Let's talk today about living with less!

I heard Jill Savage on Midday Connection talking about her new book Living with Less So Your Family Has More. Here is the link through her blog to listen to it if you are interested. Her blog also has some interesting posts on the same subject that I think are worth checking out.

Let's talk today about living with less!

Just Wondering...

Okay so this is a slacker post (not really, I'm working on a longer one that's just not finished yet), but since I haven't posted in a while I thought I'd ask a question.

I have been wondering, what are your favorite ways to be frugal for your family?  Since I'm asking I'll go ahead and answer for us, but I thought about this and it occurred to me I bet lots of people have different answers.  So I thought it would be fun to ask. : )

Here's mine:

• purchasing used items for just about everything we need (except for my clothing since I am petite...it's worth it for me to shop sale racks instead)
• coupons for just about anything and everything
• internet phone and prepaid cell phone for emergencies
• only having 1 car for our family of 4
• being a stay at home mom (child care is expensive and my chosen career path would not do well to bring in extra income, though this is certainly not the main reason I stay home : )
• owning a condo instead of a house (for now anyway)
• learning to stockpile items we always need and will use to keep the grocery budget lower
• shopping the sales, not necessarily the 'lowest priced' grocery store
• teaching my kids to save, save, save so that hopefully they won't take loans for college like me (if they go to college...but that's another conversation)
• sharing ideas with friends like you! : )
• using the cash envelope system, and sticking to a zero $ budget (Thanks Dave Ramsey!)

Okay so I'm sure I have more, but these are a few of the big ones for us.  So now its your turn. What are the biggest ways you cut down on spending for your family?

Restaurant Coupons Galore!

When I was working at the daycare, we did a fundraiser using the "Enjoy the City" coupon books.  Alan and I purchased one, with the thought that we could probably get at least our money's worth out of it.  And we did...BUT I have a ton of coupons left, esp. for Bloomington/Normal.  So, I would like to share them :)  Here is a list of the Bloomington/Normal coupons:

1. TC Buzz: Enjoy $5 off $20 or more purchase & enjoy a FREE latte of your choice w/ the purchase of a specialty drink of equal or greater value
2. AMF Bowling: (4) BOGOs
3. Le Radis Rouge: (2) Complimentary lunch or dinner entree w/ a purchase of lunch or dinner entree (up to $20)
4. Puran Indian Restaurant:(2)Complimentary dinner entree with purchase of dinner entree (8.99 value)
5. Central Station Cafe: (2)Comp. lunch or dinner entree w/ purchase of lunch or dinner entree ($10 max)
6. Michael's Restaurant: (2)Comp. dinner entree w/ purchase of dinner entree ($17.95 value)
7. Grady's Family Fun Park: (2) One free round of mini golf w/ purchase of round
8. Bagelmen's/ Denny's doughnuts:  Enjoy 6 free assorted donut and rolls of your choice w/ the purchase of a dozen assorted donuts and rolls of equal or greater value & enjoy a free sandwich of your choice with the purchase of a sandwich of equal or greater value
9. Coffee Hound: (2)Enjoy a free specialty drink of your choice with the purchase of a speciatly drink of equal or greater value
10. Kelly's Bakery and Cafe:  (2) comp. breakfast or lunch entree of your choice w/ the purchase of a breakfast or lunch entree ($7 value)
11. Kep's Country Kitchen: 92) COMP. BREAKFAST ENTREE OF YOUR CHOICE W/ TE PURCHASE OF A BREAKFAST ENTREE (sorry for the caps...)
12. El Porton Mexican Taqueria: Comp. lunch entree of your choice with the purchase of lunch entree ($11 max) & Enjoy $5 off the purchase of $20

I will mail these to Naomi.  The BOGO coupons are great for date nights and there a couple of fancy restaurants in there :)  Post a comment if you are interested in them and I will let Naomi keep track (at least I hope so, since I didn't exaclty ask Naomi about this ;) )

For Peoria area friends, I will type up the ones I have left and you can let me know if you want one (I'm just going to type the restaurant names b/c there are 4-6 coupons for each of the Peoria ones:

