Housewife on a Shoestring

Photo ball ornaments

2010-12-01T13:36:00.000-05:00

There are dozens of ways to get your favorite family pictures on your tree. I particularly like this one.

Materials and cost:

One dozen clear glass ball ornaments - $5.99 at Hobby Lobby and 50% off that puts the cost at $3.00
12 photos - I use 4x6 prints I can get for $.19 each for a total of $2.28
One pair of scissors
One pair of tweezers
Elmers glue - bought at the back to school sales for $.20, 1/10 of a bottle used for a cost of $.02
Gold Glitter - $1.49, 50% off for a cost of $.75 and half used for a final cost of $.37
Red ribbon - $1.99 per roll, 50% off for a cost of $1.00, .25 roll used for a cost of $.25
Hot glue gun
Glue Stick - $.17, I used half of one for a total of $.08

Total cost - $6.00 or $.50 an ornament

Directions.

Cut the photos to fit inside the glass balls. This takes some trial and error. My later ornaments had a nicer fit than the first few.

Once the photo is cut, take the top off the ornament and roll the photo to fit through the opening. Be careful not to crease the picture.

Once the photo is all the way inside the ornament, use tweezers to gently unroll the picture and get it into place.

Once the photo is where you want it, place the top back on the ornament. You can use glue if you want it permanent. I did not.

Now, I suppose you could get really tricky and put a photo facing the other way as well. You could also use cotton, feathers, etc in the back of it to add a decorative flair and cover the back of the photo. I chose glitter. I wish I had gone with silver to match the ornament top, but I went with gold.

I put the glitter into a shallow plastic container to contain the mess a bit. Using the glue, I put designs along the back of the ornament. You can use stripes, stars, dots, scribbles. I played around with a few different things. Then dip into glitter and tap to remove excess.

Once the glue is dry, cut lengths of red ribbon about 4-6" long. I didn't measure. They are about as long as my hand. Use the glue gun and put a dot of glue at the top of the ornament as a place to secure the ribbon.

Bring the ribbon around the front, and tie it once.

Bring one end around in a loop, and use hot glue to secure in center, as one half of a bow

Bring the other side around, secure with glue, and your ornament is finished!

"Gilded" walnut ornaments

2010-12-01T13:05:00.000-05:00

These adorable little ornaments are a throwback to years ago when people would decorate their trees with gilded fruits and nuts. Inside these cute, simple little ornaments is a fortune to be found when the nut is cracked open.

Materials and costs:

1 lb walnuts in their shells - $1.99
Gold paint - $1.49 per bottle, .25 bottle used for a total of $.37
1 sheet of paper - $.01
Gold ribbon, $1.99 per roll, 50% off making it $1.00 for the roll, 1/3 roll used for a total of $.33
Hot glue gun
1 glue stick - $.17
Green ribbon, $1.99 per roll, 50% off making it $1.00 for the roll, 1/3 roll used for a total of $.33

Cost for 16 ornaments - $3.20 or $.20 per ornament

Directions:

Very carefully split walnuts in half using a sharp knife. Use a butter knife to pull out nut meats and clear the shells.

Paint the outside of both halves of the walnut with gold paint and allow to dry.

Cut paper into thin strips about half an inch wide and 1.5 inches long. Use a marker or pen to write fortunes on the slips. These can be as simple or as complicated as you want. I went with simple.

You could also use carefully folded money or small trinkets depending on how elaborate you want to get with it.

Roll the fortunes up into tiny scrolls, and tie with a short piece of gold ribbon. Tuck into the walnut shell.

Using the hot glue gun, place a dot of glue at the top of one half of the shells. Loop the green ribbon around and secure both ends to the shell with the glue.

Use the glue gun to run a bead of glue around the edge of the shell, and carefully seal both halves of the shell back together. They are now ready to hang on the tree! On Christmas morning, let the walnut hunt commence and seekers can crack the nuts open to find their fortune.

Personalized Christmas ornaments on a budget

2010-11-29T14:15:00.000-05:00

Post one of several

My holiday ornaments are in terrible shape. I have been using the same ones my entire adult life. They are scuffed and sad looking thanks to curious toddler hands and climbing kittens and gigantic dog tails. New ornaments are not the cheapest things in the world. To get a deal you really have to buy the same old colored glass balls.

Instead of having a tree that looks just like everyone else's, I have decided to make all ornaments that go on my tree. I figured I would share the finished product here along with a cost breakdown. I didn't think about it today, or I would have done a step by step photo series, but I can do that with tomorrow's project.

Today's project is snowman ornaments.

Materials for one dozen:

One dozen plain white or silver ornaments. I bought the shatter proof type specifically meant for making ornaments at Hobby Lobby. They come one dozen to a package for $4.99, but I got them for 50% off so a dozen ornaments for $2.50
Black acrylic paint - $1.49 per bottle, a few drops used so maybe $.05 worth of paint
Orange acrylic - $1.49 per bottle and the same amount and breakdown as the black at $.05
Black felt - $.50 per sheet, 1/2 a sheet used so $.25
Pompoms - $2.99 per bag, half off, so $1.50 per bag. I used 1/4 of the bag so about $.37 total
Glue gun - I don't have one anymore so a new one ran $2.77 I am not going to count it toward the price though because I will use it for many things
Glue stick - $3.49 for 20. I used one for a total of about $.17

Total cost for 12 ornaments - $3.39 or $.28 per ornament.

Not only is the cost per ornament low, but it is easy enough for kids to help with making an ideal gift for family, friends and teachers.

Directions.

Using black paint, paint 2 black eyes and a dotted (coal) mouth on each ornament. Follow with the orange paint to make a carrot shaped nose.

Cut the black felt into thin strips, and hot glue on top to make the band for the earmuffs

Cut a tiny patch off each pompom to flatten it out, then use hot glue to secure to each side to make the muffs.

The results are fast, easy and super cute :)

Ah ha!!

2010-11-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

I couldn't remember how I took this blog offline, but I finally figured it out. Guess who's back!! Since I have started 3 other blogs I will organize things so that different types of subjects go on the different blogs. I will go back to money saving ideas for this one. My food photography blog isn't used much, but perhaps if I get back into it, it will be an interest. I have a daily 20 blog in which I answer the famous "what did you do all day?" question, and ramblings of a total headcase where I will post whaever doesn't fit on those. Feel free to read around.

I took my blog down initially after having a problem with certain people attempting to intimidate me with it, and use it against me. I have come to the conclusion that I have nothing to hide, and furthermore, I refuse to let people silence me. I will not give up that control of my life. I am so done with it.

I think moderated comments are on. I am still debating if I want to go back to open comments. I am not afraid of people disagreeing with something I post so feel free to comment however you wish. I will not be posting any comments that are hateful, nor will I be allowing my personal private business to be up for discussion. Anything else is fair game.

I missed my followers and hope to see you sharing with me again :)

We are here, and we are settled...mostly

2010-02-22T21:57:00.005-05:00

I am not going into details just yet on the reason for our hasty move. It is a long, complicated story and I just don't have that kind of time at the moment.

Just posting today to show off a couple of pics of our new place, with more to come later.

We are in an apartment, which is close to 700 sq. ft smaller than the house. We also don't have the barn/garage anymore for storage, so it was interesting paring down to fit. No regrets. I am loving it. Most of the stuff we got rid of was larger furniture and crap given to us that we didn't use and just stuck in the garage waiting for a chance to sell/give it away. Half of our furniture we used for storage purposes because while the house was bigger, there were no closets. You have no idea how much I am loving the closet space in my new place. No more shelves, extra dressers, bins, etc. Closets and cupboards, oh my oh my.

So, to start out today, a view of my new LR and DR. We still have some unpacking to do (and are still using paper plates/plastic cups as much as I despise them, but it's not bad for being here less than a week.)

Sorry for the lack of posting

2010-02-07T17:18:00.002-05:00

Life has taken a pretty major turn and it looks like we are moving. I will go back to posting regularly after we move.

Shopping Sales

2010-01-23T00:37:00.003-05:00

I quit shopping sales for a while. I took it for granted that Aldi had the best prices and pretty much shopped there exclusively for a while. I started adding on another local store when I realized I couldn't get everything I wanted at Aldi. I still went with my meal plan and shopped around it. The problem is that it is hard to take advantage of sales if I have a strict shopping list. I don't get the paper, which means I don't get ads and never knew what was on sale.

My solution: Sunday Saver Most of the ads I will ever need are available online. I can now plan around what is on sale before I leave my house. I already know what Aldi's regular prices are so if I find a better deal I can get things elsewhere. I also keep an eye on price changes. For example, I used to buy 8oz blocks of cheese at Aldi for $1.49. Last time I went, the price had risen to $1.79. With that info, it is no longer cost efficient to buy cheese at Aldi since I can regularly find it on sale for $1.50. Would I drive out of my way for $0.29? No. However, since I usually have to make 2 stops anyway, might as well maximize where I can.

Flour tortillas

2010-01-18T20:40:00.002-05:00

I have been looking for a good recipe for a while. I have had some issues in the past getting them the way I wanted them. Found this youtube tutorial the other night, tried it out, and the results were amazingly good. The recipe is also large enough to make a lot of tortillas which was another problem with other recipes, as they never seemed to make enough. We had enough for dinner for 4, with enough left over to do wraps for lunches all week.

Big changes coming

2010-01-14T13:53:00.003-05:00

I am going back to work...I think.

I worked at a daycare center until last year. I then went to homeschooling the girls so I put my notice in. I have subbed in a couple days a month at both the center I worked at and the closer one. I was just offered a position at the closer center with great hours, in the room I love to be in (the infant room). I decided to take it. With the girls back in school, I would like to say I have been getting a ton of my own schoolwork done, but I haven't. I have been working on it but never more than an hour or two a day. I would like to say my house is sparkly clean and I spend hours cleaning it to perfection but I don't. In the end I am going back to a job I love and the paychecks definitely won't hurt. While my husband makes enough to pay the bills it will be nice to have the extra income to put into savings and work on things like paying off his truck sooner. It doesn't hurt that I asked for a raise.

The hours will be during school hours so I won't miss out on anything at home. It no longer requires me to get up at the crack of dawn, in fact I will be leaving my house at the same time as my husband and kids. I will be home in time to take my daughter to swim.

I am still horribly nervous about another big change but I have already decided that 2010 is going to be awesome so how bad can it be?

So this blog is definitely going to go in a different direction than I planned when I first started it, but I don't think that is a bad thing. Just different.

I go in Monday to finalize everything. They already have my background check on file so there won't be a delay like there was when I was first hired. Wish me luck. I am going to need it.

Project 365: I have decided I don't like combining project 365 with my blog, so if you are looking for the photos, I am moving the project to http://365project.org/coralblur/365

Project 365 January 13

2010-01-14T10:19:00.003-05:00

Since I didn't manage a blog post.

First is kid one with her fundraiser prize. I hate the stupid school fundraisers but she was excited about this one. She has them on upside down because she is a silly kid.

And a picture of my other puppy looking extra cute.

Childproofing, necessary?

2010-01-12T08:53:00.003-05:00

I have to address this here even though my kids are well beyond this stage.

My beautiful niece was burned at 9 months old when her brother pulled a bag of popcorn out of the microwave, it caught fire, and he dropped it on his sister who had followed him into the kitchen. She nearly died, has been through multiple surgeries and will have scars for life.

On a message board I used to post on, the two year old daughter of another poster woke up in the middle of the night, climbed her dresser, pulled it over on herself and died. They didn't find her until the morning.

A child that lived next door to me long ago ran out of her house, into the road, was struck by a car and was hospitalized for several weeks.

Another child scaled a fridge and got into his mothers prescription medication, which was put up out of his reach, and ended up in the hospital.

Why am I posting about this? These parents were not irrisponsible jerks who failed to teach their children boundaries. These are examples of children being children, and the reason I childproofed my house. Think of how a simple baby gate, a wall bracket, doorknob cover or a lock box could potentially have changed their lives. Don't get me wrong. I am not blaming these parents for things there is no way they could have seen coming, nor is there a guarantee that childproofing would have helped. However, I like to learn from others.

I have read people talking about how babyproofing is unneccesary. It doesn't teach children boundaries. Children have to learn how to fail. I have said it before, and I will say it again: I prefer that my children learn how to fail with things that will not potentially kill them.

Childproofing the most dangerous things is really such a simple thing. Wall brackets are not expensive or obtrusive. Keeping cleaners and medicines locked away does not mean that you cannot teach your children about them. A child being kept out of the kitchen when they are tiny will not stunt their development. I don't understand people who can see the dangers of allowing this stuff to go (through the tragedies of other people) and not do something about it. Just because it wasn't your kid this time, doesn't mean it can't happen to you. Kids are fast and they test boundaries. Fact.

How will kids learn boundaries if they don't have access? Well. I have a brain. My kids did not have access to cleaners as toddlers but they were still taught the word poison, and that the cleaners would make them sick. My children did not have access to medication but I still taught them that it could make them sick if they took the wrong ones or too much and so only mom and dad can give them medicine. They were not allowed to climb the furniture, even if it was bolted to the wall. Childproofing does not get you out of teaching your child. It simply gives you an extra layer of protection.

Now I did not put breakables out of reach once they were older than 1. I took the risk that there was a chance they could be broken. Sometimes they were. Mostly not. I could take my kids anywhere and be fairly confident they would keep their hands to themselves. Childproofing does not equal failing to teach your children manners.

I also have to say that some child-safe things are just good habit. I still mount shelving to the wall because it is more stable. I still turn my pan handles in. It's just good practice.

And one last story. I was very proactive in teaching my young children the proper ways to go up and down the stairs. When my daughter was 2, we were visiting my mother-in-law and she was carefully walking down the stairs to the basement, one at a time, holding the railing. My dog, who had never been down there, took that opportunity to run down. My two year old child was knocked down the stairs, all the way to the bottom and hit her head on the concrete. She was fine, luckily. A babygate could have kept the dog off the steps. That was almost 10 years ago and it's still clear as day in my head. Every close call we have ever had has stayed with me like it was yesterday. I can't imagine what it must be like for parents of children who were seriously injured or killed. All I know is that I would much rather be safe than that kind of sorry.

Project 365: The things my days are filled with.

Dogs belong inside

2010-01-11T15:18:00.003-05:00

I will never ever ever understand the point of buying or adopting a dog only to keep it chained outside or locked in an outdoor kennel.

1. Dogs get hot and cold too. Wild dogs travel in packs and keep each other warm. They can find adequate shade and shelter when it is hot or rainy. You would let your children come inside if they were cold. Let the damn dog in.

2. Dogs are pack animals. Having one, or even two dogs chained outside is completely against their nature. I don't recommend having a pack of dogs. Instead, make them a part of your pack. They want love, affection, an order.

3. Dogs chained outside for hours tend to knock over food and water dishes. You try sitting outside in 90 degree heat after knocking over your Dasani bottle and not go in for a new one.

This issue is a huge huge pet peeve of mine. I can't believe how many people find it acceptable. I know people in real life who do this. I know people on message boards who do this. In every state we have been in, there is always at least one asshole neglecting his poor dog.

And let me add that if you cannot afford to spay/neuter, treat for fleas/worms/heartworm, and keep them up to date on their shots (everyone has an oops, missed the deadline moment, but I am talking never bothered) then you have no business having a pet. It's a responsibility.

Project 365: My pampered baby likes to lay in front of MY heater I brought in to warm me up and steal all the heat.

The missing post

2010-01-10T19:49:00.003-05:00

I had a post composed about stealing photography by those who scan and print professional pictures. I then realized that I had gotten a bit sanctamonious and ranty. The idea behind the missing post is that you are stealing from photographers when you do that. So don't. ;)

Project 365: Reaching here because today was one of those lazy days and I honestly had a hard time coming up with subject matter, so I took a picture of my husband, because I think he is cute, and he was handy.

Open source software - the free alternative

2010-01-09T13:50:00.003-05:00

We are a computer family. My husband is a computer nerd and is huge into the open source movement. We haven't used Windows in our house in years. We instead use Linux (although last month, dh got his first Mac, which he loves but that is another post) I honestly don't remember if I am running Arch Linux or Debian. I honestly don't recommend running Linux unless you are a computer dork, or you are married to one because it isn't the most user friendly operating system. Yet. It has come a long long way since my husband started playing with it in 1999, but it has a bit to go to make it user stupid. ;)

There are, however, very user friendly open source programs out there that are just as good, or better than the commercially available products. I am putting my favorites out there.

