Cloth Diapers

When BB was a baby, I considered using cloth diapers. However, at the time, I thought them too intimidating for me to try. Since then, I've read what other bloggers have had to say about cloth diapers and they made it seem doable. When I found that I was expecting Grace, I knew that I would give cloth diapering a try. So if you are undecided about cloth diapers, perhaps this post can help.
After a year of cloth diapering, here are a few things that worked for me, as well as a basic how to. Of course, what works for me may not work for you, but this is what I have been doing.
The Diapers:
The diapers I use primarily are all-in-one (AIO) one-size diapers. Mine are homemade from a shop on etsy. The diapers are adjustable, designed to fit from newborn until Grace is potty trained. Right now, Grace weighs around 23 lbs at 13 months and there is still a good bit of room to grow with the diapers. In addition to the pocket diapers, I also have some Gerber prefolds that I pair with a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap diaper cover. Grace primarily wears the prefolds with a wrap on wash day. If you prefer to buy name brand cloth diapers, I have heard excellent things about the Bum Genius line of diapers.
The Extras:
For diaper cream, not all diaper creams are compatible with cloth diapers. So far, I've used California Baby and Burt's Bees products on Grace with good results. These products are a bit more expensive, but they seem to wash out well from the diapers and are free of parabens and other nasty stuff.
One thing that I have been doing for about a month is using a liner with the diapers. Now that Grace is almost exclusively eating and drinking "people" food, her solid diapers have a bit more substance. To make things easier to clean, I cut some flannel cloth into 6"x12" rectangles and hemmed with hem tape (if I had a sewing machine, I would have just serged the edges, but I don't and I'm  lazy). There are flushable as well as washable liners for sale on Amazon, but I wanted to use what I had on hand. So far, the ones I made have held up well so I will probably just continue to use them.

The Nitty Gritty: 
After I change Grace's diaper, I put the used diaper in her diaper pail. I use a pop-top trash can paired with a nylon laundry bag. When I wash the diapers, I wash the liner (I have two liners). When I take the diapers and liner out to wash, I spray the can with lysol and then wipe it with a Clorox wipe. So far, we've had zero issues with diaper pail smell and we've had some DOOZIES of diapers!
In the event of a dirty diaper, I spray the diaper and liner off using our diaper sprayer that is attached to our toilet. You can buy a premade diaper sprayer (BumGenius is supposed to have a good one) for around $50. DH made ours, though, for around $25. If you prefer to make your own, these tutorials are helpful: http://gidgetgoeshome.com/2008/08/25/diy-tutorial-make-your-own-diaper-sprayer/
http://kickert.info/blog/2010/03/16/do-it-yourself-diaper-sprayer/
Some people love diaper sprayers, some hate them. I've only used a diaper sprayer, so I have no experience with the swish and flush method. One word of advice: experiment with the water pressure settings before use. Too much water pressure and you will be cleaning the walls of your bathroom. Not that I ever had to do that...
How to Wash:
I wash diapers about every other day. Grace wears disposable diapers at night and when we leave the house. In my experience, a baby usually goes through 8-12 diapers a day. Many people feel that 24 diapers is a good number to own, and that you shouldn't wash more than 20 at a time in order for maximum cleaning efficiency. I have a Kenmore top-loading machine, and 20 seems to be a good number. To wash them, I first make sure that the diapers are rinsed well. I do this by running them through an entire cycle on hot water with no detergent. After that cycle is complete, I run them through an entire cycle again, this time using hot water and Seventh Generation Natural 4x Free Clear laundry detergent. I only use half a cap of detergent. Then, to avoid detergent build-up on the diapers, I run them through another entire cycle using just hot water. I do not stain spray the diapers or use any type of laundry booster or bleach. After each run through the machine, I take the diapers out and rearrange them in the washer. I feel as though they get cleaner that way and do not clump together in the machine. But that may just be my washer.
Once the diapers are clean, I either run them through the dryer on hot (with a dry towel thrown in to improve dryer efficiency), or I hang them out to dry. In addition to line drying being cheaper, the sun will also take care of any stains that may linger on the diapers. After I take the diapers off of the line, I toss the absorbent liners in the dryer (usually with another load) to make sure that they are truly dry and to help them not be so stiff. The outer part of the diaper dries quickly and does not need this extra step.
$$$:

I estimate that the water used for the diapers plus the detergent adds about $5 a month to our expenses. For me, the money saving benefits alone make cloth diapering worthwhile. As of right now, we go through about one box of disposable diapers a month. When BB was in disposable diapers, we went through a box of diapers every week and a half. In other words, we spend about $25 a month diapering Grace (extra water usage, detergent, 1 box disposable diapers), compared to the $50 a month we would be spending on only disposable diapers. That's a savings of $300 a year. Even if you take out the initial cost of the diapers, $200, I still come out $100 ahead, and that is for the first year alone. I don't know anyone who has been potty trained at one, so the savings will continue ;)Cloth diapering is not for everyone. If I had two babies in diapers, I doubt I would cloth diaper. Good moms do what works best for them. What works with one kid might not work with another. I'm getting crunchy in my old age with natural childbirth, cloth diapers, breast feeding and homeschooling. But my kids are also 5 years apart, which helps tons. If you have any questions, ask! :)
and for more tips, visit Kristin every Wednesday for Works for Me Wednesday!

WFMW: Making Sense of Leftovers

As I planned out my November meal plan, I couldn't help but notice how many things look the same once frozen. My vegetarian soup looks remarkably like chili, my bags of chicken stock look like my bags of vegetable stock, etc. Then I remembered a nifty little invention:

freezer tape!

From now on, when I store leftovers in the freezer, I am going to write what it is and how many servings the container holds. This should make future meal plans a snap. Just to prove once more that labels Works for Me!

you don't have to buy actual freezer tape, btw; I just use regular masking tape

My November Meal Plan

I made an inventory of my freezer's contents yesterday. The purpose of doing so was threefold: one, it allowed me to plan out meals using what I already had on hand; two, it will allow me to clear out my freezer in preparation for the upcoming holidays; and three, it will save us money in preparation for the holiday season.
When I made my inventory, I took everything out of the freezer and scribbled down what I came across on a piece of paper. I then typed the list onto the computer. Once the list was typed up, I used the cut and paste functions to sort items according to frozen vegetable, stock item (such as broth, frozen diced green pepper, etc.), meat, or frozen entree. I then cut and pasted items from the different categories to make up meals. From my one freezer (I have a side by side freezer and frig combo), I was able to come up with 27 meals! For some of the meals, I will have to buy things such as salad or buns, but most of the meals are complete.
I have decided that the month of November, with the exception of special days and holidays, will be strictly an eat what's on hand month. I am interested to see if I can actually stick to this. Would anyone care to join me?

Thrift Thursday: Your Secret Weapon

Today, my tip is the most powerful tip for being thrifty - your attitude. When you pursue a frugal/thrifty lifestyle, you can view it one of two ways: "Poor me, I never get to buy anything full price. I'm always having to make sure I get the lowest prices, wah, wah, wah." OR you can tell yourself: "I am trying to be the best steward of my resources that I can be. My actions now will have a positive effect on my future."
Case in point: as readers of my blog know, my husband and I bought a new (to us) house last Fall. There are several rooms that still have things that "bug" me. I would love to redo the kitchen to be more efficient, replace the 1970's shower and tub in the bathrooms, etc. However, our house needs a new roof. A roof has to be the least exciting thing to save up for. You really never look at the roof or think about it unless something is wrong with it. I could go ahead and make the improvements I want to make on the interior of the house, and put the big roof expense on credit, or get a loan. But that would have me be a good steward of my resources. Saving up and paying in cash will be better in the long run. Right now, I can have a pity party when I look at the lovely kitchens and baths in blogland and in magazines. Or I can look at them and save away the images for the future. I choose to do the later, telling myself that by waiting, I will have an even better kitchen in the long run.
I don't always have a great attitude about money and things. There are things that we have done to improve the house already (such as our mini master bath remodel). But by and large, I try to keep these things in mind when I shop and when I see things I don't like about my house:

• What I have works fine. I might not like it, but it works. I have things 100 times better than most of the world.
• Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without (wisdom from an earlier generation).

Be sure to check out Kristin's blog for more Thrifty Thursday tips!

Thrifty Thursday: Shopping

My tip today is easy to do, but sometimes hard to remember: before you arrive at the checkout on a shopping trip, look over your cart. Are there several "wants" in there amongst the "needs?" Could you put one item back that you really don't need? Perhaps something that wasn't on sale, but you got it anyway?
I find that I often allow things to creep into my shopping cart if I'm shopping with my son, and/or I'm hungry. Sure, it's nice to have treats once in a while, but most of the time, the things that find themselves in my cart are pure junk. If my son is with me, I'll show him the things that crept into the cart and tell him to pick one item to take home. He's good about choosing, because he still gets one thing. And I don't wind up spending money on junk that serves no real purpose other than to make me fat(ter)!
Of course, this doesn't only have to be done with grocery shopping. Some stores are almost impossible to go in and out without buying more than I went in for. I find I do better at resisting things if I make a list and shop from my list. The list gives me something to focus on, so I don't find myself wandering around the store.
If you have a Thirty Thursday tip, join Kristin each Thursday.

