Today's post is how to make money doing what you love. What is your special niche? I love teaching and exercising. I decided to use these two abilities to my advantage. I now teach at a local gym. I can teach as little or as much as I like. I make my own shedule. Daycare is provided, and I love this special "me" time.
You can do this too. I have a friend who loves to make crafts. She has rented a small space in a consignment mall. She makes the crafts and sells them. She is not getting rich, but she makes rent and has all her crafting supplies paid for through this enterprise. She makes great money during holiday months.
Your challenge today is to find what you love and let it work for you.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Food Storage - Preparing for the Worst
Food storage is a must if you believe what the news media is saying. Whether or not it is true, that is up to you to decide. I believe food storage is a must even in a good economy. Food storage basics consist of the following:
wheat
white wheat
flour
sugar
honey
yeast
noodles
dry milk
oatmeal
dried fruit
dried beans
salt
shortening
I also add the following for enhancement for these basic meals:
raisins
dried apples
unsweetened cocoa
meat (canned tuna or chicken would work)
cheese
brown sugar
potato pearls or instant potatoes
As I can I stockpile my freezer with foods we like and enjoy. I can always eat from my pantry. I incorporate these foods into our daily lives so if hard times did hit we would not know any difference. My kids eat oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, I make our own homemade bread, and I incorporate rice, instant potatoes, or noodles into our dinner. I have even tried to incorporate "wheat" meat into our meal plans. I have found that we do not like it completely alone but mixed in with other meat we can not tell a difference. I also shop local sales for canned/frozen fruits and vegetables. I pay close attention to the food pyramid and make sure that my kids are getting nutrition from each of the areas. By being thoughtful in the area of nutrition, my kids are used to eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.
I would strongly encourage you to invest in food storage. We have relied on it in the past and have found it to be a lifesaver.
wheat
white wheat
flour
sugar
honey
yeast
noodles
dry milk
oatmeal
dried fruit
dried beans
salt
shortening
I also add the following for enhancement for these basic meals:
raisins
dried apples
unsweetened cocoa
meat (canned tuna or chicken would work)
cheese
brown sugar
potato pearls or instant potatoes
As I can I stockpile my freezer with foods we like and enjoy. I can always eat from my pantry. I incorporate these foods into our daily lives so if hard times did hit we would not know any difference. My kids eat oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, I make our own homemade bread, and I incorporate rice, instant potatoes, or noodles into our dinner. I have even tried to incorporate "wheat" meat into our meal plans. I have found that we do not like it completely alone but mixed in with other meat we can not tell a difference. I also shop local sales for canned/frozen fruits and vegetables. I pay close attention to the food pyramid and make sure that my kids are getting nutrition from each of the areas. By being thoughtful in the area of nutrition, my kids are used to eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.
I would strongly encourage you to invest in food storage. We have relied on it in the past and have found it to be a lifesaver.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Super Saturdays
I'm sorry I have been so neglectful in my blog. This week I picked up more classes at the gym, and I have had sick kids. Even though these are good reasons to have slacked, I feel bad because I stated I would try to post everyday, and I haven't. I will do better.
Great news today! My oldest son was selected for the magnet school in our local school district. This will save us considerable dollars next year as we had as a backup plan a church-sponsored Kindergarden program. It would have cost us nearly $400.00 a month to send him there.
This may sound foreign to those of you with great school systems, but in the area I am in our local elementary school has had 2 assaults and one weapon at the school last year. The scores are barely a C-. When I say I live in a horrible school system, it is truly horrible. The people I work and associate with would never consider sending their children to the local school -even the local magnet school. The magnet school is extremely competitive, but the majority of children here go to private schools. I have had actually had two different people look at me and my three children and ask "How will you ever educate them?" They are not talking about college, but K-12. Amazing. Let me know your thoughts and about your local school system.
Great news today! My oldest son was selected for the magnet school in our local school district. This will save us considerable dollars next year as we had as a backup plan a church-sponsored Kindergarden program. It would have cost us nearly $400.00 a month to send him there.
This may sound foreign to those of you with great school systems, but in the area I am in our local elementary school has had 2 assaults and one weapon at the school last year. The scores are barely a C-. When I say I live in a horrible school system, it is truly horrible. The people I work and associate with would never consider sending their children to the local school -even the local magnet school. The magnet school is extremely competitive, but the majority of children here go to private schools. I have had actually had two different people look at me and my three children and ask "How will you ever educate them?" They are not talking about college, but K-12. Amazing. Let me know your thoughts and about your local school system.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Thrifty Tuesdays
Today I will be cooking for my meal group trade on Sunday. The basics of this group involves preparing 7 to 8 meals (all the same) for a family of six adults. I will then on Sunday go to my neighbor's house and swap my meals for their meals.
