Life As We Know It

Another week (of perfect weather, I might add) has come and gone in a blur.

Today we spent much of the afternoon at the pumpkin patch with our homeschool group. Playing on the tire swings, climbing through hay bale mazes, going up and down the slides, and touring the actual pumpkin patch can wear one out...whether they are the ones to do it or just watching someone do those things!

I spent this past weekend getting the garden beds ready for winter. The only plants that I left in the ground are the bell peppers as they are still producing. Everything else was pulled up and composted. It's sad to see the garden come to an end but a relief to be done (for the most part) with weeding.

In the past week I have seen the good in some people and the bad that lurks in others. It makes one realize how good this world truly good be, but see why it isn't. The good has come from a stranger who has given from her heart expecting nothing back in return except to see the happiness that her good deeds can bring. The bad comes from a person who makes it completely clear in her words and facial expressions that free thought and parental decisions would be illegal if she had it her way. Either way, it brings enlightenment into my world.

We were able to get our family portraits done yesterday. It is amazing how hard it is to photograph three children at the same time! I've been reviewing the CD of photos this evening and now need to choose my favorite ones! This will be hard...but fun!

Back To The Basics

This week I've had a wake up call. I've spent way too much at the grocery store and come home with just one or two meals. Which means then I had to go back a few days later...and once again spent too much. This happened three times in one week.

I haven't been planning my menus and therefore haven't had a grocery list. We haven't been eating very nutritious meals and have been snacking on junk too much. I told my husband that I would make a good menu up for this week and go shopping today, when I realized that no, I won't go shopping but rather I will be doing some pantry cooking the next few days to use up items that have just been sitting in the cupboards and freezer. It will save us some money (which we need to do as we have had bills piled on us recently) and make do with things that need to be used up. I will just be purchasing some milk and butter today (the butter is on sale and I'd like to stock up) but otherwise I will need to become creative in the kitchen.

We also recently ran out of baby wipes and I was about to run to the store when I realized that not only could I save some money by not using wipes but also save a lot of waste (pun intended?!) from going into the landfill by using just a washcloth. My husband hasn't been too happy with that change when it came his turn to change Joe but using a washcloth is just as easy as using wipes on a baby. I have kept the travel sized wipes in the van for when we are out and about but I realize that these little convenience items that we use everyday are not necessary and are wastes of money. We have been back to cloth diapers for at home use as well. It's saving money and is better for the environment.

Now it's time for me to go see what I can find for us for lunch!

Good Things Come To Those That Wait

Most budgeting experts agree that if you are trying to manage your money and see an item that you want but don't *need* that you wait a few days and if after a couple days you still want that item then, and only then, should you purchase it. Often times it was going to be an impulse purchase and after stewing it over a few days you decide you don't want it, nor need it. I'm on board with that idea.

I go a step further and often wait for weeks or months to get something that I want or even need. Because I have found all too often (after I've purchased something for full price) that I can find that item on sale or at a garage sale for far cheaper.

One small example is that my husband wanted to buy the kids a Scooby Doo DVD. He went to a used movie store and found it for $5. I was a bit aghast at spending $5 on a cartoon and mentioned to my husband that I am sure I could have found it cheaper somewhere else. He laughed and said "I doubt it." The very next day I saw the exact movie at a garage sale for 50 cents! I had to rub that one in just a teeny bit.

Last year my pots and pans were falling apart. The Teflon was coming off and I wanted to avoid Teflon completely so researched stainless steel pans. I wanted a couple skillets, a sauce pan, and a large pot. All the sets I found were over $100 and many included items that I didn't want. Buying the individual pieces were going to cost even more. A large stainless steel pot was going to be at least $40 alone...and that was for the cheapest! I watched sales and came close to purchasing a set when it dropped to $110. I kept hesitating knowing that I would find a better deal somewhere, so I put off the purchase. I suddenly ran across a clearance find of a sauce pan for just $7 so snatched that up. I then hit the jackpot at a garage sale where I found an Emeril 6 qt. pot for $3...with it's lid and in almost like new condition. At the same sale were two stainless steel skillets for $1 each! So for $12 total I had all 4 pieces that I wanted!

A couple years ago I wanted a hall table to put against a wall in the dining room. I watched sales and saw one advertised at Shopko for $79. I drove 45 minutes there to look at it and was about to buy it but hesitated once again. Was it worth $79 to me?! In the back of my mind I knew that I would find one cheaper somewhere so I left the store without purchasing it. Just a few weeks later I found an old battered (but neat in a distressed kind of way) hall table at a garage sale for $5. A few new knobs later and I like it better than the brand new one that was at the store.

Last year we were considering a chest freezer and got close to buying one, but put that purchase off too. A few weeks later a grocery store around here had a sale of buy a freezer for $200 and get over $200 in free groceries. We were able to get the freezer and fill it up as well! You can't beat that deal.

I could list several more instances where it paid to put off a purchase. My point is that you can almost always find what you need for a better price, or often realize that you don't even need the item to begin with. Good things truly do come to those that wait.