Ugly but Cheap

No, that's not the name of the new country song ;) This past summer, I happened upon a great teapot with matching creamer (sadly, no sugar bowl). Since we've been having a cold spell here, I've been putting my teapot to good use just about every day.

I wanted a tea cozy to keep my tea warm, but the ones at our local British shoppe were all still Christmas. I found some really cute ones on etsy, and some expensive ones on ebay. After examining how they're made, I decided to see if I could make one myself for free.

I took a ratty dishtowel and cut off the hem to use as the insulating layer.

Then I took 2 cloth napkins that had seen better days and I tacked the dishtowel in between. After sewing two of the sides closed, I had this:

which just so happens to be the perfect height and width for my teapot :) It's not pretty, but for zero dollars, it looks pretty good to me!

WFMW: Coupon Tips

A couple of my real-life friends wanted me to write down my tips for using coupons. If anyone has any more tips, feel free to add to my list.
I'm not a coupon queen, and I don't have an expert system. I clip coupons from the Sunday paper, and I receive e-mails a few times a week from couponsurfer. With the e-mail coupons, I select the coupons that I'm interested in, and I print them out.
Coupons aren't for everyone. If you are trying to decide whether or not to use coupons, determine if the money you will save using coupons is worth the time it will take to clip and organize the coupons. I happen to have more time than money, so to me it is worth it to spend time going through coupons, cutting them out and then sorting. Since clipping and sorting coupons is pretty simple, I usually wait to do the coupons while I'm watching TV. That way, I still get something done but I'm enjoying myself.
All of the work into cutting out coupons is wasted, though, unless the coupons are sorted. If you cut out coupons and then fail to use them thanks to poor sorting, then all you've done is waste your time.
I've used a few systems for organizing coupons. Currently, I do the standard baseball-card sheets for my coupons, and I store the sheets in a 3-ring binder. Because I subscribe to a coupon service with my e-mail, I frequently get the same coupon with only a different expiration date. To conserve space, I keep all copies of the same coupon together, filed with the most recent to expire coupon on top. This method may not work for everyone, though. Some people prefer to sort their coupons based on the coupon's expiration date.
When I prepare to go shopping, I always cut out and file my coupons before I go through the sales papers and make my lists. That way, I've recently seen many of my coupons as I flipped through my binder. I've had many an "a-ha!" moment while going through the sales papers thanks to viewing my coupons before. When I see a sale on an item that I also have a coupon for, I move the coupon to the front of my binder. That way, when I am at the store, all of the coupons I know I will use are at hand and I don't have to spend time at the store flipping though my binder. In this front section, I also place coupons for items that I know we will need soon, so I can watch for unadvertised sales. I have also placed coupons that are especially good (more than $1 off) and coupons that are expiring soon in the front sheet.
In addition to coupons from the Sunday paper and e-mail, I also have coupons that are loaded onto my shopper's card for Kroger. I get coupons loaded onto my Kroger card through Shortcuts and Proctor & Gamble eSAVER (these sites can also load coupons onto shopper's cards for other stores, I just happen to prefer Kroger). After I select and load the coupons onto my shopper's card, I print out the list of the coupons on my card and I keep the list in my binder. When I am making my shopping list, I glance over the printed out sheets to check for any additional deals. The coupons on the shopper's card can be used in addition to a paper coupon, so the savings can really add up - especially if the item is on sale.
If you are interested in a one-place site for coupons and store deals, you might want to check out Coupon Mom and Southern Savers. Both of these sites are free, and operate on the premise of buying when an item is on sale in order to have it when you need it. This type of shopping can be initially difficult on a shopping budget, because you will buy items in a greater quantity than you would for regular shopping. However, in the long run, this will even out because you will have paid less for the item. You might only shop to stockpile one category at a time, or do a pantry clean-out (eat based on what you have on hand) while you are building up your supply.
Even though coupons are a great money saver, there is a catch. Just because you have a coupon for an item doesn't mean that the item is a good deal. There are many times that the generic brand is still cheaper than the name-brand with the coupon. Take your calculator with you when you shop and calculate if that "sale" is really a sale. There may be a generic or a different size that is a better deal than the sale or what the coupon is good for.
It is also helpful to understand how coupons work. Items typically go on sale in cycles. If you keep a price book, you can chart the sale cycles of items in your area. Frequently, an item will go on sale either the week a coupon is issued, or 4 weeks after a coupon for it is issued, which is typically the last week the coupon is still valid. Stores can issue coupons for merchandise they carry, as can the manufacturer's of the product. In some instances, such as with Walgreens and Target, you can use the store coupon in addition to the manufacturer's coupon.
There are many websites and blogs that detail how to use coupons more efficiently than what I've detailed here. But these are the things that have worked for me!
To read more great tips, check out We are THAT Family.

