Teaching Fiscal Responsibility

Crown Ministries ABC's of Money Package

We have seen, experienced, and learned from others, the importance of financial responsibility.  We were strongly convicted shortly after our marriage to never go into debt, and took appropriate steps to get out of debt as soon as possible.  We have never regretted that decision, and to the contrary have been very blessed time and time again.

We were also convicted of the importance of training our children to handle money using Biblical principles, beginning at a very young age.  We decided to introduce it through allowances, beginning at age 3 (which is young, but easier to control early spending more).  We use certain principles to teach the children over time, allowing them to experience different “spending phases” now, in the hopes that they will learn and never have to experience debt, financial slavery, or the stress that is found therein.  It is a lot easier to teach them when they only have $2 to work with, then when they receive their first paycheck of $1000 or more and blow it on a down payment for something bigger that also requires credit!

While there are no outright rules regarding age or amounts of allowance given, some type of allowance should be provided.  Here are a few of the tips we have found to work well:

• An allowance should not be “payment” for doing chores, as children should be expected to do chores since they are participating members of the family.  It is just something that is provided to help the child exist.
• An allowance can, however, be taken away for not doing chores or, more effectively, be ”paid” to another family member who did the child’s chores instead.
• With allowance comes responsibility, and the child needs to understand this.  He must learn to make choices.  If he is getting an allowance, then he will also become responsible for most of his “luxury” purchases, within reason.  For example, JR loves gum (bad habit he learned from me unfortunately!).  However, if he wants gum, it is considered a luxury, and he must pay for it.  This means that he must make a choice to use his money for a silly toy, or to save up for the gum he wants.
• Proper allocation must be taught.  When we hand out allowances (usually on Saturday night), we help the children divide up their money.  First, they set aside tithe for church the next day, then the remainder is split in half–half goes into their “savings” bank, and the other half into their “spending” bank. 
• “Spending” money is theirs to use however they choose, with few limits and little guidance.  While we may offer suggestions or thoughts, this is the time they must learn the consequence of their spending choices.  Yes, this can be difficult if I watch my son purchase a large bag of chemical-laiden candy (at least I can limit how much he eats at a time!).  However, it is an incredible learning experience when he later realizes he doesn’t have enough spending money left to purchase a toy he has been wanting for a while. 
• You cannot be a lending bank.  For example, if JR goes to the store with me and forgets to bring his money, I cannot “lend” him money.  That will introduce him to the short-term thrill of borrowing, and will totally counteract the responsibility I am trying to teach.

Based on our research, we decided to give our children an allowance weekly, at the rate of $1 per year of age.  So, when they start getting an allowance at age 3, they automatically get $3/week.  Once it is divided up, they are left with $.50 in tithe (rounded since we use quarters), $1.25 in savings, and $1.25 in spending.  We have chosen to use quarters for now to keep things simple. 

The are so many great things resulting from this decision to give allowances based on these rules.  The kids are learning to tithe, and they are learning at a time when dropping coins in the plate is something they look forward to.  Our hope is that by instilling this habit now, they will never know any way other than to tithe.  We are also able to teach lessons on giving freely.  For example, if JR takes his money and M forgets her (or doesn’t have enough for what she wants), then we will discuss with JR that he has a choice to purchase for himself, or to share a bit and provide M a gift that will make her happy.  He does not have to give, and has every right to keep the money for himself.  The only rule is that he cannot lend her money, expecting payback.  If he chooses to give, it must be just that–a gift.  Because each child has found themselves in a position of want at some point, we have introduced them to the idea of “treating others as you want to be treated.”  As a result, they generally tend to be very sharing toward each other, and let me tell you, that will make a mother’s heart smile in a hurry!  They are learning to save, to consider others, to share their wealth, to plan ahead for more thoughtful spending, and so much more.  In addition, they are being introduced to the concept of money in its entirety.  They are learning about different coins, about bills and change, about dividing, adding, and subtracting money, about investing money, and more at just the age of 3 and 5.  Furthermore, because they see first-hand how money is exchanged for goods, they are more understanding when I explain that “I don’t have enough money for that item,” or “Let’s find the item that costs the least amount of money so I can save some money.”  We practice these things together when we are in the stores, and the kids really enjoy it.

