I began this blog with a passion. A passion for changing my ways and being frugal. Initially I felt that I had a lot to share. I still am passionate about changing my ways and being more frugal but I just don't have that much to say about it...at least not that would warrant a whole blog.
As some of you know I also have another blog, Walking Faithfully. It is an eclectic blog to say the least, ranging from cooking to matters spiritual and everything inbetween. I've decided that "everything inbetween" would include being frugal.
I thought a lot about this over the holidays and it occured to me that leading a frugal lifestyle does not just include good stewardship of money and things, it also includes how I use my time. Keeping up with writing two blogs, for me, at this season in my life is not good stewardship of my time. Just so you know, this season in my life includes homeschooling Legoman and Sweetpea. My first priority needs to be their education. After that it is taking care of my Hubby and homekeeping and all that entails. Errr, blogs are not entailed in that.
So, with some regret, I have decided to close this blog. Maybe someday, after I have lived a frugal life a little longer I will have more to say and more time to say it. :)
I will actually leave this blog up for awhile and I will also be moving it's posts over to Walking Faithfully. This will include Lori's book Living Debt Free. I will continue to post chapters of Living Debt Free at Walking Faithfully.
I hope that you will follow me over to Walking Faithfully. And thank you to each one of you who have taken your valuable time to come and visit here and read my humble musings.
Frugally Yours,
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Taking A Little Bloggy Break
Well, as we count down to the big holiday, and Husband, kiddos and I prepare to make our visits to family, I think I am going take a little bloggy break.
I may jump once or twice in the next two weeks to say, "Hi!" if I get the chance.
I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year!
Merry Christmas!!!
P.S. If you read this same post at my other blog...I'm sorry. I'm about as creative as a lump of coal right now!
I may jump once or twice in the next two weeks to say, "Hi!" if I get the chance.
I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year!
Merry Christmas!!!
P.S. If you read this same post at my other blog...I'm sorry. I'm about as creative as a lump of coal right now!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tip of the Day
Don't leave simmering milk and sugar on a glass topped stove unattended...even for a second.
Just sayin'.
Not that I know anything about this.
Just sayin'.
Not that I know anything about this.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
WFMW-Count Your Blessings
One of my favorite Christmas movies to watch this time of year (as I know it is for a lot of people) is White Christmas. I like it because it is bright and colorful and uplifting. There are no hidden agendas or political statements...unless you count the line about finding a Democrat in Vermont. It's about helping someone out who needs it.
My favorite song from the movie is Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep . I wanted to imbed a clip of it here but the one I found on youtube has blocked the embedding so you'll need to click on the link to hear Bing sing it to Rosemary. Below you will find the lyrics. They are simple but profound in their own way. Mainly I think the point is that I need to stop looking at what I don't have and look at what I do have. Look at the things God has given me.
It's easy, when you are being frugal in order to make ends meet, to get frustrated and resentful at having to be so careful All. The. Time. And it's easy to forget or overlook all that you do have. But God in His infinite wisdom does not give us what we want, but what we need.
So as you and I finish up our holiday preparations and possibly make the fatal error of comparing this Christmas to a past, more abundant Christmas, remember to stop and count your blessings. And then praise God for all that He has richly blessed you with. I know that that's what I'll be doing.
And that's what is working for me this Wednesday.
For more great WFMW posts head on over to Shannon's at Rocks In My Dryer
Blessings to you!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Repurposing Receiving Blankets
I saved every receiving blanket I got. Then I moved into a bigger house with less storage space than my little house. I gave away a whole stack of baby blankets to a foster care agency but I just couldn't part with the receiving blankets for some reason. I folded them up and put them up in a laundry room cupboard.
After awhile Sweetpea wanted to know where she could get some blankets for her baby dolls. Thankfully I remembered the receiving blankets! (And believe me that was somewhere in the realm of a minor miracle!) But I thought, as I put the rest back in the cupboard, that I really needed to either give them away or make some use of them.