1. IHOP
2. Firehouse Pizza
3. McDonalds
4. Bellacino's Pizza and Grinders
5. Bennigan's
6. Blimpie
7. A & Ws
8. Godfather's Pizza
9. Pizza Inn
10. Nick n Willy's
11. Roly Poly
12. Taco John's 
13. Pizza Ranch
14. Good Tequila's
15. Haddad's Restaurant
16. Hickory Richer Smokehouse
17. Jalapeno's
18. Khana Khazanah
19. Butler's Chicken n Stuff  (maybe you could pick up some of their world famous gizzards)
20. Bar Louie
21. Monro Restaurant and Bar
22. Mr. G's Chicago Style
23. Oliver's 
24. Our Inn Place
25. Palanza's Family Dinning
26. The Pepper Tree
27. Michael's Italian Feast
28. Double A's
29. Taj of India
30. Chicago Pizza and Grill 
31. Los Jimadores
32. The Butcher Block
33. Kobe Steak house of Japan
34. Chicago Hut
35. Hungary Moose
36. Youssef's Deli
37. Velvet Freeze
38. Khoury's Cuisine
39. China Express
40. Kinckrebocker's Bar and Grill
41. Lee's Family Restaurant
42. Super Gyro (only in EP)
43. Charlye's
44. China Village
45. Old Smokey's 
46. Perkin's
47. Garner's

 If you are interested in a restaurant, post a comment and I will tell you what the coupons are.  Phew...that was a lot of typing. 

'Tis the Season

...for garage sales!

This, for me, falls under Melissa's post "Is This Worth it or Not?" so much so that I decided it deserves it's own post.  My answer to Mel's question?  A resounding, "YES!"

Okay, I know I probably don't need to be quite so excited about garage sales, but I will admit I might have a slight addiction.  In fact, I haven't had time to go to any in the last few weeks, and the side effects on my psyche are almost physical withdrawal symptoms.  As we used to say in IV @ ISU, "I'm not gonna lie.  It's a true story."

Ahem.  Okay, enough sharing about the effects my addiction.  Why are garage sales so worth it for me?  There are a few reasons:

1. Financially, I can get lots of almost brand new, brand name (though I don't really care about brands honestly) items for my family:  books, clothing, toys, household items, etc. for up to 90% off of their retail price.

2. It's a restful activity for me.  With 2 toddlers at home, it's one of my 'me-time' activities, typically on a Saturday morning.  It just so happens that it not only benefits me, but also my family: score.

3. I've gotten my 3 yr old son in on my addiction, and it's a bonding experience for us.  The last time I took him w/ me (I do this only on occasion), he was right there with me saying, "Let's do just one more, Mama" (which really meant if we see another one w/in a block or 2 of the last one we were at, we'll go, even though it's getting a bit late...). Love it.

4. I get to meet interesting people, learn my way around new parts of town, figure out which neighborhoods have the best sales (still learning this one), and see some rather interesting (read: unique or sometimes odd) things.  In short, it's sort of a sub-cultural learning experience, and I have always loved getting to know other cultures.

5. I don't always find what I'm looking for.  Sometimes this can be frustrating, because I may have an item in mind that I know I can get for X price at a sale and will cost me a lot more even on Craigslist or worse, if I have to purchase it retail (even on sale).

Wait a second, why is that beneficial?

1. It teaches me patience.
2. It reminds me to pray.  I can't tell you how many times I've been frustrated that I haven't found an item, then realized I didn't even ask my Provider for it.  Often when this happens, I stop and pray, and voila: I only had to ask.
3. This patience and prayer working together make me really think about that item a little more clearly.  If God doesn't provide it, do I really need it?  After I've prayed about it, I may realize I don't.

I probably have a lot more reasons why the time and effort involved in garage sale-ing is worth it for me, but these are just a few.  If you are a fellow sale-er, why is it worth it for you?  What fun things have you found from sales that have made the experience valuable for you?

This post is dedicated to Mary Ayers and her daughter Megan Johnson.  Mary taught me the art of garage sale-ing, when I tagged along w/ her and Megan for hours and hours each summer of my junior high and high school years.  We honestly couldn't go w/ Mary to the store for a gallon of milk w/o it turning into a 1 hour trip because Mary just had to stop at every sale along the way (and back, lol).  Though we teased and complained about it at the time, I think both Megan and I now both truly appreciate the lessons gleaned from those days.

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P.S.: Just wondering, I've also considered writing a post on how to make your garage sale-ing experience successful.  Would anyone like to see something like that?  I won't say I know it all, but I think I may have a few things to share w/ those who may new to the world of garage sales.   

Is this worth it or not?

That is the question I was contemplating after it took me over a half an hour to hang up all of Regan's clothes on drying racks to dry outside.  And this is a question I often have to ask myself when it comes to frugality.  More often than not the "frugal way" is not the convenient way (otherwise it would probably not be so cheap)  I have to weigh the benefits to my family, as well as the cost savings and the time invested. 

