Julie at Home

Woman on a Mission

2012-01-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

I am a woman on a mission. This year I have resolved to make no resolutions. Rather, I have set out on a mission to accomplish a few goals that I hope will make my family's life better and easier. Even if it makes mine a little more challenging.

A little more challenging, I say tongue-in-cheek, because my mission is going to involve a boatload of work on my part. What exactly is this mission? It is rebuilding post-recession. We have learned a lot during the last couple years. Not only about managing money, but about priorities and what really matters.

Money isn't everything, but we all need it to live. My mission is not about getting rich, though that would be nice. It is more about trying to keep the few dollars we have, and hopefully saving more for those rainy days when life happens whether or not we want it to or are ready for it.

I am keeping a journal I call The Daily Save. (Admittedly, I am not the most reliable blogger, but I will try to keep up. Most likely you will see posts that cover a few days or a week. Hey - I'm a busy woman!) I am also keeping a stash box to put away my savings. Some days I will save more than others, but the point is to save. Hopefully, we will all learn that it is the little things we do that add up to the savings we need.

I read just about every article I come across about saving, reducing expenses, etc. I also read the comments people leave, most of which are not very nice. People want practical, useful ideas. The problem is they want those ideas to save them thousands of dollars a day. Well, kids, that isn't practical or realistic. You may not think that everything I do to save money is practical or realistic. And everything I do won't work for everyone. But the whole point of this mission is to number one save money and, number two, to show you in real ways how it can be done.

I have no idea where we'll be at the end of the year. I don't have a specific amount in mind. We'll see what happens. I hope you'll join me on my mission. I need all the support I can get.

Almost Christmas

2011-12-11T16:15:00.001-08:00

The tree is up but no ornaments yet. Still making tamales.

Planting Celery Bottoms

2011-11-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Since it doesn't seem like the economy is going to do us any favors any time soon, we have no choice but to take care of ourselves. For our family, that means cutting out the waste and using everything we possibly can. For the last month or so, I've been planting celery bottoms because they will grow. And because I can't get celery to grow from seed to save my life. We use tons of celery. Well, maybe not tons, but enough that growing our own makes sense.

Planting the celery butt - or bottom, if you prefer - is a simple process. We have planted three that have sprouted so far. Two more went into the garden last night. If it is too cold to plant outdoors, grow them in containers inside. I'm planning on giving a few as gifts this holiday season.

Cut the bottom, or root end off a bunch of celery, all in one piece, at least 1 1/2 inches long. Plant the cutting, root end down, in potting soil in a fairly large container with drain holes or plant directly into the garden. That's it. Water it occasionally. The soil needs to be moist, but not wet. So far, every one we have planted has come up within 10 to 12 days. Be patient. It may seem like it isn't working, but chances are if the soil is fertile and moist, the celery should grow. You can harvest celery stalks one at a time, or harvest the whole bunch at one time. If you harvest the whole bunch don't forget to regrow the root end.

With the holidays coming up, and all the cooking that will be going on, you are bound to go through a few bunches of celery. Take advantage of that and get some growing. Have fun and see you soon!

~ Julie

Old Fashioned Sourdough Bread

2011-11-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have long touted the benefits of using a bread machine. Mostly because I'm lazy and always looking for the easy way. Don't get me wrong, bread machines are great, but making bread the good old fashioned way has its perks. Wondering how I know? My bread machine broke.

Of course, my first thought was oh no, we'll never have good bread again. Or homemade pizza crusts. Panic and desperation. Off I went to buy a stand mixer with a dough hook. What a waste of money. Unless you can afford to buy the industrial strength model, forget about it. I make two loaves at one time, which is a lot of dough to knead. Not only did the new mixer not have the umph to knead the dough, the dough kept crawling up the hook and into the machine. Since I had shot my wad on the mixer, I was left with the unfortunate option of making bread by hand. The good, old-fashioned way. Needless to say, I was not excited.

It turns out the old-fashioned method makes better bread. And it burns calories and builds upper body strength, an added plus if you plan on eating all that delicious home-baked goodness. It could be the sourdough starter, which is the newest addition to my recipe. (You can read about the starter here.) Or, it could be the kneading itself just works better than a machine. It could be both. I don't know, but we haven't had bread like this since before I bought the bread machine.

Here's how I do it:

The Sponge
1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons instant yeast

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least two hours. One of my favorite cookbooks suggest leaving the sponge set for 12 hours or overnight. I don't have that kind of patience, nor do I generally feel like baking bread as soon as I get up in the morning. Two hours works just fine.

The Dough
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
Sponge (recipe above)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
Corn meal

Mix the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the sponge and oil. Mix well with a large fork or spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough with the heels of your hands, turning the dough one-quarter turn with each knead, for ten minutes. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to fold when kneaded.

Oil a large mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to completely coat the surface with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Place in a warm location and let rise until dough is doubled in size.

Punch the dough down, divide into two round loaves. Place the loaves on a baking sheet dusted with corn meal, three to four inches apart. Cover with a tea towel. Let the dough rise to one and one-half its size. The loaves may be touching each other at this point.

Remove the towel and bake the loaves in a preheated 375 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. If you want a crustier loaf, place a pan of boiling water on the rack below the bread loaves while they are baking. Remove the bread from the oven. Cool on a rack.

Making Sourdough Starter

2011-07-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

Update on the sourdough starter.
I have been using the starter for several weeks now. The older it gets, the more sour the dough becomes. After the first few days or using whole wheat flour, I went to using all purpose or bread flour and filtered water from the fridge to feed "the beast". It works just fine. The bread we are making has a wonderful flavor and texture.

Original post:

If you have ever thought about becoming more self-sufficient, you've probably thought about making your own breads. I've been making bread for years, but always using activated or instant yeast. I have never tried making sourdough, or a sourdough starter for that matter. All of that is changing today.

I have just started making my first sourdough bread starter. It may be a long process, but if it works it will be so worth it. The ingredients are equal parts whole wheat flour and lukewarm water. Every source I've read suggests using purified, not distilled water, if your city water is treated with chlorine. Apparently the chlorine kills yeast. The sourdough starter recipe I used called for two tablespoons of each, mixed together to make a gooey batter. It is enough to make one loaf of bread and have enough starter left over to keep it going. I doubled the recipe because I could never get away with making just one loaf of bread in this house.

