet our own needs?

I am confronted with this question when I see a homeless person sitting on the curb with a sign for help. Or when I hear of a need at church or in my neighborhood.

Missing my 2 grandbabies who moved many miles away. 

The scriptures have a lot to say about giving to those who are poor. You may be saying, 'But I AM POOR !' Yes, compared to some we may be. But, we are rich in comparison to the homeless or our Christian brothers and sisters living in other countries or maybe even the widow living on Social Security.  Sometimes we may not have any extra to give. God understands. But, how often do we have just a little more than we need and hoard it for ourselves out of fear?

I often think of this scripture and marvel at their faith:


We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 2 Cor. 8:1-5


They gave out of their EXTREME POVERTY! They gave BEYOND THEIR MEANS!  They BEGGED for the FAVOR to relieve the saints.  Maybe because they gave themselves FIRST TO THE LORD?!

I know things are tight for many of us.  But, it is possible to give even on a small budget. God knows what is best for us! He knows that we not only bless others when we give but we are blessed, too!

Here are a few  ideas:

• Pick up 1 snack item(peanuts, crackers) at the dollar store along with a 6 pack of water to carry in the car along. Include a gospel tract. That way you have something to hand to the poor as you drive by.
• Watch for needs in your neighborhood. Do you know an elderly person living on a tight budget? Maybe you could make an extra loaf of bread next time your're baking. Or take a plate of cookies? Or invite them to dinner?
• Do you know a young family that is struggling to make ends meet? Maybe you have extras in your food pantry that your family won't eat. Maybe you could make a pot of vegetable soup to share. 
• Do you have a garden? You could share your surplus. 
• Do you give yourself an allowance? Possibly set aside $5 to pick up sale items to share with someone whose husband is out of work. 
• Watch FREECYCLE giveaways for items to give to others in need. 

There are so many creative ways to give without putting a dangerous strain on your own family. Of course we must always take our husbands wishes into account.


What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:14-17 ESV


*~*~*~*

1. Payday has arrived! YAY! This last pay period was 5 weeks! Boy was it tight the last 2 weeks but we made it! I spent too much at the beginning which left me with $70 for 3 weeks. I divided it by 3 and only spent that amount each week buying just what was needed. I'm trying to slow down my spending this month. It's a challenge because I'm out of so much by the end of the pay period.

2. I keep the lights off during the day. At first it seemed so dark in the house but we've adjusted now. At night I keep nightlights on in the bedrooms and the bathroom so we don't have to turn on the lights except for the living room where we spend the evening.

3.  I'm ALWAYS thinking about how to lower my grocery bill. This month I'm focusing on snacks. I decided to buy more veggies for snacking instead of low carb muffins and sunflower seeds. The sunflower seed and coconut flour in the muffins are not cheap. I purchased a huge bag of organic celery at Costco for around $3, a bag of carrots and 2 bunches of radishes. They are cut and easily to find in my fridge. They are filling and less calories, too.

4.  I shopped 7 stores in one day to save money on my groceries. I made a full circle so that I didn't spend extra on gas. I hit the discount grocery stores first, the dollar store and then the main grocery store and finally Walmart. I made a list and prayed for help to stick with it.  Normally I look for deals as I'm shopping but this time I tried to stay focused on only buying what was on my list. I did find 2 great deals that just popped out at me.

5.  It rained for 3 days this week. YAY! Winter may finally be here! I did laundry while it was raining so I didn't run the rinse water from the washing machine to the flower beds. Instead, I turned off the faucet on the garbage can that holds the rinse water and let the rinse water fill up the garbage can. I now have a large garbage can full of water to use once it stops raining. I hope to buy another garbage can after Christmas to save more water.

6.  What I saved this week:

• rubber band that bound the radishes
• veggie peelings and egg shells for compost file
• TP end roll for compost. 
• Leaves for compost pile

7. I keep looking for new recipes to use the veggies in our garden. I'm focusing on the swiss chard right now. I plan on trying an Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing for a swiss chard salad.