Good Buy

I know that it is easy to become discouraged when you read some of the frugality blogs that are out there. I'll be honest and say that sometimes I only do the bare minimum at saving money, such as buying the store brand. But once in a while, things work out.

Today, I was able to buy all of this at Kroger for a really good price. I was able to do this in part because of the store's Buy 10, Save $5 mix-n-match promotion (check the sales paper for the week's items). I was also assisted from coupons that I printed off of Pillsbury.com, as well as coupons that I had loaded onto my Kroger Plus card through Shortcuts.com
3 - 2L Mountain Dew for $0.75 each
*regular price $1.25 each; $0.50 off each as part of the Buy 10, Save $5 promotion
3 boxes Hamburger Helper for $0.39 each
* regular price $1.39 each; coupon printed from Pillsbury.com for $0.75 off/3, plus additional $0.75 off/3 loaded onto Kroger Plus card from shortcuts.com; $0.50 off each as part of the 10/5 promotion
2 containers Grands! biscuits for -$0.01 each
*regular price $1.49 each; coupon printed from Pillsbury.com for $1 off/2, plus additional $1 off/2 from shortcuts.com; $0.50 off each as part of the 10/5 promotion.
2 boxes Toaster Strudels for $0.94 each
*regular price $1.99 each; coupon printed from Pillsbury.com for $0.55 off/2, plus additional $0.55 off/2 from shortcuts.com; $0.50 off each as part of the 10/5 promotion
Let's add it all up:
3 Mountain Dews: $2.25
2 Hamburger Helpers: $1.17
2 Grands! Biscuits: - $0.02
2 Toaster Strudels: $1.88
Tax: $0.45
TOTAL: $5.73!
Pretty good price, I'd say. Normally, we wouldn't buy the biscuits or the Hamburger Helper. But You can't really beat the price on either of those, even if you made them from scratch. Plus, it's nice to have a few easy meals to fall back on.

Easy (and free!) Wall Art

I recently rearranged my kitchen to make room for an island (more on that in a future post). After some furniture was moved about, I was left with an empty wall. I abhor empty walls. I searched around for some vintage/retro art that I liked, but I couldn't' find anything that struck me as "it." Thinking on what The Nester says about shopping the house, I looked around to see what I could use to solve my problem.
I found:

1 16" x 20" poster frame, minus the glass.

Since the frame was missing it's glass, I decided to have my art be 3D. I knew that I needed to disguise the cardboard, so I covered it with black construction paper. I initially was going to spray paint the cardboard, but it was raining outside.

As you can see, 3 sheets of construction paper didn't quite cover it completely, but it covered enough for my purpose.

On the cardboard, I stretched out a clean, pressed apron that my best friend Z gave me for a housewarming present. I love this apron, and I wear it a lot. However, I was starting to worry that I might mess it up if I kept wearing it. As you can tell, the apron strings are kinda messy in the back, but it doesn't matter. I used masking tape because I know I can peel the tape off the apron and the cardboard with no damage done if I change my mind. I popped the cardboard into the frame -

Tada! Nearly instant free art!

I thought the art still needed a little something, so I made a bow out of some ribbon that was on a present I received last fall.

