I watched this video in our Dave Ramsey Financial peace and it has stuck with me.
Since my youngest daughter bought her first car yesterday.
The possibilities are endless if we just THINK before we spend. Way to go Lyndsey!
Fruit Salad
April 20, 2010 — dealwithitsimply
My dear friend Shelly has come up with another cute idea!
I found this cute container at Michaels for $3.99 (used a 40% off coupon to get the price down) Made it to take to my grams 94th family birthday party it was a big hit!
I used fruit I had in the house tangelos but you could use clementines or oranges blueberries, raspberries, green and purple grapes and bananas (not sure if I would use bananas again though) I put iceberg lettuce in the bottom of the container and used bamboo skewers to put the fruit through.
Cute to take to a cookout/bbq and the hostess gets to keep the container.
I have my container on the countertop filled with hard candy, my daughter uses hers for colored pencils and arts and crafts stuff and her friend uses hers for hair accessories you can use the container afterwards for anything you want.
This was fun to make!
Thanks Shelly!
Frugal Fancy Flip-flops!
April 8, 2010 — dealwithitsimply
My dear friend Shelly is at it again….I thought I’d share
Candy ~ here is an idea if you want to share I bought flip-flops for $1.00 and yarn for .52 cents This cute project only cost $1.52 each and I had 3 teenager girls make a pair each They loved it!
Hot glue at the beginning and wrap around flip-flop and hot glue at the end.
Takes about 15 – 30 min.
Thanks to Shelly for sharing! If you have a frugal idea please share. Have a great day, Candy
Earring Holder and Message board
April 5, 2010 — dealwithitsimplyOld / made new: I just hate throwing away things. I had 2 piture frames I always thought I would find new glass for well I never did.
Picture frame 1
Randy stapled some of my leftover chicken wire from our garden onto the back of the frame and then viola´. Now I can keep all my earrings together and display them nice.
This one my Dad attached a piece of steel to make a magnet message board.
What are somethings old you are making new?
Have a great day, Candy
Cute Easter Dessert
March 25, 2010 — dealwithitsimplyCute Idea at Makin’ It In MI Check out her site and get the recipe!
The 577 Foundation in Perrysburg, Ohio
March 5, 2010 — dealwithitsimply
577 Foundation located in Perrysburg, Ohio Offers many different classes. Here is the site with that list.
Randy and I took this class last year and learned so much-
GARDENING FOR MAXIMUM NUTRITION |
|
| Nutrition in our vegetables is declining as our soils are being “farmed out”. Learn how to get top nutrition, flavor & pest resistance into the foods you grow. Leader: Kris Johnson Limit: 30 March 10, 2010 6-8pm Fee: $10.00 | |
|
|
GARDENING FOR MAXIMUM NUTRITION |
|
| Nutrition in our vegetables is declining as our soils are being “farmed out”. Learn how to get top nutrition, flavor & pest resistance into the foods you grow. Leader: Kris Johnson Limit: 30 Fee: $10.00 | |
|
Snow/ No Spend Days
February 10, 2010 — dealwithitsimply
A friend on Facebook had this on her profile today
“is actually pondering on the fact that snow might be good after all – it stops you from going out and wasting money – excellent for the bank balance!”
When we are looking for ways to hang on to more of our money. One way is to have a NO Spend Day. These days are days you set to spend no money and the more you have the more money you can hold on too. Many have different ideas how to make a No spend day. I think of a No spend day as that spending No money.
Here are a few ways to do that:
- Stay home- In my area the Lord gave us a few this week! 8 – 12 inches
My dear friend at Monroe on a Budget has thought of a list of things you can do when you are snowed in.
On a normal No spend day-
- Pack your lunch and bring your own drink.
- Use only foods and goods you have at home in your pantry, cabinets and freezer.
- I have frugal friends that make it a challenge to have a set amount they can spend for the month (a budget) and track how many days they don’t spend any money. Why not challenge yourself and family.
- Randy and I have no problem making a No spend day, but our children and their activities sometimes make it hard with the occasional “mom I need a check for x amount for this or that” Life does happen! Just challenge yourself and your budget will thank you!
Challenge yourself and she how much you can save. I would love to hear what you are doing. Have blessed No spend day!
Make it do… Series Part 3
January 15, 2010 — dealwithitsimply
Make it do or like many of us say make do. When Randy and I were first married we had a well we deserve it attitude to justify buying out of our means. Now that we are older and have had our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace classes behind us we are learning. Making it do is a great way for us to add to our budget and live within our means.
Make it do…
- Shop in the fridge, cabinets and freezer- I am surprised what I find when I look. Take an inventory of what you have and save buying more. When we are the most broke we eat the best because I plan better.
- sweeper bag full and you are out? I have been known to unroll the top of bag, empty and re-staple and ready to go!
- Live on less- Living on less is hard, but once you get used to it you need to keep it up when things get better.