8. My girls bought most of the food for Thanksgiving in exchange for me doing the cooking and baking. They are so busy! I don't mind! I love to cook and bake for my family! I start prepping for the meal a few days in advance. This makes it less stressful on the day of the dinner. I already cut my onions and celery for the stuffing and tore the bread in small pieces. I made the pie crusts a few weeks ago and hid them in the freezer. I also did the major cleaning on Monday. The more I can do ahead of time the more I enjoy our time together.

9. I was pricing sunflower seeds and comparing ounces to the price when I noticed that some of the bags had coupons. When I looked closer I realized the final price would be .18  for a 4.5 ounce bag. I bought 10 bags for $1.80. Husband was happy, happy, happy!

10.  I've wear a CPAP mask at night for sleep apnea. A friend gave me 2 new masks that are different than the kind I normally wear. I don't like the way they fit at all and they hurt my face but I'm 'practicing' each night. I'm hoping I can adjust to them. It would save me $25. My old one is wearing out. I've learned over the years that you can adjust to many things you thought you couldn't if you just practice patience! I need patience! 

I hope you all have a wonderful, and THANKS FILLED Thanksgiving! We are so abundantly blessed that Jesus Christ came to die the death we deserved for our sins and by faith in Him we can have peace with God!

...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:4


“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV

Cutting Costs in the Budget

I've spent the week working on our budget. Well, I've done other things, too! :-) I have one week left of work and then our income will drop by $400 a month.

We talked about dropping our internet but we use it for a land line with Magic Jack. Magic Jack has been great but it has some problems occasionally. The cell phone is our back up in case the Magic Jack is not working. I'm still hoping to find a way to drop that bill from $25 to $15 a month.  I'm  looking for a lower cell phone plan for $10 a month or less.  I'm considering 'pay as you go' phones but have heard some bad reviews.

The utility and grocery budget are flexible so they continue to be a focal point.

Strawberry patch

 Last winter I kept the heat off as much as possible. I closed off the rooms we were not using but ended up with mold because it got too cold. My husband and I slept with hats and gloves on at night and a ton of blankets.  We were a cute pair! Ha! I was cozy warm once I got under the covers. But,  it ended up being too hard on my husband physically.  He suffers with pain continually so I didn't want to add to his discomfort. I can usually keep my electric and gas bill below $100 a month. This month it's right at $70. My water bill fluctuates anywhere from $90-120 depending on how much we are watering in the garden. I've budgeted for $200 total for all utilities.

I still believe my grocery budget holds the greatest potential for saving money. I have been spending a minimum of $360 a month. I am budgeting for $60 less than I have been spending.  I was using $100 of my part time income to pay for the higher grocery bill. There is no buffer now.  Saving money in the grocery budget involves more cooking and choosing simple and inexpensive recipes and shopping 'loss leaders'.  I did a lot of cooking this week to stretch the food and we ate a lot of chicken.

Fall crop of broccoli

 
The bottom line of my new budget is $11 leftover at the end of the month. This is after putting $50 into savings. Any KNOWN future expenses (DMV fees, accounting, Christmas, birthdays,etc.)  are divided by the year and the monthly allotted amount is saved. I wondered how many of you live on a budget that tight? Is it unrealistic?

I found myself confronted with waves of anxiousness this week mingled with gusts of faith. The anxiousness came as a result of looking into the future and fearing what 'might' happen without my extra salary. The faith came when I renewed my mind in God's Word and trusted that He is my provider.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17 ESV