It is Day 1 of the starter. Four tablespoons each of whole wheat flour and lukewarm water into a large, wide-mouthed, two quart plastic container. It doesn't look like much right now, but as I add to it and it starts growing, it will get pretty large.I mixed it up and then loosely covered it with a paper towel held on with a rubber band. I really need to get some cheesecloth today. It would work much better. The starter needs the natural yeasts in the air to start growing. The paper towel will work for now, but the cheesecloth will allow me to completely cover the top to keep dust and particles out and still allow air and natural yeasts to get inside and do their thing. It will sit on the kitchen counter for a week, then it can be stored in the refrigerator.

For each of the next seven days, I will add the same amount of flour and water to the starter and let it do its thing. The idea is that the natural yeasts in the air will start to multiply and grow, creating the gases that make bread rise. Around the third day bubbles should start forming on the surface. At the end of seven days I should have enough to start baking with my starter. If it all goes according to plan, that is.

Once I have a usable starter, I will have to feed it regularly with flour and water. If the starter is stored on the kitchen counter I would have to feed it twice a day, every day or it would die. The other option is to keep it in the refrigerator and feed it once a week, which is probably what I will do. Then I can take it out of the fridge a day or so before I'm ready to bake to let it wake up. From my research I have learned that it may separate in the refrigerator. A liquid may collect on top, which is actually an alcohol called hooch. I'm pretty sure we don't want to drink this. It needs to be stirred back into the starter.

You could buy a sourdough starter from a bakery or other source. Some retailers have starter flakes that are reconstituted with water. I'm all for trying it on my own. If I can get it to work, anyone can.

Have you ever made your own sourdough starter? How did it work? Did you like the flavor of the breads you made with it?

How to Really Save Money: Eating Healthy vs. Eating Cheap

2011-04-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Eating Healthy on a Budget

I'm all for cheap - cheap prices, anyway. Cheap products? Not so much, especially when it comes to the food my family eats. Cheap food products are not usually the healthy choice. So how do you stay within a food budget and still eat healthy?

Say No to Coupons

Some say coupons, I say no. Coupons typically are for processed foods. I will use coupons for some things like dairy products, olive oil, bathroom tissue and toiletries. But only if it makes sense to use them. Most coupons for food items, however, are for what I consider junk. There are some exceptions, like when I find a coupon for whole wheat pasta. The extreme couponing thing that is getting so much attention just doesn't make sense. Have you seen what these people buy and stockpile just because they had coupons? Really, who needs a closet full of deodorant?

Healthy Portions
Contrary to what many people believe, eating healthy is not more expensive. At least it doesn't have to be. Healthy nutrition is as much about quantity as it is the quality of the foods you eat. Healthy portion sizes are going to save you money. Most Americans could stand to shed a few pounds. Making healthy food choices and serving them up in smaller portions will not only benefit your health, it will help keep a few dollars in your bank account.

Beans
Add beans to your diet. Kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzos, white beans and lentils are inexpensive foods that are not only filling, but pack a punch of health benefits as well. Bean soup is a favorite in our house. Add them to your salads, make some homemade hummus, serve white beans drizzled with olive oil as a side, even baked beans can be good for you provided you don't go too heavy on the sweet.

Meatless meals.
Asking people to go completely vegetarian isn't practical. Most people, myself included, can't fathom a life without the occasional steak, burger or BBQ chicken. But going meatless a few days a month will help keep the food budget in check. Vegetarian meals don't have to be boring. Some are actually delicious. One of our favorite veg meals is whole roasted eggplants mashed up like baked potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and served with crusty, homemade bread. A green salad with lots of veggies and beans, of course, to go with and you've got a satisfying, delicious and healthy meal. This meal saves me loads of money, because almost everything comes out of our garden. If you're buying lettuce, stay away from the bagged salad mixes - they taste like the bag, and they're ridiculously expensive. Buy heads of lettuce and make your own salad.

Make your calories count.
I'm not asking you to count calories. Does anyone do that anymore? Make your calories count. In other words, don't eat empty calories. Healthy snacks, in particular, are important for a healthy diet and can help keep your food costs down. I love chips and salsa. Homemade salsa from the garden...mmm...There is nothing better. Instead of fried chips, try baking tortillas until their crispy. Corn tortillas are a whole grain, and you can even buy whole grain flour tortillas that are equally as tasty. Save more money by making your own. Don't have time to deal with making chips? Try eating salsa with whole grain crackers like low salt Triscuits. Eat whole grain pastas and breads instead of white bread and regular pasta.

Starters
Start each meal with a small salad, bowl of fruit or a cup of vegetable soup - before you put your plate in front of your face. This will help you get your daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and you fill up a little before you dive into the main course. You'll probably end up eating fewer calories, which is good for you and it will help you save money on more expensive items like meats.

How to Really Save Money with a Vegetable Garden

Eat Fresh
Buy fresh foods in season to save money on produce. Even better grow your own. You can eat fresh from your vegetable garden every day and freeze what you can't use fresh for later. Eating fresh doesn't just apply to fruits and vegetables. When you buy fresh ingredients it kind of forces you to cook, which is the biggest money saver of all when it comes to food. You can take a look at my comparison of the cost of homemade vs. canned soups to get an idea of just how much money you can save.

French Coffee Presses the Healthier Choice

2011-04-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

French coffee press

Coffee in the morning. If you're like me, you have to have it. As I was sipping my coffee and reading news articles this morning I discovered that my coffee could be healthier if I were to use a French press coffee maker.

Drip style home coffee makers may contain dangerous substances that leach into your coffee during the brewing process. Many have polycarbonate-based water tanks and phthalate-based tubing. What's the big deal, you ask? If you have ever heard of BPA, or bisphenol A, you probably already know it is a chemical of concern. Phthalate and BPA have been linked to health problems. Phthalates mimic hormones and can cause neurological and reproductive problems. Polycarbonate contains BPA. BPA has been linked with prostate and breast cancers and infertility.

China, Europe, Canada and the United Arab Emirates have BPA from children’s products. The United States Food and Drug Administration, however, has not addressed this chemical. The proposal to list BPA as a chemical of concern has been stalled in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Nine states, however, have passed legislation regulating the use of BPA.

As American consumers, we have to take matters into our own hands, which may mean changing the way we do some things, like making coffee. If you are using a drip coffee maker, changing to a French coffee press, which are made of glass with stainless steel filters, could reduce the amounts of these chemicals you are ingesting on a daily basis.

