Being Frugal = Being Green

 I read this GREAT ARTICLE  in Relish Magazine today, and I thought it was totally in line with yesterday's post! You see Bloggy Buddies, we are being FRUGAL and GREEN!!! I guess my hypothesis that being  frugal and being green go hand in hand! You can also click HERE, if you want to read some more of my thoughts on the subject.

What do you all think? Can being frugal naturally make you more conscientious about sustaining our planet?

Saving Money On Utility Bills

It seems like utility rates have  increased quite a bit where I live. I know for a fact that our power supplier increased rates 12% recently. Our gas bill has seemed high, too. This does not bode well for my new uber tight budget, so I have been trying to find ways to decrease our consumption. This has not been an easy task, because I live with four children that didn't realize that the light switch goes UP and DOWN! They are great at turning lights on, but off ....not so much.  I have become the families Black Out warden; only I'm not protecting us from enemy planes, just outrageous energy bills. I may being instigating a $.25 fine for every infraction that occurs if my barrel of  Monkeys doesn't get on board soon. Anyhow, after much thought I have implemented the following energy saving measures at our house:

• I have turned the thermostat down to between 67 - 68 degrees during the day, and 62 degrees at night. I have noticed that the kids have been wearing the knit caps they got for Christmas around the house, and a few have been wrapped in blankets while they watch television. I have been wearing fleece socks, slippers, and a sweater around the house.  At least nobody is going to freeze....right?
• I have been opening all the blinds on sunny days to help warm up the house. 
• I have also been placing rolled up towels ( I just happen to have a few old towels lying around lately) against the bottom of the door to prevent drafts.
• I have been uber vigilant on turning off all the lights that get left on, and waiting until absolutely necessary to turn them on a night. I have been using lamps more, instead of the over head lights.
• I have been filling the sink with water to rinse the dishes while I am loading the dishwasher, instead of running them under a stream of water.
• I run the dishwasher at night after 10:00 pm, when the rates are cheaper.
• I have been washing most of the laundry in cold water ( I still wash towels, socks, and undies in hot water, because I am raising boys, and they are.....NASTY! I combine those loads.) 
• I have purchased a second drying rack and am going to try to hang at least two loads of laundry a day up to dry. I have to wash 3 or 4 loads of laundry a day to keep up.
• I have been rewearing some of my clothes before I wash them. It's too cold in my house to really sweat right now, so I wear my jeans and the cami's I wear under my shirts twice before I wash them. I have been making the kid's wear their pajamas 2 or 3 times, as well. They bathe at night before bed, so theoretically they are clean. Towels are SUPPOSE to be hung up to reuse several times, but this is still a work in progress. You can only train the Monkeys to do one thing  at a time.
• When I do any baking I try to bake several things to last us several days, to cut down on heating the oven up unnecessarily. I have been thinking of using the crock pot more to cut down on using the oven.

Speaking of baking, this is totally off subject, but I forgot to post pictures of Child #4's Birthday cake this week. Making a birthday cake is a more frugal option than buying one (and I just want to show off my handy work), so hear it is:

The baby loves all things Star Wars. His original request was for a cake made into the shape of the Death Star or a 3 D likeness of Chewbaca. Since, I am not a miracle worker, he had to settle for a battle scene. The action figures were part of his gift (bought on sale with an extra 10% off). The magma (all alien planets have to have a molten lava surface, I was informed) is raspberry jam, the "dirt" is crushed chocolate graham crackers from the pantry, and the candy rocks came from the bulk section of the grocery store. Pretty good for a last minute "making do" cake.

Bloggy friends, give me your ideas! How do you save money on your energy bills?

What I Spent My Christmas Money On

Every year I save any Christmas money or gift cards that I get to spend on the after Christmas sales. I am very boring when it comes to spending Christmas or Birthday money. I always seem to spend it on something I want or need, but can't bring myself to buy out of the regular family budget. This year I received a $30.00 gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond from my employer. I also received $20.00 in cash in a card, and returned a pair of dress boots that weren't my size for another $15.00 dollars (Child #2 accompanied Dear Hubby on the after Thanksgiving Day sales, and scored the boots for 50% off. I believe, I see another Tightwad in training.....I am SO proud). My grand total to spend was $65.00. I needed a second calendar, and I found one (with cute pictures that I can frame after I am done using the calendar) for 50% off at the mall. The final cost for the calendar was $6.00. I dropped my pizza stone on the floor and broke it into several pieces, earlier this year. I have been making pizza on my cookie sheet, but it is just not the same. I found a new pizza stone at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $14.99. I have really needed new bathroom towels for a long time, but I have been making due. You can see through most of mine, at this point!  I consider towels an investment purchase (the last time I bought towels was probably 8 years ago). I never have good luck with cheap towels. They always shrink up funny, they aren't as absorbent, and they tend get get holes in them fairly quickly, too. A decent towel that will last for years are about $10.00 a piece. I lucked out today at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They had some really nice towels on clearance for $5.99 each (regularly $9.99 a piece). I bought 5 bath towels and 2 hand towels ($4.59 each) for total of $39.13 ( $34.13 after I used a coupon for $5.00 off your total purchase). Today's shopping spree cost me $55.12. I am so excited to have fluffy towels, again. The best part is there are few dollars leftover. Maybe I'll hit happy hour at Sonic for a Diet Cherry Coke to celebrate!