I was thinking of this topic because I took the kids on an errand with me yesterday evening.  JR had been planning for a while to purchase a certain item.  I assumed the item cost a dollar or two, so when I saw that he had almost $3, I had no reason to suggest he bring more.  Unfortunately, he learned a hard lesson when we arrived.  We discovered his little item cost almost $4.50.  I had not brought spending cash with me, and he didn’t have enough.  Honestly, I am thankful I did not have free cash, as I would have been tempted to purchase it for him.  It was so hard watching his little heart break upon the realization that the item he had patiently waited for for several days cost too much.  He sat there for a minute or two counting and re-counting his quarters to make sure he didn’t have enough.  I confirmed it for him, and explained that he could save up another week and have enough next time.  A few little tears rolled down his precious cheek, then he turned quietly, and we walked out of the store together.  My heart hurt for him, but at the same time, I knew that a valuable lesson had been taught about saving and planning, as well as the fact that we can’t always have everything we want.  He has been fine since then, and I actually gave him a little treat when we arrived home for having had such a good attitude during that tough experience. 

Now, he is trying to decide what to buy with his next allowance…..a new pack of gum, or the item he wanted last night.  And it’s totally his choice!

 

Homemade Bread…

… There is something about the term “homemade” that always conjured images in my mind of loving labor in preparing food for the family (or others).  For a while I was content to offer someone “homemade bread” fresh from my bread machine.  Somehow, though, it just didn’t seem to suite the description.  Sure, it was made at home, but the love and labor part of it were definitely missing.  Thus I sought to learn more about true home-made, hand-made bread.

Recently, I have been asked several times in person and via blog for details regarding true homemade bread.  Mind you, I am no expert, and any professional breadmaker may even get a good laugh at this post (if you want to offer tips, feel free!)  Nonetheless, here is my pictorial:

Mix wet ingredients in mixing bowl sized to allow the recipe to double when rising. Recipe will work best if the main wet ingredient (water or milk) is very warm. The other ingredients and mixing process will cool it a bit before you add the yeast, but the remaining warmth will activate the yeast much faster.

 I am learning to like aprons!  Doesn’t it look flatteringly feminine?!  LOL

To wet ingredients, add half of flour, and any other dry ingredients except yeast.

Mix ingredients thoroughly, then add all but 1/2 cup of remaining flour and yeast. Knead into dough. Once all flour and yeast has been mixed in, continue to knead until desired texture.

Up to this point, making bread is really a lot like making anything else for baking.  You combine ingredients and mix it together.  Simple, right.  The mixing process is where things begin to get complicated though.  This is where the true labor of love would come in.  Before I got my KitchenAid, I did this by hand with a wooden spoon.  My arms would ache by the time I got everything mixed together.  I decided I would add the love labor in other areas, and use the KitchenAid for this part.  Even a 6 qt. KitchenAid, however, cannot do more than a double batch of wheat bread, so if you do more than that, you will have to do the mixing by hand.   The first stage of mixing results in more of a thick batter than a dough, so it is relatively easy and quick to mix by hand or mixer.  Once the remainder of flour and yeast are added however, it begins to get very thick and hard to mix by hand.  This is when you actually begin to knead. A mixer should be used only a low speed to prevent burning the motor out.  You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times as you knead it. 

If you are doing the kneading by hand, it is akin to giving a really hard massage, I think.  You just churn, pull, stretch, push, squeeze, etc. the dough, working it all over.  The longer you work it, the better you break up the gluten, which improves the texture of the finished product.  Be sure to keep your hands and the counter surface floured with that extra 1/2 cup to prevent it from sticking too much.  Expect your hand-kneading to take a good 20 minutes minimum! 

Depending on your recipe, you may or may not get an actual “dough-ball.”  A bit too moist is better than too dry!  It will continue to thicken up through the remainder of the process.

 

Use a spatula, scraping around the edges, and down to the bottom of the bowl to confirm all the flour has been mixed into the dough.