My first impulse was to have my quilt makin' Mama whip them up into a little lap quilt. And for awhile I had every intention of that happening...someday. Then Sweetpea started growing out of all her pajamas. She no longer wants to wear footed blanket sleepers anymore. She needs night wear.
Lightbulb!!!!
I found an inexpensive pajama/nightgown pattern at WallyWorld and laundered the stored receiving blankets. I then mixed and matched various blankets until I had enough to complete a small nightgown. Yippee!!!
Behold the results of my sewing efforts....
Sweetpea will now be opening up some "brand" new pajamas on Christmas morning. The flannel that kept her warm as a newborn, will once again keep her warm at night.
Oooo...it makes my frugally heart all warm and fuzzy!
After awhile Sweetpea wanted to know where she could get some blankets for her baby dolls. Thankfully I remembered the receiving blankets! (And believe me that was somewhere in the realm of a minor miracle!) But I thought, as I put the rest back in the cupboard, that I really needed to either give them away or make some use of them.
My first impulse was to have my quilt makin' Mama whip them up into a little lap quilt. And for awhile I had every intention of that happening...someday. Then Sweetpea started growing out of all her pajamas. She no longer wants to wear footed blanket sleepers anymore. She needs night wear.
Lightbulb!!!!
I found an inexpensive pajama/nightgown pattern at WallyWorld and laundered the stored receiving blankets. I then mixed and matched various blankets until I had enough to complete a small nightgown. Yippee!!!
Behold the results of my sewing efforts....
Sweetpea will now be opening up some "brand" new pajamas on Christmas morning. The flannel that kept her warm as a newborn, will once again keep her warm at night. Oooo...it makes my frugally heart all warm and fuzzy!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Living Debt Free - Chapter Five
Time for another installment of Living Debt Free! Enjoy and please let me and Lori know if this is helpful to you. We truly would like to know...(that and I just like comments;) ).
CHAPTER 5
The Plan Begins
We believed everything had happened for a reason. First there was the new exciting job opportunity, then the experience of almost buying a new home (more than we needed and in a flood plain to boot), and finally we had the job offer that led us full circle back to staying were we were.
Looking back I’m certain they were all experiences designed to test us and teach us. They were God’s way to slow us down and protect us. As we had felt God’s hand was on our lives, we began to ask ourselves, what was it He really wanted us to accomplish? We did slow down and we rethought our priorities.
I was beginning to realize that although my husband was very good at his job, he had a pattern of getting dissatisfied every couple of years. I knew in my heart, and he did too, that he had made the wrong career choice.
I had watched so many people do the same thing, get stuck in careers, largely because of debt, and put in their 30 working years being miserable only to die a year or two after retirement, full of regrets. I told him, “You are too young to hate what you do for the rest of your life”.
I was also beginning to realize that the corporate “work-a-holic” life I was leading was not as rewarding and fulfilling as I had thought it would be. I was starting to want a life change too; looking forward to being able to stay home with children and having more time and energy to devote to serving my new husband and the Lord.
This is when we realized we had to have a plan. Without it we would be like millions of others who follow the debt then bondage-to-work cycle that would steal the joy from our lives. If we bought into worldly success, we would be chasing after promotions, finer things, more responsibility, prestige and pay increases and sooner or later, we would realize they were
empty. Maybe it would be too late to enjoy our marriage or our family.
Here’s what we decided to do and the lessons we learned in the process.
First, we began our plan by taking the $20k we were going to put down on our ”new home” and put it down on our current home, reducing the debt from $108k to $88k around December 1993, 3 months after our wedding.
I had refinanced at the beginning of that year in anticipation of potentially having to rent the home, taking my interest rate from 10.5% to 7.99%. Our payment was about $785/month. The second thing we planned to do was pay as much more as possible each month.
Finally, we took a leap and announced to everyone that we were going to pay off our home.
Lesson 11 – Evaluate Your Gifts
The Bible clearly states that each of us have them. Decide if you are truly using your gifts. If you are, making a living using those gifts, your work won’t be such drudgery. If you aren’t using your gifts, set goals to make a career change sooner vs. later.