Artistic Endeavor

Next weekend, DH and my dad will replace the nasty carpet in our living room with hardwood flooring. Along with the new flooring, I am sprucing up the rest of the living room with some artwork and better curtains. I saw this picture at Snobby Mobby last Friday and I liked it, which is pretty rare for me. I have a hard time buying pictures and decorative items, mainly because I am too picky. Since I happened to actually like the picture, I went ahead and bought it using my 40% coupon. Now that I've had the picture for a few days, I have buyer's remorse. This typically happens to me when I buy stuff like this. Yesterday afternoon, I decided to see if I could make a companion picture to go along with the one I bought. The picture I make isn't as fancy, but it was cheap. Riding on the wave of success from the picture I created, I made another picture to go along with that one. What do you think of my handiwork? After making these two pictures, I believe that I am taking the first picture back to the store for a refund. The picture I bought is prettier than pictures I made, but I can't beat the cost of my pictures. I spent $25.68 on the store-bought picture, and $1.34 on the two handmade pictures ((I already had the frames and some of the materials). That comes out to a savings of $24.34. Pretty thrifty, huh?

$aving$ at Walgreen$

Many of you know that CVS has fantastic deals and savings for smart shoppers. I was pleasantly surprised this past Sunday when I learned that Walgreens has the same type of reward system. This week was the first week that I tried shopping this way, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I spent $21.58 in the course of 3 different transactions, and I saved $25.29 from the 3 transactions through the use of store coupons, manufacturer coupons, and Walgreens bucks. Here is the breakdown:

Transaction #1 - 4 12-can packs of Coke products: $6.76 with tax, or $1.69 per 12-cans

Transaction #2 - 2 boxes of Nice and Easy hair color: $6.98 with tax, or $3.49 each

Transaction #3 - 5 boxes Jello ($0.42 each); 2 5-LB bags of sugar ($2.13 each); and 2 sticks of Ban deodorant ($0.79 each).

I figure that I can only get better at this!

Mommy Tips

Being a mother has unique challenges and situations. I'm convinced parents are often more creative thanks to their children - as a survival mechanism, if nothing else! In honor of Mother's Day, here are some handy hints and tips, Mommy edition:

• Use an over-the-door shoe hanger as a baby clothes organizer. The small pockets are just the right size for those tiny outfits. Shirts and shorts can go together in a single pocket for an easy outfit change. If your door is far away from where you normally change your baby, place some hooks on the wall and hang the organizer from there. To ensure that everyone's outfit gets worn by the baby before it's too small, don't restock the organizer until all pockets are empty. Then when Aunt Agnes asks you about her outfit, you can assure her that you know the baby wore it and loved it without trying to rack your sleep-deprived brain remembering which onesie she bought for baby.

• Once your baby is eating finger foods, use a formula dispenser as snack dispenser for goldfish, cheerios, etc. The container fits easily into a diaper bag, keeps the snack from getting crushed, and is easy to find. The small opening also makes it harder for your munchkin to get out too many snacks at a time.

• Make “Wet Ones” disinfecting wipes in the same way as making your own baby wipes. Just use ½ of the baby oil, twice the rubbing alcohol, and the same amount of soap as the baby wipe recipe. Or omit the alcohol and substitute ½ C of kitchen surface disinfectant for part of the water. Make sure that the disinfectant you use is approved for food surfaces, and clearly mark that the wipes are not for baby butt!
  

• If you are having an outdoor party for your child's birthday, use a Frisbee as a paper plate holder. Once the guest are done eating, they can play with their Frisbee, which also makes a nice take-home present for your guests.

• Instead of using ice cubes that melt and make a mess, use rice or popcorn kernels the next time your child has a boo-boo. Place the rice or popcorn kernels in a durable ziploc bag and keep the bag in the freezer. The rice or popcorn will get cold but will stay moldable to the injury. There's no melty mess and the bag can be wiped off and placed back in the freezer for another time.

• When giving a present to a child, wrap the present in an inexpensive t-shirt and tie in place with a jump-rope. The novelty of the wrapping will make your gift seem more special, and you can spend less on the actual present. Keep an eye out for clearance t-shirts or blank t-shirts at craft stores and stock up on sizes you'll likely use. Jump ropes can often be found in packs of 8 as party favors and will cost less than a dollar each.

• Dishwasher detergent is typically stored under the kitchen sink. However, the humidity and possible leaks make under the sink a poor storage place for detergent. Under the sink can also be a potential danger if you have small children, even with a safety latch. To solve this problem, place a small amount of detergent in a child-proof bottle and keep that bottle under the sink. Store the larger container elsewhere in the house, away from water and small children. As an added benefit, the smaller container will make it easier to pour less detergent into your dishwasher (you really only need a TBS or so for most loads). In the event that your child manages to undo both the cabinet and the bottle, the smaller amount of detergent will at least ensure that your child will have less of a dangerous substance to interact with.

