Kicking off our No Spend Month

We are joining Sara at Learning the Frugal Life for a no spend month for September. I wanted to post a couple of things that we will be spending money on...

Here's my list-

* you pick apples
* bushels of tomatoes
*50lb potatoes
* canning jars
* allergy medicine
* my son's science and art classes
* fresh produce

The best God thing is also happening right now as we're trying to get our budget in order...our church is offering a Dave Ramsey class! We're hoping to attend!!

Cooler Weather Menu

Wow! Our weather has been crazy this summer. Today we're wearing our cozy warm sweatshirts and cozy pants to lay around the house!! The weather this week is going to be in the high 70s... perfect weather for some of our fall favorites.

Breakfast-
cinnamon buns/fruit
cereal/yogurt
bacon/eggs/toast
muffins/fruit
cereal/leftover muffins

Dinner-
chicken and dumplings/mashed potatoes
pizza rice
fast food Wednesday
Taco Thursday
Stromboli Friday
Steaks/baked potato/salad
Jonny Marzetti/ garlic bread

For hundreds of more menu plans check out I'm an organizing junkie

Feeling Frugal

Lately my husband and I have been talking about a house...not just any house but our dream house... one that we could own. We don't make a lot of money. We don't have a lot of debt. However, we have little savings and some things that do need paid off. We need to be super frugal to achieve our goal. I need to constantly ask myself...do we need this or want this? Most of our money goes to buy things we want, not need. I hate to think of how much money we've wasted over the years.

I'm trying to kick off our September spending freeze with a list of things that make me feel frugal...here they are...

Hanging my laundry
Using cloth diapers and wipes
Making a pizza from scratch
Driving past Wendy's after a long day and coming home to cook
Avoiding the grocery store for two weeks
Using only two bags of trash a week for a family of seven!
Buying in bulk
Not looking at the ads in the newspapers
Driving past Goodwill and yard sales!!!

For more frugal ideas check out Life as Mom

Works for me Wednesday

I have a dream of living on a huge farm, growing all my own produce, and being mostly self sufficient. Currently, we live in a rental home and have a small garden but I'm always reading and trying to put more homestead ways into practice. One of my favorite new ways to "homestead" and live off the land is by visiting Amish produce stands. The price is always right and if you play your cards right you'll probably even learn a few things and make some new friends.

For more works for me Wednesday ideas check out We are that Family

Today's Spending

This was a low spend day. I needed gas in the car so $16 went there and then I took $20 out for "grocery shopping". I only spent $7 on two quarts of red raspberries. We're working on cutting our spending and so far so good.

Busy Day!

Today my dad and I canned 10 pints of pizza sauce and 7 quarts of pasta sauce. My dad did most of the work but I'm amazed at what I'm learning. We ate some of the pasta sauce for dinner and almost all of the kids thought it was amazing. My oldest two really enjoy the fact that we're making the food ourselves and not buying it at the grocery store. We're planning on canning vegetable soup on Wednesday.

Tomorrow promises to be another busy day of homeschooling, baking, laundry, and then heading out "grocery shopping" the Amish vegetable stands to get the ingredients for my soup. I also have some bags to drop off at the thrift store.

How was your day?

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what's cooking this week at our house....

Breakfast-

bacon/eggs/biscuits
pancakes/hash browns
muffins/fruit
yogurt/fruit/toast
waffles
pancakes/eggs/fruit
sausage biscuit/gravy

Lunch

hamburgers/sweet corn
lunch meat/pb sandwich/chips
baked potato bar
sloppy joe/fruit/veggie
left overs
brats on the grill

Dinner
meatloaf/mashed potato/peas
tacos
homemade fast food
baked spaghetti/ garlic bread/salad
Stromboli
grill
grill

For more menu plans check out I'm an organizing junkie

"Grocery Shopping"

Today my mom, the kids, and I went "grocery shopping" at the Amish farm stands. I spent $30.00 on the following
1 bushel canning tomatoes
1 melon
2 dozen ears of sweet corn
1/2 bushel green peppers
6 cookies ( a moment of weakness!!)
3 pints of red raspberries
5lb red potatoes
box of green apples

After shopping the stands we stopped by a local organic store and I spent $19 on 3 half gallons of almost raw milk and 1 lb of organic strawberries. I also put in an order for 5 gallons of chocolate milk that I'll pick up next week.