A career change often means starting “at the bottom”. The further you are along your career path, the harder it is to make that change. I remember an example from my early days as a Corporate Recruiter. I was in my mid-20’s and it stood out as a reminder for me.
I had an opening as a Junior Accountant that I needed to fill. I interviewed a man in his mid-30’s who was a grocery store Produce Manager. He had worked in the store since high school, but was motivated to go back to school, while working, and found that he loved Accounting. At 35, here he was with a wife and 2 kids, a mortgage, a degree that had cost him dearly, yet no “real-world” experience in accounting. I wanted to hire him, give him a chance, but he was making $35k per year (the top of his salary scale). To make a career change to a job that only paid $25k, (starting pay for a Junior Accountant) with all of his financial obligations, was, to him, impossible.
He couldn’t take a step back to eventually get ahead. (Note: An accountant with experience had a lot more upward salary potential than a Produce Manager).
I often wonder if he’s still trudging to work at the store each day? I pray not, but I suspect he, and many like him, are not living to their full potential because of bondage to debt.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: To be happy in your work is a blessing from God. We are each blessed with different gifts and are called to use them for the glory of God. It also states that working with your hands and not being dependent on anyone (an employer) is a respectable goal. (That was my husband’s ultimate goal). [Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, 1Corinthians 12: 4-51, 1Corinthians 12:27-29, Romans 12:6, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.]
Lesson 12 – Set Goals Together
As a young married couple this was a great experience, to have something to work toward together. Even if we hadn’t accomplished our goal, or if it had took much longer, we were on the same page and we were working together.
We had to look at our own spending habits and we had to come up with ways that we could each contribute. We had to talk about what we valued in life. What we wanted to do with our careers, what we wanted to do when it came to having a family (for me to be able to stay home), and from those conversations we realized what we had to do.
Share the desires of your heart with one another and devise a plan to make them happen.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: Merely talking about a goal won’t make it happen it you must take action. You must make sure you enlist God’s support and commit your plan to him. After all, only if it is the Lord’s will, will you succeed. The Lord gives us our spouse as our helper so we can plan together. Wives submit to the leadership of your husbands, and husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them as you plan and act together. Two acting together are better than one acting alone. [Proverbs 14:23, Proverbs 16:3, Proverbs 16:9, James 4:13-15, Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.]
Lesson 13 – Pool Your Resources
I don’t recall how much each of us had in savings when we married. All I know is that together we had $20k that we were able to use to pay down our loan.
We never evaluated how much money or debt we brought to the marriage individually. In doing so, many couples keep a mental or actual scorecard of “that is his” and “this is mine”. Maybe that is important if you are bringing in huge assets to the marriage, or children by a former marriage, etc., but if you are just starting out, it can be a huge disadvantage.
I’ve heard all the arguments for husbands and wives keeping separate accounts, but I’ve never believed any of them. To me, it makes selfishness and ultimately, divorce, too easy of an option. I know I had to give up some of my “freedom” but by combining our savings, our debt and specifically, our checking account, we knew we were accountable to each other and in this together.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: It says to submit to one another, not being independent from one another. It calls for us to be united with our wife/husband, as one flesh: no longer two but one. And it warns that no man should separate what God has put together. [Ephesians 5:21-24, 1 Corinthians 11:11, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:6.]
Lesson 14 – Refinancing Usually Means Starting Over
Refinancing is often touted as the best way to lower your payment. Let’s take me for example: I had paid for 3 years on my loan at $1,145/month. When I refinanced, I was so thrilled my payment went down to $785/mo. I really didn’t consider how. It wasn’t entirely the lower interest rate. It was pretty tricky actually.
1. I had removed my taxes and insurance from my payment, opting to pay them at the end of the year instead of monthly. This is a good thing to do; you can save money every month and draw interest on that money, but make sure you can save the amount you will need, come tax or insurance payment time. So while it seemed my payment was $785, I actually had to save $914 ($785 plus $100/month property taxes and $29/month insurance).
2. The second thing was that I started my loan all over again. The length of time left that I owed my payment was 27 years on the first loan and was 30 years on the second.
