tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56363807682091627042024-03-05T03:18:50.066-08:00Learning The Frugal LifeLearning to live within our means.Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.comBlogger1870125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-53965291321096358072020-06-04T17:56:00.002-07:002020-06-04T17:56:43.107-07:00Homemade Dish Washing Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8qRHf_jwIUkTbDMyED_1GDLoXLkpn94WW0MkQ-9Tu-gOEmoV5-2STNzydudsAhZRir_lov8goSnOFGR5MMHIvpDpmYw-r4ac7XYBekPabSxgoZGokiaAc-BhGYrOiDZHaaU-zufrTZ4/s1600/20200503_131407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8qRHf_jwIUkTbDMyED_1GDLoXLkpn94WW0MkQ-9Tu-gOEmoV5-2STNzydudsAhZRir_lov8goSnOFGR5MMHIvpDpmYw-r4ac7XYBekPabSxgoZGokiaAc-BhGYrOiDZHaaU-zufrTZ4/s200/20200503_131407.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
While we were staying home and not leaving our house, even for groceries, we started to look at other options we could try when we ran out of items. Early on, we ran out of dish soap. Here is an easy, natural, dishwashing recipe that we tried and are still currently using!<br />
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<b> <u> HOMEMADE DISH SOAP</u></b><br />
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1 1/3 cups boiling water.<br />
1/4 cup grated castile bar soap. I didn't have this on hand so I used Fels Naptha bar soap.<br />
1 Tablespoon washing soda. You can use a little more if you want a thicker soap.<br />
1/4 cup liquid castile soap.<br />
15-25 drops of essential oil. This is optional.<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Directions:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Add grated soap to boiling water. Stir in washing soda and castile soap. Let mixture cool, stirring occasionally. Add essential oils if desired. You can transfer this to a soap dispenser or container of your choice. If soap is too thick, you can always add a little warm water to thin. We added ours to a mason jar and just keep it next to our sink. </span></div>
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Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-8920005391042896752020-06-01T16:03:00.000-07:002020-06-01T16:03:04.046-07:00Mondays Weekly Menu Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIy2iEECumvYybcAdURWrpwyABxPlgQf2nAtBLYT5IgkXPY9PP49XkP22d0SvoVa1eP5b3aDH8IrCCsAI2gmRO-lSKRwBoKvRB92X4REayMtiIxAz0Iuxmp4rlMghM9d0jEXgAUzkEN8/s1600/20200601_170005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIy2iEECumvYybcAdURWrpwyABxPlgQf2nAtBLYT5IgkXPY9PP49XkP22d0SvoVa1eP5b3aDH8IrCCsAI2gmRO-lSKRwBoKvRB92X4REayMtiIxAz0Iuxmp4rlMghM9d0jEXgAUzkEN8/s320/20200601_170005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is what is on the menu for this week.</div>
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Monday- Pulled pork nachos, corn.</div>
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Tuesday- Breaded chicken legs, beans, mashed potatoes.</div>
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Wednesday- Lo Mein and peas</div>
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Thursday- Chili and corn bread</div>
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Friday- Homemade Pizza</div>
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Saturday- Steak, shrimp, green beans</div>
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Sunday- Spaghetti, sausage, salad</div>
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Anything exciting on your menu this week?</div>
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-20985252275351849372020-06-01T15:46:00.003-07:002020-06-01T15:47:15.187-07:00New Month - Time to Review Your Budget!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img alt="How To Budget When You Absolutely Hate The Idea Of Budgeting ..." 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" 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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-budget-template_l_5d8bed10e4b0019647a2b2cd" target="_blank">(Photo Credit)</a></span></div>
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It's the beginning of a new month which means it's time to review our budget. Can you believe it is June? Summer is here! We<i> try</i> and review our budget monthly. Check out all your categories. Make sure you are staying within your budgeted amounts. Are you spending more in any areas? Has your income changed? Maybe you need to do some adjusting.<br />
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Don't have enough money to take a vacation this summer? You may want to add that category to your budget. It makes it easier if you start setting a certain amount of money aside each month, especially if you have a goal you'd like to reach.<br />
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Take the time to sit down and go over your budget, it's there to help you know where your money is going and keep you on track.Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-907826901114519412020-05-30T10:09:00.000-07:002020-05-30T10:09:29.339-07:00Homemade Sidewalk Paint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQBfOejcC8uTj-0RAJPqSyQwxAScwWr18uHnhAJravirun09tUX9f4dWSWuaODoXXUHyjulqHRf98x2mqhz8eLDWTs0FbkoPF5_dTd9SnaFkyqbSHsRUEIGbJwT4qMY3AXzn2VV02iIY/s1600/20200426_124353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQBfOejcC8uTj-0RAJPqSyQwxAScwWr18uHnhAJravirun09tUX9f4dWSWuaODoXXUHyjulqHRf98x2mqhz8eLDWTs0FbkoPF5_dTd9SnaFkyqbSHsRUEIGbJwT4qMY3AXzn2VV02iIY/s320/20200426_124353.jpg" width="240" /></a>We are always looking for fun new crafts or projects, especially right now while most of our social interactions is with each other. The weather has been beautiful here in Iowa and we are loving getting outside daily. E and I made some sidewalk pain the other day. Our chalk is down to the bare bones so we needed something else to decorate our driveway.</div>
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Mix equal parts cornstarch and water. Add food coloring. That's it! We placed ours in a muffin pan to make it easier to move around. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12glGHEscVGg5etgggsdncxp1p-g9NBYsRMdVabwPIfYM05A-nD52OVhiIzTcDPCYgfuizge1cCmEbfb193et31Dqg5c4YM8PfEgoz94Y6f5CRhTM06hxF08OM92V_5gX-0i-u9pUhtg/s1600/20200426_124342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12glGHEscVGg5etgggsdncxp1p-g9NBYsRMdVabwPIfYM05A-nD52OVhiIzTcDPCYgfuizge1cCmEbfb193et31Dqg5c4YM8PfEgoz94Y6f5CRhTM06hxF08OM92V_5gX-0i-u9pUhtg/s320/20200426_124342.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-55193146495996622502020-05-26T15:17:00.000-07:002020-05-26T15:17:34.642-07:00Menu Plan Monday or Tuesday?!?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx1lO8MsU91Gx0G7XioT_-H4L5fr1xI4TthZID7uQfLq7KxC9i2k2XaruwyzkRG-IPaYkqLIQWpGB1tkv6tG5oAnHO__mZd4FKiglYZXXsMtHi_1h24cECRsYvi9V2fpEcPaqTdJ2zKE/s1600/20200526_155611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx1lO8MsU91Gx0G7XioT_-H4L5fr1xI4TthZID7uQfLq7KxC9i2k2XaruwyzkRG-IPaYkqLIQWpGB1tkv6tG5oAnHO__mZd4FKiglYZXXsMtHi_1h24cECRsYvi9V2fpEcPaqTdJ2zKE/s320/20200526_155611.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Memorial Day weekend has me all messed up! I forgot to post this yesterday! Here is what is on our menu for the week.<br />
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Monday: Hamburgers, cheese sticks, tots, salad.<br />
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Tuesday: Indoor picnic!! This is one of our favorites. We have cheese, crackers, salami, bread and vinegar and oil. We eat downstairs on a blanket and watch a movie!<br />
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Wednesday: Chicken Breast, rice and peas.<br />
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Thursday: Baked Ziti and salad<br />
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Friday: Homemade pizza<br />
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Saturday: BBQ pork, brussels sprouts.<br />
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Sunday: Chicken legs, roasted or mashed potatoes, salad. <br />
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What's on your menu this week?<br />
