Adventures In Poverty

Thanks For Stopping by.........

2011-05-04T13:58:00.000-04:00

Hi Facebook friends and others......
Blogging is easy. I was a novice computer operator using dial up when I started this blog years ago. I encourage you to start your own blog (send me a link please) and share your thoughts, ideas, hobby, recipes and so on.

But first....read on.......................

Bloggin' From The Camp House

2011-03-29T13:43:00.000-04:00

I charged up my laptop only to discover I am at 87% battery. This is the first time a laptop computer has been to camp. There is an unwritten rule of no electronics at camp…..but I am a blogger so therefore I must blog

Things are cooking at camp. Literally, with both woodstoves running the temperature is almost 80 degrees!
Here I am out in the Great North Woods of New Hampshire! During the winter months camp is only accessible with snowshoes or a track runner. Maybe a snow machine if the snow is just right. Good thing we have access to all three. There is no electricity, or running water at camp. We use a gas refrigerator and stove. Gaslights allow for late night board games. An old wood cook stove and a barrel-type stove provide plenty of heat. Camp is small, consisting of 2 rooms on as many floors. A counter separates the kitchen area from the dining/living/sleeping area. The three built in seating quarters double as beds. Upstairs, if you can manage yourself up the 30 degree ladder, houses a oversized king bed, table, chair, dresser and a chamber pot complete with a remarkably comfy wood seat. Most of the time when nature calls we trek out the side door 20 feet or so to the outhouse. It is a nice little two seater with a urinal. Three people could actually use the outhouse at one time. To my knowledge that has never happened. When my daughter comes to camp she insists someone (me) goes with her to the privy and if I am going out there I may as well use my time wisely. The seats are back to back so the designer had some modesty in mind. The surroundings at camp are just as pleasant inside as they are outside. The interior is mostly wood with a few areas of roughly spackled white walls. There are 4 entry doors each one hand made with a unique wood pattern. Windows cover most of the wall surface. Twenty windows grace the main floor plus three more windows in the doors. An unusual porthole window offers a peek to the outdoors on the west side. The upstairs has a rather unusually large round window with six petal shape windows surrounding the inner circle. The detail in the window trim work is exquisite. Not including the previously mentioned window, the upstairs boasts as many windows as the main floor.

We arrived on a Wednesday and will depart two days later on Friday. These few days at camp will consist of; walking the loop that the boys make with the snowmobile, sledding, snowmobiling, knitting, reading and deep conversation that only seems to happen at camp. I have often thought that camp is so very relaxing it lends itself nicely to helping one find a deeper connection with themselves. My family talks a lot. We enjoy debates and discussion, even a good healthy argument now and then. However our “camp talks” are different, they are deeper. When we are at home it seems as thought there is always something waiting that needs to be done. Those thoughts of impending tasks take up space in our heads and don’t allow for the level of clarity required to have a thoughtful conversation as a family. Even if only one of us is distracted the conversation loses it’s focus. At camp there is hardly ever anything that has to be done by a certain time. In the evening with the supper mess all around us we sit and talk and talk, as if we haven’t seen each other in years. Camp talk is interesting and stimulating and one of the many features I look forward to when coming to camp.

As you sit by the woodstove and look west the mountains of Vermont fill the skyline. Winter offers the best view in my opinion. Every day the view changes. Spots on the mountainside that were bare become covered with snow or the reverse happens as the snow melts and white covered areas slowly become bare. At night the few homes on the hillside light up. Over the past ten years I have noticed more lights on the hillside and bigger bare spots as people move north and build their homes. Camp is roughly ten minutes from town and only a mile or so from a small store but it feels like you’re a hundred miles from anyone when you are here. As I look out the window a see the homes miles away I realize that the secret must be out. I imagine within the next ten years the view will be littered with new construction. As long as we don’t get any close abutters if that happens we might consider another move to a camp further up North. Although that would mean a Canadian citizenship.

Times They Are A Changin’............ Still

2011-03-29T13:32:00.001-04:00

a passage from my Memoirs ....if I , in fact, had Memoirs

As I get older I see the past more clearly. Throughout grade school and into my teen years I enjoyed a self centered life style. I listened to the music I chose, hung out with a hand picked group of friends, I watched the movies I selected and so on. Most of my young life I made the majority of my everyday decisions. Sure my parents decided what was for supper most days and the education system planned the majority of my weekdays. But still I controlled my social life and my free time.

In my house there was not set chores. My Mother kept an immaculate house. She collected primitive antiques that were strategically placed throughout our home. She was a work-from-home Mom and enjoyed decorating. I guess she enjoyed cleaning too. Aside from cleaning the small half bath that I used I cannot recall ever cleaning any other part of the house. Occasionally I would tidy my bedroom and I may have vacuumed my room annually, but seriously that was it. If the wood box was empty you would be asked to fill it. When the eggs needed to be collected you were told to collect them. I honestly cannot recall having any set chores or real responsibilities as a child and teen.

My biggest dilemma was deciding what to do with my time. I did not have any real hobbies or interest that consumed my free time. Exposure to hobbies and interest was minimal in the late seventies and early eighties. Basically I saw my Mother; work her flower garden, create craft gifts and decorations, bake and preserve food, play cards and endlessly rearrange all the furnishings in our home. My Mother’s list is now part of my adult life. Although as a young girl I did not find any of her hobbies remotely interesting. Instead I would play by myself or occasionally with my neighbor. As a pre-teen I spent countless hours listening to music and reading. Television viewing was limited to three channels, two of which were very fuzzy. Outdoor time was also kept to a minimum for no other reason than nobody in my family spent a lot of time outdoors.

While I found many play activities engaging I never experienced any real fun until I discovered boys. My first encounter was Michael Jackson- yes, the singer, songwriter, dancer Michael Jackson. I listened to his music and longed for the feelings he expressed in his music. I never missed an episode of The Dukes of Hazard and imagined Bo Duke was my boyfriend and I could almost feel the exhilaration of my imaginary relationship. As a 11-13 year-old my character was in a peak stage for formation and I was filling it with Michael Jackson and Bo Duke. My body was changing and I was aware that boys looked at me with interest.

Remember all the free time, well as a tween a majority of my free time is “alone” free time. I didn’t need a sitter which I very seldom ever had and I was now old enough to stay home alone. Can you see a problem brewing here?

If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times! Send your 0-10 year-olds to a sitter and live it up, or work and squirrel away the money, BUT once your child hits age 11 and through age 18 STAY HOME and STAY AWARE! This is when your child needs you the most.

My Mother was home and I was a really good quiet kid who had a lot of free time. So when I was old enough my parents gave me all kinds of freedom. The problem is that I had accidentally subliminally altered my character through music and TV. Not just Michael Jackson and Bo Duke my music collection expanded and my tape deck ran non-stop. TV shows that I watched included Dallas and Falcon Crest. What I was putting in my head mutated into something very unhealthy. I had no real responsibilities at home therefore I felt I could do whatever I wanted. I had nothing to lose. Why not? I always did what I wanted and nothing ever happened. So off I went to junior high and met up with a new group of friends and well, continued to do as I please. And if there was a boy involved that made it all the more exciting…no matter who the boy was. I had the power! Well my grades were bad, really bad. I failed seventh grade and went to summer school and guess what? I met another boy, older, nicer, even cute! Summer school wasn’t a punishment, it was an opportunity.

Through all this my parents didn’t have a clue what was going on. Lying was easy because I had been so good that they believed everything I said, they never checked my stories. I literally had no conscience. I couldn’t see how anything I was doing could possibly hurt anyone else. I was having fun, how could anything go wrong. I also had no morals, values or an iota of good character. I basically turned into an actress in order to do what I wanted to do.

