I'm...dreaming of a white not-too-expensive-penny-pinching-frugal-hope-I-can-do-it-without-breaking-the-bank Christmas...

Ahh, blog how I've missed you. It's been a long time; what, with that pesky thing called life always getting in the way. I never got around to finishing my Thanksgiving post, so I'll post here about some money saving tips, as we're only 17 days away from Christmas!

Christmas is not so much about "Christ" any more, as it is about "mas". "Mas" is the Spanish word for "more" which is what the holiday seasons are becoming more and more about. More spending, more frivolous gifts, more people out for themselves, trying to get the best deals and not caring about those they hurt in the process. I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to take part in black friday shopping. I absolutely hate shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas, even just for groceries, because this time of year seems any more to bring out the worst in people. Tangent aside, I decided this year that this year Christmas for my family is going to be more about spending time together doing things as a family and not quite so much about what's under the tree.

There's one thing I'd like to ask of you before I get on with this post. Take the time to do something for those less fortunate. Get your kids involved. No matter how small, any gesture can be a life-changing difference for those in need. While we should do this all year round, take the time to donate a toy to toys for tots, take some food, warm clothing, or blankets to your local shelter, or some cookies to a senior home to brighten their day. It's an incredible experience to see the light in someone's eyes when you make that selfless gesture. This year I've decided to get a group of friends together and have each one make a gallon of soup and freeze it, and take it down to our local shelter along with some holiday cookies. While the cookies aren't necessarily a need, I'm sure they'll brighten up someone's day, even if just for a few moments.

Sorry, I like to talk-a lot.

Let's start with gifts: Gifts do not have to be over-the-top and expensive, or even purchased for that matter. Gifts that come from the heart and are made/purchased with the receiver in mind are the best of all. My son is very much into superheroes right now; so one of his gifts is going to be a Batman cape that I am going to sew for him. For my friends I am taking all the homemade goodies I canned this year and making gift baskets.

Decorations: My one splurge is to take the kids and hubby out and each child gets to pick a new ornament to put on the tree each year. My hubby and I choose one together, because our anniversary is two days before Christmas. The rest of our tree is decorated with ornaments made by the kids at school and daycare. We also make gingerbread men and hang them on the tree. They're very inexpensive, make your house smell awesome, and the kids love making them and then eating one off the tree each day as we get closer to Christmas. We get to spend time together doing it, and these are the memories we will treasure forever. You can also decorate with cheap things such as stringing ropes of cranberries and popcorn, glitter-covered pine cones, and more. Do what they used to do in the old days, and look to nature.

Christmas cards: I always buy them, plan on sending them out, and then never do. This year when I opened my box of stuff from last year, I found a brand new box of cards, but couldn't use them because the insides were stamped with 2010. Then the lightbulb went off and I realized I could tear the fronts off and turn them into Christmas postcards! This way I didn't have to waste the cards by tossing them out. If you save Christmas cards that you receive from friends, do the same with these. Cut the pretty side away and recycle it as a postcard.

Wrapping paper: This stuff is ridiculously expensive, and not worth it for the amount you get.

*Use the comic section of your local newspaper to wrap gifts. Use your children's artwork, or create your own on rolls of plain white or brown paper. Your money will go much further on a roll of brown packing paper than a roll of Christmas paper.

* If you sew, scrap fabric also makes great wrapping paper. You can also use plain or colored tissue paper. Make gift tags with small pieces of wrapping paper. Don't waste money on expensive bows and ribbon. If you really need it, check out the dollar store, you'll find stuff just as pretty and half as much!

Food: Many grocery stores are offering great deals during the holidays, some are even giving away food, or cash! Read the paper every week for your local deals, or if you don’t subscribe to the newspaper, pick up the free ad flyers at the store and take it home so you’ll have time to look it over really good before shopping.

*Compare prices. I like to buy whatever’s on sale at one store, then a few days later when we need more milk anyways, I go to a different store and get their best deals. It’s a great money-saver.

*Store brands are great when making casseroles and side dishes… no one will even notice. Stock up while everything’s on sale, just an extra can or box here and there…but not a storage closet full! If you end up with too many bargain buys, share them with your local food bank!

*Last of all, make your party a potluck; this way you're not stuck footing the food bill for a huge party.

Entertainment: It’s wonderful to take your family to the movie theater during the Christmas holiday break, but this could also be a good time to catch up on the videos that have come out for rental during the holiday season. With Netflix you can rent DVDs online or stream movies instantly. No more charges for late fees or crazy amounts of money spent on popcorn.

