Hello All!

As I look at everyone around me, very few people are “doing well” in this terrible economy. Many people are out of work and looking everywhere for a job to support themselves and their families. Unemployment claims have gone up, people going to our local food bank have increased in numbers, more people are shopping at thrift stores and other discount stores. Many people however, have not re-evaluated their lifestyles, several are still living the lifestyles they have become accustomed to, without thought to their shrinking bank accounts and wallets and their needs in the future. So, I wanted to address this issue.

Desperate times sometimes need desperate measures. People cannot go along spending money as they did before their job losses, or whatever it is that has changed their financial lives. For example, my boyfriend recently lost his job and I currently only work part time. Both of us have been applying at places that are both hiring and not in the hopes that he gets a job and/or I get a better one. Just to pay the rent and other bills we have had to cut expenses down to the bare minimum. I do mean bare minimum. My back porch, which was my “Zen Spot”, where I went to read my books, do homework or just relax, is now strung with clothes lines. I wash my clothes at the laundromat or in the sink myself then hang them up to dry. We have not eaten out in 3 months, we do not buy anything but the necessities of life. We both are smokers and are working on quitting. In the meantime, we now roll our own cigarettes, as a result we smoke less and hope to quit very soon. I am a Diet Coke junkie, however, it is not a necessity so I have been drinking “sun tea”, iced tea brewed in the sun in the jug. This is a very cheap beverage. I cannot have much sugar so I drink  it unsweetened but you can sweeten it with sugar if you like. I make real lemonade from lemon juice (one cup lemon juice, one cup sugar in a 2 qt pitcher) It is very tasty. I bake our “treats”, cookies, cake, brownies, pies, from scratch here at home. I love to bake and am good at it, my family likes my homemade items much better than any store bought treat.

I only drive to the store, work, or to put in applications at businesses, and to take my son to and from school. I combine trips to save gas. I do not leave my car running, this wastes gas. My son’s birthday is in July, we had a huge party planned that cost a lot of money. We have changed plans and are now having it in a beautiful local park ( no rental fee). My family will all be making some of the food to help defray some of my costs. 

We have to keep internet services, as my boyfriend is going to school online and I have my website to run. However, if we could get away with it, I would happily have it shut off. We still have cable, but I did contact our cable company and am having our services reduced to save money. We turn the lights off and unplug appliances when not in use. My mother struck an agreement with the 0wner of her apartment complex, she now cleans and shows the apartments for rent and gets a significant amount of money off of her rent.

There are all kinds of measures one can take when financially strapped. Think outside the box. Do you have more than one vehicle, do you need both? Maybe you could sell one? Write letters instead of making long distance phone calls. Buy inexpensive foods instead of pricier versions.

I hope this gets people thinking about things they can do to decrease their spending. Thanks to all for reading, and check out my “Recommendations” page for inexpensivly priced books you can buy on all kinds of ways to save money!

The Domestic Goddess

Hello All!

Summer is approaching and with it comes the desire to get out and have some fun. However many people are staying home more for different reasons. One reason is lack of money. I won’t go on about that topic because we all know how the economy is today. However you can get out and have some fun and not have to spend much money. In some cases you do not have to spend money at all! Sounds nice, right! Here are some ideas that will help you get out of the house without having to spend a lot of  money.

- Visit a botanical garden. The one we visit, in Janesville, Wisconsin, is quite large, features a gorgeous pond with benches and decks,  a large koi pond, and to many varieties of flowers, trees, and shrubbery to name. I have been there many times and it is absolutely beautiful, as well as relaxing. Even my teenage son likes to go there. The cost is free. If you decide to visit a public garden bring a picnic lunch along, toss a ball or frisbee around with the family and make a day of it!

- If you decide you want to go to an amusement park this summer, many of the parks sell their admissions tickets through banks, credit unions, or local businesses for a discount. Investigate this option, it will save you alot of money. When you go bring along a picnic lunch, coolers of beverages and cold foods. When it is lunch or dinner time just go out to your vehicle. Bring along refillable water bottles to avoid the high beverage prices in the park, just refill your bottle for free.

- Check your local papers or city website for free or cheap entertainment. Our city has a water ski team that performs shows free to the public during  summer months. It is a lot of fun for the whole family.

- Living in southern Wisconsin we are surrounded by small towns. Many of these towns have parades, small festivals or carnivals during spring, summer and fall. This is an inexpensive way for the entire family to get out, mingle with people and have some fun. One family I know saves up soda cans all year and turns them in to the recycling center around mid-spring. They use this money for entertainment during the warmer months.

- Visit an apple orchard! Not only is the air fragrant with the smell of apples, it is also an educational experience for the kids, only they don’t know it! They can commune with nature, learn about the growing and processing to make apple cider and have fun doing it. It is free to get in and wander around and many of the orchards in this area have hay rides, gift shops and other entertainment. You can do a search for apple orchards in your area and see what they have to offer.

Please email your summer fun ideas and let everyone know how you and your family have fun and save money!

Thanks to All

The Domestic Goddess

Tis the season! The warm weather is finally here. Gardening is not only a way to save money on vegetables, fruits and herbs; it is also a way to relax and enjoy nature. You can turn your gardening must-do’s into quality family time by getting the kids involved. Most children LOVE to play in the dirt, and get a kick out of mom or dad actually encouraging them to get dirty. I rent an upstairs apartment so I do not have any space here for a garden, however, I container garden here and plant a large garden at my grandmother’s home. I look forward to spring every year!

Here are a few tips and hints to help you save a little green this spring!

