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

Making extra money

What happens when the paycheck doesn't seem to meet all of your needs and wants? Do you look for more work or do you tighten your expenses? This is a topic we've (myself and those who have responded)  been chatting about the past few weeks. I imagine there are many different answers depending on a person's situation.

My husband's paychecks have ALWAYS met our needs and many of our 'wants', too.  Even now that we are living on his disability income (and my VERY small part time paycheck) all of our 'needs' and quite a few of our 'wants' are being met.

Homemade Coconut Milk Berry Ice Cream

But, sometimes it 'feels' very tight and if I'm not careful with my thoughts I can sense resentment rearing it's ugly head. I think it's when my 'wants' get transferred to the 'needs' list. It doesn't take long before the Lord will bring others to my attention who are living with much less. This week the Syrians dreadful situation has sparked gratitude in my heart for all I do have. I read that 6,000 people are fleeing Syria daily. Imagine uprooting your family and fleeing to another country with no prospect for a job.. Perspective makes a huge difference in my thinking and it initiates appreciate for all I do have today.


A few of my blessings:

A few of the grandones spent the night last weekend! They are so much fun! We played Upwords, Headbands, made cookies, watched movies and played video games. Thankfully they seem to still enjoy visiting even with our outdated technology. This is only 2 of the 4 that visited.

~~~

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

1.  We were invited to a family birthday party and I was asked to bring a dish. Instead of trying to 'wow' them with a great recipe I decided to check what I had in my pantry. I had all the ingredients on hand to make a broccoli casserole (which is a great recipe, too!). YAY!!!

2.  I have quite a few eggplants in the garden. My neighbor told me to check ALLRECIPES for a recipe called Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant. It was really good. I would peel the eggplant next time. I used stevia to replace the sugar. It's fun to try new recipes!

3. I made a batch of enchilada sauce for a recipe I plan to make soon. I had a bag of dried chilies on hand. Next time I'll make a larger batch and freeze the leftovers. Here is the recipe:

Enchilada Sauce

6 dried ancho chilies (I used New Mexico chilies)

2 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

3 cups beef or chicken broth

2 tbsp. flour to thicken

Bake chilies on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 2-4 minutes. Watch closely so they don't burn. You just want to warm them to help bring out the flavor. Remove the seeds. Put the chilies in a bowl and completely cover with hot water. Cover. Allow to soak for 1 hour. Combine all the other ingredients together and about 1 cup of broth over medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove and put in blender until it's smooth. Put in skillet on stove and add the rest of the broth. Put  2 tbsp. of flour  in jar with a little water and shake till smooth and then add to skillet. Simmer until it thickens. Add more broth if needed.

4.   I made some Roasted Tomato Basil Soup for lunch.  Here is a link to the recipe I used. I only had 2 cups of basil in the garden but it still tasted wonderful! I plan on making at least one batch of soup a week to help cut the cost of my lunches.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

My son saved us $150 by chopping down our tree.

5. I found  hamburger on sale for $1.99 a pound. It was the kind with a high fat content. I rinsed it with hot water once it was cooked and drained well.  The leaner hamburger has gone up to over $3.00 a pound which has put it out of my price range.

6. I started another potholder for Christmas. I also have a potholder started in the car bag. My car bag has little projects I do while I sit in the Drs. office or wait in a long line. I normally have a book in the bag, too.  I have finished a lot of gifts (and books) this way.

7. I pulled out a quilt top that I want to make for a second nephew for Christmas. I measured for the seam binding and put the measurements in my purse. I'll purchase contrast material for the binding next paycheck but definitely will check the local thrift stores first. 

8.  I saved, washed, dried and will reuse a bread wrapper, brown sugar wrapper and a frozen vegetable bag. My mother saves her comics for me which I use as wrapping paper for the grandchildren's gifts.  I also save my jars to pour fat and grease into so it doesn't go down my drain.  I saved more of the tea bag strings. I know some of you think I'm going too far by saving those strings but they are STRONG and I can use it to prop up my plants in the yard.