*Another great and frugal way to entertain the family through the holidays is to take a drive around your town, or another town nearby to see their Christmas lights. It’s a family tradition of ours to do this during Christmas week and we look forward to it every year.

*Get out the board games; the kids will love spending time with you. If you don’t have many to choose from, maybe you can borrow a new game from a friend or neighbor. You never know-they might have a closet full they never even use and would be delighted to share them with you.

*Playing cards is always fun too, even when the kids are little you can play Go Fish… we’re making memories here folks!

*Sing, sing, sing! Many churches and groups even have caroling get-togethers in December, what fun. Sit around a warm fire, or cozy up in the living room with blankets and cocoa.

*Tell family stories… or have everyone take turns saying how they have been blessed throughout the year, like we do at Thanksgiving. Being thankful shouldn’t end in November, keep the spirit going.

*Have a family gathering to decorate the tree, wrap gifts, or bake cookies. Check out a Christmas book from the library and read it together as a family. Or, decide on a story and have everyone contribute a chapter to create a new Christmas book... maybe even one about your own family! My husband has all our children snuggle up to him while he reads "The Night Before Christmas".

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Take this time to reflect on all the things you are thankful for, and spend some quality time with your family. Whichever holiday you celebrate, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanzaa, and Winter Solstice.

Bringing up baby...on the cheap

Since my last post, I have started school full time again, moved into a house, and had a baby. Please excuse my lackadaisical posting, I just really haven't felt up to it. Get comfy, however-this is a longer post.

Babies are not cheap. Once the drugs and adrenaline wear off, and sleep deprivation sets in, you sit there and wonder "Why did I do this a third time? My other two children were (almost)self-sufficient and sleeping through the night, and do not cost me nearly as much". The prices for diapers and formula alone are outrageous. Then you get started after a few months with incorporating baby food, and it gets even steeper. It's a good thing my new darling daughter knows just when to smile at mama to make it so worthwhile!

When I had my first child, as most of us do with our first children, I wanted what I thought was the best of everything, regardless of the cost. New clothes, new nursery furniture, name brand diapers, name brand formula, the works. I just about broke the bank. By the time the second baby rolls around, you're still buying name brand diapers and formula, but you re-use your furniture and don't decline hand-me-downs. By the time subsequent children come around, you are looking for as many ways as possible to save money.

We had not planned on having a 3rd child, so we had given away all our clothing and furniture. When I went browsing at the store to see how much this stuff was going to cost me, I couldn't believe how much more expensive things had gotten since my last child was born four years ago. $150 for a swing, are you kidding me?!?! This was just at Target and Walmart, I can't imagine what stores like babies-r-us are wanting for this stuff. Sorry baby, but you will not be getting anything new.

Furniture-I immediately started scouring garage sales and craigslist for furniture, gear, and clothing. I never jumped on the first deal I came across, and was able to score some amazing finds such as a swing and brand new car seat for $24 for both, $47 for a crib, changing table, and high chair, which after purchasing I immediately turned around and sold the changing table for $30, knowing I wouldn't use it. That means I actually wound up with a very nice all-wood crib and chair for $17. In total, for a crib, bassinet, swing, stroller, bouncy seat, high chair, and car seat I spent $81. Everything is or looks practically brand new.

Clothing-I found a great garage sale where the lady had twin baby girls and snatched up one of everything she had, and scored a huge deal when I got 3 garbage bags full of clothes for $30. I was expecting to toss at least 1 bags' worth out based on where they came from, but to my delightful surprise, the bags were full of perfectly nice, non-stained clothes from Carters, baby gap, old navy and more. I only had to buy a few newborn outfits because my daughter was much smaller than anticipated, so when she was born she did not fit into 0-3 months clothing yet. I spent roughly $50 on clothing, and she is now set until she turns 1 year old.

My biggest concern came to formula. I am not able (due to medical reasons) to breastfeed my children, so we have to use formula. A 24.5 ounce can of Enfamil or Similac brand formula costs $25.99. Each can will make almost 44 bottles. My daughter eats about six-4 oz. bottles a day. This means I would go through one of these cans a week. That's just over $100 a month on formula alone. I've always thought that using a generic brand formula meant that I'd be a horrible mother by giving her something that is an off-brand. That's until I researched generic formula and found that the same companies that make the name brand of formula also make the generic brands. It is the exact same thing sold under different labels.