Brewing coffee in a press is very simple, but it does require more hands-on activity than pouring water in a tank and pressing the on button. A French coffee press is designed to make coffee to be served immediately, so buy one that suits your coffee habit. They are available in several sizes, from two and three cup presses to eight cup presses. The cost is comparable to that of a drip coffee maker. You will also need a kettle to boil water.

Planting a Garden is Good for You

2011-04-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

My kitchen garden

When life happens I don't get much writing done. And then there are days I would rather sit outside, enjoy the sun and watch the garden grow. My garden is definitely my favorite place on earth. It would be even better if it came with a personal chef, massage therapist and mixologist. Oh well, we can't have everything now, can we?

The last few weeks life has been happening and I have been retreating to the garden just to gather my thoughts and find a few peaceful moments. My gardens are far from perfect - I know, surprising, huh? I don't have expensive furniture, it isn't professionally designed - it just sort of happened, and it keeps growing. It is just a little cottage kitchen garden filled to the seams with food, flowers and herbs.

I didn't know what I was doing when I started. I just dug in, so to speak. Looking at it now, it is hard to believe that five years ago this was almost all concrete. Even though this is an older home, no one had ever bothered to plant a tree or do anything special with it. In a word, it was ugly and boring. My garden is a labor of love and it is one of my passions. I can't imagine not having a garden, not being able to play in the dirt, not having garden fresh fruits and veggies to eat and share.

Why all the gushing over my gardens? I'm hoping you'll get inspired. Gardening is so good for you in so many ways. You can grow your own healthy foods, get exercise and sunshine, renew your mind and spirit and create your own little place to sit back and relax, which is something we all need to do more of. Of course, you can also save boatloads of money on food, a motivator all on its own.

Start small and make it as easy as possible. Go with containers or raised beds, so you don't have to do all that back-breaking digging. Plant the foods that make you happy, that you love to eat, and add some flowers and perennial shrubs or vines to make it pretty and comfortable. Put some comfy chairs under a tree where you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You may just find that gardening is your thing.

Bountiful Container by McGee and Stuckey

For those of you who don't have a yard, try container gardening on your balcony or patio. I love Fern Richardson's site, Life on the Balcony. She's got lots of creative ideas, tips and more you'll find super helpful, no matter where you are gardening.

The book pictured here, Bountiful Container is one of Fern's recommendations, and one she says she refers to quite often.

Spring Gardening Chores: Weeding, Mulching, Fertilizing

2011-04-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

You've planted your vegetable garden, and now its time to let nature do its work, right? Yes. But lest you think that your work is finished, think again. Your work is only beginning - that is, if you consider caring for the garden a chore. How you care for your newly planted vegetables bears heavily on how they will produce for you. Leave them on their own and chances are you will have a disappointing harvest.

One of the most important things you can do is weed your garden early and weed it often. Weeds have a nasty habit of sucking your garden dry - literally. They steal water and nutrients from your plants. Even worse, they harbor garden pests and invite disease into the plot. I would rather grow food than weeds, so the choice is clear. The weeds have to go.

Weeding is not that big of a deal if you stay on top of it. Rather than making a huge production out of it, just knock them down as as you see them. A few minutes a day is really all it takes, unless you let it get out of control. You need to be careful, especially if weeds are growing up through a plant. If you pull them, you may uproot a plant or damage the root system. Annual weeds die off when they are cut down at the surface. Use a hoe or weeding tool to do this.

Don't let the weeds get big or go to seed. You'll end up with a weed garden the next season. Keep the weeds out of the compost pile. If your compost does not get hot enough to kill the weed seeds, you'll be replanting them every time you compost.

Mulching is also important. It not only helps the soil retain moisture and regulate soil temperature, it helps keep weeds at bay. I use grass clippings, both dry and fresh. They're free and they're effective. If you're using dry, go ahead and lay on a nice thick layer. If you have fresh clippings, put on a thin layer every time you cut the grass. A thick layer of fresh grass clippings can smother the soil, and your vegetables need air.

Feed the garden. I am not a master gardener, so I won't give you the rundown on how and when to fertilize, or what to use. Plants have different requirements, soil varies from garden to garden and there are only about a bazillion ways to fertilize a garden. I use compost and compost tea. That's it. I never buy chemical fertilizers, in fact I don't buy fertilizers save for the occasional bags of composted manure. The best advice I can give is to know each plant's nutrient requirements so you know when and how much to give them. Keep a chart or make a note on your calendar so you know when it is time to feed the garden.

Growing a vegetable garden is a sure way to save money on groceries if you take care of it. There is no such thing as being done in the garden. There is always something to do. Stay on top of it, and your garden will pay you back for the time you invest.

Grocery Savings that Make Sense

2011-03-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Saving money on groceries is on the mind of America. Just look at the gardening trend. More people are planning on growing food than spending money on lawns and flowers this year. Not surprising, considering the cost of fresh produce.

Even those of us who have a vegetable garden can't grow everything we need. We simply do not have the space or the time. We have to turn to the supermarket or farmers market for what we can't pick fresh from the garden. And trust me, we cringe at the cost - even when it is "on sale." But there are things we can do to cut the cost.

Fresh or Frozen?
According to many experts, it doesn't matter whether you buy fresh or frozen vegetables. Unless you consider the cost. Broccoli, for example, can be more expensive to buy frozen then fresh. Sometimes it is the other way around. Today I checked prices at the local market. Fresh broccoli crown were $0.99/pound. Fresh broccoli was $1.99 per pound. The difference? The ends were cut off the crowns and they were selling it cheaper. Go figure. The store brand of frozen broccoli cuts - the ones that are all stalks and no florets - were $2.80 for 32 ounces, or $1.40 per pound. Frozen broccoli spears were $2.30 for 20 ounces, or $1.84 per pound. Obviously, the best buy today was the fresh broccoli crowns.

Anyone can do the math, but how do you capitalize on the savings? It isn't a big secret - buy extra and freeze it yourself. If you have reusable freezer containers you won't even waste money on freezer bags. How much should you buy? Consider your budget, available space in the freezer and how much you will use in a given period of time - say three months. Even if you can buy ahead for a month, the savings is worth it.

