10 Ways to Save Money Without Getting Cranky: Entertainment

Still going strong on day 24!   We were able to take my mother in law out to a local Clydesdale ranch.  It was really fun, and since we bought the tickets months ago it was free :).  I can't believe this  no-spend month is almost over!

One thing I am learning through this month of no spending is that even though we really don't spend a lot on things overall we usually don't feel badly about the sacrifice.  Most of my friends call me their "thrifty friend" (I also answer to frugal and in the right context cheap).  I love brainstorming with them about ways to save money and not feel deprived.  I have decided to share a series of "top 10" lists of our frugal ways that usually don't make me cranky.

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When we decided that I would work from home with our kids, we knew that one of the areas that would really be cut would be our entertainment budget.  I would sometimes get bummed out that we couldn't, or rather shouldn't, go out to eat or spend an evening shopping.   I still think those things can be viewed as a treat and done in a frugal way on occasion.  But when it isn't time for that, here are several things we really enjoy.

Entertainment in your Home/Hometown (With or Without Kids)
 Go to the Library  Check the calendar for events like concerts, classes, and crafts.  At most libraries you can go online and check the massive catalog for books, DVDs, CDs and more.

Park and Picnic  Our little town has several great parks with trails, playgrounds, disc golf, tennis, and even a splash pad.  We also like to find parks along the way when we travel to picnic and play (saves money and waistline from fast food).  We have found some excellent parks along the way.

Visit a College  Colleges and Universities constantly have things to do that are free and very low cost - especially at smaller schools.  Plays, concerts, art exhibits, sporting events, classes, and more can all be found on the school's websites.  Not near a college?  Try taking in a high school football game or choir concert with your kids.

Art Crawls  Many towns have a specific night each month dedicated to art galleries being open late.  These nights are usually family friendly, and sometimes have live music and hor d'ourves.

Date Night In  After we put the kids to bed, we like to watch a movie, play a board game or simply work on a project together.  The mundane can be magnificent with the attitude adjustment of "We are doing it together - yeah!"

Date Night Out Childcare   Hiring a sitter can be expensive.  Finding friends who would watch your kids for you  if you watch theirs is a great way to avoid that.  There are even babysitting co-ops in some areas.

Think like a College Student  Remember when you were in college and really had no money?  No real bills, or real responsibilities either in most cases.  Back then you would have fun on a "date" sitting in a stairwell playing guitar.  Build on that idea.  Go for a walk and get ice cream.  Play a game of tennis, pool, or anything that you might not be the best at.  Jump in rain puddles together.  Have each other try on outfits of the other's choice at the mall.  Simpler worked back then and it can still be fun now.

Go Online  I have been know to google "Free things to do in (insert city)"  both here and when preparing for a trip.  Festivals and fairs, Concerts, Exhibits, and more can be found by doing this.  Our chamber of commerce has a calendar on their website full of upcoming events.  There are also great websites like Macaroni Kid , HulaFrog, and Free Attractions who will do the legwork for you.

Get Cooking  Find a new recipe or one from your favorite restaurant to copy.  The cost difference will surprise you and usually it will have less fat/salt/sugar than the dining-out version.  Pick a country and choose several dishes to make from it.  Like a delicious Irish stew with soda bread and salad.  Or, see what is in your pantry and freezer with no purchased ingredients.

Think Creative  Work on a new garden bed together, do a craft, teach the kids a new game. Invite the neighbors over to roast marshmallows in the fire pit.  Have dinner by candlelight.  DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.  My kid, and husband think its hilarious fun to roll two old tires down the hill and see which one gets to the bottom first.  That is definitely different and completely free.

Spending free October with one small spend

Just wanted to update on our Spending Free Month.  We are already on day 20!  Despite not spending money this month, we have stayed very busy and well entertained.  It has been a month of hayrides, playing at the park, bonfires, and s'mores.  We have been blessed to have these fellowships with good friends and church family.

The one splurge that we were unwilling to give up for our family was purchasing fall pumpkins and go to the pumpkin patch.   Livi has loved it the past two years and I wanted John to get to experience the fun. I went back and forth about whether we should do it, and I wanted to share how we were able to without spending from our normal budget.


