Sunday Savers...on Tuesday

 So my Sunday Savers post is a wee bit late. Story of my wonderfully crazy life!
As I have not planned this post, I'm going to just wing it. Wish me luck!

So here we go...

Save on the Grocery Bill

Best tip I ever had for shopping was to work on a CASH ONLY basis! When I have things planned out well and the cash set aside, I have a great month. If not, well let's just not talk about that.

After paying the bills, (even some of those are paid in cash and not by check or online, I pull out cash and put the money into the proper envelope, similar to the "Dave Ramsey" way. Which means that when I go to the grocery store with my envelope containing what ever I budgeted for, I know that I ONLY have that cash to get what I need. It makes it hard to over spend when you have no buffer! It also makes you pay more attention to each item, the cost, and if it's truly needed!

Save on the Clothes

Last Sunday Savers post was ideas on saving money by shopping thrift stores and recycling by sewing or creatively reusing worn clothing. This time it's about ways to save the life of clothing. Just a little CPR and...ok, just kidding. Couldn't help but run with it!

For those with boys, the simplest way to save the wear and tear on clothing...
...is to have them enjoy life in their birthday suit! Honestly, that's just about the only thing that will save clothing from some children. My middle son can wear through a pair of jeans in such a way, I would have expected an entire herd of wild animals to have taken a turn attacking the jeans.  It's a gift my boy has! Oh my!

For everyone else, there are a few little things that can and will save some wear and tear on clothing.

For jeans, pants, shorts, skirts, and house pants, there is not always a need to wash them every time you wear them. No, I'm not saying wear dirty clothes, but I know there are many times when we simply run an errand or two and the kids have done nothing but do school work and sit in the car in the clothes they had on. That's when I tell them to set the pants aside and wear them again before I wash them. Believe it or not, that will add a little life to each pair of pants or skirt. It also saves on the laundry loads! Yet, shirts, socks and undies are a wash each time for us!

Also, when washing clothing, use a gentle or a homemade detergent! Many of the store bought detergents are quite harsh on the clothing as well as your skin! Make sure you use bleach sparingly, too much too often and clothes will become noticeably thinner and worn.

Here is my post with the recipe we use for homemade laundry soap. It's gentle on the clothing but cleans it well, and has been wonderful for our sensitive skin kiddos!
Hint: to make it a bit stronger but still gentle enough for our skin, I add two cups of powder laundry soap (Costco, Kirkland brand) to the 5 gallon mixture. The batch I make usually lasts us, a family of five, six months. I can't tell you the exact cost per load, but it's pennies, I assure you!

Another small tip is to either only partly dry some clothing in the dryer and hang up to finish drying or to line dry any clothing you can. In the summer I enjoy being able to hang clothing, blankets, and bedding outside to dry! It saves energy as well as wear and tear on clothing. You can always hang items to dry on a shower curtain rod in the laundry room, or a bathroom.


 Save Time

I said it last time and I'm going to say it again...

TURN IT OFF!

Turn off the computer!
Turn off the TV!
Turn off the iPad!
Turn off the phone! (yes, you will survive)
Turn off the tablet!
Turn off the kids' video games! (they too will survive, even if they don't think so)
Even if you keep tech time to a set limit each day, or have a no-tech day each weekend, that time will add up and you will find just how much time you really spend away from your family and your "off screen" life!

Talking with friends and family, technology is the biggest problem for those who complain of not having enough time. Just stop and think for a moment about how much time you spend on or in front of these devices. Now, what could you accomplish if that same amount of time was focused elsewhere, say on your family? Think about it!

Another time saver is to prioritize! For some that may include making a daily check list, in order of importance, or keeping a planner with daily tasks and chores written down. Others may simply need to stop and pick two or three things they want to accomplish in a day and focus on those!
It doesn't take planning your day down to the minute, but having an idea of what you'd like your day to look like, within reason, will help to stay on track and complete tasks.


