Today's 27 Thing Fling is made up of small items. There is pearl chain, rosettes, a crochet rose, little bows, and charms. These were sets you could use to make collage pins. Obviously, I never made them!
A friend of mine issued a challenge to make the house "thinner" over the next 27 days. The goal is to get rid of 27 things each day. I decided to take the challenge as I have some things that need to go. I have a lot of paper that needs to go and a garage full of things to take to a thrift store. I will start this in tomorrow and will try to post updates as I go. If you're interested in joining, please do so.
Money is finally flowing into our home once again. Having regular paychecks will allow us to budget and keep ourselves afloat.
I have been looking at where money goes. I am most amazed by the areas where we don't spend money. We don't pay for cable/satellite television. We don't go to fancy restaurants. I don't spend a small fortune on crafty items. Jer does not have all of the latest xbox games.
Even without these items we are happy. We have internet access, netflix, and lots of free music & games online. We have a nice house, good food, and a lot of love. We're far from suffering.
We have a long couple of months ahead of us. We have to dig ourselves out of the pit that is debt. If I start to complain about the lack of funds, remind me that we really have it pretty good.
Jeremy drives an 18 wheeler over the road & is out for 8 to 10 days at a time with his new company. These new home times and a larger refrigerator in his truck mean that he is able to eat more meals in the truck. This saves a TON because 2 to 3 meals out each day, mostly at a truck stop, add up to big bucks quick!
I'm going to start cooking daily (something I don't do since it is just me at home - I tend to eat the leftovers from a meal for days before cooking again) and freezing a portion or two for him. We have a vacuum sealer and plan to borrow a single electric burner from J's dad so the initial expenses won't be very high.
This week he did store bought "heat and eat" kind of meals just to test things out. He enjoyed the meals but they are expensive and are full of sodium and other things he really does not need in his diet. We're hoping that making these meals will allow for some savings in our budget.
I know I've not been posting. I really want to. My life has just been a little on the chaotic side. Jeremy was working for someone (contract labor) and they did not pay him for 3 weeks before he quit. It took another 2 weeks after he started his new job before his first payday. In all, we went 6 weeks without any income. This depleated our savings and if it weren't for my family we'd be even deeper in debt.
We're on the right track again. I'm able to pay my parents back at a reasonable rate each week and still start putting some money into our savings.
Instead of posting and working through some of the problems, I hid. I tend to do that...I'm like a turtle hiding in my shell.
Anyway, I'm back and ready to start posting again.
...when life throws you a curve ball and you are left floundering? Yeah, that has been me the last few weeks.
Life is getting back on an even keel. I'll be back posting this coming week.
I found this great tutorial to make a wrap bracelet. I waited until I found a piece of ball chain & then went through my stash to see if I had the other items needed. In the first one I made, I improvised by using embroidery floss instead of waxed linen cord. In the second one, I used colored hemp & pearl bead chain stuff. I really like how they turned out.
Menu planning is one area where I am sorely lacking. Most days, we plan the dinner meal sometime after 10:00 in the morning. We're making way to many trips to the store and we're spending money on impulse items like crazy.
I have turned to the Internet in search of ideas but I wonder if half of these recipes are meant for people feeding between 2 & 3 adults & 2 teenage boys on a daily basis. Steak for 5 is not in my budget. We're lucky to get red meat more than once per week. Even frugal sites seem to be full of meals that are either too complicated or too hands on. I have CFS & FMS as well as other hidden illnesses. Some days I just cannot be in the kitchen for an hour or two prepping dinner.
So now, I turn to you...my few (LOL) readers. Do you have any tried & true frugal meals that are easy and kid friendly? Please comment if you do. I'd love to hear from you!
Today we went to just a few sales. I was feeling ill (getting used to new medications) so we cut our outing short. However I did manage to snag a few things.
I budget $20 for yard sales. I also take change along with me. The change is "free" money in our budget (we round up to the whole dollar) so it is like getting things totally for free! Today I spent $3.75 in change and this is what I got.
Today was a holiday for my nephews (they attend online school at my house) so we all had a lazy day. Jeremy was home & had some time to play games & just relax. We ate leftovers from Sunday's big dinner all day. I think I'm sick of ham for a while - good thing I froze much of the left overs!
I am looking for more blogs to follow. I'm interested in the frugal, hippie, homesteading, crunchy granola, & crafting blogs. Bonus for ones that combine some of my "loves". If you have any suggestions, please leave them here.
There was not a whole lot going on this weekend frugal wise. Or at least nothing that was not the norm for us.
Recently I have been wanting to make more from scratch items. I love making bread but really wanted to move beyond the bread machine and try my hand at something new.
