Finances on Friday

I'm linking up again over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

Well, for the last week David and the six youngest kids have had some sort of stomach virus and headache. At least I nor the four oldest have gotten sick, but some of the younger ones felt better for a day then relapsed. So, I don't know that things were really all that frugal this week. As a matter of fact all that is on my brain is pregnancy, so I can't even think of pursuing anything other than what I'm already doing.

I really wanted a garden this year, but since we thought we might be moving (which turns out God shut that door and we are totally at peace with that, so we are looking into some other options) and so we didn't plant anything or get anything ready to plant anything. But, I guess it turns out for the best in the long run as I really already have my hands full and especially with a new baby I don't want to be going crazy trying to garden.

All of the kids and I have enough clothes, shoes, socks, etc. right now, so thankfully no more will need to be spent on that kind of stuff at the moment. I will probably just need to get a few summer outfits for the new baby. So, all set there.

Maintenance and repairs on both vans are done so HOPEFULLY nothing goes wrong and our 13 year old vehicles continue to run well, we are all set there as well.

Those are our two biggest expenses outside of rent and food.

Anyway, this week I............

• Filled up with gas at Sam's and saved 5 cents a gallon.
• Went thrift shopping with Brittany on Sunday afternoon and found three shrugs/cover-ups/what do you call thems? I have several maternity and nursing tank tops that I'll be wearing and I don't like to go with bare shoulders so I needed a light something to go over them. I found a black one at Ross for $7. It had a small hole in the bottom (barely noticeable) but they took an extra 10 percent off. I also found two more at Goodwill- a blue one that is more of a shrug, and a purple one that is a little longer- $4.50 a piece.
• Used my store card at Walgreen's for the sale price on a few gatorades for the upset tummies.
• Sold quite a few books for the Currclick Mother's Day sale. They were all discounted 70%, but it added up.
• Found Brittany a satchel purse on sale for 50% off on the Thirty One website. She wanted one for her missions trip this summer.
• Made sure the kids used their cups and plates this week, and it worked for the most part-we saved having to wash a lot of extra loads of dishes.

A Dinner Plate Dilemma....

All of our dinner plates have been broken. (Are we the only family where EVERYTHING breakable and some things thought to be unbreakable are utterly destroyed?) I was looking around at yard sales the other weekend for some cheap dishes and didn't find any.

Well, actually I thought I saw a box of plates at the youth yard sale when we were helping set up, but I had to leave early to pick David up from work and I couldn't find them. A friend set them aside for me, and when I dropped the kids off the next morning to work the sale, our youth pastor said he was going to sell them for $40, but would let me have them for $20 if I wanted them. It turns out they are fine china. I really didn't want to pay $20 for a few plates and I didn't want fine china since I couldn't microwave them or put them in the dishwasher, so I told him no. He said if they didn't sell, he'd just give them to me. They didn't sell.

My sister in law was out looking around that morning, too and she said she'd keep an eye out for dishes. She found some and set them aside for me at the church. She wouldn't let me pay her for them, either. On Saturday, after the sale was over Timothy brought out this set of Christmas dishes and said the youth pastor set them aside for me. I told him I didn't think so, that the other box with the China was what was set aside. He went back in and got the China and we left. I forgot to get the dishes my sister in law had left for me.

Tuesday Brittany brought home the dishes that my sister in law had gotten for me.

They were the Christmas dishes. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, because I don't know if I can't eat off of Christmas dishes unless it is, in fact, Christmas time. And I don't want to use the China because I already have a set of china that I don't use because you have to have to hand wash. So, I debated for over a week on whether I was going to just go to the dollar store and get a few plates or should I just use the Christmas dishes or china and not spend any money.

So. I decided to use the Christmas dishes. I don't know if I will want to break out into choruses of "Jingle Bells" during dinner or watch "It's a Wonderful Life". We'll see.


And for the "Use it up challenge"........

• Found some random things in the freezer and used them (not all in the same meal though): 3 fish fillets, 1/2 bag of spinach, some chopped onion and bananas.
• Used a few free address labels that came in the mail for some bills I needed to mail
• Cut a few old file folders into squares to make flash cards for one child's Awana verses

Don't forget and link up over at Renaissance and share your financial stories!

Finances on Friday!

It's time again for Finances on Friday! So, I'm linking up over at Renaissance.

I didn't post last week because I was pretty busy and this pregnancy I've been suffering from serious lack of motivation.

But none the less, I did manage to do a few frugal things......

• found some beef and french bread loaves marked down at the store. I'll stick those in the freezer. The bread is good to make toasted sandwiches for the kids' lunch or just some bread and butter with dinner. It fills up tummies.
• I got some cute owl fabric on clearance for the diaper bag I'm planning on making. Now to find a pattern on clearance......
• We were the recipients of a HUGE tub of spaghetti sauce leftover from the midweek meal at our church. For the next several days everyone kept asking, "Is there any of that spaghetti left?" For some reason whenever I make spaghetti sauce no one ever keeps asking about it....lol.
• used a $10 off a $20 purchase coupon at Kmart from shop your way points so I was able to stock up on some pull ups and shampoo and things.
• Walgreens was offering 40% off of announcements/cards, so I took the pictures that I was finally able to get of all of us from Easter and I got 20 cards for $10 to send to family and friends.
• Used a 15% off coupon for shoes for my son.

And what was NOT frugal this week..........

I had a coupon for a free taco from a mexican place down the street and since David had wanted a soda I went ahead and used the taco coupon for me and just paid for a soda for him. Well, as soon as I walked in the front door I dropped the soda all over the living room floor. A large soda. At least we have wooden floors. So, he went back out and had to get another soda. Darned pregnancy hands.

The shoes I originally had gotten for my son the other week online ended up being "medium" instead of regular. No where online did it say they were medium. So I had to ship them back which cost me $8 (!!!) which I would did not get reimbursed for. So aggravating!

Anyway, Rebecca at Renaissance is challenging us this month to "use it up", so I'm accepting the challenge.

What did I "use up" today?

-I went ahead and made pancakes from scratch, even though I didn't want to (remember that lack of motivation thing I mentioned?), and I'm out of white sugar, so I just used a little brown sugar which tasted fine and smelled great. I also used a few miniature chocolate chips I had left over to sprinkle on top.

-On the menu for tonight: steak strips (found marked down), brown rice I have on hand and broccoli florets I have in the freezer.

Don't forget to link up and share your frugal efforts! And, don't forget the "use it up" challenge!

Finances on Good Friday!

Happy Good Friday!! I know the image of Jesus on the cross doesn't conjure up "happy" images, but what we will celebrate on Sunday will! If today hadn't happened, then the Resurrection couldn't happen. And that, Friends, does make me happy!

And, I'm also linking up again at Renaissance to share what frugal efforts I made this week......

