A Month of Gratitude, #7 and #8

I have some catching up to do....
I am grateful for my animals.  Although they shed and make me sneeze, and sometimes they drive me bonkers, they also are so wonderfully cuddly, and they are a constant source of unconditional love, my flaws and mistakes and all.
I am also grateful that we live in an area where I have access to bulk food stores, thrift shops, discount grocery stores, active online yard sale sites, inexpensive local produce/farms, local butchers, reasonably priced organic foods, etc.  This area makes it easy to find high quality clothing, furniture, and food for my family at good prices.  And if I cannot find what I need, there are multiple resources an hour in any direction.

Coming Full Circle

In other entries, I have mentioned the fact that my church counsels its members to have a food storage and to be prepared for those little emergencies and crises that come up along life's path.  I have also mentioned that, in the past, before I understood the value of this advice, that I used to gleefully make fun of the women who became excited over traditional things like storing wheat or making their own bread/flour. 
I have now come full circle...in addition to the seven #10 cans of wheat that we have on our shelves, I just purchased 100 lbs. of wheat, and a few pounds of spelt and rye, and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new Wondermill so I can make my own whole grain flour (I'm also getting a hand operated mill for Christmas).  (To be fair, once I received the diagnosis of insulin resistance, and was told to avoid commercially processed foods and to eat more whole grains/fiber...and less carbs/sugars/fats...the idea of processing my own flour became appealing, perhaps even necessary.)
So, who's laughing now?  I stand corrected in my views.  :)

Asheville, Days Three and Four

On Sunday morning, my friend made us yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast (they completely hit the spot...so good).  They were a great way to start out our day of traveling about 30 miles or so of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We visited the Folk Art Center (basically a visitors' center right outside of Asheville along the Parkway) before we ventured out to see the mountains.  We crossed the French Broad River and made out way through the mountains (sometimes literally, via tunnels).  The views/overlooks provided us breathtaking panoramic views of the mountains on either side, and we snapped a lot of pictures.  Being in the Appalachians is a wonderful chance to ponder simplicity and what truly matters in life.  Being out in the middle of nowhere reminds you of what truly matters.  You've left the stress behind you, and you're out in the majesty of what God has created and given you.  You reflect on your forefathers who lived in the mountains and who were the epitome of self sufficiency and provident living.
We traveled back to Asheville and lunched at Burgermeister's (a turkey reuben for hubby, and a catfish po' boy for me) before heading out with Amy and Jake (Maya was at a friend's house) to the Biltmore, the largest home in America (250 rooms and land encompassing 8,000 acres).  We didn't pay to see the house, and Amy's pass did end up being enough to get us in, so we instead went around Antler Hill Village (I believe that was the name) on the ground.  We toured the Biltmore winery and visited the on site farm to see the animals (a goat even climbed into my lap!).  Jake really enjoyed the animals, as did I, but the people around were very, um, wealthy, and it wasn't always comfortable at times.  Hubby and I dealt with one really rude man in particular who was upset because hubby "almost" touched his son with a gate.  It was a bit embarrassing.  At least it was a reminder of what I do not want to be.
At home, after the kiddos were in bed, we were able to get one on one time with Amy, just talking and watching television.  It was so nice to have time just with her to talk about things, life, whatnot.  I think that was one of my favorite parts of the trip.  It's wonderful to find people who understand you and who you can relate to.
Monday, we unfortunately had to leave (I admit, I was teary eyed, and oh, I miss Splenda the dog...she became my little pal).  We breakfasted at Waffle House, which I haven't had in YEARS, and hubby had never been to one. On the ride home, we stopped and snapped photos on the overlooks along I-26 in North Carolina and Tennessee, our last views of the mountains there for a while.  The trip home flew by.  We opted not to stop at the gorge again and just blew through, though we did meet back up with my mama and walked through the mall and lunched with her in the afternoon before heading home.
The children were thrilled to see us, which made me feel so good inside, and the animals seemed to miss us as well.  Buddy seemed to do well being at the kennel (he can be easily stressed), but Sunflower, our foster kitty, is still acting a bit nervous a day later.  She is very happy to be home.  The kids loved their Build a Bears, too.  We are unpacked and home, a bit sad that such a wonderful trip is over, but happy to see our loved ones.  We are hoping to go back to Asheville twice a year.  :)

