Homemade Laundry Detergent, Take 2...Powder!

For Abbie, because I promised.  And the rest of our readers, too!

Well, I finally ran out of my 5 gallon bucket of liquid laundry detergent (Duggars' Recipe).  It lasted me over a year, and that includes a time when another family of 4 was living with us and using the detergent.  I also didn't dilute it nearly as much as the Duggars suggest because I felt like I needed more cleaning power.  My final review is that, while it definitely costs very little compared to store-bought, I felt that our clothes got a bit dingy after a while.  ESPECIALLY the whites.  Frustrating.  Also, I missed that "laundered" smell.  It's one of my favorite smells in life, after all!  It wasn't a big deal, but I also wasn't fond of measuring liquid.  It just seems messier than it needs to be, whether store-bought or homemade.

I didn't want to make another 5 gallons of the liquid without first trying a powder form.  Some people seem to caution away from powder because of it "wafting in the air" posing a problem to breathing health.  Others said they had trouble with caking in their dispenser.  It does cost a bit more than homemade liquid, but still not nearly as much as store-bought.  And powder?  Just so much easier to measure!  So I researched, chose a recipe, and went for it!

I used Liz Marie's Laundry Soap recipe.  I had 1 leftover bar of Fels Naptha, so I only did 1/3 of her recipe - yes, math was involved to figure out how much of the other ingredients to use.  Good brain exercise!  I also thought it would be good to only do 1/3 just in case I didn't like the recipe or it wasn't effective.  Here are my notes from making it:

• I left out the scent beads because of cost and non-necessity.
• Microwave the soap bar(s) on a plate.  It makes it SO much easier to grate or powder-ize.  After breaking up the pieces as much as I could by hand, I put it in a big ziploc bag and went to town with my rolling pin.  I figured, "The finer the bits, the better they dissolve" to avoid the caking issue.
• I picked up a simple plastic snap-top container from Target - plastic is cheaper, lighter, and IF per chance it falls off of washer/dryer/shelf, you'll only have to clean up detergent.  I use a 2 Tbs measure (harder to find in store, though not impossible...Amazon will rescue you).  Normal loads use 1 Tbs (half a scoop).  Bigger or more soiled loads use 2 Tbs (whole scoop).

I made my 1/3 batch back at the beginning of December.  It's mid-Februrary now, and I still have at least 2 months or so of detergent left!  Which means a full batch would last approximately a year to a year and a half!  My thoughts after using it for a few months:

• I.  Love.  It.  After the FIRST load, I thought I was seeing things.  The clothes seemed brighter - especially a particular green shirt my boys wear.  I called my boys into the laundry room and asked if they thought the shirt was a brighter green.  Even they agreed!  I'm pretty certain it's the oxyclean.  And if you keep extra on hand, you can add a little to any load you want to have an extra punch of clean!  I usually do this for whites and wash on warm.  They have revived a bit from the dingifying effect of the homemade liquid.  But new socks we've gotten recently are still perfectly white!  No dingifying!
• Laundry smell!  It's back!  I think because the Fels Naptha isn't so diluted down with water as in the liquid recipe, the smell is able to shine a bit more.  I imagine the powder version would smell like whatever soap you choose to use (Fels, Zote, etc.).  The smell is not incredibly strong like store-bought, but you might catch me with my nose in clothes.  Maybe frequently.  If you were a bug on a wall in my sunshiny laundry room.
• Measuring?  LOVE.  Super easy.  Mess free.  Unless you bump your hand or the measuring spoon or just completely miss your dispenser.  But that's user error.  ;-)
• Wafting and breathing powder in?  Not with daily use.  I did notice some of this action when pouring the batch into my plastic container, but I'm the only one around when doing it.  So no worries for my kids, namely my asthmatic boy.
• Caking?  I have had no issues with this at all.

Conclusion?  I'm sold.  For forever.  :-)

Ps - I would have pictures for you, but I believe my superhero power of spastic static ruined the memory card drive of my computer......  Apologies.  You'll just have to imagine my little container filled with powder and measuring spoon!

Floral Frugality

Flowers. I love them.  If I could, I would have fresh flowers on my dining room table all the time.  It is a special treat when my Honey brings me flowers.  I will confess that when he first started bringing me "grocery store" flowers instead of "flower shop" flowers, I was offended.  I'm such a silly woman!  I have discovered I like arranging flowers; and it is so much less expensive to get some grocery store flowers and arrange them yourself, especially if you have a small stash of old vases.  Now flowers are *always* more expensive around Mother's Day, so the cost quoted here is higher than normal.  I know at my grocery store you can usually get a bouquet of flowers for around $10.