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<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-38551104028666483702020-05-25T08:58:00.000-07:002020-05-25T08:58:09.330-07:00We went to the Grocery Store!After 36 days the hubs and I finally broke down and went to the grocery store!! We were really needing some fresh fruits and veggies and we were starting to run out of some staple items like flour, butter, eggs and toilet paper!<br />
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We tried not to go hog wild, but as you can see from our receipt, we did a little. We spent almost $600! After reviewing all our items when we got home, we were a little disappointed that we spent so much on splurges. We certainly could have spent less. Things like beer, pop, cookies and shrimp, we didn't really need, but overall I'm not too upset. If we can make this round of groceries last for a month like we did before than that is pretty awesome. I think we were spending an upwards of $1000 a month on groceries before. Now we are trying to be more mindful of not only our spending but also trying to use what we have on hand and get creative with meals before just running to the grocery store to buy something last minutes or if something just sounded good. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjkCMTYuqjDcpdOdJPd_EPVE4royQU52Sw4bj3a7TvGi4GhH_m3uwkAVYkpPlYmk6rr2nCbHRc3bnihFCmBAT45DP_zAwGvbqUKhS34MBGOmZxuDI0FUmw6_1ObmMhKWavS2MgCLjKcE/s1600/20200519_212534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjkCMTYuqjDcpdOdJPd_EPVE4royQU52Sw4bj3a7TvGi4GhH_m3uwkAVYkpPlYmk6rr2nCbHRc3bnihFCmBAT45DP_zAwGvbqUKhS34MBGOmZxuDI0FUmw6_1ObmMhKWavS2MgCLjKcE/s400/20200519_212534.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I'm always curious as to what other people spend on groceries each month. We have a family of 5, with 2 teenage boys that never seem to get full. For now, our pantry and freezer are full. We will see how long we can last! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMfNZPoXA9Dop8zC7tcPho682nZqHtpAAq-26qNuj4gJuceTDZQl7FJsign2oyVl26ZkXDcqUlJmg_GCELfGJObHzV5yTR_79Dli1mmiR-UoPOg9q5vdq0MLaPY-PfxDF4b8Uwkp9Wng/s1600/20200519_210749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMfNZPoXA9Dop8zC7tcPho682nZqHtpAAq-26qNuj4gJuceTDZQl7FJsign2oyVl26ZkXDcqUlJmg_GCELfGJObHzV5yTR_79Dli1mmiR-UoPOg9q5vdq0MLaPY-PfxDF4b8Uwkp9Wng/s200/20200519_210749.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbBNN4wSDG3-iS14oQiioWuYBEUWryv3K4cWd7Dik5UIEq97hHtZAkhhBAVSUIVHXVwMXB8WE-SVu3wt8uW8vnjmjI0Ef9blb8fD8X-J0J67Hzx_p4R5RIdkql5TqBuqFJQzstlHlax0/s1600/20200519_211200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbBNN4wSDG3-iS14oQiioWuYBEUWryv3K4cWd7Dik5UIEq97hHtZAkhhBAVSUIVHXVwMXB8WE-SVu3wt8uW8vnjmjI0Ef9blb8fD8X-J0J67Hzx_p4R5RIdkql5TqBuqFJQzstlHlax0/s320/20200519_211200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-57142284743559389022020-05-18T17:58:00.001-07:002020-05-18T17:58:10.634-07:00Mondays Weekly Menu Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzHLipPcpgBNjidtOVc-NpNgdHDmO0zyb9NHkV57Cldl71GGdJ_OmnkTsw_tfQENQiW55NENTVhYt7Oz0GzSqYcpoYCKphAzZF_jgWwiTDXgFZxg2XCDNqeX-3AoHOHMrFBPPJU0QltE/s1600/20200518_154200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzHLipPcpgBNjidtOVc-NpNgdHDmO0zyb9NHkV57Cldl71GGdJ_OmnkTsw_tfQENQiW55NENTVhYt7Oz0GzSqYcpoYCKphAzZF_jgWwiTDXgFZxg2XCDNqeX-3AoHOHMrFBPPJU0QltE/s320/20200518_154200.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is what's on the menu this week.</div>
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Monday: Chicken hindquarters, peas, fries.</div>
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Tuesday: Chicken tacos, salad.</div>
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Wednesday: Pork loin, green beans, rice.</div>
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Thursday: Brats, chips, corn.</div>
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Friday: Pad Thai, peas.</div>
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Saturday: <a href="http://learningthefrugallife.blogspot.com/2020/05/easy-homemade-pizza-crust.html" target="_blank">Homemade Pizza</a></div>
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Sunday: Steak, roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts.</div>
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-69328071545884278562020-05-15T21:26:00.000-07:002020-05-15T21:26:29.968-07:00Gardening Part 3 - Time to Plant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Now that we have our pots and dirt, we are ready to plant! Oh wait, we need seeds. We acquired some seeds from my in-laws but still needed a few more. The hubby and I decided we would make a trip into Menards to get the rest of what we needed. We ended up going in at 7am on a weekday, which was perfect. The store wasn't busy and we were able to get in and out in 30 minutes! </div>
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Here is what we purchased. We also purchased plastic trays to put under the pots. We spent about $40 on plants, seeds and trays. I also had a $19 rebate check that we used so total spent on our container garden was roughly $21.</div>
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All in said and done we planted 25 containers. </div>
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Cherry Tomatos</div>
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Patio Tomatos</div>
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Squash</div>
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Cucumbers</div>
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Lettuce</div>
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Spinach</div>
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Radish</div>
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Peppers</div>
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Beets</div>
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We also have an herb garden, but I'll blog about that later! </div>
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We placed a pallet at the bottom of our stairs. I am hoping that will keep the critters out. My family is really looking forward to growing some of our own food again!</div>
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<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-20486464086451365602020-05-14T17:00:00.002-07:002020-05-14T17:00:49.603-07:00Container Gardening Part 2 - Preparing our Containers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggn_rRrVwmM47ABhhiwvJsWJBwuFvGV68dpWXeqob4AHfE6TkI9vL1GhQB3ig1u6Y6-sTKisGYSuHOzB_ZaeM3zIsjGrhLVIfcWFNe_tSJ1L4bvMz1pH6mRX5sXzZrhdrvhnhit4YN1jo/s1600/20200512_112731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggn_rRrVwmM47ABhhiwvJsWJBwuFvGV68dpWXeqob4AHfE6TkI9vL1GhQB3ig1u6Y6-sTKisGYSuHOzB_ZaeM3zIsjGrhLVIfcWFNe_tSJ1L4bvMz1pH6mRX5sXzZrhdrvhnhit4YN1jo/s320/20200512_112731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now that we have all the containers we need and the dirt to fill them, it was time to put everything together! I visited our old house (my mother still owns it, so I wasn't trespassing in case you were worried) and remembered our compost area! I decided to grab a few buckets of compost to mix in with the dirt we had acquired. The compost was perfect! There is just something about playing in the dirt that is relaxing to me...<br />
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We had a handful of 5 gallon buckets so D was in charge of drilling holes in the bottoms for water drainage. We used a half inch drill bit to make the holes. We put about 8-10 holes in each of the bottoms of the buckets. As you can see, he got a little creative with his holes towards the end :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sqMwNlKt5fvIYDIOo6Q61VwodVFg0iEjFNd_ORprhAI36lWMtKHlytktSXB9eTeaqOUBfjfWZ-JCAUyFg9W8PIevWC2lFTlOjTpzzdA8W4c0VHpEW_awi9RvKZ56fFokuS7unUmeCoA/s1600/20200511_165540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sqMwNlKt5fvIYDIOo6Q61VwodVFg0iEjFNd_ORprhAI36lWMtKHlytktSXB9eTeaqOUBfjfWZ-JCAUyFg9W8PIevWC2lFTlOjTpzzdA8W4c0VHpEW_awi9RvKZ56fFokuS7unUmeCoA/s200/20200511_165540.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0nOGznpiVyf23U_ZPpwO-H7jGO_Wqg3XQMD3AGiq1BWhmgnJRBY7e53CX0eBFHTwC4xcIzRmLk0KKKOqPwD7MRw9nUUno50j50Z9KU7VcNROV9RPPGzidOg3uAeGZLgJpn9z0jimfVc/s1600/20200511_192656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy0nOGznpiVyf23U_ZPpwO-H7jGO_Wqg3XQMD3AGiq1BWhmgnJRBY7e53CX0eBFHTwC4xcIzRmLk0KKKOqPwD7MRw9nUUno50j50Z9KU7VcNROV9RPPGzidOg3uAeGZLgJpn9z0jimfVc/s200/20200511_192656.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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We had some pots that were pretty dingy looking even after washing. I had some old spray paint in the garage so we had a painting party and spruced up a few of the pots to add some color to our collection!<br />