I love doing this kind of grocery shopping. I can buy everything I need without using a big box type store. Monday will find me canning vegetable soup, more potatoes, sweet corn, and tomato juice or sauce. I didn't get to my peaches today so that will get done in the morning.

Where is our money going?

Yesterday I spent a total of $32.00 at a local market for peaches, 2lb of lunch meat, a huge bag of apples, sweet corn, home grown melon, and a bunch of red raspberries. I know I could've gotten it cheaper at the store but I like to support our local people when we can.

My hubby also picked up a pack of smokes after football practice for a total of $5.36

Where's your money going?

Our 15 Meals

Over at the Happy Housewife she's doing a meal planning series and the assignment was to list your top 15 meals. Here is our families favorite 15 meals...

1. hamburgers/homemade fries
2. lasagna/garlic bread/salad
3. oven fried chicken/mashed potato/rolls
4. Parmesan chicken/fettuccine noodles/salad
5. baked ziti/ bread sticks
6. marinated flank steak/baked potatoes/ salad
7. sweet and spicy herbed chicken/ rice/ broccoli
8. Italian breaded chicken/ ranch mashed potatoes
9. tacos
10. stuffed peppers
11. meatloaf/mashed potatoes/rolls/ green beans
12. zesty ranch chicken/sweet corn
13. pulled pork/ sweet corn
14. homemade Stromboli
15. homemade pizza

Check out the Happy Housewife for more menu ideas and to see the next assignment!!

Lovin' Our Homemade Ice Cream!

Do you love homemade ice cream but don't have an ice cream maker? Do your kids need something to do for five minutes? You have to try this recipe...

5 Minute Ice Cream

What you need-
ice cubes
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 cup milk or half and half
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 gallon size resealable freezer bag
dish towel

What to do-
1. fill gallon size bag half full of ice and add 1/2 cup of salt
2. In the sandwich bag, mix milk, sugar, and vanilla. Seal tightly
3. Place the small bag inside the large bag and seal large bag tightly.
4. Wrap bag with dish towel. Shake for about 5 minutes or until it turns into ice cream.
5. Put in bowel and eat!! Makes one serving.

My kids made this the day I was canning potatoes and it turned out great!!

For more great recipes check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Kroger Triples Again

Mount Vernon Kroger is offering triple coupons up to $.50
Check out Stretching A Buck for some great coupon match ups.

Not Getting the Deals

My family has been going through some changes in our eating habits in the last few weeks that has made using coupons less than thrilling. I still find coupons for organic and all natural products but I'm also finding that I could still make the same item at home for less. Currently Kmart is running their super double coupons and our local Kroger is offering triple coupons up to $.50 tomorrow but I won't be taking part. I'm sitting this one out. Instead, I'll be searching out local farm stands in hope of finding great deals on canning tomatoes and then coming home to clean the house and can some peaches.

Letting go of the coupons for this time in my life is a very frugal and healthy thing to do. For more frugal Friday tips check out Life as a Mom

More Homestead Happenings

Today was a busy day! We started off the morning early and made cinnamon biscuits and then started on our home school day. My dad came over after lunch to help me can our potatoes from our garden. We didn't find a very accurate recipe for the potatoes but we did end up with nine pints of potatoes canned but that left me with a lot more potatoes I needed to deal with. My dad helped me shred some of them into hash browns so I froze 4 quarts of hash browns and then I cooked the rest and made 6 quarts of mashed potatoes to put in the freezer.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to bake some bread and a vanilla bundt cake. I also have some laundry to get caught up on. I'm hoping to make another trip to the produce auction on Friday for some more potatoes and tomatoes.

We spent no money today and I didn't even leave the house!! Yesterday my husband spent $5.63 on smokes...I know it's a horrible habit but I also know how hard it is to quit!! I quit 6 years ago and I am so glad!!