Random But Frugal Thoughts

I have been really focusing on eliminating food waste this week. I have also been focusing on digging out from under the layer of clutter Christmas always seems to bring. The pile of Christmas goodie plates, that has been covering our kitchen table, from all our wonderful neighbors are slowly being consumed. Children are great for consuming sugary goodness.....I wish I could blame them for being the sole culprits, but I can't ( Oops! I just confessed ANOTHER sin!). I turned the rest of the Egg Nog and a dozen leftover rolls, that were a little on the stale side, into Egg Nog French Toast for breakfast. The turkey has been recycled into sandwiches and Fricassee. However, the troops are begin to balk at the turkey entree line up for the rest of the week, so I will probably put the rest in the freezer to use later. On the upside, I got a Presto Multi Cooker/ Steamer for Christmas that I have been itching to try. I think I will pull all the odds and ends out of the freezer (a.k.a chicken nuggets, french fries, tater tots, fish sticks) the assorted veggies that need to be used up (zucchini, green chilies, carrots, mushrooms) and have a deep fat fried fest. tonight. Not healthy, necessarily, but FUN!

Every year, the week after Christmas (and the entire month of January, too) I get the urge to redecorate. I've decided that it's more I want to shake up the "same old, same old" at my house. There is rarely any money in the decorating budget, so I usually have to compensate by rearranging furniture. If I move furniture from one room to another (using a cedar chest for a coffee table in the living room, and throwing a quilt over the back of the couch) it feels like a whole new room. Organizing and decluttering also helps curb my urges, too. When I am organized I feel like I am in more control of my crazy life. Plus, the house seems to stay a little bit cleaner, too. Yesterday, I decluttered and organized my little boy's room, and Child #2 are her Best Buddy did the same thing in her room ( Best Buddy and I moved the furniture, so she wouldn't rip out the surgeons handy work). I will be picking a project or two to work on every day until all the closets and rooms are organized. Woohoo!

Anatomy Of A Frugal Christmas Tree

  

(This is what happens when a Charlie Brown tree gets it's BLING on!)

 Every year Dear Hubby and I argue over real vs. a fake Christmas tree. When we bought our house, the person we bought it from sold us his Christmas tree for $50.00.  The tree is 8 feet tall (we have a vaulted ceiling in our living room), and it would not fit into the smaller home he had just bought. We used that artificial tree for 10 years (he had used for 10 before that), but sadly the tree is on it's last leg. It's an some assembly required  project. It's kind of like a Christmas tree jigsaw puzzle. Each row of the tree limb were color coded. I say were, because, the colors have worn off or faded until they ALL look the same. One year I tried to recolor them with Sharpie markers, but that all rubbed off quickly. So, now it just "Russian Roulette". If you follow the picture diagram included, and you argue with your spouse for two hours if those are the red or orange limbs, the tree might come out looking normal, or it might not. Then there was the problem of the branches just popping out of their allotted slots at any given time and falling on the floor. This freaks out the dog who was sleeping under the tree, sending her into with corner with a nervous tick!  This also freaks out the stressed out Momma, and sends her into the corner with a nervous tick, too! Needless to say, two years ago, I made the corporate decision to retire the tree. I have been on the look out for the past two after Christmas sales to buy a new tree on clearance, but so far I have been unsuccessful! :(

The last two years we have had a live tree. We are lucky to live in a semi rural area. We can purchase a tree permit for $5.00 from the U.S. Forest Service. Dear Hubby and the kid's have been making an after Thanksgiving trek into the woods to find our Christmas tree. Dear Hubby's brother lives on the way to the place designated to cut our tree, so sometimes his family buys a permit and tags along too. Sometimes Grandpa tags along to offer advice. There is the cost of the gasoline we use to drive to where the tree is cut (about 40 miles from where we live), but they always stop and visit Dear Hubby's brother's family, and they are making family memories. I consider it money well spent. Now that you know way more about my Christmas tree adventures than you ever wanted to know, I will get back on track!