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We had a couple different strategies in filling our buckets. I wanted to make sure that there was adequate water drainage but we quickly found out that adding dirt to the buckets after putting holes in them, the dirt was falling out of the bottom. We decided to add about an inch of rock to the bottom of the buckets and then put our dirt mixture on top. Once we ran out of rock, we used some old mulch that we had on hand and filled the bottom of the bucket with a layer of mulch and then added the dirt. Both methods seem to work, so I would suggest either. We just used what we already had on hand, if you are doing this and don't want to spend any money on mulch or rock, you can always go out exploring and find rock on your own. We live by a lake so the beach is an easy source to find rocks or reach out to people who might have some that you can have. It doesn't take very many to fill the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpvHF3uZaQjTfDuyt5LVvPiiSLRyxgbocO_IIZSB22Pte-o9sZxo9AdMO5vqUGopR8ZckInSj_1rbfYrAcbWYYQ8eQ1CIAfdYHedq3LhZDmg7LPN83-wCA13WDEBxu1Rn6xTRbXt2qbE/s1600/20200514_101452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpvHF3uZaQjTfDuyt5LVvPiiSLRyxgbocO_IIZSB22Pte-o9sZxo9AdMO5vqUGopR8ZckInSj_1rbfYrAcbWYYQ8eQ1CIAfdYHedq3LhZDmg7LPN83-wCA13WDEBxu1Rn6xTRbXt2qbE/s200/20200514_101452.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_80GRHjBNhdUovRGt9Fx5kNd5FnSyfkEng8GYnvo_UZT95u9P02Poy6lDIwLkTlq_8-qjUO9VPc2rvmxh5AM6SlgqanEsNPrKa3RF4WmWO5cK0et7Uyt3BykgBQccGGB5TXQEog4i2c/s1600/20200514_101552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji_80GRHjBNhdUovRGt9Fx5kNd5FnSyfkEng8GYnvo_UZT95u9P02Poy6lDIwLkTlq_8-qjUO9VPc2rvmxh5AM6SlgqanEsNPrKa3RF4WmWO5cK0et7Uyt3BykgBQccGGB5TXQEog4i2c/s320/20200514_101552.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
Once the bottoms of the buckets were prepared it was time to fill them up with our dirt mixture! We mixed our compost in with the black dirt we found. The kids had a blast filling up all the containers. Once that was done, it was time to call it a day. Honestly it was one of the best days we have had in a while at the Frugal household. Getting outside, playing in dirt, working on a project. I told my hubby I don't think I heard the kids fight once! It was awesome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeGcB7uYAuaifHwaZBvIWCA2jYdhoKOJR2NxFsRRKNIM6f-HGYJ3drfKgKHnxAu4cUbUGVAcu0Y-mgDH8iz5hWtcI3K3N6_OPkumX1SHuHsbfEteW55W4kxWOjHlKNhyphenhyphenBF4hPIiewCQM/s1600/20200511_190736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeGcB7uYAuaifHwaZBvIWCA2jYdhoKOJR2NxFsRRKNIM6f-HGYJ3drfKgKHnxAu4cUbUGVAcu0Y-mgDH8iz5hWtcI3K3N6_OPkumX1SHuHsbfEteW55W4kxWOjHlKNhyphenhyphenBF4hPIiewCQM/s400/20200511_190736.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, it's time to plant! Yay. That will be in my next post. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-55302047775118669202020-05-13T11:41:00.001-07:002020-05-13T11:41:45.503-07:00Container Gardening Part 1 - Finding Supplies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our family has decided to dive deep into container gardening this year. Since moving into town we have tried the last 2 years planting some veggies in pots and having them in the yard. It never works. I had problems with the deer and honestly, I just never put in a whole lot of effort. It wasn't very exciting to think about having a couple pots of veggies when I was used to having this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatcA1yWPaJz-eX4GGzmcS-kIIlooktHrz6ktT8g7K1Uuj4azolTvsr4QYlTqkyqsgPJXvzpvqt2_zrDbYejLUZPO6whzmKZqtgw3N5OdWdA2rrguGcnjEaUr-9x7xR0nAJIe-fJIe70Q/s1600/DSC06368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatcA1yWPaJz-eX4GGzmcS-kIIlooktHrz6ktT8g7K1Uuj4azolTvsr4QYlTqkyqsgPJXvzpvqt2_zrDbYejLUZPO6whzmKZqtgw3N5OdWdA2rrguGcnjEaUr-9x7xR0nAJIe-fJIe70Q/s320/DSC06368.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
However, this year we are going to make a full on container garden on our 12 by 12 foot deck! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkTnxsvZZDob9Ob0ugExII2J3zCHV8-tr0uoyHiB3LBFeO-GUXvKKVkwOuEIILgOUGubkQLm1aRzjx37TN05zv34qKQdXw8asQB9lsKItcqxDc2s_LyFuXk19SPZAh-X3YEZl4mhaUtU/s1600/20200511_125730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkTnxsvZZDob9Ob0ugExII2J3zCHV8-tr0uoyHiB3LBFeO-GUXvKKVkwOuEIILgOUGubkQLm1aRzjx37TN05zv34qKQdXw8asQB9lsKItcqxDc2s_LyFuXk19SPZAh-X3YEZl4mhaUtU/s320/20200511_125730.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_M9L5lUaxiBDnXHfxtDTRvNIyE8QhAXIY8777RHaBH-h_y01KyQMVFDGcPuYpf_cBKFRLRTT2wcVYpFoGPsaFeSKzPX9LTGO2BAR8UnvUf8PkqvEadCXxCWDG-uBEM3CDvxa4n4UBDQ/s1600/20200511_125738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_M9L5lUaxiBDnXHfxtDTRvNIyE8QhAXIY8777RHaBH-h_y01KyQMVFDGcPuYpf_cBKFRLRTT2wcVYpFoGPsaFeSKzPX9LTGO2BAR8UnvUf8PkqvEadCXxCWDG-uBEM3CDvxa4n4UBDQ/s200/20200511_125738.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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We talked about planting a garden in the backyard. Starting from scratch seemed like a LOT of work. Even putting in raised beds seemed a little daunting, not to mention a huge expense. We have deer and rabbits so the only way to put in a backyard garden would be to put up a fence. Between not wanting to go into the stores and trying to stay as frugal as possible we started compiling ideas and ways we could container garden on the cheap. I brainstormed with the kids on how we were going to tackle this. Here is what we came up with.</div>
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1. What do we want to plant? The obvious answer was EVERYTHING but we knew that wouldn't be possible with the amount of space we had. We still have a decent amount of home canned green beans and corn, plus those are easy to get from stands, produce auctions, and some of our family/friends so we immediately checked those off the list. </div>
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2. What do we enjoy and eat the most? Salad greens across the board. We all love salad, so we knew this was something we wanted a lot of. Here is what we came up with for our "wants"</div>
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Salad</div>
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Spinach</div>
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Cucumbers</div>
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Tomatoes</div>
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Peppers</div>
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Radish</div>
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Beets (my son is obsessed with The Office, so we are trying these)</div>
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3. How many and what type of containers do we want? Hubby and I were all about using what we had on hand and what we could acquire for free or cheap. We went through our garage and found a bunch of old pots and 5 gallon buckets that we weren't currently using. I also reached our to friends, family and neighbors asking if anyone had any pots or 5 gallons puts they wanted to get rid of. I got a few responses and soon had accumulated 10 extra pots FOR FREE!</div>