9.  I made Sugar Fee Snow Cone Syrup. It will be a LOT cheaper than buying the DaVinci SF syrup in the store. It's made with 2 packets of Koolaid, 1 1/2 cps. Splenda and 3 cups of water. Stir and refrigerate. Next time I'm going to try making it with Stevia since I really don't like using Splenda for health reasons.

10. I put my small sewing box in the living room next to my chair with some socks that need mending. I also have a few Christmas projects to work on . It's convenient and a good reminder when I sit down with husband in the evenings. "A stitch in time saves nine".  *smile*

11. We were told it would cost $150 to chop down a tree in the backyard that was shading 1/4 of our vegetable garden. We've had some dental bills which have taken most of our extra income so we haven't been able to save the $150. My son came over on Saturday and sawed down the tree and then hauled off the heavy pieces to the dump. So extremely thankful for his help!

What did you do this week?  Were you busy or busy as a 'backward bee'?  So what do you make for lunches that is inexpensive? And how do you entertain your older grandchildren?

May God's grace amaze you!

Georgene

Book Review "Enough", Part 1

How much is enough? There are times we know the answer. If I need to buy some fruit at the store and it costs $1 and I have $1 in my purse then I know I have 'enough'. But, when it comes to owning material possessions we have a difficult time discerning when enough is enough. This is the argument in the opening chapter of the book entitled, "Enough: Finding more by Living with Less" by Will Davis Jr.

O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.  First, help me never to tell a lie.  Second, give me neither poverty or riches!  Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.  For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the Lord?"  And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.  Prov. 30:7-9 NLT

So the question posed in Mr. Davis Jr.'s first chapter is, "What do I really need?"

"I need clothes but I want Levi's jeans and Ariat boots. That's why we have such a difficult time defining enough. In the increasingly gray area between wants and needs, finding enough can prove to be very elusive.

Enter Jesus. The man we worship as King of Kings and Lord of Lords never struggled with the concept of enough.

Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

In one sweeping statement, Jesus presented his followers with a clear picture of what he considered to be enough.

In Jesus' mind, that's all God promises. He promises to give us what we need today.  He doesn't promise to provide for tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. He doesn't promise to provide in advance for our retirement. All he offers is today. According to God, today is all you need."

Pretty radical, huh? If we truly lived this way and only had enough for our immediate needs today then I'm sure we would be considered poor. Yet, in God's vocabulary, we would have enough.

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Timothy 6:8 ESV

It sure is not the way we've been trained to think in America. I hope to write more about this book later. I've enjoyed it very much (even though I don't agree with every jot and tittle). It has encouraged me to take another look at the way I think about my finances. 

***
So, here is a birds eye view of my week.

1.  My workload (along with my husband now being home full-time) has created a challenge to my bible study time. It's been hit and miss and I oftentimes let the day's workload dictate whether I study or not  I.  I had to come to the conclusion that I was just not fighting hard enough nor making it a high enough priority. I love studying God's Word and by His grace I am committed to getting back to spending my first hour with Him before the demands of the day take hold.  I want my life to reflect the delight that I find in God's Word! The busyness of life can choke out the Word of God if we're not careful.
 
2. My daughter- in-love gave me some butternut squash from her garden. I rarely buy butternut squash so I did an internet search to find some recipes. I made oven baked fries out of the straight part of the squash and used the round bulb part for a butternut custard which is steaming in the crockpot as we speak. Update: I like the custard but hubby is reluctant to try it since I told him it tastes like pumpkin. He liked the fries and so did I. After I cut them to look like fries I put some dabs of butter on top  and then sprinkled with salt.  I roasted them at 350 for 45 minutes or until done. 

3.  My in-love's were here for 1 1/2 weeks. We had a wonderful time! My mother in love is one of the best cooks I know! She showed me a cheaper way to fry okra and catfish. Instead of using egg , flour and cornmeal she just made sure the okra was wet from rinsing it and then shook it in a bag filled with cornmeal. Same for the catfish nuggets. I'm getting okra every day in my garden and hubbin's loves it! I'm cutting up the extra okra and freezing it for winter. Oh, and my mother in love brought a new Christmas crocheted pattern to teach me which consists of granny squares. I've just finished the first one. I hope to make a few for Christmas gifts. 