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Matthew 6:34 ESV


~~~~~~~~~~

Here are a few ways I saved money or stretched what we had this week:

1.  I've been freezing meat and vegetable scraps for over a month. I finally had enough to make dog food. We mix it in with the dried dog food to stretch it.

2.  I made soap all by myself! It 'traced' but when I checked on it the second day it seemed too soft. Each time I check it firms up a little more. I'm hoping it will turn out so I can use it for gifts.

3.  I was given a free Aloe plant. I haven't had one since we sold our last home. I like to use Aloe for burns so I was happy to receive two small plants. The same sweet lady gave me a food dehydrator. It was a desire of my heart that God met.

4. I harvested my Stevia leaves. I left about 5 inches on the plant. I was going to make a tincture using glycerin  until I discovered that it's full of sugar.  Instead, I  tied the branches in bunches and they're hanging in the garage. They should be thoroughly dried in 7-10 days. I'll put the leaves in a blender to make powder. I hope this works. Hopefully husband won't mind that the color will be green instead of the bleached white color. The Stevia I purchase from Amazon costs nearly $20 for a small bottle but it last a long, long time.

5. I harvested the eggplant. I blanched it for a few minutes and then froze it between wax paper and then put the layers in a freezer bag.

6.  I spent an afternoon taking in some pants and tops on my sewing machine so I don't have to buy new clothes.

Seedlings of onion, broccoli, swiss chard and cabbage

7.  A lot of research  went into finding an alternative to our current satellite and internet packages. Our contract for satellite will not be up until June. If we cancel early they will charge $275. (Note to self: No more contracts!)  I think we came to a conclusion to downgrade our satellite package until the contract is up in June. This will save us $30 a month. If I can find a good cell phone solution then we may end up cancelling the internet since there is not contract.

8. I needed cat litter this week. I decided to 'look around' on the shelves by the cat litter I normally buy instead of just purchasing the old standby.  I found a bag that was half as much. My plan is to mix it in with the expensive stuff and cut my costs. I hope it works.

9.  I made a homemade recipe for Shake and Bake. It tasted almost identical. I don't know if I can share the recipe here since it's copyrighted. Can I? Here is the link:

Over Fried Chicken 111

 "Snow on the Mountain"

10.  Things I didn't throw away this week:

• Old clothes (rug making)
• Toilet paper cardboard (compost)
• Tinfoil cardboard (compost)
• Tin cans (cut up and used to fertilize Azalea and Hydrangea)
• Plastic  and glass jar containers (recycle)
• Egg cartons (compost) 
• Reused washed Seran wrap that had been used on fruit.

I'm thinking a lot about Christmas lately. I'd love to find some new gift ideas to make at home. What are you making for Christmas?

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

Frugal Friday & Diatomaceous Earth

A year ago we lived in a 300 ft. studio at an elderly ladies home while waiting for my husband to get disability. I cared for her (Miss Alice) and took care of her home in exchange for free rent and a part time salary. Miss Alice has a big heart and had been feeding stray cats for nearly 10 years. I took over feeding the cats and fell in love with one of the mama cats and her baby. Well, need I say more? When we moved we brought them with us.

"Snoopy"



I found out recently that the mama cat has worms. Poor baby! I treated her with over the counter medication but it didn't work completely. I checked with the vet and it would end up costing nearly $100 dollars to treat both cats. I started researching alternative methods and came across a lot of good testimonies on Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.).

 Diatomaceous Earth (food grade, not the one used for pools) are tiny, hard sharp diatoms (major group of algae) which work by cutting through the insects exoskeleton. I researched it for days and could find nothing dangerous. The only caution was to use a mask if you have asthma. I don't have asthma but use a mask when using quite a bit of it such as dusting for fleas or in the garden.

I found a large bag (about the size of a 5 pound bag of sugar) at my local feed store for $3. The manager of the feed store takes the product himself in a shake and shared a lot of good information. I found several charts that recommended 1 tsp. for cats and 1 tbsp. for my dog's size. It needs to be taken for  at least 60 days to kill all cycles of the worms. I plan on giving it indefinitely. I mixed 1 tsp. into wet cat food and they didn't hesitate to eat it. I also have been giving 1 tbsp. to my dog even though she doesn't have worms. Taking it internally is also supposed to help with flea control.  I am daily seeing 'evidence' that it's working on the worms. Yuck! A million times YUCK!