Fast forward 25 years. I now understand clearly what happened to me. It wasn’t my parents fault and it wasn’t my fault. Times were changing quickly when I was growing up. The home computer was being introduced, information was being shared more efficiently than ever before and music and TV was beginning it’s search for shock value. Morals, values and respectable character were on their way out. Society was teetering on the edge of right and wrong, pushing all the limits like never before.

My parents didn’t have a chance, they couldn’t see it coming. The impending doom of a need it now, will do anything for it world. What we call in instant society today. I see it and I hope you do to. I have been a parent for 22 years now, with my first child born when I was a teen. As a parent of 11-18 year-olds we need to stay on top of everything. Music, for example, leaves a strong impression on children and teens. In our house we listen to mostly classical music, we always have so it doesn’t seem weird to the kids. Whether we are in the car or the house radio we keep it fairly consistent. The two youngest boys (6 and 10) both play the violin and the older son also plays piano. Occasionally we put on some Johnny Cash or similar artists and we discuss the stories that were put to song. We talk about what we like about the sounds and how they make us feel. We stress the importance of what sounds we put into our heads and how those sounds can change how we feel if we let them. We remind them that ultimately they are in control of their feelings and their actions. I was exposed to music on the school bus and by my school friends. We home-school so we have eliminated most of the outside factors of impressionable music. Our ten year-old has asked for an MP3 player and we have casually declined stating the ear buds are not good for his still developing ear drums. Fact or not it will buy us some time. When the time comes we will listen to the music before they buy it and brings it into our home. We have laid a firm foundation pertaining to music so they clearly know what is acceptable and what is not.

Television has been fairly easy for us as we choose not to have cable or a TV that gets any channels. We can watch movies which we enjoy doing every other month or so. We go to a neighbor to watch the Super Bowl and every year my husband and I are more shocked than the year before when we see the commercials. Go Daddy seems to at the top of the list for innuendo and promiscuity. The amount of ads that contain violence or pure lack of moral judgment and restraint are plentiful. This past year I cannot recall one decent ad. I secretly wish my neighbor would mute the TV during the commercials, or better yet turn the thing off! But then I would have nothing to offer during all the Super Bowl ad conversations that seem to linger on for weeks.

One hobby or interest we share as a family is reading. Our family reads, reads, reads. Books that my ten year-old reads I read and sometimes my mother-in-law will also read. We all have at least one book going at any given time. Books create easy discussions and lend themselves to healthy debates about morals and values as well as practicing restraint. However books also require some necessary preview before children of certain ages read them. I’ll admit I have never banned a book, but there have been some that made me uneasy. My daughter read romance novels in a day when she was 13. Adult romance novels……but we talked about them and I made it clear that the books were fiction, written for entertainment and not to be taken seriously. She still reads adult romance novels, sometimes a book a day, she is almost 23, been married for two years and is expecting her first baby this summer. In addition to reading our family hobbies include; snowmobiling, hiking, crafting, entertaining, drawing, skiing, bike riding, camping and farming. Most of which we do together as a family when our daily chores are done. Get some hobbies and get with your kids! You can be the major influence in your child's formation....not TV, not music, not society YOU!

We DID it!! and so CAN YOU!!!

2010-07-30T07:41:00.001-04:00

We reached our goal of being debt free in ten years.
Both myself and my husband had college loan debt (totaling over $25,000.00)when we met. Neither one of us had a credit card when we first met but we were swept away by the convincing mailings for low or no interest cards so we got a few (4). And before we knew it we were in (close to 6 figures) debt! 9 years ago we both worked 2 jobs and never seemed to put a dent in our debt. We were working hard making money and we knew how to spend it, we even saved a little. But what we didn't know was how to MANAGE our money. So we stayed in debt and our debt got bigger and bigger. Sleepless night and high stress prompted us to change. Finally we had enough and "the plan" was born. We made a budget and a savings plan. We projected where we wanted to be financially by 2010. A long ways away from where we were in 2002. It seemed impossible but our desire to work less and spend time as a family far outweighed our desire to hold a big mortgage on a high maintenance home and expensive automobiles. So we stayed as focused as we could. Expenses we didn't anticipated came up often seemingly sabotaging our plans, we would get mad and discouraged. One of us would want to throw in the towel and give up and the other one would remain persistent and positive.
It felt as if we started over at least 20 times over the past 8+ years. Most of the time I felt hopeless and impoverished. Then someone would come along and have a much worse story than mine to tell. A good friend filed for bankruptcy, another friend lost her young daughter tragically and other very upsetting stories. So then we would count our blessings and pass the blame on to the society we live in for making us want big expensive things. The temptation is everywhere TV, radio, billboards, mailings, catalogs, friends, neighbors and family members all tempting us to want more, need more. Having more would mean one would have to work more and be away from your family more. Hmmmmm.... that would mean also my family would have more time to be influenced by society to want and have more " things ". See the cycle here?
So we swam against the tide and we did it! We hold only a small land mortgage and we have enough cash to put a hefty down payment on a nice, low maintenance house. We have a 2006 car that is paid for, no college loans, credit cards and no unsecured debt! Mr BusyMomatHome works full time and I am a homemaker and a homeschooling Mom. We sleep great at night and I do not worry about money. I get a certain amount of cash each week for gas, groceries and other things and that is all I spend. The rest of the paycheck goes into the bank and when we want to buy something we have the money and pay cash.
Debt Free living was HARD to do, we made a lot of mistakes and we went without a lot to get to this point. Now we feel like we can have and do whatever we want, the only difference is we pay cash and we really think and plan every expenditure. In return we feel really good about every cent that leaves us. Spending cash and obtaining control over your own money is quite liberating !

Read This Book!!! Get it FREE from your library...of corse.

2010-07-26T09:45:00.000-04:00

Below is a book reveiw that pertains to living within your means and shopping locally.

Small Is Possible

Life in a Local Economy

By Lyle Estill

Copyright 2008

ISBN 978-0-86571-603-2

320 ESTILL (Abbott Library Sunapee, NH)

Questions:

1- What is the book about ? Essentially what question is the book asking and answering?

2- How does the author attempt to convince/lead you?

3- Entertainment factor?

4-Bonus positives?

5- Bonus negatives?

6- Overall Rating (5 Star scale)

* = 20% good 80% waste of time

** = 40% good 60% waste of time

*** = 60% good 40% waste of time

You get it…and ½ * = 10*

Choosing this book only involved scanning the non-fiction shelves at the Abbott Library for something to read. The words Local Economy on the spine of the book got me first, second was the size of the book. At 227 pages this soft cover text looked like an easy read.

Is local self-reliance possible? Lyle Estill says “yes.” According to the author the process however can be cumbersome and may require you to move to Chatham County South Carolina. In addition to pulling up your roots obtainment of this almost utopian society of self-sustainment involves family money, immersing yourself with like-minded people, endless talent and skill or the means to hire a lot of people with endless talent and skill. Oh, and you need to be a likable, smooth talker with a plentiful knowledge of civics. With this checklist in hand you are now ready to become self-sustaining.

OR…. You can take only what you need from this book, which is what I did. Lyle touches briefly on economic re-development, feeding, housing, fueling, financing, educating, healing, entertaining, and governing OURSELVES.

Lyle begins the story with personal information about life in his town. He quickly winds you through the curvy roads of his life to bring you to his present day in a local economy. Chatham County has a number of co-ops, and a lot of arts and culture. The towns are sparsely dotted with general stores, mom and pop shops, antique stores and the like with a majority owned by a local person that the author has some tellable tale of friendship with. The main local industry he tells about is biodiesel, because Lyle is The Lyle Estill, Biodiesel Guru.