Saving Your Sanity

Ok, so many of us are fighting a losing battle to keep what sanity we may have. Yet, if we don't try we can't possibly win, right?

We all need that "me" time, but we so often neglect our own needs so that we can keep up with whatever else we feel is more important at the time.  If you stop to look at how much you do each day, how much you care for others, and how much time you spend on household chores or work, you might realize that you really do need and deserve to have a little time to yourself. Everyone does! Those who take the time to care for themselves are far better equipped to care for their family and efficiently carryout the tasks that need to be done.

For those morning people:
Time reading the Bible and in prayer is the best way to start the day.
An early morning walk or run is a great way to get going and start your day in a peaceful and healthy way.
My favorite, when I can, is to swim. There is something about being in the water and watching the sun rise through the large windows at the pool that just starts the day well for me.

For those not-so-morning people:
An afternoon or evening walk or run are a great way to burn off steam and keep healthy, physically and mentally.
Take a quite drive. Sometimes just watching the trees pass on a peaceful drive can help one think and relax.
Take time each day or week to spend on a hobby you enjoy.



***“Peace begins with a smile..” Mother Teresa

**“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

*“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi  (my favorite quote)


Saving is something we can all do better with. Whether it's money, time, or sanity we can all work to save what we need.
It just takes effort and the courage to keep trying daily!

Sunday Savers...

If your like me, you like to save!

What do I like to save?
-money on the grocery bill
-money on clothes for three busy kiddos
-time
-our stuff. I try to make sure that what we do have, continues to last and work well for us!
-and my sanity!

This post will be devoted to ways to save. I hope to have a Sunday Savers post each Sunday with ideas on how to save everything from money to the life of your household appliances.
Here we go...
Remember these are just my thoughts and ideas, no magic formulas or promises of great fortune in the future. Just my thoughts. Enjoy.

Save on the grocery bill:

Coupons are great, but to really save using coupons DON'T use them alone. Wait until the item is on sale and add the coupon (if your grocery store allows it). 

One thing I have learned, but not mastered just yet, is to only shop store sales Then buy in bulk!
For those that can shop weekly, take the time to go through the sale ads and purchase primarily what's on sale. By only buying what is already on sale, and combining coupons, you will save quite a bit on your grocery bill. What this means is that you make your weekly menu plans from what you already have in your fridge and pantry, only purchasing a few things needed for the week that are not on sale. Those items would be things like milk, bread, and eggs, or other things you use and finish quickly but can not stock up on.

It takes some planning, learning to stock on food, and time to go through the sale ads, but it's worth it. And, no, I'm not suggesting you make shopping a full time job and go to the extreme coupon shopping like you have seen on tv. Normal people don't have that much free time or patience to have a full-time job planning and shopping to save money.


Save on the clothes:

Clothes and kids! Saving clothes from such violent destruction with boys is nearly impossible!
My boys have managed to take a brand new pair of shoes or jeans and destroy them in a single day, sometimes less! Plus, they grow so fast that a pair of jeans that fits this month is likely to not fit in two weeks! With a track record like this, I refuse to pay very much for the kids' clothing.
 I shop at thrift stores and clearance racks! I have also been very lucky to have friends who pass clothes down to my kiddos.
Anyway, here are a few ways to save a little cash on clothes.

-Shop thrift stores:
I have found some great deals on clothes for my kiddos. Paying $25-$30 for a pair of jeans for my boys that are going to skid across the kitchen floor or slide down the driveway in, is just not for me!
Paying $2-$5 for a pair of jeans or walking out the door with 6 pair of jeans for the kids for under $30, is for me!

-Shop the season end sales:
 Buy the size you think they should fit into by the following year. Even with guess work, this has worked great for us. There will be times, something you bought doesn't quite fit by the next season,  when that happens, either hold it aside until it fits or hold it for the younger sibling. And if that doesn't work find a friend with children that size! Someone always wins!