But wait, you are not finished yet. Let's say you decide to buy 10 pounds of broccoli crowns. Chances are you will still trim away some of the stem. The worst thing you can do is throw them away. You can freeze those and use them for the base of a broccoli soup, or chop them up to add to a stir fry or a vegetable dip. At the very least, compost them and feed your garden.

Is it worth it?
As far as I'm concerned, any dollar I can save is a dollar I don't have to waste. You can take what I've described with broccoli and apply it to almost any fresh vegetable or fruit. Yes, you can freeze fruit, too. And you can make jams, jellies and syrups.

Think chicken. Whole chickens are a bounty of cheap food. Freeze the backs, necks and wingtips for making broth. Freeze the wing sections in a bag until you have enough to make hot wings. Cut off the legs and thighs and save for grilling or frying. Bone the breasts (you can save the breast bones for broth, too) and save about $3 per pound on boneless skinless chicken breasts.

There isn't any reason you have to pay top dollar for healthy foods. Grocery savings isn't just about sales, coupons or being a smart shopper. It is more about figuring out how to get the most out of what you buy. So you have to spend a few extra minutes taking care of the food you buy. You can choose to do that or spend the extra time at work making the money so you can pay more for your food.

Lettuce: The Easy to Grow Moneysaver

2011-03-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Remember when lettuce was cheap? Before I started writing this post, I did a quick check on the price of lettuce at the local Von's market. Thank goodness we grow our own. I couldn't believe that a head of Romaine is $2.49.

The first garden we planted at our home did really well, and we enjoyed fresh salads every day for months. Romaine was $2 a head then. If you love your salads, the only way to go is grow your own lettuce. Planting lettuce will save you money. A packet of lettuce seed - most packets have enough to plant more lettuce than you will be able to eat - costs about the same as one head. A little bit of soil and a recycled container you use to grow and you are in savings mode. While you're at it, why not grow a little bit of spinach to pump up the healthy factor in your salads. Lettuce and spinach grow well together, and have about the same requirements.

A shallow container, about 4 to 5 inches deep and as long and wide as you need or want is perfect. Lettuce does not have a deep root system, so shallow containers work just fine. I grow lettuce in an old red wagon, galvanized buckets and tubs and whatever else I can find.

Why containers? Why not plant lettuce in the ground? There is no reason you can't grow lettuce in the soil, but it takes up precious garden space, you have to bend over to harvest it and slugs, snails and other pests are going to love your lettuce just as much as you do. You can save yourself time, space and hassle by using containers. And, when the weather gets hot, you can move the lettuce to a cooler spot and keep on growing - at least for a while, anyway. Lettuce is a cool season crop, but that doesn't mean you can't grow it throughout most of the summer and into the fall. In Southern California, I grow it year round. A good rule of thumb is to plant it in full sun in cool weather and partial shade in hot weather.

Leaf type lettuces can be harvested with a cut and come again method. You harvest the larger outer leaves and leave the smaller ones to grow. Just continue harvesting as you need. You can also cut a head of lettuce off at soil level, leaving the roots intact, and grow a new head of lettuce. The other method is to harvest the entire plant, roots and all. Obviously, this is not as cost-effective.

With so many types of lettuce seed available, you can grow a variety and always have a colorful, flavorful salad. One of my favorites is Cos Romaine lettuce. It is an heirloom with a wonderful flavor. We also grow butter leaf, red lettuce and a few other varieties. I have had the most success with growing leaf lettuce.

Most seed packets will have spacing recommendations - how far apart you should sow seeds and how far apart to thin them. To be honest, I ignore those instructions. I broadcast seed lightly - kind of how you would season a dish you are cooking with salt. Pinch a little between your thumb and finger and sprinkle onto the soil. You don't want to sow the seeds too thick, other than that, just lightly pepper the soil with seeds and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Water them well, and keep them moist until they germinate. If the soil dries out, the seeds may not germinate.

Let the seedlings grow to 4 inches tall before you start thinning. They are big enough at this point to add to your salads or use on sandwiches. Only thin the plants as you will be using them. Once the lettuce planter is properly thinned, you can switch to a cut and come again harvest.

Get inspired. Grow a garden and start saving money.

Follow Julie's garden blog, Wood Streets Gardens and follow her on Twitter @juliemcm

How to Really Save Money with a Vegetable Garden

2011-03-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Artichokes growing in my garden.

If you do it right, a vegetable garden can definitely save you lots of money. The problem is, many new gardeners spend way too much money to get started. That is so not necessary. You don't need expensive tools, chemicals and all the other stuff that some of the 'experts' say you can't grow without. Trust me, I know. The first year I gardened, I bought seeds, plants, manure and compost. That is all we bought - and we grew over $2,500 worth of food.

Since then, I've pretty much continued my no-to-low cost method of vegetable gardening. I figure if people managed to grow their own foods without fresh potting soil, chemical fertilizers and pesticides for thousands of years, so could I. Sometimes science just gets in the way of practicality. Not to mention the harm some of the top-selling garden products do to the environment.

Provided your soil is safe to grow food in, you can grow a boatload of food in a fairly small space. Growers and seed companies provide spacing guidelines that don't necessarily need to be followed. Most are assuming you are growing in rows, which is one of the best ways to waste space in the garden. I pack my plants in. They grow shoulder to shoulder in beds. I don't plant rows and I plant a variety of plants in the same area that grow well together. In other words, I don't waste space in my small vegetable garden. Plants do need enough air to breathe and enough room to accommodate the size of the plant. And if you're going to plant close together, you need to make sure you provide nutrients to promote growth. For the most part, I use compost, compost tea and steer manure. All affordable, and once you get started, you can grow your own compost, too.

You may also consider adding edibles into the landscape. If you have been careful about the products you use in your flowerbeds and landscape, you won't have to worry so much about eating non-edible pesticides and fertilizers. Edible landscaping is a great way to gain growing space without having to dig a whole new garden and to take advantage of growing space in a small yard. We have perennial artichokes, asparagus, strawberries, fruit trees, chard, beets, beans and peas and more growing in the flower beds, underneath roses and along pathways. Climbing plants like beans and peas will grow up your fence, and even trail up other plants in the garden. They are great space savers. Beans, especially, are some of the best plants for a home vegetable garden. The more you harvest, the more they grow. You should have no problem growing enough to keep a steady supply of fresh green beans, and then freeze plenty for later.