• I filled my gas tank up at Sam's and saved 4 cents a gallon. 
• David did me a big favor and cut the boys hair today. Although, we did have to buy a new pair of clippers, the money saved from four boys' haircuts has already paid for that.
• Last week, I think I forgot to mention that I had my sister in law help me color my hair and she also gave me a trim. Total cost- $12 for the color.
• I downloaded the ebook version of our book club book for this month to read on Kindle on my laptop-saved around $8-9.
• Found my 13 year old a pair of name brand shoes online with a coupon code. Original price was around $60 plus shipping. My cost: $23 shipped!
• Sold two more books on Currclick!
• I have $3 in Shop Your Way points that showed up in my email to use by Wednesday. Last summer I got about an email every week with $3 in points for any purchase. I would go into Kmart and buy dish soap with it. I didn't have to pay for dish soap almost all summer, lol!

Don't forget to link up over at Renaissance and share your frugal ventures for the week!

Finances on Friday!

So, it's Friday and you know what that means...............I'm linking up with Rebecca at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

This, friends, was a stellar week for saving money.

• First of all, remember that conference I forgot to register for a few weeks ago? Well, I was really disappointed that I wasn't going. It turns out that another lady had bought a ticket and wasn't going to be able to go and she offered it to me! So, I'm going after all! I'm really excited. There are six of us going from church. It was an option to stay overnight, but no one wanted to, and it's only ten minutes away. I'm really looking forward to the encouragement and refreshment!
• One of my favorite coupon sites, Hip 2 Save, had posted a deal about laundry soap being on sale at Sears. I had bought this same soap last year when Kmart had it on sale. I really like making my own soap, but especially in the summer when I do a lot of brights and whites, I notice they get a little "grayish" after a while. So, if there's a good deal I'll get some store bought soap and just use it on those loads. Well, that same morning I got an email with a Shop Your Way reward for Sears for $7 off a $20 purchase. I also had a some bonus points from when I bought my purse and the kids shoes a few weeks ago. All in all, I got two HUGE boxes (180 loads each) of detergent for $9.72!! I picked it up in store at the mall about 5 miles away.
• I also made a batch of laundry soap this week, so I should be set to do lots of laundry! (yippee...)
• I've had my eye on a pack of onesies at Target that are gray and yellow. I'm doing gray and yellow with owls for this baby. We never find out the gender beforehand and this is really gender neutral. I stopped into Target for something else, and they had those onesies on sale for a dollar and five cents off so I went ahead and got them so baby has something to wear in/at home from the hospital.
• And, now for my awesome deal of the week........ Babies R Us is discontinuing their maternity line in June and had ALL of their maternity and nursing wear marked down to FIVE DOLLARS A PIECE!!!! I almost always wear used maternity clothes that I get at thrift, garage sales or consignment sales and I will wear it until it is not fit to be worn. I just always hate spending money on clothes for myself, but this was too good to pass up. I got a denim jacket, pants, capris, 2 dresses, maternity shirts, nursing shirts, nursing tanks and bras, and even some nursing jammies so I will look cute when I'm at the hospital! This was such a blessing! I think I probably got about thirty things and spend less then I would have on ONE regular outfit from a maternity store. I've got about nine or ten weeks left, and I know I'll still be wearing those pants for a little while after, too.

So, here I am in my new outfit heading out to the conference.

 

 



Don't forget to link up over at Renaissance and share your financial ideas and efforts this week!

Finances on Friday!

Okay, so I linked up again over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!


What were my frugal efforts this week................?

Um.

Hmmmm.

Crickets.............

I need to start making myself notes. I can barely remember what I planned to make the kids for breakfast this morning much less what frugal things I did last Monday.

Well, let's start with today, because that's at least fresh on my mind. I kind of hesitate to share this, but I'm going to anyway. My son, who'll be 17 this month, has been working at a grocery store since last year. I let him have some time just to spend a little money, since we usually don't have much extra to give the kids allowances or spending money. In January I told him I was going to start putting half his money into my savings account, so he wouldn't be tempted to withdraw it because he wouldn't have access to it. He could have the other half for whatever, but he's really good about buying his own necessities as well as buying the other kids things if they need it. Anyway, as of today he has over a thousand dollars in savings! In just that short amount of time! He'll definately have a nice little sum to buy a car with in the next six or eight months when he gets his driver's licence.

We ate from the pantry for three days this week. Now, I know that isn't a lot, but I was out of bread and peanut butter (gasp!) and so I went through what we had and it lasted three days. I actually don't even have a pantry. This rental house kitchen is so impractical for this family of 12, I don't even know how we've lasted three and a half years. The cabinets were full of bugs when we moved in (unbeknownst to me when I signed the lease) and I have never been able to put anything in them even after we got rid of the bugs. Maybe psychological, but eeeewwww. It's a small 50's style ranch kitchen with no counter space. So, all of our food, and kitchen utensils are on one big metal shelf in the corner of the kitchen. Now, I do have an extra fridge and a small chest freezer, which is hugely helpful, but I just don't have shelf space for a lot of nonperishables. And, I just don't buy a lot of convenience food either, so for us, three days was a long time.

Oh, yes. Last Saturday we went and bought 13 new chairs for our table. We had been using yard sale chairs that were hanging on by a thread and kept breaking one by one, so we knew we were going to buy new chairs with our tax refund. Four of the chairs they had in stock were scratched a bit, not bad really, but David asked the assistant who was helping us if he'd give us a discount. The guy said 5% was all he could do. He went ahead and asked the manager, who said go ahead and do 10%, then when we got to the register, she gave us 20%. That was basically like buying 12 chairs and getting one free! I didn't even think of asking for a discount. Score one for the husband!

I've still been packing and decluttering for whenever and wherever we may get a house and move. Sometimes it's good just to purge and let things go. We ended up getting rid of a ton of stuff, even my beloved baker's rack that David bought me 16 years ago. I get a little sentimental about stuff sometimes and I wanted to keep it, but it was getting bent and the drawers were breaking, so I decided it was time to move on. There are two free landfill days this month, but by the time we tried to load all that in the van and probably have to make two trips there, I thought it was just worth paying the $5 extra so the garbage men could take it all.

Well, that's about it. Don't forget to link up over at Renaissance and share about your frugal week!

Finances on Friday!

It's time for Finances on Friday again! And, I didn't manage to get up one single other post this week. All of us ended up with colds and lots of coughing, Brittany got pink eye from one of her students at daycare and David got bronchitis. So, that and math worksheets pretty much took up the entire week.

I did manage to get to the doctor Tuesday for my glucose test. They didn't call me so that means I passed. My blood pressure was great, the baby looks great, and everything's great!

I'm 29 weeks today!