The day before Mother's Day, my Honey came home with two large beautiful bouquets -- from the grocery store.  :)  Because I knew I was going to turn this into a blog post, I asked if he minded if I knew how much he spent.  He said it was around $34.  Readers, I got two arrangements out of these flowers!  So I have a large bouquet on my dining room table and a bouquet in my kitchen.  I'm going to put pictures of what I see as comparable bouquets from the Telaflora website so you can compare the "flower shop" bouquets to the "grocery store" bouquets.

Two Grocery Bouquets and a Vase

The first bouquet-at-home, short 'n sweet and full...

A comparable "flower shop" bouquet at $39.95 -- more than both grocery bouquets together!

The second bouquet-at-home, simple and elegant.

The comparable "flower shop" bouquet at a whopping $44!

My youngest daughter is living with my middle daughter for a month this summer.  As a tradition, I usually have flowers waiting for my girls when they come for a visit.  So my middle daughter did that for her sister.  She can't find her camera at present, but she bought a grocery bouquet of multi-colored roses for $15, arranged them in a short modern vase, and put a pretty pink fabric ribbon around the middle.

The comparable "flower shop" bouquet at $59.95!

I personally like my bouquets better than the floral shop bouquets, and it was a total difference of $49.95.  If you'll notice, my lily bouquet has a lot more lilies waiting to bloom than are in the floral shop bouquet.  So the lesson here?  Don't be a flower snob like I was; and be grateful that you can get, for yourself or someone you want to cheer, flowers from the grocery store!

Ps - The only way this might not work is if you want someone out-of-state to have flowers.  :-)

Call Me Crazy: Black Tea Tan

So, what lengths would you go to in order to please your husband if he mentions something that might look nice to him?  :-)  A few years back, my brave Hubz mentioned to me that my legs were white.  As in really white.  And he might, maybe, just prefer them to have a little more color.  I think my jaw hit the floor.  I'd never been accused of being super white before (just look at pics from my lifeguarding, have-all-the-time-in-the-world days).  I have super capacity to be tan thanks to my (albeit small) native American heritage.  But I have a husband, kids, and home now.  And that doesn't always mix with being able to get a tan.  At the time he told me that, I did buy a bottle of Jergen's self-tanning lotion.  Nope.  It made the rough spots on my ankles and below my knees orange and the tanned color was just odd.  I've tried to snag little sessions outdoors to get some Vitamin D and sun-kissed skin, but the cooler months last longer here... and I have kids.  My upper half currently has a nice bit of color to it because I worked outdoors the other day.  But my legs.  Well, they still fit the description my brave Hubz gave.  And I want to please him.

Enter: a hair-brained, crazy idea a friend saw on Pinterest.  The black tea tan.

(Tip: If you are blessed with gorgeous skin color as my dear friend in Colorado is... disregard the following!)

Supposedly, you brew 4 black tea bags in two cups of boiling water for 10-15 minutes.  Once it cools enough to be comfortable, you spray or sponge it on your freshly exfoliated skin (stay in your tub/shower!!).  With gloved hands, rub it all over in a circular motion without leaving any darker streaks.  Dab off any extra droplets (don't want to look like a zebra or leopard!) with a towel you don't mind tea stains on (I have a nice tea-colored towel, perfect!).  And allow to air dry.  You're supposed to end up with a nice touch of color on your skin.  The strength of the tea apparently changes the strength of the skincancer free, non-fake, non-spray-me-orange, CHEAP tan.  It's supposed to last 3-4 days until your skin goes through it's natural sloughing pattern.

Mm-hmm.  I tried it.  :-)  I did one leg three times which took maybe a total of 5 minutes.  Then I took a picture.  There IS a difference.  Hopefully your monitor and your eyes will be able to tell.  I even asked JG, my 6 year old son, which leg was whiter (he didn't know which leg had been "tanned") and he immediately pointed to the correct one.

I'm going to go do the other leg now.  And I'm going to do the black tea tan again after my shower tomorrow to see if I can get more color so my legs match my arms for once.  Can't wait to see if my leg color will now be more pleasing to my Hubz.  (Bonus: They won't be pasty white for a wedding this Sunday!)

Another tip was to combine a bit of coco powder with your favorite lotion to get a "glow" or "bronzed" look.  I haven't tried that, and I'm not sure I'll go that far.  You're not supposed to let your skin get wet if you do this or else it will streak as the lotion runs.

Happy all-natural tanning... if you're adventurous enough!

Ps - Can I get kuddos for having bravery to match my Hubz's?  I did post a picture of my LEGS on my blog.  :-P  I just want my readers to know it works!

