This is not about how I save money, but how my neighbor does. I babysit her newborn daughter for...well....whatever she can give me. She is a single mom and can't afford $200 a week for daycare. We agreed on the terms of 'paying me whatever she can, in whatever form she can'. Last week I got a gallon of milk, bananas, my lawn mowed, and a 50% off coupon to my favorite craft store. I love having her daughter (who sleeps most the time anyway) so I don't feel the need to except cash. Plus, as a single mom, she has enough on her plate without worrying how to pay the bills after she pays for daycare.
So...the tip in this story...barter with your neighbors, friends, and family. You may not have to pay cash for goods or services. Think outside the box, and you may be able to save lots of money!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Pressure Cooker Cooking
Several years ago for Christmas my parents gave me a pressure cooker. I kind of looked at it and gave a disappointed thank you. I didn't cook very much at the time, and had no idea what I was going to do this new contraption. It sat on top of the fridge for about a year looking pretty and shiny. Then one day I read someones blog and they were talking about all the stuff they made with so little prep time. So, I gave it a go....and loved it!
With pressure cookers you cut up your ingredients, put them in the cooker, add some water or broth, and your part it done! The cooker does all the hard work! And mine has a non stick coating so it takes less than 5 minutes to clean.
The cool part about it is that I save so much money. I can put a chicken, veggies, water, and spices in and have 3 meals worth in less than 2 hours.
Cost of last nights dinner:
Chicken: $6.00
Veggies: $2.00
Spices: $ .25
Total : $8.25 (Divide that by 3 and you have $2.75 per meal.)
I made a pot roast this weekend with some veggies and got 3 meals out of that for about $2.50 a meal. I also cook beans in it. I have super soft cooked beans in 30 to 45 minutes! And I only spent 5 minutes doing my part!
So, next time you are looking for something to cut your cooking time in half, consider a pressure cooker. It saves time and money! Maybe you can put it on your Birthday or Christmas list and get it as a gift!
Happy Saving!
With pressure cookers you cut up your ingredients, put them in the cooker, add some water or broth, and your part it done! The cooker does all the hard work! And mine has a non stick coating so it takes less than 5 minutes to clean.
The cool part about it is that I save so much money. I can put a chicken, veggies, water, and spices in and have 3 meals worth in less than 2 hours.
Cost of last nights dinner:
Chicken: $6.00
Veggies: $2.00
Spices: $ .25
Total : $8.25 (Divide that by 3 and you have $2.75 per meal.)
I made a pot roast this weekend with some veggies and got 3 meals out of that for about $2.50 a meal. I also cook beans in it. I have super soft cooked beans in 30 to 45 minutes! And I only spent 5 minutes doing my part!
So, next time you are looking for something to cut your cooking time in half, consider a pressure cooker. It saves time and money! Maybe you can put it on your Birthday or Christmas list and get it as a gift!
Happy Saving!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Bugs and Food Storage Containers
For the longest time I thought buying containers to store food a waste of money. That was, until I found a village....no.....a whole country of little bugs in 2 bags of flower in my cupboard. I then checked and found that they were claiming more land in my oatmeal containers.
As I was throwing food away (money!) I realized that those containers I thought were a waste....weren't so much a waste. So, I went out this week and purchased 6 packs of those Target brand food containers. Each pack came with 3 containers for about $2.20.
Last night I made the time to transfer all the food that could be attacked by those minute creatures into containers. To my surprise, I like that everything is more stackable.
So...want to save money? Keep your food safe from bugs.
Here is my new plan:
1. keep food in air tight containers
2. wipe cupboard shelves with cleaner once a month
3. check your food periodically. This way you know what you have, and you know that it's fresh.
You'll thank yourself later!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Home School...Can I Afford It?
YES!!
I started home schooling 2 years ago. To be honest, before I started I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pay for all that I needed. I decided to do some research and began combing websites, blogs, books, and other sources to find the real cost of home schooling. To my surprise, it doesn't have to cost a lot.
There are stores and websites that sell textbook packages anywhere from $250 on up to $700. There are also private schools that have branched out to home schoolers and supply their kits for around $500 to $900.
Then there are books and websites that talk about homeschooling for free or very little money. They would have to buy school supplies, but not much more. This however involves lots of book reading, website searching, and lesson planning. I realized early on, that although you can save lots of money this way, you spend a lot of free time planning it all. I would rather spend that time with my son having fun, reading books, or crafting together.