Finally, grow the foods you eat, and grow them in the right season. The cost of fresh produce is ridiculous. My friend just told me she paid $5 for two artichokes. Wow! Consider that one artichoke plant will produce 30 to 50 artichokes, that makes them next to free if you're growing them yourself. The same goes for lettuce, spinach, green beans, peas, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons and cucumbers. And if you really want to save money, start growing your own herbs.

Of course, you have to take care of your gardens. Otherwise, the weeds will eat you alive, and all your initial work will be for nothing. My best advice is keep it simple. You don't need to be a master gardener, nor do you need to spend a fortune to grow food for your family. It does pay to do a little research on the types of food you want to grow so you know their basic needs and when to grow them. If you plan your garden well you can grow enough food to be eating fresh and then can or freeze for later in the year.

If you are new to vegetable gardening, keep in mind that you do not have to spend a lot of money to grow a lot of food. You don't even need a lot of space. Get creative, look for solutions for small space gardening. Talk to your neighbors, network with other gardeners on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. You'll find that gardeners are a friendly bunch who are happy to share what they've learned with you. Get inspired, start gardening and start saving money.

Follow Julie and her gardens on Twitter @juliemcm and on her garden blog, Wood Streets Gardens.

Happy Gardening!

Make Heart Shaped Crayons

2011-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day is a favorite holiday for kids. This year, instead of attaching candy to the Valentines your child will be handing out, give these fun, heart shaped crayons with a miniature coloring book. This is also a fun Valentines Day craft for older children to make, with supervision of course.

You will need:

Muffin tin or other oven-safe small container
Pink, red and white crayons
Heart shaped candy molds

Put broken pieces of crayon into the muffin tin. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the crayon has melted. Melt one color at a time.

Remove the melted crayons from the oven. Use a spoon to fill heart shaped candy molds with the melted wax. Let the crayon completely set before removing from the mold. If children are making these crayons, closely supervise them. The wax is hot and will burn. This is not a craft project for small children; however, they will enjoy using the crayons.

Make layered heart crayons. Fill the candy mold half full with melted red crayons. Allow it to cool and set. Pour another layer of melted wax in pink or white on top of the red. Let it set completely. Remove from the mold. For even more fun, use a variety of shapes and colors to make the crayons.

Use printable coloring sheets for the coloring books. Print four per page, cut and staple into a book.

Put the coloring book and heart shaped crayons into a cellophane bag with a tag from your child.

Money Saving Tips for Utility Bills: What Really Saves You Money?

2011-01-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

January, being the month of new beginnings every year, is often the time that people take a close look at their finances and spending habits. Resolutions to save more money are common, as are the numerous money saving tips that repeat themselves year after year. I've decided to examine a few of those easy ways to save to find out if they live up to their promises.

Cell Phone Chargers
You have probably heard numerous times that phone chargers use electricity when they are left plugged in. According to TELECOM Digest by Patrick Townson and produced with assistance from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), that isn't necessarily true. Older phone chargers may draw power. If it is warm to the touch, it is drawing power. Most newer phone chargers do not draw a measurable amount of electricity when plugged in. The real power loss with phone chargers is when they are being used. According to the EPA, less than half of the energy from a phone charger ends up in the phone's battery, the rest of the energy turns into heat.

Conclusion: If you have a new charger, don't worry about leaving it plugged in when it isn't connected to your phone. Only charge your phone long enough to get a full charge on the battery, then disconnect it from the charger. Savings - not much per year. Even replacing an old phone charger won't save you that much.

Electronics and Energy Use
The DVD, printers, computers, televisions and game consoles and other equipment that goes into a standby mode will use electricity when not in use. A laser printer, according to Townson, continues to draw power while it is in standby. His printer registered 6 watts in standby mode. The XBox 360 and his computer both registered 2 watts in standby mode. That may not seem like much, but the numbers add up with each appliance left plugged in. By disconnecting the power to his laser printer he estimated an annual savings of $10.

Conclusion: It makes sense to plug your electronics into power strips that you can turn off when they are not in use. Depending on the number of appliances you have, your annual savings could amount to $40 or $50.

Use Space Heaters to Save Money on Heating Bills?
Can space heaters lower your heating bill? The answer is not always clear. It comes down to the cost of electricity vs. the cost of gas or heating fuel and how you use a space heater. According to Energy Star, space heaters are not a cost effective method of heating your home. You would be better off using the central heating system. There are a couple of exceptions. Using a space heater to keep one room warm may make sense only if you turn off your home's heating system. A space heater also makes sense if one person in the household requires a warmer temperature for health reasons. Use the space heater to keep that one person warmer without heating up the entire house.

Conclusion: Space heaters will increase your electric bill. That amount could be significant if the heater is used on a regular basis. It makes more sense to use the central heating system in your house, keep the thermostat set at 65 degrees Fahrenheit and layer clothing to keep warm, or better, snuggle with your sweetie under a warm blanket.

How to Buy a Space Heater

Lights On or Off?
Should you turn the lights off when you leave a room? Ir depends on the type of light bulbs and how long you will be gone. The advent of CFLs changed the time honored rules everyone used to follow.

Incandescent light bulbs only use 10 to 15 percent of the electricity consumed to produce light. The rest, 85 to 90 percent, goes to making heat. Touch a light bulb that has been on for a few minutes and you will understand. According to Energy Star, incandescent light bulbs should be turned off whenever they are not in use.

Conclusion: Incandescent light bulbs are inefficient and energy suckers. The heat they produce warms the home, which can also increase the need to use the air conditioner. Switch to CFLs.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) are a different story. The cost effectiveness depends on how long the lights will be turned off. Energy Star suggests leaving the lights on if you will be away less than 15 minutes and turning them off if you will be out of the room for a longer period of time. CFLs are said to last 8 to 15 times longer than standard bulbs, but continually turning CFLs on and off reduces the useful life of the bulb. The more you flip that switch the less life you'll get out of your bulb.

Conclusion: There is some savings to be had from switching, but maybe not as much as manufacturers claim on their packaging. Energy Star calls it a trade off between saving money on electricity and the cost of light bulbs. Since CFLs are more expensive than incandescent lights, the savings is in the cost of the bulbs and how much life you can get out of them.

LED Lights
LED lighting uses 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last as much as 25 times longer. LED lights emit almost no heat, according to Energy Star, so wasted energy is not a concern.