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4. Dirt. It killed me to think that we might actually have to buy dirt. After thinking for awhile it dawned on me that with all the construction going on around us, maybe there would be some dirt that needed to be gotten rid of! D, E, and I drove around the neighborhood and finally came across some crews moving dirt for a new house that was being built. We stopped and I got out and asked the worker is he had any dirt that wasn't going to be used. Not only did he say yes, he actually brought be a huge bucket load of black dirt to the curb so we had less walking distance. The kids and I brought some 5 gallon buckets from home and we were able to make a couple trips and get all the dirt that we needed. FOR FREE!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJr4vBlJ2-ih1yNSIMxgwSOD0mEwXlFZ3ur3J2yQ5cXfw2SYBQUL-21_n_pVH4hnKX0aQPTF0OduKBO80xEDFQPOV4ZZ5c_sq1d8aR8E3r3kbu_WDITJHf-e9GSfIDMO6f1uKnHbi3sec/s1600/20200511_145853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJr4vBlJ2-ih1yNSIMxgwSOD0mEwXlFZ3ur3J2yQ5cXfw2SYBQUL-21_n_pVH4hnKX0aQPTF0OduKBO80xEDFQPOV4ZZ5c_sq1d8aR8E3r3kbu_WDITJHf-e9GSfIDMO6f1uKnHbi3sec/s320/20200511_145853.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOG_wYUzJ4hlw5lSwd5XEfXsQXDSuwFrgwvBtiWiJtjhxeMwt0vXZi0i21Xk9Ijt7y1PrHUPbK6PJNRtDno0NO8g4TJYelEssBqGU4yX9qmH7MhdaD-2eRDXHmASOZFdXbXSfDlNLuRM/s1600/20200511_150836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOG_wYUzJ4hlw5lSwd5XEfXsQXDSuwFrgwvBtiWiJtjhxeMwt0vXZi0i21Xk9Ijt7y1PrHUPbK6PJNRtDno0NO8g4TJYelEssBqGU4yX9qmH7MhdaD-2eRDXHmASOZFdXbXSfDlNLuRM/s200/20200511_150836.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Our current cost for our container garden is $0 dollars!<br />
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Now that we have the space, we have the containers, we have the dirt. All we have left to get is the seeds! That will be Gardening Part 2! Stay tuned!Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-68826351276838355892020-05-11T18:46:00.000-07:002020-05-11T18:46:09.495-07:00Mondays Weekly Menu Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBbEHLqi131x3tfGekaWnFkoPrwUsjIVGGlIyBm8zLS1358yt4lI3nPBkP4myFDzyXxc1xjLavC5cCrVbmXfh4oaDHzi378OpPzcEOGqrl00e-AyZHZ1y0UTQhu_JKkc5L0V2YWScPlc/s1600/20200510_205549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBbEHLqi131x3tfGekaWnFkoPrwUsjIVGGlIyBm8zLS1358yt4lI3nPBkP4myFDzyXxc1xjLavC5cCrVbmXfh4oaDHzi378OpPzcEOGqrl00e-AyZHZ1y0UTQhu_JKkc5L0V2YWScPlc/s320/20200510_205549.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
If you are new to the blog, I like to post our menu for the week on Mondays. Having a plan for dinner each night is really helpful, especially when we have a busy week of events planned. We have not been to the grocery store since April 9th!! We have only been able to do that because we had a huge stockpile of meat (we buy large quantities when on sale) and a huge supply of home canned goods. We are starting to run low and even have run out of a few items, so this week is pretty boring! We have kind of turned it into a game/challenge to see how long we can go without going to the grocery store. We have been pounding through our canned fruits and veggies but we are really craving some fresh produce and cheese so this is probably the week we will look into doing some shopping! <br />
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Here is this weeks menu. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHOXWoMGp5H2Jrpv657qbC3XqHnadRa9BVFK-Koav3gk8D9m8YlfxhJf_AEOrX90h3XVr-GMJxsQnVQH9lRcj69weyzCBNKMwLq88C84-Lx2ffqXAAszUo9Sf1saVgHwlJYPcmKFk5dI/s1600/20200511_181457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHOXWoMGp5H2Jrpv657qbC3XqHnadRa9BVFK-Koav3gk8D9m8YlfxhJf_AEOrX90h3XVr-GMJxsQnVQH9lRcj69weyzCBNKMwLq88C84-Lx2ffqXAAszUo9Sf1saVgHwlJYPcmKFk5dI/s200/20200511_181457.jpg" width="150" /></a>Monday: Spaghetti, brussel <br />
sprouts, and OUR FIRST SALAD of the year from our own garden!! <br />
D has been growing lettuce in some pots in his bedroom window and we have a pot of spinach outside. It was amazing to have some fresh greens!<br />
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Tuesday: Pork loin, broccoli<br />
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Wednesday: Chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes (with fresh chives) corn<br />
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Thursday: Soup (TBD on what kind)<br />
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Friday: Steak, homemade fries, peas<br />
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Saturday: BBQ pork, green beans<br />
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Sunday: Chicken hindquarters, rice, broccoli<br />
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Have a great week!Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-27178949645703260652020-05-10T19:22:00.000-07:002020-05-10T19:22:32.938-07:00Easy Homemade Pizza Crust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><u>Ingredients:</u></b></div>
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1 package active dry yeast or 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast</div>
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1 tsp white sugar</div>
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1 cup warm water</div>
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2 1/2 cups flour</div>
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2 T olive oil</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.</div>
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Dissolve yeast, sugar, and water in bowl. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.</div>
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Stir in flour, salt, and oil to yeast mixture. Stir until blended. Let stand for 5 minutes.</div>
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Turn dough onto floured surface and roll into ball. </div>
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Pull off dough and roll into desired size of pizza.</div>
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Add toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. </div>
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Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrOCE9eS5FH4pVFlHkdfukFbSAFZa3nufne9HG66w6QXgLQuwAm1WBn2-EpmfvEZ7ELRv5G1zWaYwlU00Ipv6qxubr1QC_NPzch1S-1GmkMU_PxrF9vzwnfqRl7iBEkoM1DW-ISx0aZU/s1600/20200508_171642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrOCE9eS5FH4pVFlHkdfukFbSAFZa3nufne9HG66w6QXgLQuwAm1WBn2-EpmfvEZ7ELRv5G1zWaYwlU00Ipv6qxubr1QC_NPzch1S-1GmkMU_PxrF9vzwnfqRl7iBEkoM1DW-ISx0aZU/s400/20200508_171642.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Enjoy!!</div>
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-1440431767417066842020-05-08T10:21:00.001-07:002020-05-08T10:21:21.480-07:00Keeping Busy While Staying Quarantined <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
While some of our state is opening up, we are still very much staying close to home and keeping ourselves quarantined. There is just too much uncertainly right now for us to risk getting ourselves or other family members sick, when in all reality, it could be avoided or at least we can lower the chances. </div>
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Thankfully, we are and have always been home bodies. The first few weeks were pretty easy for us, but the last couple weeks have proven to become a little more difficult to keep ourselves busy and entertained. Here are a few suggestions to keep your kids entertained whether you are staying home or starting to venture out that won't cost you any money.</div>