Mother Earth News Fair

I spent two extremely jam packed days at the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, Pa. Mother Earth News is a magazine chock full of useful knowledge for those who are interested in a more sustainable lifestyle. They have an event full of seminars, workshops, and vendors who are focused on helping others fulfill their goals to become more self reliant. I attended classes on homesteading, cooking with homegrown foods, family nutrition, etc. I also attended a seminar with Jenna Woginrich, a fantabulously awesome gal who left her desk job to pursue a life writing and homesteading. She even signed two books for me. I highly recommend attending this event next year if you can. I was so encouraged in my endeavors to pursue a more provident, sustainable life. If you wanna read Jenna's blog, go to http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com
Wanna check out the event? http://www.motherearthnewsfair.com

Simple Things

I am at a point in my life where I need to make some decisions as to what I want "to do with myself."  I need to overhaul a lot of areas in my life, and I am pursuing new paths and ideas that I would never have considered before. 
Being at a place where decisions need made can be a bit overwhelming.  While reading a book, I came across this quote:
"Oh Lord, let me go back once more to this land of simple things." -EE Patton
I think this needs to be the philosophy that ultimately guides my choices, my actions, and my decision making process.  Too cryptic?  All will be revealed in time.  :)

On Minimalism

Lately, I have been reading a lot of blogs and essays concerning the subject of minimalism.  I'm not talking about the literary or artistic movements, nor am I talking about the home decor trend of everything stark black and white and barely there.  I'm talking about living a minimalistic lifestyle--rejecting, even rebelling against, consumerism, getting rid of unwanted and unused items, getting out of debt, pursuing passions and life goals over material goods, etc.
This lifestyle appeals to me, even though it is the complete antithesis of my life a few years ago.  I think it attracts me because it *is* the polar opposite of my former dreams and goals, and those goals, the need to possess lots of (and the best) stuff have wreaked havoc on my life, my health, and my sanity.  Being able to focus more on living a self-reliant lifestyle, having less "things" to worry about, being able to say "NO!" loudly and firmly to the trappings of consumerism, will all lead to my ability to pursue my dreams and my passions that truly matter--and what a more fulfilled life that will be, not only for me, but for my family as well. 
I want to be able to have a firmer resolve, to spend less, to give more, to share my time and abilities with others, to reject jealousy, to conquer my goals and chase after my heart's truest desires.  I want to choose to tromp around outside in this big, wide world when I need comfort, instead of going up to the mall to snag some little thing that provides me temporary happiness--only until I get it home.  Can you imagine being able to live a life where you mainly rely on yourself and your family, instead of what society or friends tell you is important?  Can you imagine being able to live without a mall or Walmart?  Can you envision being able to grow your own food, or make your own, most of the time, or to find outlets for the freshest food you can, instead of relying on processed convenience foods?  That makes my body happy just thinking about it.
This kind of life is possible, with a true desire and conversion to a philosophy of minimalism and self-reliance.  It's better for your family, the environment, and for you.  And I want to examine it more closely and pursue the changes necessary to obtain it. 

Backyard Chickens

So...I kinda want to have a garden, and I also think I want chickens next Spring.  Very lofty goals for someone who can't keep a plant alive (I had a houseplant that I named Seymour, who thrived until I forgot to water him for weeks on end), and whose pets own her, and not the other way around.
However, the idea of growing my own fruits and veggies, and having my own eggs, sounds so divine.  I'd have lots and lots of help with gardening and growing my own produce, so I feel okay there, if nervous.  In the meantime, I share this with you, per friends' recommendations, if any of you have the same crazy chicken fever as I do:
Backyard Chickens

I'm SO There....

If you live in the Mid-Atlantic states, you should consider going to the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, Pa.  It is a HUGE event chock-full of vendors and exhibits encouraging self-reliance, a DIY attitude, organic and natural living, emergency preparedness, and so forth.  Plus, they will have amazing speakers, like Joel Salatin and the beyond inspiring Temple Grandin, animal rights activist and spokesperson for autism awareness (she is autistic herself).  (I linked the miniseries based on her life.)  I'm not able to make the fair on the day she is speaking, but if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd pass out at her feet from the exposure to sheer awesomeness and inspiration.  :)  There will be kids' activities, too, and loads of yummy, healthy food vendors and products for sale.
The fair page can be found here. 