Cover bowl if desired, and place in warm area to rise. (Notice this photo was taken at the end of the rise cycle, so my dough has doubled in size).

You may or may not have to cover the bowl.  I have found it is really a matter of preference and circumstance.  For example, if you live in a humid area, you may not need to cover at all, whereas a dry, desert area you will definitely need to cover with at least to towel to prevent drying the dough out.  Also, if your dough is too moist, don’t cover, but if it is on the dry side, use plastic wrap to prevent any moisture loss. 

Another issue I had was learning patience during the rise!  Many factors will affect your rise time, and you will find the rise time for same recipe may change each time.  It is all a matter of moisture content in the batter, in the flour, and in the air around it, as well as the temperature where you are allowing it to rise.  Just be patient.  During your first rise, the yeast has to activate, and the gas just begins to form.  This first rise will take the longest.  Mine take anywhere from 30-90 minutes, based on the above factors.   The encouraging part is that it is no exact science.  When you see the batter has basically doubled, it is time for the 2nd knead.

After dough has doubled in size, punch down and knead again.

Punching down is just that.  You squeeze most of the gas out of the dough, then knead the dough to squeaze out the rest.  This 2nd knead further breaks down the gluten and really improves the texture!  If you are doing it by hand, again, use plenty of flour, just use caution to prevent making your dough too dry.  I have found a sticky dough has greater success overall than a dry dough.

Cover if desired, and rise again until about double.  Knead as directed above.

Grease your loaf pans and thoroughly flour your work surface with that 1/2 cup flour you saved.

Scrape dough from bowl onto floured surface.

I like to through a bit of flour on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to my hands.

If you are doing multiple batches, use a sharp knife to cut them into portions. In this case, I am making 2 loaves. If you are making rolls out of your dough, you would consider that at this point too.

Roll dough ball into a roughly 9x13 rectangle. If you are making rolls, you would roll to a desired thickness and use a biscuit cutter, or pinch off sections and roll sections as desired.

Shape loaf as desired. For a standard loaf, you would start at the "9" end of the 9x13 rectangle, and snugly (not tight, but there should be no space) roll across the surface until you have a jelly-roll type loaf.

Now grab both ends of your jelly roll and firmly "pinch" the ends closed (so you can't see the spiral inside), then roll/tuck the ends under the loaf, in the direction of the seam.

Gently lay roll into loaf pan, and ensure the seam is on the bottom, and the ends are neatly tucked under. It should look like a nice, smooth, raw bread loaf!If you have dough leftover, you would repeat the steps at this point until all dough is shaped an put into pans. Place pans in safe location to rise for a 3rd time. I prefer to put them in my oven, with a temp of about 100 degrees. In the past I have jostled them when moving them into the oven and caused the loaf to collapse too much.

This is a critical point, as if you let the dough rise to double this time, it will likely over-rise while baking, possibly causing a collapse later, or large air pockets in the finished bread.  I generally rise this stage about 30 minutes, or until just before double (does that make any sense?).

Bake as recipe directs. I have found most recipes bake about 350 for 20-40 minutes. Enjoy!

I have definitely learned that breadmaking is an art that requires some skill.  The good news is that the skills can be learned with a bit of dedication.  My favorite recipe took me 10 loaves to figure out!  Once I got it down to no-fail for me, I posted it.  You can find it here.

I also discovered a website that got me through those failed loaves, as it helped me pin-point where I had gone wrong.  You can find it here.

I wish you all the best, and remember that homemade bread is a labor of love that requires skills learned only through practice!  Don’t forget to have fun with it!

 

Canning Project

This month, I really took the plunge and decided it was time to learn to can food!  I have been part of a co-op for several months, and I can get large quantities of bulk produce for a decent price.  However, we couldn’t eat it all at once, so I had to learn to preserve in order to take advantage of the great deals.

Mind you, like most things this year, this has been a self-taught deal.  Other than using my friends to ask questions here or there, as well as researching my questions on the internet, I was basically on my own to figure this all out.  All I can say is “Thank the Lord I live in this century, where I have access to a resource such as the internet!”