So.....on to the finances:

• Our utility bills have gone down for this month. We haven't used as much propane since it has warmed up some during the day. Our electric is still fairly low because we haven't run the air conditioner. And, our water bill was cut in half after David did a little work on the two toilets that were leaking water. Yay!
• I canceled the cell phone insurance on Brittany's phone. She was supposed to be paying me for it, but didn't and I ended up forgetting. We also get a 25% "employment discount", which I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm not arguing, so our cell phone bill now is pretty decent.
• Made $30 from selling books on Currclick during their sale the week before last. By the way, if you homeschool, check them out. The link is on the right sidebar!
• Some of the kids needed shoes and one of the local stores had their shoes BOGO for $1.
• Found a purse! It was also on sale for 30% off making it only $20!

My family's reaction?    "It's yellow."

Well, I had made up my mind that I wanted a yellow purse because 1) I need a little color in my life and 2) Yellow is in this season. And, of course, I always make my fashion decisions based on what is in for the season.

Ahem.

Well. Anyway.

I like it.

• Used up all the leftovers this week so none went to waste.
• David went to the free medical clinic this week for city employees so that saved us a co-pay.
• About six months ago we got a credit card in order to raise our credit score. We made a few purchases (it is still on 0% interest) carried the balance for a little while and have almost paid off the purchases. It worked! As much as I really hate credit and that everything revolves around that ridiculous score, doing this did raise the score and we've paid no interest. We are looking to purchase a home and are trying to rebuild our credit since the bankruptcy.
• Went through all my homeschool stuff and am donating around five bags of stuff to our homeschool book benevolence.

Don't forget to link up over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday and tell us what frugal things you did this week!

Finances on Friday!

I'm a little late getting up my Finances on Friday post this week. I've been cleaning house all week and trying to go through everything and get rid of anything that we don't need/want and trying to just pack up anything we aren't using to get it out of the way. And, I'm almost done! I just have to finish 4 loads of laundry and clean up the homeschool stuff and I can kick my feet up, relax and eat bon bons. (Are you laughing yet?)

I also missed last week, so here are my frugal efforts for the last two weeks:

• I made $194 from the consignment sale! I was hoping for $150, so I'm really excited. This money will go back into the clothing fund for some things I couldn't find at the sale, like shoes for the older girls, tshirts/shorts/shoes for my older two boys. WHO ARE IN MEN"S SIZES. Where does the time go?
• Found some beef marked down for quick sale.
• Used some leftover beef and rice to make stuffed peppers for my lunches last week.
• Forgot to register for a women's conference I had wanted to go to. I'm not sure if that's a success or not, but I guess it will be saving me $50.
• A very good friend bought my girls a surger and is teaching them to use it! SO thankful for her!
• I decided that since the girls have been learning to sew, that we could make a diaper bag, crib set, blankets and burp cloths for this baby. There is some super cute owl fabric, and since Brittany works one night a week at the fabric store she can get a discount. So, we'll see if this is a frugal endeavor, but none the less, I think it will be fun and a fantastic learning experience!
• Used my grocery store rewards card and saved 10 cents/gallon on gas. This is twice as much as saving 5/gallon at Sam's.

And, where things weren't so frugal............

• I went shopping at Sam's and unloaded the groceries from the van onto driveway in front of the garage for the kids to take to the extra fridge in there, while I quickly went to take David something at work. Well, apparently TWO WHOLE PACKS of lunchmeat got overlooked behind a bucket of stuff in the garage and I didn't notice it until the next day when I went to make David's lunch. It had to be on the 65 degree day instead of the unsual 35 degree days we'd been having.
• David had a MUCH needed four days off (Saturday through Tuesday) so he wanted to do something fun. We took the kids for pizza, then bowling and ice cream. The cost gave me heart palpatations, but really it was worth it because we had some great family time.

Does anyone else get anxiety over spending money? I admittingly am very uptight about it. I am thinking about buying a new purse, because, well, i just want one. I have spent maybe six dollars in the last six years on purses. I usually pick them up at yard sales. But, this year I'm just in the mood to buy a brand spanking new purse. I'm not talking Coach or Dooney and Burke, just maybe a nice $20 one from the local discount store. And, I'm still stressing about whether or not to spend the $20. David is like, "JUST GO BUY THE PURSE ALREADY. You deserve it."  I don't know. I am way too hard on myself. I can get very frustrated if I don't do every frugal thing perfectly. I know part of that is the "oldest child syndrome", but I also know what it feels like to lose everything. So, anyway, it seems like a constant struggle to be frugal, but yet not try to "maintain control" over everything to the point where my faith is "in my finances". Know what I mean?

Don't forget to link up over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

Finances on Friday!

These last two weeks have warn me out, and this week I've spent catching up on laundry and getting the house back in order. I've also been packing some boxes. No, we haven't heard anything else about the house. David called them the day after our anniversary and he hadn't been able to do any of the repairs yet, but they really want it to work out that we can buy it from them.

David walked in the door the other day and saw the boxes and said, "Are you preparing for rain?"

At first I didn't get it, but he said, "Remember the movie 'Faith Like Potatoes'?"

Well, I hadn't thought of that, but that principle is also in 'Facing the Giants'. I don't want to be presumptuous that God is going to give us that house, but if packing boxes means that I'm preparing for Him to do bless us with it, then I guess that's what I'll do. Worse case scenario, we'll have less clutter since I'm trying to weed out anything that we don't need anymore.

So, I'm linking up this week again with Rebecca over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

Here are a few frugal endeavors for the week:

• FOUND the missing library book! Shockingly it was on the bookshelf that I had instructed a certain someone to check already, because I was sure it was probably there.
• Went to the natural grocer and got a free pound of organic butter. I also had a coupon for lunch meat, but they were sold out of that.
• Sold a book on Cash4Books. I used Bookscouter to find the best quote. I had a stack of some old textbooks, and they were only buying one of them. Oh, well, one is better than none!
• Got coupons for a cupcake or cookie from the cafe at Barnes and Noble for signing up for the kids' birthdays.
• Got a free code for a Redbox rental in my email. I'll probably use it tomorrow since it's going to be cold and rainy again. (But, 70's next week!!!!)
• I took a bag full of books and magazines to put on the "free" shelf at the local library. I've benefited from others who've put things there many times, so I like to return the favor.

Well, nothing went terribly wrong in the frugal department this week, so maybe we can just declare this a week of success!

Don't forget to link up over at Renaissance and share your frugal endeavors for the week, as well!

Finances on Friday!

Well, I had intended to do several posts this week, because we had a lot of things going on that I wanted to post about, but then the seven youngest kids started throwing up and I kept forgetting to get Brittany's camera back from her to download the pictures from the week, so here we are and now it's already Friday.

But, that's okay, because it's time for Finances on Friday! And, I can do a recap post tomorrow. Or Monday.

So, Tuesday was our 19th wedding anniversary. David really wanted a steak, but all the steakhouses had sent out email coupons for Valentine's which have already expired, so we ate steak anyway.

Without a coupon.