- We keep our thermostat at 62° and where sweaters or cover with a blanket while lying around. We are used to it now and don’t really have to do anything different. Lower temperature, do it gradual and it isn’t such a shock.
I found a great website called Making it Do Calli is the blogger and she is a mom of 3 children. She came up with the blog title for her grandmother that made do and she is “taking a lemon and making lemonade.” I spent my whole evening looking at all the wonderful things she is doing and I feel like I know her. Checkout her site I am sure you will love it!
Making it do is a great way to be a good steward. See how you can make do and stretch. I would love to hear what you are doing. God’s blessings, Candy
Use it up! Series Part 1
January 11, 2010 — dealwithitsimplyYesterday, I told you about a saying that was used during the Great Depression that was “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, Do without.”
In my Series of being a good steward today is Use it up!
What are some things that help us to use it up?
- I think the biggest thing is using up leftovers. When I forget the leftovers and they go bad I feel terrible. I need to see them in the fridge, I don’t like to have them covered in foil or in containers I can’t see what is in them because I will forget them. Leftovers add to you grocery saving and add more to your budget!
- Leftover meat- use it in wok I remember on time my husband saying “I would have never thought about leftover meatloaf in wok, but it works!”
- Leftover vegetables- I have a container in my freezer and all little bits of leftover vegetables I put in the container and when I make soup I add those veggies.
- Shampoo and conditioner is as simple as turning the bottle upside down.
- In our home it always seems we have you had a bit of chips, crackers or cereal left in the bag or box no one seems to finish? I love to crunch them up and use them in a meatloaf.
- Little pieces of soap… you can mold it to a bigger bar of soap or put the little piece in your hand soap dispenser with a little water and make hand soap. My children don’t always like it , bit it works!
- Laundry soap turning it upside down is one way, but I also rinse it out and squeak out another load.
- Butter wrappers- When you open a new stick of butter put the wrapper in a plastic bag and save it for buttering a pan are dish for baking or cooking.
- Envelopes you receive with offers- Use them as scrap paper to write your shopping or to do list. I also Like to cut a corner of and envelope and use it as a bookmark a great think for the kids to make. you can have them make it into a mouse.
- We seem to always mess up when printing something in the printer. If you do flip it over and reuse that paper if it is something the kids don’t need to turn in for school or use it as scratch paper… you can leave the notes for each other on it. I fold it into 4th and cut and stack and staple in the corner. This works for quick notes to the kids.
Maybe we need a Use it up challenge… I would love it hear what you are using up. Let me know, Candy
A New Year to reflect and get a warm feeling!
January 1, 2010 — dealwithitsimplyI love this time of you! I reflect on the frugal things we have done and not done. I guess you could say I get reinvigorated and start again!
This year has brought many new experiences to me and our family. As I reflect I know now closing our business was a good thing for us, but at the time I thought we were failures. Parents letting their children down. I have been given wonderful opportunities and here are just a few.
- I have met wonderful frugal friends and they have given me wonderful ideas and tips. I was given the opportunity to teach what I have learned from Paula at Monroe on a budget, Kristy at the Rossford Library and Marilyn at Marilyn’s money.
- Our Family was one of WTOL’s Coping families. This made me see we are not alone. We all have a story and people do care for one another.
- Thank you for all your comments and tips. This year I really want to continue and help one another again. God’s blessing this New Year!
It’s cold outside and here are some of the things we are doing to keep us warm and toasty.
- We do keep our furnace at 68 degrees. This doesn’t always keep me warm and toasty but I wear a sweater and when I get my gas bill I can
. I also like to push it and bump the heat down a little here and there and the family usually doesn’t know we have it set in the lower 60′s because I do it gradual. - In the evening shut those curtains and keep the heat in and when the sun is shining open those curtain and let the sun shine in to warm your rooms. I have also noticed when our windows are not locked I feel a draft so make sure your windows are locked.
- Drafts under the door? We are making draft dodgers this weekend I found some easy to follow directions. I am going to try both ways and see what works better so I will keep you posted.
- Moist air is warmer then dry air. When the furnace is on I turn on our humidifier I always seem to turn it off when the furnace is off because we get cold. I also Like to hang dry t shirts and this really adds moister to your air and helps your utility bill!
- Closing off unused rooms helps. We have a very small home and a lot of people so we don’t have unused rooms but we do keep the bedroom doors closed. I like to sleep in a cooler room so it works great!
- use rugs on bear floors- bare floors are cold floors and rugs will warm the room.
- When I was a kid my dad would say “what do you think I am heating the outdoors, Shut that door!” Make sure to shut the doors when you enter or exit your home.
- I have been looking at window quilts these are quilts that you cover the windows and keep the heat in. The quilts look beautiful but I am thinking a beach towel will work also.
Have a great day and keep warm, Candy