I also spoke to baby's doctor about this, and she told me she was proud of the fact that she used a generic brand of diapers and formula, knowing it was saving her money. She told me that people are just paying for that magical name brand; but when it comes down to it, it's exactly the same stuff and she had no problems with me feeding it to my daughter. I have since been using the Target brand of formula which costs me $19.99 for 36.1 ounces. The only thing I will say though is that, under NO circumstance, should you purchase your formula if it says it was made in a foreign country. Remember a few years ago when there was an outbreak of babies dying in China because of tainted formula? It's not regulated like it is in the U.S.A.

Diapers-again with the generic brands. Most generic brands of diapers today are just as good as your huggies and pampers. While this is one area I personally will not skimp on, the fact that I use the generic brands of most everything else means that I can allow myself to splurge on the one thing I know works best for my kids. Using coupons and my target debit card always helps me to save $3-$5 a pack anyways, so the costs almost equal out. No one is going to be looking at your baby's butt, so why should it matter if it's wrapped in a generic or name-brand diaper?

Baby food-Jars of baby food are very pricey for the amount you get. It's also processed and full of preservatives, not to mention cooked down so much that most nutrients are lost in the canning process. I started making my own baby food with my second child but he was so picky he would not eat it; forcing me to buy the food in jars. This baby will not get a choice; it's my way or the highway (OK, not really, but you know what I mean). Making baby food literally takes just minutes out of your day and is SO much better for baby, so long as you know where it comes from. You can even make your own rice cereal. It takes no time at all to flash steam some fruits and veggies, then puree them with a little water, breast milk, or formula. Freeze them into ice cube trays and then bag them up and throw them in the freezer. When it's time to use them, simply pull out a couple of cubes (each cube is approximately one ounce), and stick it in the microwave for a few seconds until thawed. If you have fruits and veggies from your garden in the freezer, this is perfect. You can also buy them from the organic section or even use frozen ones. See the links below for great directions on how to make your own baby food for pennies on the dollar.

Hint for the day: Your baby is NOT going to care if their diapers are designer or generic, if your formula has a cute baby stork on the front, or if their clothes are not name brand. So long as he/she has a full tummy, a clean bottom, warm clothes, and mama's love they are perfectly content.

Check this out!: http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyfirstfoods.htm This site has great recipes and tips for making your own baby food for baby starting with first foods to combo foods, finger foods, and toddler foods.

*SPECIAL NOTE*: The holidays are quickly approaching. I've all ready seen stores putting up their Christmas items for the past few weeks. It comes earlier every year. Stay tuned for some great tips on saving money during the holidays. I found some very cool websites for money-saving tips that I'm very excited to share with you! After all, there's only 69 days until Christmas! :P

Buy used, save the difference.

One of my favorite TV shows is the "19 Kids and Counting" series starring the Duggar family. While I don't necessarily agree with some of their views, I find them absolutely down-to-earth and extremely wise in the way of family management and frugal living. While catching up on some episodes, one was titled "Buy Used, Save The Difference". It went on to show how the family does not invest in anything new-be it clothing, cars, household goods, etc. They shop at thrift stores, garage sales, used car sales, and more.

I decided to give this a try, knowing that I was going to have to be making many purchases due to having two kids in school and a new baby on the way. With the baby, I was going to have to buy everything, because we had gotten rid of everything not anticipating having another child. Instead of going out to Target or Babies r us, I went straight to craigslist. I checked every day for a good deal on something in excellent shape, and managed to get a crib, car seat with base, swing, bouncy seat, bathtub, bassinet, stroller, high chair, and changing table for less than $100. And everything was in practically new shape, with no signs of wear and tear. I decided to go to the local Salvation Army and Goodwill to buy my kids some play clothes this summer, because they're growing so fast it just doesn't make sense to buy new when they'll outgrow it after a few times wearing it. While in there one day, I came across a bread maker (see post "breaking bread to break even") for $4.99; again, in great shape. This will now save me time on making batches of bread dough. As we were walking out, I noticed a crib mattress sitting in the front door area. This was one purchase I had yet to make, and was dreading because they are expensive. I went to take a look at it, and saw that not only was it in perfectly new condition with no stains, tears, or signs of bedbugs (it also had a vinyl shell), but it was a Sealy brand mattress and a higher end one to boot. A $150 mattress for $9.99. I immediately went in and bought it.