All Purpose Cleaner

Dining on a Dime pg. 403

Do you feel as weird reading about a cleaning product "recipe" from a book called "Dining on a Dime" as I feel writing about it?  Just seems weird, but I'm very glad these frugal recipes are in available.  I wish I had figured out how much this costs to make, but I didn't.  I made a single batch (about a gallon), and I cleaned a bathroom with it.  I sprayed the cleaner on the sink, shower floor, and toilet and let it sit while I swept the floor.  Then I wiped it up with a wet sponge.  I did have to use a little elbow grease in the sink and on the shower floor due to some soap scum (at least I guess that's what it was).  Also, I used the green scrubby side of the sponge for the sink and shower floor.  It made the sink and faucet nice and shiny!   It also worked well on the bathroom floor.  I was happy with the way everything came out.  However, I did use it on the front of my black dishwasher and it left a white film.  I wasn't too happy about that, but then I realized it was probably from the baking soda in the recipe.  Once wiped with a wet rag, all was well.  :)  Here is the recipe:

1 gallon of water
1cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup baking soda

Combine all ingredients.  Put in a spray bottle to clean showers, toilets, sinks and counters.  Great for most cleaning needs.  Use all-purpose cleaner to clean your floors.  Just spray on and wipe off as you would counter tops.

I'm going to do some research and find out if I can put some essential oils in there to make it smell really nice.  Not that it smells bad at all.... it sort of has no odor.  Anyway, I just don't want to combine anything and get myself sick....did that once when I was younger.  But that, as they say, is another story!  :)

Pretty Efficiency

Do I know how to make cookies?  Of course.  But that's not all they teach you in four years of college-level Home Ec (despite what many people assume).  They also teach efficiency, time management, money management, and tricks of the Home Manager's trade.  I love being able to contribute to food events at our church whether showers, meals, receptions, Sunday school snacks, or whatever.  But life gets busy, and it certainly isn't practical ALL the time to try and fit in a home-baked item.  Does that mean I have to say no?  Does that mean I have to buy something from the store and plunk it on the table to say "There, I contributed"?  No to both!  So here's my little, simple trick of the trade: Buy something and just arrange it on your own dishes!  Time is valuable, sometimes more so than dollars.  And service to others is priceless as it is commanded in Scripture.  Don't put value on dollars more than time and people.  Sometimes, it's worth it to spend a bit more to be able to contribute but in a way that looks nice and blesses people.

Three specific examples of what I've done:

1) I LOVE potato salad.  But it can be time consuming.  And Safeway makes the best Southern potato salad ever!  So I have been known several times to buy Safeway's potato salad and make it pretty in one of my white bowls for baby and wedding showers.  No one knows any different because it fits right in with the pretty table decor!

2) I know that April is going to be a crazy month for my family, but I also gave Hubz "12 Pies for 12 Months" for Christmas.  That means he gets a pie even if it's a busy month for us.  When you do the cost breakdown for a lemon meringue pie, it's pennies more to just buy one and A LOT less time (and hassle...have you ever tried to make meringue perfectly? UGH!).  So I flat out bought him a bakery lemon meringue pie.  He's happy as a lark, and I saved us a couple (or more) hours of time.

3) I signed up for Sunday School snack last month -- and it happened that no one in my family went to church that day.  Thankfully, we live super close to a Safeway and even closer to another family in our church.  Thanks to a great sale, I got 100 cookies for $10.00 that morning.  Slap those cookies in a couple dishes for the "pretty" factor, deliver to said neighbor to be taken to church, and the rest of my morning was spent caring for our sick kiddos and just resting as a family.  Bonus: our Sunday school has way fewer than 100 people... so we had cookies for a week!  GOOD cookies!

Disclaimer:  If you find yourself in a financial situation in which you really shouldn't purchase something, then don't.  Family comes first, and no extraneous purchase should jeopardize your family's needs.  If you have more time and less money, then home-made goods tend to be cheaper.  But not always -- so be careful!

Super Undies!

Makes you giggle, doesn't it?  But I'm talking about a real product.  A few months ago, I went to a cloth diapering guru asking for ideas on how to get my oldest son JG out of overnight diapers.  With two boys in them every night, a good deal of our "Baby" budget category was flying out the window.  She suggested something they hadn't yet tried, "Super Undies."  They are on the expensive side for cloth at $30.00 a pair, but if you invest in them early on... they save you TONS!  Here are parts of the review I wrote for their budding business in the overnight cloth diapering category...