It is also supposed to kill fleas so I dipped the pet brush in the D.E. and combed it into all the animal's fur. I'll do this once a week.

Lastly, I read that it works on pests in the garden. I took a jar and put nail holes in the lid to use as a shaker and then applied the D.E. around the plant and even on the leaves.

I will be one excited lady if this stuff does everything it promises! I won't have to spend a fortune on flea meds and it will be much safer for my animals. 

"Sassy" & she IS! 

***

Here are a few things I did to save money recently:

1. I needed a taco seasoning so I made my own. I had all these ingredients on hand. Here is the recipe. It turned out great!

4 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

Pinch cayenne or 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. paprika

4 tsp. salt

2-4 tsp. black pepper

6 tsp. cumin (opt).

Use 3 Tbsp. per 1 pound of meat.

2. I've been using large Rubbermaid totes for my composting material. I read this past week to only use food grade containers when you compost so the poisons in the plastic will not leach into the soil. Uh oh! Mine were not food grade.  I called a few bakeries in the area and found several 5 & 7 gallon food grade containers that they gave away free. I just can't decide if it would be okay to use the 2 big totes of wonderful compost this one time. Any suggestions?

3.  I've been reading a few testimonies of people who lived during the depression. One common practice was to not throw anything away without evaluating whether it could be re-used. So, this week I'm really watching what I throw in the trash. One new thing I saved was the packaging from a bag of sugar. There was a nice large piece of sturdy paper (similar to the material of a paper trash bag). I plan on using it as packaging material to mail items to my grandchildren. I also started saving the string from the tea bag. I'm thinking I'll tie them together and use them for my flowers and veggies that need to be supported to a pole.

4. I made another batch of  spicy tomato sauce from our home grown tomatoes. I have a large bag of green beans I need to preserve, too. I've been freezing okra and have enough to fry for dinner. We've enjoyed cantaloupe this past week and our spaghetti squash and eggplant are ready to eat this next week. I will need to find a way to store the squash because I have close to 10.

5.  I used my Price Book to see what I had paid for Dawn dish soap at Walmart and then compared it to the sale item in the ads. I couldn't remember what I paid for it so the price book came in so handy. That motivated me to record more receipts.

6. I am saving the empty dog food cans to bury at the roots of my grape vines and also my Hydrangea. I'm told that when they rust they provide nutrients for the plants. I'll also make a 'tea' out of a few cans to pour at the base of the plants.

7.  I saved the inner cardboard tubing from a paper towel roll. I'm using it to wrap washed and re-used baggies around to keep them neat in the drawer. I use a rubber band to hold them in place.

8. I made too many veggies this week so I kept looking for ways to use them so they wouldn't go to waste. I put the cauliflower in our scrambled eggs this morning and I used the green beans to make a cold salad with tomatoes and red onion and Italian Dressing.

9.  I saved my bread wrapper and washed it out and then dried it to use another time.

10. I had left over milk from my in-laws visit so I froze it. I used it to make homemade ice cream for our company. 

11. We watched a movie I borrowed from the library. 

What did you girls do this week? Everyone's day will look different.. and that is very okay!

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few day so his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Eccl. 5: 18

A Typical Frugal Day

This week I kept track of the things I do (almost) daily to stretch my budget.


Mornings:
- Summer months: The curtains are left drawn on east side of the house until the sun passes over the top of the house but opened during the winter months to draw in more heat from the sun.
- I  save 'first time used' tea bags and put them in a small container in the fridge. Some mornings I use 3 'previously used teabags' to make one cup of tea for hubby. 
- Egg shells or melon rinds are put in compost container on kitchen counter.
- Seran wrap or baggies used to cover fruit are washed, dried and reused. 
- Laundry is washed with homemade laundry detergent.
