eat-out smarts October 4, 2009

We are in the midst of a home renovation project: replacing the flooring in the kitchen/dining room area. That truly incredible mess, combined with my recent [minor] surgery and the demands of a 3 month old, makes for more restaurant going than usual for us.

Dining out can get super expensive in a hurry, so here are some simple ways I’ve learned to cut the check.

1. Have a plan.
   — Budget. Yes, I said the “B” word. Figure out how much you can afford to spend each week/month, and then see how far you can make it go! Make it a running challenge with your spouse…it can actually be fun. ;o)
   — We have normally budgeted for two dining-out occasions per week: Sunday night dinner with friends and a date night. Recently, our date nights have become every other week instead of every week, but it sure is better than none at all!
2. Order off the dollar menu.
   When eating fast food, you’ll be surprised at how filling some of the dollar menu items are. Places like Wendy’s even have healthier options included. Or, try getting just one meal, splitting the drink and fries, and then ordering additional sandwiches alone or from the dollar menu. Presto! Eating out is now affordable again. Make a habit of looking for the healthiest things on the menu, and it’s not the end of the world for your body either. Don’t forget that Sonic and Steak-n-Shake have Happy Hours!
3. Share a meal.
   — My husband and I usually have a lot of fun finding something to split and then deciding on the sides [we will sometimes add an extra]. Splitting meals allows us to enjoy a more expensive entree’ than we would be able to afford than if we were each ordering a meal.
   — Most restaurant portions are double the size that they should be! [Case in point: A healthy adult serving size of meat is approximately 4-5 ounces, while most steaks on a restaurant menu start at 9 ounces.] I don’t know about you, but even if I take half of my meal home with me, restaurant food never tastes right reheated or I end up forgetting about it. If we do happen to be at a restaurant that has healthy portion sizes, then the prices on the menu will usually reflect that, and we will order separately.
4. Skip the drinks.
   — Many restaurants don’t prominently display the prices of their drinks because they are expensive. Buying two glasses of sweet tea or coke can easily knock the price of the bill up by $5 or more.  With $5 you could buy enough tea bags and sugar to make it at home for a month or more. Or you could buy several 2-liters of coke, depending on your personal preference. We still occasionally order something other than water, but when we do it’s a treat instead of a habit.
   — Note: The same goes for appetizers and desserts.
5. Ask for more bread.
   — In order to cut operating costs and waste, many restaurants have cut back on their pre-meal snacks. You can still get them [or get refills on them] for free; you just have to ask. For instance, did you ever wonder where all those scrumptious Cracker Barrel biscuits and corn muffins had gone? Well, as you order, simply ask the waitress and she’ll bring a big plate of them out ahead of your meal [with jelly or applebutter on the side if you please] just like in the good ole’ days. Now the thought of splitting the entree doesn’t seems so scary, huh?
6. Join the club.
   Lots of restaurants are doing promotional deals right now such as e-mail or snail-mail clubs. My husband and I have taken advantage of the one through Ruby Tuesdays. O’Charley’s has some good online coupons, as well. Take the time to check out your favorite restaurant’s website to see what they have to offer!

I was amazed at how much money we were able to save by doing these things. I hope that you will be too! Of course, the best, cheapest, and healthiest thing to do is still to make it at home. But when you can’t, you can’t. And every mom needs a break every once in a while!

P.S. – Whatever you do, don’t forget to make Date Night a huge priority. It can go a long way in helping you keep your marriage and your family strong and united. More ideas for inexpensive date nights to come soon!

easy cleaning September 20, 2009

The other day I ran out of shower/tub cleaner. The tub was REALLY dirty. Nate was taking a nap and I had just gone shopping the day before, so running out to the store was not a viable option. Fiddlesticks! What else could I use? Then I remembered a recipe that I’d seen in a magazine for concocting a simple bathroom cleaner using baking soda, dishwashing soap, and lemon juice. Score! I have all that stuff! My best friend had also mentioned to me recently that she used straight dishwashing soap to clean her tub. What did I have to lose?

It worked great, and I haven’t bought anymore regular tub/shower cleaner since then! Why bother? It’s cheaper and just as easy to use the stuff I already always have around anyway. Not to mention, my hands didn’t feel slimy and as if something was eating at them by the time I was finished. Fewer harsh chemicals used; less money spent. Now that’s my kind of cleaning.