1. GIMP

GIMP is a image editing program that is amazing. I would put it pretty close to being on par with Adobe Photoshop. I have not used CS3, but I was trained on Photoshop CS2 in college, and while it is a great product, I can't afford the hefty pricetag, and we don't steal software. So we use GIMP. It does everything I need it to do from layers to filters to cropping, scaling, levels and curves. I went back and forth between GIMP at home and Photoshop at school and you can't tell in my images which one was edited on what. The only gripe I have is that the plugins for GIMP for batch processing and RAW editing do not compare to Adobe Bridge, but for the average user, GIMP is more than powerful enough for your needs. The GIMP website also has tutorials to make using it a bit easier.

2. Open Office

I use Open Office in place of Microsoft Office. It includes an entire suite with spreadsheets, documents, templates, and so on. It can save in any format you need (for example you can save in .doc, .rtf, etc) I have used the presentation software and saved it in Power Point format and did not have an issue. All of my school work is written using this software.

3. Pidgin

Pidgen is an instant messaging program. Now granted, people can download things like yahoo, msn messenger and so on for free. I like pidgin because it combines all the accounts in one, which is nice when I have some friends using yahoo and others using msn.

There is a whole world of open source software out there. These are simply my most 3 used programs. I suggest anyone look at alternatives before purchasing software. The money you would otherwise spend can be donated to the projects should you find them extraordinarily useful.

Project 365: Popcorn from last night's festivities.

The photo of the day from Friday, January 8

2010-01-09T11:00:00.002-05:00

Since I was too busy to post yesterday, here is my project 365 photo, which came from my daughters' sleepover. They were snuggled down on the pullout, taking turns playing a wii game.

Spinach Mascarpone Soup $4.50

2010-01-07T14:19:00.003-05:00

I have a love affair with soup. I love just about any kind of soup. I discovered this recipe a few years ago and fell in love. My family? Not so much. Not one of them really cares for any kind of soup, which means I don't get this very often. Still, it's heaven in a bowl so I thought I would share it.

2 Tbsp butter
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup fresh spinach (pack it down tight though, you want a good amount)
3.5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup mascarpone

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the scallions and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes or until softened.

Pack the spinach into the pan, add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer covered, 15-20 minutes.

When done, process in a food processor or with a handheld blender until smooth. Return to pan and add mascarpone cheese and cook over low, stirring gently, until smooth

Garnish with croutons and enjoy.

Project 365: My puppy, who is one hell of a handful and a whole lot of fun. We have had him almost a year now.

A remodeling tour

2010-01-06T11:07:00.007-05:00

I figured I would take some time and show my readers some of the before and after work on my house. There is still a TON to do, but I will start with what is probably the nicest room in my house. It has probably always been the nicest room but I like it much much better now that when we got the place.

First, an overview of what it looks like now.

Before I continue, let me tell you what we have done.

The paint on the walls was done in 2006 or so. It needs to be retouched in places where it has chipped off, and I ran out of the red before the coverage was good enough in one area. Just FYI, 1 gallon of Apple a Day red is not enough to cover 2 walls. I had never worked with darker paint before so this was definitely an interesting experience. 2 walls are red, the others are taupe and the trim is white. It beats the hell out of the bright aqua nightmare it was. Blue is supposed to be soothing, but I promise you this color was not.

We ripped out the carpet in the summer of 2007. We didn't have much choice. My dog brought fleas in the house. That was a nightmare. None of the commercial flea products worked (in fact, Frontline gave my cat a nice big bald spot but he still had fleas) The bombs to get them out of the carpet failed. I was tired of coating our house in chemicals, so out it came. We were on subfloor for a few weeks before I found something I liked. The wood laminate planks here cost $.79/sq ft. It was an amazing deal and I managed to get enough flooring for the living room and hall for under $300.

The ceiling fan was a Salvation Army find for $8. It is much much nicer than the fug one that was in there before.

There is still some things that need to be done on top of the paint. My LR is not trimmed. We have the boards, the router, the paint and the nails but my husband has been a bit short on time. We had other remodeling projects that needed to be addressed first. So we lack baseboards. Not a biggie.

The back door is gross and leaky. We have one of those As Seen on TV things for under the door that helps, but it really is just an ugly crappy door. Not a priority at the moment.

The living room opens up to the dining room. You have to go up a step. The step needs to be redone with a wood that can be stained to match the floor. Right now it is a plywood.

You may notice on the one wall there is a bunch of outlets all in a line up the wall (see pics below) Only the top one works. That needs to be redone, and the extras removed.

We need new windows badly. That is going to be a project that will hopefully be done this summer.

All in all, I love my LR. So here are the before and after shots. The before shots were taken the day we moved in, October 2004. The after shots were taken yesterday.

I will get to other rooms at some point. It's a work in progress.

Project 365: Tonight, I am relaxing.

What's in your burger?

2010-01-05T10:53:00.003-05:00

A post on another blog got an interesting discussion going on the safety of ground beef. Seemed like a good topic for today.

Several years ago, I read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. It covered several aspects of the fast food industry, but the most appaling to me by far was the American slaughter houses, and what, exactly, goes into your meat.

After collecting ground beef samples from meat processing plants around the country in 1996, the USDA determined that 7.5% of the beef samples were contaminated with Salmonella, 11.7% were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, 30% were contaminated with Staphylococcus Aureus, and 53.3% were contaminated with Clostridium perfringens5.

By far, the most prevalent, and the scariest contamination is e-coli. E-coli gets into the meat by contamination of the meat by fecal matter. Poop. Crap. In the meat. It is on the hides of the cattle, and can be spilled from the intestines. The companies use ammonia to get rid of it, assuming of course that it is caught. Yum. Ammonia. Sounds like a tasty treat to me!

Cooking ground beef to 160 degrees is supposed to kill e-coli right? Well yes. However, studies are showing that kitchen cross contamination is a serious problem, when even soap and hot water failed to get rid of all traces of the bacteria.

And I can't get over the fact that there is poop. In your meat.

Last year the New York Times ran an article on just how much of a problem it is. It is interesting, and scary reading.

My solution? Ditch red meat, or at least most of it. In the long run I want to ditch all meat outside of fish. I don't have an issue with eggs and milk, mostly because I find them useful and easier to again, in the long run, switch to a friendlier option. Unfortunately, my husband and children are not really on board with dumping meat entirely. Our red meat consumption however, is down dramatically. On the rare occasions we do eat ground beef, I buy cuts of steak and we grind it ourselves. At least I know what cow parts are making it in. I am not feeding my kids brain stems and ammonia soaked mash.

And looking at things from the green point of view, cattle take up an amazing amount of resources. The New York Times ran another article on the environmental impact of beef.

"Global demand for meat has multiplied in recent years, encouraged by growing affluence and nourished by the proliferation of huge, confined animal feeding operations. These assembly-line meat factories consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy and other grains, a dependency that has led to the destruction of vast swaths of the world’s tropical rain forests."

I really recommend reading that article. It is really informational.

Producing 2.2 lbs of beef generates as much greenhouse gas as driving for 3 hours. Add that one up. That doesn't take into consideration the water consumption, grain consumption, etc. Just some numbers to think about.

If everyone just cut back once a week, imagine the impact.

Project 365: Speaking of nasty things, most people are not fond of my daughter's pets. They are seriously the best small animal you can get for a kid. They are smart, friendly, and cuddly if you can get past your squeemishness. They are not mean like hamsters or fragile like guinea pigs or noisy like birds. So I am introducing everyone to Whiskers and Clove.

Greener Burial Options

2010-01-04T09:36:00.002-05:00

Since my grandpa's death, this has been on my mind lately.

According to this site ever year, American funerals use 30 million board feet of casket wood, 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 tons of concrete and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid. That doesn't take into account the thousands of acres of land dedicated to cemetaries.

I have always found traditional funerals to be somewhat wasteful, and planned on cremation. I learned from the same site that many times cremation releases dioxin, hydrochloric acid, sulfer dioxide and carbon dioxide into the environment. So what green options are out there?

After reading on this blog I found a few ideas for greener burial options.

Instead of a traditional casket one can get one made from wicker, bamboo or wood from a sustainable source such as pine. In place of embalming fluid, dry ice can be used to preserve the body until burial. There are green cemetaries where there are no vaults and no headstones. This allows the planting of trees so that land doesn't go to waste, and allows natural decomposition of the body to return to the earth.

There are also green crematories that meet or exceed emissions standards. Cremains can be mixed with concrete and put into the ocean to encourage the growth of coral reefs.

The most useful, and most frugal option I found was the donation of the body to science. It allows medical professionals to learn things about the human body which is helpful to the living. Many places offer free cremation as well. I really think this is the way I want to go. I am already an organ donor. I really won't care one way or another once I am dead. I might as well make my death useful to someone. You can find information about body donation here and here.

For my project 365 image of the day: we actually got a bit of snow this morning. I am in MI but the snow keeps missing us so it was nice to wake up and see a little bit. It is still snowing for now so maybe we will get enough to do a bit of sledding.

Cold water laundry

2010-01-03T11:00:00.003-05:00

I was taught to use hot water on whites and towels, cold water on dark and bright colors and warm water on everything else when it comes to doing laundry. Honestly, I am lazy so I mix everything together most of the time and stick it on warm. My whites are not as bright as they could be and I am sure I am not helping the fade factor on deeper colored clothing.

I started looking into washing laundry in cold water. Does the laundry get clean enough? How much does it really save as far as cost goes? Does it really help environmentally? Let's look at some numbers.

According to the US department of energy,

About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes in a conventional top-load washer is for heating the water.

That is a lot. It really is.

According to this site for a gas water heater, to wash on hot costs $.39-$.52 per load depending on rinse temp, to wash on warm costs $.27-$.39 per load while washing with cold costs $.14 per load. If the average family does 400 loads per year, that is a difference of $208 for a hot/warm cycle versus $56 for a cold/cold cycle or $152 per year. That isn't huge but added up over a lifetime there is a definite difference.

But do clothes get clean on the cold cycle. Well, mostly. The recommendation is to wash diapers and towels along with anything else that you need to worry about sanitary conditions on the hot water cycle along with anything with oily stains. For most clothing though you will not be able to tell the difference between the laundry washed in cold water vs. the laundry washed in warm or hot water.

So I have a new goal of changing my laundry habits.

Project 365: Today I came into a new set of dishes. This was my grandpa's set. Since my dishes were dwindling thanks to careless preteen handling, I gladly accepted these very pretty dishes. I am always happy to change things up a bit, and they remind me of him <3

Real snow cones

2010-01-02T22:19:00.003-05:00

Years ago my inlaws bought me a snow cone maker for Christmas. Now it was a nice gesture and we used it once or twice but for the most part it just took up a ton of space for little reward.

One thing I love though is real snow cones, made of course, with real snow. With snow falling all over the country right now, I figured I would share a super simple, super cheap recipe for real snow cones. Kids love this.

The main ingredient of course is fresh, CLEAN snow. I say clean because with two dogs we have to be very careful where we get our snow. I like getting the top layer off the deck rails. I leave a layer so we don't actually make it all the way down to the wood, but we end up with a good amount of fluffy snow.

I then take Kool-aid mix (or knock off, more likely) and mix it with only half the required water to make more of a syrup. Dump over snow and enjoy. Winter is a bit cold for a frosty treat but the novelty will entertain kids like nothing else.

Why no pictures? Because despite living in one of the snowier states, this year we haven't had enough to enjoy, so hopefully we will have our annual treat later this winter.

Now as to pictures I do have, for project 365 today I have a couple of pictures. My mom and stepdad used to drive a truck, and the few days a month they were home they stayed in the heated office in our garage/barn. It really is a nice enough room and they had access to the house for kitchen/bathroom. They recently moved their stuff out and we moved the workout equipment out to that room. Today I went through and did a thorough cleaning and got everything organized. So far I have kept to my resolution and worked out daily.

And a picture of my husband goofing around on the ab lounger. He is my workout partner :)

Another day, another dollar

2010-01-01T13:02:00.004-05:00

I posted yesterday about my resolutions but I have another goal that I have not posted about. My food bill has gone up. I got lazy over the holidays and spent way more than I should have. Now granted I purchased a lot more food but I paid more than I otherwise would.

My new goal is to attempt to feed this family and the animals for $200 a month or less. I have been spending $300-400 a month. How do I plan on cutting that in half? I am making a few changes.

The first is in regards to the animals. We had a big automatic feeder for the dogs. They would graze all day long. My older dog was getting fat and the puppy was having a harder time with house training because he was unpredictable. Over the past 2 to 3 weeks I have changed their feedings. They now get fed once in the morning, and once in the evening. They have been getting 2 cups of food each, for each feeding. Now that we are settling into a new routine, they have been leaving food in their bowls between feedings so I plan on changing it to 1.5 cups per feeding. Dogs their size should be getting between 2.5-4 cups per day. 3 seems reasonable. I can adjust as needed. Already we went from going through a 20 lb bag of food per week to a 20 lb bag every two weeks. This allows me to feed them a higher quality food without problem. This also keeps the cats out of the dog food which is much better for their health (and their odor).

I also plan to be a lot more proactive when it comes to sales. Since I am in town 4 days a week for my daughters swim anyway I am going to start exploring more stores for better deals. We have a bakery outlet we have been to before and the deals on bread and bread products are unbeatable. I haven't made the time to go out there even though it isn't much farther. I just hate store hopping in one trip. Instead I will break up my grocery trips without really driving extra miles.

I am going for less waste this year too. We are fairly good about eating leftovers but lately a lot of produce has been going to waste along with lunch meat and certain harder to heat leftovers. I plan on being more creative with my leftover use, buy less lunch meat as my children prefer peanut butter in their lunches, and if I overbuy produce I want to be more proactive about getting it into the freezer. Less waste = less I have to buy.

I don't know that I will be able to pull it off in my first or even second and third trips but in the next few months we will be spending less on groceries without sacrificing our health or our taste buds.

Now for my project 365 picture of the day. This is the last sign of the holidays in my house. The tree was taken down a few days ago, all the Christmas stuff has been put away. This remains hanging outside and still looks lovely for a real wreath so I plan on leaving it for a while longer.

Happy New Year! I have high hopes and expectations for 2010 and I am determined that this is going to be a better year overall.

And adding one my husband took, in hopes that he will take up project 365 himself. This is me with two of my boys, one who hasn't yet figured out he is much much too big to be a lap dog.

New Years Resolutions

2009-12-31T09:10:00.002-05:00

I am sure the same subject is coming up in blogs all over the internet, but here I am anyway adding mine.

I try to keep mine to no more than 5 reasonable goals. I don't want to fail and making too many changes is definitely not going to help.

1: Exercise Daily. I used to do this. I was a gymnast and ran track as a teen so being in shape was vital. After my younger kid was born, I had a gym membership and I went daily. When we first bought the gym equipment I was all over it. A knee injury, then a chest cold, then pure laziness kept me away. My goal is to exercise every single day even if it is nothing more than a 20 minute walk on the treadmill.

2: Drink more water. I am chronically dehydrated. I don't drink anywhere near enough water. I am lucky if I drink one glass a day (although when I am sick I can't get enough. At least my body knows what is good for me) I want to drink at least 4 glasses (16 oz) of water a day. I think that is reasonable.

3: Do some school work daily. I am a procrastinator. The past two terms I put things off then did a huge scramble last minute. This term hasn't been much better but I can still catch up. I know I procrastinate and setting a goal to stop like I have in the past just doesn't work, so instead my goal is to complete at least one task from my course of study each day.

4: Quit smoking. Remember my one month quit-aversary? Well it wasn't long after that my grandpa got sick, my stress level went up and I fell off the wagon. I am not going to promise to put them down tomorrow and never pick them back up. I do have an overall goal of quitting by April. I turn 30 next year. It seems like a good year to quit.

5. Take a picture a day. Last year I was a part of Project 365 in which a picture a day was taken and posted. I went until April. I would like to make it the entire year this time. I think I will post pictures to this blog at the end of my posts. At least I will be held somewhat accountable then.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2010 be a wonderful, productive year for everyone.

Homemade pizza - $8.01 for 3 pizzas

2009-12-30T09:25:00.010-05:00

For a while, every week we were getting pizza. It cost us around $13 to get two large pepperoni which were usually greasy and lukewarm by the time we got them home. I started making our own pizzas which had way better toppings, were hot from the oven, and cost less.

