Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip
Tuesday October 12

If you had to grow what you ate, could you?
Well, I do try. Everyday I can learn something
new to improve my life as a homesteader.




Growing herbs for the winter is a fairly easy task.
Just cut, tie and hang.
I hang them right in my kitchen. When they dry
just take a large bowl and strip the leaves from the
stem and place in a glass jar. Label and you have
tea.

Growing mint is fairly easy as if you get one plant
it will turn into a large patch. Just remember
mint likes to spread. Putting them in pots first can
be one way to control their spreading. If you want
them in your garden put the whole pot right in the
soil. If your space is limited put on your deck.

Frugal tip is what did you pay for that one plant
probably will give an abundance of tea.
More than you could drink yourself.
So invite a friend over and share a cup of tea.

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip
Tuesday September 21, 2010

In the fall I try to visit farms.
I buy fruit in bulk. Then I come home
and preserve the food.

Peaches probably are one of my favorite
items to get. This year I was able to buy
them for about 20 cents a peach. I buy
the seconds which aren't perfect, but
tasty. So far I have canned about 16
jars and froze about 16 jars.
I almost forgot last week I produced
one of my favorites,
Peach Butter. That will be all the
peach items for this year.

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip
Tuesday
Tuesday August 31, 2010

Buying homeschool books can be
expensive. It definitly is an investment
into your childrens lives. I have learned
to buy these items on used curriculum sites.
Yahoo has many different types of message
boards you can be part of. There is also ebay
of course and craigs list.
Today I have been going through over 10 years
of education material. I am hoping to make my
load to Kentucky a lot lighter.

Barley

Barley
Tuesday August 10, 2010

What can you do with it?
Its very sensible to put it in your diet.
The cost is very small.
I bought barley for 1.79 lb, the
beans were 1.45 lb and the tomatoes
are from my garden.
Especially, when you come into
the kitchen and you want something
to eat. Here's a great cold salad.


Barley and White Bean Salad
with Parsley-Caper Dressing

Barley Salad

1 1/2 cups barley cooked in broth
15 oz of cooked navy beans
chopped parsley or basil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 medium garlic chopped
3 large tomatoes chopped

Cook your barley in chicken
broth for 25 minutes, then
add navy beans, chopped garlic
and onion to pot and let
them warm in the pan. Then,
place in bowl and add your dressing
and toss. Adding your dressing while
the barley and beans are warm is extremly
important. The flavors will soak in much better
when they are warm than cold. Then,
add the rest of the ingredients and chill.


Dressing for salad
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of capers
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh parsley

Recipe taken from
A year in a Vegetarian Kitchen
by Jack Bishop

Planning

Planning
Thursday August 5, 2010

Many, many years ago my husband and
I began thinking how we were going
live a more frugal lifestyle. I began
reading a book called The Tight Wad Gazette.
This is a great book showing how one family
starting saving money for their future home.
This idea to me seemed like a great plan.
Since, my dream was to one day leave NJ.
I must figure out a way to live more frugally
than I was already living. That is when I decided
every dollar counts. That means if I could save
a dollar on one thing whether in groceries. or
some other way. That dollar I saved would go
to pay extra on my mortgage. Month by month
I would track where I was saving. I began
investing a certain amount of time each week
devoted to working on my budget. If you don't
plan for something how will your dreams ever
become reality. The first step was to plan what
I was going to do and how was I going to get there.
Being a stay at home mom, I had the means to plan
for our future. Learning to plan many things in our
lives has helped us make these plans work.


The biggest way I know how to plan for is the food
budget. When you make all your own food you will
begin seeing how the savings will add up. This will
not just happen for you if you don't plan for it.

This will take some time so make sure you set time
aside for meal planning. Meal planning I also feel
helps you understand what you have in your cabinets.
You will know what is in your pantry. This is an area
to stop overspending.

Making clothes I feel is another way in savings. This
has been something I learn to plan into my week.
This works quite well in the winter. This is an
area I struggle with in the summer months.
I have only made a few items this summer for
my daughter. But I am on a role now.

I can start new everyday and strive to
do better. With the Lords help I can do
many things in His strength.

Simple Living

Simple Living
Saturday July 10, 2010



Simple Living is something I have always strived
towards. That to me is living without worldly things.
Its not hard to see what kind of world we live in .

I received a letter yesterday from my
sponsored child. The best part about her
letter was her picture and how proud she was.
I sent her 10 dollars and she went and bought
food for her family. She was so proud.
This brought tears to my eyes and just
touched my heart. I think this is what
Jesus was talking about when he was
talking about loving each other.


Eating out seems to be something us Americans
seem to think we deserve. When we don't feel
like making dinner, we make excuses for
ourselves. I began thinking how some people
in this world just want to eat food.

