Consider the Lilies: Frugal

Showing posts with label Frugal. Show all posts

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Via

Stewardship, what is it exactly?

the conducting, supervising, or managing of something entrusted to one's care

So basically a steward is someone who manages things that others have entrusted them with. We have a choice weather we use these things wisely or foolishly.

God has blessed us with so many things! Today lets look at financial stewardship.

To truly be a good steward we must first realize that the money in your bank account and wallet isn't yours-it's God's! (As are all the other gifts He's blessed us with!) He has simply entrusted the money to use. We should manage it wisely.

We can wisely manage the financial blessings God has given us by:

Giving to your home congregation/ missionaries first! Don't give God the leftovers!
Praying for wisdom to make the right financial choices.
Monitoring where our money is going. We can then determine if we need to change our spending habits.
Make a budget and stick to it.
Sit down with your husband and set financial goals. Write them down and have a time set to complete them by.
Avoid debt if at all possible.(Debt can't always be avoided) If you do have debt pay it off as soon as possible. Don't be a slave any longer than you have to. By paying your debt off early you will also save some money on interest.(Be sure and check with your loan/credit card provider before doing this. Some companies charge a penalty for early payoff.)
Don't try to "Keep up with the Joneses"! Just because everyone else has the latest and newest car(or cell phone, clothes, ect.) does not mean that you deserve them! If you keep up with the Joneses purchases, you are also keeping up with their debt!

Manage what God has given you wisely!

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Linking up with these blogs:Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, Little Natural Cottage, Feminine Adventures, The Purposeful Mom

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole is one of my husbands favorite meals! It's really cheap so I try to make it a couple times a month. It's also really easy to make and can even be made ahead and froze. This makes enough for my husband and I plus enough for him to get a couple lunches out of it! Sometimes, I divide the recipe up into 2 smaller casserole dishes and freeze one for later!
What you need:1 lb ground beef, browned and drained1 can cream of chicken soup1 bag of tater totsShredded Cheese, any type will do. I like cheddar :)SaltPepperOnion powder
Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350F
Layer tater tots in bottom of casserole dish. You will have some tater tots left over.
Mix beef, soup and seasonings(to taste) in bowl. Pour on top of tater tots and spread out.
Top with cheese!
Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and it is warm throughout.

Linking up at: Our Simple Country Life, Feminine Adventures, The Purposeful Mom, Becoming Lydia, An Original Belle, Home to 4 Kiddos

Debt & The Bible

Via

Oh how easy it is to get deep in debt! We get letters about every other day saying that we've been pre-approved for a credit card or loan. Everyone else is buying now and paying later! Why can't we? But what does the Bible say about debt?
It says...
(Rms 13:8)Owe no man any thing, but to love one another

Don't owe anyone anything, that's pretty self explanitory. But is it saying it's wrong to borrow? No, just that it's much better not to. And in the verses preceeding this we read of the importance of "rendering unto all their dues"

(Pro 22:7, ESV)The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender

A slave? And the more debt you have the longer the servitude.

(Mat 6:24)No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Mammon, or money, is what so many today choose to serve. More, more, more-they just aren't satisfied with what they have! They would rather enjoy what this earth has to offer instead of what He has to offer. We must give God our best, not offering Him what's left over!

(Pro 24:27)Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Wait a minute-does this mean we're supposed to work and earn the money before we can buy something? The danger behind this "Buy Now, Pay Later" mentality is the selfishness that often fuels the purchase. Do we really need the item? Could we make do without it for a few more weeks before we buy it?

Is debt bad? Yes. Is it all wrong? No. There are times when we may need to. We must make sure that we have the right attitude towards it!

I am thankful that we are able to pay for my husbands schooling later when he, Lord willing, has a better paying job. We also have a credit card. Luckily we are getting close to getting that payed off! We are trying to get all of these debts payed off and also save some for a down payment for a house. It's tough sometimes but later it will all be worth it!

Linking up with these blogs: Raising Mighty Arrows, Little Natural Cottage, The Purposeful Mom, Feminine Adventures, Our Simple Country Life, Homemaker By Choice

Frugal Fridays: Homemade Cleaners & a Link Up

Via

Another thing I do to save some money is to make my own cleaners! They are really easy to make, cheap, they work really well! Plus they don't have all those chemicals that store bought cleaners do. Here are the ingredients I use most often and some recipes(I have tried everything except the oven cleaner and furniture polish, but I will be trying those soon!):

Vinegar-a disinfectant that will sanitize and remove some stains, also non-toxic
Baking Soda-natural abrasive, removes odors and stains, also non-toxic
Hydrogen Peroxide-natural bleaching agent, removes stains, also non-toxic
Lemon Juice-naturally cuts grease and smells so good :)

All Purpose Cleaner:

*Vinegar

*Water

Combine in a 3:1(water:vinegar) ratio in spray bottle. Spray on surface, wipe clean with damp rag.

