Gifts now and Gifts Later

For each child for birthday and Christmas we give them some small toys and clothes to open AND put some money into their college fund. Compound interest over 15+ years adds up (hopefully more than college tuition inflation!). So they get some gifts to open now and some fund for the gift of college later!

Eat out your Pantry!

I had recently been told that the average American household could live off it's stored food for seven years! Well, I don't think a person could do that in our household but it does raise a good point: We should eat out our pantries!

Or at least eat them down every once in while.  Or at least eat the food before it goes bad. You know, that one can of whatever that never makes it to the front or the one box of something that is left on the self unused.

I like to do this periodically throughout the year. I dispise having to throw away food and yet I don't like to be without some food stored up either. So quarterly (or when the grocerry budget seems tighter than usual) we eat our freezer and pantry stores down.

The added benefit is that we usually rediscover a favorite, or this Omma learns to cook something new and we have a new favorite, or this Omma just has to get plain old creative with what she has on hand.

Friendly Reminder

Just a little public service post here.

There were times in my life where things have been tough. There were times in my childhood where things were extremely tough where money was concerned. In fact, it wasn't until years later when I was helping my mom with some financials that I was shocked by just how bad things were.  (And my parents never ever asked for government assistance!)  You see, my parents didn't go around advertising their problems. They didn't argue about money in front of us kids. (And were horrified when others would do so.)  Sure we could tell that our parents were stressed at times and knew that were weren't getting the latest and greatest things, but we were never "in the loop."  In fact, we often felt so very blessed by what we did have because that was the focus we had. We regularly gave to others who had (or we perceived to have) less than us.  Which is really, in my humble opinion, how it should be. Children internalize things and feel responsible when they are not. Take divorces for instance, most often the child feels that they have somehow caused this.  When a child hears about how much their clothes cost, their schooling costs, etc. they feel guilty. They feel like they should do something. That they need to help their parents. And really, unless we are talking about a high school or college aged child working a part time job to help with their own hobbies and college funding, it's not the child's job!

So my point is, please please please remember not to argue about money (or anything really) in front of your children.  Even if you think they are not paying attention, they are. And they are learning more than you may realize.

Inside Out

I love hand-me-downs. I love passing on hand-me-downs. There's just something wonderful about FREE CLOTHES!

But after a few children, things start to look a little ratty.  Here's one way to help prevent that.

Turn the shirts inside out.  (And pants and dresses for girls.)  Specifically if they have a screen print or patch or embroidery on them.  This will help prevent that "cracked up" look screen prints get from too many trips through the washer.  It will help prevents snags on the embroidery on girl's shirts, pants, and dresses.

Let's face it, kids are hard on their clothes, but we can do little things to stretch the life of clothes. Like turning them inside out and air drying.

Used Parts for Appliances and Cars

This is a post for those of you handy-women or handy-men out there (or those of you married to one).  I'm very blessed to have a husband who does all our car repair work.  He also does most of the fixing around the house too.  I'm a rather handy gal myself but the ways of the car elude me.  Not to mention it's rather difficult to fix the washing machine with a tot and a preschooler climbing on me.

So where do you get that random part needed for the washing machine or car?  Well you could go to the store and buy one. OR you could go to your local junk yard.  Wait wait! Don't run away! I think we all have a picture of a big nasty place piled high with garbage bags when we think of a dump. I'm not talking about that.  I'm talking about the junk yards that hold large appliances and cars.

Did you know, most people will toss BOTH the washer and dryer if only one of them isn't working? (Most not be overly frugal people right? ^_~) Well if you need a part for your washer or dryer you can harvest the parts off the ones in the junk yard for a good price.

We upgraded our seats in our vehicle to leather by buying them from a junk yard.  Now our vehicle has safe head rests for every member of the family, front and back seats.  And yes, we sanitized the seats.  Which is much easier to do with leather than cloth I might add.

Obviously use your common sense with buying parts from the junk yard.

Cardboard

There are so many great uses for cardboard! Don't just recycle the cardboard but use it!  Here's some ideas:

• garage - my son loves using boxes as a garage for his matchbox cards, you can also use them to build parking structures
• doll house - don't forget the girls, cardboard can make the house and everything in it
• put under those older cars you have (also a money saver!) in case it drips a little to keep your garage looking nice
• paint them! great for crafts
• large boxes can be a play house for the kids to play in, you (adult) can cut out windows for them
• organize - cut slits and put together as a grid to organize a drawer into compartments
• burn it in your fireplace or outside fire pit

And when you are all done doing that, then recycle the cardboard.

Rinse those Dishes

Here's something you can train your family to do to help you out.  Rinse the dishes before you put them by the side of the sink to be washed.  You don't have to use a lot of water to do this, just enough to get that ketchup or syrup off before it becomes one with the dish.  Saves you time in scrubbing them later on and your family will feel good knowing they are making their Frugal Omma a happier person. ^_^

When I've Crossed the Line

This post is in memory of my dad who would always remind us "Be frugal, not cheap." 

I usually know when I've "crossed that line" into cheapness.  Like when I bought that value pack of Babies R Us diapers and if I didn't know better I could have sworn that I put the diaper on inside out...(and they weren't all that much more inexpensive than Huggies by the way).  Or that value pack of paper towels of the "Clear Value (R)" brand and they are almost like not using anything at all to clean up messes.  Cheap.  No longer a deal when I have to use twice or more as normal to get the job done.  And I can say that I'm not going to purchase that brand again as I've had a number of bad encounters with their products.  Shortning being another one...

The store brand for many of the same items is only a few cents more and usually of a higher quality so I get that.  But a word to the wise, check the label.  Usually items are very similar but not always.  Sometimes one item will sneak in something nasty like MSG or high fructose corn syrup.  Or maybe they both have HFCS but it is the first or second ingredient for the one and the second to last for the other (thus signifying less of the substance).  I've found that by reading labels I can pick the healthier item and sometimes it surprises me that it is the more generic brand.  So read labels!

There are some things I don't skimp on.  Milk, meat, apples, and potatoes.  All suffer from high levels of something like pesticides, hormones, etc.  Apples and potatoes are the most susceptible to pesticides.  You can't buy everything organic but these are ones you should try to find organic so that you're not feeding your family a vial of nasties with their food.  Both freeze really well too.  I grow potatoes and enjoy them when in season.  When it gets to the end of the season I make a big batch of mashed potatoes and then freeze them in smaller containers.  Lasts until the next season.  Apples work great in sauces, etc.  And those all freeze really well too.  Most areas have a local farmer's market where you can get apples for under $1/lb when in season.

Milk and meat might surprise you.  I have learned through the years, mostly but trial and error, which are good and which are bad.  I have endometriosis and can tell within 30 minutes of eating either of those items if they've had hormones added to them (one of the benefits of having a messed up body ^_~).  I get all my meat from Whole Foods or the Outpost.  I stock up when it is on sale.  If you shop around you can find organic meat for just as cheap as the "other stuff."  I also like Sassy Cow and Whole Food's 365 milk.  And they cost just the same as the "other stuff."  I believe in good milk and meat so much, I will give up most other things before giving these up.  What good is it to save a few pennies or even a dollar if it means feeding your family the equivalent of a birth control pill with every glass of milk or hamburger?  Endo Assoc.