Most people don’t realize where the “savings” come from when they refinance. Refinancing usually includes fees as well, costing $4-5k or more. Typically these fees are just “worked back into the loan”, in other words you have a longer mortgage, on a higher loan balance. Maybe you aren’t saving all that much really. Beware. Force yourself to use some math. Figure these things out. What sounds too good to be true, probably is.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14: 1.
Lesson 15 – Go Public
It put a lot of pressure on us to stick to our goals, once we told everyone what we were going to do. By exposing our plan to the “light:” we couldn’t hide in the shadows, and do things (or buy things) that might have thwarted our goal.
I remember when my husband decided, mid-plan, that he really wanted a boat. I didn’t want to deny him this; after all, fishing was his passion. We decided that we would only buy this boat if we could afford both the boat (and a truck to pull it with) from the money we received by selling my car, (a nicer one than I needed really). It took a lot of effort to pull the deal off, but God blessed our efforts. Family and friends raised their eyebrows when we presented the boat and truck. We quickly explained how we had not gotten off track by allowing ourselves this indulgence. In fact, they were amazed at God’s provision.
As we talked about our plan, it also allowed us other opportunities to witness to others about how we felt it was God’s plan for our lives. It did subject us to some ridicule, which we stood up under and that made our resolve all the greater. More on that in the next chapter.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: It says to expose your deeds to the light. It calls us to put on the “armor” of light. I believe it called us to bring our plan to light and let other’s know of our goal and our desire to serve God with our finances. It also called us to give glory to God for our successes. [John 3:20, 1 John 1:7, Romans 13:12, Matthew 5:15-17.]
If this is the first time you have visited my site, and you want to read the previous chapters of this book, you can find the links on my sidebar.
CHAPTER 5
The Plan Begins
We believed everything had happened for a reason. First there was the new exciting job opportunity, then the experience of almost buying a new home (more than we needed and in a flood plain to boot), and finally we had the job offer that led us full circle back to staying were we were.
Looking back I’m certain they were all experiences designed to test us and teach us. They were God’s way to slow us down and protect us. As we had felt God’s hand was on our lives, we began to ask ourselves, what was it He really wanted us to accomplish? We did slow down and we rethought our priorities.
I was beginning to realize that although my husband was very good at his job, he had a pattern of getting dissatisfied every couple of years. I knew in my heart, and he did too, that he had made the wrong career choice.
I had watched so many people do the same thing, get stuck in careers, largely because of debt, and put in their 30 working years being miserable only to die a year or two after retirement, full of regrets. I told him, “You are too young to hate what you do for the rest of your life”.
I was also beginning to realize that the corporate “work-a-holic” life I was leading was not as rewarding and fulfilling as I had thought it would be. I was starting to want a life change too; looking forward to being able to stay home with children and having more time and energy to devote to serving my new husband and the Lord.
This is when we realized we had to have a plan. Without it we would be like millions of others who follow the debt then bondage-to-work cycle that would steal the joy from our lives. If we bought into worldly success, we would be chasing after promotions, finer things, more responsibility, prestige and pay increases and sooner or later, we would realize they were
empty. Maybe it would be too late to enjoy our marriage or our family.
Here’s what we decided to do and the lessons we learned in the process.
First, we began our plan by taking the $20k we were going to put down on our ”new home” and put it down on our current home, reducing the debt from $108k to $88k around December 1993, 3 months after our wedding.
I had refinanced at the beginning of that year in anticipation of potentially having to rent the home, taking my interest rate from 10.5% to 7.99%. Our payment was about $785/month. The second thing we planned to do was pay as much more as possible each month.
Finally, we took a leap and announced to everyone that we were going to pay off our home.
Lesson 11 – Evaluate Your Gifts
The Bible clearly states that each of us have them. Decide if you are truly using your gifts. If you are, making a living using those gifts, your work won’t be such drudgery. If you aren’t using your gifts, set goals to make a career change sooner vs. later.
A career change often means starting “at the bottom”. The further you are along your career path, the harder it is to make that change. I remember an example from my early days as a Corporate Recruiter. I was in my mid-20’s and it stood out as a reminder for me.