There are many reasons why this is advantageous to all of us. It saves money. Since you are buying in bulk, the ingredients are cheaper. Another reason I love this group is because I do not have six adults in my house. We are a family of two adults, 2 preschoolers, and one infant. We will get at least two meals out of one with 2 days of leftovers for lunch. My overall food bill has dropped significantly using this group.
It is also a time saving device. Many times I have wanted to go out to eat because I am just too tired to cook. If I have not already thawed a meal out, I will simply put it in the oven at 375 for one hour, and it cooks as well as if I had thawed it out before. With young children this is a time saver.
Today I will be making Kid Friendly Chimichangas. I know that they are yummy because they are a meal group rerun. They involve the following ingredients:
1pd. hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1 15 oz. can refried beans
1 22 oz. mild salsa
16 oz. cheese
Simply wrap like you would a traditional burrito. Place them individually on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Then take them out of the freezer and place in gallon Ziploc bag. When ready to eat, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or deep fry until golden brown.
If you want the basics of starting your meal group, head over to hubpages.com. I will be posting our rules for the group as well as tips for selecting just the right recipe on that site later today.
There are many reasons why this is advantageous to all of us. It saves money. Since you are buying in bulk, the ingredients are cheaper. Another reason I love this group is because I do not have six adults in my house. We are a family of two adults, 2 preschoolers, and one infant. We will get at least two meals out of one with 2 days of leftovers for lunch. My overall food bill has dropped significantly using this group.
It is also a time saving device. Many times I have wanted to go out to eat because I am just too tired to cook. If I have not already thawed a meal out, I will simply put it in the oven at 375 for one hour, and it cooks as well as if I had thawed it out before. With young children this is a time saver.
Today I will be making Kid Friendly Chimichangas. I know that they are yummy because they are a meal group rerun. They involve the following ingredients:
1pd. hamburger
1 packet taco seasoning
1 15 oz. can refried beans
1 22 oz. mild salsa
16 oz. cheese
Simply wrap like you would a traditional burrito. Place them individually on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Then take them out of the freezer and place in gallon Ziploc bag. When ready to eat, bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or deep fry until golden brown.
If you want the basics of starting your meal group, head over to hubpages.com. I will be posting our rules for the group as well as tips for selecting just the right recipe on that site later today.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Makin' Money Mondays
One of the things that I do to save money is to secret shop. Many people will ask is it really worth it for the amount of money they pay versus the gas. I think so. I will group errands and secret shops in one area and then pick a day to do them. This is a way that I can justify the gas for the secret shop. If I pick up just a couple, it is a little money for fun shopping.
I am also choosy about which secret shops I will do. If it is labor intensive, it will not be worth my time for $6.00. If I am asked to click "yes" or "no", then it's okay for $6.00. My favorite one is for an oil change location. It will pay up to $32.00 for the oil change + $5.00 for my time. The oil change location is right around the block. The survey is also extremely easy to fill out. With three children, I can not spend too much time with long narratives decribing the decor of the bathrooms. Some of my best secret shopping websites are www.serviceevaluation.com and a-closer-look.com. Have fun shopping!
I am also choosy about which secret shops I will do. If it is labor intensive, it will not be worth my time for $6.00. If I am asked to click "yes" or "no", then it's okay for $6.00. My favorite one is for an oil change location. It will pay up to $32.00 for the oil change + $5.00 for my time. The oil change location is right around the block. The survey is also extremely easy to fill out. With three children, I can not spend too much time with long narratives decribing the decor of the bathrooms. Some of my best secret shopping websites are www.serviceevaluation.com and a-closer-look.com. Have fun shopping!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Best Recipe for Homemade Bread
One of the best ways to save money is by cooking from scratch. I do this by cooking my own homemade bread. Disclaimer - Before I found this recipe, my bread was horrible. YUCK! Luckily, I found a fool-proof recipe (in a children's book) that has worked for me. Here it is- try and see.
In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, combine the following:
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp. dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
Mix in the bag. Add the next ingredients
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I use olive oil.)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 c. hot water
1 c. unbleached flour
Knead in bag. I usually put it in my Kitchen-Aid with the kneading attachment.