But, we were still frugal, because afterwards we went to the dollar theater to see Captain Phillips. It was 50 cent Tuesday and I also had a coupon for a free large popcorn with the purchase of two drinks. So, all was not lost.

However, I did have to close my eyes for over half the movie, because of motion sickness. I can usually handle the dollar theater, but maybe it was the fact that the movie took place on water and it was one of those movies where the camera is very "jerky". We went to a movie last summer at the newly renovated theater with the red leather recliners and I had to close my eyes the entire movie. I guess I paid for a ten dollar nap. At least the chairs were comfy.

Anyway, here are a few more frugal efforts this week.................

• A piece broke on the kids' humidifier and the replacement part on their website was going to cost $25 plus shipping, but I called the company and was able to get the part shipped for only $12 total!
• The natural grocer sends out coupons for free products about every other week or so. This week is for a free pound of butter. I'll be heading out tomorrow to pick that up.
• I finished up the clothes and dropped them off for the consignment sale. I needed more wire hangers, so I stopped into the local cleaners and they generously gave them to me for free! I also got on the "preferred consignors" list so I only had to do inspection on the shoes, not the clothes and nothing was rejected. It saves so much more time in the long run, and makes more money, to make sure things are in tip top shape.
• Bethany and Brooke like to bake and they found a recipe for some quick pizza out of the kids' cookbook. So, they made pizza crust and chocolate cupcakes with frosting from scratch for dinner last night. The cost was minimal- only the mozzerella, sauce and pepperoni were not from scratch, so total maybe five dollars was spent to feed 8 of us. And it was GOOD! The older two kids were out for the evening and David is eating low carb right now, so I heated up some leftover chicken and beans and low carb tortillas (which he'd rather have anyway.) And, for some husband bragging-he's lost 12 pounds in two weeks! Very proud of him!
• Found some cuts of meat reduced for quick sale at Sam's, so I grabbed several packs for the freezer.

And, where things weren't so frugal........

• Our local grocery store had bone in chicken breast on sale, and I dillied and I dallied and by the time I got there, they were sold out. UUUHHHHGGG! And, my son even works there! I should have given him money and just had him pick some up, but oh well. This week they have pork chops on sale for very cheap so I'm going to make sure I get some of those.
• Our propane bill has doubled this winter. I'm sure that's true for more than just us. I know the cost has just skyrocketed and this has been such a cold winter, but goodness.
• You know sometimes "cheap" is not frugal. I had bought two cheap hand crank can openers in the past six months that were probably about $4 a piece. Both lasted maybe two months and just stopped opening cans. So, I would have to haul out a pair of pliers just to get into the can. Well last week David bought me a $15 can opener and I know that thing will last a long time. It's sturdy and works like a charm. So, $8 wasted on junk that doesn't work. That's one thing I love about my husband. I usually like to get the $4 junk, because it's cheaper, but he'll get the thing that works better and lasts longer.

Don't forget to head over to Renaissance and share your frugal story!

Finances on Friday!

This has been one of the busiest weeks I've had in a long time.

We had 2 dentist appointments, 2 orthodontist appointments, 1 doctor appointment, 1 ultrasound, Awana, a dinner out with my book club, a "bake and bag" teen missions fund raiser with the women's group from church, both vans had work done on two different days, a birthday party tomorrow afternoon that the kids were invited to, a play tomorrow evening, and then Tristan's birthday is on Sunday.  And, on top of it all, I've had a cold.

At least it was beautiful weather this week!

I'm afraid on the frugal front it wasn't all that interesting, but I'm still linking up with Rebecca over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

So, here are my few frugal endeavors for this week............

• David found a $150 shortage on his paycheck (woohoo!)
• The cost for repairs for both vans was way less than we had budgeted, so the remainder is going into the buying a house fund.
• Got up early every morning to make David breakfast and a sack lunch so he wouldn't need to eat out (except on Tuesday when he was off we did get $3 6-inch chicken breast subs at Subway).
• David used his military discount to buy a few things at Lowe's. (He was teasing me this week and said, "You have taught me to be chea....I mean, er, um "frugal".) Ha!
• Used a discount coupon at Michael's for some card stock.

I've been busy getting some clothes ready for the huge consignment sale coming up next week. I always try to hand down something I know someone else can use, but if not, then I consign and put that money back into the clothing fund.

Here is a post I did last year about how I do clothing for all of us.


Well, one area that was not so frugal this week was my meal out with my book club at Cheesecake Factory. It was so yummy and we only do a meal out maybe once every quarter. We try and stick with a theme of the book we are reading, but this was time was just for fun. My bill with tip was $33! I could have bought food to feed the entire family for a whole day for $33. Sheesh. (But, it WAS yummy!)

So, that's about it this week. Head over to Renaissance and share your own frugal ideas!

Finances on Friday! Trouble Shooting with Homemade Laundry Soap

I'm linking up with Rebecca again over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

Well, I needed to make some more homemade laundry soap on Tuesday, but I was busy doing something else, so I asked my oldest son to help me make some. Actually, he was going to make it by himself with my instructions. I'm not sure exactly what went wrong, but it never quite set up to the right consistancy.

I think people have a love/hate relationship with homemade laundry soap, and I have to admit, so have I.

I started making my own soap, I think, six years ago (?) at the encouragement of a friend.  And, I've had to trouble shoot a bit, but I think I'm at a point where it seems to work adequately.

Here's the recipe I use for the liquid version of homemade laundry soap:

1 bar of Zote soap, grated
1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
1 cup Oxy Clean (or similar alternative)
1 cup salt

Melt the grated soap on medium heat in a large pot filled half way or so with water. You'll want to almost continually stir this and I use a wisk to break up the clumps of soap. Place the other ingredients all in a five gallon plastic bucket. When your soap is fully melted pour the entire thing into your bucket of powders. Use a long handled spoon to stir until the powders are dissolved. Then use your pot to fill the bucket almost to the top with warm water (cool will cause it to set up a little too quickly) and stir it all with your long handled spoon. It will need overnight to set up, but you can go ahead and use it right away if you need to.

Troubleshooting:

• The original recipe was for Fels Naptha soap, but I like the Zote better. I couldn't get Zote in South Carolina, but they sell it in Walmart here in Oklahoma. Once I used Ivory and I didn't feel like it made the clothes seem quite as clean. The Zote grates easier, is less than $1 and smells a lot nicer.
• At the suggestion of a friend, I added in the Oxyclean. I've also tried the cheaper Sun brand and it works just as well. The ingredient list is practically the same.
• At the suggestion of the same friend I also added the salt. After we moved to Oklahoma I felt like the original recipe didn't seem to work as well as before. I don't know if it is hard water or what, but the salt seems to make a difference-maybe softening the hard water.

Certainly this isn't the only recipe out there, and you could also add in some essential oils, but I just haven't done that yet.