- Vinegar is put in a 'Downy ball' to soften clothes. 
- Homemade stain remover is applied to clothes.
- Cold water is used for nearly all loads of wash on a light cycle (unless very dirty). 
- Grey water is used from washing machine and ran to flowers on the side of the house.
- Laundry is hung on clothes line instead of using a dryer. 
- Toilet and bathroom sink are sprayed with a mixture of 1/2 vinegar & 1/2 water mixture.
- I use toilet paper to wipe down sink and toilet when cleaning instead of paper towels.
- Lights kept off in house during the day.
- Dishes washed by hand in sink with 2 dishpans (1 for washing and 1 for rinsing).
- I let water pour into a bucket while waiting for it to turn hot and then put the bucket on the back step. I throw it on the flowers (along with the dish water) after I finish the dishes.

Fishin' with the grands!

Lunch:
- Vegetable peelings from salad fixings are put in small compost container on counter.
- Same routine for washing morning dishes.
- Laundry taken down from clothes line and folded to avoid ironing.
- Soda cans are saved to recycle. 
- Old soft clothing and old towels are used for rags to dust.
- Vacuum cleaner canister's contents is dumped on compost pile.
 - Newspaper saved for composting and plastic cover is used as a cover for seedlings to make
    mini-greenhouse.
- Fans used in each room to avoid using window air conditioner until it's over 90 degrees outside.
- Phone calls made on Magic Jack. 

My granddaughter learning how to do needlepoint.

Evenings:
- Garbage is dumped and grocery store bag is used to line the can.
- Compost container in kitchen is taken to larger tote at the back of the garden.
- Recipes are double and tripled so I only use the stove a few times a week.
- Large toaster oven used for baking to keep the house cool.
- Timer is used when watering the lawn so that I don't forget and let the water keep running. :-)
- Same routine as morning for washing dishes.
- Night lights turned on to avoid using overhead lights in bedrooms and bathroom.
- Lawn mowing night: clippings & leaves thrown into compost.
- Car washing night: 2 small buckets of water used only.
- Shower water is turned off while soaping.
- Shampoo is allowed to set on head until end of shower. This allows only one application of shampooing.

My backyard vegetable garden full blown!

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,

 but whoever gathers

 little by little

 will increase it.
 Proverbs 13:11 ESV

Okay friends! How did your week go? Please forgive me for not getting back to you last week. It's been busy, busy here as I try to keep up with the veggies. But, I do learn so much from you and I'm thankful!

Frugal things I did this week!

I haven't had a lot of new things to post. It's not that my days lack frugal saving ways. I continue to practice, practice, practice all that I've learned. The new ways are becoming familiar and tend to flow easily in the schedule of my days. I remember how awkward it was when I first started saving the beginning cold water that runs before the hot water comes through the pipes. But, now it's so engrained in the way that I do my dishes that I don't even give it another thought. I collect the cold water in a small bucket and then set it outside my back door while the warm water is running into my dishpan. After I finish the dishes I take the rinse water (that would have been wasted down the drain) and throw it on some flowers. I get 3-4 buckets of water a day. It's amazing how many plants I can water. 

I made another batch of homemade dog food tonight. I didn't have enough table scraps of meat to make a batch last month and had to spend $10 on canned dog food.  This month I can use that $10 towards another necessity. I boiled the scraps of meat, leftover vegetables and rice in a big pot on my single burner in the garage. I put an old puzzle board across the sink to use as a work table. I liked having the mess out in the garage. It was easier to clean up and it kept my kitchen from getting hot.

The garden is doing great. I'm picking zucchini, white and green small squash, yellow squash, radishes, raspberries, some blackberries but not many, spinach and lettuce. The tomatoes are starting to turn red. I got my water bill for this past month and I stayed within budget. I was shocked. I thought for sure we would go over because of all the watering in the garden.

I think my comfrey plant is just about ready to be made into liquid fertilizer. Comfrey fertilizer is supposed to be high in nitrogen which is good for peppers or tomatoes. I'll pick the leaves and place them in a bucket covered with water. It will take about 20 days to decompose. The leaves will be thrown in my compost bins and the liquid fertilizer will be poured on my tomatoes and green peppers. This is a cheap alternative to the store bought fertilizer and organic to boot!