Artificial Christmas trees are definitely an investment purchase. You want to buy something you will be happy with for along time, and will hold up to some wear and tear. After Christmas clearance sales are a great way to find a cheaper Christmas tree. I have been going that route, because Dear Hubby is a MAJOR Christmas tree connoisseur . He is very finicky about the style and general "bushiness" of artificial trees; hence, my lack of success on the clearance sales.  I have also seen lovely trees at consignment shops, and thrift stores. Yard sales, Craig's List, and the classified section of you newspaper are other resources for finding a good used Christmas tree.

Decorating your tree can be a budget buster, too. I have been lucky, because my Dear Sweet Grandma started a tradition when my siblings and I were little. She would deliver a home made Christmas ornament for each grandchild along with our Christmas gifts. The theory behind this tradition was that at some point we would all grow up and go out on our own. When the time came we would have ornaments to put on our own Christmas trees. Grandma was a very wise woman! I was the only granddaughter, so I ended up with a bevy of  angel and pink themed ornaments. My mother carries on the tradition now for her own grandchildren. Each year  I alternate themes. One year I use our homemade ornaments. The next year I decorate with glass balls (bought on Christmas clearance for $.75 a box), snow flake ornaments (Dollar Store purchase) and candy canes (grocery store purchase). Dollar Stores are great resources for ornaments and garland. They are especially great for finding cheap filler ornaments. After Christmas clearance sales are also a treasure trove for ornaments and decorations, you can get very nice decorations for super cheap! Thrift stores are another great resource, too. I  have found boxes and brand new ornaments at thrift stores for $.50 to $1.00. Some are new and never been opened.

Making your own ornaments is another great option. The second Christmas we owned our house I was in the mood to create a themed tree, but we were on a very, VERY tight budget that year. My two oldest children were 5 and 2, and I was pregnant with Child #3. One afternoon, I invited my neighbor and her little kid's( who was also on a tight budget) to come over an make ornaments with us. First walked over to the common area in our neighbor that was loaded with pine trees. We gathered pine cones and brought them home. We painted the pine cones with craft glue and sprinkled them with white, silver, and gold glitter. After they had dried we attached Christmas ribbon to the fat end of the pine cone with a gold thumb tack. We also whipped up a batch of Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments.  Since I was going with a cabin theme I cut out fish, mouse, and lob cabin shapes. My friend used bell, angel, and star cookie cutters. We also whipped up a few Reindeer ornaments, too. Our little kid's had so much fun helping the Mommies make Christmas ornaments, and we use items we had salvaged from around our house. Oh my, I seem to be in a Reminiscent mood today, I apologize!

A tree skirt is the only thing I ever struggle with. I don't believe I have ever owned one. Every year  I have had good intentions of buying a pattern and  whipping one up on my sewing machine. Of course, that never happens. Then I decide that I will watch for one to go on clearance, but I never do. I have always ended up draping a fabric tablecloth,  an old twin sized quilt, a piece of Christmas fabric (bought on clearance), and this year a crocheted throw (afghan) I rummage out of a clearance bin at Walmart for $5.00. Maybe, I should put "Get Yourself A Decent Tree Skirt" number one on my Christmas To Do List!

Now that your have endured my "Stories From Christmas Past" monologue, hopefully, I have given you some ideas to help you decorate your own frugal Christmas trees! Which do you prefer, a  Live or Artificial Christmas Tree?

Check Out This Great Blog!

Many of you know how much I love Bountiful Baskets! Every week I am amazed at the variety of produce $16.50 can buy! However every so often Bountiful Baskets throws me a curve ball by including fruits and veggies I have never cooked (or even seen in person) before. Today, my friend Julie, gave me a heads up about a great blog, Basket 411, that gives you all sorts of ideas and recipes for using each weeks bounty. So, if you are a Bountiful Basket regular, or just a veggie lover who wants to find new and exciting ways to use seasonal produce; this is the blog for you!

It's Oven Cleaning Day!!!!

Today I conquered the monumental task of cleaning my oven.  I have not cleaned it since it bought 1 year and 11 months ago. Cleaning my oven has not been high on my priority list, because I am really the only one who sees all the grossness. However, my Dear Sweet Friend has "borrowed" my oven several times lately (her oven was on the fritz and the repair man had not come yet). Having someone else seeing my filthy oven (even though she loves me despite my failings) shamed me into tackling the project! It's not like it should be a huge production....it is a self cleaning oven (my previous oven was not self cleaning, so I am a newbie here)..........right. This is going to be a full disclosure post, so here is what it looked like before:

 

 

 

Once I started prepping the oven for it's cleaning ( I even dug out the owner's manual and followed the instructions to the letter) it sort of snowballed! I pulled the oven out of it's little cubby (Caution: more embarrassing photos to follow):

It appears that there was a dust bunny convention going on under the stove, and why is there a q tip under the stove(maybe I don't want to know the answer to that question)? Nothing a good sweeping and scrubbing couldn't fix! 

I forgot I left this this piece of wallpaper up for posterity!