Lyle was born and raised in Canada and has located himself in South Carolina. He has family money to back him up at every turn, he buys every “little” or “up and coming” local business he comes in contact with. From a internet company to a hydroponics greenhouse Lyle buys all or in-on many local companies and houses them in one grand location near his home. Employees are local and or relocated to town. There is ping pong, volleyball, a garden and fresh air at the work place. Workday leisure is important and napping IS allowed. Lyle takes the reader over a cliff as far as what we think of as a “normal workplace“ and he spends little time convincing us that it works. The proof is apparent in the entirety of the book. He carries the reader briefly through his own thoughts with somewhat of an attention deficit disorder type process. Not entirely bad just a bit of jumping around and a boat load of name dropping that in order to remember who is who requires some note taking from the reader.

The book is entertaining in parts. Lyle has a good sense of humor and inserts laughs in appropriate places with an odd randomness that qualifies as ADD. Classify this book as an informational book? No, I would disagree. Inspirational would be a better word. Inspirational as long as you are not easily discouraged. Not all of us have family money, can up and move, are business minded …and so on…Want to try to change your local economy where you are? This is not really a book to walk you through that process either. The only valuable tid-bit Lyle offers is to encourage people to learn Civics. When people understand local government that is when they become involved in local government, agreed.

I left the finished book with a little bit of readers remorse-and wanting a bit more from the author. I know Lyle holds more of the formula to self- sustaining and local economy than he has shared in this book. Overall I enjoyed the reading as a source of hope and entertainment. In all fairness he has written other books and I will check out his books before I hound him on Facebook.

Casual Reader Rating *** 3 stars. I do like this book, I am glad I read it and I feel I have taken away information that is valuable to my life. 1-2-3-stars. Why not 5 stars, well the fact that in his book Lyle offers some of his services pertaining to his local businesses for free and soon finds himself valuable and making a fair profit in the end is not surprising (under practiced in my world). He just doesn’t expand enough on how the average Jane-or Joe- can put his method of work-for-free, get people involved, become valuable, make people want to pay, then charge a reasonable price -into practice to obtain the general message of his writing which is becoming self-sustaining in a local economy. Lyle needed to offer me more facts and how-to information, he obviously has that knowledge why not share it. By the way Lyle drives a convertible Mercedes and yes it runs on biodeisel but my question, how much of his purchase money stayed local?

One Step Closer

2010-05-18T18:16:00.000-04:00

The goal of self sufficiency gets closer each day. The plan has been to rid ourselves of as many monthly bills as possible. To date we have eliminated all credit cards. I must say it is very liberating to know that we do not have any credit cards. We navigate on a cash only basis. We have one car payment and two cars. The Pacifica has a $9,000.00 payoff and we will pay that off by July 1. Our student loans total $15,000.00 and will also be paid off by July 1.

Remaining large monthly payments will be our mortgage and a land payment. Totaling (with excess paid monthly on both principles) $2,100month $25,200 year

Additional monthly bills :

Gas 40 (480 year)

Oil 20 (240 year)

Electrical 80 (960 year)

Landline phone 30 (360 year)

Music lessons 125 (1500 year)

Camps 20 (240 year)

Museum membership 12.50 (150 year)

Fitness gym 30 (360 year)

Wood FREE main heating and hot water source

Auto gas, ins, maintenance 160 (1920 year)

Groceries 325 (3900 year)

Gifts mostly homemade 60 (720 year)

TOTALS $902.50 month ($10,830.00 year)

GRAND TOTAL $3002.50 month ($36,030.00 year)

If you are wondering how to pay off big bills I can offer you our strategy. First we made a budget based on what we wanted pay off or to SAVE, not the amount of money we made. This is huge. As Americans we are taught to spend according to what we make and what we can obtain through loans. This method of spending is wrong and only puts the consumer in debt and the producer (BIG BOX STORES, AUTO MAKERS, BANKS…..) gets richer. We looked at the car payment and our student loans as the immediate burden. Could we save $24,000.00 in less than a year? The answer was yes, but….we would need to manage our money very closely. We paid our monthly SL and car payments and put our tax return and $1500-$2000 a month away. Some months we put away more money some months less money. The goal was to pay these two bills off in March. We slipped up here and there, we underestimated heating costs and had some unexpected expenses but we didn’t let that get us down. We kept our goal in sight. By July 1 we will have $24,000.00 to pay off those bills.

Why not pay extra each month instead of balloon payments? This is personal choice. We were fueled by watching our money grow. It depends on what gets you fired up. Seeing my husband work so hard and sending all that money out the door each month just didn’t fit us. We needed to see the fruits of our labors. Would we do it that way again? We are hoping we never have monthly loan payments. We do not intend on ever taking out another auto loan. With our surplus income we are planning on making car payments to ourselves and when we reach the dollar amount we need to purchase a car we will take our pillowcase of cash and buy a car. We have already proven to ourselves that we can save.

What is missing? Cell phone…I am blessed in this area, my daughter put me on her plan and she pays the monthly bill. She generously provides me with a cell phone because she knows I would not have a cell phone otherwise. I don’t feel as if I need a cell phone. My parents and grandparents survived without a cell phone - and quite frankly the phone can be a disruptive bother that I can easily do without. Cable and internet? I put cable and internet together because to me they are one of the same. They both provide endless hours of mindless entertainment. Internet and cable both can be used constructively of course. One can search the internet for facts and recipes, read money saving blogs and the like. Cable can be educational and informative. However the ratio of informative viewing on either to the ratio of entertainment viewing is quite low. On average Americans watch 5 hours of television every day- with the bulk of their viewing being mindless entertainment. $130.00 a month for cable and internet! NO thank you. Internet is free at my local library and if I am not feeling social or the library is closed I sit in my car in the parking lot and upload my blog entries and check my e-mail and face book.---For FREE! At first it was a pain but like most things you get used to it and I really enjoy saving money. Besides cable would be a waste of money for us because we do not own a TV.

What about eating out and other frivolous spending? We eat out on average once a month. We are able to do this because I thrift store shop and consign a lot of clothes. Being a stay at home- school at home mom lends itself to saving money. One thrift store allows you to fill a paper bag with items for a $3.00 donation. Many times I find wonderful clothes for myself or family members and occasionally I find a beautiful Banana Republic skirt in pristine condition that is destined for a quick $5.00 in my pocket from the local consignment shop where it will sell for a fast $10.00. I have made my money back plus a $2.00 profit. Find 20-30 items in a month to consign and we have made the $50-$60 needed to go out to dinner without messing with the family budget. I must say that we like eating out but we don’t LOVE eating out. I enjoy cooking and have learned over the years that good home cooking beats restaurant food every time. All of out best meals have been at home. I contribute that to the fact that I do not work outside of the home. I have plenty of time to plan meals, shop for the ingredients and then leisurely prepare the meal.

All in all the way you decide to live your life and spend your money is ultimately your choice. I would caution you though…if your lifestyle reflects your neighbors and your neighbors neighbor and so on…is it really your choice? Or have you essentially conformed to a producer based theory of spending? Rather than a consumer based theory of saving and pay cash as you go?

One last thought… Which sounds better to you?

Pay off your current car loan. Keep your paid off car and continue to make car payments to yourself . In 3 years have enough cash to buy a factory left over or a low mileage used car of your liking. Pay cash and eliminate the interest! Pay cash and really dicker with the salesman and get the car you want at a low price. Walk away with a car you own!! No payments!

Or perpetually make car loan AND INTEREST payments. Pay thousands of dollars more for a car than it is worth. You are lining someone else pocket with your hard earned money………

It’s hard to change - we have been taught this Producer based theory all of our lives…….It is time for the consumer theory of spending our cash (not loaned cash with interest) they way we choose.

All I Want Is ONE uninterrupted shower...........