Finding Extra Money in the Budget

This is a new beginning for our family...our son is playing football and our two oldest daughters are signed up for homeschool ballet and gymnastics, all of the oldest three also have weekly horseback riding lessons. We are entering into a time where we once again need to keep an eye on the budget... no more eating out or going to random yard sales just for fun. I know that some families don't allow their children to do extra activities but we feel that it's important for them to explore their passions. We don't have a lot of wiggle room in out budget but a little and we're willing to spend some of it on them!!

My biggest challenge in finding extra money in our budget is finding things to cut that won't "hurt" too much. My husband just has to have his HD cable package to watch football, so cutting that won't work. I know my biggest spending falls into the $5 and $10 here and there spending. I need to stop...I do so good for a long time and then I start spending again. My first goal is to post every day where, why, and how much money our family has spent. I want to see where our money goes and see if you all can find some things to cut out of our budget!!

Anybody else up for the challenge of finding extra money in the budget??

Menu Plan Monday

This week marks the end of nightly football practice for my son...however all of our school year activities are getting ready to start!!! Tonight we also sign our six year old up for ballet lessons...she is so excited!! This week will still be hot and we'll need a lite dinner before our son heads out for two hours of football practice. Here's what's cooking this week at our house!

Breakfast
pancakes/fruit
bacon/toast/fruit
cinnamon biscuits/eggs
cereal/fruit
pull apart bread/fruit
pancakes/eggs/bacon

Dinner
homemade fast food
tacos/Spanish rice
lasagna/salad
chicken sandwiches/sweet corn
Stromboli
grill
grill

For tons more menu ideas check out I'm an Organizing Junkie

Homestead Happenings

Today we had my oldest girls birthday party...they're turning 6 and 8...where does the time go?? We had two cakes I made from scratch and fresh vegetables and grilled hamburgers. After the party all the girls and I headed to the gardens and picked 10 tomatoes, 1 cucumber,1 red raspberry, and dug some potatoes. I'm planning on canning my potatoes and some peaches this week. If my Roma tomatoes ever get ripe I'll be making salsa as well. I'm also going to check into a road side stand that sells sweet corn for $1.50 a dozen, if it looks good I'll be buying a bunch!!

Tomorrow night after it cools down the girls and I are going to be weeding our big garden and picking any bugs that might be hiding!! I've also been thinking about next years garden and am getting excited already.

VBS is finally over, the girls had a great time and I was able to do some stock up shopping trips but I am tired!!! My son still has football practice every night next week but then it all slows done to only two times a week.

Our home school is running smoothly so far. We've only been working on math and phonics. My son has also been working on his history as well. I'm planning on adding in some more work this coming week.

Christmas Shopping!

One of the ways I keep our Christmas budget low is by shopping all through the year. I don't just look for gifts at the stores but I also shop at the thrift store and yard sales. Thrift stores are great for finding stocking stuffers and books. I've also had great luck finding brand new toys at the thrift stores and yard sales.

I've gotten a really great head start this year by using my swag buck amazon gift cards and shopping their sales. I used to have the goal of only buying things at 50% off but I've changed it this year to only buying toys that are 75% off unless it's something that never runs on sale. I've done really well so far and am almost done with three of my kids for Christmas and birthdays.

Anytime I go anywhere to a store I also scout out the clearance section quickly in case I might find gift items. Shopping all year saves me tons of money...for more money saving ideas check out Life as Mom

Baking Deals at Walmart!

If you are a local reader make sure you check out the baking row at Walmart....I found boxes of 2lb organic flour for $1 and 24 oz of organic sugar for $1...they also had many other items marked for $1.

Itch to Pitch

I've been trying to get all the clutter out of our home for a few weeks and I'm finally feeling like we're making progress. In the past two weeks we have taken 6 30 gallon trash bags full of treasures to Goodwill. There have also been countless extra bags of trash going out. I am still fighting the clutter in our master bedroom and the closets.

I keep getting rid of clothes and shoes and junk in the bedroom but it seems to be multiplying before my eyes!! Any tips on keeping the master bedroom junk free???