 

Have I mentioned that whoever built this house had horrible taste!!!!!!!  Who wallpapers a kitchen (and dining area) with feather wallpaper?  As I was giving the stove a good vaccumming and scrubbing (the dust bunnies had decided to take up residence around the storage drawer, as well) I discovered some treasures:

Two quarters and the schematic for the stove (I'm sure this will come in handy when it time to start repairing the stove). While the oven was doing it's self cleaning thing. I pulled off  knobs and let them soak in some soapy water for awhile.

 

The instructions were adamant that you could not leave the racks in the oven during  the cleaning cycle. I placed them in the bathtub filled with hot soapy water (that I had added dish soap and ammonia to). I let them soak for a couple of hours. It worked like a charm. All the baked on gunk wiped off easily (Woo Hoo)!

After a quick wipe down once the cleaning cycle was finished; the oven it now a beautiful sight to behold!

 

 

My project did take a good chunk of the day to complete, but now that  I'm done I think it was time well spent. It bright and shiny clean! All ready for a holiday baking marathon! Oh, and did I mention I love my self cleaning oven? Whoever invented them is a genius......pure GENIUS!

I Love My Cast Iron Skillet!

Sometimes on my frugal journey  it becomes apparent to me that "cheap" is not always the best option. Disposable items like food and toiletries should always be bought when they are at their lowest price. Children's socks are another disposable item that I have learned to buy as cheaply as possible ( My children have a "thing " for wearing their socks outside to play...WITHOUT shoes. Gold Toe, Reebok, and Nike socks wear out just a  fast as Walmart brand in this scenario, so I pick my battles!). Non stick frying pans are another item I have decided are on the cheap list (after much research, a.k.a. half a dozen non stick skillets later). It doesn't matter what brand or what price range I buy, the finish always starts to flake off within six months to a year. Even when I follow the cleaning and care instructions to the letter.

I decided it was time to go another route. People have been using cast iron to cook in (and on) for hundreds of years. If it had been tested for that long it must be good. I headed to my local sporting goods store and bought a Lodge cast iron skillet the next day.

There is some prep work to be done before you can use your skillet (to "season" it, and make it non stick). Basically, you need to:

1. Liberally grease the inside of your skillet with vegetable oil or shortening.
2. Place your skillet inside a 350 oven for one hour. Your skillet may smoke a little bit, so turn on the exhaust fan.
3. After an hour turn off the oven a let the oven and skillet completely cool.
4. Wipe out any excess oil from the skillet with a paper towel.
5. Now it's ready to cook in!

It is different to cook with cast iron. I have learned (sometimes the hard way):

1. Cast iron holds the heat better than regular frying pans, so you need to cook at a lower temperature (If you want to cook something on Medium heat, turn your burner to Medium Low and adjust gradually from there.)
2. Gradually heat up your skillet. Never turn your burner to High heat. It will crack your skillet, and/or start a fire!
3. Lightly grease the skillet before the first few times you use it. I still use non stick cooking spray and have never had a problem with build up.
4. If something sticks to the bottom of the skillet. Fill the skillet with a couple of inches of hot water (NEVER put cold water in a hot skillet!!!!!), bring to a low boil, and let it  boil  for five minutes. This will loosen the stuck on food, so you can gently remove it with a plastic scraper. 
5. To clean your skillet you are suppose to use hot water only. You can scrub your skillet with a no scratch sponge or scrubbie. This instructions say not to use dish soap on your skillet (it ruins the finish), but that seems icky to me. I scoop a few bubbles from the top of the dish water with my scrubbie  and wash my skillet with those. 
6. Do not cook acidic foods, like tomatoes, for prolonged periods of time. The acidic ruins the finish of your skillet. Regular cooking is fine.
7. If  the finish of the skillet wears off, just reseason your skillet.
8. Buy a brand name skillet. Cheap or generic cast iron can have flaws that effect their performance.

 Cast iron skillets are oven proof, so they are great for making cornbread, or frittatas.Of, course my skillet didn't come with a lid (you can purchase them separately). I like having a domed glass lid, so I can see what's going on in the pan. I purchased and old glass lid from a crock pot at the thrift store for a $1.00. Problem solved!

I have been using my skillet for five years now. It just keeps getting better with age! I have made everything in it from pancakes and french toast to sloppy joes and tamale casserole(cook the main ingredients in the skillet pour the cornbread batter over the top and pop it in the oven to bake). The more you cook in it the more non stick it becomes. It's fabulous for frying chicken and scones. Cast iron holds heat well, so temperatures don't fluctuate making deep fat frying a breeze. I have seen a bazillion cast iron skillets at yard sales and thrift stores that just need some TLC (a little steel wool to scrub out the rust and a good reseasoning) for cheap!!! In fact, I'm currently on the look out for a small one for cooking eggs! My initial $25.00 investment has more than paid for itself in the last five years. Compared to the $100.00 plus dollar I spent on the six  Teflon coated frying pans, it's a steal!