-Recycle worn and torn clothing:
I like to sew. Which has been very handy, as I have been able to repair and re purpose many of the kids' clothes. All three of my kiddos are very tall and thin, so finding pants that fit around the tummy and aren't up to their knees is a challenge. Many times I have made pants for all of my kiddos and each year I make shorts for my long-legged daughter. Trying to find shorts that are a decent length that will fit a very tall and slim pre-teen, is nearly impossible. So we make shorts for her each year. You can see a past post here of shorts made for my daughter.

Even if you don't sew much, you can still make some fun things with old clothing.

Take some lace or fun material to add to the cuff of a pair of pants for your daughter to add a little length is they still fit around the waist! This has often saved us just another month or so until summer when she is wearing short for months.
Holes in the knee? My boys love the flame and camo patches we found. It adds color and a little more life to the pants.
We all grew up with cut off shorts. Well, we do the same, just add something to the edge to dress it up and the kids have a new fun pair of shorts. Easy!

There really is so much you can do, to add a little life to clothes. I'll try to find some photos next week and share more ideas!

Save time:

This one is harder. We are of a very busy, go, go, go society. Everyone is doing something or going somewhere all the time. Even when many of us are home, we are busy on the computer, phone, ipad, tablet, or watching tv. We are busy working on bills, doing laundry, taking care of kids, animals, and spouses. It's difficult to find time to be alone or just relax. But if we are to truly care for our self, we must take a break and make good use of our time.
For this I only have two tips:

#1- TURN IT OFF!
Turn off the computer (wait, not until you're done reading this)
Turn off the tv
Turn off the iPad
Turn off the phone (yes, you will survive)
Turn off the tablet
Turn off the kids' video games (they too will survive, even if they don't believe it)

Think about how much time you spend with these items. If you added it up for an entire day, week, or month you would see just how much of our lives we spend on technology and away from the outdoors and the lives of our family.

If you spend 1.5 hours a day on these items, you spend:

10.5 hours a week  (that's an extra work day)
45 hours a month  (that's a full work week)
547 hours a year  (that is way too much of your life)

It may not feel like that much, but when you add it up, it's a huge part of your life.

I'm not saying never enjoy the technology we have, but limit yourself. Decide what is acceptable for you and keep it to that limit of time. I try, not always very successfully, to keep my tech time to after the kids are in bed or when they are otherwise occupied. Even then, I could do much better.

Our family, at least the kids and I, have tech-free weeks. Here and there, I will tell the kids it's a tech-free week, and for that entire week, we don't turn on the tv, video games, or computer. I LOVE TECH FREE WEEK!!! I'll admit the first day or so can sometimes be rough if they have had too much tech time recently, but after that we all enjoy it. We all spend more time outside, read more books, we even pull out the board games and have a great time. After that week, I try to limit very strictly, the amount of tech time we all use. It has been just what wee needed many times. My goal is to have tech-free week, once a month. I'm still working on that one though.

#2-GET OUTDOORS!
If you get outside more, you will feel better, you will have more energy, and you will be more clearheaded! It may not help your laundry get done, or your bills paid, but it will make you feel better and that will help you to be more focused and able to accomplish what you need to.


Save your appliances and household items:

Dishwasher & Coffee pot

We have very hard water in our area, so the dishwasher and coffee pot are not always very happy. With the amount of calcium and minerals in our water, the build up on these items can be excessive.

I have found that instead of using rinse aid in the dishwasher, place some (1/2 cup) vinegar in with the dish soap, it helps to keep the build up down and helps with the dishes as well. Plus, it rids the dishwasher of any odor that may come about due to specks of food or other washed off but left in the drain pipes of the dishwasher.