So what's new in your neck of the woods?  How did you save money this week?

Keeping cool without A/C

I should clarify that even though I don't have A/C I do have 2 window air conditioners and ceiling fans. It still gets very warm on days that are near or over the 90's. So, I'm looking for ways to keep the house cool which will also help with my electric bill.

Cooking in my kitchen heats up the entire house ...  even if I cook early in the morning. So,  I'm finding alternative ways to make my meals by developing a routine to cook outside. I have a propane camp stove (high powered that I purchased at Bass Pro), a very large toaster oven and a crock-pot. I use the propane stove on the patio and the toaster oven inside my garage along with the crock-pot.I also have one electrical burner that was given to me last week.

It's a little inconvenient to cook my meals outside. I think over time I'll come up with an easy routine. I use a large tray to carry my food items out to the stove. I set a TV tray next to the camp stove for my utensils and plates. I take notice what keeps me running back and forth to the house and look for ways to reduce my steps. As a result I decided to leave a couple of potholders in the garage along with a few cooking utensils.

Cooking outside makes a huge difference when it comes to keeping my house cool.

The second thing I do is to watch where the sun is hitting my windows and keep the curtains drawn. I realized the sun hit my kitchen windows  until around 10 o'clock. I had a burgundy sheet in good condition so I made half drapes and found 2 tension rods. I keep the bottom part of the curtain up until the sun stops shining on that side of the house and then I take them down.

Thirdly, I ,like to take advantage of the cool air outside so I open up the windows in the early morning hours and allow the air to flow inside. Once the air outside starts turning warm I close all my windows to trap the cool air.

Fourthly, I use small personal table fans in several of my rooms. I have a small table fan in my kitchen, office, bathroom and next to my bed. Oftentimes I can use the small fan in place of the ceiling fan which I believe costs less electricity.Last night I was warm but my husband was not so I was able to turn the small fan on next to my bed and save using the overhead fan.

Lastly, I wear lighter clothes on hot days. It's amazing the difference between wearing capri's and a  long pair of pants. I've collected a few light cotton tops for the summer which really help. Putting my hair up helps, too.

I read last week to run some water in your bathtub about ankle deep and to dip your feet when you get too warm. I haven't tried it yet but I think it would help.

How about you? Could you add anything to this list?

Mending: A Frugal Duty

I don't know a lot of younger people that mend these days. It's a shame because it really can save a family a lot of money. I remember my mother sitting at the kitchen table doing her mending. It was just part of her household routine.

I am not nearly as diligent about my mending as my mother. I have a mending drawer in my sewing room. If something needs to be mended or darned I just throw it in that drawer until mending day. I've been in this home since last June and mending day has not come.. until this week.

I enjoy mending once I start the task. It's just setting aside the time. My mending drawer was full so the time had come to tackle the job.

Mending really is a necessity for a frugal household. This is what I found in my mending drawer:

• 2 pants (I bought them at a thrift store. They needed to be shortened into capris). 
• Hanky (Hem needs to be sewn)
• Skirt (Like new, needs to be taken in).
• 2 undergarments (Mend a tear)
• A new blouse ( I've only worn it a few times because it's too big). 
• Blouse (Needs a snap sewn on)
• Dress (Needs to be taken in)
• 4 socks (Holes need darning)
• Apron (needs the tie sewn back on)

I would eventually have to replace these items if I gave them away.   I believe there is at least $80-100 worth of clothing in the list above. I'll save myself a lot of money once these items are mended.

I had planned on purchasing some new capris at the thrift store for summer. I had forgotten I had 2 pair waiting for me in the mending drawer.

A few months ago I mended my granddaughter's pants. She had a hole in the knee. You couldn't even tell it had been mended once I finished. She was so surprised.  I used to save old jeans to use for patches on my boys pants when they were young. I'd use a zig zag stitch to make a solid stitch over the patch. The patched jeans then became their play pants.

