Monday through Saturday Frugality

I tried to keep better track of how I spend my days so I could share it with you. I jotted things down as I was working. Frankly, I didn't have enough room to write down everything but here are the highlights.

Monday: I've lost some weight and my pants are too big so I ran a seam down the outside  of each leg to make them smaller. I also took in the seams on 6 blouses and mended some underwear. I cooked up several different vegetables from my garden so all I have to do is reheat for dinner. I find the more I can cook ahead the less temptation there is to eat out. I have a lot more energy in the morning than I do at 4pm.  *smile*  I saved egg shells to make another batch of fertilizer for the garden. Baked my son's birthday cake in the early morning so that I wouldn't heat up the house.

Tuesday:  I worked 3 hours in the morning at Miss Alice's so I don't do as much at home on Tuesday's to save money. I saved the rinse water from my dishes and threw it on my plants..... I'm trying to use up food that has been buried in my freezer. I found a bag of fish stick so we had them for dinner along with a cucumber, tomato and red onion salad with Italian dressing. Looked up on the internet how to freeze okra. I'll be doing that one day this week.





Wednesday: I hung a load of wash on the clothes line .... used the rinse water from the washing machine to water some plants .... cooked vegetables for dinner in my solar cooker which saved electricity and didn't heat up my kitchen . I made 2 batches of homemade snow cone syrup instead of buying it for the grandkiddos.

Snow Cone Syrup

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of water

1 package of Kool-Aid

Heat sugar and water until it comes to a 

full boil. Remove from heat and add Kool-Aid.

 Cool. Refrigerate up to 1 month.

Thursday:  Stained a 'free' outdoor bench with some dark stain. The wood was weather worn. After applying a dark stain it looks brand new. I covered the bench this past winter with a large sheet of heavy plastic to shield if from the weather. Taking care of what I own helps things last longer which saves me money in the long run. Hung clothes on the line. Saved a bread wrapper and cake mix plastic pouch to re-use. Picked enough okra to freeze so I baked it for 10 minutes at 350, cooled and then put in the freezer.  I made homemade spaghetti sauce from tomatoes I grew and put it over spaghetti squash (also grown in my garden) for dinner.



                                         My 'outdoor kitchen' in my garage. It helps keep my
                                          kitchen and house cooler.


Friday: My son and daughter in love brought over 4 buckets of free horse manure for the garden.  Made a yummy salad from our garden veggies of sliced thin zucchini, red onion and tomatoes with zesty Italian dressing. Chopped Hungarian peppers from my garden and froze them.

Saturday: I made homemade spelt flour tortillas for breakfast burritos. Cut my husband's hair. Washed my car at home using 1 bucket for soapy water and 1 bucket for the rinse water. Picked strawberries from my garden and froze them for smoothies. Hung out a load of laundry on the clothes line.

Sunday: Church and then home for a day of rest. :-)

How did your week go? What did you do this week?

Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. Eccl. 5:10 NIV

Remember the poor....

Sister Ellis... my Titus Two friend!

My dear friend, Sister Ellis,  has joyfully entered into the arms of her Savior this morning! She has finished the race set before. She was faithful to the end. Oh how I will miss her. I am so thankful for her example and her friendship. She taught by example and impacted my life.

Sister Ellis turned 94 years old on the 4th of July. The tribute I wrote below was written seven years ago and I believe the picture was taken in her home about that time, too. I wish you could have known her for you would have loved her, too.

If you look very close at the lovely grey haired beauty above you will see one of the truest examples  of a Titus 2 woman! And if you listen very closely you will hear Jesus spilling out through her words and actions to everyone she meets.

I met Sister Ellis over 25 years ago at a little country church. She was the WM (Women's Missions) leader to a small group of women who started out meeting at the church. As she grew older the meetings began meeting in her home. Her women made quilts for missionaries and the needy in our church and community. The quilts were also sent to Mexico and other states and even to Romania. Sister Ellis continued to hold meetings in her home past the age of 87 years old! Imagine that! How many 87 year olds do you know that are actively serving Christ? We would gather for lunch after we worked on the quilts. Sister Ellis would finish with a devotional and prayer. I was a part of these meetings for many years and hold the memories close to my heart.

 Sister Ellis loves her own children and grandchildren. Her family and home are very important to her and she does not neglect them. But, her service to the Lord does not stop with her family. She also uses her home as a outpouring of ministry to those in her neighborhood, church and beyond. If we look at the scriptures describing the duties of a godly woman you will see that it not only includes her husband and children but she is also commanded to use her spiritual gifts to minister to the body of Christ, to make disciples, to feed the hungry and help the poor, to visit the orphans and widows in their distress, care for the affliction and show hospitality. (This list is not exhaustive to say the least.) She is to be known by others as being a woman of 'good works'. (1 Timothy 5:9-10, James 1:27, 1 Cor. 12, Mt. 28:19-20) This is the life my friend has lived. She has a reputation for good works.

Sister Ellis rarely leaves her home, except for family and church functions, yet her influence has reached around the world. Many of us lovingly refer to her home as the 'hospitality house'. You never know who will show up to visit her in a days time. No matter when you stop by you will always be welcomed to sit down for a cup of coffee and a homemade goodie.