They are so soft!  I tried to wash by hand, and WOW they hold a lot of liquid!  I now machine wash after talking to customer service, and they have held up perfectly. They do take a bit longer to dry since they hold moisture so well.  My son also had to get used to the puffiness compared to a more slim overnight diaper, but he loved the softness.  Wanna know the best part?  I think because Super Undies are NOT a diaper, my son subconsciously quit wetting the bed!  With overnight diapers, he'd wake up to a soaked diaper (and sometimes bed) every morning.  Since having Super Undies for a couple months, he's wet the undies five times or less!  And for our family, they're so super that they also helped us figure out that our younger son no longer needs overnight diapers either -- or a Super Undies.  So one pair of Super Undies and two months took us from buying 60 overnight diapers a month to two boys who wear underwear to bed!

I would also add here that as a mom who never did cloth, these were the perfect solution.  There is no disassemble or reassembly for washing.  All you do is pull the cloths out of the little sewn in pocket, but they remain attached on side.  Pop it in a mesh bag for laundering, then just fold and push the cloths back into the pocket.  No pinning or anything.  Another good thing -- I'll have a pair for Eme when she is day trained but still working on night training!

If you want more information for yourself or a friend or you just wanna know more and watch a video:

Super Undies Nighttime Undies Potty Training Pants

Frugal Valentine's Day

Note: My apologies to my dear co-author for just now editing and posting this.  Better late than never, right?  Use it as an inspiration to celebrate an un-Valentine's Day for your spouse!  :-)

Oh, Valentine's Day... the day we all want/expect to be romanced by our boyfriend or husband (I'm assuming all our readers are ladies).  I don't know if My Honey and I are getting old or are just content or both, but we're just happy to be home on Valentine's day.  Of course, the last time we went out for dinner on Valentine's Day, we arrived at the restaurant straight up at 5:00...and we had a two hour wait.  That is crazy!  This year, My Honey sweetly asked what I would like for Valentine's Day.  I told him if he felt like he wanted to get something for me, I would be happy with some simple flowers and a nice card.  The day before Valentine's Day, My Honey ran to the grocery store for me and came home with some sweet red and white flowers.  They made me smile.

So, when Valentine's Day came, I really wanted to make it special for him.  He has been especially sweet and helpful recently because I had surgery on my ankle in November.  I tried to think of ways I could make the day special.  I had purchased a card -- then found another card from last year that I apparently forgot to give him.  So I signed them both.  I put one on our bed for him to find when he was getting dressed for the day.  While he was in the shower I laid out his clothes for the day because I know that is something he really appreciates.  Also, while he was in the shower, I ran out to his car and put another card in it with a box of Hot Tamale cinnamon candy... one of his favorites.  I called during the day to see how his day was.  Then for dinner, I took the leaves out of our table so it was as small as it could be which made the setting more intimate.  I covered it with a red cloth and used candles and the flowers he bought me as a center piece.

 I made a yummy dinner of salmon, asparagus, and stir-fried veggies.  It was all ready when he got home.
 

I also had big band music on my Pandora radio station.  We really enjoy that type of music.  It is, to our minds, romantic.  We had a really nice dinner, enjoying the food and each others' company.  He mentioned how nice it would be to take a walk after dinner.  I haven't been able to do that since my surgery.  I told him I would try!  :)  So after the kitchen was cleaned up, we went for a little walk.  We stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and a small sweet treat.  It was a really lovely evening.  I think we both felt like it was romantic and a nice way to celebrate our love for each other.

So you CAN have a nice, romantic Valentine's Day celebration for not a lot of money.  I think I could have served hot dogs and mac and cheese, and it would have been just as nice a celebration.  You really don't need fancy flowers, an expensive dinner out, and presents.  You really just need each other and find the joy of being together.  One thing that struck me that night as I was going to bed and reflecting on the day... He did get me flowers, and he did give me a very sweet card.  But the day was wonderful for me because I focused on him and the things I could do to make him feel loved.  It is a lesson I hope I take with me through the year...making him feel loved makes me happy.  I'm so grateful the Lord taught me that!

Please comment and leave your own ideas for frugal Valentine's ideas!

Freeze Your Meat & Stretch Your Chicken!