These are just a few of the savings I made this summer by buying used. I realize that there is still somewhat of a stigma attached to purchasing/owning second-hand items. I live in a town that seems to think that money grows on trees, and that people can go and spend frivolously. This just simply isn't my case. I can't afford name-brand clothes, extra pairs of shoes to keep at school, new furniture or to buy my groceries at whole foods. Nor would I want to pay all that extra money just to keep face. You can save a ton of money by buying used and saving the difference and putting that money towards something more important like an emergency fund, college accounts for the kids, retirement, etc. Do NOT feel bad about buying used, I sure don't. The nice thing is, that most people are so wasteful, they rid themselves of perfectly good clothing and items just to buy new stuff. This works out well for me, because I get the still-nice stuff at about 75% less than the previous owner paid!

Hint for the day: Check out your local thrift stores. More often than not nowadays, they aren't accepting junk and old stuff any more, but stuff that looks practically new. This stuff still gets sold at crazy-low pricing, and you score!

Check this out!: http://www.duggarfamily.com/ For some great tips on saving around the home, family management and more.

Bartering for goods and services and learning how to be self-sustaining

I've done it...I've gotten my hubby to jump on the money-saving train! And boy, let me tell you...he dove in head first and made a major savings trade right off the bat! More about that shortly...

If there is anyone reading this who hasn't been following the news as of late, you will soon start to hear that the economy has taken a turn for the worse. Saving money is more important than ever, as is learning how to be self-sustaining in the event of sudden panic. I used to laugh at my step-mom for wanting to set up food and supply stores in their home as well as coming up with an emergency plan in the event that "all hell breaks loose". With the market crashing all around us, I'm not laughing so hard any more.

Networking with other people with a variety of things or talents to barter with can get you so much amazing stuff for so little. Earlier, I talked about my husband diving in head first to the bartering. He has been wanting to take martial arts lessons for some time, but we couldn't afford the $150.00 per month. Because he works as a systems administrator, and has extensive knowledge of web developing, he came up with a plan to approach the martial arts studio to discuss his building them a tournament website in exchange for lessons. They were open to negotiate, so he went ahead and built an amazing website for them. They were very pleased with his work, and now for as long as he continues to maintain the website, he can take lessons for no charge in exchange. Right there is $150/month in savings.

I've been working hard this summer at making as much of our own food as possible (breads, preserves, freezing fruits and veggies, meals, etc). I've also been working on bartering with other folks in exchange for goods/services. I recently spoke with a woman who has extra produce from her garden that she is bartering up. I offered to make her some homemade tomato sauce in exchange for her produce. I'm waiting to hear back to see how much she has left. I also posted that I am a chef/baker by trade and willing to barter up some goods for the holidays in exchange for other goods/services.

Chances are, you can offer up some type of service be it sewing, cleaning, cooking, baking, baby-sitting, pet-sitting, or more that other people can use. In exchange, people would be willing to barter something they have, or just be willing to pay a small amount of cash in exchange. I've been complaining about wanting my house cleaned before the baby comes, and some friends of mine have offered to help in exchange for some goodies. If I didn't feel horrible about making my friends come scrub my floors, I'd totally take them up on it, but you get the idea.

Helpful hint for the day: As far as the economic crisis...start taking some time, if you haven't all ready, to start learning on how to depend on yourself in the event of an emergency. start by making some basic bread dough and throwing it in the freezer. When cooking, freeze your leftovers and mark them for use on a later date. Learn some different ways to preserve fresh produce. Come up with an "in case of emergency" plan in the event of a panic. It sounds completely ridiculous sometimes when I think about it, but it never hurts to have something in place.

Check this out!: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=local+bartering+sites Check this out to help you get started on looking for local bartering websites.

Store Brand vs. Name Brand-how do they really compare?

Always looking for the next big way to save money, I decided to track the difference between store brand vs. name brand items. I have always been a big proponent of using store brands-after all, when it comes down to it, the ingredients are almost identical. However, I will say that there are some items that I do refuse to purchase the generic of, and that's ok! I can justify spending a little more on items I know are better quality by buying as many store brand items as possible. I made a grocery list and then wrote down both the cost of the generic item and the name-brand item. I was amazed at the difference in costs of some of these items. See below:

ITEM	STORE BRAND PRICE	NAME BRAND PRICE	PRICE WITH COUPON
1 GALLON WATER	$0.99	NONE
1 GALLON ICE CREAM	$5.49	$6.99
ROASTING CHICKEN	$3.99	$6.99
18 EGGS	$2.24	NONE
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (5 LBS.)	$1.64	$2.24
SHALLOT (1)	$0.58	$2.99 (PER BAG OF 3)
FROZEN VEGGIES (1 BAG)	$0.99 CENTS	$1.89
SMOKED SAUSAGE (1 PKG.)	$2.39	$2.54	$1.54
CREAMED CORN (1 CAN)	$0.69	$0.92
REGULAR CORN (1 CAN)	$0.69	$0.92
CORN MUFFIN MIX (1 BOX)	NONE	$0.47
GREEN PEPPER (1)	$0.89 EACH	ORGANIC $1.99 EACH
ZUCCHINI (1)	$1.99 EACH	ORGANIC $1.79 EACH
BREAKFAST SAUSAGE (1 PKG)	$1.19	$1.89
ROTEL (1 CAN)	$0.69	$1.02
VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP (1 CAN)	$1.09	$1.32
TOMATO SOUP (1 CAN)	$0.57	$0.79
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE	$0.99	$1.99
GARLIC POWDER	$1.89	$2.79
TOTAL:	$28.99	$38.21
TOTAL SAVED:	$14.40

As you can see, some name brand items were actually cheaper than the generic brand, but you can see the savings added up. If you take the amount saved and multiply it by 4 (the number of trips I make a month to the store), that adds up to almost $60 in savings. Factor in coupons and you can save even more! Just be sure to do your homework when in the store and check the prices.

Another way to save is to become part of a store's loyalty program. Last month on a trip to target, the clerk that was checking out my purchase told me of a new Target "Debit" card. It's not a regular credit card, but a card that links directly to your bank account. It's free to sign up and there are no fees, and it applies a 5% discount to your purchase any time you shop at Target. I did this, and now just using the Target card alone I save about $5 a shopping trip. You can also sign your children's school up to receive 1% of the amount of your purchase. They also send me regular coupons in the mail. On my last trip between the card and two coupons, I saved almost $30. It truly does add up! Many stores are starting to offer similar programs, so don't be afraid to ask the next time you go shopping.

summer fun on a miser's budget...

Ahhh summer...2 1/2 blissful months of not running around constantly for hours to school, practice, dance, etc. But then you realize-What am I going to do with these kids for 2 1/2 months without spending a ton of money??

My children are 5 and 3 years old respectively. They are CONSTANTLY coming up to me asking "Mommy, when are we going to go do something fun?" "Mommy, can we go do this?" They need to be kept busy, or they make me crazy. I sat down today and compiled a list of things that are no-cost or low-cost in our area that we can do to keep busy this summer.

*Make use of your local library-After all, you pay to fund it. You can check out an unlimited number of books, movies, Cd's and more for up to two weeks at a time (just don't be like me and forget to take them back!). Also, check out their activity schedule. Our local library, for example, shows movies, does crafts, offers activities, reading contests, and more that are all free and on a regular basis. They also offer adult gatherings at no charge. Plus, you get the positive point of getting your children interested in reading early!

*Check out your local parks and rec department-In my town they have "movies under the stars" (free outdoor movies), free music every week during the summer, free city-wide play days, summerfest, low-cost recreational sports, and more. You can most likely google your town's parks and rec website to find more information.

*Wading pools and splash parks-Check out the local wading pools or splash parks in your area. Most are free, or free for a certain portion of the day. Our splash park is free from 10am-12pm every day. I know some people are a little iffy about wading pools, and that's understandable and a personal preference, but just throwing that out.

*Check out your local parks and nature areas-Lots of fun to be had hiking through the woods, picnicking in the parks. One of our local parks (Jester Park) offers free backpack rentals that are themed. Each backpack contains lots of activities relating to a certain theme (water, flowers, animals, etc). You can check those out for two weeks at a time.

*Check your local theaters, bowling alleys, zoos, science centers, and more-A lot of the time they offer extremely cheap summer admission packages. For example, a local bowling alley offers unlimited bowling for up to 4 people for $27.98, the movie theater offers kids movies on Tuesday mornings for $1.00 admission, you get the picture.

*Instead of going out to dinner, why not try a community dinner or "potluck"-Instead of going out and spending $50-60 for a family of four, get together with your friends and their kids. Have each person bring one type of dish, and supply your own plates and cutlery. Feed the kids right away, then let them run off and entertain each other while you enjoy some much needed adult conversation and for once, be able to taste your dinner instead of having to eat on the run.

*Take the kids into town-Our downtown area is really starting to shape up! My cousin once told me of something she did with her kids that I would have never thought of. In the downtown area, we have a little trolley that runs a loop around downtown for free. You can park at the capitol and run the loop. On the loop there are all kinds of fun shops, the Capitol building, the Historical Building, a huge sculpture park and more. You can get off every couple of blocks and find something new to check out, and most of it is free or low-cost. Pack a picnic and have a leisurely lunch in the sculpture park.