Good Idea

Imagine my surprise when this plate showed up at my door, just a few days before Becca's birthday.

It had nothing to do with Becca's birthday but rather a gift to review and give opinions on. Expressionary recently released a new line of products - their personalized melamine plates.

While this is a frugal blog and these plates run about $25 each (personalized) I have to say that while I wouldn't use these for everyday I see how they would make an excellent gift for that hard to buy for person on your list or for special occasions in your family. Doesn't the plate above scream "special" for a birthday?! I plan to let my children eat off this plate on each of their birthdays. Considering that you can personalize several different designs these would be great for special dinners, a special gift, or just making your dinner table a bit more flashy.

We've already used our plate and it holds up well in the dishwasher, which is another plus. Be sure to check out all the designs!

Bookworm Turns Shopaholic?

Can you believe that I can only recall buying two or three books brand new (meaning full price) in my lifetime?! Brand new books, to me, are an indulgence that I'm typically not willing to partake in. I would feel guilty spending $20+ on a book that I could borrow at the library for free or get for less on Paperback Swap.

Don't get me wrong, I do own books. Shelves full of books. I just don't buy them new. I occasionally buy books off the clearance racks at a used bookstore (if you have a HalfPrice Books nearby you must check them out!), and am constantly picking them up at garage sales, used booksales, and thrift stores. My main source of books is Paperback Swap and any book that I desire to own and add to my bookshelf goes on my wishlist there.

When I worked as a book distributor at Wal-mart I was curious watching people as they shopped and grabbed one or two paperbacks off the shelf and threw them into their cart, without even checking the price on the back. A paperback or two at an average of $5.99 each adds up fairly quickly. I couldn't image spending that much on something I could get for free at the library but it was entertaining watching "the book people" as I stocked the shelves.

My mom wanted me to have that type of experience. She wanted me to be able to go into a store and just pick up whatever book I wanted and buy it, without thinking of the price. When I was 18 years old she managed to scrape up $60 in Barnes and Noble gift certificates for me for Christmas. At that time I owed money for a plane ticket though so bartered that $60 to partly go towards the plane ticket. I don't know who was more disappointed in the loss of that book shopping experience...my mom or me?!

I've redeemed myself today. After a doctor appointment and a trip to McDonald's Playland for the kids we headed to the mall in a city nearby. Yesterday my mom had mentioned that GAP was having 40% off all clearance and for some reason I thought that sale would still be going on today (it wasn't). I was disappointed as I browsed the clearance racks at the GAP and saw things that would have been extraordinary deals had it been an additional 40% off. Suffice to say, I missed out on a pretty good deal by being a day late.

Feeling a bit down I decided to take the kids to Borders to let them look around and play in the kids section. As I walked into the store I saw a table with a sign stating "Selected Titles $1". I looked around in the boxes but saw no $1 prices, everything was priced at $3.99 or $5.99. I was about to walk away but decided to ask a sales person whether only certain titles were $1 or everything and she said everything on the table was $1 each.

Pure Bliss! It was wonderful to sort through brand new books and choose whatever struck my fancy, knowing I was only paying $1 per book. Granted, they weren't titles that I would have chosen had I been paying, say, their original prices but for $1 I wasn't too picky.

As you can see from the photo above, I bought 17 adult books and two kids books (for 48 cents each) for a grand total of $19.xx. It was amazing walking out of a bookstore with two large bags full for under $20!

These books are the Chick-lit type. They are my winter bath time reading. When I need a little stress-free moment at the end of a long day I hand the children over to my husband and I hop into a hot bubble bath and immerse myself in a "fluffy" book that requires little thinking. I also read classics, mysteries, and even a western or two sometimes. As well as more deep-thinking non-fiction books. But chick-lit at $1 a book makes my heart leap with joy...so no judgements on my reading material, please! :) Even my own mother has her guilty pleasure of PEOPLE magazine! :)

What fun it was! Even better is that I will now have plenty of books to trade on Paperback Swap when I am done, or make my money back and then some by selling these at my garage sale next year.

This Is How We Do It...

Or rather, this is what we've been doing recently.

Parks. Lots of parks. Walks. Playing in the front yard, back yard, and sitting on the porch. Basically, being outside as much as possible.

We have had almost two weeks of perfect, dry weather and it looks as though it will continue all this week, though by the end of the week we will be back into the 60's.
Every other week our homeschool group meets at the park for a playdate. We had a wonderful time today with a fun craft (more about that later). It's amazing that every single time we have met the weather has cooperated with us and given us a grand day to get together. Let's hope that trend continues as the next get together is at the pumpkin patch and the kids are really looking forward to it.

Sausage Minestrone

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage links
3 cups chopped carrots, onion and celery
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
1 c small pasta
1 can (19 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Coat pot with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, turning, until browned (4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and cut sausage into 1/4"-thick slices; return to pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink (3-5 minutes); discard fat. Stir in vegetables and 1/4 t. pepper; cook until vegetables are just tender (3-4 minutes). Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer 15 minutes. Stir in pasta; cook until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Add beans; cook until heated through.

Found in Woman's World magazine and enjoyed by us last week.