I had an opening as a Junior Accountant that I needed to fill. I interviewed a man in his mid-30’s who was a grocery store Produce Manager. He had worked in the store since high school, but was motivated to go back to school, while working, and found that he loved Accounting. At 35, here he was with a wife and 2 kids, a mortgage, a degree that had cost him dearly, yet no “real-world” experience in accounting. I wanted to hire him, give him a chance, but he was making $35k per year (the top of his salary scale). To make a career change to a job that only paid $25k, (starting pay for a Junior Accountant) with all of his financial obligations, was, to him, impossible.
He couldn’t take a step back to eventually get ahead. (Note: An accountant with experience had a lot more upward salary potential than a Produce Manager).
I often wonder if he’s still trudging to work at the store each day? I pray not, but I suspect he, and many like him, are not living to their full potential because of bondage to debt.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: To be happy in your work is a blessing from God. We are each blessed with different gifts and are called to use them for the glory of God. It also states that working with your hands and not being dependent on anyone (an employer) is a respectable goal. (That was my husband’s ultimate goal). [Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, 1Corinthians 12: 4-51, 1Corinthians 12:27-29, Romans 12:6, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.]
Lesson 12 – Set Goals Together
As a young married couple this was a great experience, to have something to work toward together. Even if we hadn’t accomplished our goal, or if it had took much longer, we were on the same page and we were working together.
We had to look at our own spending habits and we had to come up with ways that we could each contribute. We had to talk about what we valued in life. What we wanted to do with our careers, what we wanted to do when it came to having a family (for me to be able to stay home), and from those conversations we realized what we had to do.
Share the desires of your heart with one another and devise a plan to make them happen.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: Merely talking about a goal won’t make it happen it you must take action. You must make sure you enlist God’s support and commit your plan to him. After all, only if it is the Lord’s will, will you succeed. The Lord gives us our spouse as our helper so we can plan together. Wives submit to the leadership of your husbands, and husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them as you plan and act together. Two acting together are better than one acting alone. [Proverbs 14:23, Proverbs 16:3, Proverbs 16:9, James 4:13-15, Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.]
Lesson 13 – Pool Your Resources
I don’t recall how much each of us had in savings when we married. All I know is that together we had $20k that we were able to use to pay down our loan.
We never evaluated how much money or debt we brought to the marriage individually. In doing so, many couples keep a mental or actual scorecard of “that is his” and “this is mine”. Maybe that is important if you are bringing in huge assets to the marriage, or children by a former marriage, etc., but if you are just starting out, it can be a huge disadvantage.
I’ve heard all the arguments for husbands and wives keeping separate accounts, but I’ve never believed any of them. To me, it makes selfishness and ultimately, divorce, too easy of an option. I know I had to give up some of my “freedom” but by combining our savings, our debt and specifically, our checking account, we knew we were accountable to each other and in this together.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: It says to submit to one another, not being independent from one another. It calls for us to be united with our wife/husband, as one flesh: no longer two but one. And it warns that no man should separate what God has put together. [Ephesians 5:21-24, 1 Corinthians 11:11, Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:6.]
Lesson 14 – Refinancing Usually Means Starting Over
Refinancing is often touted as the best way to lower your payment. Let’s take me for example: I had paid for 3 years on my loan at $1,145/month. When I refinanced, I was so thrilled my payment went down to $785/mo. I really didn’t consider how. It wasn’t entirely the lower interest rate. It was pretty tricky actually.
1. I had removed my taxes and insurance from my payment, opting to pay them at the end of the year instead of monthly. This is a good thing to do; you can save money every month and draw interest on that money, but make sure you can save the amount you will need, come tax or insurance payment time. So while it seemed my payment was $785, I actually had to save $914 ($785 plus $100/month property taxes and $29/month insurance).
2. The second thing was that I started my loan all over again. The length of time left that I owed my payment was 27 years on the first loan and was 30 years on the second.
