Frugal Families Blog

Each year we grow a fairly large garden. This year we’ve been including the kids more in the care and harvest of it. Each day, the children weed for 10 minutes. They can earn extra time on the Gamecube by weeding more. (if THAT wasn’t the BEST idea ever! ) The garden is in pretty good shape and we’ve had some fun discussions while we were out weeding together.

Right now peas, green beans, and zucchini are on. We pick and shell peas or snap beans together. I like chatting with the kids about any topic they choose while we pass the time preparing veggies to freeze or can.

One BIG plus from our garden is a definite savings in growing and canning my own produce. Another plus is the security of looking at my pantry shelves at the end of the season as they are full of beans, beets, salsa, tomatoes, applesauce and raspberries. I love knowing if we had a financial hardship, we have plenty on hand to eat.

If you’re growing a garden this year, I hope you are enjoying that next to FREE, fresh produce as much as I am this year!

Summer is usually a time for vacations and relaxing. However, be careful not to take that vacation or relax from your frugal habits!

I’ve been taking inventory of the little things we can do through the summer to stay on track. This summer we have been:

Cooling off the house at night by keeping windows open & then closing windows & blinds before the sun starts heating things up.

Waiting until afternoon to use fans for cooling.

Freezing or canning any extra produce from the garden.

Hanging clothes on the line or racks to dry.

Using the grill more to avoid heating up the house.

Utilizing the library and other local attractions for entertainment.

Making our own Popsicles. (Ds11 has had so much fun being in charge of this!)

Trying combine errands to reduce gas usage.

I’m sure we can still do better, but we’re going fairly good now. SO - How are YOU doing?

When I was growing up, the answer was easy.  Once a week.  One store only (well, there weren’t a lot of stores where we lived, anyway.  Actually, I don’t think there were as many store options anywhere, back then.)  Always on Saturday.

It’s a lot of years later.  I now live in a metropolitan area, one that has several large grocery chains, several smaller stores/chains, low price stores like Aldi and Save-A-Lot (yep, we have both).  And sometimes there are some pretty good deals at Walgreens, Target, etc.

Sometimes, I think my ideal is to shop less - I know there are some people who basically do a big once-a-month shopping trip, with a little fresh stuff in between big trips.  There are times I think I’d like to do that.  Then reality hits - I believe I’ve confessed to being something of a bargain junkie.  Truth is, I’m afraid of missing GREAT deals!  There have been weeks, however, that I did not grocery shop AT ALL.  I was pretty well stocked up (it’s amazing what you can freeze) and there were no good loss leaders.  I kind of liked the feeling of not shopping that week.

Then, I have weeks that are the opposite.  I’ve mentioned before that I have not one but TWO big grocery stores that are walking distance from where I work.  And should there be a phenomenal loss leader - I just may shop every day that week.  The egg adventure comes to mind, but there have been other daily shopping expeditions.

Recently, however, the loss leaders have been few and far between.  I seem to have fallen into grocery shopping once a week.  Talk about going full circle back to my childhood…But I know me, and I know that this, too, shall pass.  So I guess the answer to the question of how often I grocery shop is a very definitive…”It’s depends.”  Check with me again next week.

This has little to do with being frugal, but has been on my mind so much lately.

I notice these days that there are so many parenting “styles” and methods out there. Some are popular enough to have been given names, some are used and remain unnamed. Some methods and some parents claim to have a corner on the “right” way to raise children. The part of this that bothers me the most, is that ONCE in a while, those who think they are right, make the assumption that others who are not parenting the way they do are wrong.

I can’t claim to be an expert on any particular style of parenting. We are in the process of raising 7 children and we are on an adoption waiting list excitedly anticipating our 8th. The one thing I’ve learned over my 21 years of parenting so far, is that what works for one child, might not even phase another. What motivates one child, or even most children, won’t necessarily motivate EVERY child.
Sometimes raising our families is very challenging. I’d venture to guess that it isn’t a picnic in the park ALL the time for any of us. We use what knowledge we have and give it our best effort.

Let’s support those best efforts no matter the “method” used.