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Teach and play board games or cards. We just ordered this game it's called Crokibnole. On nice days, get outside and play some games.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead of going out to a movie, stay home and rent your own or find something on Netflex or Hulu. You can rent a movie, buy some popcorn and maybe even a special drink all for less than the cost of 1 movie ticket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Play in the water. Set up a sprinkler, wash the cars, have a squirt gun fight. Fill buckets of water and give the kids paintbrushes to paint the sidewalk.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAGVYuztaG99iUwpTHPgncl86UoJPe3xbt8j3s1BDXLr9KNI4brCYvaxfYOq3-ta9XiGnBM0jH_6UmFD2fUn51lxl5UZcmklq1nozLk2301QddUE2vOeoiyrSM-pPBbaiBpVlFD-XE7U/s1600/20200411_172214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAGVYuztaG99iUwpTHPgncl86UoJPe3xbt8j3s1BDXLr9KNI4brCYvaxfYOq3-ta9XiGnBM0jH_6UmFD2fUn51lxl5UZcmklq1nozLk2301QddUE2vOeoiyrSM-pPBbaiBpVlFD-XE7U/s200/20200411_172214.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go on a nature walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picnics either outside in your own yard or drive to a park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our kids have been writing lots of letters. Everyone enjoys receiving a hand written letter in the mail!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Put together a puzzle.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfejpAxL3cGjqzj6GJFcCpzQKHxegRvq-QvLk-ZUZjWHO0vOyQBV89Yq0QnAbih0hbY47awcMtONjvcZlcRFT7ouLTX0JSDpAxQxPercHHFMeMQk5gsDSibSx2-6gHMhW-Y0rOt5GlbBc/s1600/20200428_003728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfejpAxL3cGjqzj6GJFcCpzQKHxegRvq-QvLk-ZUZjWHO0vOyQBV89Yq0QnAbih0hbY47awcMtONjvcZlcRFT7ouLTX0JSDpAxQxPercHHFMeMQk5gsDSibSx2-6gHMhW-Y0rOt5GlbBc/s200/20200428_003728.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go to the beach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make forts. We do them inside all the time when it rains but how about outside? Set up a tent for the day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Do some baking. Have your child pick the recipe and help with the baking. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> We have a cookie book that the kids like to pick from.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Paint rocks.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhyqEdQlf0-ttHh5zmBOoVdBfK1F89N-AHtwkYe39QU8PkR5O-Moo44zOegB5h9WJq7k2ZBFb4BlJKTzjgfPZprO-me2MjwyC2Sro_-_-lJ2ejM4_EjJD4SMuYm4J4_bvCg-2mj-b4GI/s1600/20200427_151355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhyqEdQlf0-ttHh5zmBOoVdBfK1F89N-AHtwkYe39QU8PkR5O-Moo44zOegB5h9WJq7k2ZBFb4BlJKTzjgfPZprO-me2MjwyC2Sro_-_-lJ2ejM4_EjJD4SMuYm4J4_bvCg-2mj-b4GI/s200/20200427_151355.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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There is an AMAZING amount of educational resources online! <br />
<a href="https://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for a huge list of websites. <br />
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Plant some flowers, or start a garden. <br />
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Whether you are staying home or not, these are just some fun activities that will cost you little, to no money! Share in the comments any ideas or things you have been doing with your kiddos that are frugal. <br />
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Take care and stay safe!<br />
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<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-82541326604144167302020-05-05T15:14:00.001-07:002020-05-05T15:14:42.006-07:00Homemade Weed Killer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've never been much for putting chemicals on our yard, but weeds are my enemy. I researched a lot of homemade weed killers. I found this one and it worked like a charm! </div>
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<b>Homemade Weed Killer:</b></div>
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4 cups Vinegar</div>
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1/4 cup borox</div>
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1 teaspoon liquid dish soap</div>
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Mix together and place in spray bottle</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IiuEJXbKxux565NEgvPcQ_LUdTIQ1EAgZYzrRaQhZxBs8PMTELoRCsmzRn2pIDR0XYjbbNRtPD8QJhcQC-kin7s6Nw1u0PZch3kpBBm97FVIO1ak-WWoClIL5GnY8m-x1MCMuePkigk/s1600/20200427_124645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IiuEJXbKxux565NEgvPcQ_LUdTIQ1EAgZYzrRaQhZxBs8PMTELoRCsmzRn2pIDR0XYjbbNRtPD8QJhcQC-kin7s6Nw1u0PZch3kpBBm97FVIO1ak-WWoClIL5GnY8m-x1MCMuePkigk/s200/20200427_124645.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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This is what I started off with. I have pulled these stubborn weeds many a time, and they always come right back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiId3aPyB4RyLiSaRzYKH8g9a6u2-67T6vB1xYzVK_W5Zfrh1bzfzO00hSvl21bUnByKju2zHkKSZ-NBB_MommPOuxITmFtp2QP8LzZO8OjPfdsarapNs1S_otcCb69dCW7MV1Rr5ihxBI/s1600/20200503_133736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiId3aPyB4RyLiSaRzYKH8g9a6u2-67T6vB1xYzVK_W5Zfrh1bzfzO00hSvl21bUnByKju2zHkKSZ-NBB_MommPOuxITmFtp2QP8LzZO8OjPfdsarapNs1S_otcCb69dCW7MV1Rr5ihxBI/s320/20200503_133736.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcBZut4pfJwaNwr0Sc5LH2v46Lbx-UuRFCKn4kwWUBWW4H4gbnSA2Hr8wSbtPdoIeuhcng4Ult-NW5m7UCaif2f53ww-WF1cMFYOGLtcNvZLvmWh7EHQ3x8Ibsv4PD9pxE_gqIWUBiLI/s1600/20200503_133818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcBZut4pfJwaNwr0Sc5LH2v46Lbx-UuRFCKn4kwWUBWW4H4gbnSA2Hr8wSbtPdoIeuhcng4Ult-NW5m7UCaif2f53ww-WF1cMFYOGLtcNvZLvmWh7EHQ3x8Ibsv4PD9pxE_gqIWUBiLI/s320/20200503_133818.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is what it looked like just 24 hours after spraying.<br />
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After 48 hours the weeds were completely dead and easy to pull out of the ground. I sprayed the rest of the rock area in hopes that nothing will come up in the dead weed space. Keep in mind this solution will kill grass too, so make sure you only spray what you want to kill!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrYmKN6mdg2NOCqN8Ow-mr_6OIR_ZHb3kQ9PkPQ7K3S_b9IC3svqPcRv7klh6wptatoXt7a2Nr3ImzuCA9m6GwVo4rTMXNw-fLi6YPeWcXNT62lUVjO2-i0hgPJhXcipyWMC3z3BFvjU/s1600/20200503_133845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrYmKN6mdg2NOCqN8Ow-mr_6OIR_ZHb3kQ9PkPQ7K3S_b9IC3svqPcRv7klh6wptatoXt7a2Nr3ImzuCA9m6GwVo4rTMXNw-fLi6YPeWcXNT62lUVjO2-i0hgPJhXcipyWMC3z3BFvjU/s320/20200503_133845.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkkcJ61G9aK7ylmoVv_xTkY-qv5kOQzUQQceWrUr3uTZgisjJpIzR7wOE0QV3eYgyeMna-7lCb1gaLDjVhcOG3YSuevT3D5zL1uqRCNERXZ-__iS8S55mvdqBzfW3bmcC9brFKeGbPGc/s1600/20200427_144842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkkcJ61G9aK7ylmoVv_xTkY-qv5kOQzUQQceWrUr3uTZgisjJpIzR7wOE0QV3eYgyeMna-7lCb1gaLDjVhcOG3YSuevT3D5zL1uqRCNERXZ-__iS8S55mvdqBzfW3bmcC9brFKeGbPGc/s200/20200427_144842.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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Here is the end product. It looks so much better! We will see what happens in a couple weeks. Crossing my fingers the weeds stay away.<br />
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<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-90498665135634901332020-05-02T07:33:00.000-07:002020-05-02T07:33:01.103-07:00Long time, no blog3 years and almost 7 months, that's how long it's been since my last blog post. Wow! Time sure does fly! A LOT has happened in the last 3 and 1/2 years. We moved to a new house, our second oldest son moved out and joined the National Guard, I got a new job, we've added 5 (soon to be 6) new members to the Figgins clan, and COVID-19!! What?!?!<br />
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Let's start with a little update. <br />
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In July 2017, we moved from our home of 15 years into town. Our longterm goal (and my dream) was to move to the country away from people, have our own land, garden, farm and raise our children. However, when it came down to it, circumstances and finances wouldn't allow that. So our focus changed to finding a home we loved and most importantly a good town and school district for our children. That landed us in Polk City, IA. It's been a HUGE change for us, but we are starting to get a little more comfortable. We miss our friends dearly, but thankfully we are only about 15 minutes away :)<br />