Bake in oven at 350. This makes one loaf. I usually will do 2 loaves at the same time. This has work wonderfully for me; I hope it works for you.
** Forget to mention it needs to rise for 45 minutes in a bowl. Then put in loaf pan and let it rise for another 45 minutes, and then bake. Sorry for any mishaps.
In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, combine the following:
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp. dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
Mix in the bag. Add the next ingredients
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I use olive oil.)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 c. hot water
1 c. unbleached flour
Knead in bag. I usually put it in my Kitchen-Aid with the kneading attachment.
Bake in oven at 350. This makes one loaf. I usually will do 2 loaves at the same time. This has work wonderfully for me; I hope it works for you.
** Forget to mention it needs to rise for 45 minutes in a bowl. Then put in loaf pan and let it rise for another 45 minutes, and then bake. Sorry for any mishaps.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Spending for Today
After carefully analyzing my budget last night, I realized that I sent too much money to the principal of my house. I thought I had more money than I had -- Oh,oh! This has left my grocery budget at $200.00 for the month for the five of us. Creativity will be a must!
I decided that I would buy the ingredients for my once a month cooking club (more info in later post) and the bare necessities. I opted for the following:
2 gallons of milk
brown sugar (for oatmeal)
baking soda
peanut butter
jelly
spaghetti sauce
eggs
bananas
mixed bag of fruit
bag of chips
2 jar of salsa
3 packs of 36 tortillas
I decided that I would buy the ingredients for my once a month cooking club (more info in later post) and the bare necessities. I opted for the following:
2 gallons of milk
brown sugar (for oatmeal)
baking soda
peanut butter
jelly
spaghetti sauce
eggs
bananas
mixed bag of fruit
bag of chips
2 jar of salsa
3 packs of 36 tortillas
Thursday, April 3, 2008
mycoupons.com
I wanted to let you all know about a website near and dear to my heart. Mycoupons.com is GREAT! If I am looking for deals in stores, I simply head over there. On the homepage you will notice a tab that says Shopping Boards. Click on that and you will see a list of different shopping boards. My favorite is Brick & Mortar. People will post the deals they find at their local stores. Many times by following their advice I have found great deals such as: Eddie Bauer double stroller, original price $159.99, my price $19.99 (Target), single stroller (Graco), original price $64.99, my price $12.99. These truly are some of my best bargains yet.
Many times people post deals unadvertised even in the stores. I have gotten toys priced at $49.99 for $6.49 through this website. Most of the bargains are to be had at Target. Starting in January I hit this board for Christmas ideas. I bought my kids toys for Christmas 2008 for under a hundred by buying my toys at Sears when their toys were 75% clearanced with an extra 50% of the clearance price. I learned about this deal through mycoupons.com. Check it out!
Many times people post deals unadvertised even in the stores. I have gotten toys priced at $49.99 for $6.49 through this website. Most of the bargains are to be had at Target. Starting in January I hit this board for Christmas ideas. I bought my kids toys for Christmas 2008 for under a hundred by buying my toys at Sears when their toys were 75% clearanced with an extra 50% of the clearance price. I learned about this deal through mycoupons.com. Check it out!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Shopping Trip to RiteAid
Yesterday I realized that perhaps the Doctor was not right; my little girl does need her Prevacid. I decided to go ahead and have it filled. Luckily, I had a RiteAid transfer coupon for $30.00 gift certificate.
We loaded up and went to get the prescription. I had already worked out my game plan for what to do with the gift certificate. I purchased the prescription and 2 bottles of Zrytec and handed them the coupon. This is where it gets interesting. She rings up the Prevacid ($118.00) + 2 bottles of Zrytec (12.99 X 2 = 26.98) = $148.00. I ask for my gift certificate, and she says we took it off the total. I ask again; she tells me the same thing. "I took it off the total." I was so stunned; it just didn't seem right. With three children though, it is hard to do the math. I simply walked away without the receipt.
Oh, I need the receipt for the FSA account. I walk back to ask for the receipt. You can tell she is not happy to see me. Could I please have my receipt? She gives me the receipt, and I look at again. Finally, the pharmacy tech comes over. She explains what she did with the transaction. Now, get this! I have to explain to THEM how to ring up a gift certificate. I explain the receipt to them, and they finally give me my gift certificate. I find it amusing that with as many of these coupons out there the management at these pharmacies do not explain what to do with them.