These are just a few ideas, but if you can be just a little creative, and really check out your resources, you can find unlimited amounts of free or low-cost things to keep them entertained until school starts again this fall.

Hint for the day: No hints really today, just check as many resources as possible in your local area to find all kinds of fun and free/low-cost things to do.

Check this out!: http://tinyurl.com/3ep6o24 For ways to find fun ideas for your kids.

Shutting down the satellite (Cue the horror music!)

Taking a look at our monthly expenses, I decided we needed to figure out a way to cut back somehow on our bills. Our satellite, cell phone, gym, and car insurance expenses were out of control. Those four bills alone totalled almost 15% of our monthly income. We had to find a way to cut back or we just weren't going to make it, because somehow, we also need to find the money for gas and to eat.

I started with the DirectTV. This bill was costing us over $100 per month. Was this something that was truly necessary in our household? I've been feeling for a long time that my family has been watching too much TV. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I will say that I turned to it as a sitter sometimes when I needed my kids to sit still in one spot for a minute so I could clean or take a sanity break. During the winter we used it a lot because there just isn't much to do in the winter. This was a really tough call for me. A lot of the shows I like to watch are harder to find on the net. We looked at the pros and cons, and decided that the best thing to do would be to shut it off.

It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Through the glorious Internet, I was able to find such websites such as HULU, Clicker, and also the channel websites where I can find my shows for free. I may not be able to watch them right away when they're aired, but I can still catch them, and it doesn't cost me any extra. Something you can also do is sign up for Netflix. $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming on your devices or PC. They always add new TV shows, movies, etc. I've noticed now that the TV is not on during the day, my kids are getting better at being creative and finding things to do. Now that the weather is nicer, we can get out and do more as well. So far it's been a positive experience.

Cell phones: This is tough because we switched last year to the smart phones. because my husband is a systems administrator, and his phone is also considered a pager and he does do some work from his phone, we had to take the unlimited data plan. However, looking back through our plan, I did notice some extras that had been added on at some point that were not necessary, and took them off. These were things like visual voicemail, vcast music, various insurance plans, etc. Also, because they do so much work from their phones, my husband was able to talk his company into paying part of our cell phone bill every month. Now every month they pay $20 towards our cell bill.

Gym memberships: How many of you have a gym membership and don't use it? The answer? A good majority of us. We sign up for that membership telling ourselves that we are going to actually follow through this time, and go 3-4 nights a week. Oh, we do that...for a little while. Pretty soon we get busy and tell ourselves that "oh, I'll go this weekend". Before you realize it, it's been months since you last went, yet you're spending anywhere from $50-100 a month for something you don't even use. While we had a good rate for a family membership, we quit using it after a while. This was $58 per month going out the door, so we decided to shut it down. We made a promise to become more active outdoors with our children, and so far so good. My hubby goes for walks and bike rides, the kids and I go to the park and walk around the lake, we walk the zoo, hike the nature trails. etc. It's a win-win situation.

Car insurance: Have you had any speeding tickets or moving violations in the past several years? Been in any accidents? Are you a student getting good grades, or a Soldier or Veteran that is serving or has honorably served? If so, you may be entitled to a discount through your car insurance company. I know lately that one company has a monitor you can install into your car to monitor your safe driving habits. Some companies offer multiple policy discounts. Others offer Military discounts. Vanishing deductibles. Accident forgiveness. You see where I'm going with this. Call your insurance company and find out whether you qualify for any discounts. Also, shop around to make sure you're getting the best rates. You'll be surprised that by checking these out every once in a while you may find the same thing, only cheaper.

Hint for the day: Make a list of the bills you pay each month, and then look at your actual bill. Check them periodically to see if you're paying too much, or paying for extras you don't need, etc. Make a list of pros and cons to see if these are things that you absolutely need, or can possibly live without. After looking at these four bills mentioned above, cutting off and cutting back and checking for discounts, we are saving $230 a month.

Check this out!: http://billeater.com/ A great website that shows many different ways to save on household and utility bills.

Speaking of bad habits and keeping up with making better habits...

I'm so freaking horrible about keeping a blog. I always start one and say "ok, this is the one. This is the one that I'm going actually keep up with." Aaaand as always, I never follow through with it. I've been off for a while, enjoying the few weeks between semesters and taking a quick weekend trip up to Chicago.