Same with the coffee pot. Washing it out isn't always enough. So, once a month or so I'll run a pot of water and vinegar through and then rinse it well. It helps with the build up, and the staining. (check your coffee pot, some say not to use vinegar)


Saving your sanity:

As I am still working on this one, I will just suggest this:

-Spend the day really playing with your kids. Jump rope, ride a bike, toss a ball, get down and build with the blocks.  Be a kid for the day and remember what it was like to just enjoy life!

-Take 15 minutes EVERY DAY to do something JUST. FOR. YOU!
Read the Bible, lay in the sun, take a walk, sit in the car with the radio on and sing along, draw or paint, enjoy a few minutes with a hobby you enjoy, read, or simply sit in the grass (or snow) and watch the clouds (or night time stars) and just BE.

-Live in the moment. Don't focus on the future, don't dwell on the past, just enjoy this moment right now!

-Think positively. Negativity is contagious, so is positivity! So share!


Saving is something we can all do better with. Whether it's money, time, or sanity we can all work to save what we need.
It just takes effort and the courage to keep trying daily!

Mom's night...in

   A friend and I were talking the other day about getting together with friends more. We both have had a very long year and have missed having time to spend with friends. So we have decided to start making time to spend with friends. Since we can't always get out without kids or have the extra money to spend on a night on the town we came up with a few ideas to try.

I know how hard it is for moms to get out and spend time with their friends as much as we'd like so I thought I'd share some of our ideas. Yes, some are just silly ideas but it would be time spent with friends.

• Recipe Swap- Each person makes a favorite dish, side, or desert to share. Copy the recipe down onto a 3x5 note card for each of the friends. Everyone gets to enjoy something new and take home the recipe.
• Dollar Store Goodie Bag- Each person has a limit of $10 (spent at the dollar store) to put together 1 or 2 fun little goodie bags. Get together for drinks or games and everyone gets a goodie bag to take home.
• Book Swap- Everyone brings a few books they are done with to swap with the others. This could also be done with kids books or other household items.
• Game Night- Simple pot luck dinner and games. Kids love this too, just have some kids games available as well.
• Mom's Sappy Movie and Ice Cream Night- Obviously a sappy movie and ice cream for the mom's. Pj's are a must!
• Take a Hike Mom- Everyone meet up somewhere to take a day hike. No kids! Just mom's, sunshine, and lots of water. Oh and of course a camera!
• Mom's Spa Night-  Many have done this but make it what you want. Either get together and just spend the evening pampering yourself with friends, or each person puts together a spa goodie bag (set a dollar limit) and every swaps the goodie bags to take home and enjoy.
• Homemade Christmas-  I know many of my friends enjoy making Christmas gifts for their kids and families each year. Everyone can get together and work on their own project, or everyone can decide on one project and work together.
• Clothing Swap-  I know most women have tons of clothes that are just sitting in the closet gathering dust. So why not get all those clothes you have no need for and let your friends rummage through them all. If you sew, you can get quite creative as a group and put together some great Halloween Costumes or dress up clothes for the kids.

What do you think?
Any of those ideas something you and your friends would try?
What ideas would you put on your list?

Sunday Savings...Homemade Laundry Soap

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP

This is something I tried about a year ago and have used since. It's easy to make and saves a great deal of money. Another benefit is that all the ingredients are very mild and gentle on the skin.

Having kiddos with sensitive skin makes it difficult to find laundry soap that does not irritate their skin.

So I found this recipe online (not sure where) and now I am sharing it with you.

Items Needed

*5 gallon bucket  ($5-6 at grocery store in paint dept or at a hardware store)

*Large cooking pot   (I found mine at a thrift store for $1.00)

*Cheese grater   (I also found this at the thrift store for $1.50)

*Arm & Hammer Washing Soda  ($3.50 for 55oz box at grocery store)

*20 Mule Team Borax  ($3.50 for 55 oz box at grocery store)

(borax box pictured is larger and was $5.00)

*Fels-Napatha Bar Soap ($ 0.97/bar at grocery store)

You can also use Dove or Ivory bar soap.