We were blessed to receive a monetary gift of $20 from a church member.  Our family so grateful to our church for their generosity in service, time, and even tangible items.  Now $20....that may not sound like a lot but for our family it was EXACTLY what we needed.  That gift allowed us to go to the pumpkin patch, and to purchase pumpkins from ALDI -they were 1/4 of the price of the patch at $2.50 each.  The kids loved playing in the corn box, seeing animals, and walking around the pumpkin vines.  We took a lot of pictures.

While we were out, we were emailed a coupon for $5 off of $5 worth of candy at Staples.  Free Candy!  God provided a way for us to donate candy to our church fall festival without spending any extra money.   I am going to keep looking for free candy deals before the festival to get more for this great cause.

Olivia showing off one of our pumpkins and a sign we painted

I am so thankful for this month going so smoothly.  Are any of you up for a no spend challenge?  It has been incredible to see how God has supplied all of our needs AND some of our wants.

Food Glorious Food! Food This Month / Bread and Tortilla Recipes

Our family survived week one of no spending!   We purchased milk for the kids today and a replacement 9V battery for our smoke detector but nothing else.  This week will probably be the easiest for us this month as we went camping with my folks and didn't have to worry about much for a few days.  This was a huge blessing.  I have received some great encouragement from sweet friends as well as a few funny looks as to why we are doing this.  Thankful to the Lord for taking care of everything.

I want to share how I am planning meals this month.  Food is very important to me.  I want my kids to have a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.  I try to limit our processed foods and cook almost all of our meals from scratch.  We do really enjoy cheese and I would almost say I need chocolate every day.

For October, I evaluated everything we had in the house in pantry, freezer, and fridge.  We have also been blessed with an insanely prolific tomato crop,  and a youth pastor who shares eggs once or twice a month so I factored those in too.   I listed everything in the categories of Meat, Dairy, Vegetables, Fruit, Grains, Beverages.  I evaluated what ingredients I had and what I could make with them.  Then I created a list of all of the meals we will be eating this month including treats, snacks, beverages  It took a bit of time, but I know it will be worth it to know that we have healthy food planned.   I can rotate meals if it doesn't work with how the day unfolds.   Here are a few things we will be eating:

Breakfast
1.) Pancakes and fruit
2.) Toad in the hole (toast with egg in the middle)
3.) Oatmeal and fruit
4.) Biscuits with ham and apple butter
5.) Peanut butter sandwiches with fruit
6.) Black bean breakfast burritos
7.) Toast with jam and fruit
8.) Yogurt Parfaits

Lunch/Dinner
1.) Vegetable stir fry with eggs, brown rice and sauces (we will eat this several times
2.)  A Tuna dish (tuna noodle casserole, tuna loaf, tuna salad)
3.)  Huumus with veggies, wheat crackers, and apples
4.) Chicken stew with sage, onion, carrots, and potatoes
5.)  Lentil Soup
6.) Chicken Alfredo Spinach Pizza
7.) Black bean soup
8.) Ham with potatoes, peas and carrots
9.) Ham and bean soup
10.) Chicken or Ham wraps with homemade tortillas

Snacks/Treats
1.) Peanuts and Raisins
2.) Crackers with Huumus or Cheese
3.) Popcorn
4.) Applesauce
5.) Molasses Cookies
6.) Chocolate Cookies
7.) Apple Pie
8.) Blackberry Pie
9.) Hot Chocolate

Most of the dinner recipes will feed us all 2-3 complete meals which is great for when I am busy.

I am making our grain products this month.  Here are the recipes that I use for part-wheat french bread and whole wheat tortillas.  These are both great for all meal times, and hold up to sandwiches, spreads and dunking in soup.  They are easy enough that I can make them during nap time or fairly quickly after the kids have gone to bed and taste so much better than store bought.

Part-Wheat French Bread
 2 3/4 cups warm water (I nuke mine for 25 seconds on high in the microwave)
1 tablespoon yeast or two packages
5 cups all purpose flour
2 cups wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
Olive Oil

1.) Combine water and yeast and let bloom

2.) Whisk together flours and salt

3.)  Slowly add yeast mixture to the flour.  Knead dough for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Cover and let rise until it doubles in size.

4.)  Shape the dough into two long baguettes.  Start the oven preheating to 425.   Cover and let rise until the oven is preheated or until they have nearly doubled in size.