I decided to jump in with both feet.  When my co-op order came in, I had 20 pounds butternut squash, 20 pounds of apples, 40 pounds of yams, and that was in addition to 10 pounds of carrots, 22 pounds of tomatoes, and a pumpkin I got elsewhere.  I feel like I have hardly left my kitchen for the last 2 weeks.  I have learned to pressure can, water-bath can, puree’, peel, sterilize jars, and so much more! In addition, I learned the tools that I couldn’t do without, and the tools I still need to purchase.   2 things I haven’t quite gotten are how to blanch properly to get the skins to fall off, and how to strain tomatoes to remove seeds.  Thus, we will be eating tomato seeds and peels in the puree’ d marinara sauce.  I also ran into a few questions regarding proper texture and produce types, but hopefully I will either find a knowledgable person in the future or learn from experience.

I also learned through this process that winter veggies are mostly orange!  Guess I will have to resort to dried peas and frozen veggies for some color and variety!  Nonetheless, we now have a pantry full of carrots, yams, spiced apple rings, applesauce, butternut squash, pumpkin, and marinara sauce.  All of it is naturally grown food with no added sugar (except a very small amount in the apple rings and yams), no preservatives, and cooked just right!

I think one of my favorite aspects of this whole thing was that I canned lots of baby food in little 4 oz. jars.  Unlike the baby food I tried to make in the freezer previously, N LOVED the can stuff.  So I shouldn’t have to buy baby food much anymore. 

Now if I can just get my other projects caught up so I can do the 10 pounds of carrots still in the fridge.  Where did those come from?!

 

Kitty Update

I am thrilled to report that as of Thursday evening, my cat, Callie, was showing signs of improvement.  By Friday, she was almost back to normal, and by Saturday, she was her usual self.  I am so thankful she pulled through this.  We still have no idea what caused it, other than some type of toxin perhaps.  I just hope she avoids it in the future!  She will also be pretty strictly indoors now!

 

Invitation to Speak

Last weekend, I was humbled and overwhelmed.  I was invited to be the guest speaker for an upcoming women’s Christmas church event in another town.  When they first asked me, I was truly flattered.  Then I found out there could be around 100 ladies!  WOW!  I promised them an answer later in the week, and returned home to pray about it. 

Truly, after thinking it over, I felt so unqualified!  I mean, these women come from all different backgrounds.  They range in age from early adulthood to late seniors.  Some are single, some married, some divorced, and some widowed.  Some are mothers, some grandmothers, some barren, and some childless by choice.  Some have suffered health issues and trials that I can’t imagine, and others have not.  Who am I to get up in front of this diverse group, and lead them in a spiritual lesson?  And, for that matter, what kind of lesson?

Every time I thought about whether or not to accept, I was overwhelmed with the responsibility I felt God had laid on my shoulders.  To be completely honest, I almost turned it down.  However, through prayer and with my husband’s encouragement, I joyfully accepted. While I am still unsure of my topic for the event, God also reminded me that one of the miracles of His Word is that it applies to everyone!  God inspired scripture in such a way that it crosses every generation gap, applies to every background and current circumstance, and guides, directs, forgives, loves, and comforts every soul.  No matter what the situation, the Bible applies.  Better yet, God can take the same scripture-based message and conform it to perfectly fit the need of each listener.  How wonderfully amazing and generally awe-inspiring is that?!  There is no other book in existence, nor will there ever be, that is so perfectly applicable to every human on earth!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”        –2 Timothy 3:16 

 

Favorite Recipe Book

I have been busy doing a lot of cooking lately.  So busy cooking, in fact, I haven’t had a chance to post any of my recipes.  Then I realized almost all the recipes were coming out of the same recipe book.  So I thought I would let you in on my little secret as of late:

I bought this book by Good Housekeeping, Great Homecooking: 300 Traditional Recipes, back in the summer, and it has become my all-time favorite!  I haven’t made a bad dish out of it yet!  It has everything….appetizers, sides, casseroles, meat and seafood dishes, soups, breads, and deserts. One of my favorite features is that, while the book is not organic per-say, you can make it as organic as you want.  All the dishes are made from scratch, so it easy to make substitutions and use organic ingredients to increase the nutritional value of the meal.  Another feature I like is that it uses traditional recipes from around the country, and tells the story about them. 