Is it just me, or has chicken been incredibly expensive as of late?  It almost never goes on sale anymore -- I even talked to my butcher about it a few months ago.  It's not just me.  He had noticed it, too, and didn't really have a good explanation other than the economy and oil prices.  However, in God's goodness yesterday, Matt brought in a random newspaper that's been sitting on the sidewalk for a few days.  It had the Safeway ad in it which revealed that they were having their last day of a BOGO sale on ground beef, chicken, and pot roast!  Woo hoo!  I admit, I felt like I needed to explain to my cashier and other customers why I had 4 four-pound packages of ground beef, 4 packages of chicken, and 2 packages of roast in my cart at 8:30pm.  It was a good sale, and I had a just-off-bedrest-but-still-pregnant friend who wanted a piece of the sale, too!  Stop looking at me like I'm a voracious carnivore!  :-)

Obviously, buying that much meat at one time means freezing it!  I thought it would be a good opportunity to share how I freeze my meat to save freezer space and stretch the chicken.  (First video post for this blog comin' up!)  By taking advantage of this sale, I saved about $40.00!

For ground beef, I use my little kitchen scale and quart-sized freezer bags.  It's a very simple process.  First, take out as many bags as you will need and flip the tops inside out.  This reduces the amount of contact your icky hands will make with the outside of the bags.  Take your hand jewelry off, and wash your hands.  Weigh out a pound of beef.  Put it in a ziploc bag.  Repeat until all the meat is measured out.  Wash your hands well!  Then, flip the bag tops back up.  Mash each flat, getting all the air out and being careful when you get to the tops to not get any meat in the "zippers."  When you're finished, stack 'em up and freeze.  Once they are frozen, you can stand them upright in a container for organization or just leave them flat 'n stacked.

Bags and scale ready!

Hubz was my photo/videographer.  Can you tell?  ;-)  Thanks for the help, Samson.

Eight meals just waiting to be cooked!

Now for the chicken.  It has always bugged me that chicken breasts seem to be hard to cook evenly because of the varied thickness.  One end is thin while the other is a big bulge.  And a whole chicken breast, for me, is a bit too much to eat.  And chicken is EXPENSIVE!  And, for whatever reason, I can not stand the taste of reheated chicken (esp. microwaved).  Something happens to the flavor, and I just can't eat it anymore.  So I try to avoid chicken dish leftovers.  All of those things added up to me one day figuring out how to butcher my chicken in order to stretch chicken dollars and avoid lots of leftovers I won't eat.  The portion sizes of the chicken may be small for our "American" serving sizes, but they are truly more appropriate for what we should be eating.  Hungry hubby or boys?  Just let them have two.  The sides of your meal should also be substantial enough for good nutrition and will lessen the need for a huge chunk o' chicken on your plate.  Instead of trying to put it into words, Hubz videoed me so you can SEE it done.  Any questions, just ask!  :-)  (Ps - I've never purchased boneless thighs before, and that is way different than butchering chicken breasts for stretching and storing.  No video on those!)  (Another Ps - Hubz said I could make the videos all spiffy with Movie Maker.  But I didn't wanna wait!)

Chicken stacks ready for freezing!

Risk, from a Home Management Perspective

Sometimes you just gotta.  But hopefully you think through it first.  Even if just for a few minutes.  I'm talking about taking risks.  In my family, I am the Home Manager.  What does that mean?  Well, under my husbands leadership, I take care of our children and home which includes meals, cleaning, clothing, shopping, schooling, etc.  Which one involves the most risk for me?  Shopping.  Because it deals with making financial decisions.  Not huge decisions -- but small financial decisions add up to big impact on the family budget.  I try to be wise.  I make lists and stick by them.  But sometimes I color outside the lines, so to speak. And I get nervous all the way home, wondering if Hubz will approve or be disappointed I bought something we could do without.  Though I've found several times he "scolds" me for NOT getting something I should have!  Those are nice moments.  :-)

So today I'll tell you a little story about a risk I took.

Have any of you ever purchased an infomercial item?  I never have.  They just seem so gimmicky.  Too good to be true.  Sneaky with hidden costs or bad warranties.  Why would you buy something that seems risky without even seeing/touching it first?  That's just silly!  Right?  Am I right?

I found myself at BJ's in the bread aisle.  A well dressed man, who I thought was a BJ's manager, came up to me and handed me a slip of paper.  There was going to be a knife presentation in just 4 minutes; and if I was there when it began and stayed through, I'd get a free paring knife.  I had no kids with me.  Why would I NOT listen to someone ramble so I could get a free knife?  I love my little knives -- in fact, how does a kitchen that serves little kids run well without them, all that cutting of food into bite-sized pieces??  *ahem*  Quite a group gathered at the little blue booth.  Finally, the salesman bounded up to the podium, energetic and enthusiastic.  Same guy that handed me the slip of paper.  Aha.  So you're really trying to sell me something here by personally inviting me.  Ok, funny man.  I'll listen just to get that paring knife.  He started into his presentation, and I guarantee it was "infomercial" to a T.  It actually made me think all the way back to Logic class with Dr. Morley.  This guy was using logical arguments all over the place to draw us in to his product.  Getting us to participate with hand raising and audible answers to his questions.  And, naturally, he was doing the typical infomercial demos of slicing tomatoes, filleting the skin off, slicing bread without crushing it...sawing on a hammer and then slicing the tomato again like butter.  I politely stood there listening with no intention but to say a sweet "thank you for the paring knife" and be on my way with milk and bread.