Clothes. Any one can make something basic if they put a conscious effort into it. Especially nowadays. One of my favorite articles of clothing is something with a smocked top. I'm no skinny b***h (I have nothing against skinny people, this was a reference to the "Skinny Bitch" series), and being pregnant on top of being not-so-thin makes it damn near impossible to find clothes that aren't either parachute moo-moos or trashy-cheap-looking mickey mouse t-shirts. I am big, but give me some credit, I do at least like to dress nice for crying out loud.

I had recently used my friend's sewing machine to make a baby wrap for Catherine when she's born. Instead of spending $50-60 for one, I went and bought the fabric and made it myself for $5. I got to thinking about how incredibly easy that was, and wondered if I could possibly make my own tops and dresses for summer. I was going to just keep using my friend's machine, but when I got to the fabric store, they were having a huge blowout sale. I got a steal on a great little machine for $89.99, and fabric for 40% off. I consider the machine as an investment, not as an extra, being as it is being utilized to create necessary items.

Back to the smocked fabric-Smocked fabric comes from the craft store all ready cinched at the top, and most of the time also all ready has a bottom hem. All you need to do is measure yourself, cut, and sew a side hem. This will make you an instant tube top or tube dress. Make a couple of straps or flutter sleeves if you wish. Out of 1.5 yards of fabric, I was able to make one top or dress for me, and one top AND one dress for my 5-year-old daughter. This means I spent $5 per garment, which would normally cost anywhere from $20-25 each in the stores. I was told the fabric will be on sale all summer, and they get new patterns in all the time. I even used the left over material to make doll clothes for my daughter-more money saved.

Let me throw out there that I am no sewing expert. I can't make fancy things. However, I know how to thread a machine, plug it in, and push the pedal. If you can do that, then you can easily make your own simple garments. You can also make alterations and repairs at home to save even more. My recommendation for today is to go out and buy a machine, be it new or used. get familiar with it. start with scraps of fabric until you are comfortable using the machine. Then go crazy. I just made myself an entire summer maternity wardrobe for the same price of one top from Motherhood maternity.

Hint for the day: Don't be afraid at the thought of using a sewing machine. My southern grandmother was an expert at the sewing machine, and I thought I could never be that good. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it you can make some really great stuff, saving lots of money on things such as home furnishings, blankets, clothing, alterations and repairs, etc.

Check this out!: A great investment for beginners: "Sewing for Dummies". A book that you can usually find for $15 or less at most bookstores.

Putting a stop to bad habits

It's been a busy week, with my school semester coming to an end, Elizabeth's school about to let out for the summer, the kids' sports, dance and what not. Since I've not felt the greatest this week, I took a break for a few days and am now ready to soldier on.

I'll start with a confession: I'm a pint-oholic. I looove my pints. I love ice cream in general, but I'm most in love with two men-Ben & Jerry. I never need a good reason to get chip-faced; and most of the time I blame it on my little peanut Catherine (making her debut in September).

When I sat down a few weeks ago to look at the household budget to find ways to cut expenses, one thing I looked at was a stack of grocery receipts. I didn't realize just how often I was spending on this habit without even thinking twice, and I was mortified for two reasons: first; because it is an expensive habit, and second; what was I doing to my health by eating so much damn ice cream? I tracked how many times I purchased these pints and here are the staggering numbers I came up with:

3 pints a week @ $3.99 a pint = $11.97 a week. Multiply this by 52 and I come up with $622.44.

$622.44 a year for my ice cream habit!! and that's not including my husband's pints. If I did, we'd double this figure to over $1200 a year just in ice cream. Even though there is no one to see me adding this up, I just wanted to die of embarrassment.

Then, I looked at it from the health point of view. by consuming 3 pints of ice cream a week, I'm taking on an extra 3,360 calories a week. I'm an obese woman, ashamed as I am to admit it. Partly my fault; and partly due to a hormone disorder, but obese nonetheless. The LAST thing I need to be doing is packing on an extra 3300 calories a week. Holy shit. It was time to nip this bad habit in the butt for both the health of my being and my bank account.

We have since cut down our pint habit to once every couple of weeks or so, and purchasing as a splurge. In the mean time, I am trying to satisfy my sweet tooth with fresh fruit and yogurt. by doing this, I will have managed to save by the end of the year almost $400. Double that number for including Scott's share. I will also manage to cut back by a staggering 11,200 calories a month (OMG these numbers are seriously scary).