In the case of drying Regan's clothes outside...it is definitely worth it.  My decision on this one, however, is based less on what it is saving my family and more on my and Regan's comfort during the day.  Our laundry room is basically a finished porch-- thin walls and no insulation, which means cold in the winter and hot in the summer.  On hot days without the a/c on, it is unbearable to run the dryer.  So this one is really a no brainer. 

What about everyone else?  Are there things you do you for you family that don't necessarily save you tons of money, but benefit your family in other ways?  In your opinion what frugal activity is worth it and which one is not?

Finger Paint Recipe

I just got the Crayola finger paints out for Samuel.  Then the thought hit me: how much will I spend on this stuff through the years (yes, the cheapskate in me is always considering the co$t).  I did a simple google search, and this is what I found:

http://kids.creativity-portal.com/d/recipes/finger.paint.shtml.

It looks so easy that when we run out of the Crayola paints, this is going on top my list of things to try making myself.  I'll let you know how it turns out when we get there.

Does anybody else have any fun, frugal, and easy do-it-yourself recipes for kids (ie paints, playdough, bubbles, etc)?

Applying the Stockpile Principle With Produce

Since I committed to lowering our grocery bill a few months back, I have been begun to learn the stockpiling principle.  I think I am slowly getting the hang of it.  One thing I have been able to focus on quite a bit lately is produce.  I am seeing lots of great deals on produce this season, and I've been taking advantage when I can.

Has anyone noticed, for example, all the deals on berries lately? 

I've been getting them for around $1/pkg almost weekly (making me wish I had one of these).Yesterday, I spent my stockpile 'fund' on extra blackberries at Kroger, on sale    10/$10.

My plan is to make a bunch of freezer jam at some point, which I have never done before but always wanted to try.  I'm not sure how much Sur Jel will cost, but my guess is I'll be able to make several jars for about the cost of 1 jar in the store.  I should be able to significantly lower our cost on jelly.

Before I get started (which won't be for a while), does anybody have any canning tips for me?

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Okay so I was going to link to a great post about how to stockpile fruit, but I can't find it.  Anyway, essentially the idea is that you can freeze anything that might go bad soon.  This way, you can feel free to purchase fruit on a deep discount even when it doesn't look like it will last long.  Take it home, wash it, eat what you will, and freeze the rest for use in smoothies, baking, or freezer jam. 

While I was searching for the link I had in mind, I did stumble upon this interesting post from Money Saving Mom about picking your own berries in the summer.  Since we live in a condo and don't have room for a garden, I'd like to try berry picking sometime soon. 

Kindred spirits?

This doesn't necessarily have to do with frugality...other than finding a blog that I think is interesting and helpful.  I was perusing through some blogs for some gardening tips (I did find a few...how to build a compost bin with pallets and using newspapers to keep weeds away)  I came across this blog: http://amysfinerthings.com/.  I think MSM has linked to this blog before because I know that I have looked at it before.  However, tonight I made a wonderful discovery: http://amysfinerthings.com/got-pumpkin.  Indeed, pumpkin truly is "a finer thing."

There has been a lot of Naomi and I commenting back and forth.  Who else is out there?  Anyone else read any interesting/helpful articles or posts this week? 

Piggybacking Melissa, but in a Slightly Different Way

Okay so it's been a bit of a crazy week around here, and I had some ideas for posts, but I can't remember what they were right now.  However Mel, you reminded me of something I have thought to mention so I am going to 'piggyback' off of your post and share my own ideas for frugality and ministry here...

Since I have begun couponing in the last 6 months or so, I have learned that I can usually get something for free almost every week.  Often these items are things we will use, and sometimes they are not (or it's just something we already have enough of, like soap or toothpaste).  However, if it's not too inconvenient and I can get an item for free or almost free, I have been using coupons to do just that.  I don't go crazy like the people you see on tv, but I will do this if it coincides w/ a shopping trip or doesn't take me out of my way.

So what do I do w/ all this stuff that we don't need?  I took a laundry basket, set it aside in my basement, and I have been adding those items to it.  When it fills up, I plan to drop it off to our local homeless shelter or pregnancy care center (which is closer to us, but I'm not sure if they take donations other than infant items).  I have only been doing this for about 2 months, and already my basket is filling up.  It has items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, rice, pasta, soap, and infant formula.  Often, I have seen special requests for donations from the local food pantries, and sometimes the grocery stores make it 'easy' for you by selling a bag of say, $10 worth of food.  While that is great, it's nice that what I'm already doing for my own family, I can also extend to others.  As you shared Melissa, this is an unexpected blessing in disguise. It is my hope that we will continue to do this as our kids get older, and they can see how important it is to give to others out of the abundance that our Father gives to us.