Lean, Mean, Green Machine

Lately, I've been interested in becoming more "green." The notion of living a more sustainable lifestyle, reducing/reusing/recycling, and cherishing today's resources to ensure they will be there tomorrow, well, all of those goals are really conducive with my desire to have a simpler, less materialistic, more grounded lifestyle. However, like the famed philosopher Kermit the Frog once said, "It's not easy being green." For starters, recycling...sure, in theory it seems easy, but there's sorting all of the trash, figuring out what can be taken to the local recycling center, which only takes certain items/plastics and not others. Then, there's keeping my kids out of the bins. See, my kids view the recycling bins like they would ball pits at Chuck E. Cheese--which means I sort out the items again and again. After that, it's getting the recyclables to the center, which is a 30 minute drive, one way, from our house, with children in tow. So, needless to say, our recycling endeavors have hit a roadblock.

Then, there's the desire to buy humanely produced, organic, local foods...the hope to fulfill as many of those labels as I can when I purchase an item at the grocery store. But, there's a lot involved. Sometimes, we as consumers have no idea whether or not an animal has been humanely treated in order to give us our eggs or our milk. How do we know if a worker has adequate working/safety conditions producing our crops/coffee/what have you? A lot of organic foods cost more--a lot more. Some people don't have access to inexpensive, locally produced meats and produce. Making informed food choices is not so easy, either.
 There's SO MUCH that can be done--using less water/electricity, buying used items whenever possible, cloth diapering instead of using disposables, growing your own food, writing to congressional representatives over pertinent environmental issues close to our hearts, riding bikes or driving fuel efficient cars instead of taking big SUVs everywhere, buying fair trade coffee and chocolates and produce...as mere individuals/families, it is SO easy to get bogged down with feeling like we need to do it all. I applied to become a Mom Ambassador for Moms Meet, a group of several hundred thousand moms who meet in small, local groups to discuss eco-aspects of parenting, families, pet-raising, and the like. I so desperately want to be more "green," but I think to myself, "Ugh, I'm such a fraud. We aren't even recycling, for God's sake. I'm not green at ALL."
But, the thing is--it's not about doing it all. It's about doing the little things. Little changes add up to something majorly big. I try to buy more used items, or to donate and give away what we don't want/use anymore to compensate for the new things we buy. We are trying to make more informed choices regarding what we eat. We buy more organic foods, we're eating less dairy, I have vowed to either buy locally raised farm eggs or cage-free organic eggs from the store from now on. We make more of an effort to become more involved in our community, to appreciate the outdoors more. Doing the little things is better than nothing at all. One little thing leads to another, which leads to another, and maybe it inspires someone to make a change in their own life, which leads to MORE changes, and suddenly, one little thing turns into something BIG. Little things can change the world. Even if we're not recycling.

A Combo Entry: What We Store And How We Prep (Cereals), and Bargain-hunting For Books

This will be a two part entry because I want to keep up with the "What We Store and How We Prep" series in this blog, but I also want to explore how we can snag inexpensive books, for those of us bookworms on a budget.
One of the more "silly" things we store in our food supply is cereal.  Any parent can immediately understand why.  For the whole family, cereal is yummy, has a decent shelf-life, can be filling, and is relatively easy to stockpile, if you know what you are doing. 
Right now, we have nine boxes of cereal on hand.  Some are Cheerios, seeing as I have itty-bitty kids in the house, two are Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, some are organic granolas, organic raisin bran, and all natural, un-frosted wheat squares.  There are an additional two opened boxes of Kashi Blueberry Oat Clusters and Cheerios on the top of our fridge.
For those of you who enjoy the comfort of cereal as much as we do, here are some tricks of the trade:
1) Shop with coupons when your supermarket is having a combination sale.  For example, my store will run sales where you can get $6.00 off instantly when you buy four boxes of cereal at full price of a certain brand.  Say, it's Kellogg's this week, and each box at regular price runs $3.29.  Times that by four, and you get $13.16, minus the $6.00 off sale, and that takes it to $7.16.  Add a coupon to the mix.  Most cereal coupons give you so much off of multiple boxes, which, in this case, you are buying.  If you have a coupon for $2.00 off of three boxes, take $2.00 off of $7.16, and you just scored four boxes of your favorite brand name cereal for $5.16.  If your grocery store doesn't do this, look for some that will.
2) Warehouse clubs often have great deals on "staple" cereals, like Cheerios.  We buy the most commonly used cereals in our home this way.
3) Check scratch and dent grocery stores.  I get organic cereals at a local discount grocer for $1.75 a piece.  Even if they are a month or so past their best-by date, they are still good.
4) Bulk food stores often have plain cereals, like corn flakes and such, and even generic Lucky Charms, for bulk, but are stored in plastic bags instead of boxes.  These too can be a good deal.
5) If you like organic cereals, but not the price, sometimes, if you look diligently, stores will occasionally put them on sale if you buy multiple boxes of a brand.  These sales are worth the splurge if you are into organic food, and will often make the organic cereals competitive.  I recently caught Kashi cereals on sale for $2.00 a piece if I bought three.  That is cheaper than the generic line of non organic cereal.  But, you have to look for them.