 Sister Ellis cares about the interest of Christ and others.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests , but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:4

They all seek their own interests ,not those of Jesus Christ. Phil 2:21

I found the following quote in a book called, All the Women of the Bible. It reminds me so much of my friend.

".. it is encouraging to know that there are those Christian women - spinsters, wives and mothers - who strive to keep themselves unspotted from the world. Books are not written about their true love, loyalty, sacrifice and uncomplaining days. These precious women are writing their history in the lives of those around them whom they love and serve.  Although, often weary in their task - for theirs is no forty-hour week job - they are never weary OF their task. They spend their lives unknown by the world in their narrow circle of their home within which they labor unceasingly for God and others, but they will not lose their reward. God's eye is upon them as they live out their lives in the orbit of His will amid all the cares, trials and sorrows of the home. One day, when the books are opened, their devotion will be commended by Him who sees and knows all."

***

This is the legacy Sister Ellis left behind. She will be missed more than words can express. 

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was more but those are the highlights.

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

A Productive Home

 I've been thinking about a book I read years ago called, When Father's Ruled. It was an interesting study of how the Reformation affected the family and how the home was thought of as a place of productivity.  I liked that thought!

 Most of the productivity in our generation seems to be outside the walls of the family home. It's not a sin... mind you! I don't really know of a direct command forbidding it one way or another... just that all we do should be done for the glory of God.  But, I do find it interesting to look back and see how different the home was viewed in previous generations.

Zucchini

Why make the home a place of productivity in this generation when we don't have to? I like to think of it as a trade off.  I can pay someone to produce items for me or I can cut out the middle man. If I do the work myself it saves money. Saving money benefits our home in several ways.

- It stretches our income.
- The extra income can go into savings for unexpected future expenses. A savings can help avoid expensive payments because we have cash on hand.
- The extra income can be used to help others.

Herb Garden

For instance, my tomato plants are producing right now.  I have enough to make 2 batch of homemade spicy tomato sauce. I already have my jars from previous years. I've been picking up a few boxes of canning lids each payday. I have fresh basil and parsley. I've been harvesting onions and a neighbor blessed us with garlic. I have everything I need to make the sauce from my home except 2 cans of tomato paste which I picked up this afternoon. I use a lot of sauce in soups and stews in the winter. Producing my own tomato sauce and canned tomatoes will cost less than purchasing them from the store which will give me extra money to use in other areas.

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23 ESV

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

How about you? I'd love to hear what you are producing in your home.

"From beginning to end, Scripture repeatedly emphasizes God’s ownership of everything: “To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it” (Deuteronomy 10:14).When I grasp that I’m a steward, not an owner, it totally changes my perspective. Suddenly, I’m not asking, “How much of my money shall I, out of the goodness of my heart, give to God?” Rather, I’m asking, “Since all of ‘my’ money is really yours, Lord, how would you like me to invest your money today?”"

Randy Alcorn on money!

A Frugal Yard

We've lived in our little cottage nearly a year this month.  The house had set empty for a year and a half before we moved in so it was in need of TLC.  The elderly lady who lived in this home for many years was a flower lover and the yard displayed that love.. even though things were dry and nearly dead. It didn't take much time before the flowers perked up and new plants began popping up.

I've never spent a lot of money on flowers for our yards. There has always been someone in the family that was willing to share seeds or small plants. This past week my mom dug up her Blue Dawn (a special kind of morning glory that blooms for a long time) and shared a bucket full of roots.   I planted them along my cyclone fence for privacy. We had planned on purchasing privacy slats but they are so expensive that we decided to plant morning glories instead. I also had an asparagus fern that had babies coming up in random plances so I transplnated them along the fence, too. Receiving free vines saved us over $100.  If you don't have any flower lovers in your family then you may find free plants through FREECYCLE. I periodically see free seeds and plants offered.



I think a frugal choice for plants would be those that re-seed themselves. I've never liked spending money on flowers that only produce for one season. Cosmos, Coreopsis, Geraniums, Mums, Poppies.. there are a host of flowers that will give years of enjoyment without having to buy them every year. It's fun to share seeds with others, too. I was walking in the neighborhood one day and fell in love with some Aster plants. The next time I walked by the owner was outside and I commented how much I loved her flowers. She immediately offered me some seeds. That was so nice of her. I have found that flower lovers are generally nice people. :-)

I'm also fond of plants that don't require a lot of water.. especially since we are on a tight budget. I have quite a few plants that fit that descriptions such as Iris, Surprise Lilies, Geraniums, Dusty Miller, Tiger Lilies, Camellias and a small pink clover plant.



I want to improve my soil so that it will hold water longer. I'm using a lot of water now that the summer is heat is here.  I plan on using my homemade compost in the flower beds too and not just the vegetable garden. I have rinse water running from the washing machine to water flowers (not veggies) alongside the house. I'm still saving the rinse water from the dishes and the beginning water before it turns hot. I throw those on the flowers, too.

My yard gives me so much enjoyment. I love going out after dinner and working until dusk.  It's  great exercise, too.

 



How do you save money in your yard? Our vegetable garden is doing so well that I'm tempted to tear out the lawn and flowers and make it all veggies and fruit. I keep wondering why I am paying out water for decorations instead of food. But... I do enjoy the flowers.. so .. for now they are safe. :-)