My dough recipe originally comes from the Tightwad Gazette. I was reminded of it from this blog. I make 3 batches of this dough. One for me, one for my husband, and one to split between my kids. This also leaves us with leftovers (and who doesn't like leftover pizza?)

1 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup very warm water

Combine the three and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Then add 1 tsp salt, seasonings such as garlic, basil and oregano, 1 Tbsp oil and about 2 cups of flour. Add it slowly until you can't mix in any more. Then knead for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is firm and elastic. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out dough building up around outside edges for the crust. Top with 1/3 jar of pizza sauce, 4 oz shredded mozzerella, favorite toppings, and a sprinkling of parmesan to top it off. Throw it in a 450 oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your dough is.

This is my husband's pizza before it went in the oven. He likes his pizza with pepperoni, jalapenos, olives and onion.

And mine after it came out of the oven, complete with olives, onion, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and feta cheese. Mine doesn't come out as pretty because I only have one pizza stone and my husband got it this time.

My girls like a simple pizza with just cheese and pepperoni. Everyone gets what they want without paying a fortune at the pizza place to get it.

Oatmeal with cinnamon

2009-12-29T09:08:00.002-05:00

No one can deny that oatmeal is good for you. They are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. It lowers bad cholesterol. It has a ton of vitamins, may have antioxidants that help fight cancer and one of my favorite reasons, it slows down the digestion of starches. What does that mean? You feel full longer. For someone who is trying to be more conciensious about what goes in their body you can't get a more perfect breakfast food.

But wait! You can make the oatmeal even better by adding cinnamon. Cinnamon has also been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. It too is a blood sugar regulator. There is a possibility it helps get rid of problematic yeast infections. It has anti-clotting effects on the blood and it too has multiple vitamins and minerals.

Oatmeal and cinnamon are also both really cheap. It makes it a frugal breakfast choice as well as a healthy one.

Microwave nastiness

2009-12-28T16:57:00.007-05:00

The problem with preteen children is their love for the microwave and their inability to clean up spills. My kids love coco wheats for breakfast. I don't mind. It is hot, fairly healthy and fairly cheap. The problem is that when you make coco wheats in the microwave, if you don't keep a very close eye on them, they tend to explode. I broke my cardinal rule of avoiding photographing anything that can be described as nasty, dirty or disgusting just for today's very special post.

Exhibit A: I rarely use the microwave so this lovely mess may be up to 3 days old by the time I discovered it.

So, I am going to share my secret with you. It takes me less than 4 minutes to have it sparkling again. Ready?

Step one, get a clean dishrag sopping wet with plain water.
and throw it in the microwave.

Microwave it on high for a minute and a half.

I then take the microwave carousel out and simply wipe the crap away. It is that easy. No scrubbing. It is very very hot though, so please be careful.

I then run a scrubbrush over the carousel, top and bottom. This takes less than a minute as the grime on it too was softened, and I am back to a sparkly clean microwave.

Now, if only I had the solution to getting my spawn to want to keep it clean as well...

I have been married 12 years today

2009-12-27T09:31:00.002-05:00

I really do have the ideal husband. He cooks. He cleans. He fixes everything. He is a great dad and a truely awesome husband. I am lucky in every possible way. I am not typically a sappy person but he manages to get through my cynical nature. I am looking forward to our 13th year married.

The magic of baking soda

2009-12-23T16:36:00.003-05:00

Despite the craziness of the holidays and trying to do ten million and a half things, I needed to share this with everyone.

If you are having issues with heartburn and don't have tums or other convenient tablets, mix half a tsp of baking soda into about 4 oz of water. It will taste nasty. It will work better than anything else. You can adjust the amount of baking soda should you need more or less. I don't actually measure so that is an estimate. This also works for indigestion, gas, and occasionally, upset stomach. It is cheaper than tums, rolaids, pepto and so on too.

I am a neglectful blogger

2009-12-16T07:57:00.003-05:00

to be honest, my brain has just been exhausted this month.

I figured I would start today off with my peanut butter fudge recipe. My family loves this recipe. I have also had it win a candy contest which was a nice little boost. I haven't yet made it this season but will be making some for thing 2's Christmas party at school. No peanut allergies to contend with so it works.

Peanu Butter Fudge $1.25

2 c. milk
2 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp butter

In heavy saucepan combine sugar and milk. Heat on medium stirring occasionally, until it comes to a low boil. Continue cooking until mixture reaches softball stage. After reaching softball stage, remove from heat, add peanut butter, vanilla and butter. Stir to mix well. Beat mixture until it loses its glossiness. Pour into slightly buttered 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

More dental work

2009-12-10T10:05:00.002-05:00

This is where I recommend that if you grind your teeth, and you don't already have one, get a mouth guard.

I have been doing the jaw clenching thing at night for years. The past 3 years or so I added teeth grinding to the mix. I looked at mouth guards before but at $20-$50 I kept putting it off.

During my last dental cleaning, they found 5 teeth with cavities, all in the front. I had worn the enamel off the backs of my front teeth. I now have a mouth guard to wear at night but it's a little late. Today I had 3 teeth filled. I ended up paying the $20 for the mouth guard anyway (and plan on spending $30 more since the one I have is not comfortable at all) plus I had to spend $72.40 today with another $40 bill coming to cover my deductable. That doesn't include the 2 left to be filled on the 23rd. Not using a mouthguard cost me way more money in the long run.

Cavities are not pleasant either. My dentist is very good about making sure I am completely numb so besides the initial first shot (and I needed 3 shots of that crap total) it didn't hurt, but the sound of the drill is awful. Sitting for 40 minutes with my mouth open is far from comfortable, and now my nose is numb along with my top lip which is just really weird. I only had one cavity growing up and I don't recall getting it filled at all so this was a new experience for me.

And can I just say how much I appreciate dental insurance once again? $72.40 is a much better deal than paying the $362 it would have cost without it.

Bartering services

2009-12-09T15:32:00.003-05:00

This is probably one of the best ways of saving money. Everyone has their own strengths.

I had a small leak under my sink that decided to soak some things today. My husband was at work and the valve thing wasn't doing much. I called my neighbor, who happens to be a plumber and he came and fixed it up for me. Don't ask me what he did because I have no clue.

My husband is amazingly good at computers. He can fix anything. My neighbor has been having issues with his computer. My husband has offered to fix it before but I don't think he wanted to bother us with it. So I told him he now has to bring it over to be fixed so I can pay him back. I don't have a ton of money but we do have some knowlege. I have also traded photography services for things as that is my area (although that is another of my husband's areas too. The man is good at everything, I swear)

So network and use your talents and you can get some things done.

Rest in Peace Grandpa

2009-12-08T07:42:00.002-05:00

You will be very very greatly missed.

Darwin Joe Morgan
9/10/35 - 12/8/09

Save some gas

2009-12-07T21:29:00.002-05:00

This post is probably pretty obvious to many, but I am sharing it anyway.

I drive a lot lately as my grandpa is still in the hospital an hour away, my kids are in school, my younger kid swims and I still have errends to run. I do whatever I can to save gas.

1. Combine trips. I live out in the country. It is a 15 minute drive to get just about anywhere. I combine trips as much as possible. I go grocery shopping after I take my daughter to swim practice while I am in town. I do all my grocery shopping in one big trip and usually do things like get gas at the same time.

2. Accelerate slowly. If you punch it everytime you take off, you are using more gas than if you do a slow, steady acceleration. You should also try to maintain your speed, and though it can be tempting, avoid speeding. Most cars get optimum gas mileage between 45 and 55, so take your foot off the gas.

3. Public transportation. It isn't all that available where I live, but I do utilize what we have, which means my kids ride the school bus home in the afternoon. It is coming by anyway. Might as well use it.

4. Carpool. Again, not a whole lot of that happening way out here, but since my husband does go right by the school in the morning on his way to work, he takes the kids in the morning, and includes the neighbor kid. Not really saving gas since they would otherwise take the bus, but not wasting it either, and my kids get a little dad time in the AM.

Of course there are other things you can do. Keep your car tuned up. Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure. Walk when you can, or ride a bike. Save a dollar and be a little more environmentally friendly.

Cheap date?

2009-12-06T19:45:00.002-05:00

My husband and I have recently taken bowling back up. It really is a lot of fun and at $2.75 a game, it isn't a bad price either. You can bowl two games easily and still be ahead of going to a movie. It's one of those things that everyone can play and have fun, even if they are not good at it.

My husband got a ball and shoes for an early Christmas present. The shoes will save us money in the long run as shoes can run anywhere from $1.50-$3.00 to rent. Rentals just are not comfy either. So I spent $30 on shoes that will probably last forever. I still have my shoes from when I was a teen and they are in perfect condition. I am talking 15 year old shoes that still look like new. Not bad.

The ball will not save us money. That was purely comfort and a nice present. I am really looking forward to getting out more with my husband. We really have hit the golden years with our kids. They are too old to need a babysitter, but too young to ask to be dropped off at the mall. I plan on enjoying some free time with my husband, which we haven't gotten much of since my oldest was born.

Because I am so proud of my kid

2009-12-05T21:35:00.007-05:00

for not chickening out of this meet, I am posting this all over the place. I finally got to see what all our swim money is going to. Check back because I will keep posting videos as we get them up.

Work, work, work

2009-12-02T13:06:00.002-05:00

I subbed at the daycare center I used to work at. I have only been gone 3 months but wow did those babies get bigger. I had an awesome time and it was a good reminder about why I loved my job. I was also essentially offered my job back.

It was so hard to turn it down. I did though. As much as I adore those babies, I am not the greatest at multitasking. I miss the weekly paycheck sure. However, my school needs to be a priority and I can't seem to manage that and work and the house and family.

So I will sub in for the rest of the week, and make up a little bit of what we spent on Christmas. I will enjoy every minute, then go back to being a housewife.

Take hold of those apron strings

2009-11-30T20:27:00.003-05:00

or why I wear an apron.

An apron is probably one of my best investments. It has saved my clothing on a number of occasions. After I realized I have a nasty habit of wiping my wet/dirty hands on the butt of my jeans, I started wearing an apron regularly when I cook or clean. I don't worry as much if cleaner splashes me. It's just an all around good practice.

As an added benefit, it has a nice deep pocket for my mp3 player. I have an armband but I hate the way it feels so I try to save it just for working out. The pocket is deep enough to hold it securely even when I have to bend over.

So there you have it. I am an apron wearer and proud of it.

I do recommend taking care with the ties should you need to use the bathroom...

Real or fake...And I don't mean boobs

2009-11-29T08:39:00.004-05:00

I am talking Christmas trees of course. I grew up with a fake tree. I was totally convinced that it was the only way to go so for the first several years of my marriage, we carried on with a 4.5 ft fake tree from walmart. When we moved to this house, I so badly wanted a bigger nicer tree. I also learned something that changed the way I do things.

A fake tree will sit in a landfill for more than a century.
Fake trees are made from petroleum products.

Over the years I have become more environmentally conscious. I try to pay more attention to my impact on the planet. I did not want to buy another fake tree, but I still did want a nice tree for our living room. So we found a tree farm and brought home our very first real tree. The small tree was kept (keep it out of the landfill! ) and I put it in my girls room which makes them feel special.

So why is it ok to kill a real tree? Well, we get ours from a farm rather than a forest so they were specifically grown just for this purpose. It also becomes our firewood for our first bonfire of the spring, which has become a lovely tradition and makes sure that nothing is wasted. One could also mulch it and recycle it back to the earth.

Our first tree was a disaster. I found the perfect tree in the discount line. It was a huge mammoth of a tree. It cost us $8. Now, we knew nothing of real trees. I don't know if I was expecting them to come with a stand or what because we didn't have one. My husband managed to fashion one out of 2x4s and a pie pan. Yeah. That didn't work so well. The tree was gorgeous but it fell over half a dozen times before we anchored it to the wall. The smell was amazing though and I fell in love with having a real tree.

We have done a real tree every year since. We pay a lot more now, mostly because we get the tree earlier than we did that year. We also invested in a nice stand and learned the difference between the pines and the spruces. Scotch pines are full and beautiful but they shed really, really bad. The needles are longer and are what we call vacuum killers because they clog the vacuum. Blue spruce is pretty but they are not fun at all to handle. This year we went with a red spruce and we cut it down ourselves (a tradition we started last year) We paid $31 for it which is definitely more than we spent that first year but picking our own tree is so much fun plus it is still cheaper than we would pay getting a precut somewhere else.

I will have to add pics later since my browser is not liking the idea, but I will say that it looks lovely. We have a lot of fun every year picking out our tree. The guys at the farm recognize us which is a nice little treat, and last year the local paper took our picture which ended up in the paper. That was really very cool for my kids.

Black Friday a deal?

2009-11-27T10:17:00.003-05:00

Well...yes. If you shop for the right things.

I learned years ago that big ticket items are out. Limited supply, everyone else wants them too and you have to get up ridiculously early to even have a shot. Not happening.

However, we were in clothing crisis. My older daughter was in desperate need of pants, as was my husband. He needed shoes and both girls need new coats and boots. I also was still in search for a dress for kid 2 to wear to the Daddy Daughter Dance.

I spent what I consider to be an obscene amount of money, but it's money I had to spend anyway and I figured I would try for deals.

Now I have mentioned before that my husband wears a size that I can't find used. Ever. That goes for shoes too. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find size 13 mens shoes in good shape? Very very unlikely.

So here is my haul, all bought at Kohls at about 9:00 AM.

1 pair mens dress shoes, originally $65 on sale for $19.99
2 pair of girls boots, originally $33 each on sale for $16.99 each (cheaper than payless!)
2 stainless steel water bottles, originally $9.99 on sale for $3.99 (impulse buy but I have been looking for them)
2 girls coats, originally $50 each on sale for $14.99 each
3 pairs of Dockers Khakis, originally $34.99 on sale for $26.99
1 pair of Lee Khakis, not on sale but needed $19.99 (He would have gotten more of these had they had more than one in his size)
2 pair of girls pants, originally $26 on sale for $15.60
1 girls dress, originally $58 on sale for $23.20
1 leggings set, originally $32 on sale for $12.80 (another impulse, but I wanted to shop for kid 2 also)
1 long sleeve shirt, originally $16 on sale for $6.40 (see above disclaimer)
1 pair girls pants, originally $20 on sale for $8
1 pair girls pants, originally $28 on sale for $11.20

Grand total $302.83 and I got $50 in Kohls cash to go back and spend later which means I can get myself a new jacket too.

Total without sales $633.06

Now to be fair, I never would have paid full price for any of that outside of the shoes for my husband, but I got better deals today than I normally would have shopping retail.

Why buy my kids stuff retail? Well, they are at that size that makes finding used coats almost impossible. Same with boots. The pants could be found used if she would wear jeans, but she has sensory issues that make her very particular about clothing. Add that to her size and while I have been watching for pants for a long time, I have found a total of one pair.

I still feel I got some deals. Definitely worth braving the crowd, which wasn't horrible at Kohls.

Now ask me to go to Walmart or Best Buy today and I will ask you if you have lost your ever loving mind.

My favorite back to school subject

2009-11-16T13:23:00.003-05:00

The girls officially go back to school tomorrow. Hooray for big yellow buses, music class, comunicable diseases...

Oh and Lice.

My kids have had lice 3 times now, twice from school.

Lice are becoming more and more difficult to get rid of. They are a nightmare and a half. The pesticides, the combing, the cleaning, the combing, the boiling, the combing. The very idea of those bastards make me want to puke.

However, they are a fact of life, and not just for "dirty" people.

Time 1: We tried Walgreens lice killer, mayonaise, olive oil, hair dye, and finally killed them for good with Licex (no longer available that I can find) It took way longer than it should have and cost me well over $100.

Time 2: We tried Rid,Nix, Licex, olive oil overnight, cetaphil, flat iron, blow dryer, and finally killed them with a long, drawn out combination of olive oil and a robotic lice comb (the kind that zaps the live bugs and kills them) Took forever, and cost us more than $200.

Time 3: Listerine. Cost: $15 total over 3 heads, 2 treatments. Total time: 4 hours.

I found out about the listerine treatment on my mommy board. It is by far the easiest, cheapest, most effective method for getting rid of lice. Buy the original listerine (the brown stuff), saturate hair with it, cover with a shower cap for 2 hours, and rinse. They were gone. There were no half live bugs like there were even with the Rid and Nix treatments. There were 0 live lice, and while we did nit comb, I have never been great about not missing some. This killed the eggs as well. We repeated the treatment at 10 days, even though there didn't seem to be any. They have been gone since. Best method you can get, and one of the cheapest as well.