Needless to say, that experience has left me curious about other natural cleaning recipes. I’m not interested in “going green” just for the sake of doing it. But, you know, when it has other advantages too…I had to ask myself why not? I thought that some of you might be interested in some of the recipes that I’ve found. Happy Cleaning!!!

baking soda

tub/shower cleaner:

Pre-wet your tub. Form a little pile of paste in the bottom of your tub using the following approximations:

2 T. baking soda
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. dishwashing soap

[Make more as you go if you need it.] Scrub around with scrub brush or sponge with white scrub pad. Rinse clean.

cinnamon

ant deterrent:

Sprinkle some cinnamon along the edge to your counter top, window sill or wherever you suspect the ants are coming into the house. It won’t take very long for the ants to leave you alone, and then you can just wipe it up. It may look a bit messy while you’re waiting for the ants to take a hint and scram, but it will make your kitchen smell nice while you wait!

from the household of: Whitney Moody

vinegar

stainless steel cleaner:

Spray stainless steel surface with undilluted white vinegar. Wipe clean with soft, dry cloth.

all-purpose cleaner:

Mix equal amounts of white vinegar and water in spray bottle.

The acetic acid in vinegar kills viruses, germs, bacteria and mold. It also dissolves tough mineral deposits and stains like those found in sinks, toilets and tubs.

Benefits of Cleaning with Vinegar

• inexpensive
• no harsh chemicals
• effective sanitizer
• effective stain remover
• safe for most surfaces [exceptions: marble and some finished wood or tile surfaces]

For 1001 more ideas visit VinegarTips. com.

If you have tips for easy cleaning solutions, please do share! I’d love to find more ways to save time and money by using things that I already have sitting around the house.

Fresh Tomato Pie September 3, 2009

Tennessee tomatoes are in season and I can hardly resist the urge to eat as many as possible while they are still fresh and juicy. So, why not have them as the main course for dinner?
Serve this up with some fresh corn on the side, and enjoy!

Fresh Tomato Pie

9-inch pie crust
1 1/2 T. butter
1/2 c. onion, choppped
1/2 c. green pepper, diced
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 t. salt
dash pepper
3 sm. tomatoes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake crust in pie plates until golden. In medium skillet, melt butter and saute’ onion, green pepper, and garlic for 5 minutes. In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in milk, cheese, salt, pepper and sauteed vegetables. Arrange tomato slices in the bottom of the pie crust, and pour egg mixture over top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

[Modified original recipe from The Cozy Home Cookbook.]

Ready Set Grow Consignment Sale September 1, 2009

Attention all fellow Cookevillians:

The Ready Set Grow Consignment Sale is going on this week and next!

The largest consignment sale in the local area will be arriving in Cookeville for the next two weeks. Sponsored by Susan Chaffin’s children’s clothing business, Ready Set Grow, the sale will be held Sept. 2-12 at the Cookeville Mall in the old Peebles store.

It will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 2 through Sept. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 5 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 7 through Sept. 11. The final day of the sale is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12 when a large portion of the items will be 50 percent off.

Items purchased during both weeks must be paid with cash only, and any items that are not sold will either be retrieved by their owners or given to local charities such as the Trinity Baptist Church Outreach Center, Habitat for Humanity and the Cookeville Pregnancy Clinic.

I found some really great deals on baby essentials last year, including a wonderful crib for $75 and a pack-n-play for $30 which both had very little wear. So, if you are a new mom or going to be anytime soon, it’s well worth your time to take a look. This sale is really popular, so go as early in the week as you possibly can! Have fun and find great deals!

almond-crusted chicken August 29, 2009

This recipe is one of our favorites. It is fast, easy, healthy, inexpensive, and, best of all, tastes like something you’d order at a nice restaurant. I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and it only takes about 30 minutes to prepare. So, this is my fall-back dinner when nothing else sounds good or when we have dinner guests. It would also make a great date-night-in!

Makes 2 servings. [But is simple to multiply out for however many servings you need!]

Almond-Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 slice onion, finely chopped [optional]
• 3-4 cups fresh spinach leaves
• dash salt

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.

2. While rice is cooking, in pie plate or shallow dish whisk together egg and buttermilk. In another pie plate or shallow dish combine almonds, bread crumbs, rosemary, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Dip chicken breasts, one at a time, in egg mixture, turning to coat. Allow excess to drip off, then dip chicken pieces in almond mixture, turning to coat.

3. In nonstick skillet cook chicken, in hot oil over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through cooking. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

4. In same skillet cook onion in drippings 3 to 5 minutes or just until tender, stirring frequently. Add spinach and dash of salt; cook and toss about 1 minute or just until spinach is wilted.

Serve chicken with wilted spinach and a side of wild rice.