School is out for the summer!  YAHOO!!!  I love the lazy days of summer and really enjoy having the kids home.  We need occasional activities away from the house however.  Tomorrow’s activity will be both fun AND frugal.

As soon as chores are done, (I’d say around 9:30 am) we will load the car and head to a town just 10 miles south of us.  We’ll visit the dollar store to let the 3 younger kids (4,6 & 11) choose gifts for dh’s birthday on Thursday. (combining this shopping with our outing to save on gas… outrageous to run to with the price of gas these days!)  After the dollar store, we are stopping at the library to choose several books to read.  By this time the kids will be feeling hungry and I will have packed a lunch from things we have at home - sandwiches, chips, soda (because I happen to have some on hand right now) and cupcakes.   This town we’ll be in has a small man-made lake with a sandy beach.  We’ll eat our lunch there and then let the kids play in the water until their teeth start to chatter.  LOL  If it’s too chilly to play in the water, we’ll take advantage of the playground equipment.  I hope to arrive home by 4pm in time to fix dinner.

The cost of this fun day out will be very minimal.  Lunch from home, small amount for the shopping and about $6 in gas.  We COULD spend more…. but why should we when there are activities close by that will fill the need?!

Enjoy YOUR frugal summer activities!

I can’t say that I thought this idea up. It has been circulating in frugality books and web sites for years but I still think it’s a great idea.

Basically you keep an ice cream bucket or Tupperware container in the freezer and add leftover bits and pieces of veggies and meats.  This is great for using up amounts to small to save for another meal. When your container is full, place contents in a big pot, add water, stock (I usually have homemade in the freezer), a can of tomatoes (these really give the soup great flavor), chopped onion, garlic, fresh or dried herbs and seasonings. You can also add rice, pasta, or diced potatoes.  Simmer for a couple of hours so the flavors blend and enjoy!

 You never have the same soup twice and best of all it’s free!!

Growing up, I never had any exposure to consignment stores, thrift stores - let’s put it this way, I had never even been to a yardsale until I was in my late-30’s (talk about late bloomer, frugally speaking).  Consequently, the idea of buying gently used clothing never occurred to me until relatively recently.  And this is something that I’m underground and secretive about around my family.  My mother would (a) be mortified (b) think we were in dire financial straits, (c) press money on me (d) all of the above.

As for me - I only wish I had gotten into the second-hand shopping sooner!  When I think of all the money I spend on BRAND NEW clothes for my son when he was growing up, I see dollar bills sprout wings and fly.  Fives, tens, and twenties, too.  My son often outgrew the clothes after a few wearings.  A woman I worked with was always on the lookout for kids clothing for her church missions, and she would ask me if my son ever wore the clothes, because they looked brand new.  I take solace in the fact that the clothing was put to good use, and probably got a lot of wear after it passed out of our house.

Oh, look, I went and got sidetracked again.  There’s a surprise.  The topic is consignment store adventures.   Must.  Remember.  This.

This past weekend, I went to my favorite consignment store.  Consignment stores can be a bit - or even a lot - more expensive than thrift stores.  This one certainly is.  But the clothing is all current style, and must be cleaned or dry cleaned before being brought in.  This store has become my store of choice for dress-up clothes, over the years. 

I wear khakis and shirts or sweaters for work every day, so my dressy stuff is usually lacking.  And I need dressy clothes once a year, for a business convention that my husband drags me (willingly, I admit) to.  A little over a year ago, I went on a medication that had the undesireable side efffect of packing 20 pounds on me.  20 pounds that have taken up permanent residence, apparently, at least while I am on this drug.  I mean, puh-leeze.  I was sick with a stomach bug earlier this year, and did not eat for 3 days.  Did I lose weight?  Oh, no, I GAINED.

Again, sidetracked.  Point being, those nice size 8 dresses that I wore to the last convention DO NOT ZIP anymore.  And if they did, I’d burst the seams.  So, last weekend, it was off to the consignment store.  Not as happily as in the past, though, since I would be buying two sizes larger than I used to wear.   Which, in turn, was another reason I did not want to pay retail - I keep telling myself that when I am off these meds, I will lose the weight (actually, my doctor agrees).  Maybe, maybe I can lose the weight before that time (not as sure of a bet.)