4. I found catfish 'nuggets' on sale for $2.88 a pound  last week. The whole catfish was $5+  a pound. The nuggets were just as good. 

5.  Our local thrift store has a 25% coupon in a weekly magazine that comes in the mail. I try to cut out the coupon when it first arrives and place it in my purse just in case I stop by unexpectedly. I do this with fast food coupons and Joann's coupons, too. This past week my mother in love wanted to stop by a thrift store on the way to get some groceries. Thankfully I had 2 coupons in my wallet and could share one with her. I bought 2 tops, 1 capri and 1 shirt for my husband for $10. 

6.  I didn't do all my little money saving tricks while my husband's folks were here. I wanted to enjoy my time with them and not spend one extra minute on anything that would take me away from visiting since we only see them once a year. I only did what had to be done. It was like a mini-vacation from frugality.

7. I made a batch of Spicy Tomato Sauce from our San Marzano tomatoes in the garden. They are a beautiful paste tomato but I'm finding that the flavor is not as rich as some of the juicier tomatoes. We have 14 of these plants producing right now. Next year I will plant half as many and then plant a few other varieties. I'll use the paste tomatoes to can whole tomatoes and the juicier tomato for the tomato sauce. 

8. I continue to find morning glories popping up in different parts of the yard. I will dig them up and plant them against the cyclone fence in the backyard. One side of the fence is almost completely filled in by the leaves and has made a lovely privacy fence without spending a dime. The other side of the fence is coming along nicely, too. Next year it will be very thick. It would have cost me $100 to buy the privacy slats. 

9. I'm cracking nuts that were given to me. I'll freeze them for the holidays. 

10.  Chicken legs and thighs go on sale in the 10 lb. bags for .69 cents a pound every few months. I buy up as many bags as I can fit in my freezer. I separate the chicken into freezer bags that will hold 2 meals. Or sometimes the entire bag goes on the barbecue and then gets frozen for a quick meal when I've been too busy to cook. 

Well, that is a smidgeon of my week. What did you do this past week? I love to learn from other women!

Frugal Friday: Guilt over not doing enough?

It's  tempting to compare our daily work to others and feel we don't measure up. We've all done it. I've done it.  The only remedy is to compare ourselves to God's Word. True guilt should be a result of not keeping God's commands... not just by comparing ourselves to others. Oh, it's so easy to say but such an easy trap to fall in to.  It's a miserable way to live.

For instance, I choose to keep a garden in order to save money (the jury is out on the final outcome as to whether I will save money *smile*). Is there a direct command for every woman to keep a garden? Not that I can find. So, I am free to have a garden... and another woman is free NOT to have a garden. It's a personal choice. We just need to be careful to not put our choices on another woman if we can't back it with scripture.

There are specific commands for women and men. But, regarding whether to spend your days sewing, or living a simple life, or canning, or writing a blog, etc.... I find no commands!

Now, there are commands concerning HOW I keep a garden and WHY I keep a garden.  Here are just a few:

~ work heartily as for the Lord and not men. Col. 3:23
~ work with your own hands. 1 Thess. 4:11
~ for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31

Our work becomes an act of worship when it's done for the glory of God.  So be free to worship God with your daily work with no condemnation if it doesn't look the same as your neighbors. And if your day happens to look different than mine or theirs... rejoice that God has given you that liberty.

***
A few frugal things:

1.Our grape vines were just about dead when we bought our home last year. This summer they look beautiful and lush but we have very little fruit. My neighbor told me that she buried tin cans around the base of her grapes last year and this year she has a ton of fruit. So I buried some cans and hopefully we'll get more fruit next year. I also buried some old rusty nails around my Azalea.

2.  I made 4 batches of apricot jam. The apricots were off our tree. I also made SF Raspberry jam.

3.  I've been harvesting my onions and putting them in the freezer.

4. I filled 2 propane tanks for the price of one. Instead of trading our tanks at a Quik Stop store we took the cannisters to a propane company which charged half of what we normally pay when we exchange them.  I hope to buy an extra tank next month for a back up because I ran out of propane (thankfully) right after I  finished canning my apricot jam.  I don't want to do that again. I use the propane for a campstove when I'm canning. This helps keep my house cool in the summer months. Most of my cooking and baking are being done outside this summer.