I have heard that lavendar and tea tree oil help keep them away, but I have also heard that they contribute to precocious puberty so we are skipping it for now. I may however, go back to putting their hair up before school.

The hunt for the elusive backpack

2009-11-14T15:29:00.005-05:00

I had forgotten how hard it is to find a decent quality backpack without paying the hard and heavy price for it.

Last year, younger kid, totally in love with Hannah Montana was allowed to get a character backpack. I knew it would only last a year. I overestimated. One zipper was broken within a month. Still she managed to limp it through the school year.

The other kid had my old college backpack from when I did my photography degree. It was still in perfect shape and was really cute. It was an Oglio and cost me $45 but was worth every penny. Unfortunately, thing 1 left some kind of food product in it at the end of the year and by the time I discovered it...well lets just say I didn't have the stomach to do anything with it other than toss it.

So my kids are going back to school. It occurred to me yesterday that they didn't have backpacks, and were a few other supplies short. So today, when I went grocery shopping, I started with school supplies.

Lunch boxes were easy. Meijer has Thermos lunch bags for $7.99. Not a bad deal. Those will at least last the year if not a couple. I purposely stayed far away from characters.

Folders, a few pencils, pencil cases. Most of the stuff like crayons, glue and paper I have plenty of. Pencils like to disappear. I fear my dog may be eating them like doggy pepperoni sticks.

So my first stop, Meijer, yielded everything but the backpacks. The backpacks were all cheap, crappy made in China dorky looking things. Now I spent my entire childhood looking like a poverty ridden dork. I am not all into the latest trends but I am sensitive enough to keep my kids somewhere in the middle.

Ok, next stop, Big Lots. That may seem counter productive but sometimes they do have name brand stuff. Not so much this time. A trip to Hobby Lobby since it was right next door, had me considering making them a messenger bag but I don't have a ton of time, and the cost would have still been up there as the pattern alone is $16.

My next stop was Staples. They had some lovely Jansport bags...for $60 a piece. That is just too far up there in price for me. I can't make myself drop $120 just in backpacks.

Kmart is nextdoor to Staples so I tried there. I found one okay Starter backpack but I really am trying to cut down on the things I buy made in China. US is preferable, but anywhere but China will do. I have a reason for this, but I am saving it for another post.

Finally I trudged on to Kohls, where I bought a gorgeous dress (thinking ahead to the daddy daughter dance and it was $10. You can't beat that) for my older kid. After finally locating backpacks I found 2 Jansport backpacks for $16 each, normally $40. Sweet!

So, not made in the USA, but made in the UK which is better. I wish I had the money for the High Sierra which if I remember right is a US company, but since locally I am looking at at least $45 per bag, this will have to do.

I'm a total failure

2009-11-13T12:42:00.002-05:00

Or at least that is how it feels. My kids are going back to school next week. I just don't have the time, energy or money to give them the education they need. I am not confident that being in the system is going to be much better, but at least on the days I go to the hospital, I won't be mentally kicking myself thinking how far behind my kids are getting in their education.

My husband did offer to put more into it, but it's me this time. I just don't have it in me. Can you feel my guilt just oozing off this post? Sickening isn't it?

Thousands of kids go through the school system and become successful adults. I know this and I know that the last time my kids were in school they did very well. Doesn't stop me from feeling guilty.

I told my husband I would give my left tit for a decent charter school in our county. There are methods of schooling I do feel work well. Montessori for one. Sudbury for another. Unfortunately, even working full time I don't bring in the kind of money the tuition for one of those would run, not to mention I would be driving at least an hour for the nearest acceptable private school.

So I guess future posts from me will include some of the stuff that goes into having school kids. Lunches for one. We qualify for free, or at least reduced lunch and did that last year but frankly I am not impressed with the nutritional value of hot lunch. My older daughter for a time was on a gluten free diet so I was getting creative with the lunches. I am hoping to dig some of that creativity back out.

So not looking forward to the early mornings again LOL

Frozen apples

2009-11-12T10:27:00.002-05:00

It's a little late for this post since apple season is over for the most part, at least in Michigan.

Almost a month ago, the girls and I, along with the little girl next door, went to the local apple orchard. The girls managed to pick a bushel of apples. Now we had managed to go through close to half a bushel a week up to this point, so buying a bushel of apples for $13 was a great deal. The problem? Everyone must have been appled out.

So last week, I realized that some of the apples were starting to get soft. We still had well over 1/2 a bushel left. I have already done applesauce, apple butter and dehydrated apples from my tree and my inlaws' trees. So I started reading, and learned that you can freeze apples.

So I took about 2 hours to process almost all the apples we had left. I think I left just a few of the firmest, nicest apples for eating.

Now frozen apples are great if you want to make pie later, or applesauce, or anything that needs to be cooked. The texture is not going to be right for eating raw. I wish I could figure out the best way to save apples for that.

I wish I had taken pictures of the process but I did not. However the directions are simple. I chopped up and peeled most of the apples. I put them in a water/lemon juice mix to prevent browning, then put them in the freezer in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once they were halfway frozen, I put them in a freezer bag, and put the next batch in. I also sliced some up with the peel still on. These are my breakfast apples.

Fried apples with brown sugar and cinnamon

About 1 cup sliced apples with peels (frozen or fresh)
1 T butter or olive oil (butter is better, but I would rather use olive oil than margarine)
2 T brown sugar
a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg

Heat your butter or oil over medium heat. Add the apples, and stir until soft. Add brown sugar and spices, and stir until thick and gooey. Eat over waffles, pancakes, toast or mixed into oatmeal. It is divine.

I have been MIA

2009-11-11T21:00:00.002-05:00

My grandfather has cancer. He is not doing well at all and I have spent a majority of my time either at the hospital or driving to and from.

With my mom, stepdad and brother in town, I am going to take a couple of days off to gain control back over my house and mine and the girls' schooling.

So, to come, hopefully sometime this week, how to hem jeans without making them look completely dorky, best way to clean a ceiling fan, maybe another recipe or two, and I may or may not delve into living wills and power of attorney.

So there it is. I am still alive. I have just been terribly busy.

Being thankful

2009-11-05T07:58:00.005-05:00

I got this from another blog. I realized I have spent so much time concentrating on the things that have been going wrong, that I have not spent any time being thankful for the stuff going right.

Things I am thankful for today:

1. My 11 year old daughter. She is smart and funny and full of creative ideas. The girl is so imaginative it is amazing to me. She tries so hard to make me happy and is in that beautiful stage somewhere between little girl and teenager.

2. My 9 year old daughter. This kid completely cracks me up. She is absolutely the typical preteen, enamored with iCarly and Hannah Montana. She has put everything she has into her swim team, and I am so proud of how well she has been sticking with it. Her first meet is this Saturday, and despite the sickeningly early wakeup call necessary to get there, I can't wait to see her.

3. My husband. I have been with this man since I was 15 years old and he was 17. We have been married 12 years next month. We have been through so much and he still amazes me daily. Yesterday, I was so overwhelmed with everything, school, homeschooling, the house, my grandpa, that I wasn't sure how I was going to cope. When I got home last night, my girls were working on their schoolwork with him, he had cooked dinner, cleaned the house and caught up the laundry. He did all this on top of a full work day. I love that man.

4. My animals. They annoy the living crap out of me sometimes, but there is something a little bit sweet about the cat who insists on sleeping on your head at night, and the dog who constantly hogs half the bed. The puppy is becoming a sweetheart, despite the still occasional accident. He does have enough manners to keep it to the much easier to clean hard floors at least.

5. My husband's job. We live in Michigan. That is almost enough said right there. Not only does he have a job, but he has a job that allows me to stay home. I also found out that sales were so good last month that we are getting a pretty good commission check toward the end of this month, just in time for Christmas. That really is a load off my mind.

So typical and cheesey I guess, but something I needed today.

Family takes care of one another

2009-11-04T21:41:00.002-05:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with living on a budget. It's just really on my mind right now.

Today I left my house at 1:00PM. I drove an hour to pick up my grandpa who had a doctor appointment today near me, and can't drive as he has been ill. I drove all the way back, dropped my kid off at swim practice, went to his doctor appointment and drove him home. I made him dinner, did his dishes and told him he could call me tomorrow if he can't find a ride to a different doctor appointment tomorrow. By the time I got home it was almost 8:00PM.

Now he did pay me gas money. I wish I was able to forgo it, but expenses this month make things a little tighter than usual and I have been back and forth to his place a few times a week to help him out since he has been ill.

The man is a shell of what he used to be which is really hard for me, knowing how strong of a man he was before, and it is exceptionally hard on him. It took me a month to convince him to let my husband get his lawn tractor ready for winter and put away. It has taken everything he has to ask for help. He has always been the one ready to help other people.

It's hard for me though. I have so much on my plate already. Still, family takes priority. My mom and stepdad are on the road, my siblings live in other states. I am really the only one able to help him at the moment.

I don't really have a point for my posting I guess. My grandparents are getting older and it breaks my heart watching them break down.

Winter is on it's way

2009-11-03T20:49:00.003-05:00

for Michigan, that means icy cold wind, snow, sleet, and through the roof heating bills. The first year we lived in this house, our winter heat bill nailed us hard. We moved in October 2004. Our December gas bill that year was $450. We were not expecting that one.

Over the years we have learned some secrets to keeping the bill within a manageable range. They are still high, running $200-$250 some months, but considering how much the cost of energy has gone up in the last 5 years, I don't think we have done too bad.

1. Turn the heat down. Seems pretty obvious. When we had the old dial style thermostat, we pretty much kept it at 62 degrees day and night. That is actually pretty chilly. My hands were always cold and I was not really a happy camper. Last year we invested in a digital programmable thermostat. It cost us about $30 and allows us to adjust it as needed. We had it set at 58 at night and when nobody was home (work and school) and 64 the rest of the time. Still chilly but immensely more comfortable. Our heat bill will probably be higher this year as the girls and I are home all day, but it's still handy to have.

2. Insulate. Another obvious suggestion but an expensive initial investment. We put several hundred dollars worth of insulation in the roof last year. It definitely helped. The snow stopped melting off that portion of the roof, which is a good sign. We still have another portion of the house that needs it, but thanks to roof project 2009 we may have to delay it a bit.

3. Seal the cracks. Our back door has been terrible. In all honesty we need a new door, jamb, and all. However, that is not yet in the budget so every year we apply new foam along the outside edges and a new door sweep as ours manages to disintegrate every year. We also check the outlets and random holes the previous owner liked to leave...

4. Plastic up those windows. It looks dorky as hell, and may not be necessary for those who have nice new thermal windows. We have a mix of new and old, and the old ones let in all kinds of cold air. Plastic helps. Just don't burn anything in the oven while it's up because there is no opening up the windows after that...

5. Seal off unused areas. I don't know how many normal people actually have this going on in their house. We came into this house knowing it needed some work. We underestimated. One of the things that needs to be done is to totally renovate the master bedroom and bathroom. We are actually staying in the smaller bedroom right now and the girls are staying in the very big, oversized laundry room so that we can keep that room sealed off. We just did this last winter and between that and the insulation, I am pretty confident that was more than $150 a month saved by itself. We simply don't heat those rooms. Just make sure if you find yourself in bizarre home situations of this sort that you remember to turn the water off to the master bathroom or you may find yourself with a slight water problem. Not that I would know anything about that...

6. Install an energy efficient furnace. Not that we have done this yet, but I imagine it will help when we finally get around to it. We found out that our furnace is not only older and definitely nowhere in the realm of energy star compliant, but also only meant to heat an addition. A furnace meant to heat 500-600 sq feet was overworking itself to heat about 1600. No wonder we saw improvement when we cut down the amount of area we were heating. That is on the list of things to get taken care of ASAP. Since I don't exactly like the idea of freezing my butt off while a new one is installed, that is something we can save for springtime. If the old girl will just last us one more winter, that will work for me.

Dental care a luxury?

2009-11-02T15:59:00.002-05:00

Another blogger suggested that dental care was a luxury. She proposed that by taking care of her teeth, it was unnecessary. I beg to differ.

My children have always had to brush their teeth. They were supervised at first, then as they got older, it was on them. I made it through 11 years of parenting before the first cavity came along.

Thing two grinds her teeth. In doing so, she has made her teeth more vulnerable to cavities. In January she was cavity free, and the grinding had just become evident. By September she had two cavities.

The cost to fill two cavities without dental insurance is $253. Today I paid my portion which came to $41.40. That is a bit of a difference. I don't know what ignoring cavities costs in the long run because I refuse to allow it, but I imagine it isn't pretty. Pretty much every state insurance has a dental program for children, so low income is no excuse for it either.

Now dental insurance itself is debatable as a need. Some feel it's cheaper in the long run to pay for visits out of pocket. I can respect that, if they actually make those visits happen. Still, a cleaning runs about $90 a person. Multiply that by 4 and again by 2 for the twice a year we go and that ends up being $720. Our dental insurance per year is about $384. The 100% covered cleanings alone make it worth it. That doesn't even begin to factor in the other dental work (and I will just say that my mouth is a mess that having insurance will allow me to take care of)

The original purpose of my blog

2009-11-02T13:03:00.002-05:00

I have gotten a little off track from where I was going with this blog and started making it look like my desk. It's covered in a series of lists. I am a bit ADD. Lists help me function. They also allow me to procrastinate which is a problem.

The purpose of my blog was to offer realistic ways in which people can save money.

College is an expense, regardless of how you do it. Some people use community college as a way to do it the least expensive way possible. Others depend on grants or scholarships. Some work their way through holding down one or more jobs while attending in order to pay for it. Some suck it up, take the loans and cross their fingers that when the time comes to pay it off, they can.

I have always wanted to be a teacher. I went on a bit of a tangent with the community college and the photography degree. I don't regret it, but I should have known better.

My options where I am at are fairly limited. I live in a college town, but both are private colleges costing more than $20,000 per year. The closest state school is a little more than an hour away, and while dramatically cheaper, between the tuition and the drive it is still a lot of money.

My solution came with Western Governors University. It is an online program that has an IT college, a business college, a nursing college and a teachers college. Unlike the well known diploma mills like Phoenix, they are fully accredited not only as a college but by things like NCATE, or the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. They were also featured in Time Magazine.

The reason I am bringing this up is because the tuition is so ridiculously low that it seems kind of scammish. Is scammish a word? Probably not, but it suits me.

The WGU terms are 6 months long. My 4th term actually started yesterday. 12 competency units are considered full term. I pay just under $3000 for each term. Community college cost me more than that. You pay per term, not per credit, which means if you have the time, the drive and the dedication you can get through more classes per term, shorten the total amount of terms and save you money. This term I am starting with 13 credits, or competency units. If I can get through them quickly enough I intend on adding 4 more. It is self paced. Adding one or two extra classes per term allows me to graduate 6 months sooner.

The classes are pass or fail. There are no grades. However, the trick is that until you pass the assignments or the test, depending on the class, with a B or better, you don't pass the class. There is no sliding by with a C-.

So, tuition is $3000 per term. I also have a scholarship offered through WGU. Mine is the scholarship for rural math and science educators. It is $7500, paid $1500 over 5 terms. The terms of the scholarship include teaching at a rural school for 2 years after I graduate, and I have to maintain good academic standing. If I do not, I get to pay it back. Between that $1500 and my pell grant, my tuition is pretty much covered. I take student loans to cover books and other expenses, but my goal is to get to the point that I am not taking anymore loans.

I just thought that I would offer it up as an option for those looking for an education. If you are interested let me know, because if I refer you, you don't pay an application fee. My goal with this post was not so much to advertise, but share. WGU is probably the hardest school I have ever dealt with (including the 4 year school my husband started with) but I think in the end I will have a really good education.

It's finally caught up with me

2009-11-01T18:00:00.003-05:00

So let me officially introduce myself. I am a 29 year old mother of two, homeschooling two preteen girls and I am also a full time college student working on getting my teaching degree in secondary science. My younger daughter is on a swim team and swims 4 days a week. I drop her off and my husband picks her up on his way home. This means my husband leaves for work about 7:30AM and gets home with the younger kids around 6:00PM. He is also a full time college student which means that after dinner and his schoolwork it is about time for bed.