Now, onto another subject dear to my heart.  Books.  Lately, I have been devouring all the wonderful books I can find.  I unfortunately love the splurge of a brand new book, and my bank account has taken a bit of a hit as a result.
That being said, I love used books, too, and have recently been enjoying books via my Kindle Touch as well.  You can find both for cheap or free, with work.
For your Kindle: There are many resources for FREE Kindle books.  Books on the Knob is a link that I have posted on the list to your right, and they will showcase free books worth mentioning.  Also, there are lots of lists that can be emailed directly to your email account (though I don't often have the time to look at those as much), such as EReaderIQ.  You can look under the Kindle Store (Amazon)'s Best Sellers lists, and they will have the Top 100 Best sellers for various genres of free books that you can peruse.
Hard copy books: Check out yard sales, thrift stores, and library book sales for treasures that often cost mere cents.  Today, at my local library, I bought two self help books, a book on training a household dog, and a book about the Apollo space missions--for $1 TOTAL. 

Hopefully, you've gained something from these tips.  Happy shopping!

Back to Our Roots

Lately, I have possessed a desire to really know more about what my family is eating, consuming, putting in or on their bodies, where it comes from, and how to incorporate natural medicine into our health care.  My motives are relatively simple.  For example, have you ever taken a really hard, long look at the ingredients, say, in the lotion you use on a daily basis, or that sticky-sweet candy that you're giving your kids?  I know I don't always, and even when I do, I couldn't tell you what the ingredients mean.  Propylene glycol?  What is that?  Is that something I want my children consuming?  Is that something I want inside or on my body?  Food is being recalled every day--why is it being recalled?  What are the quality controls put into place?  How is the food gathered, processed, produced?  Where does it come from?  Or, another example, why is it that I pay hundreds of dollars for the simplest things at a doctor's office--treating a cold, or a sunburn, or an earache, when I never seem to see a doctor for longer than five minutes, and, often, we're back in two weeks because such-and-such antibiotic failed to work--again. 
I am striving to know more.  I want to have more of a say as to what goes into and onto our bodies.  I want to know what these ingredients are.  I'd like to know who makes my food, who has a say in what is "safe for consumption" and what isn't.  I'd like to walk the fields where our produce is grown, or where the cows are fed who provide our meat and our milk.  I'd like to know that I have the knowledge to treat minor health issues with natural or home remedies.  I'd like to buy foods that contain as little additives and chemicals as possible. 
So, I'm pursuing these questions and goals.  I am learning to navigate the natural and organic sections of our supermarkets--buying all natural or organic foods, cleaners, or beauty/bath products when it is feasible (oh, how I am addicted to agave nectar).  We love buying local produce and meats when possible.  I am researching what is in our food, and who says that it is acceptable.  I am discovering that I have the ability to treat certain health issues myself and naturally. 
There's so much to learn, and I'll never be able to live a 100% organic, natural lifestyle.  Some health issues absolutely require medical intervention--many do, in fact.  It's not possible to eat and use 100% natural and organic products all of the time, nor, do I want to (this mother has a mass market frozen pizza planned for dinner tonight because I am feeling lazy).  Sometimes, I need to buy my meat or my fruits and veggies at a traditional store.  There will be more things in my house with ingredients that I don't know than those where I do.  The goal isn't 100%.  The goal is KNOWLEDGE.  The goal is freedom from reliance on mass produced goods and medical treatment when possible.  The goal is having more say as to what we eat, consume, and use.  A goal of getting back to our roots, relying on Mother Nature's wisdom when I am able.