A Few Grocery Shopping Tips and Ridley's and BiLo's (Associated Food) Deals 10/26 - 11/1 and

A lot of you probably wonder why I post my local Associated Food stores sales deals each week. I do it for a couple of reasons.

1. I use it to create my grocery list for the week as I map out my errand run. I try to group my errands according to geographic area, to save on time and gas (Ridley's is several blocks from our local library, so I always stop there on my way home from my weekly library visit).
2. It gives my local blog readers (and those with an Associated Food store in their area) an idea of the weekly sales items that are a great deal. Ridley's and Nel's BiLo do not put their weekly grocery ads in our newspaper (which keeps costs down for them, but is inconvenient for shoppers).

I learned along time ago that in order to save the most money on my grocery bill, it is a good idea to shop several places. I take advantage of the grocery ads in my local newspaper to stock up on the things I use regularly. I usually only buy the sales items (paired with a coupon, if possible) at those stores, because regularly priced items are more expensive. For my regularly grocery shopping I go to my local Winco Foods store. It is a step above an Aldi's (which I wish I had in my area). Winco has very few frills, a scaled back deli and bakery area (which is okay because I rarely buy those items anyway), and you bag your own groceries. The prices are the lowest in town (they are usually lower than Walmart).

Here are this week deals at Ridley's and Nel's BiLo. It looks like there are some really great produce deals this week! Check them out:

• Pepsi products (12 pack (12 oz) cans or 6(20oz) bottles) 4 for $5.00
• W.F. (5 quart) ice cream buckets $4.88 each
• Old Orchard frozen juice concentrate (12oz) $.85 each
• Crisco shortening (butter flavor or regular) $3.88 each
• Gold n Plump chicken (20 - 24 oz. package thighs, legs, or bone in breasts) $.95 each
• Boneless pork country style spareribs $1.59 pound
• Frozen turkeys $.89 pound
• Fresh spinach $.69 a bunch
• Butternut, Acorn, or Spaghetti squash $.59 pound

On Friday and Saturday Ridley's is having another 2 day produce sale. These items will be on sale:

• Dole salad (12oz bag)  $.87 each
• Fuji apples $.57 pound
• Cucumbers 5 for $1.00
• Roma tomatoes $.57 pound
• Medium sized yams 3 for $1.00
• Radishes or green onions 4 bunches for $1.00

Frugal Ways To Enjoy Magazines

I am a big magazine fan. I can enjoy reading without the total commitment a book requires (even though I do enjoy a good book, when time permits)! Magazines are a fabulous way to glean handy tips, find great new recipes to try, keep up on current events, and learn a new skill or two. The downside is that if I subscribed to every magazine that is geared toward my interests, the poor mail carrier would have a hernia from delivering them all (and I would probably be on his/ her Naughty List).   

I do have subscriptions to several magazines that I love! Some have been gifts. I can get my Reminisce  fix thanks to my mother. She renews my subscription every year. Thank you, Mom!!! I also love Taste of Home and Simple and Delicious magazines that are published by Reiman Publications (so is Reminisce,by the way).  In fact, I am a big fan of cooking magazines. It's fun to see the tried and true recipes that cooks from all over the country (and world) feed their families. I really am a sucker for cooking literature of any kind! Country Living and Better Homes and Gardens are also favorites.

Subscribing to magazines can get expensive quickly.  I have done some searching to find the most frugal way to indulge my habit.

• There are several website that offer discount subscriptions. Amazon.com, BestDealMagazines.com and Tanga.com are several sites I have found great deals on. I just renewed Taste of Home for $3.85.
• Share subscriptions with friends and neighbors. My friend subscribes to magazines that I don't, so we swap issues. Twice the pleasure have the price.
• Check out magazines from the library. The library is a great resource for all sorts of periodicals.  Lately, I have been checking out all sorts of crafty magazine to find decorating and gift ideas for the upcoming Holidays.
• Give a magazine gift subscription to a friend or family member. It a great gift (and easy gift to give)!
• Check magazines for reduced rate subscription cards. Magazines want to "hook" you as a devoted reader, so they will often offer deeply discounted first time subscriptions. 
• Renew your magazine subscription for 2 - 3 years at a time. Most companies offer a discount for a prolonged subscriptions. I just renewed Better Homes and Gardens for 3 years. They gave my a 3 year renewal for the price of one year ($9.99 or $3.33 per year).