We all wear hand me downs, so by the time we get them, someone else has deemed them useless (for whatever reason), so our clothes aren't in pristine condition when we start out with them. I am particular however, because I don't want us walking around looking like we always wear second hand clothes. lol! But, it does take a little effort to keep them looking nice.

Here's what I've come up with:

• I keep a medium sized bucket by the washer for soaking clothes in Oxyclean (or Sun brand). If something is really stained (shirt collars, food on the front of kids shirts, or whatever) I'll stick it in the bucket and soak it with a scoop of Oxyclean. Sometimes I'll have to leave it in there a few days, but it has almost always worked. The only time it didn't get a stain out that I can remember, was a few months ago Brennan got some sort of weird grease stain on a shirt and it would not come out. I don't know what the stain was from, but it wasn't a normal grease stain.
• Homemade soap doesn't have the brightners in it that store bought soap does, so during the summer when everyone is wearing brighter things, I'll look for a sale with a coupon and get some store bought soap. Last year Kmart had a sale and I bought a huge box of powdered off brand soap and only used it for the bright loads. It worked great and lasted me a LONG time since I was only doing maybe 5 loads a week with it.
• I do about 4 loads a day. (There are 12 of us.) Unless there are blankets or something and that makes more loads. I tried hanging the loads out on a clothes line a few summers ago and it didn't seem like it was saving me as much money as the time it took was worth. So, for now I am just sticking them in the dryer.
• I don't use fabric softner because it makes my kids' eczema break out. I know there are some homemade recipes for that also, but really I don't even notice not using any.

So, if you've been putting off making your own, or you've made a batch and just didn't love it, don't give up on it! It really does save me a significant amount of money. The ingredients do last quite a long time. Try some of these trouble shooting tips and see if they work for you.

Don't forget to link up at Renaissance and let us know any frugal tips or ideas you have!

Finances on Friday!

I'm joining Rebecca over at Renaissance for another Finances on Friday post!


Here is what went right this week:

-Used a coupon for a free order of chips and queso at the mexican fast food place down the street.

-Signed up for Google Ads. We'll see how it works out!

-Gave the kids haircuts. I cut all the boys' hair except Tyler. I don't know if he wants a shaggy look or he doesn't trust me.  I am NO EXPERT. And, I hope no one else notices that either. Their hair actually did turn out decently. Decently. I cut Bailey's (4) and Brooke's (10) hair, also, and might have gotten a little scissor happy, since around three inches came off instead of one. But, it turned out really cute in both cases. I have cut the girls' hair in the past, and David used to cut the boys, then when we moved here and my sister in law started cutting it. But, instead I decided to start taking matters into my own hands and this is probably the third time I've cut the boys' hair.

-A very kind man from church always looks out for us and on Sunday gave us a box with apples, oranges, some individual cereal boxes and some french toast slices leftover from a co-op at his workplace.

-The cashier at the shoe store looked up a coupon code today and saved me $7 off of $50 shoes for my son since I had a store rewards card. (THANK you nice cashier guy!)

-Stretched two random cans of soup into feeding all the kids for dinner. I put the two cans in the crock pot, added a few chicken breasts and some chicken stock from the fridge and a loaf of french bread-$1.18 from the discount bread rack at Walmart.

And, this is what went wrong this week:

-Had to spend $20 on another white button down shirt for my son for work since somehow a pen got into the laundry.

-Burned up a half tank of gas in two days doing errands. (I have a 15 passenger van with a very big, expensive gas tank.)

-Bought lunch while out doing those errands. (with nary a coupon! Shocking, I know.)

-The lemon pound cake I made for a fundraiser at church met it's demise before making it to church.  Let's just say it involved a vehicle, and sliding on ice.

Link up over at Renaissance and let us know what you did that was frugal, or not so frugal, this week!

Finances on Friday! Except that it's Saturday!

Ugggh.

Sickness.

That's where we are this week. Thankfully there is no puking (I even hesitate to say that too soon) but lots and lots of snot and coughing. That might be TMI, but I like to keep it real around here. Unfortunately, even I, the one who really doesn't get sick often, have fallen victim to the yuck. I haven't felt terrible, but on top of being pregnant, I'm really drained of energy.

So, I am a day late, (and maybe even a dollar short which would fall within the theme of frugal living) to link up to Rebecca's Finances on Friday post over at Renaissance!

I still managed to do a few frugal things this week:

-Bought a scratch and dent dryer that saved us $300.

-Made burgers with elk meat added to some ground beef. We were given a freezer full of elk meat last year. The ground meat really blends in well with whatever you're cooking. Now, the steaks taste a little "game-y-er" which is the reason we don't care too much for venison. Even the ground venison tastes too much like game to me. But, I can handle the ground elk. I had taken a little break from cooking with it while I had morning sickness, because if I eat something that doesn't sit right with me when I'm pregnant, I don't want to eat it again. EVER. And, since we still have half a freezer of elk left, I didn't want to risk it. I used two pounds of ground elk, 1 pound of ground beef (80/20), chopped jalepeno from our garden last year, chopped garlic, salt/pepper and some Eskimo Joe's meat seasoning. They were yummy!

-I'm trying to keep the heater at 68 degrees. It has been a super cold winter here since November. Crazy. The windows here are AWEFUL, probably the original 50 year old windows, so we are trying to keep blankets over them when it is really cold. We can't hardly stand it set any colder than 68, but it does make a big difference on the bill when we don't bump it up to 70.

-One other thing we do regularly around here is to reuse towels after baths before we wash them. Especially if it's just a little kid who doesn't get the towel very wet. My mom made me do that when I was a kid and I HATED it, but my kids don't seem to mind. And I appreciate having a little less laundry to do!

And, where things went awry........

-Forgot to put the garbage out at the curb (twice!) and had to buy $3.00 worth of tags for the extra bags that wouldn't fit into the can.


And.........update on the house hunt!

We've been house and land hunting for about a year now and seriously looking for the last six months. We have been wanting to do some small scale farming since we first got married and feel like the time for that to become a reality is finally here. I've been praying that God would bring the perfect house at the perfect location for the perfect price at the perfect time. Well, last Wednesday a friend texted the number of two houses she had passed on her way home. One number she'd given me last month, but I didn't call because of some other things going on and we were just going to take a break for Christmas.

Anyway, long story short, I called them Wednesday, David happened to have a long break between driving on Thursday, and we went to see the house during his break.

Well, we loved it! I feel like it's exactly what I've prayed for! It's only two acres, where we had really wanted five or ten, but it already has pens for animals and plenty of room for probably two cows. It meets all the other criteria that I had in mind, and an older Christian couple own it and have lived there for many, many years, so it's very well kept. The only thing we know of that needs to be done is some siding boards and trim need to be replaced. And, the financing company will not approve it until that is fixed. Also, we don't know if they may find any other problems upon inspection, that could make it not be approved. So, I am praying, praying that if this is the house God wants for us that the boards and trim can easily be repaired and that nothing else is wrong with it and it can be ours!