5.)  Brush loaves with olive oil.  Bake at 425 for 20 minutes

This bread freezes well and will keep in an air tight container for 3-5 days





Whole Wheat Tortillas  yields 10  Recipe can be doubled
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup warm water (more or less as needed)

Equipment
Cast iron or non-stick griddle (this is really a must as the tortillas could burn and leave marks on your pan)

1.) Combine flour, baking powder, and salt

2.)  Add oil and stir until it is combined

3.)  Add in water a little at at time until the dough forms a ball

4.)  Knead the dough on a floured surface by hand for about 10 minutes.  Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

5.)  Divide dough into 10 balls

6.) Roll out each ball into a circle on your floured surface

7.)  Cook each tortilla over medium high heat for 30 seconds on each side until slightly browned a puffy.

8.) Freeze tortillas or enjoy right away.  Stores fine in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days

Olivia had fun rolling out the dough

Hope that you enjoy these delicious recipes!  I would be happy to help with any questions that would make them easier for you to make.

This is Going to Sound Crazy...

The past two years have been a big roller coaster.  In July of 2013 we purchased just over 4 acres inside city limits -my dream was the land and Brad's was good internet service.  We decided to go ahead and build our home since interest rates were so low and our builder had availability.  The next month they were pouring the foundation.  In fact we broke ground, had an acceptable offer on the home we were living in, AND found out we were pregnant with John all within a 24 hour period.  God had a plan that happened all at once in His timing!

We moved into our home here on Bartley Lane the following January.   Livi loved watching the snow falling from her own bedroom window.   It felt so good to be settling in.

Our John was born on his due date in the spring.  He is still such a relaxed but dependable little guy.  We were feeling like everything was going great.  And it really was.

We had some major financial changes that needed to take place that summer.  Things we didn't expect in the slightest.  Side swiped by things we could not have planned for.  We were thankfully prepared for some emergency, but drastic monetary changes took place.  It was a hard time for me.  My mom and lots of good friends helped me to snap out of the initial shock.  I didn't understand why this happened after we had been so careful with our funds.  It took the whole summer and most of that fall to figure out solutions, and for me to see the good in less.  I finally realized that we really weren't living as frugally as I thought and most of all to praise God through having less money.    

Flash forward to now:  We are still happily here on Bartley Lane.  The kids are growing and are beautiful. AND we have all of our needs and several wants meet.  A huge blessing with a renewed mentality on who our money belongs to, and how we should spend it.

I was looking on Facebook a few weeks ago and came across  Living Well Spending Less and the 31 day no spend challenge.  This challenge encourages folks to spend as little as possible during the month of October.  I talked to Brad and he is on board!  We will be modifying the plan a bit to fit our needs, but I am super excited to see how this month goes.

Exceptions:
1.)Bills:  Of course we are paying our bills this month as well as tithing (before anything else), and paying for Olivia's dance lessons.  I am going to see how much less electricity/water/gas I can use.

2.)Food:  We have to buy fresh milk weekly, but overall I am going to see how long we can make it eating out of the pantry and freezer.  If the frost holds off we will have tomatoes to the moon and back as well as fresh apples and pears.  We also have a couple of gift cards to use if we really really want to eat out.

3.)Other Money:  We also agreed if there is some sort of spending that we need to do that is work or ministry related, we can figure out a barter with someone or spend the least/best amount possible.

Throughout the month of October I will be sharing ways that we generally cut costs in all areas of our life before and after our financial changes.  These little things allow me to work from home with the kids and have afforded us many other opportunities -like building a home.  I hope that you will enjoy following along in this craziness and find humor and truth in my future posts.


Happy Fall, Happy Savings!

-Amanda

Happy First Day of Fall!

I couldn't wait.  The beauty of orange/brown/yellow/red was calling my name.  I couldn't wait until the first official day of fall to decorate inside my house with all of that pumpkin spice goodness.  I was giddy getting out the boxes on September 1st.   I opened it to the smell of cinnamon, ginger, and faux leaves- a winning combination.   Livi and I had fun dancing around with the leaf garland and dropping artificial gourds here and there.  She is after all in training for this sort of thing.