• Did you know German Chocolate Cake did not come from Germany?
• Do you know who introduced chickens to America?
• Do you know where cheesecake originated?

I love the historical aspect, and plan to have a lot of fun incorporating that into our future homeschool lessons! 

So, if you like good, traditional, American food, this would be the book for you!

 

Dumbest Cat on Earth

I honestly think I own the absolute dumbest cat on earth.  Don’t get me wrong, I love her to pieces!  Yet, I have never met a cat so short on intelligence.  As a vet tech for many years, I have seen a lot of cats to base that opinion on, and anyone who has met my cat generally agrees with us…..she’s downright dumb!

Naptime

Lest you think I am just exaggerating, let me give you a few examples:

• She got too close to the edge and fell off our second-story apartment balcony one day.  Thank the Lord for bushes below to break her fall!
• When she shakes off, she usually falls over
• It took her 8 years to figure out she could jump over a baby gate
• It took her about 2 months to learn that she could walk between the posts dividing our stairway from our little loft by our stairs (before this, she would sit and meow for someone to come open the baby gate at the top of the stairs and help her get down the stairs
• It took her 9 years to figure out she could jump our backyard fence
• She will walk up to any dog she meets
• She will not run from a toddler torturing her
• She would try to jump a 12 inch gap between our washer and dryer, and typically missed the jump and fell in the trash can between the two
• She tried jumping through a closed window numerous times
• When we once gave her a choice of leftover turkey or collard greens, she chose the greens

Ok, I have to admit, Callie actually has a good reason for her lack of sense.  She has a condition known as “cerebral hypoplasia” (aka cerebellar hypoplasia).  While the initial cause could be many things, she has been this way since birth.  I got her as a 10 week old kitten, and I honestly thought she would die within a few days.  She just didn’t act like a normal cat.  She was off balance, would not fight me in any position I held her in, and just seemed odd in general.  As it turns out, she acted that way due to her brain being damaged. 

Her issues allow her to be a great source of entertainment.  She walks like a drunken sailor, with a really strange gait, has a strange sounding meow (as she is also deaf), seems confused almost any time she isn’t sleeping, and loses her balance frequently.  Despite her oddities though, she is an awesome family cat.  She has no sense of self-preservation, which makes her wonderfully safe for our young children.  She will not bite or claw at anyone–even in rough play!  Of course, we have to be sure we watch the toddlers extra close, but for the cat’s protection instead of the toddler’s!  Interestingly, cats with this condition can live a perfectly normal lifespan.  They don’t seem to suffer any from the issues (minus a few bruises), and are as happy and clueless as can be!

Callie wound up the topic of my post today because she has been on my mind a lot lately.  For the first time in 9 years, she got mysteriously sick last week.  She had just learned to jump over our fence into the neighbors yard, so I can only assume perhaps she at something toxic.  In any case, however, I honestly thought she wasn’t going to make it several days ago.  I even prepared the kids and explained to them that she might die.  I realized that I was attached enough that I had to send S to the vet with her, because I knew they would want to run expensive tests.  Sure enough, everyone was mystified by her symptoms, and the next step was a $700 lab and x-ray panel. 

HMMMMMMMM………I love my cat dearly.  For 9 years, I have ensured she received her annual check up and vaccines.  I have fed her healthy foods and monitored her weight closely.  In 9 years that cat has never been sick a day in her life (except of course for some moderate brain damage!).  I do not allow her to wander the neighborhood.  I definintely consider myself a responsible pet owner by all accounts.  But $700 for a cat?!  I could adopt and be a responsible pet owner to about a dozen homeless, starving cats for that much money! 

We made the tough choice to treat her symptoms as best we could and take a wait and see attitude.  I will not let an animal suffer in pain, but Callie did not seem to be in any pain.  She just obviously didn’t feel well.  The vet prescribed 1/4 of a pill to help increase her appetite, and we agreed to that.  Based on experience, I knew if she ate, drank, pooped, and pee’d every day, she may be able to pull through.  So for the last 5 days, I have been closely monitoring her symptoms.  When her appetite decreases, I have had to force feed and hydrate her.  I have had to dig through the litter box daily to monitor output (and details therein).  We have used team effort to provide her as much TLC and peace from toddlers as possible.  I have added normally forbidden people foods such as raw milk, yogurt, and other highly nutritious immunity supplements to her food and water.