**If you have a stain sprinkle a little baking soda on and scrub.

Oven Cleaner:

*Dampen with water

*Sprinkle liberally with baking soda

Leave 20 minutes, then scrub until clean

Microwave Cleaner:

*½ c. vinegar

*2 c. water

Combine in microwave safe bowl, heat on high for 3-4 minutes, remove bowl and wipe down inside of microwave.

Drain Cleaner:

*1 c. baking soda first

*1 c. white vinegar second

*Warm water

Allow to foam for 5 minutes before adding water.

Tub And Tile Cleaner:

Apply vinegar full-strength to a sponge and wipe

Scour with baking soda

Furniture Polish:

*½ tsp. olive oil

*¼ c. vinegar or lemon juice

Mix in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces.

Do you have any natural cleaning tips?

*Link up your posts concerning frugal living, money saving recipes, homemaking, faith, or anything encouraging.
*Be sure you link directly to your blog post not your blogs URL. *Please include the Frugal Friday button or a text link so others can join in as well!

Linking up with these blogs: Like A Mustard Seed, Feminine Adventure, The Purposeful Mom

Frugal Fridays: Pizza Casserole

Here's another one of my favorite fast, easy, cheap and oh so yummy recipes! :) I love it because you can make it for 2 people or for more! (Which is why I don't have any measurements for the ingredients-use as little or as much as you need.) You can also add anything to it-veggies, different meats!
What you need:

Pasta-any kind will do. We like using Rotini.
Tomato Garlic and Onion Pasta Sauce.
Pepperonis
Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350F
Boil and drain pasta
In a baking dish layer pasta, pepperonis, pasta sauce and cheese. I normally make 2 layers.
Bake until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly around the sides.
Enjoy! :)

*Link up your posts concerning frugal living, money saving recipes, homemaking, faith, or anything encouraging. *Be sure you link directly to your blog post not your blogs URL. *Please include the Frugal Friday button or a text link so others can join in as well!

Linking up with these blogs: The Alabaster Jar, The Modest Mom, These Five of Mine Plus Two, The Better Mom, Thankful Homemaker, Becoming a Strong Woman of God, Raising Arrows, Time-Warp Wife, Growing Home, Heavenly Homakers, Young Living Oil Lady, Becoming Lydia

Frugal Fridays: Homemade Laundry Powder & Link Up

I have been making my own laundry detergent for almost 2 years now. It is very simple to do just takes a little bit of time! It has helped us cut down on our household needs(which for us is included in our grocery budget)!
What you need:

Bar of soap-I have used Ivory, Fels Naptha, and Zote. You can use any kind just make sure it doesn't have a moisturizer(like Dove, Olay, ect.)
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda-this is not the same as baking soda. You can find this in the laundry isle of the store.
20 Mule Team Borax-Also in the laundry isle, should be close to the washing soda.
OxiClean(optional)-I like to use it because I feel it helps get our clothes a little cleaner. I normally just get the store brand.
Essential Oils(optional)-I used these for the first time last night. I got one called linen and it made the house smell soooo good when I was mixing up my detergent.

Recipe:

Grate the soap. This take a little while. Grab a grater and a bowl and watch a movie with your family!(I grated my soap while we watched 19 Kids and Counting Tuesday night!) Or if you have two graters have a race with your husband to see who can grate theirs the fastest. Have your kids judge! :) I use a Pampered Chef Fine Grater. You want to get it grated as fine as possible. A food processor would work as well.
Add:
*2 Cup grated soap(You may have left over soap. You can store it in a Ziplock bag. I normally just make as much laundry powder as I can. 1 bar of Zote made 5 batches for me last night.)

*1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax

*1 Cup Washing Soda

*1 Cup OxiClean(optional)

*Essential Oils(optional)
Mix well. Store in an airtight container. If you don't it might get some moisture and become clumpy.
Now go wash some clothes.(Or come over and do my laundry :p) Use about 1-2 Tbs. depending on the size of your load.

This is safe for HE washers as well!

Link up your posts concerning frugal living, money saving recipes, homemaking, faith, or anything encouraging. Be sure you link directly to your blog post not your blogs URL. Please include the Frugal Friday button or a text link so others can join in as well!

Linking up with these blogs: Homemaker By Choice, Delight Thyself, Raising Arrows, The Better Mom, The Alabaster Jar, These Five of Mine Plus Two, The Straightened Path, Simply Living for Him, The Modest Mom

Frugal Fridays:Easy Muffins & a Link Up

Need a quick breakfast that you can make a head of time? This is my go-to muffin recipe. They are so easy to make and super yummy! Well, as long as you follow the directions. Once I forgot to add the sugar. Needless to say they were not so good. I like to make a double (or triple) batch of these and freeze them. Then let them thaw at room temperature over night or cook for about a minute in the microwave!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

1 cup blueberries, cranberries, strawberries(diced)-just whatever you like(optional)

Directions:

1. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

2. In small mixing bowl, combine egg, milk and oil.

3. Gently push the dry ingredients against edges of bowl to make a well in the center. Add wet ingredients and stir until just moistened.

4. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.

5. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 muffins

I'm planning on making some of these soon, so I will try to update with a picture! :)

Linking up with these blogs: Homemaker By Choice, The Modest Mom, These Five of Mine Plus Two, Simply Living for Him, The Better Mom, The Straightened Path, Feminine Adventures, Becoming a Strong Woman of God, Mama Chocolate

Link up your posts concerning frugal living, money saving recipes, faith, or family. Be sure you link directly to your blog post not your blogs URL. Please include the Frugal Friday button or a text link so others can join in as well!

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Frugal Fridays:Make a Budget & Stick to it

via

Probably one of the most important things you can do to help you save money is to make a budget! I strongly recommend a zero-based budget. A zero-based budget means evey dollar already has a place to go! Your income-expenses=zero, Here's some tips for making one:

Know how much money is coming in-Write down all of the income that you will be receiving for the next month.
Know where the money needs to go- Write down all of your expenses. This is where that list we talked about will come in handy. For those bills that aren't a fixed price(water, electric, ect.) budget for the highest bill that you've received in the last year. Obviously, some months you will have a little money left over these categories. Have somewhere for this to go-pay off debt, savings, or a small treat for everyone for helping save money in these areas! :)
Make sure you budget for every expense you may have-Clothes(even if no one need anything! Carry any left over amount over to the next month. This way when everyone needs new shoes it won't be such a financial burden!), Sitters, Hair cuts, Date Night, Family Outings, ect.
Track how much you actually spent- Have a column in your budget to write down how much you actually spent.
It's not going to be perfect-No one gets the budget right the first time they make it! (Okay, well maybe someone out there has but it definitely wasn't me!) You will need to adjust it for the first few months to find something that works for you! I look over our budget the last Friday of the month and adjust it where it needs to be.
Stick to it-This is the hardest step those first few months! We have become a society that wants things now, not 6 months later when we've got the money saved up for it. Using cash is a good way to help you stick to your budget. When it's gone, it's gone!

Jill added another tip in the comments below:

It's important to remember that "keeping a budget" isn't just looking at what you've already spent...or at what you need just for the next month. You also need to forecast ahead. So if today is March 1, my budget should be forecasted (as much as possible) through February 28, 2013.Why? Because not every expense is monthly. Examples: My city bills me for water/sewer quarterly. I get an oil change on my car quarterly. I pay property taxes annually in December. Maybe I'll owe on my income taxes come April.If you only focus on the next month, you're not preparing yourself for quarterly, bi-monthly, or once-a-year expenses and you might find yourself scrambling.

We get all these costs together and divide that amount by 12 to decide how much to set aside each month. We also set aside a little every month for Christmas and Birthday gifts.

Check out Dave Ramsey's site for some good worksheets to help you with your budget.

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I'm linking up at these blogs: Homemaker by Choice, The Modest Mom, The Better Mom, These Five of Mine Plus Two , The Straightened Path, Homestead Revival, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Becoming a Strong Woman of God, Time Warp Wife, & The Alabaster Jar, The Purposeful Mom

Link up your posts concerning frugal living, money saving recipes, faith, or family. Be sure you link directly to your blog post not your blogs URL. Please include the Frugal Friday button so others can join in as well!

Frugal Fridays:Pizza Roll

Do you ever have those nights where you just want to make something super fast and easy for supper? I know I do! And since I'm currently working until 6 pm Monday-Friday, I have these nights a few times a week.

This is one of my go to meals for those nights. It's extremely fast, easy, and only has 5 ingredients! Plus we love it! :)

Pizza Roll:

1 refrigerated pizza dough

Pepperoni

Cheese(whatever kind you have on hand)

Italian Seasoning

Marinara Sauce

*Roll out the pizza dough onto a cookie sheet.

*Top with a layer of pepperoni and then cheese.

*Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning.

*Roll it up! Make sure you pinch the seams closed so you don't have cheese oozing out!

*Bake according to the directions on the pizza dough, I normally add a few minutes to the baking time to make sure it get done in the middle.

*Slice up and serve with heated marinara sauce.

Link up your posts concerning frugal living or money saving recipes. Be sure you link directly to your blog post not your blogs URL. Please include the Frugal Friday button so others can join in as well!

Linking up with these blogs:The Better Mom,Time-Warp Wife, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Deep Roots at Home, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Our Simple Farm, Raising Mighty Arrows, Our Simple Country Life, Comfy in the Kitchen, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers, & Living In The Shoe

Frugal Fridays: Where's it all Going?

The first step for living frugally is to decide that you want to. Obviously, since you're reading this you have already done that.(Or either you're just really bored :))The next step is finding out where all your money is going. You can do this a couple of ways.

*Print out a copy of last month's bank statement. Divide each item into a category. Here are the ones we used: giving, housing, grocery, gas, insurance, entertainment, medical, debt, and clothing. Now add up the totals. This was the scariest part for me.

*Track your expenses for a month. You can make a list, use an Excel spreadsheet or a worksheet like this. Just make sure you list each item in the appropriate category to save you from having to sort them later. I tried to do this method but I kept forgetting to write our purchases down.