A 12 Watt LED bulb will replace a standard 60 watt bulb. The standard bulb will cost about $20 per year to operate for 8 hours a day and need to be replaced 2 to 3 times per year. The LED bulb will cost about $5 per year to operate for the same amount of time, but will last up to 50,000 hours. One LED light could last 10 years or longer. Consumer Reports Home and Garden blog reported in December, 2010 that a LED light installed in 2010 could still be burning well into 2027. A standard bulb costs about $0.31. At $20 per year for electricity for eight hours of use every day, plus 3 bulbs per year for one light fixture, the cost of incandescent lighting is $355.81 over 17 years. The Sylvania 12 Watt LED bulb costs around $40, but the cost of electricity over 17 years drops to $85, for a total of $125. That is a savings of $230 for one light bulb, which equates to about $1.15 per month or less than 1 cent per hour it is in use.

So where is the break even point? If you use the LED light for 8 hours per day, you will break even sometime during the third year.

Conclusion: LED lights make sense if you will be in your home long enough to realize the actual savings, or take them with you when you leave. The cost is a little prohibitive for people are barely scraping by. It may make more money sense to go with CFLs to save money until you can afford to invest in LED lights.

Best Uses for LED Lights

Telecom Digest: Do Phone Chargers Waste Power?
Saving Electricity: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
Consumer Reports Home and Garden Blog

Growing Peas and Pole Beans in a Small Garden

2011-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Green Arrow Peas freeze well.

Small vegetable gardens may not lend themselves to the space required to grow bush beans. Pole beans, on the other hand, can be planted in groupings with a stake in the center to support the growing vines. Tee-pees are also space savers in the garden. Arrange six, 6 foot garden stakes in an 18 inch circle and tie them together at the top. Plant bean seeds around each stake at a depth of 1 inch deep. The vines will grow up and around the tee-pee. Pole beans grown in this manner can be planted in a traditional kitchen garden, or along walls and fences to add height and interest to your landscape. Another option is a veggie cage or trellises. Use them for tomatoes and other climbing vines.

Last year I planted several tee-pees in my garden and along the back wall of our yard. We grew green beans and peas on them. They are just fun to look at. Peas are cooler weather crops. We started with sugar snap peas and snow peas early in the year. You can start peas 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost. Once the pods start forming, you have to harvest regularly to encourage production.

When the peas were finished I put in my green beans. Pole bean vines grow up to 6 feet tall. Make sure your structures are tall enough for the vine, otherwise they will trail off and fall to the ground. Last year I confined the beans to the vegetable gardening area. And we grew a traditional, stringless green bean. Tasty, but not as interesting as what I have planned for this year.

We are moving toward an edible landscape so we will have more food growing. Pole beans are part of the plan for our side yard. The fence posts will serve as stakes for these Purple Red Noodle and Red Noodle yard longs. The vines will fill in the fence and the long red beans will add some fun, edible color. The Blue Coco Snap Pole Bean is a French heirloom we'll be growing as well.

Blue Coco Snap Pole Bean

Red Noodle Yard Long

Purple Red Noodle Yard Long

Growing Green Beans from Seed

Pole beans and peas can be grown in containers, as well. Plant seeds or transplants into a container. Either place a stake in the center of the container to provide support for the vines or place the container in front of a trellis or fence for the vines to climb. Follow the same basic guidelines for planting times, watering and fertilizing. Beans, because they are a warm weather crop, will need to have a consistent moisture level in the soil. Mulch the top of the container to help retain moisture.

Green Beans

Do Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) Really Save Money?

2011-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs cost more to buy than incandescents, but they last 8 to 15 times longer, depending on your usage. And, not all CFLs are created equal. Some are better than others. Michael Bluejay, also known as Mr. Electricity, recommends buying well-known, brand name bulbs because they tend to last longer. While CFLs cost more, the savings on electricity is significant. Replacing old fashioned bulbs with CFLs could reduce the energy you use to light your home by as much as 70 percent. In dollars and cents, that is a savings of $70 for every $100 spent to light your home. In a home with 10 lights in use for 10 hours per day, that could add up to a savings of $300 or more per year.

Realistically, most homes don't have that many lights on for that length of time. If nine percent of your energy usage is for lighting - the U.S. average - and your monthly bill is $100, then $9 of that is for lighting. That $9 accounts for every light in your home. Suppose 10 of the light bulbs in your home account for half of your lighting costs -$4.50 per month. Replacing those bulbs with CFLs could lower your utility bill by $3.15 per month, or $37.80 per year. When do you break even? The cost to buy 10 CFLs is about $15 to $20. It will take a little less than 5 months to make back your investment in savings. On the other hand, if you continue using standard bulbs that need replacing every 2 months or so, you will spend about $18.00 for 60 light bulbs over the course of a year - roughly the cost of 10 CFLs, which should last for 15 to 30 months - and the extra $3.15 per month on your electric bill.

Turn the lights off or leave them on? Energy Star recommends leaving compact fluorescent bulbs on if you will be gone less than 15 minutes. Turn them off if you are leaving for a longer period of time. CFLs have an energy surge when they are first turned on, and the more frequently they are turned on, the shorter the life of the bulb. This means they are not the best choice for lights with motion sensors.

Conclusion: Yes, CFLs may save you money, but probably not as much as the manufacturers claim. Energy Star considers it a trade of between saving money and saving electricity. The payoff comes if you get a longer life from the CFL bulbs by following usage recommendations.

Telecom Digest: Do Phone Chargers Waste Power?
Saving Electricity: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
Consumer Reports Home and Garden Blog

Growing Green Beans from Seed

2011-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

Green beans are one of the most popular plants in home vegetable gardens. Green beans are easy to grow from seed, usually produce well and are easy to harvest and preserve.

Growing from Seed

Green beans prefer warm soil and full sun. Do not plant seeds outdoors until after all danger of frost is passed and the soil temperature remains above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Royal Burgundy Bush Beans

Bush Beans

Start green bean seeds indoors in peat pots 4 to 6 weeks before the last expected frost. Use a sterile seed starting mix. Sow the seeds at a depth of 1 inch and provide the seeds with plenty of warmth - at least 65 degrees F - for germination.

Start bush bean seeds outdoors after all danger of frost. Sow seeds 1 to 2 inches apart in rows spaced 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart. When seedling reach 3 inches tall, thin the plants to 3 to 4 inches apart.