Thank you for visiting my blog this week! Head over to Renaissance and see what ideas others had!

Finances on Friday!

I'm linking up with Rebecca again over at Renaissance for Finances on Friday!

I've been frugal for so long that some things are just second nature to me (like rinsing out the hair conditioner bottle three times to get the last little bit out, or using the ends of the bread loaves for crumbs for meatloaf) so I have to think of things that I really did intentionally.

I didn't do a lot this week outside of what I normally do, I guess since I had doctor's appointments this week amongst other things. And our dryer died. Boo.

However, I did file our taxes myself online today. I used Taxact and it cost me $17.99 to file both state and federal. We used to think we had to pay someone to do our taxes because it was too complicated-I mean it is taxes-but I started filing my own a few years ago and it is so easy.

Anyway, I thought I would put down a few financial goals for the next few months.

-Use some of said tax refund to buy some badly, BADLY needed chairs for our table. (So that we can actually all sit at the table together at the same time.)

-Replenish emergency fund- I'm not totally anti-Dave Ramsey :)

-Go through hand me down totes in the garage and hit the consigment sale next month for clothing for the youngest seven kids for summer and some things I know I need for the new baby. I'll also need a few maternity tshirts since I'm looking at pregnancy almost through June.

-Also use the tax refund for some needed repairs to David's van

-Use the 9.99 haircut coupon I got in the mail. (We are getting into desperate times here in the hair department. Maybe I'll get a coupon for some hair color, too............)

-Put together four budget birthday parties in the next six weeks.

-Continue praying that God will bring about the perfect house in the perfect location with the perfect amount of land for the perfect price in just His perfect timing!


I really would like to put together a more precise financial goals list, but we are sort of in limbo. We are wanting to buy a house with at least ten acres of land, but for the amount of land and price we just aren't finding anything we are crazy about. Hence, praying for God's perfect timing! And, then not knowing what we may need for closing, etc. we are just trying to keep as much money in reserve as possible, and make that our main priority at this point.


So..............head on over to Renaissance to see what ideas others had this week!

Finances on Friday

I've been reading Rebecca's Finances on Friday posts and I thought that was a great way to really see what proactive choices you can make to improve finances.

So........I'm joining her link up to start my own Finances on Friday post!

If you've been reading my blog you know that about five years ago my husband lost his job and was unemployed for a year. Oh, he looked for jobs. Anywhere and everywhere. He was told he was underqualified, overqualified, too much, too little, too this or too that. One place told him he had been unemployed too long. (?) And many, many places didn't even acknowledge they received his application.  He went to places and asked for employment only to be told, "Go home and apply online." My husband is an eleven year military veteran, has experience in security, law enforcement, management, higher education and the finacial industry. You think he would have been able to find a job. And he did. At a home improvement store for minimum wage-part time for the next six months.

When you have (at the time) eight kids and you are the only source of income for your family-minimum wage and part time doesn't cut it.

So, we lost everything.

Why am I hashing all of this out again?  Well, let's just say it's been a long road. A VERY LONG ROAD.

There was a lot of questioning God, a lot of second guessing, a lot of guilt (am I doing everything I absolutely can?) and a lot of fear and disappointment.

I know many of you are Dave Ramsey fans, and I think he has some wonderful financial advise, but I hate his attitude. It's basically, "You are in a bad finacial place because you made bad finacial decisions because you are stupid."

You know, I don't think anyone ever makes perfect financial decisions. Hindsight is always 20/20. But, doing everything perfectly doesn't guarantee you financial success. Or even financial security. It's like cancer (I know-hang with me here). You can eat healthy and organic, exercise, not smoke, use less chemicals, and take supplements, but it doesn't guarantee that you won't someday get cancer.

See where I'm going with this?

I absolutely think that being a good steward with your finances is essential, especially if you are a Christian, God instructs us to be good stewards. And, that is precisely why I choose to be frugal and wanted to join this link up.

But, God may also allow things to happen in your life for His greater purposes, even though those purposes make NO sense to us whatsoever. We don't all have the same story, God uses us in different ways. And, just as he can use an illness in our lives to bring us near to Him, he can use finances (or loss of) to bring us near to Him as well.

So, here we are five years later. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, and have some closure. Do I understand why God chose to allow our finacial ruin and have us move across the country to Oklahoma? Umm. No, I still don't know. Ha! But, I do trust that He knows the bigger picture even if I don't!

I do, however, think that in God's timing we will have some land and a house (possibly very soon?!) to do a little farming and homesteading. This is something we've wanted to do for practically our entire marriage. Fresh eggs and vegetables and milk and ............

But, in the meantime, I can still keep track of what I'm doing to help us continue to get back on track!


My efforts this week:

-Used some swag bucks for Paypal cash to buy some maternity jeans I needed.

-Made a big batch of potato soup for dinner and to share with my book club, so I wouldn't be tempted to spend money by grabbing something quick (and a lot easier) at the store on the way there.

-Did a little work to promote my homeschool books on Currclick.

-Made a batch of homemade laundry detergent.

-Used a gift card from Christmas for a dinner date with David at Olive Garden. The total after the gift card was under $8. I can't even remember the last time I ate there. It was yummy! And, I had left overs for lunch the next day.

-Repurposed a plastic shelving unit from storage to use in the boys room.

-Bought some chicken breast for $1.79 a pound at Sam's. Cheapest I've seen it in a while!

-And, got gas at Sam's to save five cents a gallon.

-Was given two bags of hand me downs (for me!) that had two cute pairs of shoes in great condition! And some cozy sweatpants! (Yippee! Thanks to my friend!)

-A shout out to the window repairman! The passenger side of my van window rolled down, but wouldn't roll back up-on the way to church-the day it was snowing (I know!). I reluctantly called to have it fixed, because this is the fourth thing since September I've had to have worked on. (An icy branch went through my windshield last month, and some radiator work twice). Anyway, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it after two hours of working on it, so he just pushed it back up (I can live with that) and didn't even charge me for looking at it. Bless his heart!

And, just to keep it real, where my efforts went a little awry.....

-Lost a library book. Yeah. :(

-Forgot to make David's lunch one day so he had to eat out.

-Internet bill went up $7 this year. Ouch!

Anyway, Thanks to Rebecca at Renaissance for allowing us to link up! Head over there and see what ideas others had this week!

Frugal Friday: How to Clothe a Large Family on a Budget

This is what my living room looked like two weeks ago.

 

 

No, the mall didn't throw up in there.

It's time for the Semi-annual Sanchez Seasonal Clothing Swapout!

We've got 12 people in the family and we just don't have room to keep all the clothes in the closets and dressers. So, twice a year I swap out the winter and summer clothes. That's tip number one for how to clothe a large family (or any size family) on a budget....