5.  It rained this week so I placed large buckets around the yard to catch the rain water. It didn't rain enough to fill up the buckets. Oh well! At least I tried. :-)

6.  Believe it or not it was 'soup weather' this week. I decided to make a batch of 'refrigerator soup'. I found some leftover enchilada sauce, ham hock, zuchinni, onions, yam and a small bit of creamed corn. I added water and some chicken bouillon along with some seasoning. It sounds like a strange combination but it was good and didn't cost much at all.

7.  I have a tooth that was causing me a bit of discomfort. The dentist suggested a procedure that would cost $25. I asked if the procedure would benefit the tooth or was it for my comfort? He said it was for my comfort. I told him I would not feel comfortable paying $25. *smile* Thankfully the xray lady told me ahead of time  to take a bit of sensitive toothpaste and 'patch' the area. God's provision! I saved $25.

8.  My birthday was this week. I wanted to go out to dinner and maybe a movie but it was a tight paycheck.  Instead of being disappointed I decided to be thankful for whatever the Lord would choose for my day.  So, we had leftovers (I didn't have to cook) and chose a movie that had been pre-recorded on TV.  A dear friend stopped by and surprised me with a special outing. Then my children and their families came over with such nice gifts and homemade ice cream after dinner.  I thanked God over and over for giving me such a special birthday. His plans are much better than my own.

9.  I'm not buying hardly any vegetables since my garden is producing. There is not a big variety but I figure that's okay because we are eating what is growing right now. We have artichokes, tomatoes, zucchini, patty squash, onions, cucumbers, okra, lettuce and green beans. I'm probably spending less than $5 a week on veggies and fruit at this point.

10. I've been stocking my freezer because my in-laws will be here in a few weeks. I've been watching for meats that are on sale. My freezers are now full so I decided to shop my freezer until our next paycheck.  I can do this!

So the question of the week is: What did you do this week and how did you save money? I love reading your replies. I feel like I'm taking a peak into your home.

Exhausted from making extra money?

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

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

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

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

(I wrote an article on home businesses here). 

How I saved money this week at home:

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

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

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

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

Boiling egg shells for liquid fertilizer

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

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

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

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

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

How I saved money this week (and the freedom of living with LESS)

If you have been following our story then you know that we have downsized from 2700 sq. ft. to 748 sq. ft. I've given away and sold enough items to fill another house.

The older I get the less I can tolerate clutter in my own home. Your clutter would not bother me. :-)  It feels good when each item has it's own assigned place. That is my goal but I'm not there yet.

I  have 2 small closets and one antique closet/dresser. All three closets are too full. My office closet has been bothering me the most because my clothes were squished from 1 large Tupperware tub filled with scraps of fabric along with 2 Avon boxes. I've wrestled with whether to keep the fabric for the past 5 moves. I kept talking myself out of getting rid of it because I kept hoping that someday I would make some quilts.

So last Saturday I set aside the afternoon to work on cutting out some quilt pieces.  I spent hours cutting fabric and ended up nearly finishing just one square. I thought I would be so happy to get started on the quilt but by the time I finished I was not a happy camper. One finished large Depression Block (plus a lot more cut squares) = 3-4 hours of time I'll never get back = one disappointed Mama.

Kale

I'm middle aged and the writing is on the wall.. I'm getting older. I must be wise how I spend my hours because they add up to days which quickly become years. I have less time left on this earth than I've already lived. How will I spend my last days so they will count for eternity? Sewing quilts are not a sin. I just don't want to spend that much time on a hobby these days.  As much as I've loved making quilts in previous years I'm not willing to invest that many hours again.

So after struggling back and forth for several days I made up my mind that the small scraps of fabric were going. I saved some larger pieces of fabric to make some aprons and curtains for the garage. those are quick projects. I ended up with one final tub of fabric which will be stored in the garage.