I love name brand and designer labels.  And I always find them at that consignment store.  This time was no exception.  I found a gorgeous, designer label little black dress with beaded front, that actually looks good on me (even better, with the help of a body shaper).  NEW WITH TAGS, it cost me $31.   Retail, it would be a couple of hundred dollars (sorry, I don’t pay that much for a dress, even if I’m in great shape).  I was also on a mission to find a white jacket or blazer, that could be worn with summery clothes, and I found one of those - again, designer label and new with tags - for $25.  While I was at it, I picked up a couple of cute, summery dresses for $12 each.  I am good to go for this trip.

Now, there is a thrift store that I love (and will be the topic of a subsequent blog), where most clothing items are $2.  And I’ve found some great casual stuff there.  But dressy items were lacking, or very 5-years-ago (or more).  These conventions are much less casual - I remember many years back when we started going, one particular night many women were in floor-length evening dresses; luckily it’s less formal now (and that’s the third time I’ve gone off on a side-tracked ramble, isn’t it?  I guess I need to blog more often!)   Let me just sum up my ramblings by saying this:  I’ve found that for those more “dress-up” occasions - business or banquet, it’s very hard to beat the great deals on great clothes at good consignment stores!

We told our 17 year old son and 16 year old daughter they could invite friends over for a barbecue this spring. They decided on this weekend. I asked a few days ago how many I might expect and ds nonchalantly replies “Oh, maybe 50.” LOL! (where is that fainting smilie?) Well, okay then, we’ll make that work. We agreed on burgers and hot dogs, chips, potato salad, baby carrots, cookies, brownies and lemonade.

I found burger patties in a box of 32 for $12, and another with 20 patties for $5 (not the best burgers on that last box - weird texture… I guess sometimes you get what you pay for. ) Went with the least expensive buns, cheaper hot dogs, sliced processed cheese (not individually wrapped), baby carrots were on sale for $1.25/1 lb bag. I bought 6 bags of chips (and have 4 left over because so many kids brought chips to contribute), made brownies and cookies from scratch with what I had on hand. Lemonade was a mix of powdered drink mix and the frozen and the potato salad was cheap since I already have 100 lbs of free potatoes in the garage stored from last fall. I figure it cost me $65! That’s just a little more than $1 per person! And the kids seemed to enjoy it just fine. (now I didn’t factor the paper plates & cups into that - but maybe just another $5 worth from the stash I bought at Sam’s Club a while ago)
Ds rented a movie for $1, we popped popcorn the old-fashioned way on the stove top. Before dark the kids entertained themselves playing soccer, throwing a football around, playing guitar, giggling and visiting. Really, they just seemed to enjoy having an excuse to get together to chat and hang out.

All in all - I’d do it again. (not soon, but again ) I got to meet a bunch of my children’s friends, I knew where my teens were, who they were with, and what they were doing. I enjoyed seeing that so many of them have wonderful manners and are thoughtful guests. Best of all… my OWN kids think I’m terrific because I took a little time to make it work. (and that pays off later in unexpected ways)

I COULD do it again spending even less. I could have the kids bring chips or desserts or drinks. BUT it was nice to just let them show up.

I think this will be a new springtime tradition in our home. I know I can afford letting our children entertain when I plan ahead. Besides, Food for 50: $65, appreciation from your kids: Priceless. LOL

     I used to be so intimidated to host any small group in my house, it does not matter whether it is a church small group or the scouts.  I was raised to believe that one’s house should always be immaculate.  Well for me at this point in my life that is just not realistic I work full time, I go to school part time, we have two children with a ton of activities and plus my husband and I have hobbies we pursue.  We are trying to pack a lot in so here are my hard and fast rules for a fun time.

     Keep it simple….other peoples lives are just as busy as yours and they are often just as thankful for a meal so they don’t have to prepare one at someone elses house.  The meal does not have to be the latest recipe you just saw on the food network and you don’t have to serve a meal at all.  My step mother in law is the master at entertaining and she keeps things simple she will place bread in a basket on the table the butter right next to it across from that she will have sliced tomatoes that she melted cheese on and sprinkled oregano.  It all looks so italian and delicious.  I like to put a big crockpot out of brunswick stew and french bread and everyone loves it, no one leaves hungry but I am also not out lots of cash either. 