Strawberries Galore!

I know it's technically "Wordless Wednesday," but I have to share some recipes from our trip to the local farm to snag lots of yummy strawberries.  Two recipes are included.

First "recipe":   My semester is drawing to a close, so I went to my mother-in-law's house to finish my grading in peace. She went with me earlier today to the farm to get strawberries. While I was grading mountains of papers, she came in with three bowls--one with strawberries, one with sour cream, and the other with brown sugar. I was told to dip a strawberry in the sour cream, and then roll it in brown sugar. Why didn't I know this my whole life? Absolute heaven.
Second recipe: This is the freezer jam I made earlier today (pictured in my previous entry).

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam (from Sure Jell Pectin)

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup water

1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

step 1 RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

step 2 MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

step 3 FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Wordless Wednesday

Homemade Rice Cereal for Little Ones

Thanks to the wonder of my little Ninja chopper and my large Ninja Kitchen System, I virtually have no excuse NOT to make homemade baby food, at least some of the time.  I do buy jarred baby food a lot, thanks to a local grocer who sells it at 25 cents a jar, but homemade is still so much healthier for baby.  I had all of these goals with Goob to make his baby food, but simply didn't do it, partially due to laziness, and partially due to the fact that he had a lot of digestive issues which limited what we *could* feed him.
However, Bean loves to eat, and eats well, so I have the opportunity to enjoy feeding her and watching her experience new foods.
Rice cereal is one of those classic baby food staples, and we have many, many boxes of Gerber rice cereal in our food storage.  That being said, we also keep a fair amount of rice in our storage as well, and I'm eager to try the following recipe, which I found in a 1978 edition of Feed Me, I'm Yours, by Vicki Lansky.

Homemade Hot Rice Cereal

Grind several cups of raw brown rice to a fine powder in a blender.  Store in a tightly covered container.
1/2 cup of the rice powder (as made above)
2 cups of milk
dash of salt
In a small saucepan, bring milk and salt just to the boiling point.  Add the rice powder and stir constantly.  Lower heat, cover pan, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.  Serve with additions like fruits and veggies, if you want to.

NOTE: While brown rice is preferable because white rice loses nutritional value during processing, white rice is still usable.  I'd probably just add a fruit or veggie to it to add some nutrients.

Love for Local Business

I am so blessed to live in an area where we are surrounded by friendly, accomodating, and budget-friendly local business who market to those who are striving to maintain a self-reliant, provident, and sustainable lifestyle.  This is one of the many advantages of living in a more rural community/region. 
I stopped at two of my favorites today.  The first is one of many Mennonite-run bulk food stores (which also has a wonderfully fantabulous bakery).  I picked up some homemade rolls (heaven on earth, they are), and I also purchased locally made maple mustard (which is divine on pretzels). 
The second is a "scratch and dent" discount grocery store.  The service is so courteous and helpful (they even take your groceries to the car for you--who does that anymore?).  Today was "Frozen Food Wednesday."  While there, I bought 5 pounds of pulled beef, 3 pounds Sysco-produced chicken tenders, 4 lbs. of Wendy's chicken nuggets, 4 lbs. Burger King chicken strips, 5 lbs. Burger King onion rings, 3 bags sweet potato fries, and 8 pork sirloin steaks at 8 ounces each (64 ounces total/4 lbs.)...about 28 pounds of frozen food, and a case of the cutest mini Heinz ketchup bottles (8.7 lbs.) for, get this, $55.  My freezer is FULL.  Before you think, "Holy cow, that's a lot of unhealthy food," while I know some of it was produced by fast food chains and sold to this little grocer, think about it--these are fast food items that are usually cooked in a deep fryer that is loaded with grease, which leaves the food loaded with grease.  Whereas, I can take these home and bake them as a somewhat healthier alternative.  Could be worse, right?  And, when I feel the need to go out to eat fast food....
I encourage you to peruse your own area for wonderful local business that sell whatever you might need--be it pet supplies, food items, emergency preparedness equipment, locally grown produce, whatever.  I also want to encourage myself to work harder to move away from shopping at big box stores so often, and to instead develop a preference for buying from small businesses, when pratical and feasible.  