So, with all this information, I decided to improvise! I took a little of both and ran with it. I incorporated textbook learning with some of my own planned lessons. It has worked great for us, and has saved us some money.
My first year I spent about $150 on books and school supplies. The second year I spent $180. For next year (3 months from now!), we will spend about $175.
I purchase textbooks on Amazon.com and Ebay.com. I purchase school supplies at Target when they go 50% and 75% off. And, we use the Library on a weekly basis. I do buy some books to keep at home for regular use, but only if they are on clearance, sale, or I have a coupon from the book store.
Oh, and where do I find it in our budget to buy the books? I don't! I use our income tax refund! Every year I pull out $200 from the tax refund for school books and supplies. That way it doesn't have to come out of the budget!
So....before you dismiss homeschooling because of cost, check out your options and make and informed decision. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg!
I started home schooling 2 years ago. To be honest, before I started I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pay for all that I needed. I decided to do some research and began combing websites, blogs, books, and other sources to find the real cost of home schooling. To my surprise, it doesn't have to cost a lot.
There are stores and websites that sell textbook packages anywhere from $250 on up to $700. There are also private schools that have branched out to home schoolers and supply their kits for around $500 to $900.
Then there are books and websites that talk about homeschooling for free or very little money. They would have to buy school supplies, but not much more. This however involves lots of book reading, website searching, and lesson planning. I realized early on, that although you can save lots of money this way, you spend a lot of free time planning it all. I would rather spend that time with my son having fun, reading books, or crafting together.
So, with all this information, I decided to improvise! I took a little of both and ran with it. I incorporated textbook learning with some of my own planned lessons. It has worked great for us, and has saved us some money.
My first year I spent about $150 on books and school supplies. The second year I spent $180. For next year (3 months from now!), we will spend about $175.
I purchase textbooks on Amazon.com and Ebay.com. I purchase school supplies at Target when they go 50% and 75% off. And, we use the Library on a weekly basis. I do buy some books to keep at home for regular use, but only if they are on clearance, sale, or I have a coupon from the book store.
Oh, and where do I find it in our budget to buy the books? I don't! I use our income tax refund! Every year I pull out $200 from the tax refund for school books and supplies. That way it doesn't have to come out of the budget!
So....before you dismiss homeschooling because of cost, check out your options and make and informed decision. It doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Movie Rental Savings
How much do you pay to rent movies? We don't have cable since there are so many bad shows on TV these days. Things I wouldn't want my son to watch...or even I would want to watch. So instead of watching TV every night we watch 1 movie.
We used to rent from Blockbuster, but $4 a movie was too much. Then we switched to their all you can rent for $17 a month (one movie out at a time), but I had to drive there 2 to 3 times a week to make it worth it. Then I considered the cost in gas since I had to drive 15 minutes each way to do this.
Then I discovered Redbox. They are $1 per night plus tax. I still had to drive back to a drop box to return it though, and they didn't always have the movies I wanted.
About 6 months ago I discovered Netflix. I pay $18 a month for 3 movies at a time. I mail them back and receive new movies in 2 days. They have a HUGE selection, and they have online movies you can watch. We get 6 movies in our mailbox each week, which comes out to 24 movies a month for $18! That's less than $1 per movie...and that doesn't even include the 2 or 3 we watch online every week. And I never have to get in the car to get new ones! It saves gas, time, and money!
Check it out! They have great plans. You can start out with 1, 2, 3 or more at a time. Whatever works best for your family.
We used to rent from Blockbuster, but $4 a movie was too much. Then we switched to their all you can rent for $17 a month (one movie out at a time), but I had to drive there 2 to 3 times a week to make it worth it. Then I considered the cost in gas since I had to drive 15 minutes each way to do this.
Then I discovered Redbox. They are $1 per night plus tax. I still had to drive back to a drop box to return it though, and they didn't always have the movies I wanted.
About 6 months ago I discovered Netflix. I pay $18 a month for 3 movies at a time. I mail them back and receive new movies in 2 days. They have a HUGE selection, and they have online movies you can watch. We get 6 movies in our mailbox each week, which comes out to 24 movies a month for $18! That's less than $1 per movie...and that doesn't even include the 2 or 3 we watch online every week. And I never have to get in the car to get new ones! It saves gas, time, and money!
Check it out! They have great plans. You can start out with 1, 2, 3 or more at a time. Whatever works best for your family.
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