Clutter Bug Boogie

So I have been absent from the blogging world for several weeks.  I apologize...I have been taken over by a fall cleaning frenzy--some have their day in the spring, for me it is in the fall.  As windows get shut-up with the cooler weather, I feel like that is the time to start the thorough cleaning--the removing of spring/summer dust and grime.  In the spring you are opening up the windows and in flies the outdoors-- dust and all.  To each his (or her) own...so spring or fall it really is up to you.

I was motivated even more this year to declutter as I clean.  Generous family members allowed us to inherit their stuff (some of this was appreciated...some of it not so much).  While these gifts are well-intentioned, my own mantra is "clutter is no gift."

But something else had happened to my house over the years--I was so good at finding bargains or free items they started to take up my living spaces. My frugality, while a friend on most days, was not a friend when it encumbered my day-to-day living spaces (or better yet, my day-to-day living experiences).  And so I have began the slow process of clearing out the clutter.  Somedays have been major overhauls of a room-- but on most days, I set a timer and see if I can clear out and replace within the 15-minutes I have set aside. The frustrating part of this is I'm losing money in my clearing out.  Even if these things were purchased for a quarter at a garage sale that is still a quarter I wasted.  Thankfully, there are items that were free and so no loss (except for the time wasted finding a home for this stuff and later removing it).

Still, my plight to clear out represents a common problem when a person gets the "frugal" bug.  "Sale, reduced for  quick sale, half-off, going-out-of business" are all statements that can suck in the most frugal-minded folks and bring us to buy things we don't need or really want.

There are several tactics to avoiding overbuying even when it is a "good deal."

Wait 24 hours--chances are it will still be there tomorrow and once the fever has wore off you may decide you don't need it.  If you fear it will be gone you can buy it (make sure it can be returned) and keep it in your car for the next 24 hours--then decide should it come in the house or go back.

Ask yourself, "Will this improve my life substantially, is it necessary, will it be more work to take care of this item in the long run?"  Usually your answers will be--No! No! and Yes!

Have a running "needs" list of things you do need--so if you do catch a "good deal," a garage sale, etc. you can use the list.  Just as your grocery shopping list saves you from making rash purchases so does this "needs" list. I make a "needs" list every year during garage sale season (usually it involves figuring out what clothes my children have grown out of) and this helps me avoid buying what I don't need.

If you do purchase something, know that you will have to remove something else out of your house to make room for it.  I purchased a pair of PJ's and out went an old rag-tag pair (and so my drawers still close easily).

Hopefully if you stop and reflect before you buy--you won't have to do the clutter bug boogie very often.

Counting Your Beans...

COUNTING YOUR BEANS...

I enjoyed a nice weekend at my sister's home and discovered a cabinet full of canned beans (for her future pot of chili).  She explained to me that she always uses canned– she doesn't know how to "do" dry beans.  A can of beans can range from cents to over a dollar a can.  A bag of beans will cost you over a dollar usually but you get a lot more in return– additionally, you lose a lot of the sodium and many of the "added" ingredient.  Even more the cans beans purchased in tin cans may contain more BPA (Bisphenol A) than the plastics we've been pulling out of our toddlers mouths. BPA has been linked to breast cancer and early puberty in women.

Prior to my frugal self-education...I didn't even know that beans came from anywhere else but cans.  I didn't know how to "do" dry beans either.  So for all of you scared of dry beans take a chance...and avoid some yucky side effects when enjoying your chili.

How to Cook Beans

Put two cups of beans in a coliander and rinse clean--look for any twigs, rocks, or rotten beans and pull out and toss em' (you could compost the twigs and the rotten beans but not the rocks...)

Put the beans in a glass bowl and cover with water--place a lid or a towel over the beans (to keep bugs and dust out).  Let the beans sit overnight or 6-8 hours.

(If you don't have time or forgot to let them soak overnight--fill you tea kettle up with water and bring it to a sing--pour the hot water over the beans in a glass bowl and let it sit for an hour...should be ready to cook after that hour.)

After soaking beans pour water off (0r reserve this water if recipe specifically calls for it– otherwise assume you are going to cover them again with fresh water)

Beans can be cooked in several ways; slow cooker, stove, or pressure cooker.  I typically use the first method so food can cook while I'm doing other things.  I just inherited a pressure cooker and so I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm sure some people have cooked beans in the oven as well....I just haven't experienced that...maybe someday I'll find an obscure recipe that calls for it...maybe over the campfire in a cowboy hat as well...life's an adventure who knows?  Okay back to the beans...

Follow your recipe–this will involve covering beans with some type of liquid...for chili I just cover with water and add my spices, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and some corn at the end.  If I start a pot of beans on the crock pot in the morning I cook on low all day– if you have a half day (6 hours) cook beans on high.  

On the stove your beans can be done in a little over an hour or two on simmer (I usually try to get them done a little faster and boil them and then simmer).  