Of course, it would be totally UNFRUGAL to just toss those magazine when you are done reading them! I am a big fan of  magazine swapping, but there are other good options:

• Donate magazines to Assisted Living, and nursing homes.
• Share magazines with elderly neighbors. The elderly are often shut in or on fixed incomes, and new magazine or two to read is always a fun diversion.
• Donate appropriate magazines to schools or Cub Scout groups for projects. I have donated many cooking and craft magazines to my friend who is a Home Economics teacher. Her class uses them for research and class projects.
• They can be donated to hospital and urgent cares,too.
• Always recycle magazine, sales circulars, and catalogs when you are done reading them.

Bloggy Friends......What are your favorite magazines to read?

Ways To Conserve Energy?

I have been thinking a lot about conserving energy lately. It probably has something to do with the changing of the seasons. Usually, our area gets a temperature "reprieve" in September and part of October. It works out so that we don't need to use the air conditioning, furnace, or water the lawn for about five or six weeks, saving us money on our utilities. Now it's getting to be time to switch gears and start thinking about heating bills, again.

Two years ago, Dear Hubby and I saved our pennies and installed a new furnace and air conditioner. The original builder of our home was a total jingle bell, in my opinion. He/she put in top of the line carpet(which is the thorn in my behind 27 years later, because it's this horrendous blue color but still serviceable), and paid for professional decorating, but( as far as I can surmise) to save money they installed a furnace and air conditioning unit way to small for our square footage. We froze in the winter and sweltered in the summer, and still paid ridiculous gas and electric bills! The new furnace and air conditioner have helped immensely, but it still costs money to heat our square footage.

I have started a short list of ways to conserve energy and save on our utility bills. So far I have come up with:

• Weather stripping. It's not something you think about until you see that crack of light shining between the outside door and the door jamb. It is amazing what a difference new weatherstripping makes around outside doors.
• Insulate switch plates and electrical plates. You can buy these at Home Depot or Lowe's.
  Drafts can sneak in around switch and electrical plates located on outside walls.
• Keep curtains and blinds closed on days when the sun isn't shining. Of course, open them up on sunny days to let the sun help heat the house.
• Throw an extra blanket on your bed, so that you can turn the heat way down at night.
• Wear a sweater or layers during the day, so that the thermostat can be set at a lower temperature.
• Bake on cold days. It helps warm up the house (and it smells great,too).
• When you use your oven bake several items to eat through out the week, and bake several things at once. For example, bake your veggie, main dish, and a bread or potato in the oven at the same time (See picture at top of post, and disregard dirty oven....it's on my To Do List.....I promise!).
  
• Run the washing machine and dishwasher during non peak hours. Usually, later at night.
• Turn off lights in unused rooms. This should be a no brainer, but the troops have not grasped this concept at our house. I am the light Nazi, going through the house turning off lights and ranting to all that will listen!

So, what are some of the ways that YOU, all my wonderful bloggy friends, have found to conserve energy and save money?

Removing Build Up From The Inside Of Your Dishwasher

I was at Child #4's flag football practice a couple of weeks ago, lamenting that my dishwasher was causing me grief. The main problem being that the dishes were coming out dirtier than when they went in. I am not new to this dilemma. I am lucky to live in an area that is surrounded by mountains, trees, and rivers. It is a beautiful place, but it has some of the hardest stinking water in the U.S. (seriously, it does!). Hard water can wreak great havoc on washing machines, dishwashers (I am on #3), faucets, pipes, siding, basically anything it touches. I do own a water softener, but that does not keep things totally in check (it just slows the process down). Anyway, the combination of lime scale, hard water, and dishwasher detergent build up had trashed the inside of the dishwasher, so when I ran a load, little bits of build up were being deposited on my dishes. One of the mom's that was chatting with me mentioned that a plumber had told her to use The Works toilet bowl cleaner to remove the build up. Being a gal who is always up for a cheap answer to a problem, I thought I would give it a try.

You can buy The Works toilet bowl cleaner at the Dollar Tree and Walmart.


Basically this is what I did:

• Turn off heated drying cycle on your dishwasher.
• Place newspaper under dishwasher to catch any drips. This is VERY important if you have laminate or hard wood floors. If the cleaner sits on your floor for very long it will eat the finish off of your floor! Wipe up spill and change wet newspaper IMMEDIATELY!
  
• Squirt toilet bowl cleaner on the sides and around the entire bottom of the dishwasher.
• I squirted some into the holes of my sprayer arms because they were filled up with crud,too.
• Let cleaner sit for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how bad the build up is. I let mine sit for 10 minutes.
• Fill the detergent cup up with toilet bowl cleaner.
• Run the dishwasher on the Light Wash cycle (that way the dishwasher doesn't drain out your cleaner before it is done working).
• When dishwasher hits the drying cycle, open the door and let the steam escape.
• Use a wet sponge to wipe out any remaining grunge.
• Run your dishwasher without anything in it through a second cycle to remove any remaining cleaner.
  
• Admire your beautifully clean dishwasher!