• If your child's clothing has a zipper pull that is hard to grasp or the zipper pull breaks off, use a small washable key chain fob. The larger size of the fob will make it easier for little fingers to grasp and fasten the zipper and will provide some novel personalization to your child's clothes.

• Make your baby's or small child's bed with two sets of fitted sheets and mattress protectors – mattress protector, fitted sheet, mattress protector, fitted sheet. When you need to change the sheets in the middle of the night, simply pull off the top fitted sheet and mattress protector and you're good to go. No fumbling around in the middle of the night while trying to simultaneously console a wet or sick child.

• If you have a baby monitor that has several speakers, use the speakers throughout your house to create a whole-house stereo system. Simply place the music next to the baby monitor itself, and the sound will play throughout the house via the different speakers. The quality won't be the same as a professional system, but it's a lot cheaper!

• If you are traveling with a baby and you don't want to bring your baby tub, use a small plastic laundry basket set inside the regular bathtub. The holes in the basket will allow bath water in, and the size of the basket will make it easier to bathe baby.

• The knees of kid's jeans will last longer if you use iron-on patches on the inside of the jean leg when the jeans are still new.

The Price of Bread

Because I'm just ever-so-slightly OCD, after my last post I decided that I simply MUST figure out how much exactly it cost me to make bread from scratch. I calculated the cost of basic white bread from the Better Homes and Gardens Complete Step-by-Step Cookbook, and also the Betty Crocker's New Cookbook (both recipes make 2 loaves of bread, but the calculations are for one loaf). If you are to make the bread using the BH&G recipe, each loaf will cost $0.63. If you make the bread using Betty Crocker, each loaf will cost $0.51. The BH&G recipe uses milk, while Betty Crocker does not. I feel as though the BH&G recipe makes a better loaf of bread, but if you're going to butter or otherwise adorn your bread, the Betty Crocker one is just fine. Of course, as with figuring the cost of anything homemade, the price of water, electricity and time cannot accurately be determined. Making bread should only be done if you find it to be enjoyable. And to be frugal, you should probably do all of your bread-making in one day, or at least make bread on a day that you will otherwise be using the oven. Heating up and using the oven for just bread is not the best use of electricity, although on a cold day it is a nice way to warm up a room :) If you haven't checked out my previous post, please read it and give me your opinion!

Kroger vs. Wal-Mart

I recently conducted an experiment to see if Kroger or WalMart was cheaper. I shopped my grocery list at one store, and then went to the other store and recorded that store's price for the same items (I already had to go to that store for some things; it wouldn't be very frugal just to go there to check prices). I purchased the following items:

• Juicy Juice 64 oz

• Generic Non-fat dry milk, 20 qt box

• Vitamin D whole milk, 1 gallon

• generic hot dog buns, 8 count

• Oscar Mayer light beef franks, 10 count

• generic small can black olives

• generic small jar green olives, with pimentos

• Kraft fat-free Caesar Italian dressing

• Ready Express hearts of romaine salad

• grape tomatoes, 10 oz

• red delicious apples

• granny smith apples

• Cracker Barrel 2% extra sharp cheese, 10 oz

• JIF reduced fat PB, 40 oz

• generic spaghetti sauce, 26.5 oz can

• 1 dozen large eggs

• generic yogurt, 6 oz cups;

• Butterball turkey bacon

• Oscar Mayer light beef bologna

• Bounty paper towels, 8-pack (for baby wipes)

• generic gallon-size ziploc bags

• generic Ritz reduced-fat crackers

• generic Nilla Wafers, reduced fat

*It should be noted that I used name-brand prices at WalMart for the spaghetti sauce, Ritz crackers, and Nilla Wafer, as WalMart does not have generic versions of these items.

So – which one was cheaper? WalMart, by a whopping $2.05. Now, I know what you're saying - $2.05 isn't very much, but if every shopping trip saved that much, I could save over $100 a year if I shopped once a week. But I don't know if that is a good enough for me to do my grocery shopping at WalMart. For starters, Kroger is less than a mile from my house. WalMart is at least 3 miles, and I have to go through some serious traffic to get there. Kroger is always clean and had 5 registers open when I went, plus the self check-outs. WalMart is typically dirty and had 2 registers open, with the self-checkouts closed. I should point out that I was at WalMart during the weekend, early evening. WalMart has noticeably inferior produce and meat. I would never buy my produce and meat from WalMart, unless it was pre-packaged from a non-WalMart company. Every time I've bought WalMart meat, I've found it to be very fatty. I don't think I actually save money once I trim the fat off. Kroger meat is usually lean, and I rarely get bad produce from there. All in all, I think I'm staying with Kroger, unless I already have to go to WalMart for something. I'm not anti-WalMart, but WalMart gives lower prices at the expense of quality and customer service. To me, it's not a fair trade.