What this means is that I do a majority of the housework, schooling of children, buying of groceries, etc and so on.

I am burning out fast.

I am chronically behind on either my own school work or the teaching of my kids, trying hard to make it up on the weekends (which they love by the way *insert sarcasm here*) My house is slowly falling apart and I have exercised once in the last month. I feel like I am in way over my head.

So, here is my plan. I need to put myself on a schedule. I can't think of any other way to keep it from all falling apart.

You can be part of my experiment. Should it fail, I will have to come up with an alternative because the way I am working it now is not working.

My new schedule:

7-8 Wake up, eat breakfast, just chill out
8-9 Work out
9-11 My school work
11-12 Lunch
12-2 Girls School work
2-3 Clean house
3-4 Take thing 2 to swim
4-6 Errands, school or cleaning as needed
6-7 Dinner
7-8 Girls school
8-9 Chill out
9-10 Get ready for/go to bed

It will be a work in progress. For any non-homeschoolers who are concerned about the lack of official school time, consider how much actual direct instruction your children receive in school and scrunch it down. My kids still have work they do on their own, and I don't have to teach to 20 or more children. We have never had an issue keeping up with a shorter time in instruction.

I will cover any other typical HS questions later as they always tend to come up.

I went over-budget

2009-10-30T15:22:00.002-04:00

and I hate that. Today is grocery shopping day. Last time I went, I bought just enough to get us through the end of the month, so not only was I lacking my usual surplus, but we also started running out of all the stuff I don't normally have to buy every time. Toilet paper, toothpaste, garbage bags, etc.

My grand total this time around: $215.79 Ouch. Still, that is for a family of 4, plus a zoo of animals for two or more weeks. That isn't bad considering.

So what can just over $215 get you when you shop with me?

Meat: $33.19

10 lbs ground turkey
1 bag frozen tilapia fillets
1 bag boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package hot dogs
1 bag frozen cooked shrimp
1 dozen eggs
2 family packs pepperoni

Dairy: $23.44

5 lbs mozzarella
1 lb cheddar
1 lb pepperjack
1 gallon milk
1 lg container cottage cheese
1 container parmesan

Veggies: $37.86 (I count tomato sauces)

2 bags frozen corn
2 bags frozen peas
1 bag french fries
10 lbs russet potatoes
2 packages fresh broccoli crowns
1 bag tater tots
1 head lettuce
2 cans tomato paste
3 cans mushroom pieces
2 cans tomato sauce
3 cans black olives
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 package beefsteak tomatoes
1 package vine tomatoes
3 jars pizza sauce
2 jars spaghetti sauce
2 acron squash
1 spaghetti squash
2 pumpkins

Fruit: $2.64 (we still have apples out the wazoo and frozen grapes so this is short)

4 bananas
3 oranges

Grains: $18.77

1 bag egg noodles
4 boxes cereal
1 bag pasta shells
1 box frozen waffles
2 loaves wheat bread
1 box instant oatmeal
1 box saltines
1 bag cheese puffs
1 bag nacho cheese chips

Misc. food $37.74

1 can sloppy joe sauce
3 packets taco seasoning
2 boxes frozen pierogies
2 bags frozen cheese stuffed shells
2 jars peanut butter
1 bag dry pinto beans
1 bottle extra virgin olive oil
1 bag powdered sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 jar taco sauce
1 container anise seed
1 container curry powder
1 bag dry navy beans
1 jar chopped garlic
1 container cajun spice

Hygeine: $1

1 tube toothpaste

Cleaning: $9.58

2 bottles cascade

Pet supplies: $30.04

1 17.6 lb bag dog food
1 16 lb bag cat food
1 14 lb container scoopable cat litter
2 rawhide coils
2 dog bones

Paper/plastic: $15.96

1 8 pk paper towels
1 12 pk double roll toilet paper
5 paper bags
1 box 30 garbage bags
1 box 25 gallon sized storage bags

Misc. Household: $5.57

1 muffin pan
2 pumpkin cutters

So there it is. The only thing I should need to buy in the next 15 days is another gallon of milk.

I am done whining. Let's do dinner ideas instead.

2009-10-29T07:25:00.003-04:00

You ever get sick of hearing yourself talk? I have been boohooing all month about my rotten luck. You know what? Yes. It sucks. Money has been spent, family has been sick, and vehicles have been vandalized. My entire extended family is falling apart. That sucks.

BUT

We have food, shelter, and nobody has died (knock on wood) so I am going to be Miss Mary Sunshine today because I am sick and tired of being miserable. Yay optimism!!

So let's talk dinner. I am going to have to make up a menu at some point. I am done planning out breakfast, lunch and snack. I have been doing it long enough that I have a general idea of what, and how much we eat. Cereal, oatmeal, frozen waffles through the week, and nicer breakfasts on the weekend. Mostly leftovers for lunch with the occasional sandwich or soup thrown in. We have enough apples and apple products to keep us in snacks forever, especially when you throw in my tendency to make pumpkin bread or freeze grapes. So this time, I am only doing dinners.

One thing I hate about making menus is that I can never remember what we eat. I don't like having the same thing over and over (except pizza. Weekly homemade pizza is a must) but everytime I go to make a menu, I end up with a lot of the same crap over and over again. SO, last night I made a list of every meal that I make that my family will eat (well most of them. Kids might end up with breakfast for dinner on chili night and eat sandwiches in place of hot italian sausage). I figured I would post the list here for 2 reasons. The first, so I have something that won't be lost. I make a ton of lists. It's a compulsion. That one will disappear and I will be back to square one. Secondly, maybe it will either give someone else ideas, or they will share ideas I am missing with me. So here it is. 50 days of WFD.

1. Veggie Stir Fry
2. Chicken Pot Pie
3. Potato Soup
4. Black Bean Quesadillas
5. Risotto
6. Polish Sausage, Sauerkraut, German Potato Salad
7. Lasagna
8. Veggie Fried Rice
9. Veggie Fajitas
10. Garlic Parmesan Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Peas
11. Chili
12. Shrimp Alfredo
13. Macaroni and Cheese
14. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Cheese
15. Beer Brats, Cottage Fries, Sliced Zucchini
16. Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
17. Tacos
18. Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Rice, Broccoli
19. Pork Chops, Homemade Rice a Roni, Green Beans
20. Cheese Tortellini Primavera
21. Sloppy Joes, Tater Tots, Corn on the Cob
22. Chicken and Dumplings
23. Meatball Subs, Macaroni Salad
24. Hoppin' John
25. Veggie Lasagna
26. Tuna Mac
27. Homemade Pizza
28. Pulled Pork, Potato Salad, Grilled Asparagus
29. Pierogies with Butter and Onions
30. Hot Dogs, Fries, Corn
31. Chicken Enchilladas
32. Tuna Salad
33. Spaghetti, Salad
34. Nachos
35. Meatloaf, Barley Vegetable Medley
36. Bean Soup with Sausage
37. Shrimp and Snow Pea Stir Fry
38. Taco Mac
39. Salad
40. Calzones
41. Hot Italian Sausage with Onions and Bell Peppers over Noodles
42. Basil Butter Salmon, Rice, Carrots
43. Chicken Fajitas
44. Pasta with Pesto
45. Beanie Weenies
46. Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Green Beans, Rolls
47. Subs, Chips, Salad
48. Breakfast for Dinner
49. Ravioli
50. Fish Sticks, Fries, Corn

That is over a month without repeats. Hopefully it will make my menu planning a bit faster.

This month just keeps getting better

2009-10-28T13:20:00.002-04:00

I have to have some severe Karmic backlash going or something.

My fridge has been having issues for a while. When our last fridge died (the one that came with this house and was old and literally falling apart) my grandpa happened to be getting rid of his fridge, which was working and nicer than the one that just kicked the bucket. The only problem it had was the temperature control knobs were missing, so in turning them, nobody knows if they are going warmer or colder.

Things were working fine for a long time. We have had it for more than a year and except for our freezer being extra cold, making ice cream scooping a pain, it woked really well.

Over the last month, our fridge has slowly been getting colder. I have fresh produce in there that has been ruined because the items in my fridge are actually freezing. Mmmmmmm frozen lettuce...

My husband started messing with the dial. Didn't seem to help.

Last night, ice cream was actually scoopable. Weird, because he hasn't messed with the freezer temps lately, but it was still frozen so all was well.

Today it is worse. The banana I had in there for banana bread is completely thawed. The frozen waffles and the tater tots are feeling kind of soft, and my frozen veggies are not quite so frozen. The good news is it seems to be holding steady at whatever temp it's at and the ice cubes are still frozen, meat is still solid. As long as that ice holds, my meat is safe I am pretty sure.

The fridge too has defrosted in that nothing in there is frozen. It seems cold, so I think I am ok for now. Still all this temp fluxing makes me think that there are some serious issues going on, and that this fridge is heading to a dark place. Maybe it is planning it's own Day of the Dead finale.

If it goes, I won't lose much at this point. We are at the end of the month so groceries are running thin. I have plans however, to actually do something this coming payday...you know...like shop for food. I am not real big on the idea of filling my fridge and freezer if it is going to kick the bucket.

Now, my options are kind of limited at this point. Paying cash for a new one at this point? Yeah. Not going to happen. Maybe had we not gone over-budget on the roof and maybe if my husband didn't need new contacts and maybe if my younger kid didn't need two cavities filled. Next month is full of all kinds of fun expenses. SO

We can look on craigslist: Seems to be the best option in some ways as I can find one for anywhere from $100-$400. Some of them look really nice too. Cons: We don't know how long someone else's old fridge is going to last. Since this is how we have gotten the last 3 washing machines, that all worked well at first, then died, we know there is risk. Now, we have only paid a total of maybe $150 between the three washers, so we are still ahead on the last 5 years of washing clothes BUT when a washer dies, you suck it up and go to the laundry mat. When a fridge dies, you cry a million tears over the lost groceries. I think there was over $300 worth of food in our fridge last time. That hurt a little.

We can go with a rent to own place: Nice new fridge, make payments. Can probably manage to hit the 90 days same as cash and not pay the extra $1000 or so worth of financing charges and interest. However, all the fridges are higher end, so if we can't come up with the balance in 90 days, that is going to suck really really bad financially.

We can cross our fingers, maintain, and in a few weeks buy one cash: Probably more ideal than craigslist in the long run, but that is going to depend on the fridge making it that long. It might. I don't know. It's hard to say with a fridge. A fridge bought cash out is probably not going to be great, but it will work, and will work for a while. Goes back the price vs. quality thing. If we need it sooner we are going to have to go for price. Again.

Hire a fridge repairman and get it fixed: Another choice that is probably less costly overall, but the fridge is at least 10 years old. Is it worth it? Again, I don't know.

So tell me readers. What would you do in this scenario?

I have a confession

2009-10-26T08:21:00.006-04:00

The same camera and person who took this picture
also took this one

just like the same camera and person took this one

and this one

I bring this up because quite frankly, the photography on this blog has started to embarass me. My problem is that I am lazy. That is it. I have the equipment and the knowledge to produce really good shots but that takes more effort than I apparently am willing to put into it.

Part of the problem is that I no longer have a dedicated studio. The small room that used to house my lights, backdrops, and other equipment now houses a guest bedroom where my mom and stepdad stay a few days a month. I have no qualms about giving it up. That simply means that it is a space and time issue to get things set up properly.

I will be attempting to be a little more proactive with my skills. There is no excuse for some of the shots I have posted. Just wanted to clear up that I did learn a little bit from that first degree I obtained. It may be useless as far as getting a job is concerned, but I still take great pride in the knowledge I obtained.

**Kid 1: Organizing a complex paragraph, October book review. Kid 2: Writing a complex paragraph. Both: Rosetta Stone German. Me: Stoichiometry**

Ooey Gooey Goodness

2009-10-25T19:17:00.003-04:00

I love brownies. I mean I really love brownies. I have never actually made them from scratch. How sad is that? My brownies have always come from a box. Tonight I changed all that. I got this recipe from another blog .

Total cost is about $2.50 which is a little pricey as I try to keep desserts under $1 but I promise it is worth every cent.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 and grease the pan.

Melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, then the vanilla and eggs, then the cocoa and the flour, the baking powder and the salt. Pour into the pan and bake 30-35 minutes. They are some of the best I have eaten.

Things I splurge on...aka...another product review

2009-10-25T11:14:00.006-04:00

I love shopping at Aldi for food. I think most of it is top notch and it doesn't bother me at all that I am not eating name brand. I don't taste enough of a difference to care, and in some cases, Aldi food is better.

Their hygeine items on the other hand...not so impressive. I am a total brand whore in that scenario. I figured I would share my favorites that I feel are worth every penny

The pictures on this blog are lifted because I I do not have the inclination at the moment to go take pictures of half empty bottles. Maybe I will replace the photos with my work as I go.

Product 1: Listerine Total Care

I have really crappy enamel on my teeth. To add to the fun, I also grind them. The dentist I go to highly recommends that my kids and I use a floride rinse. Act, the traditional go-to product for this runs just over $4.50 or so. For $5.63 (at Walgreens, I haven't checked country market yet) I get the benefits of a floride rinse and the benefits of Listerine antiseptic mouthwash. My kids don't mind Listerine so flavor is not a problem. I love this stuff and plan on buying it until forever unless something even better comes out.

Product 2: Dove Ultimate Sensitive Care Deodarant

I am sick and tired of either smelling bad, or making my armpits suffer the wrath of overdone fragrances. This stuff doesn't really smell like anything, but the best part is, neither do I. It runs about $4 but it lasts a while.

Product 3: Garnier Fructis Curl Shaping Spray Gel

I have wavy hair, which is code for really annoying. In order for it to look good, I have to go for a full curl or I have to straighten it because otherwise it goes everywhere but where I want it. For days I go for the curl, this stuff is the only stuff I have ever used that makes it easy. I get out of the shower, run a comb through, spray and scrunch. It takes care of the rest. It costs me $3.66 but lasts me forever because it doesn't take much, and I don't use it every day. Plan to keep buying this one as well.

Product 4: Loreal Double Extend Mascara

I don't wear makeup very often. I don't like a ton of fuss on a daily basis. However, when I am trying to look good, my eyes are the first thing I go for. My eyelashes are short and straight and not very dark. Mascara and eyeliner is a must. This stuff is expensive compared to the much cheaper stuff I normally go for. It runs about $10, but again, I don't wear makeup that often so why not splurge? It takes some getting used to in order to get it on without clumping up, but the difference is dramatic. It has the two step beauty tubes and they rock. I do suggest that you curl your eyelashes first if they need it because once they are on, they are harder to work with. I curl then put the first stuff on, slowly and carefully. Let dry a minute and put the other stuff on. I will get some before and after pictures the next time I use it.

The only stuff I have to replace on a regular basis is the Listerine. That lasts 2 weeks if I am lucky. I think it will help with dental and save us money in the long run.

Laundry Detergent: A product review

2009-10-23T11:53:00.005-04:00

I am sick and tired of running out of stuff like laundry detergent, soap, and trash bags. My husband happens to work for a company that sells many things, including janitorial supplies. I decided I am going to start bulk buying for real. My first order:Now, I hate cheap laundry detergent. My sister once bought a big box of Sun detergent when she was staying here. That stuff was awful. I mean really really bad. My kid also has sensitive skin so I have to be careful what I buy. This is a 40 lb bucket of detergent. 272 loads worth so I was taking a pretty big risk.

The stuff is great. It's a powder, which I normally hate but it is a much finer powder than the stuff you buy at the store. It has a wonderful lemon scent while in the bucket. The clothes come out clean. It even managed the get the roof shingle funk off my sweatshirt. The smell of the clothes was completely neutral. No smell at all which is awesome.

The retail price of this is $36.38 which puts the price per load at $0.13. That is what I was paying per load for the purex free and clear that I normally buy. Since my husband sells it, we get a pretty good discount and it's more like $0.09 a load. Either way, there is less waste, it is phosphate free and biodegradable. This will last at least 6 months. I don't have to think about it everytime I go to the store, if I am getting close to running out or not. I figure when I get about halfway through it, I will have my husband place another order. If my husband ever finds himself working for another company I would still be willing to pay the retail price on this stuff.

**Both kids: Costume making for halloween Me: Ionic compounds**

A serious post: Let's talk healthcare

2009-10-22T09:20:00.003-04:00

I am having an angry day. I read this article this morning. It talks about women who are routinely denied health insurance. They are denied because they have been raped. There may be a PTSD issue, or in the case of the first woman, she took anti-HIV drugs for a month. Isn't that just a lovely kick when you are already down?