- When planting a large plant or transplanting into a large pot or planter, put empty, clean soda bottles on the bottom of the pot and then fill with soil. The small 12 oz or 20 oz bottles work well. This will reduce the amount of soil you will use and also reduce the weight of the pot for easier moving.

- Use a spray bottle of vinegar to kill weeds. Do not dilute. Spray vinegar directly on weeds being careful not to spray on any surrounding grass or plants. It will kill those,too. Not only will this save you alot of money on weed killer, it is also better for the environment as you are not using any harsh or toxic chemicals.

- reused and clean deli trays make great mini greenhouses. So do reused and clean aluminum  cake pans (the disposable kind) with the clear plastic lids.  This tip makes starting your plants from seed  much easier.

- When your child’s plastic pool needs to be emptied, have your kids (and their friends) grab a bucket and dump the pool water into your garden or on your plants. It makes sense to use this water because you would just be dumping it out into your yard anyway, might as well save some money! You won’t be using “new” water, adding money to your water bill.

- Ask your local county extension if they have a free mulch program. Several counties nationwide do. This will save you alot of money on your gardening budget. If your county does not have this program, call your local tree trimmers or the city and see if they will give you their mulch or sell it to you cheaply.

Please comment with your gardening tips! Leave your comment on the front page.

We all know that paring down expenses is usually not much fun. It is up to you to keep a positive attitude and try to make it fun. See how far you can stretch your dollar. Find new places you can buy the items you need to have at a cheaper price.

If you are new to this frugality business, explore stores you have never been in before. The “dollar stores” that are all over the country actually have a lot of very good, useful products you can use right in your own home. In my area we have Family Dollar, Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores. I frequent these stores on a regular basis. Remember to compare prices at all the stores you shop in, never assume one store has the best price.

Rent movies and video games instead of buying them.

Use your local library! Most libraries rent not just books but movies and cd’s if not for free, then extremely cheaply. One library not far away from me rents them for 25 cents each and you keep them for 7 days. Libraries have a much larger selection now compared to a few years ago.

Shop at rummage sales. I find this great fun. You never know what you will find. Remember: buy something because you need it, not because you want it.

When my family has get togethers, we make them pot luck. We all bring a dish to pass and the person who is hosting provides the main dish. You get a much larger variety of food, one person does not have to do all the work and everyone saves money.

Combine all your errands into one trip and make a route that enables you to go everywhere you need to without wasting gas by going back and forth across town. This will save you gas money, wear and tear on your car, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the air causing pollution and will save you time. Who couldn’t use a little more time and money?

It’s worth it to buy the more expensive energy efficient light bulbs. If money is short buy one or two every couple of weeks, or one or two a month and start replacing the lightbulbs that you use most frequently. These will save up to 30% on your power and light bill. I have made the switch and the energy efficient bulbs cast light just like the old ones.

Look for free or cheap entertainment. One thing we do in my household is rent movies from the library, pop some popcorn ( I do it the “old fashioned” way on the stove. Pour enough oil in bottom of pan just to cover, power in a cup of popcorn-the kind sold by the bag, not microwave. Cover with a lid and turn the heat up to medium/high. Listen for the pops to slow down to a few seconds between each pop and turn burner off. You don’t want to burn the popcorn. Salt to taste. I put a couple of tablespoons of butter right in with the oil for a buttery flavor), and hang out with the family. We play cards and board games. Go to the park and play games with the kids. Go for a walk in nature. There are tons of nature trails or even some parks have hiking trails. Check out your local newspaper for upcoming events.

Message me with your tips and hints on how you save money in the comments section on the front page!

Everyone wants to save money these days, however many people do not know where to start. Here are some tips to get you started on  your own frugal path.

1. Write down EVERY expense, even that pack of gun at the gas station. Do this for a 2 to 4 week period, then look at all your expenses and evaluate where you are spending your money. Be honest, nobody will see this except you.  When I began doing this I bought a small notebook and kept it in my purse. You will be able to see all the little ways your money is leaking out of your wallet and where you need to “tweak” your spending.

2. Either on paper or on your computer make a list of all your expenses. It is helpful to make two categories: one for bills/expenses you have to pay each month and the ones you do not. Write down everything. If you smoke, write down what you spend each month for cigarettes. Be sure to list everything so there are no surprise expenditures that will ruin your spending plan you will make later. Next you need to calculate your monthly income from all sources. This could include child support or any sporadic payments. Add them up and get your total montly income. I used the amount after taxes, simply because then I knew how much I had in my pocket to spend. Subtract your expenses from your income and this amount is what you have to spend each month.

3. If you have any bad debt, i.e. anything other than a mortgage/rent, insurance; make a list of these debts. This will enable you to know exactly how far in debt you are. This step can be emotionally painful, but be honest. Sugar coating reality only brings on more debt.

4. The money you have left after you pay your expenses needs to be put to good use. Allocate some for savings and some to pay off your debt ( if you have any. If you don’t - CONGRATULATIONS! - you are one of the lucky few these days).

5. In order to live we need shelter, food, power, water, clothing. Our kids needs clothing and food, they have medical and school expenses. We need money for transportation, whether it be our own vehicle or public transportation, to get to work or wherever it is you go. Now is the time to look at all your expenses with a painfully truthful eye. You need to pair down your spending to create more savings so you can pay off debt, store money away for the future; whatever is it that is important for you and your family. Look at your spending habits and decide what you absolutely have to have and what you can live without. Remember, it will take some sacrifice on your part. Do you need those trips to the local coffee house or can you make a pot at home yourself? Do you really need to eat out or can you cook at home for a cheaper, healthier meal? If you already have a closet or dresser full of clothes, odds are you don’t need anymore. Do you need to have every cable channel available or could you shave some services off your cable bill to save money?