2010-05-12T13:46:00.000-04:00

I did not take a shower on Mother’s Day. I wasn’t terribly dirty anyway, but I do enjoy a daily shower. Whether it be a quick sprinkle or a long steamy rinse a daily shower is sometimes the only peaceful part of my day.

For the past 22 years I have been ultimately responsible for a young tender child. My youngest is now 5 years old. He is learning, some days quicker than others, how to politely interrupt conversations and activities. However he has not fully grasped the concept of my daily shower time. We have addressed this many times over the years. I have always told my children you may interrupt someone when they are using the bathroom ONLY if there is an emergency. As a family we have reviewed what exactly constitutes an emergency-many times over. Still there is a knock at the bathroom door just as I lather up, my heart momentarily sinks into my big toe as my mind runs wild with every possible gruesome emergency it can produce. My 5 year-old pops his head around the bathroom door and inaudibly mumbles something. I continue to panic and ask him “Is there an emergency!” “no” he replies “it’s just that……” “OUT!” I yell “we will talk when I am out of the bathroom!”. I am cranky now….cranky, cranky, cranky. My peaceful moment for the day has been stolen yet again.

Over the years I have prepared my mind for just such a daily occurrence. Sometimes while showering my mind enters a peaceful bliss and I completely forget there are children on the other side of the door. Only to be yanked back to reality by a young voice asking if he can have a banana! Occasionally I can get all the way through a shower uninterrupted but I have yet to make it all the way through the drying off and dressing process with out someone needing something immediate from me.

Prior to my daily shower I have planned activities for my kids and there has been relentless reminders. I have tried everything I can think of to remedy this situation even the desperate abusing of the time out chair. My child came to the bathroom to ask “When can I get out of time-out?”

The decision was made years ago that I would not shower on my Day, to avoid any signs of Cranky Mommy Syndrome on Mother’s Day. I will continue this practice until my boys finally “get it” and by then my grandchildren will be around to take my children’s place. I can almost hear their sweet voices now “Grammie can I have a banana?”

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2010-05-09T16:13:00.000-04:00

COLUMBUS'S MOTHER: I don't care what you've discovered, Christopher. You could have written.

MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: Mike, can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?

NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: All right, Napoleon. If you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, then take your hand out of there and prove it.

GOLDILOCKS'S MOTHER: I've got a bill here for a broken chair from the Bear family. Do you know anything about this Goldie?

ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: But, Albert, it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?

THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER: Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb, Thomas. Now turn off that light and get to bed!

HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MOTHER: Humpty, If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me? No!

Another Day

2010-03-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

Another day......politics, family crisis.....hope will prevail...it has too, sometimes it is all we have.

Another week, another $75.00

2010-03-21T16:06:00.000-04:00

My family of four - two boys still at home ages 9 and 5- my husband and myself eat very well on a weekly budget of $75.00. In addition to lowering our food bill we also save by meal sharing. One night every other week we eat at our in-laws and on the weeks in between they come to our home for dinner. Basically we trade off, one night a week we eat at their home and the next week one night they eat at our home. This meal share has been fairly consistent for the past 5 years. Meal sharing does save money. On the night that my in-laws are joining us for dinner I cook a little extra and usually there is still leftovers. On the nights we go to their home for dinner I do not have to cook obviously, and I am saving time and gas/electricity. it’s a great way to stay in touch and could be exercised with not only family but with friends as well.

This Weeks Groceries and Menu

Meat

Beef Brisket 5.24
Bacon 3.99
Bnls Breast 3.60
Bnls Breast 3.55

Deli

Turkey Ham 2.67
Provolone 1.64

Produce

Strawberries 2.00
Green Peppers 2.86
GS Apples 2.76
3 Romaine Hearts 2.29
Oranges x4 2.05
5 Cucumbers 1.99
5LB Potatoes 1.99
Tangerines x4 1.91
Celery 1.49
1.95 lb onions 1.29
5.78 lb bananas 2.07
3.51 lb cabbage 1.37

Dairy

1 gal Milk 2.39
Butter 1.99
2 doz eggs 2.58

Grocery

Peanut Butter 2.50
Mint Tea 2.50
Quick Oats 2.00
Pancake Mix 2.00 (1.45 with coupon)
Raisins 2.79
Honey Nut Oats 1.50
5 lb Flour 1.99
Baking Mix 1.99
Syrup 1.69
Powdered sugar 1.59
2 whole wheat bread 2.78
Shrimp Ramen .25
Macaroni .69

TOTAL $75.44

Breakfast

Cereal
Toast
Oatmeal
Eggs
Pancakes

Lunch

PB & J
Ham & Cheese
Egg Salad
Dinner leftovers

Dinner

Corned Beef & Cabbage, Irish soda bread (St. Patrick’s Day is this week)
Bacon wrapped chicken, potatoes, salad
Bacon and carrot quiche (homemade pie crust) Asian cabbage salad
Chicken soup, cucumber salad, homemade bread
Stuffed peppers, leftover Asian cabbage salad
Macaroni, veggies and Parmesan, homemade bread
Left-overs and/or freezer fare ( aka ground beef recipe)

Dessert

Homemade Blueberry pie
No-bake cookies
Sweet bread
Oatmeal-raisen cookies

Snacks

Apples
Bananas
Oranges
Tangerines
Cookies
Carrots
Celery
Pepper Strips

Drinks

Water (we drink a lot of water)
Milk
Tea
Coffee

2010-03-20T12:00:00.001-04:00

Everyone Pitches In

Making most of our meals from scratch is work. When I was employed and out of the house for 9 plus hours a day five days a week it was really, really hard to make a majority of our meals from scratch. I did the best I could but running in the local grocery store and grabbing a hot roasted chicken and microwavable mashed potatoes was so easy. Ordering pizza on a Friday night just seemed like a nice end to the tough work week. Now that I’m home we still have pizza once a week but we stepped up to gourmet pizza. Homemade, thick, cheese-stuffed crust with veggies and bacon or burger. Our homemade pizza is better than any purchased pizza we have ever had. The cost difference is huge. The crust cost only cents to make, .54cents to be exact. Making the crust seemed daunting at first but we figured out how to use our stand mixer or our bread maker to combine the ingredients without the mess.

The sauce, cheese (we buy brick cheese and grate it ourselves) and toppings average $7.00. $8.00 for an extra large, extra cheese, meat and veggie topped, stuffed crust, 12 slice gourmet pizza. Yummm!

Now that I am a stay at home-school at home Mom I do not have any excuse to not feed my family healthy, homemade, and low-cost meals. The difference is that now everyone pitches in. The boys and I are home all day and we can have the dinner prep completed before lunch. All the chopping, peeling, and measuring is completed and ready for the oven. Meal prep is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your family. Math, problem solving, planning and motor skills are just some of the skills that can be developed during this time. The boys are willing participants and I overlook many calamities to keep the mood light and cheerful. We have found that including the boys in the meal preparation they are more agreeable to trying new foods and in eating meals that look nothing like their boxed competitors. My husband is “famous” for his homemade macaroni and cheese. Our oldest child (soon to be 22) still request this meal when she is home. The recipe is baked and uses white sharp cheddar cheese so it looks nothing like the blue box that most kids would eat 3 times a day if they could. When macaroni and cheese is on the menu the boys argue over who will grate the cheese which is usually all grated by noon.

My husband works 40-60 hours a week and still pitches in. On his day off he will cook the main meal or help the boys and I. When we first met I assumed I would always do all of the cooking. I am the wife is that not my job? I have discovered that cooking is no ones job and its every ones job. Confused? Everyone regardless of gender needs to know how to cook. Everyone has different tastes and ideas. When everyone is a part of the process then generally everyone ends up happy. Happy = Good and everyone benefits from that.