My clothes are no longer crowded in the closet. I can't tell you how good it feels to open my closet doors and not have everything crammed and squished together. It feels GOOD! Really GOOD!

I've learned a big lesson through these fabric tubs. I have wrestled with them for nearly 5 years. I have invested precious time into thinking about them and debating over them. I've invested time and energy into lifting them from one house to another house for 5 moves over the past 8 years. They have stolen precious time from my life. Now that I finally got rid of them I feel as if a heavy burden has been lifted! It feels GOOD! Really GOOD!

I'm so jazzed! This next week I hope to tackle the other 2 closets. If it doesn't fit easily in the space the Lord has given me then it's out of here!

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

1. I went on several morning and evening snail hunts. My veggies had the obvious sign that snails were enjoying them for lunch. I started going out in the early mornings and turning over leaves and boards and found a ton of snails. The more snails I kill the better my veggies are looking.

2.  A friend brought by 3 cartons of home grown eggs.

3. My mother had some extra 'dragon tale' flowers. I gladly took them along with some nasturtiums to keep bugs down in my vegetable garden. I've rarely bought flowers over the years. There is always someone willing to share slips of small starts of flowers. It turns your yard into a memory garden.

4. I made a fertilizer out of 20 egg shells that I boiled for 10 minutes. I then let it set for 8 hours. The fertilizer was poured on my tomatoes.

5. I purchased a comfrey root off of Ebay for $15. I read that the leaves make a wonderful fertilizer. My goal is to make my own fertilizer from products I have at home. I think it will pay for itself in no time. I'm also hoping that it will multiply so I can sell my own roots.

6. I have 2 cats and 1 dog. They started scratching so I figured they were getting fleas. I didn't want to pay $45 for flea medicine plus it's not healthy. I purchased a flea comb and immediately caught 5 fleas off of one cat and 1 flea off the other.  I kept a small bowl of water nearby while I was combing. Once I saw a flea I would dip the comb into the water.  They are no longer scratching. The comb is not working as well on my dogs long hair so I'm not sure what to do with her. I haven't found any fleas but she does scratch occasionally. Maybe I'll give her a bath. I wash their bedding once a week which also helps keep the flea problem under control.

7. I hemmed a pair of pants I bought for $1 from Goodwill.

8. I made kale and sausage soup. The kale was from my garden.

9. I sauteed sugar snap peas in butter and garlic until they were soft. The sugar snap peas are from my garden,too. The vines are full and I've already used them in 2 meals.

10. I signed up with a local CSA. I paid $25 for the first box of organic vegetables. I cancelled after the first box arrived because it was mostly items to make salads. I love salads but I'm the only one who eats them. It's probably a great deal for organic veggies but that is why I don't purchase organic unless it's the same price as the regular veggies. I just can't afford it.

It's a busy time of year with the watering and pulling weeds in our garden. I love working in my yard.

So what did you do this week to save money in your home?
- 

I love this life!

Yes, I love this life! This life that some would consider a life of deprivation because our income is less than a 1/4 of what it used to be.  But, you know what?  I wouldn't change the life I have today for those previous years and all the extra money and expensive homes.

Not everyone would choose to live this way. I was told by someone recently, "It would drive me nuts to have to watch every penny".  But, I love all the little things that I do to stretch our small income.  I love cooking from scratch and baking my own bread. I love making my own laundry soap and the crisp fresh smell of line dried sheets. No amount of purchased fabric softener will come close to that wonderful scent.  I don't see it as deprivation but as tasks that add a richness to my days.

I've heard women say that they felt like their brains were drying up when they were 'only' homemakers.  But, I am never bored. I'm always learning something new. This winter I've spent time learning how to grow vegetables from seeds.   My heart sings as I walk by those little baby seedlings thriving in my vegetable patch. My sweet peas are blooming and the strawberries have flowered along with a few actually berries. 

I enjoy my slow mornings and spending time in God's Word before my day starts. This is my favorite time of the day.

 I love the opportunities to spend more uninterrupted time with my husband. I find that I have more patience in my relationships when my life is less busy.