Here is a great video on how to do a 'blind stitch'.  This stitch can be done by hand. I did a search on You Tube for mending videos and there were a lot of them.

   
Hand sewn items go next to my chair in the living room so I can work on them in the evenings.

Do you mend your clothes? Do you have any tips to offer?

Frugal Friday: How I Saved Money this Week

It's been a full week of many extra duties that have squeezed out the attempt to try new frugal ideas. One of those extra duties is a sewing job. I'm hoping that some day I can work exclusively from home again like I have for most of my years as a homemaker.

So, my Frugal Friday list is less full this week. I'm still doing the 'main things' that help me save money:

• Hanging my clothes on the line to dry.
• Only washing clothes when I have a full load.
• Keeping the lights off as much as possible during the day.
• Washing and drying dishes by hand. 
• Using up left overs to stretch my food budget. 
• Saving as much water in the house as possible to throw on the plants in the yard.
• Composting any leftovers.  

These are a few new things I did to save money this week:

1. I have a 'mending' drawer which was very full so I spent an afternoon mending pants and shirts that otherwise would have been given to Salvation Army. This will also save money in the future by extending my wardrobe. I also have some socks with holes that I plan on mending soon.
2.  I wrote in previous posts how I would save the water that runs from the faucet in the mornings while I'm waiting for the hot water. I would throw the cold water (that normally went down the drain) on plants outside. This week I heated a cup of water in the microwave and used the warm water to clean my face instead of letting the water run. I normally run a 1/2 bucket of cold water before the hot comes so I saved quite a bit of water doing this.  I'm still saving the 'extra' water in the kitchen though when waiting for hot water to wash my dishes. 
3. I kept my grocery receipts from this past month so that I could keep track of what I was/had spent. 
4. I started a Price Book. It's not finished but it's started. :-)
5. I made up a monthly menu and a grocery list from that menu. I was just making 2 week menus but seem to run short on vegetables by the end of the month. I'm hoping that better planning will eliminate that problem. 
6. I made a new stain remover which I will share on a later post if it works. The last two I made are working but I need something a little stronger for those determined stains. 

So.. that's it for this week. What did you do to save money this week? 

Frugal Friday: How I saved money this week!

Fall is in the air which has me thinking how I can prepare our home for the winter months. I know I  have an electric blanket that needs washing but I keep putting off going to the laundry mat. I've pulled out the slippers and located the sweaters and I need to bring the kerosene in from the garage to have it handy. I keep flash lights in most rooms so the batteries need to be tested.

 This will be the first year in our new home. Since the house was built in 1917 I'm thinking it may be a bit drafty. We do not have central heat but there is a wall furnace in the living room. We were told by the grandson of the owners that it efficiently heats the entire house. I hope so. If not then I'm sure a couple of layers of clothes will do the trick. I don't mind the cold nearly as much as the heat.

I've listed a few ways I saved money this week:

1. I've been saving leftover bits of veggies for a few months. I put them in a small marked container in the freezer. This week I dumped the container into a pot of hamburger soup. I was able to avoid using a can of veggies because of this practice. These were small amounts I would have just thrown away.  I also had frozen a container of unused tomato sauce that I threw in, too.

2. Homemade ice cream can be expensive to make. An older lady once shared a trick that helps keep the cost low which is to drain the water from the ice and salt and use it in the second batch. This also helps reduce the amount of salt needed for the second batch.  My friend also used to freeze water in milk jugs and then crush the ice with a hammer. I  have never been able to get the chunks small enough that they wouldn't jam as it's turning.

3.  I use seran wrap for my waffles when I freeze them. I reused the seran wrap after the waffles are eaten for the next batch. I also saved and washed a brown sugar bag and a piece of tinfoil to reuse.

4.  I had purchased some carrots with jalapenos and onions that I thought would go well with a mexican meal. They didn't. There was too much vinegar and no one cared for them. I froze them in small amounts thinking I could use them in future soups. Well, I tried a small amount in the pot of hamburger soup and my husband did not care for it at all. I'll need to come up with another idea to prevent throwing them away. Maybe I'll try to rinse them first.