Entire Meal for 6 people for less than $10.00

2010-03-18T18:42:00.001-04:00

Entire meal for 6 (with leftovers) for less than $10.00

Serve Irish Soda Bread and Corned Beef and Cabbage together for a delicious St Patrick’s Day meal

Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned Beef Brisket (comes with a seasoning packet)
Cabbage
Beef Broth

Place beef in a Dutch oven and pour in enough water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil uncovered. Then cover and simmer for 3 ½ hours. Drain (save & freeze this liquid in a freezer bag it makes a great soup base later on) place the cabbage with the beef in the Dutch oven pour enough beef stock to fill the pot ½ way and sprinkle the seasoning packet over the cabbage and beef cook covered on low heat for one hour. Place on a deep sided platter with some stock.

I add carrots, potatoes and onion-I know, this makes it New England Boiled Dinner……..but it is still Irish….. And soooo good!

Irish Soda Bread(a-la stacy)

4 Cups Flour
¼ Cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Cold Butter
1 Eggs beaten
1 Cup Buttermilk (or 2 Tbls vinegar added to 1 Cup Milk)
1 Tbls Cinnamon
3 Tbls Ground Flaxseed (I use my coffee grinder)

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, cut in butter until crumbly. Combine eggs and buttermilk and mix in. I use the stir setting on my stand mixer for all mixing of ingredients. Change the paddle for the dough hook at the end add a bit more flour if the dough seems sticky. Shape into 6 individual mini-loaves. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Double recipe for 9 bigger individual loaves.

Saving for what?

2010-03-15T13:48:00.003-04:00

Recently I was asked by a reader what I was saving money for? The question struck me a number of ways. The dialogue in my head was random and not precise at all,.

Some thoughts that came to mind were;

1) What do you mean what am I saving for?
2) Big ticket items…what?
3) Why not save just to save?

Then it occurred to me that none of these answers would be sufficient. So I spent some time really thinking. What IS the goal here? Why am I pinching pennies so hard? The conclusion I came to is directly related to a frame of mind my generation, the late-thirty-something’s. The shared mentality of “I work hard! if I want something I am going to have it!” This way of thinking I can clearly relate to however it is not how I think now or at least not in the same way.

Years ago I can recall seeing a Movado Museum Face watch advertised in a magazine. The ad was exquisite and the colors, language and model all really grabbed me in an unusual way. Sometime soon after seeing that ad I saw the very same watch on TV. Although this time someone was wearing the watch on a talk show and a comment was made by the host on the high equality of the watch . The decision was made that someday I would have a Movado Museum Face watch. The kicker is at that point in my life I didn’t even wear or own A watch. Up until then I didn’t really even care to own a watch. Flash forward a few months and I am at the outlets and guess what? There is a Movado store. I beeline for the store and as I entered I swear I could hear the Angels singing. The store was beyond beautiful. Fancy chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, shiny pristine gold and silver accents were everywhere. The salespeople were all perfectly dressed and manicured. The whole experience felt important and exciting. The Museum Face Movado watches were displayed in the store’s most prestige’s location under locked glass. I approached them to find no visible price tag. A salesperson saw me and quickly approached with keys in hand. “ I know just the watch you are looking for,“ he stated cheerily. “You do?” I said skeptically. He pulled out a silver and gold Movado Museum Face watch and handed it to me. My heart was racing and I felt “happier“ than I could ever recall. I was wearing the exact watch “that I was looking for.” We talked a bit and he told me all about the history of Movado, the current BIG sale, the difference between outlet and store buying and so on. Finally after about a half an hour he stated the price. My heart sank at the $3,600.00 price tag. Which he informed me was $1,400.00 off regular retail. I thanked him and said I would talk it over with my husband. I left determined to get that watch! “Heck” I said “I work hard, if I want something I’m going to have it!” Months pass I find myself naturally navigating into jewelry stores. I was internet surfing for Movados -it had become a slight obsession. On a shopping trip to TJ Maxx I gandered at the jewelry counter and there it was! My Movado Museum Face watch ! The same watch I tried on at the Movado outlet in Manchester ,Vermont. I tried not to get too excited because I did recall the $3,600.00 price tag. However I was in TJ Maxx, so I ask the unkempt grumpy lady at the jewelry counter if I may try on the “silver and gold Movado Museum Face watch.” She slammed open the case ( I jumped-it was startling!) and yanked out the watch, hands it to me and-get this- walks away! She left me with a $5,000.00 retail Movado Museum Face watch! I’m slightly distracted by the events that led up to me wearing the watch so it didn’t occur to me to ask the saleslady for the price. I spent about 4 minutes looking the watch before I realized the price tag was hanging off it. Really, it was so shiny and beautiful I couldn’t take my eyes off the watch. I looked, looked again, then I summoned the saleslady to ask if she could read aloud the price on the tag because I was having difficulty with the small print. Reality was that my eyes were tearing with joy and I couldn’t believe the numbers I saw and wanted confirmation. “$369.99” she said. “I’ll take it” I said, before the last syllable left her lips. I wore it home, I wear it everyday and have for the past four plus years.

I paid cash for the watch and the buying experience was much different than it would have been at the fancy Movado store. A couple of things happened that require reflection. The first is that I was sucked in by advertising to make a big ticket purchase on something I hadn‘t ever thought of buying. I really do not know what compelling components the initial ad was comprised of and how it got to me, but it did. Then the successive episodes of seeing the very same watch penetrated my mind, scary, almost like brain washing. I truly felt strongly that I must have the watch. However I did not whip out a credit card at the Movado store when I initially found the “perfect” watch. This is where I differ from most. If I do not have the cash I do not buy. I scrimp and scrape and put money way so when I do find items that I want I can pay cash for them.

From my perspective I try to see more than just the item in front of me when I look at spending. What am I buying? Why am I making this purchase and the overall impact - ie am I helping the local economy? The environment? The impact on the future? Is this setting a good example? And so on. The Movado experience is another story. I was almost completely blinded by advertising. So much so that I longed for a certain watch when I did not even wear a watch. My judgment was effected by advertising. Well, my flag is up and I am hyper aware of selling tactics and I am careful not to fall into this same predicament again….or so I hope. With that said, Andy- I am saving so I can buy what I want, and pay cash of course.

Groceries for a family of four....only $75 a week

2010-03-10T13:17:00.001-05:00

Each week this time of year, usually on a Saturday, I make the 15 mile trek to the grocery store and spend about 40 minutes and $75.00 buying one week worth of groceries and household necessities for my family of four. My two oldest are twenty-one and nineteen and out of the house. That leaves my nine-year old and five-year old to feed, they are both boys and always hungry. I am a stay-at-home school-from-home Mom so I am perfectly able to make our meals and desserts from scratch with is a huge money saver. Although I do not buy whole chicken roasters and cook and separate the meat for meals…I buy the more expensive boneless, skinless chicken breast. The savings would be significant if I would purchase whole roasters but after leaving a 14 year stint as a vegetarian I have trouble with meat still on a bone.

My goal eventually is to food shop only once or twice a month. Living in the northeast the fresh fruit and vegetables can be tricky to keep for weeks at a time so in the winter months it is just not feasible to shop so infrequently. In the summer months home gardens would supply us with our vegetables and we stock up on things like laundry detergent, shampoo, soap and the like with the surplus in our budget. This way when we are buying produce in the colder months we already have a winter supply of non food items stored in the basement and our weekly budget remains the same $75.00.