Our free raspberries are thriving.

I find a deep sense of satisfaction when relationships are put first. So much greater than anything the promise of extra money can offer. My home is not fancy or up to date with the newest styles. I live in a lower income neighborhood so there's no chance of impressing anyone when they visit my home. But, you know what? Those things are so temporal.

Money can buy many 'things' but  it can't buy what I have!

Fine Tuning the Grocery Budget

I'm finally seeing the value of the PRICE BOOK I've been working on for months. I haven't been as consistent as I'd like to but I've recorded enough data from my receipts to make it useful.

I'm still haven't been able to stick to my budget of $260 for 2 people. This includes toiletries and pet food, too. I began to wonder if I'm being unrealistic and maybe I am. (I would love to hear from you! What do you spend on groceries for a family of 2?). So, this weekend I made it my goal to go over my receipts and find out if there is anything I can cut.

Thankfully I had saved all my receipts this past month. I went through each receipt and circled anything that was not essential. Guess what I discovered? I spent $65 on snacks alone. This was close to the amount that I had gone over my budget. The snacks included such things as sunflower seeds, almonds, SF cake mixes, Goldfish and other snacks for the grandchildren.

The next thing I did was to make up a monthly menu including all three meals along with a corresponding shopping list. I then used my handy dandy price book and put prices next to each item on my grocery list.  I then added up. I was way over my budget. So, I went back and cut as many items as I could until I could get it down lower. If I leave it the way it is now I will only have $30 leftover for eggs and veggies to last the rest of the month. I don't think that will be enough but I'm not sure what else to cut. At least it's a start.I'm hoping I'll find sale items on some of the items.

I know I could get the total down if we could eat more carbs but our health would suffer. My blood sugar was creeping up to the dangerous point and by cutting back on our carbs it has started to come down.  I'll continue to pray and ask that the Lord will help me find a way to eat low carb on the money He has provided.

I'm excited that I have a new plan and I have hope that I'm getting closer to living within our means.

How much do you spend on groceries per person? Are you budgeting while trying to eat healthier? I love learning from your comments!

Oh give me a home ... where the mortgage is low....

Quite a few years ago I owned a used homeschool curriculum bookstore which I ran for nearly 10 years. I often had mother's come for curriculum counseling because they were overwhelmed with all of the choices. Should they do unit studies or The Principle Approach or a more traditional textbook? It could drive a mother to distraction. I'd always bring them back to this question, "What has your husband allowed you to spend?" That was our starting point. It was a great 'narrower', as I used to call it, because it helped to narrow their choices.

Many of you know that we sold our home(s) 2 years ago when my husband became disabled. We lived in my aunt's barn studio the first year and then took a job as caregivers in the home of a 91 year old lady this past year so we could be closer to family.  My husband's Medicare will kick in April 1st and as a result we will be able to cut our $1,000 a month medical insurance payment to less than half. This will allow us to buy a small inexpensive home. There is no way we can afford rent  prices which are twice as much as a mortgage these days.

The types and areas of homes we can afford on a disability income are not familiar to us. To be honest, five years ago we would have avoided these areas like the plague. This has been the catalyst for a lot of soul searching and honestly I haven't been pleased with what I've seen. I believe I have taken on society's mindset when it comes to choosing a home more than God's. Sins like 'fear of man' and 'pride' are leading the pack.

Now, back to the point of my first paragraph. God has narrowed our income substantially over the past 5 years.  As a result it has limited us to certain areas where we can buy. They are not areas we would have pursued.. if given the choice... but God has narrowed our choices by our circumstances and funds. .. just as He did with my homeschool families..  He has spoken clearly through His provision.

There is a bigger part of me that gets excited thinking about where God might be moving us. Who will my neighbors be? Will there be some souls that I can point towards Christ? Will there be some that I can minister to or disciple? Will I have opportunities to serve?

 I am confident that He is working out His plan in our lives through the narrowing of our home choices. YAY!

 It will be small. It will be old. It will be perfect!
 

Perspective!

Budgeting: Living for Today

The Lord continues to teach new lessons on living below poverty level. (So silly to even write that.. I don't feel poor!)

