October Newsletter

I keep trying to convince myself that fall has arrived here in New England. Yep, the leaves are changing but instead of our average 60-70 degree Farenheit days, we're experiencing record and near record temperatures in the 80's and low 90's! I was worried about keeping the heat off until mid-October but instead I'm catching myself wanting to turn the air conditioning back on. Alas, the fickle New Englander in me shows. Just wait until January when the temperatures are below freezing and the wind chill makes it feel like 20-below zero. I'll be complaining it's too cold then!
 
I really do love fall in New England. I especially love fall for all the apples, squash and pumpkins. Apple cider either icy cold or warm and spiced is another favorite. I love working in the yard in jeans and a sweater. I love baking lots of goodies for the boys as well. I have definately noticed that my fall loves focus around food so I've worked at adding a few baking things to the site this past month.
 
I have several recipes that call for the typical apple pie spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. I found apple pie spice mix several years ago in the store and then eventually started mixing my own. Don't hesitate to adjust this recipe if you prefer more of one spice to another (I'm a huge cinnamon fan but not so much a ginger fan for example. ). I've also put up a similar mix recipe for pumpkin pie spice mix.
 
Apple Pie Spice http://www.frugal-families.com/Recipes/apple-pie-spice-mix.htm
 
Pumpkin Pie Spice http://www.frugal-families.com/Recipes/pumpkin-pie-spice-mix.htm
 
Another great recipe from my box is a basic baking mix. This is the same thing as the box you buy in the store that makes quick bisquits and such. You know the box, right? I have used the homemade version in every recipe that calls for the "quick" mix and never had a problem. It's significantly cheaper and very easy to make.
 
Basic Baking Mix http://www.frugal-families.com/Recipes/basic-baking-mix.htm
 
In most parts of the country, fall can also mean that it's time to prep your home for cold temperatures. Heating costs have sky-rocketed and we put up a new tips sheet on how to cut down on heating expenses. One of the ideas in that article calls for microwave cozies. I also put up the directions for these. They make fantastic inexpensive presents (yep, that time of year is fast approaching as well! ).
 
Cutting Down on Heating Expenses http://www.frugal-families.com/Articles/cutting-heating-costs.htm
 
Microwave Cozies http://www.frugal-families.com/Articles/microwave-cozies.htm
 
Speaking of the holidays, it isn't too early to start shopping for bargains or better yet, making gifts that give more of your heart, than your pocketbook. In addition, spreading your shopping over three months versus three weeks makes it more likely that you can stick to cash purchases instead of hitting up the credit cards. Avoid those January blues that arrive with the first post-holiday credit card statement.
 
I almost forgot Halloween! In my home, we don't get into the dark and scary side of this day but the boys enjoy dressing up and we visit friends and family. We have alot of great ways to dress up your little trick-or-treaters as frugally as possible and we also have some fun ghoulish recipes.
 
Halloween articles http://www.frugal-families.com/Articles/index.htm#Halloween
 
Ghoulish Recipes http://www.frugal-families.com/Recipes/index.htm#HalloweenRecipes
 
As always, if you ever decide you'd rather NOT receive our newsletter, please return it with a quick note asking to be removed from out list.
 
Thank you for being part of our frugal family!