But those knives sure looked and sounded like good quality.  What's that you say?  Lifetime warranty?  ::thinks to self::  "I bet Pampered Chef has a lifetime warranty on that knife block I want.  I wonder how long it'll take for me to be able to have another show and get that knife block at half price.  Forever, probably.  That's a lot of money, even at half price..."  ::snaps back to reality::

Then he started talking about what we could purchase from him that day.  Yep.  You guessed it.  Not one, folks, but TWO of these all-purpose knives for $39.99, yours to take home today.  But that's not all!  You'll also get the chef's knife... and the filet knife... and two pairing knives PLUS the free pairing knife... and even a food chopper and two nifty little juicers!  All for just $39.99 because "we're partnering with BJ's for just today as we gear up for the Easter/Passover season, this won't happen again until next year, folks!"

Ok, why do I feel myself faltering?!  I just want the free pairing knife.  I did not come in to BJ's today intending to spend $40 on knives.  And this is just an infomercial.  Doesn't that automatically mean "shouldn't buy" or "steer clear"?  But I do know for a fact that several of my most used knives are getting dull.  One of them, my beloved santoku a previous resident left (which meant free to me!) you can even SEE the divets in the edge of the blade.  And one of my biggest issues in the kitchen is when people have dull blades.  Dangerous and makes cooking less efficient.  (Soap box alert!)  Stop, Dawn.  You're being sucked in!!  Now wait a second, Conscience.  You've been using the same knives for almost 8 years and they have never been sharpened.  Because they can't be sharpened due to the style.  This knife set is only $40 and has a lifetime warranty -- if anything happens or they go dull, they are replaced for free.  These 6 knives will match the current knife block you have which means they will mix fine with the few knives left that are sharp.  And they cost MUCH less than the Pampered Chef knife block you've been eyeing.  Even if this is too good to be true and they are dull in a year and the warranty is not honored (which would mean it's a bad company), you've still come out ahead by not paying hundreds on a Pampered Chef knife block AND not cooking with the dull knives you now have.  But would Hubz approve of an infomercial purchase??

"...and if for any reason you don't like them, you can bring them back to BJ's for a full refund."

Say what?  ::sucked in neck deep::  That takes care of the Hubz issue.  Sharper knives.  Only $40.  Lifetime warranty.  Love the look.  And a chopper -- haven't had one of those in a long time since my Pampered Chef one broke.  It'd be nice to chop onions fast again since I cry rivers doing it with a knife.  Hmm.  Ok, I'll stay behind and wait my turn to hold them and ask questions.

People!  Out of about 30 people standing there, only TWO of us stayed behind to ask questions.  I can't tell you how many hands shot up when the guy asked who wanted to take home the set today.  They blindly took the boxes!  I couldn't believe it.  Here was an infomercial in better than 3D where we could actually try out the product and ask real-time questions -- and no one did?  Ugh.  Anyway, I held one in my hands.  Super light and easy to manipulate, smooth to the touch.  One piece, forged design.  Mmm, lookin' sleek!  I asked if they fit in a standard knife block because I don't want to have new knives and nowhere to store them (or empty spots in my knife block).  Yep, they do fit, mam.

OK.  ALRIGHT ALREADY.....I am defeated.  Give me a set.  I walked away, heart pounding and feeling ridiculous, both because I caved to this presentation and worrying about what Hubz would think.  I took a risk.  And I had no idea how it would turn out on multiple levels.  Did I really just save us money by purchasing this knife set and holding us over for at least several more years in the knife department -- or forever since that's how long the knives claim to last?