I had to repeat the process a second time, because my dishwasher was so funky gross, but it was worth it. Here is the dishwasher before:


Here it is after a thorough detox:



Almost like new! The best part is the dishes actually came out clean and sparkly! The troops are happy, too. They were getting tired of doing multiple loads of dishes by hand everyday to keep up. The big babies! I remember when I was growing up I had to do dishes by hand...uphill... in a snow storm....

Makeshift Mudroom

I really wanted a mudroom, or at least a place where I could organize all those coats, hats, backpacks, and seasonal items that seem to clutter up my household. I have a coat closet, but it is in the most inconvenient place in the house. It proved far to difficult for the troops to walk through the kitchen and open the door of the closet to hang up a coat and/or backpack. Apparently, it is much easier to just drop it on the floor! It made much more sense to turn the coat closet into a pantry(that of course, is another post entirely). A pantry is nice, but it didn't solve the mudroom dilemma. Of course, frugality is all about improvising. You have to make do with what you have available to work with. The stairs going to the basement are right next to the kitchen door (which is the most used door in the house). The landing on the stairs is fairly roomy, and since most of the troops assorted items seemed to pile up in that area anyway, I figured that the landing would work for a "mudroom".

Since, my coat area would be open for all to see I wanted to find a coat rack that was attractive.
I found this at a craft show and it had been discounted.

The cute sign was found at another craft fair, and it since it pretty much was perfect I bought myself a Mother's Day gift (that was my big splurge).

Dear Hubby took a leftover piece of fence (from our fence repair earlier in the season), cut the end off to fit the space, added some hooks, and secured it into the wall studs. Now there is a place to hang backpacks, and purses. Someday I will paint it to match the shelf....it's on my To Do List.

The ladder was a gift from my Brother and Sister In Law. They found it in the back of the shed on the property they were renting. Knowing how much I love old things, they painted it and gave it to me for my birthday. It makes the perfect "shelf".

Wicker baskets purchased at thrift stores for a dollar or less make perfect cubbies for gloves, hats, the dog leash, bubbles, side walk chalk, and all the other things that seem necessary for survival.


I found these fabulous S hooks at our local army surplus store for a dime apiece. They fit on the rungs of the ladder perfectly, and are great for hanging lunch bags, fly swatters, and reusable grocery bags.


The big wicker basket was found in the clearance section of a decor store for $6.97 (75% off). It works great as a catch all for shoes, and assorted sporting equipment.


The perfect makeshift mudroom! Now, I just have to convince the troops to put their "stuff" in the appropriate places.......and not on the floor!

Thrift Store Fun

One of my favorite past times is thrift store shopping. I am lucky to have access to several second hand, consignment, and thrift stores in my area. I have found that if I am consistent I can find treasures fairly frequently. There are trips when I don't find anything or only an item or two, but there are times when I hit the jackpot. Yesterday was one of those trips. My girl child (Child #2) has caught the thrifting bug, as well. She had several babysitting jobs this summer, and bought the majority of her own school clothes ( I was very proud of her for that). It didn't take her very long to realize that her money went a lot further at the thrift shops than at the mall (even though she and her little friends hit some awesome clearance sales and got some great deals, too). Here's what we found:

Child #2 found three cute sweaters to take on her Debate trip in November.

Child #2 found the cute brown dress, but I found a couple of dresses for me.

We also found two books, a brand new twin sheet set (that matches #2's bedding set), a purse for me (I'm so excited, because the inside of this purse is filled with pockets. Now maybe I will be able to find my keys and cell phone. Wishful thinking?), a pair of ballet flats ( I had to do some finagling to get to keep those. Dear daughter and I wear the same shoe size. I may have to hide them!), two stylish belts (Child #2's little fetish. She has a drawer full of them.), and three DVD's.

Here's a close up of the DVD's. "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Princess Diaries" were both brand new! Yoo Hoo! Our total amount spent was $60.97.

If you want to be a thrift store shopper there are several things to remember:

• Keep a note book with items that you are looking for. I have a page for each child with needs and sizes. I also have a page with a list of house hold and misc. items I am looking for.
• Have a general idea of prices for new items in your area (you can keep those in your notebook, too). It's silly to pay the same price for used as for new items on sale.
• Check clothing for tears and stains. Also try the zippers to make sure they are working properly. If they are missing buttons or the stains appear to be easily removable buy the item. A little bit of work will score you a treasure.
• Canning jars, wicker baskets, picture frames, holiday decorations, movies, and books are generally always a good deal at thrift stores.
• Furniture can also be a thrifty find, but most of the time it will require some work to clean them up or repair. Always check springs, joints, and framework for damage before purchasing.
  
• Browse the entire store. If you find something you like, but aren't sure about, put it in your cart anyway. You may go back for it, and find some else has beat you to it.
  