Bar soap without all the color and perfumes are the best for your skin.

*Wooden spoon or what ever you have to mix with

* 4 Cups of Hot Water

Now you are ready to begin.



*Grate whole bar of soap (It works best if the soap is finely grated)

A cheese grater with the little side works the best.

It also grates fingers well! But don't worry a little bit of skin won't hurt the mixture!

*While grating the soap, put the pan and water on the stove and heat until hot. (doesn't have to be boiling) 

The recipe calls for 4 cups hot water, I just fill the pan 3/4 full. 

*  Once water is hot add soap. Stir with wooden spoon until dissolved.

Make sure you scrap the bottom of the pan too!

*Once the soap is dissolved slowly add the 1 cup of washing soda. Stir with wooden spoon until dissolved.

Again scrap bottom of pan to keep mixture from sticking.

* Once washing soda is dissolved add 1/2 cup Borax. Stir until dissolved.

And again scrap bottom of pan.

When it's all dissolved the mixture will be a light yellow (if using Fels-Naptha).

*While mixture is on stove fill 5 gallon bucket half way with hot tap water.

 *Then add soap, washing soda, and borax mixture to bucket.

Stir well to mix with water.

* Add hot tap water to fill bucket. Continue to stir for a few minutes.

Then guess what?

You now have you own homemade laundry soap!  Yeah!!

Let the mixture cool for an hour,  before putting lid on!

*Let the mixture cool and set over night with the lid on.  It will not gel as some (me) were originally told.

Then in the morning, mix the laundry soap well and pour some into a smaller container.

It's much easier to use a smaller container regularly and just refill as needed from your 5 gallon bucket.

I know washing cheese graters are not always easy and when you use the small side with soap, it's not easy to get the soap all out. But I found that a little finger nail brush works great! Works on graters with cheese too!

 

I have been using this recipe for over a year and it has worked great for us. Our clothes, even the boys' clothes, are clean when washed with this soap. At times when I have some clothes, usually boys clothes, that are really bad or I just feel they need a little extra, I just add in a scoop of  Washing Soda to the load along with the cap of homemade laundry soap. And so far I have not had any problems or have ever felt like the clothes weren't clean enough.

To Use:

1/2 to cup homemade laundry soap per laundry load

Shake laundry soap container before use.

I can't tell you how may loads this recipe makes but I will tell you that it took me a year to use the entire bucket of laundry soap. Now I will tell you that I did use another laundry soap off and on throughout the year so the bucket would have gone a bit faster. But with how often and how much we used I think that using this recipe only (for a family of 5) it would easily last 8 months or so. I also occasionally would mix a container of homemade laundry soap with some of our store bought laundry soap. It all seemed to work fine, no matter which way I did it.

If you want some scent to your laundry soap you can add a few drops of scented oils (lavender works great) to the small container. We do not use oils as I am needed to keep the extra stuff off their skin.

Now the cost. How much does this cost?

Here's the run down:

**5 gallon bucket (and lid)  $6 - which is a one time purchase

**Washing Soda (55oz)  $3.50 - you only use 1 cup per bucket you make so this will go far, and it is great for a laundry booster or household cleaner 

**Borax  (55oz)  $3.50  - this too will last a long time, you only use 1/2 cup per bucket and it as well is a laundry booster and household cleaner

**Fels-Naptha Bar  $0.97

(Dove or Ivory soap are similar in price per bar)

So we have $14 dollars ($13.97) for the start up.  $14 for eight or nine sometimes more, months of laundry soap?  And your next batch may only cost you the price of the soap if you have not used all the washing soda or borax. $8 to make if you have to replace the soap, washing soda, and borax. Not bad!

It works great for sensitive skin. And believe it or not its helpful for those with asthma. Because there are no perfumes or bleach in the laundry soap mix.

Now you know how to make your own homemade laundry soap!

Save money and enjoy!