I can't tell you the ultimate result of my risk-taking.  What I can tell you is that Hubz was totally fine with the purchase, though he did make sure to playfully chide me for giving in.  And after a few weeks, I love those knives!  They are easy on my wrists and hands and are definitely super sharp.  I cut through raw potatoes like butter!  I even made Hubz come watch me, my own little infomercial to him.  :-)  He was impressed.  There are two draw backs.  1) The chef's knife does not fit in my knife block, but oh well.  The knives are worth it!  2) I've used the chopper once...and hate it.  Pampered Chef's is better quality; but I hated it, too.  I think it's me, not the choppers.  My hands/wrists/thumb joints just aren't cut out for that kind of pounding due to the way God made them.  I guess I need to cave and a get a food processor.....  ;-)

That was a long story, but hopefully you enjoyed the break from your real life.  All I want to get across is that we have to be wise as home managers.  But we also need to know how to quickly process information and make fast decisions when time won't allow us to hash out all the pros and cons, talk about all the options, and consult multiple people (or the internet).  And the best way to be quick at processing and decision making while still being wise -- PRAY for God to give you wisdom throughout your day!  He has given us this important task of managing our homes well, and He promises to provide us with wisdom to do it!  And after you pray, remember that we learn through making decisions.  If a risk we take fails, oh well.  Learn how to do better or differently next time!  If a risk we take succeeds, great!  Learn from it and improve upon it next time!

A note about the picture... one of the risks of having new, super sharp knives is getting sliced.  ;-)  I was putting a glass down on the counter where the chef's knife was laying, waiting to be washed.  I BARELY brushed against the knife, and it sliced my finger EASIER than butter!  Now that's the kind of knife to have in your kitchen, folks!

The Experiment 2.2

Not sure what to say about my not spending recently, other than I haven't been spending.  :)  I have been tempted, especially on a dry container for my Vitamix.  It is $144 online or at Williams-Sonoma, so it would have been less expensive ($99) to buy it during the Vitamix demonstration.  I had to stop and consider if I would really use it; not something I would have done if I weren't doing this experiment.  I decided I didn't need it.  If I want to buy whole wheat berries to mill, my parents have a mill I could use.  I already have a coffee grinder and I don't use powdered sugar enough to warrant the expense of the container.  Thus, I saved the $99!

I decided to not buy a subscription to Real Simple Magazine because I'm on Pinterest.  Probably anything in the magazine will be or already is there.  If you haven't read it, you simply must read Dawn's post on Pinterest.  So I saved $24 by not subscribing!

There was a set of recipe ebooks ($25) that I was tempted to buy.  I am a cookbook junkie.  I love to read them and look at the pretty pictures.  I'm getting better all the time about cooking at home, especially now that I'm really trying to eat more healthfully (I'm sure I'm saving money there but I'm not sure how to figure that out).  Anyway, I decided that I have enough cookbooks; and if I need any new recipes, there is always the internet!  I didn't spend the $25 for the ebook set.

I'm not even really thinking about stopping at Starbucks.... much.  ;)  $16 saved.

Because the Lord has quickly helped me with this Experiment, I am not sure how much more I will post.  Once in a while, perhaps.

Desires Not Spent: $164
Needs Met: one month's insurance for two vehicles, one month's payment for one vehicle

The Experiment 2.1

Explanation of The Experiment and if you're curious about how we name each Experiment Post... it's just the month number and Experiment post number for that month.  :)

In the last two weeks, I have saved $22.50 because I didn't go to Starbucks three times. I did choose to go one day on the way to church -- I started a new way of eating and sort of had a last "hurrah" on Jan. 26 while on my way to church. (I am feeling great on this new eating plan, btw!).  I went to Sam's last weekend and saved at least $15 on not looking at the little girl clothes.  I actually probably saved more because Sam's carries really cute clothes and good brands!  I haven't eaten any fast food so that is about another $30.00.

Compromise time.  :)  Remember The Hunger Games books I wanted to buy?  Well, on the recommendation of my wonderful son-in-law, Dawn's Hubz, I downloaded the Kindle App to my laptop and my phone.  Then I purchased the two books and downloaded them to the app.  One book was $9.99 and the other was $5.99 -- which is about $11 less than if I had bought hard copies.  Could I have gotten them from the library?  Yes...but there is a long waiting list.  One of the perks I have to reading them now is I can discuss them with the people in my life who are also reading them.  :)

So, there you have what I've saved by not spending.  Interestingly, I sort of automatically started not spending.  I think there are two reasons.  The first is that life has gotten pretty busy.  I'm out the door nearly every morning by 8:30, smoothie in hand, partly due to wanting to save money and partly due to the new eating plan.  And second, I know I want to be more careful with our resources, so I don't think too much about buying extra stuff.  If it isn't on the list, I don't think about it.  :)  That is a good thing!  [Dawn says, "Something I've struggle with lately -- just stick to what's on the list!"]

Desires Not Spent: $78.50
Needs Met: Super Undies for grandson and an entire tank of gas -OR- an entire month's cell phone bill

The Experiment 1.2

Find out what The Experiment is...

I was thinking it might be good do post about this each week, thus the part two.  Last week, I was home a lot.  I had a headache most of the week and actually spent two days in the bed with it.  Thankfully, it is gone now and life is getting back to normal (whatever normal may be).