Pole Beans:
Start pole beans seeds indoors the same as for bush beans.

Plant pole bean seeds outdoors in mounds or hills, 3 to 4 feet wide and 3 feet apart. Plant 3 to 4 seeds around the hill at a depth of one inch. Place a stake or trellis in the center of the hill for support as the vines grow.

Green Bean Seed Notes - Some gardeners recommend soaking bean seeds overnight in warm water to speed germination. Washington State University disagrees. If the soil is too moist the beans will crack and rot in the ground and never germinate. For this reason, WSU recommends never soaking bean seeds before planting. Bean seeds also need warmth to germinate. If the soil is too cold, germination may not occur.

Transplanting
Once your seedlings have grown to 3 to 4 inches tall, plant them outdoors in well drained, fertile soil in a sunny location. Plant bush bean seedlings 4 inches apart in rows. Plant 3 to 4 pole bean transplants on hills or mounds 3 to 4 feet wide and 3 feet apart.

Fertilizing
Use 1/2 cup of 10-20-10 fertilizer per 10 foot row of green beans. They will need to be fertilized regularly during the growing season. Follow the manufacturer's directions for use. Scatter the fertilizer over the row and water well.

Watering
Keep the soil moist, do not let it dry out. The soil should maintain a consistent level of moisture to prevent blossom drop. Water the soil at the base of the plant. Keep the leaves as dry as possible. Mulch will help retain moisture and maintain soil temperature.

Harvesting
Harvest green beans when they have reached mature length and before bulges start appearing in the pod. The pod should be crisp and snap when they are broken. Store green beans unwashed in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not wash them before refrigerating, this will cause them to spoil quickly.

Growing Green Beans: The Three Sisters Method

2011-01-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Use the three sisters method for growing corn, beans and squash. This garden makes good use of a small area.

Clear an 8 square foot area for your three sisters garden. Sow seven to eight corn seeds in the center of the plot. When the corn has grown to 10 inches tall, mound some of the soil around the the bottom half of the stalks. The stalks will send out roots that provide additional support for the plant.

Yard Long Pole Beans

Sow 12 pole bean seeds 1 inch deep in a circular pattern around each stalk of corn and about 6 inches from the corn stalk.

When the pole bean seeds have sprouted, plant six or seven squash seeds in a circular pattern around the beans, about 12 to 15 inches from the outside of the bean plants.

As your three sisters garden grows, the beans will grow up the corn stalks, using them for support. The squash vines will trail over the garden mound, providing shade and a natural mulch covering for the garden.

The Vegetable Garden: Growing a Financial Hedge

2011-01-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

I thought you might enjoy this hub published by CennyWenny on Hub Pages, "Cheap Onions, Pricey Lettuce-Which Vegetables Give the Most Bang for Your Buck." She has some good ideas about what to grow in your vegetable garden. She takes a practical approach to gardening, deciding what to grow based on her personal likes, the amount of space needed for certain vegetables and whether they are cheaper to grow or buy.

I don't think there is any better advice to give a gardener than to grow the foods you like to eat. Why bother with things you don't care for? For the small space gardener, her advice to buy carrots at the market and save the garden space for other vegetables is right on. Carrots are cheap. Organically grown lettuce is not. You'll save more money by growing the pricier vegetables and leaving the cheap stuff to the farmers.

Salad greens, cukes and zukes are staples in CennyWenny's garden, as they are in mine every year. Cucumbers are easy to grow and so versatile. But who can afford to pay $1 or more for one single cuke. Pickling cucumbers are a great choice for the garden. They can be eaten fresh in salads and used to make pickles. Zucchini and yellow squash are both good bets for your garden, as well. These prolific fruits will keep you, your family and your neighborhood supplied with garden fresh veggies all summer long.

You might also be interested in:
2011 - The Year of the Edible Landscape

Mushroom Tomato Soup

2011-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

The savory aromatics combined with the fresh mushrooms and tomatoes make this tomato soup recipe a year round favorite in our house. Makes 4 servings

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cups sliced, fresh mushrooms - use shiitake, cremini, button or a mix (soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water to rehydrate before cooking)
1 - 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with liquid
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Cook the onions, celery and garlic in the oil until they are tender. Add the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Serve the soup rustic style with chunks of tomato and vegetables or process it in batches in a blender for a smoother, creamier texture. Allow the soup to cool a bit before blending.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

2011-01-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

This soup has a fabulous creamy texture from the cream cheese. Makes about 2 quarts, or four large servings.

1 quart chicken broth
1 - 9 ounce package fresh tortellini

1/2 cup soft cream cheese spread
2 tablespoons chopped chives
28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add the tortellini, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Blend together the diced tomatoes and cream cheese. Stir into the broth and pasta. Add the chives and heat through. Serve hot.

How to Grow Eggplant

2011-01-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

Eggplant loves heat and sunshine. It requires a rich, well drained soil.

Seeding

Start eggplant seeds indoors eight weeks before the last frost. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep in a moist seed-starting medium. Use a heat mat under the seed tray to speed germination. Keep the soil moist at all times. Put the seed tray under a grow light, four inches from the top, for 12 hours a day.

Transplant the seedlings to 3 inch pots when they have grown to 3 to 4 inches tall. Transplant the seedlings into peat pots that can be placed directly into the ground. You won't have to remove the plants from a pot and risk damaging the roots.

Transplanting

Choose a location in the garden that gets at least 8 hours of sunlight per day. Dig the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches. Mix in 3 inches of compost. Cover the bed with 3 inches of mulch.

Transplant the eggplant into the garden when the soil temperature has reached 70 degrees and nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees. It is best to plant out when daytime temperatures reach 75 degrees to ensure the plants have enough warmth to thrive.

Plant the eggplants two feet apart. Remove the mulch and set it aside. Use a trowel to dig a hole twice as wide and about as deep as the pot. Place the peat pot in the ground and fill in with the soil. Water the soil thoroughly, being careful not to splash the leaves. Fertilize with a cup of water soluble fertilizer around the plant base. Replace the mulch.

Fertilize the plants with 1/4 cup 10-10-10 fertilizer as soon as they flower.

Harvest eggplants when they reach mature size. For Black Beauty and Japanese eggplants, harvest when they reach 5 to 6 inches long. Harvest miniature heirlooms according to the directions on the seed packet.