A month ago, I started making artisian bread. Crusty Bread Recipe I have had good success with this bread. I took 3 different loaves to a get together last month & everyone enjoyed them.
Tonight I tried a new (to me) recipe for yeast rolls. Link to recipe I wanted something somewhat simple that I could use for our big supper on Sunday. My friend & I went to the grocery store & bought one package of Sister Schuster's Rolls. The package was $3 and change. I challenged myself to make something that was just as good (if not better) and for less.
I had to go back to the store for shortening (luckily just down the street and I only bought the one item!). We just don't have that on hand. From start to finish it was about an hour and a half maybe. I spent much of the time on other projects and just came back periodically to check on the dough's progress.
The batch was small, just 8 rolls, so I did not feel it was a huge investment if the recipe failed. Luckily the recipe worked well. The 5 people present loved them. I saved one roll for Jeremy to try tomorrow when he gets home. If he likes them, we will be making them on Sunday.
I think that the recipe cost less than a dollar. This is a big savings over the small bag from the store.
Tomorrow I plan to try a recipe for cheesecake balls. I thought they might make a yummy spring time dessert.
It is a lot cooler today than it has been in a while. I opted for jeans over shorts today & pulled out an pair. These were a gift from my mom more than 5 or 6 years ago. The zipper does not like to stay up. I had to find a way to keep these pants and so, for a long time, I had a pony tail holder threaded through the zip loop and I would loop this around the button. Today I tried a new trick & replaced the pony tail holder with a small key ring. This means I can wear a shorter shirt as the pony tail holder showed a little & the key ring does not.
This sort of a fix for me is second nature. It is normal for me to find a fix or just wear an item as is (they are clean after all) rather than toss the item. These jeans will likely last a few more years & will bring me a smile each time I zip them.
We went to a thrift store today - one having a 50% off everything sale. I spent $19 and change on 5 pairs of shorts for Jeremy & a pair of corduroy pants & a pair of capri pants for me. Jer is a big guy (6' 8" and 350 lbs) so finding pants for him at thrift stores is impossible. However, since short season is upon us, I am able to sometimes find things to fit him. I think I did really well. I only bought really needed items - Jer has NO shorts & I have one pr of capris - and stayed within a budget.
What thrifty thing have you done today?
A friend of mine, Kimbra over at Frugal Living With Five, is doing a 30 Day Frugal Challenge. I am rooting her on and thought I would post about her challenge. She is doing one thing per day that is frugal.
Today, I did a load of laundry. I used my homemade powdered detergent. I do dry my wash (allergies) but I hang dry things like shirts and bras. As I was folding this load I smiled to myself. This load contained some of my "rag bag" rags. These are used where most people would use paper towels. Yesterday my oldest nephew painted. His watercolor mess was wiped up with rags. The once white cloth now looks almost tie dyed!
Let's see what I can come up with for tomorrow!
Today I went to help my fiancee's mother start to clean out a closet. I say start because it is a huge project that is best split up over several weeks. We worked hard for a few hours & ended up with some things being given away. My friend & I both got a few things (crafty items!!) and there was a lot left for the yard sale we are planning for the first weekend in June. I did not go into this thinking of getting things for myself. I wanted to help and in return I was "helped" out as well.
What ways have you used to help other??
One of the areas where most people can cinch their wallet strings is on gifts. My goal is to make smaller 'stocking stuffer' type gifts as time allows throughout the year so that I'm not stressed in November (or December!) making or *gasp* buying gifts.
This is a very simple project. I think that it would be a great one to do with a young girl so she can make gifts for her friends as well.
I've jumped on the homemade bandwagon. I've started making detergent, fabric softener, dishwasher detergent & deodorant. So far, all are working well for us, except for the deodorant - I had a nasty allergic reaction. I'm thinking of trying again with less tea tree oil.
These items not only save money but by making and using them, I continue my frugal focus. I use them daily and can really see the savings adding up.
An added bonus is that I know what is going into most of my homemade products.
One thing I want to work on is my "What's For Dinner" segments. Lately at my house food has been expensive. My friend & her two teenage sons eat with me most nights. The boys don't like beans & that tosses out half of the frugal meals. I want to get back to focusing on where my money gets spent.
A friend inspired me to start using my blog again. I do some journal writing still on Live Journal but I'm really not writing about things like I really would like to be.
My life has changed completely since I last posted. I've gotten a divorce. I've moved into another house that my fiancee and I are purchasing from my parents. Basically everything written prior to this date is from a prior life. I don't want to remove my posts though because I feel that they have some good information.
So be looking for new posts soon...