This issue is very near and dear to my heart. When I first got married, my husband was in the Marine Corps. I never worried about insurance. Everything was covered. I think the most I ever paid was $25 out of pocket to the civilian hospital where I birthed my second kid. Then my husband got out of the Marine Corps and we came back to MI.

We followed the rules. My husband got a job that didn't have group coverage so we bought private coverage. My older kid started having problems with UTIs. We treated one with 4 different antibiotics and it would not go away. We finally managed to kill it. The doctor reccomended having her tested for kidney reflux. We did, and it was negative. This was my first time using insurance outside of the military. I was young and uninformed. I didn't think about the $1000 deductable and I didn't understand what was covered and what we needed to pay out of pocket. Let's just say at the end, our side of the bill was over $4000.

The fun continued. A few years later, my husband was a driver at this point and we were covered under group coverage. After a run in with the flu, my older kid was really sick. I took her to the doctor and she ended up being hospitalized with dehydration and severe constipation. Despite insurance and following the rules, there is another few thousand dollars we were expected to pay.

The fun gets worse at this point. My daughter was 5 at the time of her hospitalization. The chronic constipation issue started. She also snored and gasped at night, and by 7 was showing sure signs of Asperger's syndrome. A sleep study to diagnose her with obstructive sleep apnea $$$. Tonsils out $$$ (after all, despite doing my homework and making sure everything was covered, I don't get to pick the pathologist, and things of that nature), and the most recent issue, the constipation problems that would not go away. My daughter had not seen a doctor for the constipation issues in well over a year. We were handling it at home. Her ped. referred us to a gastro. My husband had switched companies a few months before this, so we were on new insurance. "Best in the industry" and fully paid for by the company he worked for. When her blood test for celiac came back positive, I looked very very carefully through the plan. I had been burned so many times. I got the pre-approval and we did the biopsy to test her for Celiac disease. The bills started coming. I knew the $500 deductable was ours. Then there was the $2300 for the anesthisiologist (I cannot spell. Forgive me.) and the pathologist that were not covered. I appealed because again, I chose an in network hospital and doctor. I have no control over the rest.

The "best insurance in the industry" decided to deny the entire claim. Pre-existing condition. Almost $7000 we owe to these people. In the last 8 years we have racked up more than $20,000 in medical bills for one kid.

By the way, the Asperger's syndrome? She shows every sign but I refuse to have her officially diagnosed at this point. Can you blame me? I am trying not to make my kid completely uninsurable.

I am not the only person with this problem. From my mommy board:

One person keeps fewer diabetes supplies on hand for her child than she is comfortable with because of the cost.

One person had to pay for the treatment of cervical cancer out of pocket

One person's insurance wouldn't cover the cost of food for a feeding tube

One person knows of someone who suffered a heart attack and never went in because of lack of insurance.

Another person knows of a women who suffered a broken bone with no insurance and could not get it treated without paying upfront.

I firmly believe that those who do not believe we need some sort of healthcare reform have never had medical issues in which they had to deal with this. We followed all the rules. We made sure we stayed covered, yet the insurance company has paid less to these medical bills than we have paid into them. That is bull.

**Kid 1: Parts of speech, define humanities and art. Kid 2: Singular and plural nouns, introduction to theater, art and music. Me: Basic atomic structure**

Chunky Cheesey Potato Soup

2009-10-21T20:06:00.005-04:00

Another $3 meal. This is a family favorite. We eat potato soup a couple of times a month. Everyone looks forward to it. Sometimes we use polish sausage instead of bacon but the general recipe is always the same.

I should have mentioned with the first $3 meal, that my meals are based on Aldi prices.

First take 1/2 a bag of potatoes and chop them up. Leaving skins on for me depends on the type of potatoes. Today I am using gold potatoes that Aldi had on sale so the skins stay on. Total cost for potatoes: $0.99

I throw them in a big pot (I use my pressure cooker because it is the biggest pot I have) with some water and 1/2 a bag of frozen corn ($0.49)I also chop up 1/2 an onion and put that in. I only use 1/2 an onion because my girls are not huge fans so it is less for them to pick around. ($0.07)

While that is boiling, I cook 4 slices of bacon until they are crispy. Use your favorite method. I reccomend baking it in the oven for the easiest burn free method, but I am in a hurry so I nuked mine in the microwave.

Mmmmmmmm. Bacon. ($0.63)

I also use this time to shred the 3 oz cheese. ($0.56) If you are using pre-shredded cheese you can skip this step but I always buy block cheese. It tastes better to me.
When the potatoes are done, drain most of the water. You want just enough in there to cover the potatoes. Add in 1 cup of milk ($0.12), 1 tsp garlic powder ($0.02), 1 tsp oregano ($0.02) and salt and pepper to taste ($0.01) Crumble in the bacon, and stir in the cheese until melted. At this point add in 1/4 cup or so of potato flakes ($0.05) How much you actually end up with depends on how thick you want it. You can also use a handheld blender to puree some of the potatoes to thicken it up. I just like lots of chunks.

In the end you have this

for a total cost of $2.95

SAHM vs. WOHM Round 1 FIGHT!

2009-10-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

Ok not really.

When I first had kids, I was a rabid SAHM fanatic. I was absolutely sure that my way was the only way and that WOHMs didn't care about their kids, and one income is plenty.

Over the years I have eaten some humble pie, stuck a foot or three in my mouth and just in general realized that I really don't give a shit what other people do.

In the past 11 years I have been a SAHM, worked part time, worked full time, volunteered, been a full time traditional college student, worked full time and went to school online full time, and worked at home. I have come to realize that it's all really freaking hard. There is no easy job.

Being a SAHM is hard. You are with the kids all day. There are no co-workers. There are no breaks. There is nobody to back you up if you screw up.

Working part time is hard. You have just enough time at home to make a mess, and just enough time at work to make no real money. It never feels like there is enough time for anything. The house still needs to be cleaned. The job still needs your full attention.

Working full time is hard. By the time you get home at the end of the day, the last thing you want to do is cook dinner or catch up on laundry. The kids want attention. The floor hasn't been mopped in a week. It is madness.

I guess I got into my deep thoughts because I worked today. I quit my daycare job in August in order to concentrate on my school work and go back to homeschooling my kids. My husband got a promotion in May that made it possible. I loved my job. I seriously did. I made crap money, I was behind in my school work, and my kids were not doing as well in school as they should have been. I made the right choice but I still miss it. I am good at caring for kids. I enjoy it. So, I still sub as needed. I worked this morning so the preschool teacher could take her own kid to the dentist. I had fun. I made maybe $30 if I am lucky. Still, subbing allows me to keep this job on my resume for longer. I won't have the pain in the ass gaps that just being home has when I am ready to teach. I need about 31 more credits and I will be able to sub in the schools. That will help too.

Don't get me wrong. I love being a SAHM also. My kids are older, and don't need me as much as they used to. If I do my job right, they will only grow more independant as time goes on. I don't want to be that woman that falls apart when the kids leave the nest.

**Kid 1: algebra rules and properties. Kid 2: prime numbers. Both: Rosetta stone German. Me: Measurements in chemistry**

My one month quit-aversary

2009-10-20T10:22:00.003-04:00

Yep. I have been smoke free for a month. This time. I would like to say I have made it through the worst of it, but I have quit for longer and started back up again so nothing is permanent. I just take it a day at a time.

I quit for two pregnancies. The second one I didn't start back up right away. I quit for 2 years. I quit for 4 months. I have a couple of month long quits behind me.

I am not discouraged though. I quit because I just can't afford it. I wish it was more noble than that, but there it is. I only had a few a day, and never around my kids so I can't say it was for them. I have asthma and I am sure smoking makes it a million times worse but that didn't stop me either. Nope. More than $6 a pack did it. Even at half a pack a day, with my husband smoking the same, that adds up fast.

We used the patch to quit. $40 for 14 patches, which with two of us lasted a week...well a little over because I only used them for 3 days then went without because my husband has a harder time with it than I do. Still, at $6.50 a pack, it paid for itself in 6 days. After that, just for me I have not smoked $78 worth of cigarettes. I could start again tomorrow (which I won't) and I still saved that money. That helps me feel like less of a failure for the times I have fallen.

I am not saying I will never smoke again. I don't plan on it, but I never did before either. I am just taking it a day at a time. If you are looking for a way to save money, start there. Even if you only quit for a day here and there, that is money in your pocket and minutes on your life. Worth a shot.

**Kid 1: Diversity of species, settlements of the first farmers Kid 2: Properties of wind, discovery of early humans Me: Lab 1-identification of unknown substances**

The definition of a shoestring budget

2009-10-19T13:21:00.003-04:00

You know, budget means different things to different people. My version of a budget might be bloated in comparison to some, and seriously lacking compared to others.

My budget at the moment is very much paycheck to paycheck. We have a savings plan but these unexpected expenses like to wipe it out so we have to start all over. It makes life interesting I suppose.

Things in my budget that can be consider excess bloat

$45 a month for my youngest child to swim on the swim team. I have already been over why this is important to me.

$336 a month for a truck payment. We live out in the country and we are renovating our house as money allows. Having a truck has come in very very handy. The truck payment won't last forever, and we have every intention of keeping this truck until it falls apart. We don't get new vehicles every year. Before the truck we had a car that was literally rusting away. We bought the truck because it was a truck, and because after being stranded by the side of the road a dozen times, I was hoping for something that would be reliable for a while.

$55 a month for a cell phone. I have already dropped mine when I stopped working. My husband uses his for work. We go through Boost so that we have the unlimited plan for cheap, and no contract. I will never get myself into another contract.

$11 a month for the YMCA membership for the younger kid. See the swim expense above.

$98 a month for a land line phone and DSL. We are stuck going through the local tiny phone company which means about $50 of that is phone. The rest is DSL which is the only high speed internet available to us. We have two full time college students in this house who go to an online university. I am not doing that on dial up. Talk about misery. Time is money also.

$150 a month for orthodontist payments. This hasn't actually started yet. We get to pay a bit over $1500 in December to get it started. The $150 a month starts in January and will basically take up what used to be my car payment. My oldest kid needs an extreme amount of orthodontia to correct a severe overjet. It certainly isn't life or death, but it will help her feel better about herself, and will save her teeth from excess staining because they "stick out" It falls into one of those things we do for our kids because we love them and we can.

Now, I am fortunate that my husband makes enough money that I have the option to have those things. If the worst happened, we have areas that we can scale back. I would rather squeeze my budget in other areas like shopping Aldi for food and Goodwill for clothes than give up the excess that I consider to be important.

*Kid 1: writing complex sentences, required reading. Kid 2: Assembling information to create complex paragraphs. Both kids: Rosetta stone German. Me: Scientific method*

I am upside down and backwards

2009-10-18T21:32:00.003-04:00

Weekend two of the roofing project. It's been interesting.

So, my total as of last weekend was $1614.97

I added

15 drip edge - $52.50
2 rolls ice guard - $120.58
3 rolls roof felt - $53.57
1 4x6x8 deck board - $2.97

The deck board is unrelated to the roof, but needed to be replaced for insurance reasons so I am adding it in.

I also had another trip to the dump - $30 Why $30 and not $20? Because I think the first guy, an older gentleman, thought I was a cute little girl doing man's work and gave me a break. Hey. I will take it. This time it was a younger guy who was all business, and charged me $10 extra which is probably where it should have been the first time.

The new total with tax is $1888.22

But wait! I over bought.

I took back
2 rolls of roof felt - $35.82
1 roll of ice guard - $60.29
2 boxes of roofing nails - $53.96
7 Drip edges - $24.36

Total back with tax - $184.90 dropping our total to $1703.32

It doesn't end there though. I overbought the nails on purpose because we owe the guy who loaned us the nailer a box of nails. The ones I bought were the wrong ones. The right ones unfortunately are more expensive. $44.50 with tax. I also bought my husband a pair of kneepads as he was getting pretty torn up. That was $16.94 with tax. That brings the total up to $1764.76

THEN

We ran out of shingles. Sigh. We also need more tar as we didn't buy any and we are almost out of what we had in the garage. I also took back all the drip edge and didn't realize we needed one more piece. We were also getting low on nails, but didn't need a box of 7200 especially since we don't own the nailer.

So.

One 4"x150' tar membrane thing (I don't actually know what it is called) - $12.36
4 tubes of tar - $9.48
2 small boxes of nails - $13.76
6 bundles of shingles - $94.44
1 drip edge - $3.48

New total with tax - $141.53 + $1764.76 = $1906.29

We overbought LOL

We didn't need the nails at all. Unfortunately they came in plastic boxes and one broke on the way home, so we can only return one.

We still have at least one bundle of shingles, maybe 2 left.

In either case, I am not convinced that a trip back to Ohio is worth what we would get back. We are going to have to do the garage at some point in the future so maybe we will just save them.

We do still have one more trip to the dump to make. That is $20-$30 depending on who is there LOL

We came in under budget. Barely. Honestly, if you count what we spent in gas and food/drinks to feed the people helping we went over. Either way, it is 99% done. The tar work still needs to be done. We did meet our deadline.

I have never in my life been so happy to put a project behind me.

From field to table

2009-10-16T21:57:00.010-04:00

or from pumpkin to bread.

I took my girls, and the neighbor girl to the orchard today to pick apples and pumpkins. We ended up with a bushel of apples, 4 large carving pumpkins, 4 small pie pumpkins, caramel apples and donuts for all. Not bad for $30.

I figured I would use this blog to show our journey from field to table.

I started with 4 tiny pie pumpkins. These are actually the smallest pie pumpkins I have ever seen. They are not that much bigger than the decorative ones. Still, for $0.50 each, they will work.
I took them all and cut them in half
This was the worst part because honestly, I hate the smell of raw pumpkin. It seriously grosses me out. I scraped all the inside guts out, leaving only the shells.But I save the seeds. Thrown in the oven for an hour or so with a little olive oil and some salt and you have a fairly healthy snack. My kids love them.

I then cut the cleaned out shells into pieces so that they will all fit in my roasting pan, in this case a rectangular casserole dish with about an inch of water in the bottom.

I put them in a 400 degree oven to roast for about an hour. The skins at that point come off really easily. I peel the pieces and cut the meat of the pumpkin into chunks.
I love this because they are such a pretty color. I now take my handheld mixer and puree the pumpkin chunks. A food processor would probably be faster and easier, but I don't have one, so I use what I have.Now we are ready to cook. I take 1 cup, and portion the rest into ziplock baggies, 1 cup per baggie. In total I have about 6 cups of pureed pumpkin which is a lot more than I thought I would end up with.

Onto the bread making.

Preheat the oven to 350.

1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 cup water

Mix all the dry stuff in one bowl. Mix all the wet stuff in another bowl. Then mix them together. Easy.
Grease and flour a loaf pan. Dump the batter in. Bake it for an hour or until it is done in the middle.
You end up with this
Bon appetit

Total cost... $1.18

TGIF

2009-10-16T09:25:00.003-04:00

I have made it through another week. October has been a rough month financially with a bunch of unexpected expenses but it looks like we will make it through.

I am paying off my car today which is huge. My car was costing me $216.67 a month. I am going to pay $221.40 today and I never have to think of it again. That will take some pressure off next month, especially with upcoming dental and optical expenses. While I didn't have the cash at the time to just outright buy the car, and I needed it in order to work, I am very glad to be done with that bill. We financed at 0% for this one which is why we didn't pay it off early when we had the money to do so. It is easier on the mind to have a bit of backup money. The car was going to cost what it cost if we paid it off early or spread it out. Works for me.

I am back and forth on if I should drop the coverage or not. Right now I have full coverage on it. It's a 98 with 170,000 miles so it isn't exactly worth that much. Still, had I not had the coverage when I hit a deer in May, that would have put us in a serious financial crunch. Of course, I was working at the time and my income was vital at the time. At this point it would be an inconvenience more than anything else. It's something to think about anyway. I have a feeling that my savings would outnumber potential outpay within a couple of months.

Now, who wants to wager that the minute I pay that bill the car dies? That is, afterall, my luck with vehicles.

**Both kids: field trip to the apple orchard for apple and pumpkin picking**

Tuna Salad

2009-10-15T18:31:00.003-04:00

The blog that inspired my blog includes $3 meals. I like the idea. Honestly though, the recipes on that blog are not only completely unappealing to me, but make barely enough to be considered a snack. I figured I would start blogging my own $3 meals as I make them.