Thrifty Tip

If you save cards like I do, but you don't want to save the envelopes that the cards came in, you can recycle your envelopes into pretty scrap paper. Simply take apart the envelope, and cut off the triangular pieces. You will then have a rectangle of still perfectly good paper to use for grocery lists, or whatever. For those especially crafty people, you could even use craft scissors to give the edges a pretty design (this is by no means original to me, and I don't remember where I got this from, so my apologies to whoever).

Super Cook

If you're stumped as to what to make for dinner, or if you're trying to clean out the pantry, check out supercook.com! All you have to do is enter the ingredients that you currently have, and it will show recipes that use those ingredients. This is great if you're trying to make the groceries last until payday, trying to stick to a budget amount, or if you stocked up on some random things because you got a good deal on them.

New Year's Resolutions

1. Eat healthier - which will be a challenge on a frugal budget in the middle of winter. Fruits and vegetables are not cheap! I definitely want a garden this summer so I can put up produce for next winter.
2. Exercise regularly - probably at a gym, another frugal challenge. $30 a month seems to be the best rate I can find for a gym. I will have to go to the gym when hubby is home, so that's either early morning (when nobody is there) or evening (when everyone else is at the gym).
3. Eat out less often - perhaps only twice a month, in order to free up money for said gym and healthier eating. You have no idea how much I like eating out, and how much I hate "having" to cook at home.
4. Limit coffee purchasing to once a week - UGH! I hate this one, but buying coffee several times a week is not the best use of my money. Besides, only having store-bought coffee once a week will make it seem like more a treat.

Frugality at the Fair

The Georgia National Fair is in town once again! When you're at the fair, it can be hard to resist the full fair experience, which seems to be emptying out your wallet for the week in a few hours. While there are ways to save money on admissions and rides, I have found that concessions are the fastest way to lose my money. Here are a few tips that you already know, but might have forgotten in your excitement to go to the fair.

1. Don't buy fair food – I know, it's part of the experience, but is a corn dog REALLY worth $3? The fair allows you to bring in your own food and drinks, so you can bring your own food right inside the fairgrounds. Or if you prefer, pack a cooler, get your hand stamped, and picnic by your car for your meal.

2. If the above option is too cruel, just picnic for your main meal. You can save some room for dessert and buy a dessert at the fair.

3. Bring your own drink – if you're like me and you can't resist the fair food, at least bring your own drinks. Soda is soda pretty much wherever you buy it. Currently, the cheapest drink at the fair is a 20oz for $2. Swing by WalMart on your way to the fair, and get an ice-cold 20oz from the outside vending machines for $1. Better yet, buy your drinks in bulk, refrigerate ahead of time, and pack in your cooler.

4. Don't buy what can easily be had outside the fair. A slice of pizza at the fair for $3? The pizza's not that good, and pizza is not that hard to come buy. If you're going to buy fair food, buy real fair food. Funnel cakes, cotton candy, apple dumplings, roasted corn on the cob, and smoked turkey legs are just a few of the options. Yes, they are outrageously priced at $5-$7 each. But how often do you get the chance to eat this type of food? If you want the full fair experience of buying your food there, make sure it's something special. A word of caution: the Italian sausage dogs are disgusting!

5. Share your food – Americans portion out food much larger than other countries, and fairs are no exception. Splitting your food in half (except for roasted corn, which would be awkward) is a good way to get more variety for less money.

Favorite Frugal Books

This is in no way an exhaustive list, but I have found these books to be most helpful. In no particular order:

1. Larry Burkett's How to Manage Your Money - I read this as a newlywed. While some of the advice is a little outdated, I found his system for creating a budget very helpful. You can find this book at any Christian bookstore, and probably any church library.
2. Suze Orman's The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, and Broke - this book covers almost every topic imaginable, in language that is easy to understand. This book doesn't tell you how to be frugal, but it does tell you how to best save the money you have! I read this book from the public library, although if I ever found a used copy locally, I would definitely buy it for reference. I also recommend her Will and Trust kit, for those of you who have yet to set up these most important financial papers!
3. Jonni McCoy's Miserly Mom - while most of this book reiterated what I already knew, she did have some tips that I thought were worthwhile. I bought this book used, after being unable to find one at any library.
4. Jonni McCoy's Miserly Meals - if you only buy one of her books, definitely buy this one! All the recipes in this book are less than 75 cents a serving! I own this book and have marked my favorites.
5. Amy Dacyczyn's The Complete Tightwad Gazette - when I read this, there were three volumes. Now they have been combined into one book. The book is actually a bound version of a monthly newsletter that she did in the 90's. While some of her figures will need to be adjusted for cost of living increase, her information remains invaluable. I also read this from the library, although again, if I found a used copy locally, I would buy it for reference.