Eating out to me is worldly, especially if
you think about 25.00 and how it could
be used. I can buy 25 lbs of wheat berries
for 25 dollars. That will last me about 2
months, maybe even 3 months. What do
I do with wheat berries? Wheat berries
turns into flour, which I then turn into
food. Like waffles, loaves of bread,
muffins, biscuits, or even a salad.

Growing food is also another example of
this idea. How much do you spend on
lettuce for dinner for your family?



What happens when you decide to grow the
lettuce. Did you know it only takes 22
days to grow lettuce in your garden.
You don't have a garden or the space.
You can grow lettuce in a rectangle
container at your back door.

Lets rethink how we think about food!

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip
Tuesday April 27



Frugal tip of the week, making waffles.

My family loves waffles. This is our
typical breakfast. Our biggest expense
is the syrup. In the spring when the
strawberries come into season I will make
strawberry syrup. Then in June blueberry
syrup will get made also. These are my
substuites for the maple syrup.

I can make these in large batches and
put them in the freezer.

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip
Tuesday March 2

Reading is one of my great joys
in life. Due to being a person who
always likes a new book. Being a
frugal woman, I buy my books used.
There are many sources of buying
books used. Half.com, ebay, and Amazon are
three places I buy from.
I do love to go to the bookstore and
look through books but rarely do I buy
from the store. For the price of one book
in the store, you might be able to buy
many used from another source.
Your local library is also a great place.

There is a giveaway that I thought I would mention.
A Joyful Chaos has a giveaway.



http://ajoyfulchaos.blogspot.com/2010/03/giveaway-time.html

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip
Tuesday February 23


Stacking Wood
Burning wood is one of the biggest
way we save money. When we moved
to our home in Jackson we payed for propane
to heat our house. Then one day we decided
there had to be a better way.
Burning wood seemed more economical.
Even if we don't cut enough wood ourselves.
We can buy wood since we live in the woods.

Keeping a fire going is something that
is part of my daily routine.
My kids call me the fire queen.
Thankfully, I have a house full of men.
The men chop the wood in the summer
and split it and stack it for the winter.

Thank you Lord for giving me boys first.

Frugul Tip

Frugal Tip

Tuesday September 1

Growing greenbeans is one more way

to cut costs on the grocery bill.

Have you considered what you pay for

green beans at the produce stand?

To grow these green beans it cost 2.50

for a package of seeds.

I grow these

where ever I can fit them into the garden.

This year I started a new bed so I could have

a whole row just dedicated to green beans.

Actually, I grew two rows 16 feet long at the

beginning of the season. Then I put another

row in later , so that gave me three rows.

Then, I put more in between some green

pepper plants closer to the house.

One final section went in next to the kale

and cabbage plants. These were not all

planted at the same time so it gave me

beans all season.

So, far I have froze 3 gallon zip lock bags.

Plus, just eating them raw in the garden as

I am working.

Having these little gems in the freezer

in the winter is a great addition.

Now, that is what I call a savings!

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip of the Week

Tuesday July 21

Eating soups is a great way to stretch the grocery bill.

Have you ever considered making your own chicken

stock? It is very easy with a few basic pantry items.

Not only is it economical but it is very nutritious for you.

When I get a whole chicken I will first roast it with a little

Olive Oil and Lemon juice with some thyme thrown

in the cavity. After, roasting I will take the meat off

of the bone and use for future use.

The next morning I put the bones from the chicken

and place in a large stock pot with water. Then I will

add my left over vegetables.

My left over vegetables came from saving ends of the

vegetables. If you don't do this nifty idea, just take and

cut up a onion, celery, carrots and add to your stock.

You may also want to add some herbs from your garden.

Thyme is always a favorite of mine to add to stock.

Simmer this for a few hours.

Now, just take out your vegetables and add them

to your compost bin.

Now you have chicken stock.

Soups and many other recipes

always call for a little chicken stock.

When I make brown rice I use chicken stock

instead of water. It does taste better.

Enjoy!

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip of the week

Tuesday July 14

Growing your own food is a great way of being frugal.

I spend a great deal of time growing food. I have to

say it is a little more involved than just harvesting the

food. Planning I feel is the key to success.

In the winter my husband and I start planning on

what are we going to grow this year.

Than getting the plants started and make sure they

are well nourished. Over the years I have learned

a great deal about building your soil up.

I leave the success first of all to my creator who

provides all things. The books I choose to read help

educate my mind.

One of the best part of a family having a garden is the

whole family getting involved.

This year my husband started all the plants inside using

the Elliot Coleman way.

The book is called The New Organic Grower.