Here is the trickiest part about beans....OLD BEANS WILL NEVER GET SOFT!!!!!  If your bean are over a year old they are useless to you as food.  They make great art for the kids however or a delightful bean bin for little ones to enjoy some tactile learning....and again back to the cooking part

For years I thought I would never be able to cook beans they always stayed hard for me...because they were always ancient...I get an idea in my head to cook with beans...buy some and forget about them, until over a year later when I would get the same notion...but then I would feel like a failure with my pot of hard beans...beans will soften if they are fresh– so give yourself a break if you've ever had that disaster occur....you didn't know and now you do.

Were really about done-- on your first go with slow cooker beans you will want to stay close to home (maybe try it on a weekend).  The liquid cooks down and so you will want to practice a little so you know how much liquid to keep in there so they don't dry out or burn.  I end up drowning my beans so I rarely ever have had to worry about this (but I like my drowned...they are tasty that way).  Refried beans are really the one time you do need to pay a little closer attention and since I know that you've now got a black-belt in bean basics I'm going to give you my rock star awesome refried beans recipe...no need to yo quiero T. Bell  anymore....

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

1 onion peeled and chopped

3 cups dry pinto beans (0r black beans), rinsed

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional if you like it warmer– I sometimes add a dried chile pepper and take it out prior to mashing–it makes it just about right for my kids who don't like things too hot)

2 tablespoons minced garlic or 1 tablespoon garlic powder

3 teaspoons salt (more if you like)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 

9 cups of water

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir.  Cook on high for 8 hours (add more water as needed).  If your water is evaporating too quickly turn your slow cooker down.

2. When beans are cooked strain them but make sure to RESERVE THE LIQUID.  Mash the beans with a potato masher or large fork (add the reserve water as needed to get them to the consistency you desire)....

Happy eating!

The Ant vs. The Grasshopper: A Bedtime Story for the Frugal

 The Ant vs. The Grasshopper

It is now past 10 p.m. I am pooped...and again today I realized I am the ant.  Sometimes I wish I could be the grasshopper and sing all summer...but I am an ant and I just don't sing quite the same song as the grasshopper.  But I sing in my own special way.

I have spent much of the week freezing and canning items from my garden and others.  While I was making jam– I calculated that each jar cost me $.75 to process (that made me sing my own special song, while I compared it to what the grocer's charges for the same item).  So my hard work will add up eventually and I'll be glad this winter to see the savings and enjoy the harvest.  However, when you've been at it for five days in a row it gets a little wearing and sometimes I'd like to unzip this ant suit and try on a grasshopper one just for a bit....

And then I remember I did try on the grasshopper suit for a little while and it was too tight and I couldn't breathe and it was really scary in there, and even though on the outside it looked like I was having a jolly good time and my songs were really exciting– the jolliness was short-lived, especially at the end of the month when the bills came due and I didn't have enough songs left to pay the piper.  Thankfully, I got out of that grasshopper suit and I felt much better in my own skin (my own frugal skin).  

You see once upon a time... while I was an ant, my husband lost his job the same day I found out I was pregnant with baby number two (seriously...same day)...and for an instant I panicked...and then I started to breathe again.  I remembered that "hey, I am an ant and ants store away and work really hard so when winter comes they can relax and make it through."  Winter lasted for about five-months and here is the kicker...we saved money during that time...we had learned so many ways to scrimp and save over the years (practicing our ant ways) that we pulled out our frugal black-belts and saved money on one teaching salary and a little bit from Uncle Sam.  The winter is over for now...sort of...I don't teach anymore and so we are back to one more substantial salary.  So I continue my ant ways and store away because I don't know when winter will come again and I want to be prepared...and that way I can live happily ever after, even through those rough cold winters.

The End.

Be an ant my friend.

Tightwad Gazette - Amy Dacyzcyn

If you are new to frugality you may not know about The Tightwad Gazette.  Get a copy (if you don't have one already).

This week I'm busy preserving the bounty of the season and so I thought I would introduce you to my hero.

Enjoy this clip...and put some August's harvest in the freezer (at least)...you'll find joy in the wonderful taste of the previous season this winter (and the savings).

The Dirtiest Word...Clutter: The School Days Edition

School has started and while kids may be sullen..."woo hoo" was my response.  Summertime boredom got the best of this household towards the end.  Two days into the school year and already the school clutter has began... backpacks, lunch pails, shoes and little bits of paper can take over your house if you are not careful.

Last year we struggled to come up with a system to reign it all in but I think this year we have it under control. Perhaps these ideas will stir your creative juices and you too can escape the clutter that comes with gooey art projects and athletic equipment.

1. Get the kids in on the action

There is no playtime in our house until...the lunch box is emptied next to the sink and put away, the shoes are put in a basket next to the door, and any papers mom or dad need to sign are put in a designated spot on the kitchen counter (next to the phone in our house).  *At this time we don't need a basket to keep these papers sorted but I have one ready for when we do.