The following is a random week shopping receipt and menu. Keep in mind when you peruse my menu that I was not totally without food at home and some meal components are from my freezer and/or left over from previous food shopping trips. There is also more suppers than there are days in a week. This is because I like to have some choice already in mind. Many times when I have been inspired I have strayed far from my menu and created wonderful meals all within my $75.00 budget. Another point to make is I live in New Hampshire and food prices do vary geographically. Note there are no fresh tomatoes on my list…it’s March 2010 and the freeze in Florida eliminated the Florida tomato crop and skyrocketed the price of the Mexican tomato crop which I refuse to buy. As a result I plan on researching hydroponic tomatoes growing so I am never in this tomato-less predicament again.

GROCERY RECIEPT

MEAT
80% lean ground beef 18.65 (1.99lb)
Chicken breast 4.49 (2.69lb)
Chicken breast 4.22 (2.69lb)

PRODUCE
Romaine Hearts 2.29
Cucumbers 1.99
6 lbs Mac Apples 3.98
Granny Apples 2.80 (.99lb)
2 lbs carrots .99
2 lbs bananas .97

DAIRY
12 oz Mont. Jack cheese 2.00
12 oz Cheddar 2.00
1 lb Mozzarella 2.99
(all cheese is in a brick/not shredded-that would cost more)
Fr Van creamer 2.99
Whole Milk gal 2.39
1 lb butter 1.99
2 doz Lg white eggs 2.78

GROCERY
2 Chunky PB 5.00
2 Pasta sauce 2.00
3 whole wheat bread 4.50
Strawberry preserves 2.49
Flour 1.99

Total $73.50

MENUS

Breakfast MENU
1) Oatmeal
2) Pancakes -made in bulk in freezer
3) eggs
4) toast

Lunch MENU
1) egg salad sandwich
2) PB & J sandwich
3) supper leftovers

Supper MENU
1) burgers, salad, carrots
2) chicken, cauliflower, cucumber salad
3) spaghetti, meatballs, carrot salad, homemade bread
4) homemade pizza
5) meatloaf, potatoes, brussel sprouts
6) bacon wrapped chicken, cucumber/carrot salad
7) goulash, salad, bread
8) sloppy joes, salad
9) leftover night

SNACKS
1) Apple
2) Banana
3) carrot
4) homemade muffins, cookies, baked goods
*The rule at my house is you never need to ask for a healthy snack you can eat any fruit or any vegetable ant time!

DESSERTS (all homemade)
1) Pie
2) Pudding
3) cake
4) cookies
5) muffins

Get Over It.....

2010-03-09T17:28:00.002-05:00

A big house, lots of land, a fancy foreign car, a huge diamond ring, and more. You think you know what you want, but do you really know what it will require to get, maintain and hold on to it? Today is “Get Over IT Day”. This is a perfect opportunity for people to really think about what we perceive as the keys to our own personal happiness.

A house on the lake, If I only had a second home on the lake then I would be happy. An easy thought to have but lets break it down. Buying, furnishing and maintaining a second home may require you to work more to pay the additional bills. Taxes, utilities and expected entertaining would also be included. Would this excess work take more time? Yes. Does additional work make you (or your spouse) cranky, tired, irritable? Will you even have time to spend (awake) at either of your homes? How often, or rather how long would you truly enjoy that second home before it became a burden? Keep in mind this blog is not intended for people like Bill & Melinda Gates, this blog is for lower to middle-income people.

In early winter 2008 my family lost our entire house and garage in a fire. We lived in a lake town, but not on the lake, and the majority of the rentals at that time were lakeside and very expensive. A one-level large-yard lake house was available to us for the time period we required. The location was ideal only minutes from where we were rebuilding. We were getting a taste of life on the lake. We were thrilled to say the least.

The lake house rental was perfect. How beautiful the area was as we watched as the seasons change. Open water froze and the boys ice skated while I cross country skied. We roof raked and shoveled all winter long, which we oddly enjoy. In the spring we sat on the dock with friends and sipped wine. The kids splashed and played in the water. Dinner parties were held a few times a month. As time passed we realized for us to have a house on the lake it would be our only house. According to our calculations the mortgage would be around $3000.00 a month for 40 years and that would not include the $30,000.00-$40,000.00 annual taxes. The house was large and drafty. We found that it is always noticeably colder on the lake also. Utilities were included in the rental but I have an idea that the heating bills were very high.

To be honest the lake house just didn’t seem worth the time and expense. A third of the way into our stay my husband and I both said that it was nice to have the opportunity to see what the lake life was like although it wasn’t as great as we thought. Both of us realized we had some really distorted thoughts of grandeur regarding living on the lake.

Our delusional shock from lake side living has carried over into other parts of our lives. It would be nice to drive a Hummer or a shiny new Jag, as long as I don’t have to pay for it! I will continue to drive my Chrysler Pacifica. I will enjoy me little house - built low maintenance, energy efficient, easy to clean and very low taxes. I still live in a lake town but all those people who have lake houses, well, they pay big taxes so the rest of us enjoy low taxes.

Years back a good friend of my stated it was her twentieth wedding anniversary and she and he husband were looking at diamonds. I stole a glance at my own left hand and briefly longed for something sparkly to rest on my wedding band. A week later she displayed what looked like a close relative to the Hope Diamond. This ring was amazing! A big, sparkly, perfect diamond just over three-carats. I went home and cried with jealousy into my pillow. The following months our conversations consisted mainly about ring related difficulties. Money was tight because they bought the ring, she was always worried about losing the diamond or the entire ring slipping off her hand, or my favorite: the ring was hard to get used to because it was so heavy. I saw my friend recently and noticed she wasn’t wearing the ring. When I inquired on the whereabouts of the ring she said they decided to sell it and pay off some of their credit card debt. She also said “I don’t know what we were thinking when we bought that ring”. "I do," I said quietly to myself…and thanks.

Consider looking closely at the “things” you believe will make you happy. All the times you have said “if I only had ________then I would be happy”. Then look around and the “things” you do have, most of the happiness attached to tangible items is acquired during the planning process and maybe a little happiness during the early stages of ownership. That elation fades over time and what is the depreciation value? Is it worth it or should you just “get over it ?”

Controlling the bills you CAN control

2010-03-08T16:20:00.002-05:00

You can control your bills and add quality to you life

The efforts to control the bills is a daily job. Being a stay at home Mom I can do that job easier than if I were working. Some bills are not controllable. Your mortgage for one is not entirely controllable. You may be able to refinance and get a lower interest rate but once you have that mortgage amount you can’t do anything to lower it each month. You can however pay additional on you principal and reduce the length of time you will be paying your mortgage-which I highly recommend. Now back to controlling the bills you can control.

Most bills you can just plain get rid of. It took my husband and I five years to get rid of all our credit card bills and another two to pay off old medical bills and clean up our credit report. We looked further into our bills and decided I did not truly need a cell phone, and we could go without internet at home and utilize the wireless service from our library. We cut $500.00 from our monthly budget by eliminating credit cards, cell service and internet. That is a total of $6,000.00 a year! Yes there was some frivolous spending attached to having those little plastic cards. What is left is our mortgage, land, student loans, car, music lessons, gasoline, utilities food/clothing/household, insurances and savings. I cannot express what a good feeling it is to not own a credit card and not have bills constantly filling my mailbox. It is a true feeling of financial freedom.

It hasn’t always been crystal clear to me on how two income families with children work so harmoniously. We tried it for a while because, well we thought we had to, and besides everyone else was doing it. Finally after exhaustion from running a home and a classroom and not being able to be really good at both I looked closely at what my goals were and why I wasn’t reaching them.