We only purchased a soil block maker for 30 dollars to make blocks,

which we purchased from Johnny Seeds. We also

made our own soil we did not purchase it. Although,

we did purchase a few minerals to add to composted soil.

My son and daughter help me with daily chores in the

garden such as watering and putting composted leaves on

the soil. Planting the actual plants and seeds is another task

that the children helped with.

My husband and I made pita bread a couple of weeks

ago. From the garden I am eating cucumbers and

lettuce. If your calculating the seeds that the food

was grown from cost 2.50 a piece, but this is only portion

of what I have gotten from that package.

The yogurt dressing is my homemade dressing.

Yogurt which I made a couple of days ahead of time.

Dill came from the garden.

This was a great lunch right after church.

My only preparation was I grilled the chicken

the night before. Here's for a quick lunch.

Dill Yogurt Dressing

Yogurt

chopped fresh or dried dill

1 garlic clove minced

Grow your own food and you will taste the difference.

The nutrition alone is far better than what you would

purchase at the store. Eating food a few feet from your

door is as local as you going to get.

Frugal Tip

Frugal Tip of the Week

Tuesday June 30

When your a grower of vegetables and flowers collecting

seeds is a very important job. I wanted to let people know

about Blossom Swap.

http://www.blossomswap.com//www.blossomswap.com

This is one of my gardening links

I have posted on my blog. Its about swapping what you

have with someone else and you each get something.

People swap seeds, plants, magazines etc.

For those who are just starting out they can provide

postage. What a great tool to have!

After, your growing season don't forget to collect your seeds.

This will payoff.

Working in the Garden

Working in the Garden

Wednesday April 15

In the Garden

Working in the garden is where I have been spending my early hours.

Getting up early gets my work done. This way I have time for

my other duties later in the day.

The air is so crisp in the early hours. It just seems to wake you up.

Do I want to eat healthy food?

I could just go to the store and buy produce

from there. No, they spray the vegetables

heavily with checmicals.

This food is bad for you!

During the war years everyone had gardens.

I believe we need to go back to this.

The gardens were called Victory Gardens.

http://www.revivevictorygarden.org/

Frugal Tip of the Week

Frugal Tip of the Week

Tuesday April 14

The Porch

Hanging laundry out to dry. This week I am centering my attention on

laundry as I am doing spring cleaning. In our home we don't use the

dryer as it cost money. If I don't have to spend money on drying and the

wind will do the drying for me.

That works for me!

Frugal Tip of the Week

Frugal Tip of the week
Tuesday March 31

Buying in Bulk what can it do for you.

There are some good reasons. Number one you don't have
to go shopping all the time. Two, you always have certain
items in the house, such as pantry items. Three, the cost is less.
This is due to ruling out the middle man. If you buy a pound
of oatmeal as compared to buying 25 pounds the cost goes
down.

Buying in bulk also saves you time and allows you
to do activities you enjoy.

If you have never done this before. Start with one item
such as oatmeal.

Belonging to a coop is very helpful in this area. Our
coop orders once a month, and sometimes every other
month. Its all online, you just make a basket. One
week we order the next week we pick up the order.

There are also many companies out there that will let
you order with one flat fee for shipping.

When I first began putting beans in my families diet.
We ordered them from a company that offered many
different types of beans.


Just a thoughtful hint for the homemaker.

Frugal Tip of the Week

Frugal Tip of the Week

Wednesday March 18





Frugal is what I have grown up with. As an adult I strive to continue to be frugal. Three years ago when my son Andrew decided to go to a christian college. I knew my frugal ways were
going to be put to the test. Today we are able to send our son to Philadelphia Biblical University. When he started talking about going to this school I told him it was to expensive.
We could never afford for him to go there. Andrew is now a been there for two years. We have managed to pay for his school so far due to being frugal.

I must tell you that God continues to show me ways where I am spending and could be saving.
Everyday I must ask myself whats really important. Sending my son to college is very important as God is training Andrew to effect his generation.











One of my favorite blogs to read I have a link below.
The title of her topic is "1001 ways to save money"
Although I do not agree with everything she says but, overall she has very good points.


http://togodbethegloryhomemaking.blogspot.com/2008/12/1001-ways-to-save-money-frugal-living.html



.

Frugal Tip of the Week

Old Mason Jars

Tuesday March 10
Frugal Tip of the Week


Mason Jars what can we do with them?



I use them to store anything from beans,

grain, milk I buy from the farm, left overs.

You get the idea!

The one good reason I like to use mason jars

is that they are glass. The don't keep smells

in and you can sterilize them.

The second good reason is they take up less

room in the refrigerator or cabinet.

The third good reason is I just like the way

they look in my cabinet.

The only bad part I see in using Mason Jars

is they do break. So, be careful about putting

them in your dishwasher if you use one.