• Visit them often. Thrift stores receive new donations daily, so inventory changes often. I usually go about twice a month. I will go weekly if I am looking for something in particular.
• Don't get discouraged. Sometimes you see A LOT of ugly ducklings before you find a swan!
• If you have items that you are not using, donate them. Some one else may be able to use them!

Baking Day And Home Made Yogurt

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I Need A Canning Intervention!

I swear, I made a promise to myself, at the beginning of the Summer, that I would NOT doing any canning this year! I had just inventoried the storage room downstairs and realized that 2/3 of the stash of garden produce I had put up from 2009 was still sitting pristinely in their cardboard boxes. That is because I was WAY out of control in 2008 and basically canned anything that would hold still for 5 minutes; leaving a surplus! I really had good intentions, and I held out for quite awhile but................

• Bountiful Baskets had such great deals on peaches, and pears, that my Dear Sweet Friend and I just did a "little" canning to take advantage of great prices and put a few things away.

• Then the stinkin' green beans that I had been lamenting were not going to produce, did just that! So, I thought I'd just put up a few more jars (12 to be exact) of Dilly Beans ( for a grand total of 36 pints of Dilly Beans in the storage room).

• But then Bountiful Baskets offered a fabulous price on a 36 pound box of Gala Apples. My Dear Friend and I really did need to stock up on Apple Pie Filling and it was just one box. In the end we netted 22 quarts.

I am NOT an addict! I can stop any time I want to! Only...........

• Those darn tomato plants that were loaded with green tomatoes that I knew were not going to ripen, did so all at once! Not to mention that those jalapeno pepper plants have been just so industrious, and so have the green pepper plants!

In fact, I don't think my peppers have ever produced anything close to this amount....ever! This is just one weeks picking. I have 2 gallon Ziploc bags of green peppers in the freezer already!

• I just couldn't waste all these beautiful veggies that my garden had worked so hard to produce.
• I would just make one batch of salsa to use them up....or maybe four batches (32 pints later).

• Oh, No! When I drained the tomatoes to makes salsa, it left a gallon and a half of perfectly good tomato juice. Of course, Waste Not Want Not! There was no way I could pour that juice down the drain. Besides, I had all the canning equipment out anyway, so I steam canned 6 quarts of tomato juice.

• Then I still had a pile of jalapenos! Now, if I tried to feed the kid's that many hot peppers all at once, I'm sure something VERY, VERY bad would happen! It would only take a minute to pressure can a few for later. Twelve more 1/2 pints later (bringing the grand total of canned peppers to 35).
• I'm sure I am done now! Oh, wait! Dear Hubby brought me "flowers" in the form of two more boxes of apples from his friend's orchard. Looks like I'll be making applesauce tomorrow.....and what about all those yummy beets still in the garden.....and the carrots, we can't waste those!

Hello, my name is Tightwad Mom and I have an addiction problem...........!

Trash To........Dinner?

The most expensive food you will ever buy is the food that you throw away. I know this seems like this should be common sense, but sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) it is hard to keep a tight rein on all the odds and ends in the refrigerator! Lately, I have been trying to make a conscious effort to minimize (or completely eliminate) the amount of food I toss in the trash.

Today I did a quick forage through the fridge to find the items that were coming close to expiring. I have an unwritten law that leftover entrees have a 4 - 5 day lifespan (anything with a cream, custard, or gravy base 3 days), and fruits and veggies are game as long as they aren't growing fuzzy beards or turning to liquid form. My adventure netted me the following:

• Half of a pot roast
• Some thawed out frozen strawberries
  
• Half of an open quart of home made applesauce
• Two half full containers of butternut squash and pumpkin puree
• A cup of chopped jalapeno peppers from the garden
• Three bananas that should be on life support!

After some quick thinking I turned the banana and applesauce (the applesauce stretched the banana, so I would have enough "fruit" for the recipe) into Banana Muffins (I added in some frozen blueberries to Katie at The Cutting Back Kitchen's yummy recipe). I am going to mix the rest of the applesauce into tomorrow's oatmeal. The pumpkin and butternut squash turned into Pumpkin Custard (a.k.a. Pumpkin Pie without the crust).


The strawberries were divided between individual reusable containers and I added Jello to them to make dessert for school lunches for the next couple of days. My kids have a thing for Jello right now, and making your own Jello cups is tons cheaper than buying them at the store.


I sauteed the jalapenos with an onion and added them to the pot roast (that I had shredded). I rolled the meat mixture in tortillas covered them with enchilada sauce and cheese (that I have an excess of thanks to fabulous cheese coupons). Notice a couple missing Enchiladas; the troops dug into them before I could finish my Kodak moment!


A little clever recycling turned potential garbage into delicious (in my opinion) alternatives. The best part is that my darling family have not realized that they are eating recycled leftovers, and I didn't end up throwing money in the trash!