I was so upset I simply bought the RiteAid diaper wipes (6.49 with $2.00(rebate)) + 2 bags of Huggies diapers (13.99 - 2 1.50 MF coupons)= 34.68. I used $30.00 gift card and another gift card for the remainder. I definitely could have done better deals, but I was so aggravated I wanted to spend the entire gift certificate so I wouldn't have to go back. I know I will though- can't miss a bargain.
We loaded up and went to get the prescription. I had already worked out my game plan for what to do with the gift certificate. I purchased the prescription and 2 bottles of Zrytec and handed them the coupon. This is where it gets interesting. She rings up the Prevacid ($118.00) + 2 bottles of Zrytec (12.99 X 2 = 26.98) = $148.00. I ask for my gift certificate, and she says we took it off the total. I ask again; she tells me the same thing. "I took it off the total." I was so stunned; it just didn't seem right. With three children though, it is hard to do the math. I simply walked away without the receipt.
Oh, I need the receipt for the FSA account. I walk back to ask for the receipt. You can tell she is not happy to see me. Could I please have my receipt? She gives me the receipt, and I look at again. Finally, the pharmacy tech comes over. She explains what she did with the transaction. Now, get this! I have to explain to THEM how to ring up a gift certificate. I explain the receipt to them, and they finally give me my gift certificate. I find it amusing that with as many of these coupons out there the management at these pharmacies do not explain what to do with them.
I was so upset I simply bought the RiteAid diaper wipes (6.49 with $2.00(rebate)) + 2 bags of Huggies diapers (13.99 - 2 1.50 MF coupons)= 34.68. I used $30.00 gift card and another gift card for the remainder. I definitely could have done better deals, but I was so aggravated I wanted to spend the entire gift certificate so I wouldn't have to go back. I know I will though- can't miss a bargain.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Introduction
Hi, my name is Diana. I am a stay-at-home mom since 2004. My previous life as a super hero was as an English teacher. When I decided to stay home in 2004, it was pretty scary. I was used to having interaction with others, to having plenty of money, and to having time to myself. I was LOST. I spent a good deal of the time trying to figure out how to maximize our limited resources. I made myself an expert on living below your means.
My husband is a business owner. Essentially, he makes money as long as the business makes money. If it doesn't, he doesn't get a paycheck. This was a nightmare for me. I know what it is like to be without money, and I can imagine with children it would literally be heartbreaking. I felt it absolutely necessary to have an emergency fund. I decided it would be best to live without credit card debt and auto loans. My husband and I have always done this since I came home. It's hard but essential.
We recently bought another business with friends of ours. Fortunately, they feel the same way about debt as we do. We have yet to draw a substantial paycheck from this business, but we are looking long-term rather than short-term. We hope down the line to be able to have strong profits and a great retirement plan with this business.
My other job is as an aerobics instructor. When my second child was born, I decided to join a gym to lose weight. While taking the class, I realized this might be an opportunity to make some money. I became an instructor and now teach a variety of classes. My children are able to play with their friends in the morning while I get my exercise. I get paid and a substantial discount on the gym. Win-Win situation for all.
Since this site will be dedicated to frugal living and business ideas (work-at-home), I will limit my discussion to these points. I would greatly appreciate any input you can give me. I will try to post each day with ideas.
My husband is a business owner. Essentially, he makes money as long as the business makes money. If it doesn't, he doesn't get a paycheck. This was a nightmare for me. I know what it is like to be without money, and I can imagine with children it would literally be heartbreaking. I felt it absolutely necessary to have an emergency fund. I decided it would be best to live without credit card debt and auto loans. My husband and I have always done this since I came home. It's hard but essential.
We recently bought another business with friends of ours. Fortunately, they feel the same way about debt as we do. We have yet to draw a substantial paycheck from this business, but we are looking long-term rather than short-term. We hope down the line to be able to have strong profits and a great retirement plan with this business.
My other job is as an aerobics instructor. When my second child was born, I decided to join a gym to lose weight. While taking the class, I realized this might be an opportunity to make some money. I became an instructor and now teach a variety of classes. My children are able to play with their friends in the morning while I get my exercise. I get paid and a substantial discount on the gym. Win-Win situation for all.
Since this site will be dedicated to frugal living and business ideas (work-at-home), I will limit my discussion to these points. I would greatly appreciate any input you can give me. I will try to post each day with ideas.
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