One lesson I am learning is that it's not always a bargain to stock up even if it's on sale. I used to stock up on sale items no matter what. I liked keeping a well-stocked pantry.  But, I'm playing under different rules these days since we are living on at least a 1/3 of what we used to. (My husband says we're living on less than a 1/4).

I normally allow $5-10 a week for stocking up. But, it just depends on the month. For instance, this month I've had to use money from my grocery budget to help pay for Christmas. So, I'm not going to be able to stock up on any sale items. My goal is to spend as little on groceries as possible so I can use the rest for Christmas gifts.

I continue to pray and ask the Lord to show me what we can live without. I've simplified our menu and dropped a lot of recipes due to the cost. If a recipe has out of the ordinary items then I don't use it. When looking for new recipes I scan the list of ingredients to see if they're items I normally stock and if the cut of meat is cheap. We eat very simple these days.

I realized today that I could actually live without another expense. I have a Brita pitcher that I bought at a garage sale for $2. We use it continually throughout the day because the water is bad where we live. The filters are on sale this month but even so it will cost me $14 initially. Since this month is very tight I hesitate putting out that kind of money.  I started asking the Lord what I should do. The lady I care for has told me more than once that I can use her water which is filtered. Ah ha!  There's my answer. I can easily fill my pitcher each morning and save the expense of purchasing filters. Yay! Another expense bites the dust!

Thank you Lord!

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)

Our Story

The purpose of this blog is to share an unusual journey...

Our lifestyle has changed pretty drastically the past several years. I'm sure we're not alone. The 'Great Recession' has impacted many households. Our household is one of them. Providentially we've been forced into a situation which is taking every skill we've ever learned in stretching our income. We're learning new lessons daily.

This is our story..

Approximately four years ago our trucking business was booming. We were like many people.. we had lots of work and made a lot of money.. and unfortunately we spent a lot of money, too! As our business grew we slowly began outgrowing the property we lived on so we made a decision to move to a larger piece of land.

A year after we moved the price of fuel went up along with insurance rates. A few of the larger companies we worked for began to pay later and later. Then, as the housing market began to fall, work became less and less. Each month we went farther and farther into the hole. We tried to keep the business afloat but after 1 year we finally had to make the decision to close our doors.

My husband went to work for another company pulling their trailer and we started to sell off our equipment. Our income dropped considerably and we were not sure we'd be able to keep our home so we put it up for sale. Kevin worked long, long hours and we kept our head above water. We had multiple offers on our property but they all fell through. We finally were able to sell a year and a half later but by that time we had lost 3/4 of the equity from our previous home. We moved into town and purchased a lovely home nearly half the size of the previous one. We thought things were settling down.

A few months after moving my husband's job came to an end. There was just no work. Within a few weeks my son offered him a job where he worked. It would be another cut in pay. We were sure there was no way we would be able to make it financially on the new salary but we took the job knowing we were blessed to have work. By then the housing market had dropped even more and the unemployment rate was high. We cut every expense we could and made it through another year.

We had no way of knowing that this job would be the end of my husband's career and put a heavy toll on his health. Over the coming months the physical nature of the job began playing havoc with the arthritis in his back. He was in excruciating pain which effected every area of his life. Nearly a year later my husband was laid off from this job due to limitations caused by his health and it was then he decided to file for disability.

We sold our home and ended up losing our rental home (which we had hoped to help fund us through our retirement years) and moved into a studio apartment in my aunt's barn that was smaller than our previous garage.

So.. that's our story... but it doesn't really end there. It's only the beginning. We're learning many new lessons. Some lessons are hard... but many of these lessons are bringing new joys as we discover that the simple things in life really bring the greatest joy.

This blog is dedicated to those who are facing hard financial challenges. It may be the working mother who wants to be home with her children but sees no way she can obtain that goal.. or the couple who desperately wants to retire but don't believe they can live on social security... or it may be the couple who need to dig their way out of debt by finding ways to cut back on their monthly expenses. I hope that this blog will give you the encouragement and necessary tools you need to thrive on LIVING WITH LESS MONEY.