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The week we moved, we ended up packing up the family roadster and drove 20 hours to meet our first granddaughter!! My son and his wife, who are stationed at Fort Drum in New York welcomed a baby girl July 4th, 2017. We barely adjusted to being called "grandparents" when a year later, my grandson was born. The whirlwind continues and 3 months ago they welcomed TWIN girls the family. Yes, 4 kids, under 3 years old. I love every ounce of those little minions, just wish they lived closer. Thank goodness for technology so we can keep up and watch how quickly they grow.<br />
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My second oldest T, moved out in January 2018. A huge milestone for him. He works full time, met a wonderful girl, joined the National Guard in December of 2019, and will welcome his first baby (another girl) in June!! So, as you can see our family is quickly growing!<br />
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That leaves my husband and I with the 3 littles still at home. They are not so little anymore sadly. B is 14, D is 13, and E is 9. They always say the older you get the faster time goes and that is so true. Trying to soak up the last few years the boys have left at home and trying to learn and play with my daughter while she still likes me :)<br />
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The hubby is still grinding away at the same job he has had for 15+ years in IT. He's amazing, my rock and best friend (insert mushy eye roll here). In August 2018 I left the medical clinic where I was a medical assistant for an amazing doctor and took a new job in the health office at our high school. It was a difficult move for me, as most career moves are when you leave some place you have grown to love and has become like a second family. It was challenging starting a new job in a new place, being the new kid in town. Not everyone likes the new kid, but I have grown, learned, and dealt with the challenges thrown at me and because of that, have become a better, more mature person. I cherish the new friendships I've made with the students, staff, and families in the community. <br />
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Whew, that was a lot of information shared! I'm excited to be back blogging. I've rolled the idea around in my head the last few months and I'm finally getting the extra push I need. The world is in a state of chaos at the moment (hasn't it always been tho?) and my goal of blogging it to help others with some tips, tricks, and other ways to help families save money, eat healthier and love life just a little more! Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-77897439583046646362016-10-04T18:43:00.001-07:002016-10-04T18:43:12.476-07:00Thrift ShoppingI started my job a few weeks ago. I work in a medical office and my uniform is scrubs. I bought a couple cheap pairs online until I knew what I wanted to wear each day. I have been wearing the same 3 sets since I started. I started looking at buying a few more pairs and wasn't happy with how much they cost. I hate spending money on clothes.<br />
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Today was my day off so I decided to hit up the thrift shops. I spent a couple hours and came away with 4 shirts and 4 pants for about the price I would have paid for 1 brand new set. I spent a total of $28.26 for all this! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAb9L4w0fw5-c_iWYJFMeYu43lWPDShbdT8p9RCU6CObvdVJsDhT1TdkMwAmnh3gfRpSG1nz-IhjaNFWGAd0mGul8g_F5UsKWBT6TDfxZM5kHMyCgS1nSfpbM0TW5s84XwOTdUoGA_Jw8/s1600/IMG_1998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAb9L4w0fw5-c_iWYJFMeYu43lWPDShbdT8p9RCU6CObvdVJsDhT1TdkMwAmnh3gfRpSG1nz-IhjaNFWGAd0mGul8g_F5UsKWBT6TDfxZM5kHMyCgS1nSfpbM0TW5s84XwOTdUoGA_Jw8/s320/IMG_1998.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I think I did pretty good! </span></div>
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-46297015987025670042016-10-02T15:28:00.001-07:002016-10-02T15:28:29.989-07:00Wrap up on the No Spend Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXCJwS-PjXc4rXqyJwxpqcZTMMJVYdzoTqRrZixcsE0AScr42EAXl9xi122rWbvfkyMNMX7GJNfSeJ43_QtFZt9FyfXictD4gcOHniYxgKr_ljo6GbaRpPirPYcnqdsC_EgNhB4r6cGw/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXCJwS-PjXc4rXqyJwxpqcZTMMJVYdzoTqRrZixcsE0AScr42EAXl9xi122rWbvfkyMNMX7GJNfSeJ43_QtFZt9FyfXictD4gcOHniYxgKr_ljo6GbaRpPirPYcnqdsC_EgNhB4r6cGw/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" /></a></div>
Well our no spend month is over. Here is the break down of what we spent the last week of the month. <br />
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26- $0<br />
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27- It was our wedding anniversary and we decided to not exchange anything. I did spend $.37 on a pop for the hubby. I used rewards at Walgreens so only paid .37 out of pocket.<br />
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28- $20 for gas in my car.<br />
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29- My husband went to Illinois for a funeral. He spent $75.51 on gas and $1.92 on pop. We also went well over our $100 food budget. My son's birthday was on the 30th so we bought his birthday dinner (he wanted steak and shrimp of course) and cinnamon rolls for breakfast then we had a family lunch for him on Sunday so we had to buy groceries for that. We spent $57.12. <br />
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30- We spent $9 at the high school football game. <br />
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All in all I think we did really well for the month. We would have stayed closer within our $100 grocery budget if we didn't buy groceries for our son's birthday. Total spent on groceries was about $160. Usually we spend at least $600 each month just on groceries. So we saved roughly $440.<br />
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We didn't spend money on eating out at all. We ate from the freezers and pantry. I am saying that this saved us at least $250. Eating out and groceries are our major flexible expenses. <br />
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It's hard to judge just how much money we saved from having a no spend month but I am guesstimating around $1000. It's amazing! Of course my van went into the shop at the end of the month and that cost us $416 to fix. I guess at least I had the money on hand and we didn't need to dip into our savings to pay for it.<br />
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How did your no spend month go? Did you save some money? Let us know how you did in the comments. <br />
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<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-2199044782908590442016-09-25T16:18:00.002-07:002016-09-25T16:18:37.176-07:00Update on our No Spend Month-Week 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqcWCj0mpT84dQLcjhjLY5DRP0WRtsvaucwJ-w9V5kFcJpK8JRL2yLxnHzV1XOnE35hThJmkyjOepsUOKoUeYYn9f2ddiEjEkKp9Xp8N8OtOOaQvsLin0vgO-bZF0u2AIAAIVDHNKciA/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqcWCj0mpT84dQLcjhjLY5DRP0WRtsvaucwJ-w9V5kFcJpK8JRL2yLxnHzV1XOnE35hThJmkyjOepsUOKoUeYYn9f2ddiEjEkKp9Xp8N8OtOOaQvsLin0vgO-bZF0u2AIAAIVDHNKciA/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" /></a></div>
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This week went by really fast again. I am still trying to get used to working full time! We did pretty good on our spending again. Here is a break down of what we spent each day. </div>
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Day 18- $0</div>