2.  Worksheets

At first my daughter was heartbroken when she would see worksheets in the recycle bin.  However, we had a discussion about how we can't bring in "new to us" things unless we get rid of our old things (we have this discussion frequently at our house...to keep the clutter at bay).  I do not keep printed worksheet but I do hang onto stories for awhile (more about that later).  I now take worksheets if they are clean on the backside I use them for scratch paper or even as printer paper.  No sense wasting anymore precious trees and it saves me money too.  Since worksheets tend to be a standard 8 1/2" x 11" they can be stacked and stapled at the top to make a great scratch pad or pad for your child's future artistic endeavors.

3.  Art projects, stories, pictures

I'm a bit sentimental about my children's art projects and I want to keep them all (but I can't or we wouldn't have anywhere to sit).  I pick the best of the best during the school year and store them in a large box (copy paper boxes work great).   After school is out for the year and my child has moved onto new things I go through the box and really become selective on what I keep.  I then punch holes in those pictures, stories, etc. or put them in page protectors and keep them in a three-ring binder.  My kiddo likes to look at her old work and see how far she has progressed.  Also, with this method it is easy for me to get even more selective later on when the binder is getting full and pull somethings out.

4. Reminder notices and calendars

Put any important dates from school on the calendar immediately.  Also make a place to tack up any fliers or calendars that you may need to keep.  I literally hot-glued clothes pins to an old cork board so I have lots of "clips" to put all the school notices and to keep them away from other papers that my husband or I may need to have up and out.  My daughter of course painted the board and clips and so it is very colorful to say the least.

Best wishes during this school year.

Summer Time Back to School Shopping Blues?

Summer Time Back to School Shopping Blues?

So... as I registered my daughter for school today and dropped a couple hundred bucks– I was so relieved to know that my wallet was safe from any future school “necessities” for awhile.

School Registration–  completed late (oops)

School Supplies– completed  mostly last year and a little bit this year

School Clothes– completed throughout the year

In order to make our family’s school dollars go further I shop throughout the year.  After school starts– go figure– supplies go on sale (usually these sales include paper products and pencils).  Of course you can’t beat crayons and markers when stores advertise them as loss-leaders and so it is best to buy these when they are advertised low.  I simply get a copy of my daughter’s school supply list for the next year. (I was a teacher and know that it is rare for a teacher to drastically change a supply list in a following year.)  I am then able to scout sales and maybe buy some nicer products, I wouldn’t have previously purchased retail, at this time.  For school supplies, my daughter didn’t get everything new this year.  Her backpack is a good quality JanSport bag (clearance item) and should las several year ( we have purchased cheaper bags in the past and they break mid-year) so this saved us dough by reusing.  Also, her pencil box and scissors will be reused.  As a teacher I watched so many students throw out supplies that were barely used or not even open– there responses were often “I’m going to get new ones anyway.”  These items were new except they were purchased last August and not the upcoming one (of course I dug them out of the trash and found good homes for them)– where came the mentality that school supplies can’t be reused?  In our house reuse is just using also your noodle. 

Additionally, school clothes go on sale after school starts.  Does your child really need sweaters and jeans when it is still warm at the beginning of school?  If you wait it out and shop when retailers start to cut prices the savings can be substantial.  Personally, I get most of my children’s clothing marked down at thrift stores, consignments stores, garage sales, and outlet stores (off-season).  I average between $2 to $3 per clothing item and my children do not look like the children’s version of “What Not to Wear.”  I am very selective and thoroughly check out items for good seams, stains and holes prior to purchase.  Underwear and socks (purchased new) are our costliest items for children clothing.  Also, to avoid having to buy a large amount of clothing mid-year, I purchase staple items: jeans, long-sleeve tees, and shoes, one or two sizes ahead.  So for example my daughter wears a child’s 6 currently but I’ve got jeans in both  size 7 and  size 8.  Since I purchase so far in advanced I can be choosy about quality and price.  If at all possible really begin your school clothing shopping for next year in early March– that is when all fall/winter merchandise hits bargain basement prices.

So while you can’t turn back the clock and prepare for this year, last year... you can try to avoid doing the bulk of your clothing shopping until mid-September or early October.  And of course you can check out discount school supplies a few weeks after classes begin.  

Fracking

While my blog is about home and frugality– I wanted to share this video today.

The act of fracking is not frugal.  The costs related to environment and life are too substantial to allow this to continue.   Webster's defines frugal as : characterized by or reflecting economy (see economy: thrifty and efficient use of material resources ) in the use of resources.  It is  not in any way an efficient use of water, the most precious resource on earth, to say well oops we contaminated it and continue with these risks.  I've attached the government link to senators and representatives– a short e-mail questioning why fracking is being tolerated is an easy action you can take.  I will be e-mailing today.  If you e-mail as well and get a response I'd love to hear what your senator or representative has to say.  I'll get back to money saving and simplifying tips next time.  Thanks for reading.


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