Here is my challenge for you: Save all your receipts for a month-every single one. Organize them by category (food, gas, entertainment, dining out, clothing, etc.). At the end of the month, look at these receipts and find where you are being wasteful, or where you may just be spending mindlessly. Look at those numbers from all angles to see how it affects not only your cash flow, but also your health and well-being. I guarantee that almost all of you will be shocked at just how much that daily latte adds up.

The difficulty for many people is that splurges become habits without the person realizing it. Whether it be buying a candy bar and a bottle of water when checking out at the store, alcohol, partying, drugs, debauchery, entertaining, clothing, or whatnot-sit down for a moment to take a look at how this spending affects every aspect of your life. Think of the money you could be putting aside for savings, paying off credit cards, paying down your mortgage, or saving for retirement. Think of what it can do your health. Not as fun as digging into a yummy pint of Bonnaroo Buzz, but you'll thank yourself in the long run for taking time now to put a stop to your bad habits.

Hint for the day: A splurge is healthy every once in a while. It’s an irregular expense – not one that you spend money on every day or even every week. It also fills you with joy when you do it – and you still feel happy about it a day later. In short, you derive quality of life from that purchase. A habit is never healthy. When an experience (particularly one tied to spending) becomes routine and normal, it should either fulfill a basic need in a simple way or it should be reconsidered. If it doesn’t add genuine value to your life – or if there’s a cheaper option that could add the same value – then you shouldn’t be spending your hard-earned money on it.

Check this out!: I came across this website recently. It's full of advice in all aspects of personal finance. The best part is, it's in layman's terms. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/

Baking bread to break even

I went to the store the other day, looking for a loaf of bread. I just happened to take a look at the shelf where the wonder bread is, and saw that for a loaf of plain white bread, it was $2.99. Are you serious??? Is this wheat harvested out of the White House garden or something? Good grief.

Before I went to pick up my daughter from school, I went to the store and bought flour and a jar of yeast. I splurged and bought a 5lb. bag of bread flour for $2.99. All purpose flour was $1.99, and whole wheat flour was $3.99. The jar of yeast was $3.99. I came home and did the calculations of how much it would cost to make a loaf of bread at home based on my recipe, and this is what I came up with:

15 cents per cup of flour (based on the bread flour price)

25 cents per tablespoon of yeast

16 cents per 1/4 cup of oil

07 cents per 1/3 cup of sugar

The recipe calls for the following:

6 cups flour

1.5 T yeast

1/4 cup oil

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups warm water

1 1/2 t salt

If you do the calculations based on the recipe (minus the salt and water, as the cost is trivial), you should come up with $1.57 per batch. This batch makes two loaves, so you're paying $0.79 per loaf of fresh, unprocessed bread. No chemical or preservative added bread. instead of $2.99 for a loaf of bread that is laden full of stuff we can't even pronounce. This should be a no-brainer, why didn't I do this before?!?! In one word: Convenience.

Instead of taking an hour or so out of my day to make up several dough loaves to freeze, I just grabbed whatever was on the shelf while at the store. Bread really doesn't take much time to make, especially when you have the recipe down pat, and can throw it all together quickly. Then just roll it into loaves, wrap in plastic wrap before giving it a chance to rise, then throw it in the freezer. When you need more bread, just pull out, thaw and let rise, and bake. The only difference is, you'll need to store it in the refrigerator, because there are no preservatives to keep it soft and from spoiling quickly. I think that's worth the sacrifice, don't you?

So, to wrap this up: In order to calculate the cost of making vs. buying-

*Take the price you paid for your ingredients and divide it by the number of cups, T, t, ounces, etc. in each item (i.e. 20 cups of flour in a 5 lb. bag, 16 T yeast in a jar, and so on).

*Take that number and multiply it by the amount your recipe calls for (.15 cents per cup flour multiplied by 6 cups flour).

*Take these numbers and add them together, then divide by the number of loaves each recipe makes, and you have your price per loaf.

Sounds much more complicated than it really is. Happy baking!

HINT FOR THE DAY: Add moisture while baking bread to ensure your bread doesn't dry out. The level of moisture in the oven is an important factor in achieving proper results. Moisture, in the form of steam, allows the bread to form a thin, golden crust while allowing the interior to remain soft and moist. The way I do this is to add a metal pan to the lowest rack of the oven while it's preheating. 2-3 minutes before I put the bread in to bake, add about a cup of water into the hot pan. This will immediately generate steam. Be careful not to let your skin be scalded by the steam. Then place the loaves in to bake.

CHECK THIS OUT!: I live by the all recipes website. Check this link out for thousands of bread recipes: http://allrecipes.com//Recipes/bread/Main.aspx