A Frugal Ministry and a Question

This year, Alan and I decided to try to grow some of our plants for the garden from seed.  We borrowed seed starting trays from his parents, salvaged some left over seeds from years past, and purchased a few new seed packets as well as a few trays and soil from Menards.

I started the adventure on March 17th (I remember distinctly because it was St. Patty's Day, what better day to try to start growing GREEN things?)   I planted Roma tomato plants, Cherry tomato plants, Big Boy tomato plants, green pepper plants, carnival mix pepper plants(which is a mix of 5 varieties of sweet peppers), jalepeno pepper plants, lettuce, spinach, and some herbs.  Unfortunately, I began running out of prime window space and the spinach, lettuce, and jalepeno plants didn't survive (well I did save two jalepeno plants)   BUT the tomato and sweet pepper plants DID...VERY WELL.  I didn't start counting the Roma plants before I started giving them away but I would estimate that there may have been about 50 (hence the reason I ran out of room). 

After realizing we would have plenty for ourselves, we began brainstorming ways to distribute the plants amongst friends and relatives.  Alan's mom got some for Mother's Day, and my sister-in-law got all that she wanted. But we still had more...hence the ministry opportunity.  Already, from conversations with our neighbors, we had learned that a few of them do a little gardening...why not offer the plants to them?  So that is exactly what we are doing.  I am excited to share the plants with the neighbors and pray that it will open up further opportunities to get to know them better.  It is funny because when I began this adventure, I was surmising ways that I could grow plants and sell them next year to make a little bit of money.  However, I am more excited for next year, that we could do the same thing: bless our neighbors from the abundance that God has given us and serve our neighbors (instead of trying to serve myself). 

And here is my question tacked here on the end.  I have been wondering about this and have not been able to figure it out:  Does anyone out there understand the concept of coupon doubling?  I've read that Kroger's supposedly does, but not all Krogers and sometimes just one day a week.  Does anyone know of anyone who has done it around here, and how does it work (I obviously know that the coupon gets doubled to reduce more from the bill, but am unsure of how you actually get your coupon doubled)  Any advice?

The Heart Behind it: Food for Thought

I once heard a pastor say that you can be frugal with your money and still be not truly "frugal" anyway.  I didn't really understand that phrase until a few weeks ago, and then the idea seemed to jump out at me when I finally did.  It was literally like an “aha! moment.”  

Around the time that Mel and I began considering writing this blog, my family and I started reading a chapter from the book of Proverbs every day.  As we have been on this little journey, I have realized just how much Proverbs speaks on every area of life: including (of course) frugality.  I think we all know there are lots of passages that speak about money in general, but Proverbs, I have come to note, also contains many verses that quite easily and directly relate to our venture in The Frugal Friends Network.  I think it is a good idea therefore, before we really get things going here, to set our minds aright, aligning ourselves with Biblical truth as it relates to our goals in frugality. 

*Note this is by no means an exhaustive list, but maybe as we go I’ll add things from time to time and re-post this another day.  We’ll see.  

Proverbs 20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

To me this says that it takes hard work and determination, but even under difficult circumstances, we will be provided our food if we are willing to work for it.  Being frugal takes diligence.  We can’t just wake up and expect it to be good at it, but if we do our best, God will bless our efforts.

Proverbs 20:21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. 

If you have ever heard of Dave Ramsey, this verse reminds me of his popular phrase, “Live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else.”  As young families (I’m assuming many of us are), we shouldn’t think that we can ‘have it all’ like some of our parents and grandparents today.  It takes time, effort, patience, and diligence to build our house(s), financially speaking. 

Proverbs 21: 3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Let’s be honest, some of this frugality stuff (read: coupons, looking for sales, etc.) may take a lot of time – time away from my family - if I let it.  Am I willing to sacrifice my family for the sake of a dollar or two?  Ladies, the just, righteous thing to be focused on is loving and caring for our husbands and children first.  If couponing, garage sales, or other things take so much of our time and effort that we have nothing left to give our families, where is being frugal leading us?  That said, I do think it’s worth it to spend a good portion of time on these things, but if it eats up my family life, I need to take a second look at what I’m doing and why.    