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Day 19- We made our second trip to the grocery store and here is what we bought for $26.50.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPnRSF9axo6IpAfvQJ-Qw8ya17Qmb_mwrBl0-3PEDTYm7SedCuz7qLndiWIHaUiSRWLcU4F97Uh2-dfmZFNjwDd8DNE9XtAIT-1VSCCh7Bdefpx1EPiU3BMA3BYyXvnAjgEpnAqAMYw0/s1600/IMG_1984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPnRSF9axo6IpAfvQJ-Qw8ya17Qmb_mwrBl0-3PEDTYm7SedCuz7qLndiWIHaUiSRWLcU4F97Uh2-dfmZFNjwDd8DNE9XtAIT-1VSCCh7Bdefpx1EPiU3BMA3BYyXvnAjgEpnAqAMYw0/s320/IMG_1984.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Day 20- This was my day off so I ran a bunch of errands that day. I took cans back and earned $7.35. I went to the farm store and spent $17.25 on 2 bales of straw and woodchips for the chickens. I went to Walmart and got some household items and pop for the hubby and spent $37.80. That one hurt a little but I got some things that we needed. Granted I probably didn't need to buy so much deodorant but I had $1 coupons that were about ready to expire. Now that my daughter is no longer wearing flip flops I had to get her some socks and they were on clearance for $3.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJD31hyrI5kvn6ii4IaIeMUXIkUC3kikzdqx7LwljieRauD5zg_Oyux9TyX04H4FvZY5CTvn1-ZJmaeL6tMHQWg0940-GWTgpthyphenhyphenau9rEixKdqCC9riZXL3v-stVPUmVGVILHxUnMAjYU/s1600/IMG_1987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJD31hyrI5kvn6ii4IaIeMUXIkUC3kikzdqx7LwljieRauD5zg_Oyux9TyX04H4FvZY5CTvn1-ZJmaeL6tMHQWg0940-GWTgpthyphenhyphenau9rEixKdqCC9riZXL3v-stVPUmVGVILHxUnMAjYU/s200/IMG_1987.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDgTpQ3LM-v4Kaff-16R9GWWzp_6585aLdH9PXCRqAedJhAGyR8DyAktq96pBM6Mz-DUL2E1QZeGTB2xWJrAqZYQ71n6cK2fNH1PUhFRatU0fQ84OriFI30LEHdfAMBt1W7cy4VoJeEo/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDgTpQ3LM-v4Kaff-16R9GWWzp_6585aLdH9PXCRqAedJhAGyR8DyAktq96pBM6Mz-DUL2E1QZeGTB2xWJrAqZYQ71n6cK2fNH1PUhFRatU0fQ84OriFI30LEHdfAMBt1W7cy4VoJeEo/s200/IMG_1986.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Day 21- $0<br />
Day 22- $0<br />
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Day 23- I stopped at a garage sale during my lunch break, I know, I know. However they were selling little girl clothes for $.25 per item. It was insane. Needless to say I spent $5.50 but now my daughter has an entire Fall and Winter wardrobe. My husband went to the store to buy food for tailgating at the ISU game and spent $8.92. We now have $1.27 left for our grocery budget for the month. Eeek!<br />
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Day 24- Gas for the hubbys car $39.94<br />
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Day 25- $26.00 for a birthday gift. <br />
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So there you have it. We have only 5 days left of the month. I think we have done really good. I am not feeling any urge to go shopping or spend any money. I told my husband we should carry this over to October but he thought we didn't need to be quite as stingy next month. He agreed with me that he was excited about the money we have been saving. <br />
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We have almost made it! How did your week go? Let us know in the comments! Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-57521725103931029162016-09-21T03:13:00.002-07:002016-09-21T03:16:42.771-07:00DIY Canning Lid PumpkinHere is another fun project I found on the web, a canning lid pumpkin! And since I have an abundance of canning lids I thought this would be perfect. Here is what you'll need.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfFdOgO8QYt9J0ZoFW-FrwnQPYAp4we6XUbbz2pZRCZJFm40xMLs1pKdMrr_yhMg-giDP8xwSd9artBr_N4iSFP8hvu7rIaOMnw8gYcXOwJp1-fpWqxxotCY_GzYSj2yz4nba_xvhY6E/s1600/IMG_1891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfFdOgO8QYt9J0ZoFW-FrwnQPYAp4we6XUbbz2pZRCZJFm40xMLs1pKdMrr_yhMg-giDP8xwSd9artBr_N4iSFP8hvu7rIaOMnw8gYcXOwJp1-fpWqxxotCY_GzYSj2yz4nba_xvhY6E/s320/IMG_1891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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16-20 canning lids-depends on how many you have and how full you want your pumpkin.<br />
Orange spray paint (Walmart $3.98)<br />
Yarn or string<br />
Cinnamon sticks<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXGXQ3ueIcJ9PV6BvRFdosq8Dtr9sjlC0rgstab-zxDa4yAhAejSKEl3UArPd_4qeU-qGIZVkwwAb0_LvmtsY1HL1g_64Zb7x7okXK2IANQTK5EkGR58vpDGC4fQbdvx_QKbaEl9h3cM/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXGXQ3ueIcJ9PV6BvRFdosq8Dtr9sjlC0rgstab-zxDa4yAhAejSKEl3UArPd_4qeU-qGIZVkwwAb0_LvmtsY1HL1g_64Zb7x7okXK2IANQTK5EkGR58vpDGC4fQbdvx_QKbaEl9h3cM/s320/IMG_1886.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA199JGeUlIDDmw32b1DbqdZwmNXI2-NHzWUZPdAP0XWyDZ9BQ6uz6lGzph7qK1gyj0-FYjlN8ZbP6KYDckDYh1V9IDzs_IjTvikzMGCQ3D8gIcLLcnxt8ssBAqw_gUsSeMWVCNtxuc5s/s1600/IMG_1889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA199JGeUlIDDmw32b1DbqdZwmNXI2-NHzWUZPdAP0XWyDZ9BQ6uz6lGzph7qK1gyj0-FYjlN8ZbP6KYDckDYh1V9IDzs_IjTvikzMGCQ3D8gIcLLcnxt8ssBAqw_gUsSeMWVCNtxuc5s/s320/IMG_1889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1LtPyJmzlzAQ_snP39Vmgt3WpYD_jQt7Ktx-kULPSf5KAuh0oLZc8j5Eg4nJ6AKagVjuWhXdRXx30c2QiTLBblXFZUB-P9NV4q-G-G6NSG_5-dfg1dWikHSPzbpiuMswyFJXjApKPjI/s1600/IMG_1890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1LtPyJmzlzAQ_snP39Vmgt3WpYD_jQt7Ktx-kULPSf5KAuh0oLZc8j5Eg4nJ6AKagVjuWhXdRXx30c2QiTLBblXFZUB-P9NV4q-G-G6NSG_5-dfg1dWikHSPzbpiuMswyFJXjApKPjI/s320/IMG_1890.JPG" width="320" /></a>First you will want to lay out your lids on a box or newspaper and spray them with the paint. Let them dry a couple hours and flip the over and spray the other side, trying to hit all the edges.<br />
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Once dry place all the lids together making sure they all face the same way, this is key. You can use yarn or string (I used butchers rope cause that all I could find) and tie the lids tightly together. Once tied fan out the lids to make your pumpkin shape. Place 3-4 cinnamon sticks in the center for a stem. If you don't have cinnamon sticks a plain ol' stick from outside will do!<br />
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I love the rustic look! Super cute and easy to make.Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-46732108270084714012016-09-18T06:05:00.001-07:002016-09-18T06:05:06.191-07:00Update on our No Spend Month Week 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc3zwrgO5Quzo90Ro8xH1oL0PmUggQk2CwC2ZCUBek_1zv31znekM17XRT90PWlzuQczdIrcCxHR1xMDmhX6memUvraKqy_kfjfclh8Hy4TgAsz4Rg3f7f2HbRzHYH8HbJqr3TJUFh5U/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsc3zwrgO5Quzo90Ro8xH1oL0PmUggQk2CwC2ZCUBek_1zv31znekM17XRT90PWlzuQczdIrcCxHR1xMDmhX6memUvraKqy_kfjfclh8Hy4TgAsz4Rg3f7f2HbRzHYH8HbJqr3TJUFh5U/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" /></a></div>
Wow! This week really flew by for us. This was my first full week of work and we are still getting used to the changes around here. One great thing is I/we have been so busy we have stayed out of the stores! We had a fantastic week of no spending. Here is what we spent, or didn't spend each day.<br />
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Day 11 $0<br />
Day 12 $0<br />
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Day 13 $19.88 at Walgreens for medications. <br />
$10.20 for groceries at Walmart. My son needed snacks for school and my hubby really wanted some pop. He has been doing so good with this. We spent alot of money on pop in the past. <br />
$13.50 at Walmart on cat liter. <br />
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Day 14 $5 at the store for ice that we needed to take to a party.<br />
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Day 15 $0<br />
Day 16 $29.48 for gas in my van.<br />
Day 17 $0<br />
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I am so proud with how my family did this week. We still have $38.69 left in our grocery budget for the month. I know we plan to go to the store today to get bare essentials! We still have plenty of meat in our freezer so basically we just need some dairy and produce. <br />
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How did your week go? Share in the comments!<br />
<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-51885954636968083972016-09-12T04:57:00.000-07:002016-09-12T04:57:40.006-07:00Menu Plan Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLMTV69arnD4ZUWrfmBLafLpOieRm-R1Uv3Ne7s8zRGX-CtttvgxajN9VBNfk3qWq1z-XP3GCjtrSjW3DOqL-mkxxzrQOG6zLvomtSzR_EE-KQjb0-GSQHndTuM8AeQL69G7dZQVdAuI/s1600/IMG_1905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLMTV69arnD4ZUWrfmBLafLpOieRm-R1Uv3Ne7s8zRGX-CtttvgxajN9VBNfk3qWq1z-XP3GCjtrSjW3DOqL-mkxxzrQOG6zLvomtSzR_EE-KQjb0-GSQHndTuM8AeQL69G7dZQVdAuI/s320/IMG_1905.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is our second week of not assigning a day to our meal and simply writing our menu on the chalk board. It worked well last week. Once we make one of the meals we just erase it from the board. We found some chicken and corn beef soup that we had frozen from March so that was added to our menu this week. It's kinda fun going through our freezers. We had a lot more food than we originally thought and we are clearing it out and making room!</div>