I decided that I would wait until Sept 23rd to put up any pictures of the inside of my house and fall decorations.  I am so happy to have everything look so nice in our Bartley Lane home. In years past I have purchased and made lots of great fall decorations.  We are good with the indoor harvest.  But...it would be nice too have a couple things to put outside.  I have limited myself to spending no more than $5 to create something nice for our front step (I won't do anything out there for a bit though, as it still looks and feels like summer) AND purchasing a couple of real pumpkins for the kids to decorate.

Here is what Livi and I have done so far.

Living Room

Brad got out the ladder to hang up garland on either side of the room.  He did not however climb up to hang it.  I absolutely love the Monet print to the right with its muted fall colors - $5 at a thrift store -frame included!

Excellent reminder of who controls the seasons.  Thanks be to God for His provisions.

The pillow says, "Please excuse the mess, our kids are making memories"  It wasn't really applicable today - HA!

I didn't want this picture standing up all of the way, so I propped it up using an old photo album.  Accessories and red and orange books completed my desk

Dining Room

Finally hung our prints from Paris up.  Thinking the wreathes in the chairs will stay their until we need seating for eight.

Easy fall garland from a thrift shop

                                     

These table linens are very special to our family.  The brown table cloth belonged to Brad's Grandma Nellie and the lace overlay was created by my Grandma Pearl, both deceased.  

Olivia thought this glass candle holder HAD to go in front of the head seat.  

Look for links to appear as I share some of my favorite ways to decorate, cook, and craft for the season on the thrift.  I also will be selling fall inspired goodies on my website www.classiccreationsunlimited.weebly.com.  Happy Fall!!

Colors and Shapes Matching Manipulatives for Little Ones

This fast and easy craft makes a fun matching game for little ones learning colors and shapes.

You will need....

-Microwave Cupcake Tray (I got mine at a thrift store for $1)

-Foam sheets in 6 colors (Again only a buck, this time from Dollar Tree)

-Small Drinking Glass -that fits inside cupcake holes

-Pen

-Scissors

-Crazy Glue or Hot Glue

-Black Marker

1.)  Take the glass and trace a circle onto foam

2.)  Cut circles.  Write the color name on each circle.

3.)  Glue circles into cupcake holder.  I went with the traditional rainbow ROY G BIV

4.)  Cut out shapes.  I did triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles.  

                                     

There you have it!  My Little Miss loves to match the colors, say shape names, and most importantly, dump everything out all over ;).  Hope your little ones enjoy it just as much.

Froggie Shower Invitations

Froggie Shower Invitations

I am getting ready to give a shower for one of my best friends.  This is going to be her second dear little boy!  Cannot wait to meet him, but until then I am excited to plan a cute shower for his mommy .

After talking with the mommy-to-be about nursery colors, I decided to do a froggie theme.  So many ideas pouring into my head with this theme.  To begin with I made these cute froggie onesie invitations

Materials:

Tan Cardstock

Scrap Cardstock any color

Pencil 

Paint Samples in nursery colors and in Green

1 1/2" circle punch

Regular Single Hole Punch

Brown Eyeshadow

Cheap Blush Brush 

Google eyes

Black permanent marker

Glue gun

Glue dot roller

1.) Draw and cut out a onesie from scrap Cardstock.  I folded mine in half to make sure it was symmetrical.  I'm sure there are patterns on pinterest too.

 

2.) Cut out two onesies from tan cardstock for each invitation.  Glue together with dot roller at the shoulder seams.

3.) Dip blush brush into the brown eyeshadow.  Lightly dust around the edges of the card to give depth.

4.) Using the circle punch, punch out one green circle from paint sample for each card.  Glue to the upper center of onesie.  I was able to get 4 circles from each large sample.  

5.). Draw a smile and two nostrils with permanent marker.

6.). Hot glue google eyes.

7.). Punch out a few "warts" with the single hole punch.   Glue at random on the frog's face.

8.). Glue on your sentiment and event details.  You could skip this step if you print onto the cardstock to begin with, but I liked the contrasting colors.

9.). To make the nursery color card, I simple punched out the colors from paint samples and glued them on to scrap cardstock.  I am a matchy-matchy kind of gal and like the idea of the nursery all color coordinated :)

The final product turned out really cute.  Could work as a baby gift card, announcement, and more!