Proverbs 21: 4, 5 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.  The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

Okay so it’s time to confess.  Personally, there are times when I get SO excited that I found a good deal.  It can literally make.my.day.  It can also get me pretty upset if I think I have something straight and it doesn’t work out, or when the cashier at the grocery store is rude to me just because I have coupons.  Now, I don’t think getting excited about a deal is in and of itself a bad thing, but honestly, there are times when frugality becomes and idol in my life.  I can feel puffed up and soooo proud of myself because I found a good deal.  I have really been convicted to pray over all I am doing, thanking God for his gracious and merciful provision, and repenting for any attitudes that are not Godly.  It’s also a good time to practice patience and love for others when I do get that cranky cashier who doesn’t want to deal w/ me and my coupons.    

 Okay so I don’t know about you, but I think that’s enough food for thought, at least for me right now.  Let’s say a prayer ‘together’ shall we, and ask the Lord to encourage us in our frugal endeavors to bless our families.

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are so kind to us.  Thank you for teaching us from your word today.  Thank you too, for teaching me the true heart behind frugality – that it’s not about me and my plans, but it’s about humility, grace, patience, hard work, and love for others.  Lord, thank you for convicting me of the ways that I can turn this endeavor into something it shouldn’t be.  I ask your forgiveness for those times when I make this an idol in my life.  I ask for your forgiveness also for when I let myself get bogged down by the work that this takes sometimes.  Please remind me why I do what I do, and that ultimately, Father it’s for you.  May I learn to work heartily, remembering it is for you, Lord.  Thank you for setting my heart aright.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.

  

  

What is the purpose for The Frugal Friends Network?

Hello Friends!  If you have been invited to view this blog you are either A) a friend of Naomi or B) a friend of Melissa, and we are hoping that you will join us in our endeavor. Let me explain a little about what are goals and purposes are for this blog.  First of all, if you are not familiar with Naomi and my friendship, please checkout the About Us tab.  Naomi has typed out a nice history of our friendship and connections.

Second of all, let me give you a little bit of background of what fueled us authoring this blog.  A few months ago, Naomi came over for an afternoon visit.  During her visit, we had a sweet time of fellowship, sharing what God was teaching us and learning from each other tips for managing our households.  We spent most of the day exchanging ideas that we had been recently trying out and discussing articles that we had recently read on some of the blogs that we are currently following.  After Naomi left, I had a strong desire to not let the dialog which had happened that day to die.  I called Naomi up the next day (or so, I don't remember exactly when) and we discussed not only how we could continue our dialog over the internet but also how we could include other friends in it.  We settled on authoring a blog where we would have the capability to put forth our own thoughts and ideas, as well as allow are friends to do so.

With all that being said (and for those of you who do better with bullet points) here is a general list of what we hope to accomplish through this blog (as well as how you can get involved):

•  We hope to author posts that will glorify God through promoting both good stewardship and our roles as wives and mothers
• Specifically we hope to write about things that currently work for our families and some how-to guides (such as how-to do couponing or in-store rewards programs)
• We also hope that this blog will be a network of people that will exchange thoughts, ideas, and deals through contributing in the comments area as well as becoming fellow authors of this blog.
• Lastly, we are hoping that the network would grow and expand.  We are not seeking to be the next "MoneySavingMom.com," but we do hope that you will pass it on to your friends who may benefit from our dialog.

So you might be wondering, how do I start?  You can begin by clicking on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of the page and choosing a way to follow the page.  Then you can become part of the network by reading the posts and contributing in the comments area.  And lastly, if you feel like you personally have things you would like to share, you can become an author of this blog.  If you are interested in becoming an author, please e-mail us at thefrugalfriendsnetwork@gmail.com.  

Welcome to The Frugal Friends Network!

Fun Website For Preschool/Home Schooling

Okay so there is a lot of stuff out there on the internet for home schooling preschool.  A lot of it I honestly don't feel is worth the time/effort I spend to find it sometimes (or maybe I just don't know where to look?).  Once in a while I may only find 1 or 2 things that I like and may use.

 However, I love THIS new site that I stumbled on yesterday.  It is kind of 'busy' so you have to spend a bit of time acclimating yourself; however I feel like the time/effort is worth it here.  The creator/author is a believer and an educator/and wayyyy more organized than I will EVER be.  Everything she shares is FREE bc she sees this as her ministry.  Enjoy!

EDIT... Here's the website below in case you miss the link above, bc it's not easy to tell it even is a link unless you mouse over it...anyway...

1plus1plus1equals1.com