I am happy to report she is improving, but very slowly.  I have not had to force anything into her today, but she is still sleeping a lot.  This whole illness has been so strange and unexplainable.  The symptoms just don’t fit any condition we can find.  Even the vet agreed with that fact.  S and I have decided to give her until Friday.  If she is doing significantly better on Friday, than I think she will pull through.  If not, we will likely return to the vet to discuss the options to prevent any suffering.  I can only hope.

 

Saving Money

S and I took a Crown Ministries class several years ago that really contributed in our journey toward a simple, debt-free, low-cost lifestyle.  Since that time, we became debt-free and have taken great strides toward disovering money-saving tips in order to stay that way.  It has almost become like an adventurous challenge to me, as I seek out new ways to save money.  Interestingly, as our family size has increased, our per-person expenses have decreased–proving that more children don’t necessarily mean more expenses.  I thought I would offer a few of the money-saving tips I have discovered and utilized on this journey:

• Buy in bulk whenever possible.  It doesn’t matter if you are a family of 1 or 12, you use a lot of certain items.  Items like toilet paper, paper towels, baby diapers, cleaners, canned foods, cereals, etc. are just a few of the things almost anyone could buy in bulk and save. 
• Buy bulk foods through a co-op whenever possible.  This can really help you save, as you can get together with friends to buy almost any kind of foods (and non-foods, in some cases).  A great example is meat.  I like to buy organic, however, in our area, organic beef at the store costs about $6 (ground beef)-$10 (steak) per pound.  Instead, I got a few friends together and we went direct to the rancher.  We bought 2 whole cows, split them up, and wound up paying about $4.00 a pound for every basic cut, some specialty cuts, and a few extras like soup bones that help me save in other areas.
• Learn to make food from scratch!  There are lots of reasons for this, but it will save you a great deal over time.  When you cook from scratch, you can eat bread for about $.75 a loaf instead a $2 (or more).  You can also save by cooking in bulk, and then freezing or canning the leftovers.  We aim to get a minimum of 2 meals (dinner and lunch the next day) out of each dish I cook.  Cooking extra really doesn’t take too much more time, but can save lots of time and money later (like eliminating the need to go out to a restaurant or to run to the grocery store for supplies one evening).
• Stop or severely limit eating out!  Not only will your family be healthier if you make your own food, but you will save mega bucks!  My family has agreed to eat out once a week.  With about 2 exceptions a month, we try to limit our eating out to Sunday lunches. 
• Learn to make your own laundry detergent.  By buying a few ingredients and making your own soap, you can cut your costs from about .25 cents a load to about .03 cents per load.  If you do several loads a week for a year, you can easily save over $50 a year (most likely, you will double or triple that number though!) Plus, it’s healthier, since you are getting rid of the chemicals and allergens often found in retail soaps.
• Consider using cloth diapers on your baby.  I confess, this is a step I have just not been willing to take, but I wanted to list it for your consideration. 
• Change your light bulbs to energy-effecient bulbs.  When we bought our farm house, just by switching the bulbs out and turning out lights not in use, we dropped the bill by about $200 dollars.  Just for the record, it’s only a 1900 sq. ft. house!
• Turn off lights!!  I am always amazed how people just leave lights on as they go through the house!  Better yet, challenge yourself to not use lights at all unless absolutely necessary!  God designed your eyes to adjust, so unless I am looking for something small in a window-less area, or it is after dark, we seldom even turn a light on.  We also like to burn candles at night.  They provide a tremendous amount of light for much cheaper than electricity.  So enjoy a candle-light dinner this week and save a couple of bucks on your electric bill!
• Set the thermostat as high as possible in the summer (we do about 80 degrees) and as low as possible in the winter (we do about 68 in the day, lower at night).  This can save you hundreds of dollars a month!  It may mean you sweat a little in the summer, and you may have to wear a sweat shirt indoors or sleep in flannel in the winter, but it is well worth the savings!  It is also healthier, as it helps your body to acclimate to the natural temperature.