Modified from original recipe found in Better Homes & Garden magazine.

cloth diapering August 25, 2009

Yes, I use cloth diapers. Some people look at me like I’m crazy, but most are just plain curious. Why in the world would anyone want to use cloth? Isn’t it dirty, doesn’t it make your house smell, isn’t it a lot of hassle? No, no, and no. Using cloth today is a whole lot different than when our grandmothers were!

The cost-savings of cloth diapers vs. disposables is pretty impressive. It’s why I started looking into cloth as an option in the first place, and it ’s one of the main reasons we decided to use cloth.

• Over a 3-year diapering period, disposables cost almost $3,000.
• Even with extra laundry detergent and energy usage factored in, cloth only costs around $1,000 – 1,500 total. [This will mostly depend on the system you choose. Also, they're reusable with subsequent offspring, so you'll save even more as you go along. ;o)]
• I decided to go the route of prefolds (Chinese) and covers plus a few pocket diapers. To me, it seemed to be the best option for us both in ease of use/care and in economic terms. I wanted to stay on the lower end of the cost scale, but have been careful to still purchase items of good quality to avoid extra repurchasing costs with subsequent children.

Other reasons that we decided to start using cloth included less diaper rash for baby and less trash. Less waste is better for the environment, and so it is one way to be a better steward of the world God has given to us to care for.

Chinese Prefolds:

• 3 dozen, Preemie [You definitely need 3 dozen of the premie size prefolds if you're anticipating a smaller baby (less than 8 lbs.) You go through them a lot quicker when he's that tiny and you can wash about two dozen at a time since they are so little.]
• 4 dozen, Infant [2 dozen ea. regular & premium: I'm rotating through my 2 dozen regulars. (I plan to start using the premiums when he gets a little bigger and needs the extra absorbancy. Right now, the extra bulk would be unnecessary.) You could definitely work with 2 - 3 dozen and then use the premie size prefolds as doublers as needed later though.]
• 4 dozen, Baby [2 dozen ea. regular & premium: I plan to do the same thing with these as I am doing with the infant size, using the regulars to start and then adding in the premiums as he gets bigger.]
• Toddler ??? [I decided to cross that bridge when I get there. He may be ready to potty train by the time he gets too big for the baby size.]

Covers:

• I LOVE Thirsties!! They now have adjustable-size covers, so it’s a great money-saver! They’re called Thristies Duo-Wraps. Size One adjusts between x-small and small. Size Two adjusts between meduim and large. They are about a dollar-fifty more than their single size covers. However, you’re getting two for the price of one. Plus, with two sets of snaps you’re essentially getting an “in-between size” to boot! I have 3 Duos (size one) and 1 regular x-small. I also have 2 regular smalls  for Nate to grow into. I think 5 covers will be just perfect, though 4 is completely doable. When he gets a little bigger, I will probably get a combination of Duos (size two) and regulars (medium and large) so that I end up always having 5 covers.

Nighttime Diapering & Extras:

• I have 2 bumGenius One-Size Pocket Diapers, which I use as night diapers now that he is sleeping longer periods at night. I think 3 would be the perfect number though. The huge advantage, besides absorbency, to using these at night instead of just a prefold and cover, is that they are lined with microfleece which wicks the moisture away and keeps it off of baby until morning. This also helps baby sleep longer because he doesn’t feel wet and icky!
• I also found several Thirsties All-in-One Pocket Diapers on sale. They are great to have for the nursery workers at church or to use with a doubler as extra night diapers if I’m behind on housework and both my bumGenius’ are in the laundry.

Wipes:

• I am simply using thin, inexpensive baby washcloths as my cloth wipes. I currently have about 1 1/2 dozen, which seems just about right (though an even 2 dozen would be superb).
• My wipes solution is approx. 1 tsp baby wash to 2 cups water. But I don’t really measure; I’m a dumper even in the kitchen.
• I keep some solution mixed up in the bottom of an empty wipes container. I just keep clean wipes in the container, and, as needed, squeeze them out so that they are no longer sopping and toss them into my wipes warmer.

Containment:

• I also love my PlanetWise wet bags. I have one small one for toting wipes, one medium one for toting dirty dipes, and two large ones (hanging wet/dry bags) for rotating next to the changing table. The alternate to the hanging bags is, of course, a pail and two pail liners. I opted for the hanging bags because they are more versatile. They save floor space, hold in any smells with ease, and make traveling easy. Our recent weekend trip to Nashville was a breeze…and a breeze that didn’t stink up the car, at that! The travel factor was important because both sides of the family live 10+ hours away and I would have needed to buy something to go on trips anyway.