1. Be organized!

        This will make more sense in the next steps as to why organzation is key (as if organiziation isn't self explanatory for keeping wardrobes for 12 people). I keep all out of season clothing and shoes in plastic totes labeled by size, gender and season and stored in the garage.

2. Be a minimalist!

        Minimalism is your friend in this department. I've found that the more clothes a kid has, the more they get dirty and the more laundry I have to wash. and wash. and wash....    So, I find a reasonable amount of clothing for each child to last through the season. Sometimes that varies depending on the age of the child. For the most part about ten sets of clothing is enough per season. If I have enough extra from hand me downs, then I'll also set aside a few extra items for when something gets worn out, and also for church or when they need to wear something other than play clothes.

3. Don't be afraid to wear used clothing!

         Now, I know some people don't like wearing used clothing, and that's totally fine. There are lots of opportunities to find new clothing at huge discounts. Almost all stores offer end of the year clearances which are great for stocking up for the next season or a few seasons down the road if you find a really good deal. Also, check my favorite coupon sites for deals that spring up all the time.

          If you don't mind used clothing, and we don't, then here is a list of avenues that I use to clothe
our family. (A list within a list? I know, I'm type A. Please forgive me.)

• Hand-me-downs. All 12 of us wear hand me downs. And if it's something we can't use or don't like, then we can hand it down to someone else.  Call it a "swap" if you want. It's great for clothig, accessories, purses and shoes. The best part about hand-me-downs? FREE.

• Consignment. There are stores for children and adults. I've come across some really nice consignment stores, and some that are nice and expensive. But, typically even the more expesive stores will have a sale or things on clearance at some point. Also, in many cities are seasonal consignment sales that last a week with the last day being clearance. I've sold clothing at these and I've bought clothing at these, both good experiences.

• Thrift Stores. Sometimes the thrift store's quality of clothing isn't as nice as consignment, because it's donation, but it's also typically cheaper than consignment, and you can still find very nice clothing.

• Yard Sales. LOVE them. Huge selection, very cheap, and negotioable.

• Ebay. Just make sure the item has lots of pictures and detailed descriptions. Also, look at the seller's history. I've had good success buying clothing on Ebay, but I've also had lots of stress from trying to win an auction with a bazillion other bidders.

• Make your own. I'm not a seamstress, but I have been known to repurpose a thing or two if need be.

This is the time where organization comes in handy. When someone gives me hand me downs I go through them immediately, decide what I can use, and tuck them away in my labeled totes. Whatever I can't use, I go ahead and pass on to someone else. I also have a rule. If someone can't wear it in the next two years, and it's not something I don't want to part with, then I will hand it down.  Even keeping clothes labed and organized into totes can take over the garage if you save every size and every season for every body. But, if you don't have a large family, you may want to keep it all.

4. Set up a clothing budget!

             Keeping some money set aside strictly for clothing has allowed me to purchase things that I come across at great deals. Whether it's online, or thrift or wherever, if I see a pair of brand new jeans marked down to $2 I can snatch those up and stick them in the totes til the following season. If I know that someone will need jeans anyway, then I can plan ahead and get the good deal, so I'm all set when that next season arrives. I know it's hard to do with a large family, but I just make it a habit to keep my eye out for deals.

5. Name brands tend to last!

             In my experience, especially with used clothing, name brands tend to last much longer and stain less. Now, that's not to say that a name brand piece of clothing can't be ruined, because my children can ruin some clothing (can we say NO! to anything white?), but overall the quality tends to be better. If you can find a brand name clearance item, let's say a tshirt, for $2, that's such a better deal than a cheap brand bought new for $4. The $4 item will wear out in no time, and if I buy something new, I plan to have as many kids wear it as possible. Funny story. I bought two brand name plaid shorts overalls (boys size 2T) about seven years ago at a seasonal consignment sale on their 60% off day. I paid about $5 for both pairs. THREE of my boys wore those overalls, and they were in such great shape that I sold them again at a consignment sale for $5.

So, do you have any tips to add?

Frugal Friday: Be Frugal With Your Time

Did you know that there are more ways to be frugal than just with money?

Did you know that you can be frugal with your time?

I guess the experts call it "time management", lol!

1. Don't Overcommit!

          It is so, so easy, especially as homeschooling mothers to commit to everything under the sun that is offered. Now I know why we do this- for fear of our children missing out, for fear that our children won't be "socialized", for fear we may be stifling a creativity in our child that we can't meet by ourselves, etc. But, really it is a recipe for burnout for you and your child. They probably won't like running around all the time either. Instead, just choose, or better even let your child choose with you what their activities will be and you choose what your own activities will be. My motto has been that if I can't commit 100% to something then I just won't commit at all. It's frustrating to myself and others to only commit to something that I only half-heartedly devote myself to doing.

2. Multitask!

          Now, I'm using "multitask" very loosely here. If multitasking for you means that you eat lunch while checking email, or you catch up on a little rest while you're nursing the baby to sleep, then that's perfect. Because, personally, my days of trying to nurse the baby while cooking dinner while grading a math test while starting laundry while paying a bill while bathing the toddler are over. I delegate to other children and only accomplish maybe two things at a time. Maybe it's too many years of trying to do too much at once, or maybe it's just old age creeping in.

3. Combine Errands!

          Whenever I know I have several errands to run, I try to combine as many things as possible. I also try to take the shortest route possible. That cuts down on time and gas. I also try to take at least a child or two if I have the option of leaving some at home, so that I can get some quality time, too. For instance, if I know I need to go to the post office and Sam's is on the way, and I know I need toilet paper by the end of the week, I'll go ahead and stop in Sam's and get it. That way I've already saved myself one extra trip that week.

4. Use Breaks Wisely!

          If the kids need a ten minute break from schoolwork to jump on the trampoline, then that gives me ten minutes to start some laundry, start lunch, or change a diaper. Now, I know there are times just to sit for that ten minutes and put your feet up, but if you have the energy, that's a great time to knock out a task or two. Even if you watch tv (I like to watch Biggest Loser and Undercover Boss each week) then get up on commercials and fold laundry or wash some dishes. A lot can get done in a 4 or 5 minute commercial break!

5. Set Goals!

         I'm a driven person, so sometimes I've been known to be a little too lofty with my goals. But, I've learned realistically what I can accomplish while still allowing myself to focus on my God-given priorities-Bible study, my husband, my children, my home. Now many (well, most) of my goals revolve around those things in some way. Normally I don't even write the goals out, unless there are details that I need to remember.  If it helps you to write them out, then do that. I just keep them in mind during the day or week. If at this time in your life your goals are to just keep the children somewhat clothed and make dinner for your husband, well those are goals. And, when you accomplish them, set more. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself. You can look back and think, "Wow, I accomplished my goals!" That may be what you need to persevere!