     Ask for help….it is okay now adays to just say…oh by the way everyone is bringing an appetizer, or a dish.  People love to show off there cooking and be admired!  Or atleast I do!

     Set the mood!  More important than if your house is clean is does it smell good?  Light some candles, make sure the bathroom, kitchen and the main room where people are going to be lingering are clean (NOT SPOTLESS!) and remember when it is dark outside people can’t see as much dust etc…  Also it is okay to shut bedroom doors you don’t want them to peek in.  Put out a bowl of popourri by the front door or some flowers from your garden on the coffee table.  One arrangement I made was with floating azalea blossoms in my big glass bowl it looked very elegant.

      End the meal with something simple yet memorable.  I think people make too much out of desserts these days one choice is enough.  If people don’t find it pleasing they just won’t partake now adays we can have dessert whenever we want.  Some of my favorite choices in the summer is just a simple bowl of sherbert or angelfood cake with strawberries and whip cream.

     Lastly let it go, let your worries about every little thing go or you won’t be able to have a good time.  I remember when my dog smelled up the house and she left her black hair all over it and I would get so upset because I just couldn’t get the dog smell out well now I just miss her and wouldn’t mind the dog smell.  So we have to remember our priorities and try not to get caught up in our worries and enjoy the time we have now with our family and friends.

     So when are you having company?

Price adjustments are a wonderful thing.  You buy an item, it goes on sale within the next week/10 days/whatever the store policy is, and the store refunds the difference between what you paid and what the sale price is.  This is ESPECIALLY good for me and my husband.  We seem to have an unerring knack for buying something IMMEDIATELY before the price drops.   This may or may not tie in with our unerring knack for picking a grocery checkout line that will end up taking the longest to go through out of all the checkout lines.  We’re good - really good.  But that’s a whole other story.

Back to price adjustments.  I’m beginning to think that if we buy anything from an electronics store, we may as well just figure on making a trip back there within the next week (or day) along with our receipt, because the price of that item WILL drop.  Hmmm…wonder if there is any way to get paid for this skill…”I really like this camera.”  “Oh, thank you, we will buy it next week.”  Probably not (but if there was, I could also hire out for picking the non-winning slot machines “Look, she likes this one; avoid it like the plague.”  Or “hey, wanna know which grocery line is quickest?”)

It happened again this past weekend.  My husband had been saving up for a new digital camera.  We have a perfectly good one, but it’s four years old and it is HUGE, by today’s standards.  Not the kind of camera I could carry in my purse (well, I could if I carried nothing else.)  And it wouldn’t fit in a pocket unless you’re a kangaroo.  Our son had bought his girlfriend a teeny-tiny digital camera last year, and my husband has been jonesing for one ever since (his theory seems to be “the smaller, the better” when it comes to electronics.) 

So we went to our favorite electronics store.  The clerk asked my husband if he knew what he wanted in a digital camera, and my husband rattles off a laundry list of everything it must have.  Lo and behold, one camera fills the bill - the same make as our big digital camera - heck, basically the same model name.  Just updated, tiny, and more megapixels.  Now I know what he was researching online all those nights…The price seems to match the amount of money burning a hole in my husband’s pocket, and the camera goes home with us.

Next day…Sunday….I take the paper in and, out of morbid curiousity, grab the sales flyer for that store.  Guess what just dropped by $50?  Yep, our camera. 

Thanks in part to the computer age, it’s really, really easy to get a price adjustment.  Easier than in the past (and as I said, I have a lot of experience in this area.)  All we do is bring in our receipt, and go to the service desk.  I didn’t even have time to check out the stuff I wanted to look at when my husband was back, $50+ richer.

I know what you’re thinking - maybe we just rush to buy things, and if we’d wait, we wouldn’t have to do the price adjust two-step.  I swear, it doesn’t matter how long we wait.  The price will drop after we buy it.  It’s a gift, I tell you!

Moral of this story is, it does pay to watch the prices after making a purchase.  Even if you don’t have our track record, a price adjustment here or there can be a nice money saver!