Head over to The Happy Housewife for more clutter busting!

Are you prepared?

I've been reading many many blogs and other news sites that recommend stocking up on food and other necessities in case we become quarantined due to the swine flu or other disasters. I'm not predicting the end of the world or any other the sky is falling type of post but I do think that we should be prepared. Maybe you need to be preparing for a possible time of unemployment or perhaps you're entering a busy season of your life and you won't have time for shopping it's time to become prepared!!

I originally decided it was time to stock up on groceries because we were entering a very busy season in our life....back to school, football every night, etc. However, now it's because of the upcoming cold and flu season. Our 3 year old was a preemie and still has very little immune system so I'm stocking up so we don't need to head to the grocery store every week. Here are some of the things I have been stocking up....

We currently have 1 years worth of -
toothpaste - deodorant- shampoo- body wash- dish soap- laundry soap- dishwasher detergent- diapers- wipes- other cleaning supplies

We're really stocked on many food items as well but I'm still working on getting a 6 month food supply.

Being prepared works for me!

Check out We are that family for more tips

It's Time for School

Today is our first day back to homeschool, I'm planning on doing things a little differently this year. My goals for our first week are to get our before breakfast chore done without the attitude, do a math lesson, reading lesson, Bible time, and before lunch chore done without the attitude every day. I want to ease back into a full schedule and I'd like to be running a full schedule by Sept. 14 which is when my son's science class starts.

Here is what our curriculum choices look like this year-

Story of the World Volume 1 for my girls
Story of the World Volume 4 for my son
Math U See for all school age kids
Handwriting Without Tears older girls
Exploring Creation zoo animals of the sixth day- all kids
General Science my son
Explode the Code- my girls
My Father's World

Back to School!

Today is the start of a busy season in my life...we head back to homeschool, the girls all have VBS from 6-8:30 each night, and my son has football practice from 6-8 each night too. It's also going to be crazy hot here so I want our meals to be simple but not heavy. I also don't want to hit the drive thru because of a lack of plan.

Here's what is on the menu at our house this week

Breakfast
doughnuts
pancakes
sausage biscuit sandwich
waffles
doughnuts
pancakes/bacon/eggs
waffles/fruit

Dinner
chicken salad/fruit plate
pulled pork sandwich/fruit and veggie plate
baked potato bar/fruit
sub sandwiches/veggie tray
homemade fast food
grill
grill

For more menu ideas check out I'm an organizing junkie

Back To School!

As a home school family I've realized how important it is to be organized. In the past there were days where we spent hours looking for pencils, rulers, read a louds, etc. Last year I decided to try something new....school boxes. Each child doing school received a box to decorate on the first day. Once it was decorated we put in that students pencils, crayons, pencil sharpener, ruler,math books, journal, current reader and read-alouds.

Now when it's time for school to start all my kids need to do is grab their boxes and we're ready to start school!!

For more works for me ideas check out We are that family

Changing Pace?

You may have noticed that my list of Kroger deals and other deals has been missing... I am currently in the process of switching my shopping to all local places...yes I'll pay more for some things but it's worth it. My goal is to alert all of our local readers of places that you can find great prices on local goods.

Local Produce Deals....
If you were unable to grow a garden or need more produce look no farther than your local produce auction...Owl Creek Produce Auction. This is an awesome place!! We took a trip last week and my freezers are currently over flowing with produce bought incredibly cheap. We are planning at least one more trip to get tomatoes and more sweet corn. I'd also like to get a couple 50lb bags of potatoes.

Menu Plan Monday

This is a busy week at the homestead...my oldest is starting football and they have conditioning every night this week for two hours, this means dinner must be ready no later than five pm every night.

Here is what's cooking this week at our house...

Breakfast-
frozen waffles and fruit (two times)
pancakes/fruit
bacon/toast/fruit
sausage biscuit
pancakes/eggs
cereal

Dinner
Homemade fast food
bbq chicken sandwich (crockpot) and fried sweet corn in butter
stuffed peppers ( crockpot)
tacos/rice
stromboli
grill
grill

This weeks menu plan Monday is being hosted by The Happy Housewife