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What's on your menu this week?</div>
<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-16240864653621730942016-09-11T06:37:00.000-07:002016-09-11T06:37:20.276-07:00Update on our No Spend Month Week 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5MwvlCRZxole2neC-WyW3HaQHd9t7xAbZKOzvdBi62QqF4LImrvW9dAzgAeY_8tyZw3P2W4cF_jVC_5o6GQjabyeIeJHW2Ir_rCfmIyOQkryvFhqxhQL487PyQKaOU2do3W1HnFC6GI/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx5MwvlCRZxole2neC-WyW3HaQHd9t7xAbZKOzvdBi62QqF4LImrvW9dAzgAeY_8tyZw3P2W4cF_jVC_5o6GQjabyeIeJHW2Ir_rCfmIyOQkryvFhqxhQL487PyQKaOU2do3W1HnFC6GI/s1600/notbuyinganything.jpg" /></a></div>
Wow. This was a big week for us. I started my new job, my oldest son who is in the Army returned home from South Korea, and my next oldest son got his official driver's license so I no longer have to chaperone him around! It's been a great week.<br />
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As far as our no spend month is concerned I am happy with how we did this week. Here is a breakdown of what we spent this week.<br />
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Day 5- $0<br />
Day 6- $0<br />
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Day 7- I spent $35 on gas for my van, hubby spent $38.58 on gas for his Jeep. Hubby also spent $5 on the lottery pool at work. He refuses to give that up!<br />
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Day 8- $0<br />
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Day 9- Hubby broke down and bought a pop at work for $1.60. I'm impressed he went 8 whole days without buying one! He's doing good. We also spent $9 for admission at the high school football game. We didn't buy any concessions! <br />
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Day 10- Our first grocery trip of the month. We went to Aldi and spent $44.51. Here is what we bought. <br />
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We have done great at eating what's in our freezers. We really haven't even made a dent so I don't think we will have a problem keeping our grocery budget under $100 for the month. Also we have eaten dinner at home each night so I am super proud of us for that! <br />
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Today starts a new week. Let us know how you did this last week in the comments or on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Learning-the-Frugal-Life-308841040729/">Facebook page</a>! <br />
<br />Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-48248366487120375622016-09-09T04:29:00.000-07:002016-09-09T04:29:26.810-07:00Saving Money While Dining Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://vrumc.org/kids-eat-free-2/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit</span></a></div>
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There's no hiding it, our family loves to go out to dinner. We fall into that category of every time there is something to celebrate we go out to eat or get dessert. However, with a family of 6 that can add up pretty quickly. Here is a few ways to cut back the costs of eating out if you have children.<br />
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If you have children, find places where kids eat free or cheap. There is all sorts of places around that lets kids eat <b>FREE</b> on specific nights. Usually you can have one free child's meal with each paying adult meal. Here are a few if you're in the area.</div>
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Mondays-Village Inn</div>
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Tuesdays-Pizza Ranch, IHop, Perkins, HyVee Market Grill in Ankeny, Pizza Hut Buffet</div>
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Wednesday-Wig and Pen in Ankeny </div>
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Thursday-Cozy Cafe in Clive</div>
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Friday-</div>
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Saturday-Z'Mariks Noodle Cafe</div>
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Sunday-Okaboji Grill, Planet Sub</div>
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Other restaurants offer deals during certain days or during certain hours of the day. For example on Wednesdays McDonalds offers reduced price Happy Meals all day, Buffalo Wild Wings offers $1.99 kids meals all day and Applebee's offers 1/2 price kids meals from 4pm to close.</div>
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Another way to save some change is to skip the fancy drinks. Sticking with just plain ol' water will save you around $2 per person! You can always look for coupons and offers in magazines or newspapers and even on <a href="https://www.groupon.com/">Groupon</a>. This isn't very fun but you can always skip dessert as well and that will cut a huge portion of your bill down. Or maybe you can just skip the entree and just order dessert! </div>
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Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-975274155077933832016-09-05T19:35:00.003-07:002016-09-05T19:35:49.801-07:00Big ChangesWe are making some big changes around our household. After almost 11 years of staying home I am going back to work tomorrow! My husband and I always agreed that once all our kids were in school I would go back to work. This year our youngest child started Kindergarten so the time is already here for me to make this change.<br />
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It's bitter sweet for me really. I am experiencing so many emotions. I'm excited to start a new adventure, nervous for change, scared I'll fail, and sad to be leaving my status as a stay at home momma. It will be an adjustment for sure. Not just for me but for my husband and kids as well. <br />
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I'm still learning to be frugal all the time so I plan to continue blogging! It's an exciting time for us and I'm happy to take you on this new journey with me. Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636380768209162704.post-21140930800180568142016-09-05T05:59:00.000-07:002016-09-05T05:59:12.795-07:00Update on our No Spend Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's only been 4 days but so far our No Spend month has gone ok. I won't say great because we have spent money but it has been on things that we needed to get done-kinda! Here is the break down on what we have spent each day.<br />
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Day 1-I spent $15.55 on a haircut. I wanted to get this done before I started my new job (more on that coming). I also spent $36.75 on gas for my van.<br />
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Day 2-The Mr spent $25 on an oil change and $30 (previous commitment) on Fantasy Football.<br />
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Day 3-The Mr spent $1.60 at Fareway buying buns for tailgating.<br />
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Day 4-We spent $47 at a wedding (includes gift and dollar dances).<br />
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So far I haven't gone to the grocery store (the Mr did). I'm needing some bread and other items but I am holding off until we absolutely need to go. My husband is in charge of meals this week and I know he has been searching through the pantry for ideas.<br />
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I'll check in next Sunday to let you know how the upcoming week goes.<br />
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How have you done? If you're participating leave a comment and update us!<br />
Frugal Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15190205304276427805noreply@blogger.com0