• Ladies, consider swapping your feminine supplies like tampons and pads for a re-usable menstrual cup.  For the price of a few months of supplies, you can use your cup for the next 10 years!  Take it a step further and, if you think you still need pads, make your own washable ones! 
• Learn to preserve food.  This has been my big project the last few months.  Learn about freezing, dehydrating, water-bath canning, and pressure-canning.  Then, whatever you buy or cook in bulk and can’t use immediately, you can store for the next month (so you don’t have to buy it next time!)  Not only is it fun, but you can save hundreds of dollars in just a year’s time!  Plus, you reduce your waste by using the food you buy.
• If you have a baby, make your own baby food!  Just puree’ the food and store for future use.  Some mom’s like to freeze it in ice-cube trays.  I can mine in a pressure canner.  Not only is it better for baby since it is home-made and free of preservatives, but you save hundreds in your baby’s first year!
• Here is a big one…Consider having only 1 car.  Yes, you heard me!  S and I have had only 1 car for most of our marriage.  He rides his bicycle or jogs to work (depending on how far it is) most days, and leaves me the car.  It saves on car costs, insurance, maintanance, gas, and more!  To take it a step further, I save on gas by using the car as little as possible.  I try to limit all my errands to one or two days a week.  Then we usually have a family activity and church each week.  If you want to have fun, put the money that you save into a vacation fund.  It will help inspire you!
• Don’t buy new!  Whenever possible, buy whatever you need used.  I love hand-me-downs!  Goodwill has awesome bargains, and we are often found yard-saling on Saturday mornings!  Consider joining your local Freecycle network (it’s a Yahoo group).  Anyone who has something they want to get rid of just posts it on there.  If you occasionally need something, you can always ask.  The only rule is that the item must be free!  You will find some junk on there, but there are also very nice items–furniture, dishes, clothing, bicycles, kids toys, and even food!  Even our van was purchased used, which eliminated us losing out on the depreciation.  If you do have to buy new, try to wait until you can get it on clearance.
• Drop your cell phone!  Cell phones are expensive, and believe it or not, you don’t have to be reachable 24/7.  There is a great tool called voicemail, and you can call people back.  If you feel you really need a phone for emergencies or occasional situations, consider a TracFone.  They are an excellent, inexpensive pre-paid option.
• Change your telecommunications package.  Most people can easily downgrade their phone, internet, and television services, save a bundle, and hardly notice the difference.  With our internet, we may wait 3 seconds instead of 1.5 for the pages to download, but we save about $30 a month.  We don’t subscribe to t.v. service at all (unless you count Netflix), and we have only the phone service features that we have determined will save us in the long run (like unlimited long distance since we are so far from family).  So take a few minutes, look at your bills, do some long-term calculations, and see where you can cut!
• Develop patience.  When you think you need something, write it on a list.  Give it a month or more if possible.  You will find that, over time, your list will grow increasingly larger, and you will be able to better prioritize the items you want/need from those that are just luxuries.
• Develop a budget.  Nothing will control your spending better than allocating your money to specific areas.  Then, when you have to choose between a new coat or basic groceries, it is less tempting to splurge.  For tips, see Finance 101.

There are so many ways to save money, I could list stuff all day!  These are a few areas that have helped us meet a lot of our goals though, so I thought I’d share.  Feel free to comment with any additional tips you have found work for you!

 

Pumpkin Carving

We were recently invited to a friend’s house where the kids could carve pumpkins.  I was amazed at the setup.  There were about 20 kids, most of which carved their own pumpkins.  They used some neat little tools that I did not even know existed!  In any case, JR drew his own face and carved his own with very little help.  M needed a little help from Daddy, but they were both so proud of their creations, as were we! 

Don’t you just love the colors, smells, and activities that are ushered in with the fall season?

 

You Might Be A Homesteader If….

Your children think a tricycle is useful for “grinding” grass in the wheel spokes.