Since I stayed home most of the week, I didn't' have a lot of opportunity to spend frivolously.  I did go to work at church Thursday and Friday and didn't stop at Starbucks or Chick Fil A so there is $32 in not spending.  We had three of our grandchildren Friday evening through Saturday evening.  Often times I just buy dinner (pizza or other fast food) when they are here.  I did do that Friday night, in part because of the headache. Saturday, I decided we were not going to spend money on dinner... I would actually cook.  :)  So because we didn't spend money on going out we probably saved... hmm...well, Friday we ate at Subway, and I spent $41(those subs add up fast).  So I will say I saved $40 by not eating out on Saturday.  Also, today, I had an appointment first thing this morning then went to Target.  Our Target has a Starbucks inside.... it smelled soooo good, but I didn't get anything.  There's about $4.  I was tempted again to get the two books I didn't get last time -- but I didn't.  Not sure I can or should count those so I'm not adding them in.  So we have $32, $40 and $4.  A total of not spending $76! :)

Desires Not Spent: $76
Needs Met: 4 pairs boys Toughskins jeans, 1 month (or more) Target diapers

A Confession and "The Experiment"

This is a bit of a humbling post for me (Kathie). I confess I spend too much money on stuff. Stuff I don't need, just stuff I want and often on impulse. I'm embarrassed and ashamed at my lack of stewardship with the money that the Lord provides through my Sweet Husband's work. The Lord has provided Sweet Husband with a profession that pays enough that we don't have to worry about finances, and I'm grateful. I have taken that gratitude too far (or maybe not far enough), and I have taken the finances for granted. I want to change that. I want to be a good steward of the money the Lord provides as well as other resources He gives, which leads me to The Experiment.

I decided that I would start keeping track of the times I choose to not spend money on something I would normally purchase. I was telling Dawn about what I was discovering in just TWO days, and she thought it would be interesting to compare the amount I'm saving from not impulse-buying with what she could purchase to meet her family's needs. By sharing this with our readers, hopefully it will spur us all on to be thoughtful spenders and therefore good stewards.

I started my little experiment on January 12, 2012. I'm a volunteer office worker at our church on Thursdays and Fridays. Usually I will stop at Starbucks because I'm so rushed to get to church on time, and I will pick up a grande latte and a breakfast sandwich at a cost of about $7-$8. Well, I chose to not do that. My Sweet Husband bought me a wonderful blender before Christmas so I used that to make a yummy protein smoothie to take with me. Saved me $7-$8 and who knows how many calories. Not much you might say, and that doesn't seem like much. But if I do that twice a week, that is $14 to $16 a week which works out to $728 - $832 a year. What could be done with that much money a year? Do I have your attention? :) Well, the second day of my experiment, I went to Target. This was a real eye-opener for me. I had a list of three things to get. As I was walking through the store I came upon a box of canisters. Really neat canisters, like Dawn's, which I really love. Well, I thought "I'll just get some....but you have a lot of Tupperware. But, I really like Dawn's canisters. They are so neat and seal so well. But you don't need canisters, do you. No, I don't need canisters." I passed them by, thereby NOT spending $49.99. I continued through the store and came upon the book section..."Oh! I could buy the next two books of The Hunger Game series. Oh, they only have them in hardback, and Hope already has the hardback copies. But she and they are at school, out of state; and you could probably get them at the library. True." So I passed them by and did NOT spend $26. Next was the toy department on my way toward the front of the store. The game Sorry Sliders caught my eye. I purchased that for some of my grandchildren for Christmas, but the pawns weren't in the game. I have contacted the company about getting some pawns. "Oh, I could just buy a new game, and then when I get the parts to the other game I can let the kids take one of the games to have at home and keep one at our house. You do not need to spend that money. Just be patient and wait for the pawns you are waiting for." So I passed them by (it was easier this time) and did NOT spend $20. Are you keeping count?? While in Target, I did NOT spend approximately $96 that, had I not been working on being a good steward, I would have easily spent. What could be done with that? I know some families that are struggling financially that would be happy to have that money. I know there are missionaries who could use that as they minister the gospel to people here and all around the world.

I'm committed to The Experiment for the next month. Dawn and I are going to blog about this experiment periodically. I'm guessing/hoping the not spending will get easier because I will learn to think about my purchases and spend money on real needs rather than just desires. As I think about it, this seems to be a lesson in contentment as well as self-control and good stewardship.

The Experiment 1.0
Desires Not Spent: $110
Needs Met: Dermatologist co-pay, Hubz' new glasses, 24 pack of toilet paper