5.  My husband enjoys a cup of Earl Grey Tea in the morning when it's chilly. I've been saving the tea bags by putting them in a container I keep in the fridge. Once I've gathered quite a few I will then use 3 used bags for a new cup of tea. I let it sit just a bit longer than the first use. My husband has never complained that it's too weak.

6.  I cooked 2 chicken pieces in the crock pot to use in a few recipes this week. I saved the meat juice and put it in a jar. Once the meat juices were cooled I put the jar in the fridge to separate the fat from the broth. After I threw away the chicken fat I labeled the jar and put it in the fridge to use in a soup someday.

7.  I saved an empty peanut butter jar. I use empty jars for all types of things. One thing I use it for is to contain grease so I don't have to put it down the drain. I also use jars for compost items because the lid helps deter gnats and odor.

8.  Two clothes lines were hung in my laundry room for rainy days. I may have a chance to try them out this week.

9. I bought a few $1 Popsicle holders. We like sugar free Popsicles but the price is hefty so I'm trying to find a way to cut back on that expense. I use natural stevia in place of sugar. I did not like the way the Popsicle holders worked so I'll be on the hunt for an inexpensive set that is easy to use.

That's it for this week. How did you save money in your home?

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.

Saving vs. Spending (this might surprise you)

This quote is from Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn. I hope I always remember this lesson!

Practical Guidelines to Control Spending.

"Understand the difference between spending money and saving money. 

Saving money is setting aside money for a future purpose. Money that is saved stays in your wallet or the bank and can be used for other purposes, including your needs or the needs of others that arise.  On the other hand, money that is spent leaves your hands and is no longer at your disposal.  Hence, when you buy a fifty-five dollar sweater for thrifty-five dollars, you do not save twenty dollars - you spend thirty-five dollars.  Whether the sweater was worth thirty-five, fifty-five or two hundred dollars is irrelevant.  The point is, the thrifty-five dollars is gone, and you have saved nothing.  The next time you hear of a great sale on something you don't need, remember- if you keep 'saving' like this you will soon be broke!"

Grocery Budget:: Trial and Error

I continue to think and pray about how to stretch my grocery budget of $200 a month. As food prices continue to climb I find myself searching for new ways to make our money go farther.

So, this month I had a brilliant idea (so I thought!!). I made out a menu for the entire month and then made a shopping list of the non-perishable food items and off I went! I hit several stores so I would get the best deal.

My plan failed. I ended up with only $50 by the second week of the month. The third week I purchased items for our Thanksgiving dinner which dropped my monthly total to less than $25. I panicked!

I didn't set out to worry and fret over this lack of funds but the Lord quickly showed me that I was not trusting Him. Forgive me Lord! So, I began reminding myself of all the years the Lord has taken such good care of us. I rehearsed  the promises of God! I recalled to memory the Exodus and how God fed His people manna through the desert. My faith increased and I began to look to the Lord to multiply the money to reach until the end of the month.


The most awesome (I know.. poor grammar! *Smile*) thing happened a few days later. I found out our church was giving away free turkeys. I knew if I purchased my own turkey then I would run out of money by the end of the month. I emailed to see if I might have one. (It's hard to share this with you... I don't relish the idea of asking for help.. let alone sharing with others that I did). The pantry director set up a time to meet at the church. Before I left they had not only promised me a free turkey but given me many boxes of food. As I came home and unpacked the boxes I lifted my heart in praise to God for His goodness and His abundant provision! I now have more than enough food to last through the end of the month which means that the money I have left can be used for milk, fresh veggies and fruit. God is so amazingly good!

Lesson learned.... I'm going back to my weekly envelope method. I'll place my $50 in each week's envelope and shop for that week with the money in hand!

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV)