I am discovering this Christmas is very different from past ones due to our financial downsizing. I can remember spending hours and weeks shopping for the family and then just as long wrapping. Then there were weeks of baking and delivering goodies to friends and loved ones. By the time Christmas came (and even up to the night before) I was still running back to the stores thinking I didn't have enough and looking for just 'one more gift'. I crawled out of bed on Christmas morning feeling beyond exhaustion. It was fun in a crazy, insane kind of way. But, living on less money has brought it's own kind of peace in the midst of the chaotic storm of December that I'm frankly enjoying.




I can remember reading excerpts from Laine's Letters on her gift giving budget of $3.00 per person and wondering how anyone could buy a decent gift for that amount. (She made a specific effort to point out that she prayed for the Lord to give her 'eyes to see' before she entered a store). The thought stuck with me and now, more than 8 plus years since I first read her letters, I am seeing that it's very possible to give less and still bless the person you are gifting. I love to look back over the years and see how the Lord has brought different people into my life that have radically impacted my way of thinking and prepared me for the life that He has given me the past few years.



This year I cut my gift giving budget down to a third of what we normally spend. Practically speaking that means I targeted to spend $20.00 on each grandchild. The adults have exchanged names this year with a $20.00 budget per gift. I have 7 grandchildren that I buy gifts for. I also have 3 birthdays in December. I asked their parents to give me suggestions which was very helpful and then I watched the sales. I was able to find a nice gift for each child... one that they had hoped for.

A few of the BEST gifts I received for Christmas last year...
performing for Grammy!

Staying out of the stores this time of year has been essential to sticking with my budget. I've had one point this month (thankfully it was while I was at home) that I panicked feeling that I had not given enough. If I had been in the stores regularly or reading the sale ads I'm sure I would have given into the pressure to buy more. When I really took time to look at the panic I realized it was a fear that my grandchildren would not love me as much because I was unable to buy them more. Once I evaluated the fear I could see it was ridiculous.. I am not loved because of what I can or cannot give at Christmas. If I am.. then we have a serious problem.

As much as I love to give gifts I can see the downsizing as a very good thing (if received in a godly manner) to not be bombarded with every material thing the heart desires. Do you remember that episode of Little House on the Prairie where the children were snowed in and it looked like they were not going to receive any gifts for Christmas? Remember Mr. Edwards? He came at the very last minute and brought oranges I believe and maybe a few small trinkets. The children (and Mrs. Ingall) were overwhelmed with gratefulness. Can you imagine the response from a child in this generation if they were given just an orange as a gift? Their expectations have been raised by the abundance of a prosperous time in the history of our nation. As our economy (and the nations) downsizes I'm hoping so will their expectations.

There will not be the crazy wild tearing of a gazillion packages with paper flying everywhere this year. I'll kind of miss that in one way. I do love to give and see the excitement on a child's face when they see a mountain of presents. But, my heart is content knowing that God has sovereignly assigned the amount of money He has given and it is all working into His plan for my good and therefore the good of my children and grandchildren and all involved. That contentment brings far greater pleasure than a mountain of gifts ever could.

I continue to learn in God's school that age old lesson that Paul spoke about several thousand years ago ...

But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 1 Tim 6:6-9 NASB

Has your family cut back on your budget for Christmas this year? How has it effected you personally? What did you do to cut back?

The cloud is moving... and so are we!

I've become fond of the story of Moses the past few years ..especially the exodus from one place to the unknown. I was thinking about this story quite often the past few weeks. Maybe you'll understand when I tell you our new plans...
A few weeks ago my husband and I interviewed for a job as a caregiver in the town where 2 of my children and their families live. We've been praying to move back close to our family and my mother and now it seems that God has answered our prayers.  We will be caring for a 90 year old woman who in exchange will provide a studio apartment and a small salary. I will cook two meals a day along with light housekeeping. We're free to come and go as we please since she is still self-sufficient and very independent. We've known her son and his family for years so it's not like we'll be taking care of a complete stranger.
My mother will be within walking distance. I haven't lived in the same town with her for over 18 years. She's needing a bit more help the older she gets so I'll be thankful to live so close.  Five of my grandchildren will once again be close by. I've missed being a part of their lives on a regular basis. I'm already dreaming of how I can spend more time with them.

Celebrating Mama's birthday at my son's home this year

                        

So.. the paring down continues. Our new home will be close to the same size as the one we're living in now. The only difference will be that we won't have the extra storage we have in the barn. I've spent the past few weeks going through paperwork, paring down cookbooks, setting aside clothes we don't wear, tossing out old business paperwork and going through my books to save only the best of the best. I won't start packing until after Christmas so I'm using this time to look over everything within our small little home to make sure it's absolutely essential to take along for our next move. Living in small quarters has really given me a sense of what is truly essential to our daily existence. It has really simplified my life.
I'm assuming I won't have a lot of time to keep up with blogging this next month so I wanted to wish all of you a blessed Christmas. I hold so many of you close to my heart. My prayer for you and me is that our hearts will lay hold of the beauty of our Savior this Christmas and that He will truly be the greatest gift.

Tightwad Tuesday: Storage Bags

I've decided to try and apply one tip from The Tightwad Gazette each week for the next year. I've learned a lot from this author. This is one of  my old standby book 'friends' that has tutored me in how to live frugally.  Since we will be living off our savings and my small part time income this coming year, I thought it would be a good time to pull the book out again and see if I can learn some new skills in stretching our money.

I learned a great tip from Tightwad Gazette years ago which was to examine every plastic bag that comes into your home with an eye for reusing it. I used to spend a lot of money on store bought freezer and storage bags. Because I've incorporated this tip in my home I only occasionally purchase bags at the dollar store.

Here is a short list of bags that could be reused:

- bread wrappers
- vegetable bags (you normally find these on a roll in the produce department)
- apple bags (or any other bag that fruit comes in) 
- powdered sugar bags
- brown sugar bags
- dried fruit bags
- nut bags
- corn or flour tortilla bags
- chips
- cookie bags
- any plastic bag that comes in a box. For instance, the plastic bag that holds instant mashed potatoes.

 I don't mind washing the bags as much as drying them. I normally hang them up to dry but this doesn't always completely dry them inside. So oftentimes I'll place my hand in the corner of a dish towel and then in the bag while drying the outside with the other end of the towel. My husband has promised to make me a drying stand so I won't have to dry them by hand.

I found a new suggestion on washing plastic bags in the book that I haven't tried yet. It suggested throwing them in with a load of white clothes along with 1 tsp. of bleach and 1/2 cup laundry detergent and warm water. I'll be trying this soon.

Once the bags are dry I store them by rolling them around the cardboard tube that you find in the middle of a paper towel roll and then I place the roll (of bags) in my kitchen drawer where I store the tinfoil ,etc. 

My goal this next year is to find more and more ways to use what I already have on hand. The less I throw away the less I'll have to buy.

What do you save and reuse?

A Free Pumpkin and a little work

My sister blessed me with a HUGE beautiful pumpkin. It's been years since I cooked a pumpkin but I had hoped I would be able to find one this year since it would help stretch my grocery budget. Thank you, Lord!

I had read that you should not pressure can pumpkin that had been pureed so I decided to freeze most of the pumpkin in 2 cup servings. I have about 1/4 of the pumpkin left and I hope to pressure can it in chunks tomorrow. I'll use it in soups this winter.

I scraped out the seeds inside the pumpkin with a large spoon making sure it was nice and clean with no strings. I placed the seeds in a strainer to clean. I cut the pumpkin in large pieces and then placed them in my tallest pot. I filled the pot with water about 1/4 of the way full and steamed the pumpkin until I cook easily pierce it with a fork. It took at least 30 minutes of steaming with the lid on.

Once it cooled I used a cheese slicer to peel off the skin. I cut the pumpkin flesh into chunks and pureed them in my food processor. I had to add a little bit of water to get the pumpkin moving in the processor. Once it cooled I scooped out 2 cups and poured it into a small baggie. I ended up with 6 bags (one of which I gave to my aunt).

I followed Crystal's suggestions on processing the seeds and they turned out perfect. I cleaned the seeds well removing all the pulp and then placed them in a large pot. For every 1/2 cup of seeds Crystal said to add 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 cups of water. I boiled the seeds in the salt water for about 10 minutes and then drained in a colander.

 

 I poured olive oil in the corner of a cookie sheet and then placed the seeds onto the tray coating them with oil. I baked them at 400 degrees until they were brown. I stirred them a couple of times.

 The picture above was taken before I baked them so they had not browned yet. They turned out great!!

A Productive Home

My hubby and I were not feeling very well today so we decided to take it easy. There has been a steady rain in the valley so it was a perfect day to rest inside. I'm fighting off the urge to take a nap but I feel so lousy that I might just give in.  I think it might help the pain in my husband's back if he'd rest, too. The rain seems to be effecting his arthritis and the pain is increasing.

A few projects were finished up  this week.

 This wooden version is much sturdier than the plastic ones sold in catalogs like Harriet Carter. I purchased my original one from the Amish many, many years ago and it has served me well.  Mine hangs in my laundry area and use it to dry lingerie, socks, plastic bags, etc. Sometimes I'll hang it on my clothesline outside.


I made a bible cover and hope to make more to sell.

I wish the fabric would have shown up better. It has a pretty gold thread that runs through the pattern. I may use ribbon for the tie next time. I'll see how this one works. I love it!
I think I just may head for that nap now! My warm, comfy bed is calling me!

Waste Not Wednesday: Dog Food

• Waste Not Wednesday: Dog Food

   Feeding my dogs on an extremely tight budget has been an area I've been thinking about lately. So my interest was sparked when I began reading about making your own dog food.  (I'm also looking for ways to fight fleas without spending so much on commercial flea products. Anyone have any ideas?)
  This week I made a pot of chicken broth. I had been saving leftover carrot peels, onions and celery in the freezer for a few months. I also used a cooked chicken carcass plus a few pieces of raw chicken.  When the broth had finished simmering for a few hours I started to throw out the veggies and meat pieces when I suddenly remember the article on making dog food. It dawned on me that I could reuse the carrots, celery and chicken pieces.
  The recipe I had my eye on called for 2 cups of cooked pasta, 2 cups of cooked rice, vegetables and a tablespoon of peanut butter boiled in a large pot of water. I had some beef broth that I also stirred into the mixture.
  
  
  

  

  
  

  I ended up with 5 meals for 2 dogs. It's not a huge amount but every little bit helps these days to stretch my budget. And the great thing is that most of the food was going to be thrown away. I'll still leave dry dog food out in a bowl in case they get hungry during the day.
  
  I thought this would also be a great way to use leftovers that normally go to waste. I forgot to mention that I went through my fridge and found some leftover vegetables and a small amount of Chorizo that was outdated that I put in this batch of dog food. Unfortunately, I do have leftovers that go to waste if I don't get them frozen quick enough. No more. From now on I'll use them in future batches of dog food.

  I know some dogs may have sensitive stomachs but we've been giving our dogs small amounts of scraps from the table since they were young. I just make sure I don't give them onions or Chinese food and I watch the portion size.  I also try to be careful about the amount of fat I give them and I don't give them chicken or fish bones. We've never had any problems and I think we'll be fine as long as we keep the food simple. 

  I'm thankful to find another way to stretch our budget for this coming year.

  My God IS Jehovah Jireh.. my Provider! He has proved Himself to be the best provider anyone could hope for over these past few years. I'm at rest knowing He will provide for all of our needs in the coming year while we wait for an answer from Social Security on my husband's disability. Teaching me how to stretch our food is only one of many ways He is doing so.

I'm learning to use a Pressure Canner

I've learned to use a pressure canner this summer. We had a truckload of beautiful tomatoes that we couldn't let go to waste and I didn't have enough room in my freezer.

I've always been a bit leery of using a pressure canner. I can remember my mother telling stories of families they knew when she was a child who died from eating tomatoes and green beans that were not canned properly. So, I've only water bathed fruit over the years and made jelly.  This is the first year I've canned tomatoes. I'm very happy with how they turned out.  I use canned tomatoes and tomato sauce a lot during the winter in soups and stews.

The tomato sauce recipe I used is a new one I received from a friend. The flavor beats the canned sauce hands down. I'm learning to make more and more things from scratch which helps lower my food budget.I also pressure canned a batch of chicken broth last week.  Since it's just my husband and I at home these days I often have to freeze leftover soup and stew but this winter I hope to pressure can the leftovers.

It's really not hard to use it at all.  I make sure the product being canned is hot and I put it in hot jars and lids. Be sure to add lemon juice to canned tomato products.  I place the jars in the canner and add 3 cups of water. I also add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar so that the jars don't end up with a white film from the water deposits. My husband puts the lid on the canner and makes sure it's lined up with the handles. We place the little weight on the top over one of the vents and set the burner on high. I watch the pressure gauge until it reaches the right pressure and then time it according to the directions in the book. The scary part is taking the weight off the lid because the steam comes out very fast. I always pray that my husband won't get burned as he lifts it off quickly. Once the pressure is down to zero then I take the lid off the pot and lift out the jars.