Goal #1) Have extra money to save

Goal #2) Be a quality Mother, Wife and Teacher

Securing a $20,000.00 a year salary job, let’s call it $1,200.00 a month take home. Can I save $1,200.00 a month? When I was teaching I spent: $800.00 a month on groceries, purchased work specific shoes and clothing at the thrift in addition to regular clothes, extra expenditure $100.00 for the year. I paid for childcare for my two youngest at $240.00 a month in addition to special convenience items and clothes for school which I estimate at around $300.00 for the school year. Gasoline consumption was way up. Not only am I driving to work but I was also carting children around. My monthly gasoline bills were $160.00 on average. I do not want to forget to mention the carelessness that went along with me being a working Mother. Things like cooking from scratch all the time, spending a Saturday thrift store shopping for recital clothes and just turning of a light when I leave a room… forget it I was too tired, didn’t have the time or just plain forgot. Estimating the monthly money spent for being too tired and forgetful $200.00. Adding up the numbers offers a grand monthly average of a little more than $1400.00 a month and I was bringing home only $1,200.00. Wait, now there is some subtracting to do. I still by groceries and gas, however my monthly food budget for family of 4 is $300.00 and my gasoline budget is $60.00 a month. The real bottom line number is $1,040.00. It cost me $1,040.00 a month to make $1,200.00 a month. A gain of only $15.00 a week! No fancy math just plain numbers.

Expenditures for me as a working Mom bringing home $14,40.00 yearly and $1,200.00 a month

$9,600.00 groceries
$100.00 work clothes
$2,400.00 childcare
$300.00 convenience items and school clothes
$2,400.00 too tired and forgetful expenses
$1,900.00 gasoline for car

TOTAL $16,700.00 yearly and $1,400.00 a month

Comparative expenditures for me as a Home schooling Stay-at-Home Mom

$3,600.00 groceries

.00 work clothes

.00 childcare

.00 convenience items and school clothes

.00 too tired and forgetful

$720.00 gasoline for car

TOTAL$4320.00yearly and $360.00 a month

A DIFFERENCE of $1040.00.

When I was working 40 plus hours a week I was basically working to bring home $60.00 a month/ $15.00 a week…which could be argued as wear and tear on my vehicle.

This scenario may not play out the same for every working Mom. There are certainly other factors to look at. I was working at a private school and there was no retirement benefits so I did not have that consideration. For me it was clear that when I am home I spend less…a lot less than when I work. I can tell you that the value of my time is much a better quality. I have more energy and time to spend with my family and friends. I feel good about the food I put on the table each night and our savings account actually looks better now than when I was working.

2010-03-07T17:14:00.001-05:00

As I embark on this journey in poverty I am finding a deeper understanding of the values of a budget. I have for the most part been conscience of the amount of money coming in and the amount of money going out. One vital aspect I did neglect was the amount of money in a savings. Taking a closer look at my financial history I see that a majority of my income was consistently needed to pay the immediate bills. At age 17 I was married and had a mortgage. That combined with a youthful way of determining need from want I was already on the road to poverty. My then husband insisted on having cable, a nice TV and good food to eat. Being young I was fairly new to cooking, not very excited to cook, nor was I any good at cooking. So needless to say we ordered out a lot, at least 4 times a week. We paid for wants and griped about paying for things like electricity, gas and our mortgage. I always cried poverty never realizing that with some adjustments my mind could have been easily freed of constant worry about how we would pay the bills. By age 21 I found myself single with two kids. Money was the least of my worries. Pure survival was my daily goal. For the next seven years I learned some valuable money saving skills. The first skill was how to float bills. At the time I had: rent, utilities, gas for my used car, food, clothing and absolutely no extras. I received no alimony or child support, so all the money coming in came through me. I quickly learned that most bills have a grace period and I would wait until the last possible day to pay my bills. Food shopping was done at the bread outlet and the crush and dent section of the grocery store. The biggest factor in lowering by food bill was learning how to cook. Growing up my Mother and Father were both really good cooks. Everything was from scratch; gravy, mac n’ cheese, pies, cakes, bread you name it. So I figured I must be genetically designed to be a good cook as well. I rolled up my sleeves and began cooking. The art of cooking was a slow learning process and mostly trial and error. I was a very willing participant because I was motivated not only by hunger but mainly by the fact that I could control my food bill. Unlike the rent that was $750.00 a month I had control over how much I spent on food. The more I cooked from scratch the less money I was paying out. This theory spilled over into other flexible bills. Spending on heat, water, electricity and gas for my car could be controlled according to usage. Purchases of clothing, shoes, household items and more could be controlled by where I shop. I found that if I took the time I could locate all the items previously listed at thrift stores and garage sales for a fraction of what they would cost retail. My kids had brand name sneakers and clothing. We had nice dishes and quality furniture all second hand. Soon this mentality money became a way of life.

When I remarried in 2000 I continued to live the same way even though I was in a two income household. In the ten years since then I have tailored and fine tuned my money saving skills. The most important piece is the budget, making a reasonable budget and sticking to it. The majority of our clothing, books, household items, shoes and the like come from local thrift stores and garage sales. Recently I have pleasantly discovered the benefits of consignment shops. This evolution came as the economy swiftly emptied pockets and these wonderful little shops popped up all over. I have three consignment shops near by and the all give cash and/ or store credit. I have actually made money. Say I purchase a pair of jeans for $1.00 at the thrift (once a month all clothes are ½ off and the jeans are $1.00) I decide that maybe these aren’t the best looking jeans for me, so I take them to a consignment shop and if they are in good shape, a popular size then boom! I get $4.00 for the jeans. I just made $3.00. This can be very fun and addicting.

This is work, don’t get me wrong. And it is a sacrifice. We do not have cable or video games and since October 2008 we have not had a TV. We rarely eat out. Although we swap dinner with relatives once a week. Which is better than going out to a restaurant because there is no bill. We have older snow machines and both of our younger sons ski. We enjoy hiking, card games and radio shows. Garrison Keillor is one of our favorites. We have a lot of time to spend with friends and family and we have found that is really the most enjoyable way to spend our free time. Money has become a bother and a burden. I have found a deep sense of peace just by having less bills, controlling the bills that I can and by greatly reducing the movement of money in my household. Spending money is a free will activity and some of our bill paying is also. Keep this in mind as you cruise through your cable channels on your flat screen TV.

Cheap Entertainment

2010-03-04T15:16:00.002-05:00

I spent about an hour at this website..no pop-ups, no gimmicks. I just downloaded my pic and the fun began.

DETOUR

2010-03-04T14:43:00.004-05:00

February in New England can be one of two things: frigid or freezing- depending on ones personal preference of words. Occasionally I am dressed appropriately and the air temperature doesn’t really affect me. Although this was not the case early one Saturday morning in February. I left the house in a rush to get to the gym so I could zip through my workout and be back home to tackle the days events. No warming up the car…c’mon it was above zero after all. My drive to the gym takes exactly 13 minutes on bare, lonely roads. Today at this hour I thought, I’d make it there in 10.

About 3 miles into my trip I hear a loud rambling fer-lop, fer-lop noise coming from under the rear of the car. Fearing a blown tire I do not brake, instead I coast to the right and glide into a parking lot and park my car. As I remove myself from the car I wonder how much time this will add to my drive. To my surprise I find the rear drivers side tire is flat and barely hanging on to the rim. Hmmm, three miles from home, early-early Saturday morning, under mount spare, doesn’t look like I am gonna make it to the gym….so it looks like an unintended walk. After scratching a quick not to the owner of the now blocked parking lot I hunt through my car for anything that I can use for head and hand warming. With a little luck I find a pair of the kids stretch knit gloves. You know the kind the sell at the dollar store, at first site they look like glove for a baby yet they stretch to fit an adult hand. Well I can say with confidence that when they stretch the gloves become useful only as a fashion statement because they provided no warmth. No such luck in finding a hat. Oh, well I say, the thermometer in the car said 12 degrees and it doesn’t seem to be too windy. Off I go in my nylon gym pants, t-shirt and North Face liner jacket, boots, red knit stretch gloves and thick blonde hair that reaches just past my shoulders - which is a pretty good substitute for a hat.