9 More Frugal Things

Once I got to thinking about it, I couldn't stop thinking about it...

1. Flexible spending account – In case you haven't heard of this, a flexible spending account (FSA) is a pre-tax account that you set up through your employer for health care expenditures. Deductions are taken from your paycheck pre-taxes each pay period, and placed into an account. Whenever you pay your co-pay, or spend money towards your deductible, your insurance company takes note and reimburses you with funds from your account. The initial set-up can be tricky, because you have to know when you set up the account how much you want total in the account each year. If you are just starting the account, I would set it for the lowest amount allowed, unless you have a healthcare issue, or you know that you will be expecting a big expense sometime in the year. Then the next year, you can see how well your money lasted and whether or not you need to adjust the amount. Of course, if you never go to the doctor or have a regular prescription, this is probably not for you.

2. Retirement account – a lot of people who are saving money don't take advantage of their employer-offered retirement account. As long as you plan on dropping dead at work and you don't have a spouse or dependents, this is fine. But for the rest of the population, some is better than none, and sooner is better than later. Especially if your employer matches your contribution! A little money set aside now will earn you interest and reduce the total amount you have to set aside in your account. There are several retirement amount calculators online that can show you just how much you will need to maintain your standard of living later on. Inflation, better health care, and the probable collapse of social security all mean that you will have to set aside more for retirement than you might think. I will confess that my husband and I only contribute at the minimum level right now. But we have set up the account to increase our contribution to the account by 1% each year, until the maximum matched amount by the employer is met. Once that level is reached, we will continue to increase the amount each year up to a point, but will direct the additional funds towards a Roth IRA.

3. Cloth napkins – in addition to a touch of everyday elegance to your meal, cloth napkins save you money in the long run. You can find them cheap at thrift stores or yard sales, or be truly thrifty and make your own from material you already have. You can even set aside a specific color napkin or use a special napkin ring for each family member. This will allow your family members to reuse their own napkin throughout the day, unless very soiled. Chances are, if you're eating cereal or a sandwich, your napkin isn't going to get very dirty anyway. Most people find that the napkins over the course of the week don't take up any more room than a pair of dress pants in the wash.

4. Keep the freezer full – your freezer will run more efficiently if it is full. The cold items inside the freezer will keep your freezer colder, and reduce the amount the motor has to run to keep it cool. If you are not able to have enough food readily on hand to keep your freezer full, you can fill your freezer cheaply by filling up bags of ice to store in the freezer.

5. Buy quick sale meat and bread – when you shop for meat and bread from the bakery, first look for what is marked “reduced for quick sale.” These items are usually a day before their sale by date, so you either need to use them quickly or freeze the item.

6. Family packs of meat – when you buy meat, buy the family pack size and then divide up the meat into smaller portions once you get home. I wait until the 5 LB ground beef is on sale, take it home, and divide it into 1 LB portions. Quart size bags work well for this, and by squeezing out the excess air before sealing the bag, you can mush the meat flat inside the bag so that it is easier to store and thaw.

7. Scratch cooking – whenever possible, make things from scratch instead of relying on convenience packages or mixes. Things like bouillon, broth, and shake n' bake can all easily be reproduced for pennies. The exception I take to this is making my own baking mix, because it calls for shortening, which I don't use. I rarely use baking mix, so the small amount of shortening that the mix calls for would go bad by the time that I got around to using more of the shortening, thereby not saving me any money.

8. Seasonal produce – produce is available all year round, thanks to global trade. But locally grown produce is usually much cheaper. You can easily find a list on the internet of what fruits and vegetables are in season for each month of the year. Stock up on the produce when it is cheapest, and freeze, can, or dry it for future use.

9. Plan meals around sales – rather than look through a cookbook to plan for the week, look through your grocery sale papers. Plan your meals around what's on sale for the week.