Most people don’t realize where the “savings” come from when they refinance. Refinancing usually includes fees as well, costing $4-5k or more. Typically these fees are just “worked back into the loan”, in other words you have a longer mortgage, on a higher loan balance. Maybe you aren’t saving all that much really. Beware. Force yourself to use some math. Figure these things out. What sounds too good to be true, probably is.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14: 1.
Lesson 15 – Go Public
It put a lot of pressure on us to stick to our goals, once we told everyone what we were going to do. By exposing our plan to the “light:” we couldn’t hide in the shadows, and do things (or buy things) that might have thwarted our goal.
I remember when my husband decided, mid-plan, that he really wanted a boat. I didn’t want to deny him this; after all, fishing was his passion. We decided that we would only buy this boat if we could afford both the boat (and a truck to pull it with) from the money we received by selling my car, (a nicer one than I needed really). It took a lot of effort to pull the deal off, but God blessed our efforts. Family and friends raised their eyebrows when we presented the boat and truck. We quickly explained how we had not gotten off track by allowing ourselves this indulgence. In fact, they were amazed at God’s provision.
As we talked about our plan, it also allowed us other opportunities to witness to others about how we felt it was God’s plan for our lives. It did subject us to some ridicule, which we stood up under and that made our resolve all the greater. More on that in the next chapter.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS: It says to expose your deeds to the light. It calls us to put on the “armor” of light. I believe it called us to bring our plan to light and let other’s know of our goal and our desire to serve God with our finances. It also called us to give glory to God for our successes. [John 3:20, 1 John 1:7, Romans 13:12, Matthew 5:15-17.]
If this is the first time you have visited my site, and you want to read the previous chapters of this book, you can find the links on my sidebar.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Things Old That Are New Again
While I was at my parents home at Thanksgiving, I ventured under the ominous under staircase closet in search of some old patterns that I knew my Mom had stored there. Why? I mean their old styles right? Why not just go to WallyWorld or a fabric store and buy a new pattern? And why sew at all? You can also buy most clothing for less than it would cost to make them.
While much clothing is cheaper to buy, sometimes there are cheaper ways to sew an item of clothing. Hence my foray under the stairs.
There are in fact a lot of clothing items that are classic in their styling. For instance the basic A-line skirt. It hasn't changed in the last 60 years. If you bought a new pattern today for an A-line skirt it would likely be almost exactly as one bought, well 60 years ago. Same with a basic blouse. Now granted the tissue may not have held up that long...but you never know! :)
I found some of those great old patterns under my parent's stairs, a couple of which my Mom never got around to making. (If you would like to see more of them, I have pictures posted at my other blog.) Hey! New patterns, in really good shape. Free!
Now what about fabric and notions? Well let's consider the sources of fabric. Of course there is the fabric store. Wait for a sale and go in and choose what you want. It's really not too bad a way to go. And with a free pattern you might even break even or spend less on homemade clothing than store bought. Especially if you are making something that requires only a yard or so of fabric. Other sources of fabric that I have used in the past include sheets (plain colors, not prints for me), table clothes, yard sales and thrift shops. I found some beautiful retro fabrics at a yard sale once. And not just a little but 5 - 7 yards each of two different patterns. One print I ended up using for curtains and a head board in our bedroom. The other I used for an apron and there is still plenty more of it, just waiting.
I've also collected some fabric here and there with the intention of making something and then never got around to it. Well, in my effort to be more frugal I decided I need to use that stuff up. And I plan on using the patterns I retrieved from under the stairs.
And what if you don't have access to a mother's treasure trove of vintage patterns? Go to the thrift store. Quite often they will have some in their housewares section. You might need to look past the dated drawings and fabric patterns. Look for classic, simple lines. Usually the simpler the pattern the more likely it will be to translate to fashions today. One caveate, open the envelope to see if the pattern was ever used and if all the pieces are there. It's no fun to get home and find out you don't have all that you need.
Of course, there is time involved. But I don't really count that. Being frugal often means you may end up spending more time than money. And I don't mind because sewing is something I enjoy doing.
So have you ever done something like this? Used an old pattern of some sort to make something you can use today? Tell me all about it! I would love to hear.
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