Learning to live well on a budget
Follow along while I learn new skills and get creative raising my kids on a limited budget.
I am happy to report that the experiment with turning off the water heater at night has really paid off. We saved $30 in 30 days, and in over the course of a year we will save $360! That will look fantastic in our Christmas account, or it would make a really nice mini vacation. Walking up and down the basement stairs an extra 730 times in a year is great exercise too, so it is a win all around! If you decide to try it for yourselves, comment below on how much you saved.
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My free ranging chickens were relentless about coming up on the patio to eat my flowers. We originally had some pots on the ground, eventually used the pink bricks to build them up a little higher- to no avail, and now finally built a high shelf for the pots to rest on. I knew they were less likely to reach them here, but shocked by how fast the flowers would rebound. The amount of blooms in just a week is astounding! The picture above was taken the day we built the shelf, and below is today. Look at how many blooms!
You really can have you cake and eat it too (as long as you can keep it away from the crazy birds!) We are proud of how the siding is coming out on our shed (hubby's art studio.) The free shingles we found are a boon. We counted the mis-matched shingles and put them into a color rotation, and like a sweater knit from multicolored yarn, it is coming together perfectly.
As I mentioned in the previous post about homemade burritos, I worked at a taco joint. I will share a trick of the trade on how to get the meat inside the hard shell. Scoop some taco meat up on an icing spatula (a pie server also works well.) Swipe the meat inside the shell all up one side. The purpose for this is so that you get meat in every bite instead of just at the bottom, and there is plenty of room for cheese and lettuce etc.
I made a huge batch of taco meat the other day and I had a considerable amount leftover. Since the kids are out of school and always eating I thought I should make some burritos ahead of time and freeze them. It's cheaper than the frozen burritos you buy in the store and I know they are made out of good stuff. All you need is your taco meat, some flour tortillas and some cheese. You can find my recipe for taco meat here: http://lavinialuna.weebly.com/blog/taco-meat-for-picky-eaters-with-hidden-veg After microwaving your stack of burrito shells for approximately 30 seconds (to soften them up so they bend easily) spread the meat 2/3 the way down the tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. You could also add sauce and onion if you like, but since my kids are picky, these will be plain. Thanks to my short stint at a taco joint in my youth, I learned to fold burritos correctly. Fold the bottom third up over the meat. Fold the right third over the meat. Fold the left third over to the right, and voila. Flip the burrito over fold side down so it stays closed. Put into a resealable bag (I used the bag the shells came in, saves money and plastic) and put them into the freezer. Reheat when you need a snack or an easy lunch.
The shed is coming along, and I am actually sort of enjoying it's "coat of a thousand colors" theme. Because it is made from mainly re-purposed wood that we got for free it is a mutt in nature, but a beauty in our eyes. We got a huge pile of brand new roofing shingles from a re-locating local business which we will be using as siding and we are excited to get going on it. Slowly but surely it's coming together. Money spent so far: $155. (keeping in mind the roof and main supports were already existing. Windows-free, door- free, some of the wood- free. Mainly spent money in two by fours, screws, bricks and great stuff)
Just because you are adhering to a budget doesn't mean that you can't get into the spirit of things. I went to Walmart and was looking for a flag for the porch, they were all over $12 and I couldn't afford a flag AND sparklers unless I was willing to get a little creative. I then spotted a package of two smaller flags for $2.40, meant for use at parades or for cemeteries. I figured why not. I got them home and made homemade flag holders from a cottage cheese container (which I will show you below) and I am so happy with my purchase. They look amazing and are eye catching. I can keep them for Veterans Day and Memorial Day too, or maybe I will leave them up all summer. To install cut up a plastic container until you have two squares approximately 3x3 inch square. Fold in half around the flag stem white side out and staple it tight. Voila! Easy as apple pie! Actually, I think apple pie is harder.
Times are hard for most people in this country. People are seeking to make ends meet, save money, and they are getting creative to do it. We are on the same wavelength. It's been a week since my husband and I decided to experiment by turning the water heater off at night. Our energy bills have been outrageous as power costs are rising, and we are desperately looking to keep the power company from sucking our livelihood away.
I have to say turning if off at night really hasn't effected my lifestyle at all. I was happy to discover that even if you turn the water heater off at night, the water will stay warm until morning and it only takes a matter of a half an hour or less to heat it back up. We do the dishes after dinner and then turn it off. We have yet to see how much it will save, but it's worth a shot. Even if it's a little bit we will be satisfied that we did what we could to save money, electricity, and essentially mother earth by reducing electricity consumption. Our water heater is electric so it is easy to switch off at the breaker. We also made sure our temperature was turned down to the lowest setting. I don't know how this will effect me in the winter when I want to take a hot bath, but for now in July I am having my needs met. If you have propane or a gas water heater you may want to look into what it would entail to turn your water heater off as I have never owned one, but I read that it is definitely a money saver, even more than with the electric models. We will be looking to get a water heater blanket in the near future. Having a strict budget is hard, but in all honesty I have taken it as a challenge, and every time I save a dime I feel like I cheated the system, like I'm a rebel! It's a good feeling. It's a sick thrill I get from saving money, but it's an honestly proud moment when I have the money in my wallet to see that my kids have more of what they need. We run a tight ship, but the pay outs are huge. I will update with results. |
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