Eggplant Brings Edible Color into the Landscape

Eggplant Brings Edible Color into the Landscape

2011-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rosa Bianca

From purple to green, red and yellow, white and orange, eggplant grows in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes that will brighten up any landscape. Edible landscaping is the new trend. Flower beds are being replaced with raised bed vegetable gardens. Food is being grown in place of ornamental shrubs and tucked between roses.

Black Beauty

Eggplant is a nightshade, related to the ever popular tomato. It is easy to grow and delicious to eat. Most people are familiar with the traditional Black Beauty eggplant. It grows large teardrop shaped fruit in a deep purple. You may also be familiar with White Eggplant, which is a more elongated, snowy white fruit.

But these tasty little treasures grow in red, orange, green, lavender and striped varieties as well. Many of the heirloom varieties are miniatures that produce a flourish of color.

The Rosa Bianca is a light rose colored version of the fruit popular in Italy.
The fruit is more round, and fades in color from the rose shade near the stem to a whiter color at the bottom of the fruit.

More vibrant color comes from the Red Eggplant, Pumpkin on a Stick, the Toga Striped and the Turkish Orange heirloom varieties, which are all smaller than the standard Black Beauty.

Toga Striped Eggplant, Turkish Orange, Organic Pumpkin on a Stick


Green and White Thai Kermit Eggplant

Eggplant can be grown in the garden and in containers. The miniature, colorful varieties are easy to grow in a patio garden. Many, like the Toga Striped and Pumpkin on a Stick produce multiple fruits during the growing season. The Turkish Orange is perfect for stuffed eggplant dishes. The Toga Striped has a stronger flavored fruit, but it is not bitter. The Green and White Thai is the perfect kabob fruit. Brush it with olive oil and garlic and cook it on the grill.

Eggplant is normally a big producer in the garden. If you grow more than you can use, please share it with your friends and family. If you have more than they can eat, find a local food pantry that accepts donations for home grown produce. Go to the Ample Harvest website to locate a food pantry near you.

If you would like to help families become more self-reliant, please support The Dinner Garden. They provide free vegetable seeds to anyone who asks in the United States. You can help fight hunger in America, one garden at a time. A donation of $1.72 will provide 10 types of vegetable seeds for one family garden.

How to Grow Eggplant
Eggplant Recipes

How to Increase The Efficiency of a Wood Burning Fireplace

2011-01-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

How to Increase The Efficiency of a Wood Burning Fireplace

Wood burning fireplaces are not the most efficient way to heat a home, but you can increase the amount of heat output with these tips. Learn what types of wood burn hotter, what kind of fireplace grate to use and how to direct the heat back into your home and keep it out of your chimney. You don't have to spend a fortune on a fireplace insert to make your fireplace work more efficiently. Simple fixes, from free to around $100, can increase the heat output by 40 percent or more.

Can You Make Money Writing Online?

2010-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am constantly being asked if I really make money writing online. In a word, yes. How much I make depends on the amount of time I spend, what I write about and the type of writing I am doing.

I have three different types of writing income. My freelance income comes upfront pay for articles I write. I also earn on revenue sharing writing sites and from advertising revenue on my blogs.

I freelance through Demand Studios, Text Broker, Constant Content and for private clients. Demand Studios is a reliable source for steady work; however, the pay is lower than I would charge my own clients. Text Broker is actually where I started freelancing. The pay there is significantly lower than Demand, and the jobs are not always plentiful. On occasion I will write for Constant Content, but not very often because it is a competition site, meaning all writers can submit work for each order. The client decides which ones, if any to purchase. Personally, I don't have the time to write articles that may or may not sell. The highest paying freelance jobs are with my private clients. I have the freedom to sell my work for what it is worth.

Revenue sharing sites like Hub Pages, Triond, List My Five and Xomba allow you to publish articles, then share the Adsense or other advertising revenue with you. Some writers have become disillusioned with these sites because of the amount of time it takes to build an income. Yes, it does take time and patience to start earning money on revenue sharing sites. Not all writers are successful, many because they choose topics or keywords that do not attract higher paying advertisements, or because they simply give up. While it does take time and you do have to write a considerable number of articles as well as promote your work, the income potential is there. I gave up on these sites for a while, but when I saw my earnings increase even though I was not spending any time on them I decided to give it another try. This month I tripled my earnings on Triond alone.

Blogging is much like writing on revenue sharing sites except that you are not sharing the revenue with a host site. It takes time, patience and perseverance to be a success. You have to post to your blog on a regular basis, do your own promotion and you had better learn keyword research and search engine optimization if you want to make money.

What do I think is the best deal for online writers? That depends on what you need. If you need money now, freelancing is the way to go. If you are looking to build a passive income, then blogging and residual writing are both good ways to accomplish that goal. I continue to do all three because I want it all. I need money now and I want a source of passive income.

Building that passive income is my goal. Do I trust that the revenue sharing sites I publish on will stay in business for any length of time? No. They are businesses. And, like any other business, could fail at any time. But while they last there is potential. Blogging, on the other hand, is really up to you. You can maintain a blog or website as long as you like. The longer you stick with it, your views and income potential will increase.

My advice to anyone that wants to get started in the online writing business is to learn about keywords and search engine optimization (SEO), article promotion, publish on several writing sites, start your own blog and pick up additional income with freelance jobs. You can start your freelance career by applying to TextBroker.com and DemandStudios.com.

If you are just starting out, you have a lot to learn. Don't let that stop you from starting. Yes, you will make mistakes along the way, but you will also have successes. I would like to help you. I don't know everything there is to know, but I have learned quite a bit in the last two years. Take some time to read through the following articles and click on the links I've provided to sign up for the sites you choose to write for. You can begin your writing career and we can help each other earn the money we need. It does not cost anything to join these sites.

Work at Home: Freelance Writing Opportunities
Writing Online: Step 1
Writing Online: Step 2

Get started now. It only takes a few minutes to apply to these writing sites. Make sure you subscribe to this blog to keep up with the tips on SEO, keywords, topics and more to help you with your new career.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on some of these sites.

Click here to start writing on Triond
Click here to start writing on Hub Pages
Click here to start writing on Xomba

Photo By Matthew Bowden www.digitallyrefreshing.com (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/145972) [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons
References: Smart Passive Income