Todays $3 meal is tuna salad. Not exactly gormet but a good simple meal, especially if you are in a hurry. I can pull this together in about 20 minutes, and it can also be made the day before and stored in the fridge if you know you are going to be short on time.

Tuna salad - $2.92

2 cans tuna - $0.98
1 bag egg noodles - $0.99
1/2 bag frozen peas - $0.49
1/2 onion, chopped - $0.07
1/2 cup mayo or salad dressing - $0.30
Salt and pepper - $0.01
1 tsp garlic powder - $0.04
1/2 tsp oregano - $0.02
1/2 tsp basil - $0.02

Bring a pan of water to boil. Dump in noodles and peas and cook until done.
Drain, rinse with cold water until completely cool. Let drain completely.
In a big bowl mix noodles, peas and the rest of the ingredients together.
Eat cold. It's good.

Voila. A fast dinner that is super cheap and will make leftovers for the average family of 4.

Rice Pudding

2009-10-15T09:24:00.004-04:00

This is a great recipe. It is cheap and it tastes good. I like it for breakfast. It could also make a good dessert. I am not going to bother with the cost breakdown but it comes to less than $1 for the whole thing.

3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cooked rice (great use of leftovers)
1/2 cup raisins
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg
boiling water

Combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until well combined but not foamy. Stir in rice and raisins. Pour into casserole. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Place the casserole inside a slightly larger baking dish and put an inch of boiling water into the bigger dish. Throw into a 325 oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes. Stir at 30 minutes and again at 1 hour. My recipe says 45-55 minutes but mine wasn't done in that amount of time, so keep an eye on it.

It ends up looking like this

And tasting like a little piece of heaven.

**Kid 1: Read more of assigned book, proper capitalization, locating resources on the internet. Kid 2: Properties of nouns, definition of humanities, art disciplines and aesthetics. Review favorite work of art.**

A few product reviews

2009-10-14T18:15:00.002-04:00

I got thinking of this when I was in the shower today.

Review 1: The Fusion razor. The blades are ridiculously expensive. They also last a ridiculously long time. They come out cheaper than the disposables and better for the environment. $8 for 4 blades, and that will last me 8-10 months.

Review 2: Salon Care shampoo, purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply for $10 for a gallon. It is a concentrate but while it claimes it can be mixed 1:8, I would not go more than 1:2 unless you can wash your hair with slightly bubble water. In either case, 2 gallons for $10 is a great deal, and the wild cherry smells soooo good.

Review 3: Cure Care Conditioner, purchased at Sally's for $5. It is not a concentrate, and it smells funky but it works better than any other conditioner I have ever used. My hair is soft and tangle free, and $5 for a gallon is a great deal.

I am also planning on adding what my girls are doing as far as school goes just because it's another way of keeping track of it that is more easily searched than their binders.

**Kid 1: ordered pairs in graphing, Kid 2: Addition of fractions. Both: German with rosetta stone**

WFD, or What's for dinner?

2009-10-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

Since I need to go grocery shopping Friday I am pulling my menu together so I can get my shopping list together. I didn't do too bad last trip. I had to make an extra trip for milk as I figured I would. I also had to get a few more grocery items as I had to feed the roofing crew and that wasn't in the menu plan when I bought before. The only other thing I forgot about was rat litter and cat litter. Overall, I didn't spend much more than the initial trip.

I figured I would stick my menu up. It may give others ideas and maybe I can get ideas as well. I would be more than happy to share recipes as well.

17th
Breakfast - Eggs, bacon, toast
Lunch - Sandwiches, chips, pasta salad
Dinner - Homemade pizza
Snack - Applesauce
18th
Breakfast - Pancakes
Lunch - Nachos
Dinner - Pasta with pesto
Snack - Banana
19th
Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Chili, corn bread
Snack - Grapes
20th
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Tilapia fillets, rice, carrots
Snack - Banana
21st
Breakfast - Eggs, toast
Lunch - Grilled Cheese, soup
Dinner - Cheese tortellini primavera
Snack - Apple
22nd
Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Veggie stir fry
Snack - Carrots
23rd
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Ramen noodles with veggies
Dinner - Chicken Enchiladas
Snack - Yogurt
24th
Breakfast - Cinnamon Rolls
Lunch - Beanie Weenies
Dinner - Homemade pizza
Snack - Applesauce
25th
Breakfast - Biscuits and sausage gravy
Lunch - Tuna sandwiches, apple, carrots
Dinner - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Snack - Cheese and crackers
26th
Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Hoppin' John, salad
Snack - Applesauce
27th
Breakfast - Eggs and toast
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Potato soup, biscuits
Snack - Grapes
28th
Breakfast - Lemon Poppyseed muffins
Lunch - Macaroni and cheese
Dinner - Risotto with vegetables
Snack - Cheese and crackers
29th
Breakfast - Waffles
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread
Snack - Apple
30th
Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Sandwiches, chips, carrots
Dinner - Black bean quesadillas, mexican rice
Snack - Applesauce
31st
Breakfast - Omelettes
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Homemade pizza
Snack - Zucchini bread
1st
Breakfast - Waffles
Lunch - Tuna salad
Dinner - Wings, onion rings, baked beans
Snack - pumpkin muffins

Long, but the nice thing is that I don't have to think too hard about what to make later on days I am worn out.

Run, don't walk!

2009-10-12T10:29:00.003-04:00

That is what I did today. 1.25 miles ran which, let me tell you is impressive since I have not been able to run since my youngest was a baby, and that was nearly 10 years ago.

I used to have a gym membership. Working out is important to me. People who exercise are healthier and lower their risk of heart disease. People who exercise are happier and lower their risk of depression. People who exercise sleep better. I have a history of depression, insomnia and my dad's side is heavy set. Exercise is not an option.

I was paying $56 a month for a family YMCA membership. That is $672 a year. I dropped that and just got one youth membership for $11 a month for the swimmer in the family, or $132 a year. That is a difference of $540. We bought a home gym and a treadmill for about $1500. In slightly less than 3 years, it will pay for itself in comparison, assuming the YMCA rates stay the same. We could have bought used, but I wanted high quality equipment I would actually use and not something that would just sit in my house. A big chunk of it has paid for itself already especially considering I drop the kid's membership during the summer and start it back up for swim season. It's only another $44 but that adds up.

I probably should have used that money toward my house or savings, but the long term health benefits of exercise are more important to me. I live in an area where outside exercise is difficult enough in the summer, but impossible in the winter. I feel justified with the expense.

The roofing project breakdown

2009-10-10T20:51:00.004-04:00

My husband, the hero of the day managed to get half the roof scraped and cleared, and about 30% of the total shingles on today. Not bad. He had some help from his dad and brother, but I tell you, when that man gets a project on his mind, he moves like a freight train. Nobody keeps up with him.

Overall, so far so good. The budget for this project was $2000.

62 bundles of 3 tab fiberglass shingles - $975.88
3 50' rolls Weather Watch underlayment (need along eaves to make code) - $200.97
5 rolls of 15 lb roofing felt - $99.50
3 boxes 1 1/4 inch coil nailer roofing nails 7200 ct - $80.94
16 10' sections aluminum drip edge - $55.68
1 staple gun - $36.99
2 rolls 14" x 10' aluminum flashing - $17.44
2 square roof vents - $11.92
1 box 5000 ct 1/2" staples - $9.97
3 pair gloves - $5.91
Tax for above items - $99.77
1 trip to the dump - $20

Grand total - $1614.97

Well under budget! That is the good news. Here is the bad news.

We need still more drip edge, another roll of ice guard, which will give us enough for the roof valleys as well, another 2-3 rolls of roofing felt and one more trip to the dump. I am hoping the measurements were close enough that the shingles were right. So far we are looking at another $216 or so. The good news is, that is still under budget. I might be able to pull some gutters out of this deal.

The dump trip was by far the best surprise. I was expecting to spend much more on disposal. It's a drive but to dump locally would have been about $75. We spent maybe $10 in gas, and the $20 at the dump. We are still way ahead.

Tomorrow is another long day, but it is looking good so far.

How far would you go

2009-10-09T23:26:00.004-04:00

I spent most of today shopping prices for roofing material. There are two layers of shingles up there so it all has to come off and we have to start from the beginning. That includes shingles, felt paper, ice guard, venting, and drip edges. My husband can usually get a better deal on fasteners through his work, so I didn't include any of that in the price workup.

My first stop today was a local lumber yard. I took in my measurements (hard won out in the rain with a busted tape measure) and they were kind enough to do all the work for me. I ended up with a quote just under $2000. Since $2000 is our budget, that left no room for nails or disposal fees for the old roof.

My second stop was Lowes. They could match the prices I had from the lumber yard but they could not get the price any lower.

I did know from online research that Home Depot had the shingles at the very least significantly cheaper. The problem is the nearest Home Depot is an hour away. Still, for the type of savings we need, after my husband got out of work we made the trip to Ohio.

The cheapest shingles in our area were $20.49 a bundle. We bought them at Home Depot for $15.97 a bundle.

We also learned that the ridge vent is not the only option, and in many cases not the best option so we bought the square roof vents instead.

We brought home 32 bundles of shingles tonight and have 30 waiting to be picked up tomorrow. In total, we spent a couple hours on the road but we saved $450 off our original quote between shingles and changing our roof venting. We might actually be able to pull this off.

The things we do for our kids

2009-10-08T16:11:00.003-04:00

$52.50. That is what the team swimsuit for my younger daughter's swim team is going to cost us. That was not in the budget, and her first meet is in the beginning of November. Oh, and I cannot forget $10 for the swimcap.

It doesn't matter what sport your kid is in anymore, they all cost a fortune. My kid swims for the YMCA swim team so I am considering myself lucky that I am getting off cheaper than I could be.

So why allow sports? Well, I believe they are vital. My kids are homeschooled. They need the exercise. They need the chance to socialize with other kids. They need the opportunity to be under another adult in charge. They need something to have pride in.

Why have kids if you are not going to provide them with opportunities? They are probably not going to get a ton of monetary help from us for college. The least I can do is allow them to grow into confident, well rounded individuals who have the ability to make their own way in this world.

If that takes moving the budget around here and there, so be it.

The books are in

2009-10-07T19:53:00.004-04:00

It's a week into October and I finally got the last of the books I need for schooling the girls this year.

One of the most frustrating thing about homeschooling on a budget is dealing with the curriculum. School supplies like paper, pencils, crayons and so on come so cheaply from the early bird school supply sales. I have so many 10 cent notebooks from 2 years ago that I only bought about 10 this year and I still think I will have leftovers. Finding things for the girls to read for pleasure is easy as pie as well. We have some great used book stores. Here is where I admit that despite being pretty tightly budgeted, I don't use the library. Why? Because I am terrible about getting books back on time. It is cheaper for me to buy used than to check out books. Isn't that awful? It's my weakness, and I have just given up on it. It's the same reason I splurge $10 a month on netflix instead of renting movies locally. Late fees are just expected from me.

Anyway, back to the original topic. School curricula is expensive. A textbook will easily run $60-$100. This wasn't so much an issue when my girls were younger. We were unschoolers, and there are a million and a half fun resources for teaching kids how to read, write and add. Now however I am trying to make sure my kids learn history, the scientific method, algebra. That requires a little more output.

This year, my kids are doing math out of college textbooks. No, I am not kidding. My older kid is a 6th grader. She is working out of Introductory and Intermediate Algebra for College Students. The first lesson? Fractions. It starts off at the perfect spot for what she already knows. It isn't that Intro Algebra is harder in college than it is in jr high. It just moves faster in a college environment. The way to make it work is to simply slow it down. It will take 2 years to make it through the book but it is more comprehensive than the typical grade level stuff.

The same can be said for science. Older is working Biology. Younger is working Weather. Again, instead of assigning chapters, I assign a couple of pages at a time. Sometimes it means explaining more of the words but really the girls have an amazing vocabulary, and most of what they don't know is defined in the text. Math, science, and the Arts are all being taught using college textbooks that my husband and I have used previously for classes.

History comes from two sources. Older kid is using The Last Two Million Years left here by my brother. It is in depth and covers a very broad range of history. I ordered the book I am using for the younger kid. For that history book, two writing books, and two grammar books I went to amazon.com. I am totally in love with their buy it used deals. The history book I ordered new runs $94. I paid $13 plus $3.99 shipping. I am also in love with amazons deals plus free shipping. The total for 5 books was $62. That is still less than the one book runs new.

The other thing I have learned is to backdate editions. What I mean is that for my classes, if they suggest I get the 9th edition of a book, I will order the 7th. At my school (WGU, will post about that later) it isn't a huge deal and it saves me hundreds of dollars per term in books. Most of the time the newer edition is almost identical to the older one. The only things I would be hesitant about is things that need to be cutting edge - computers, nursing, etc. But seriously, ethics haven't changed that much in the last 5 years.

Anyway, I told the girls 8:00 they had to get back to their assignments, and I have to supervise. Check out amazons used books. The savings is really worth it.

I have a test today

2009-10-06T08:29:00.003-04:00

I am going in to a proctor to take a test on Ethics. I have been a little wrapped up in the past couple of days to do much studying, but I believe I have a fairly good grasp on the subject.

College is one of those things that just out of high school I thought I could do without. I got married right out of high school, and pregnant soon after. My husband was in the Marine Corps and while the first year was a struggle, things got easier the higher the rank. By the time he made sgt. we had no debt, always paid our bills on time, and we were doing really well.

Fast forward 8.5 years after he got out. Not having a degree hurts in more ways than I could ever imagine. In 2005, I decided that I loved photography enough that I was going to go to school for it. I spent about $14000 to find out that I am good at it, I got my AAS, and also found out that I hate portrait photography and the market in this area is full. I enjoyed every single minute I was in school but ouch.

So now, my husband and I are full time students again. I am again going with something I love, but something a little more likely to get me a job in the future. I am getting my degree in secondary education - biology to be specific. I will be certified 5-12 to teach biology or life science. As of right now there is a shortage of secondary math and science teachers. I have between 2-3 more years left on my degree. I should have enough credits to sub in another year which will help bring in some income.

Is income everything? No. But my kids are not going to be here forever. I can't see myself wandering around an empty house straightening pictures and waiting for my husband to get home. I would also like enough income that we can start really saving and perhaps one day retire instead of working ourselves right into the grave.

Can such an expense be justified? Absolutely. Look at it this way. Pell grants and scholarships help take a chunk out of my tuition. Everything else is student loans, and I do take extra to cover expenses I cannot cover on my own. I am figuring by the end of my BA with certification, I will be about $40,000 in debt with student loans, plus an additional $14,000 for my AAS. I am estimating the payment to be about $450 a month. My husband will probably add on another $350 a month, so $800 in student loans a month. That sounds like a lot until you consider the following. The only job I have ever been able to get is preschool or daycare where I made minimum wage or just over. Last year I made $8/hour. After taxes I made about $1000 a month. Absolute worse case scenario, we know we can live on one income, and that a min wage second income will pay off student loans and we are more knowledgable.

However, I anticipate actually teaching. Teachers in this area start around $36,000 a year, or about $3,000 a month. By teaching, even if my husband keeps his same job, we will be able to pay the student loans and still have extra money to live or put into savings for retirement.

And what about the kids? I homeschool true, but I am not against public school. I homeschooled my girls up through 2nd and 4th grade. They went to the local public school for two years. It wasn't working as well as I wanted so I am homeschooling again. The public school experience wasn't bad. It's just a long story that will have to be another post altogether. In any case, by the time I get to the student teaching portion of my degree, my oldest child will be a high school freshman, and my youngest will be in 7th grade. My goal was to get them at least through the elementary years as jr. high and high school give them more options. The timing works out very well for me.

I could go on all day about the subject, but I will end it here for now. It leaves me more to write another day. I just wanted to make the point that going into debt for education is one of the good debts that will in time, more than pay for itself.

Price vs. quality, part 2

2009-10-05T10:35:00.003-04:00

Ohhhh, I should have known that the first post on this subject would come back to bite me. I forgot to add a little important piece of information. Buying quality is cheaper than buying cheap in the long run, assuming you have the money to buy quality to begin with.

We have been inspected. We have until 11/02/09 to put a new roof on our residence or they can, and will drop our home insurance.