Being an optimistic, spiritual person I wonder why this detour was given to me. Was I supposed to change the flat and go to the gym? No, I was walking towards home. My mind was racing to figure out the reason. Then I looked around me. What a beautiful, crisp day. There were hardly any cars passing by, a handful at most. Each car carrying a driver and some with passengers who looked puzzling in my direction. After all I was wearing work out clothes, so why wouldn’t I be out walking so early on such a beautiful morning. Realizing that if I had been in a skirt and fancy shoes someone probably would have offered me a ride. As I am briskly walking I try not to think of how bitterly cold it feels for being 12 degrees (and not having much wind). During this 45 minute walk I think about many things. Such things that I would not have thought about if I had been at the gym. Last winter I had tried ski joring with my dog and I had cross country skied a number of times before February. Why hadn’t I jored or skied this winter? My life is much slower paced this winter. I left my job in July and I am a full time home schooling Mom. If anything I have a lot more time to ski and jor now. What are some things I do alone and for my own personal enjoyment? Other than the gym? Well…not really anything else………The conversation between me, myself and I continued for the remainder of my walk. The dialogue was helpful to me in more ways than I can count. The conversation was long overdue. Only when I approached the electronic bank sign 300 yards from my home did I realize two things ; 1) it was only 7 degrees !!! and 2) the true “reason” for my detour. I am planning detours monthly now...I'll let you know how it goes.

Headed out to Kathleen's Cottage in Bristol NH...Good Eating!!!

2009-12-29T17:43:00.004-05:00

OMG! These are the BEST coupon blogs...these ladies..( I am assuming ladies?) know thier stuff and do alot of work...Thank you!!

2009-09-28T07:32:00.002-04:00

1. Confessions of A Thrifty Mama
2. Walgreens NO SUNDAY PAPER COUPONS NEEDED for these deals!
3. MoJo Savings( Lots of things FREE)
4. More Than Cents - Walgreens Money Makers
5. Melissa Makes Cents
6. My Frugal Adventures {Free and Cheap}
7. Short On Cents FREE/ CHEAP
8. TEN Free After RR Items
9. Coupon Saving Game (Tons of FREEBIES!)
10. $30 Dollar Weekly Grocery Challenge ($5 off $25 Walgreens Coupon)
11. Madame Deal$ (Walgreens Rock Bottom Deals)
12. Walgreens coupon match ups, rrs, and other deals for the week of 9/27
13. Maven of Savin' (profit)
14. Coupon Teacher (My Picks)
15. Tia Saving Cents - Lots of FREEbies
16. My Coupon College (rolling scenarios- low OOP!)
17. SWAP SAVERS (All Drugstore Deals)
18. Matchups for Walgreens & $5. 00/$ 25.00 Coupon
19. Luv a Bargain- Walgreens Bargains 9/27- 10/ 3
20. FREE at Walgreens this week!
21. Fun trip for tons of free nail polish!
22. Mommies with Cents
23. Melissa's bargain blog (newbie scenarios, low OOP)
24. http://moneyjarsavings.blogspot.com/2009/09/walgreens-deals-92709-10309.html
25. Moms Thrifty Ways Walgreen Freebies
26. Swappin' Spoons - WAGS (FREEBIES really GREAT DEALS)
27. Coupon STL (spend $1.83 earn $11.50 RR)
28. Moms Need To Know (Wags matchups)

29. Nebraska Mom @ Wags
30. The Coupon Project (lots of freebies... even w/o coupons!!)
31. Coupon STL ($5 off $25 Scenario)
32. Walgreens Coupon Matchups
33. Never2Late2Save
34. Joyful Money Saving (Walgreens freebies)
35. The Frugal Girls! {Don't miss these 11 *hot* FREEBIES and Money- Makers!}
36. $5 Walgreens Challenge
37. Coupon Clipping Mom - GREAT week at Walgreens!!!
38. Swappin' Spoons - WAGS -- NEW $5/$25 COUPON
39. Sweet Savings - Wags
40. http://spendless2savemore.blogspot.com/2009/09/walgreens-deals-092709-10309.html
41. Deal Seeking Mom (Walgreens Deals)
42. Saving Cents with Sense (FREE and Cheap)
43. Alaska Coupon Diva- lots of MM!
44. In The Know Mom - BABY STAR diaper bag tote - 10/ 2
45. The Coupon " High" (Includes Low OOP Scenario for newbies)
46. Mistys Money Matters~ Wags paid me to shop!!
47. Once Upon a Coupon - Walgreens Deals w/ PRINTABLE SHOPPING LIST
48. Frugal Shopping With Julie
49. Nicole's Nickels ($4.14 OOP for 6 items with $6 in RR's - MONEYMAKER!)
50. The Domestic Contessa (free Crystal Light)
51. Sweet Deals 4 Us (pictures!)
52. Frugal Fritzie (Wag Deals- Lots of Freebies)
53. Summer's Savings (Wags $13.69 OOP, $20 back in RR)
54. Save At Home Mommy- Weekly Deals $5 off $25 Coupon
55. Keeping the Kingdom First (The Walgreens $5 Challenge)
56. Coupon Katie

57. Mama Lulu
58. Couponnerdz - WAGs scenarios
59. Shelley's Super Savings: Walgreens
60. Confessions of a Couponaholic
61. Frugal Living & Having Fun! ~ Walgreen's All Under $1. 00
62. That Went Well... Walgreen's $12 deal!
63. That Went Well--$5 off $25 coupon!
64. A Frugal Friend (Back in the WAGS Saddle)
65. Frugal Living & Having Fun! ~ Walgreen's Newbie Scenario
66. ($ 1.71 tax for 10 items) Savinga Bundle
67. Mommy Snacks (Reader Friendly Coupon Matches)
68. $20 olay rebate
69. FREE regenerist anti aging eye roller $20 Olay Regenerist Rebate!
70. Walgreens only printables
71. Family Stamping and FOOD! ($43.77 for ONLY $1. 71)
72. Single Parent - Wags $13. 41
73. Little People Wealth (Scenario to Earn $16)
74. moneysavinggirl
75. A Thrifty Mom- Walgreens
76. Happy Homemaker Cindy
77. STL Mommy (Walgreens Coupon Match Up)
78. The Deal Scoop (Free, Cheap, and Moneymakers)
79. Family Makes Cents (Walgreens... Lots of RRs!!)
80. Free Stuff Channel
81. http://www.alotofsavings.com/2009/09/walgreens-deals-927-103.html
82. You're next!

AWE....you came .....

2009-09-13T11:02:00.003-04:00

No, really....I love facebook the most!

Britt and Shane Summer 2009

2009-09-13T10:59:00.002-04:00

YES.................THAT'S RIGHT .......!!

I am a Pirate!!!

Mother-In-Law

2009-09-04T08:10:00.001-04:00

In December my family was pleasantly expanded. Brittni, 21, was married to Sergent Josh Price.

Adventures in Poverty

2009-08-21T06:10:00.005-04:00

It has been awhile since my last post..........

In those months I have been overwhelmed with work (teaching) and this blog is only one of the many activities that have been neglected. So, together with Mr. BusyMomatHome, the decision was made for me to leave my teaching position and home school the boys. We are scaling back our already simple lifestyle....remember we are that weird family that doesn't have those common things that most people have ie: TV, credit cards, video games, mall shopping trips......so the plan is to share more of our experiences with our adventure in poverty.

The adventure starts today........a rainy Friday ahead and I need to tackle my to-do list and my grossly neglected should -do list as well as spend some quality time with the boys (which is at the tippy top of my neglected should-do list). Oh and bake cookies for the Library Festival.....I CAN DO IT!!!!