Laundering:

• Working with 2 dozen prefolds, 4 covers, and 2 BumGenius’ has me laundering diapers every day and a half to two days. This ends up being perfect timing, though, because any longer than that and they start to get stinky.
• My wash routine: No more than 12 -18 prefolds at a time plus covers, wipes, and wet bag(s). Arm & Hammer laundry detergent works wonderfully well since it already has baking soda in it for odor neutralizing. Set washer on highest water level. Rinse cycle on COLD with approx. 1 TBSP detergent. Regular or heavy wash cycle on HOT with 1/2 usual amount of detergent (line 1 on A&H scoop).
• My drying routine: No softener sheets; dryer balls are a good alternative. Prefolds and wipes in dryer on HIGH. Covers and bags hang to dry or pile covers on top of the dryer. I toss these in with the diapers once every week or two to reseal the waterproof PUL material.

Favorite Resources:

• Diaper Pin – great for finding sales, product reviews, and other resources
• Jillian’s Drawers - easy to navigate, good prices, great New To Cloth info page
• Baby Cotton Bottoms – love their Pail Powder, used their registry
• Others: Go Green Baby Shop, Nicki’s Diapers, Kelly’s Closet, Cotton Babies
• Also: The Joy of Cloth Diapers, an article of a mom who’s been using cloth for a lot longer than I have been

bad hair day August 15, 2009

Okay, okay, my husbands hair hasn’t actually been this long in years. He no longer looks like John Lennon. But his hair was getting pretty unruly nonetheless. So, a few mornings ago, I got the scissors after him.

We invested in a set of clippers from Walmart a couple of months ago and they are definitely paying for themselves already! I was a bit nervous at first, but before we bought the clippers, I went with him to the barber’s and observed the hairdresser. I figured she already knew what she was doing, so I might just as well learn from her how to do that particular style. Yes, it was a little rough the first time and took a while, but guys’ hair grows fast. And after a couple of times I’m getting pretty good at it [and faster too]!

I do not; however, attempt to cut my own hair. Getting my haircut at JCPenny Salon is one of my luxuries. [I LOVE Crystal. She is amazing with fine/thin hair. If you live in Cookeville, I highly recommend her!] One of the ways I save some money when I go there is to only have her cut my hair but not style it at the end. Another way I save a bit over time is to schedule my appointments for every 7-8 weeks instead of every 6 weeks. And, boy, does it all add up!

Over the course of a year, we save over $300! I cut John’s hair about once a month. When he went to a barber, we were spending $15 per cut [incl. tip] or $180 per year. If I went to the hairstylist every 6 weeks and got a cut & style [$35 incl. tip], we would be spending $315 per year. By going every 8 weeks and only getting a cut [$25 incl. tip], we actually spend $175 per year [for a savings of $140]. $180 +$140 = $320 total savings per year!

doing better than just making ends meet August 6, 2009

Time is a precious commodity; none of us have as much of it as we would like. So, I’ll try to keep my posts as short and concise and to the point as possible.

Money also always seems to be in short supply. It is more necessary now than ever [at least in my lifetime, and probably most of yours] to find ways to not use as much of it and to use it wisely when we must. The purpose of this blog, then, is to share ideas for saving money and making it go further.

the art of frugal homemaking and creative stewardship: God made everything, God owns everything, God lets us borrow some of His stuff while we are here on earth and we need to learn to take good care of it. Learning to be a good steward of what God has given us requires first that we learn to be content with whatever we have been given. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul says this:

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Contentment is not the easiest thing to learn [I still have to work at it every day.], but it is infinitely worth it! In Proverbs 31, we see the picture of a woman who does the best she can with what she has, and the Lord honors that. She finds all kinds of creative ways to use her time and money wisely. I believe that being a “Proverbs 31 Woman” doesn’t mean that I have to try to be some kind of superwoman, but rather that I do the best I can with what I have and that I do it with an attitude that blesses/encourages others. I will never be able to do this on my own, though. I can only be everything that God expects me to be by realizing that He is in control and that I need His strength to be effective and complete.

Homemaking requires creativity and dedication whether you are single, married, a stay-at-home mom, or a work-at-home mom. Living within your means is sometimes a challenge, but it’s not impossible. So, let’s help each other out. Make comments. Share ideas. Try out suggestions and comment on whether or not it worked. Share deals, sales, helpful websites, etc. that you find too!

My goal is to post about once or twice a week in order to start a new topic which I hope will generate related discussion and comments!