Now we knew the roof was bad. We actually had a plan and a budget to replace it next spring. We were going to go with a steel roof. Why steel? They last forever, they are hail, fire, rain, etc resistant, and the insulation properties rock. The problem is that steel is more expensive than fiberglass shingles. It was all price vs. quality. However, with the new deadline, guess who is going to end up going with price? We are about to end up with 25 year fiberglass shingles. No energy star rating. Definitely not going to last forever. It breaks my heart just a little.

I am also not about to spend $1500-2000 now and then redo it in steel in the spring. I can't afford the double blow, nor am I prepared to waste materials like that.

So there you have it. I concede. Sometimes price makes a huge difference.

The big seasonal clothing change

2009-10-04T10:15:00.004-04:00

With fall here, it is time for the big clothing change out. The shorts are put away and out come the winter coats. That is about all it is in Michigan since pants and long sleeve shirts are in the dressers year round.

As I pulled the coats out of the big storage bin, I handed them to my children and crossed my fingers. I am so happy to say that last years coats still fit. For now. If they can hold off growing out of them until February, I will do a happy dance because last spring I completely forgot to get the next size up when all the coats were on clearance. I can't even hand one down. The younger kid wears the same size as her sister.

I love buying clothes and shoes. I am a typical girl when it comes to shopping. The difference comes from where I shop and how I shop.

I don't shop at consignment stores. It isn't that I am too proud. It's just I find all the local consignment shops to be too expensive for what they carry. If I want to pay $10 for a pair of Jeans, I will go to Kohls. Yes I said Kohls. I do 80% of my shopping there. They have the best clearance sales I have come across. I go straight for their 70-80% off racks. I bought an entire summer wardrobe for me for about $100. That included several pairs of capris and several shirts. I don't normally spend that much at once on clothing, but I was working at the time, and it was necessary. In general though, $4 for a pair of capris is garage sale pricing, but the stuff is actually new.

I also peruse good will for my clothing. It means a lot of searching through Rider brand mom jeans, and Guess jeans left from the 80s, but I have come across some great deals. Silver Tab jeans normally $75 and custom sized for about $4. American Eagle jeans for $1. I don't put a ton of stock into brand names but I am learning which brands look decent on my butt and fit right.

For my girls, I shop at good will. I pay about $1.50 an item and in childrens sizes, the stuff looks new and is still in style. I will let other people pay $20-30 for a pair of Hannah Montana jeans. When their kid outgrows them in a month or two, they become my great find for $1.50. I also shop kohls clearance racks, but kids clothes are so easy to find elsewhere for even cheaper than I can find there.

The other place I shop for the girls is Kmart. I normally try to avoid the big box stores, but there are some things I do not buy used such as undies, socks, and hats. Kmart has decent deals on these items, and the joe boxer brand is fairly decent. I find they last longer than hanes when it comes to underpants.

My husband is the difficult one to shop for. The thing I have learned about men and clothing is that they will wear clothes until they literally disinegrate around them. Have you ever looked for mens clothing at places like good will and salvation army? This is what you will find. You will find old man clothing purchased in previous decades. You have to do something with grandpa Bob's clothes when he passes away. You will also find some great finds from the 70s and 80s. These treasures were probably carefully snuck out of a man's closet by a wife who is rolling her eyes that she has to perform a James Bond to get rid of the dayglow parachute pants and the powder blue leisure suit.

Stores know how hard it is for men to get rid of clothes, and therefor how hard it is to come across decent used attire. The sales in the mens clothing section is never as good as the womens. Ever. Still, Kohls sale items tend to be a better deal than Walmart or Kmart when it comes to jeans and khakis. T-shirts can come from either place for about the same price.

In any case, if my girls can just stop growing until about February, I will get another year out of their coats which means paying $15 per coat instead of $40.

Grocery shopping for the best deals

2009-10-03T12:59:00.004-04:00

I will let you in on a little secret. I almost never use coupons. The reason is that most coupons come out for things that the average person doesn't really need anyway. The exceptions I make are for cleaners, paper products, and pet supplies because many times I can get a better deal with a sale and a coupon than I can buying a store brand.

I have yet to see a coupon worth anything for food items. All the food item coupons tend to be for boxed dinners and other convenience food. Rule one on saving money on the grocery budget is to ditch the convenience foods. I am all for short cuts. Don't get me wrong. I don't bake my own bread (yet), I used jarred spaghetti sauce and canned beans. What I don't use are items such as hamburger helper and boxed cake mix. The exceptions include boxed mac and cheese which we have for lunch twice a month or so, and the occasional canned soup, which again I use for lunches. I don't do any real cooking for lunch, I admit. I am all about leftovers, sandwiches, and the occasional canned good.

In our family we have 2 adults, and 2 preteen girls. They eat the same amount we do, so lets just say I am feeding 4 adults. I grocery shop twice a month, with the very very occasional milk/bread trip in between. I try to make sure I get enough in one shot as one of the things I have learned is that the more often you shop, the more often you end up with the extras that you really don't need, and even $1-2 over several trips add up.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. I spent $145. That is for two weeks and includes dog food, medicine, paper products, hygeine products and cleaning products. The actual food portion of that bill is less than $100.

I shop at two stores. I start at Country Market (which may be a regional thing) for anything not food related because the second store, Aldi, does not impress me in any area except food. I try to stick to sales, and if I happen to see a sale on a food item that is cheaper than I normally pay at Aldi, I certainly buy it.

Before I leave the house, I make a menu for the amount of time I am shopping for. I include breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. I then make a list of everything I will need to meet that menu. I stick by this list. Things I do not buy: pop, snack foods such as fruit snacks and other garbage that won't actually do anything about hunger, juice. That cuts down a lot, plus the things I just mentioned are absolutely awful for your teeth. I will let the girls have pop if we go out, but I do not make a habit of buying it.

What kind of things are on the menu? Here are a few sample days.

Today:
Breakfast - homemade cinnamon rolls
Lunch - veggie fried rice (great use for leftover rice)
Dinner - Homemade pizza
Snack - Trail mix

Monday:
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Italian sausage with bell peppers and onions over noodles
Snack - Banana

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Corn Muffins
Lunch - PB&J, chips, fruit (apple, banana, grapes)
Dinner - Veggie fajitas
Snack - Crackers and cheese

Maybe my next post will be an entire menu.

We eat well, and with careful shopping it doesn't cost us a fortune. Over the next year I plan on working on making even more, and dropping the convenience items I do use in order to save even more money.

My own personal zoo

2009-10-02T10:04:00.009-04:00

So how can someone who claims to live on a budget end up with so many animals? They all come with a story. They are expensive when you add them all up, but what they add to our lives more than makes up for the cost.

The first to come into our household is Orion.

We got Orion as a tiny kitten back in 2002, when we were still living in an apartment. This old, mean kitty has been through 3 moves and all kinds of little kid attention. He has grown up with my own children, and is very much a part of our family.

It helps that he is a great mouser, and we live in the country. I hate mice. He earns his keep.

After we finally got our house and moved in, I started thinking about a dog. My husband at the time was on the road 5 days a week. I didn't necessarily want a guard dog, as I did have two young children. What I wanted was a companion to sleep in my bed with me, and give me a warning bark should someone come to the door.

Enter Sam.

We adopted Sam from the local humane society as an 8 month old puppy. He is a golden retriever/chow chow mix. He is also the absolute best dog anyone could ever hope for. He is gentle. He listens (well, most of the time) and he has enough of a bark that someone with ill intentions would think twice before coming into our home. Sammy really is the kind of dog every person hopes to end up with.

So here we are, one dog and one cat. It works for us. The one early spring day in 2008, I hear a noise in the barn. It sounds like a bird maybe. A high pitched squeak. Wait. Oh no. You are kidding. Kittens. We left them up there a while, watching for the mama kitty to come back to them. Nothing. At the end of the day, I climbed up into the rafters, and handed down to my husband 1 - 2 - 3 - oh boy - 4 - yes 5 little runts who could not have been more than a day old, and looked like they had not eaten in that time. Only one was making any noise. I have seen newborn kittens before. Living out in the country in cat dumping land you get used to seeing the strays and their litters. These kittens were tiny. Mama never did go back for them. Perhaps she knew they were too small.

So 5 kittens, being bottlefed around the clock. I kept all 5 alive for a week before I lost two of them. It was another week before I lost two more. The only survivor is the only one who would grow. He was the biggest of the litter, but still very very small as a cat. After all I went through keeping that little bugger alive, there is no way I could find another home for him. I am his mama. So we named him Columbia.

Now, fast forward to early this year. My daughter begged and pleaded and cried for her very own pet for her birthday. Did she want a guinea pig or a hamster? No. She wanted a dog. Now years and years ago we had two dogs who got along very well together. It was really nice actually because they kept each other busy so they were not always hanging on me. Now Sam, as I said before is the ideal dog. Adding a second, medium sized dog can't really be that much more trouble right? Our house is big enough and we have half an acre, which isn't huge but is good sized. So back to the humane society we went. We looked at all the dogs, found a beautiful basset mix who was so sweet and so sad looking. Unfortunately, it was late in the day, and we didn't remember to bring the animals shot records for our current pets. I was still working at the time, so my husband agreed to go the next day after he got out of work and get all the adoption work done. So he came home with Jack.

Wait a minute! That isn't a basset mix. That is also a puppy. Did I mentioned we agreed on no puppies? Yeah. Apparently, Gracie, the basset mix had been adopted out about an hour before he got there. We missed our shot. So because he promised to bring a dog home, he looked through the dogs again and went with Jack. Jack is a boxer/lab mix and was not quite 6 months old at the time he was adopted. I am still warming up to him 6 months later. He is a sweet dog, but he is the most sterotypical dog I have ever had in my life. He eats everything. When I say everything, I do mean everything. He digs. He chases sticks. He swims. At a year old he is over 70 lbs and is bigger than Sam. Not exactly a medium sized dog. He also drools. A lot.

Still, he absolutely loves attention and the older he gets, the better behaved he is. We still have to crate him at night and during meals. He is also about 95% housetrained which is more than I ever thought he would be. He has the potential to be a great dog, so I tolerate him.

The rats are the personal pets of the older daughter, and don't cause a lot of trouble or expense. The fish are the newest addition being fair prizes from our trip to the county fair this summer. I have told the girls no more pets. Period. We are a full house.

Unless of course you are talking about laying hens or raising a pig. That may possibly be in our future, but I want something that is going to actually save me money in the end, and nothing that comes in the house.

Apple Butter Recipe

2009-09-30T14:29:00.011-04:00

I love apple butter. It has a flavor that rivals no other. Apple butter is also expensive, running anywhere from $3.50-5.00 a pint in this area. That adds up.

I happen to have an apple tree. Now, I admit over the past few years it has been neglected. It is overgrown and the apples are buggy. I plan on doing a major trim job on it this fall after the leaves are gone. In the meantime I was tired of letting my apples go to waste.

Not very pretty are they? Definitely not something I just want to take a big bite out of. However, they are perfect for making applesauce, and apple butter! Many of the issues are surface deep and disappear when peeled. So lots and lots of apples - $0. Not everyone has this luck, however check your local orchards. A lot of times you can get "scratch and dent" apples for a fraction of the price.

So peel and chop I did. For a couple of hours.

The angle makes it hard to tell, but that is 6 quarts of peeled and chopped apples. Believe it or not the prettier apples tended to be yuckier on the inside than the uglier ones.

To the chopped apples I add 5 cups of sugar. This costs me about $0.70. I then add about $0.05 worth of pumpkin pie spice (easier than playing games with a balance of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and so on. You may feel otherwise.

Put a lid on the crockpot, turn it on low.

This is what it looks like after 6 hours of cooking.

And after 12 hours it looks like applebutter! A little lumpy, but nothing a handheld blender can't work out.

I puree the applebutter until smooth, then leave on warm with the lid off for another 2 hours to make sure all the liquid is cooked off.

In total, for $0.75 I made a little over half a gallon of apple butter. That should take me right through next apple harvest season. Hopefully, next year my apples will be a little nicer.

Cutting cleaning costs

2009-09-29T12:00:00.004-04:00

I love the smell of a clean house. I have 4 animals that have complete access to the house, so I vacuum and mop daily. It's the only way to keep up with the shedding, and that lovely doggy odor. Dishes need to be done 1-2 times a day and don't even get me started on the laundry. So I have developed some time and cost saving things that I do.

I dedicate an hour a day to cleaning. That is it. I am a full time student, I homeschool my kids, and my daughter is on the swim team with daily practice. I don't have time to play around. The only exception is after dinner cleanup which takes another 15 minutes or so.

I have two pre-teen girls. I make up a list of all the rooms, and each room has 3-6 tasks which are divided up between the three of us. There is also an extra 3 tasks to make sure things like cleaning out the fridge and dusting and baseboards get done at least once in a while. An example would be
Living Room:
1. Pick up floor
2. Clean off furniture (this includes couch, table, piano, shelves and so on)
3. Vacuum and mop the floor

The girls take turns picking what task they want to do out of each room. I take what is left. Cleaning time is cleaning time. This cut down the whining, complaining, and the time it takes me to clean the house.

Now, as for cleaners. One thing I use is Simple Green. I bought 1 gallon of the concentrate and I have been using it what feels like forever. I bought it for $8. I use 1/4 cup in a bucket. I start with kitchen counters, tables and so on, then move on to bathroom and floors. I can clean my whole house with it for $0.13 a day. It is also non-toxic and biodegradable.

For kitchen counters after meal prep I do bring out the big guns. I do buy the 409 antibacterial spray but it only requires a few sprays to make sure my counters are bacteria free. I use this on the toilet seat, flush handle and the bathroom faucet as well because I am not sure how well the simple green kills things. Either way a bottle costs me $2.50 and lasts at least a month which is a cost of about $0.08 a day.

For the tub to get rid of soap scum I use baking soda. It's completely natural, works better than comet or other powders and only takes a few minutes if I keep up on it. I can get a box of baking soda at Aldi for $0.49 and it will clean the tub a dozen times, so it is a cost of $0.04 a use.

I swish the toilet with the brush daily, but I also have well water so once a week I have to deep clean it. I dump in 2 cups or so of white vinegar, which I buy at Aldi for $1 a gallon. I let it set for an hour, swish with the brush and flush. Voila, no buildup, and a total cost of $0.13 a week.

Windows can also be done with white vinegar, which is another $0.04 a week, if that.

If you have any other cost, or time saving ideas, please feel free to share. I finally have a system down and my house is cleaner than it has ever been.

Quality versus Price

2009-09-28T11:36:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of things I have learned over the years about shopping. The biggest one is that quality will save you money in the long run. Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for, and if one can use a pricier item for a longer period of time than a cheaper item, the pricier item becomes cheaper per use.

My big item example. I use my vacuum for everything. I have carpet, hard floors, rugs and furniture. I have ceiling fans, surfaces that collect dust and too many animals that shed. After using a number of cheap and expensive vacuums, I have to say it was worth every extra penny to purchase my Kenmore. It has the long hose and extension I need for dusting. I can turn the beater bar on and off easily when I go from carpet to hard floor. It is powerful enough to pick up dog hair and cat litter from anywhere which is vital in my house. I also know from my last 15+ year old Kenmore that they last a very long time. I know I sound like an ad, but I have a point. I paid $200 for my Kenmore. It isn't the "best" one available, but it had the important features I wanted. $200 is still a lot of money when you are living on a budget. However, before this I went through a $40 Dirt Devil, a $60 Scunci, and a $120 Eureka. The dirt devil lasted a year. The scunci lasted less than 6 months. The Eureka lasted 2 years. On average, I was running $40-120 a year on vacuums and quite frankly, not one of them worked as well as the Kenmore I had before, which I got when it was 10 years old, and I put another 5 years on it before it was no longer worth it to fix it.

Now, I don't know many who need $800 top of the line vacuums, but a mid line will save me money in the long run. If this vacuum runs for 10 years, I will have spent $20 per year on a vacuum. That is way below my current batting average.

The same principles can be said for a number of smaller items. Cheap scoopable cat litter can not be used as long, and does not clump or block smells like some of the leading brands. It ends up being cheaper for me to buy Tidy Cat or Fresh Step on sale with a coupon than to get the dollar store cat litter. CFL bulbs last much much longer than traditional bulbs. I have not changed a light bulb in over 2 years. Even without the energy savings, the CFL bulbs end up being cheaper.

There are things that store brands are great for. I am all about getting the best deal. However, sometimes getting the best deal means paying more money now to get the savings later.