There are lots more ways to be frugal with your time. Do you have any good ideas for "time management"?

Frugal Friday!

Freebie Friday!

 

 

Here are a few more freebies in my mailbox. I got these a couple months ago, but just haven't posted them.



 

 

A man from our community gets extra month old magazines from our local book store and brings them to the library for anyone to take. Here are a few that I picked up a couple weeks ago. I just love this idea. He's been doing this for about two years now, and I've been able to get some great magazines. Sometimes I'll keep them, but sometimes I'll just read through and then take them back for someone else to pick up.

 

 

 

Whenever I request freebies, I only like to request those that I know I will use, or someone else can use, because as we all know, we don't need more clutter sitting around! And, I've actully converted to a few products, because of being able to request a freebie and try them out.  (Plus, it's fun to get something in the mail besides bills, right?)

Frugal Friday: Ten Things I Like to Buy at Sam's Club

We have a Sam's Club about a mile from our house and another two within pretty close proximity. We don't have any other warehouse clubs nearby, so I can't say on how the prices are at any other place. But, there are some things that I have found to be much cheaper at Sam's.

Now, typically I don't buy a lot of name brand prepackaged things.I usually get stuff like that cheaper and with a coupon at Walmart, or grocery store with a good sale. But, overall, Sam's club has a good quality store brand, and if you typically buy the name brand prepackaged things, you can find them cheaper at Sam's.

These are the things I've found to be about the cheapest and best quality.

1. Toilet Paper
     Member Mark is the Sam's brand and is very similar to leading name brands in quality. I can get a 36 double roll pack for under $17 or so. That's 23 cents per single roll and under the 25 cent price point most couponers have for a single roll. I can pick up a pack that will last us a almost a month and not have to worry about waiting for a sale and clipping a coupon.

2. Water Bottles
     Now I know that eveyone is going to the refillable bottles with filters, and mostly we just use water out of the faucet, but sometimes we need to have water bottles on hand. Sam's offers 36 for equal to or less than the same price of 24 at another store.

3. 90% Lean Ground Beef
     With the leaner ground beef, there is very little fat to drain off so you aren't losing the bulk of what you just purchased, and it's healthier because there is less fat.

4. Lunch Meat
       I know some people worry about nitrates added to their lunch meat, so just be cautious here if that is something you are concerned about. But, otherwise this is the best quality lunch meat for about the best price I've seen.

5. Milk and Yogurt
      Now, I could make my own yogurt, and I would like to someday, but at this point I'm just buying it. I do like to buy Greek yogurt for myself and the kids like regular, but at least they are getting the probiotic.
     
6. Cheese
     Cheese has gone up in price so much lately, but Sam's still has about the cheapest price. You can also buy in bulk and if you don't use cheese almost daily (like we do) then you can shred it, bag it and freeze it.

7. Eggs
     I really prefer to use cage free eggs for the quality and taste (and health factor) and since we are at a point in time where we can't raise our own, I've found the best price for these at Sam's. Maybe you can find them cheaper from a local supplier or farmer's market, but Sam's has been the best option for us at this point.

8. Baking Supplies
     I just bought a huge bottle of pure vanilla extract (I know you can make this, also, but I haven't had the time to try it!) for a small fraction of the cost I've paid in grocery stores. I know yeast and spices are also especially good bargains.

9. Fruit and Vegetables
     I can get about the best deal on lettuce at Sam's. Typically the usual Sam's price is the grocery store's sale price on many fruits and vegetables. Again, your local farmer's market may be the best bet, but if you buy produce from a grocery store anyway, Sam's is your best bet.

10. Gasoline
     Sam's usually has about a 3 cent per gallon discount on gas as compared to our local corner station. Not always, but usually. Today, gas here is $3.50 per gallon at the corner station. (Crazy!)

Sam's has a basic membership cost of $40, but you can easily make up that in savings. We make that up just in gas, since my van has a 30 gallon tank! But, if you are not sure you want to join, or if it would be worth it to get the membership, you can always go on a guest day or with someone else who has a membership to price compare first.

No, Sam's isn't paying me to say this. (Although they should, don't you think?)

Frugal Friday: Ten Ways to Homechool on a Shoestring Budget

Homeschooing doesn't have to break the bank. It doesn't even have to come close. There are so many quality resources available for free, or almost free, that homeschooling can be done on even the most miniscule of budgets.

Here are TEN ways you can homeschool on a shoestring budget:

1. Utilize your library. There are books, magazines, dvd's, etc. on just about every topic right at your disposal- for free.

2. Buy used curriculum. Many homeschool organizations offer up yearly used curriculum sales, typically toward the end of the school year/beginning of summer. Depending on participation, you may be able to find everything you need for your upcoming year at the one sale at a small fraction of the retail cost.

Also, there are several options to find used curriulum online. Ebay, HSLDA's Curriculum Market, Curriculum Exchange, and  Yahoo used curriculum group are great places to find what you need.

3.Yard sales. I have found so many things at yard sales from flash cards, books, puzzles, vidoes to actual homeschool workbooks and curriculum. One of my favorites was a teacher who was retiring. I got so many great things from her for just cents.

4. Library and Private school book sales. These are great places to find supplements to your curriculum. Novels, children's books, geography and science books and really just about anything is possible to find at these sales.

5. Scholastic Book Warehouse Sales. These sales offer a wide variety of books at a 50%, and often times more, discount. This is a great opportunity to build a homeschool library and find supplements to your curriculum at a greatly reduced cost.

6. Set up a freebie/curriculum swap table at your homeschool group meetings. At one homeschool group I was part of, we just brought in what we wanted to give away and set it out on a table. It was a great way to declutter and give something to someone who could use it. On a larger note, I've also been part of an area wide book benevolence. If you have a willing host (in this case a church) who has a little space to spare, anything homeschool related can be donated, kept in a central location and, the doors can be opened once a month to anyone needing curriculum.

7. Dollar stores. These days many dollar stores are offering up a large selection of teaching supplies. Recently, I've been able to find simple workbooks, worksheets, file folder games, flashcards and all kinds of supplies from stickers to cutouts.

8. Borrow what you need from a friend. If you are in need of something, ask a friend if you could borrow their resource. (Just please keep it away from the two year old with the sticky peanut butter and jelly fingers. Just ask me how I know.)

9. Browse the web. There are literally TONS of free resources on the internet on every subject in every time period for every thing.  Click on the "Homeschool" page tab at the top of this blog to find links to many great sites I've come across over the years.

10. Write your own. If you just can't find the resource you need, or maybe your can't find the perfect resource for your family, you can always just write your own. Now, I am going to offer you a shameless plug for my book, "Overcoming Curriculum Anxiety! A Ten Step Guide to Writing Your Own Curriculum".  I've been writing my own curriculum for over twelve years now, and I've shared my "how to" process with you! Only $10!