The old stand by of washing by hand will

keep their life longer.


I have to tell you I am always on the search for Mason

Jars. Where I live people are always throwing them

away. My husband goes on craig's list as you can list

items for sale or for free.

Pioneer women used what they had and never

threw anything away!

Frugal tip of the week

Frugal Tip of the week

Chili for dinner. This was my quick dinner. Due to it being

Monday and everything is in disray. I knew I needed something that

did not take a long time to make.

I had ground pork in the freezer. That was taken out

early in the day. This way it could defrost with out

any help. Sometimes in the past I used the microwave

to help defrost frozen items. Due to my vow of

not using the microwave.

This perty much freed my day up. Technically, I did not

start dinner until 430.

I took the cast iron pan and heated it up.

While, the pan was heating up, I began chopping one small onion

and two garlic cloves. When, the pan was heated I added olive oil

to the pan and then toss any the onion and garlic. Let that saute

for a couple of minutes. I took my cooked pinto beans out of the

refrigerator and drianed them from their juice. The amount was

3 cups of dried beans, which I cooked a couple of days in advance.

Add all of the beans except 2 cups and reserve them.

While the beans are sauteing I open a can

of whole stewed tomatoes and tossed 3/4 of them into

the magic bullet. The vegatables have now sauted, now I added a

little corn meal and some extra olive oil. Let this simmer for a couple

of minutes, then add your broth. Oh no, you don't have any.

I solved that problem, the night before we had pasta and I saved

the water. Which by the way acts as a thickner along with the

cornmeal. Now, add your tomato mixture, along with oregano, cumin,

salt ( I use Kosher salt due to it being larger so you don't use so

much.)Let this simmer on low. Then add your beans

While this is simmering I mixed up corn bread.

Turn your oven on now so the oven will be heated by the time

your finished mixing.

This is my all time favorite corn bread recipe.

From Marsha Adams book of Heirloom recipes.

1 1/2 cups of cornmeal

1 cup of flour

1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

1 egg

5 Tablespoons of oil( Canola or corn)

3 Tablespoons of honey

While my oven is heating I take my square cast iron pan out

and put it in the oven to heat. When its hot I put a tablespoon

of bacon greese in the pan. Now, where did I get that from.

The last time you made bacon for your family for breakfast what

did you do with the greese in the pan. I don't throw it away, I get a

jar out and pour in the greese. Put it in the refrigerator for safe

keepings. Now, I put the bacon greese in the pan and it melts

since the pan is already hot. Smear it around so the whole pan

is well greased. Now, your pan is ready as soon as your done

mixing the batter. Just remember when your mix together the

dry and wet ingredients don't over mix. This is where you could

end up with a dry cornbread. The cornbread is baking in the oven.

Mash the reserved beans and add them to the pot which also adds as

a thickner. Just continue to simmer while the cornbread is cooking

and your done.

When the men walk into the house, what a great smell they get as

theycome home from the office.

It is now time to eat.

Now for the cost of dinner.

My organic pinto beans cost me 1.19 a lb when I bought in bulk.

I bought organic ground porkfrom a local farm. That cost me 9.00

and the tomatoes cost me 2.29 due to having already run out of my

own canned tomatoes. But, I did not use the whole can. Cornmeal

which was used as a thickner is a staple item I keep in the house.

Olive oil is also a staple food. Since, I don't buy stock and used

the pasta water that didn't cost me anything. I would say

this is a frugal quick dinner.

Corn bread is also a frugal item to make. It will also fill

everyone up and it makes everything smell nice.

Simple Ways

Saturday September 13, 2008

Simple Ways

Simple ways are just ideas in which are lives can become more simplified.

In July I talked about simplifying my life in the house so I could work

more outside. I have spent the summer doing just that. Here is one

way, the Lord helped me this year. First I started going back to

planning my week. What do I want to accomplish this week? If we set

goals, we will work toward those goals. Last week I wanted to work in

my garden all week. The whole week I strived to work in the garden.

There were certain tasks I had to accomplish in the house before I

could do that. There were tomatoes to process, so first I had to get that

done. I also went back to making bread so that needed to be done. School

is back in session so the morning are dedicated to teaching and keeping my

daughter on task. Now, that the house was more in order, I found one

morning where I was able to work in the garden.

Planning is the key!

Watching my mother as a child I think has helped me in many ways.

She planned her day according to what needed to get done. First, meals

had to be planned and made on to be on the table.

Second, she made most of the clothes for our family. She also had to

make time for sewing. Third, there was a budget to follow. My mom had a

budget of 5o dollars every two weeks to feed 6 people. Fourth, she had to

grow as much food as she could.

Now that I am an adult I can say what worked for her can work

for me.

Thank you God, for our mothers.

Apple of Her Eye