Update on My Two Week Eat-Out Fast

OK, I have to admit, I broke my eat out fast...slightly.  I really, really wanted to try McDonald's strawberry creme pies before they stopped carrying them, so, as part of a date night, the hubby and I spent a whopping $2.56 on two pies and a large Sprite.
So, did I break my eat-out fast for the two weeks?  Technically speaking, yes.  But, in discussion, we decided that we *are* going to eliminate eating out "just because," and will instead use it only for special occasions, or out of town trips, or when we're spending time with family or friends.  That being said, although I did purchase the pies, I plan on still avoiding eating out as much as possible, and feel capable of doing so.  Although I wanted to try the pies, I am finding that I am not as tempted to eat out as I was even a week ago, and that I am looking forward to homemade food more and more.  In some ways, I feel like a weight is off of my shoulders...it's one less expense to worry about, and it's entirely in my control.  I like that. 

Getting Back on Track

I feel like my priorities have been out of order lately. I have all of these goals and ambitions, and yet, I've been giving in too much to the need to spend money, or to choose laziness over productivity, or choosing to focus on the negative instead of the positive. I'm also struggling with knowing which priorities to place ahead of others.
This is what I know I need to do:
-I need to show more love, patience, compassion, and affection toward my husband and my children, and strive to spend as much quality time with them as possible.
-I need to work to become more self-reliant, more prepared for emergencies, and more able to serve and protect my family in the event of a crisis--whether it is big or small. I caught a potholder on fire in my oven the other day, and my means of taking "control" of the situation was to yell for my husband, instead of dealing with it on my own. That's not good.
-I need to strive to spend less needless money, to learn to take care of what we have, mend what needs repaired, and focus on making do instead of giving into the urge to accumulate more, more, more. I also need to work harder on putting as much as we can onto debt and into savings.
-We need to take better care of ourselves physically--eat healthier, spend more time exercising, learn to discern what foods are good for our bodies, and what foods aren't (as I type this, my four year old is laying on the floor watching game shows and eating a cup of jelly beans, so this is definitely a work in progress).
-I need to spend more time taking care of our home--cleaning, organizing, getting rid of items we don't need, and so forth. I would like to work toward a more minimalist lifestyle, but that too will take time.
-I need to work harder on staying on top of my work outside of the home. My heart hasn't been into my teaching as much this term, mainly due to illness, and I need to rededicate myself to re-examining my teaching philosophy and giving my curriculum a much needed makeover.
-I need to be more charitable. I am working to spend more time volunteering at the animal shelter, but there is still more that I can do and give. It helps me to count my blessings when I am working to help those in need.
These all are works in progress, and they will all take time and balance. However, I need to refocus my efforts and get back on track in targeting and accomplishing my goals.

Refurbished Products--a Great Steal or a Raw Deal?

The hubby and I have, in general, steered clear of refurbished products. As a rule, we're pretty big fans of full warranties on products. The only used items I love are books (there's something so wonderful about a previously loved book). We even avoided used cars in our marriage, stating for a long time that we would always want a car with a full warranty and known owner history.
That is, until we were in a pinch, needed a larger car, and found the used car of our dreams for the right price.
Suddenly, the savings (and the Carfax report) became worth it, and we amended our used vs. new car statement to allowing used cars where we could validate the previous history and reliability of the vehicle.
As for refurbished items like electrics and such...well, we haven't been as willing to test the waters, so to speak. Between not being able to determine the past record of the item, as well as the shortened warranty, we had trouble justifying the purchase of a refurbished item.
I have, however, decided to try a couple refurbished kitchen appliances, and I'll explain my thought-process, the savings, the concerns I have, and will hopefully be able to update my readers to the long-term result in due times.
I have wanted a full-size Ninja Kitchen System 1100 for some time. I had a $30 food processor that bit the dust on its third use, and had been wanting a replacement for a while. We bought a $20 Ninja Express Chop and LOVED it, but I desperately needed something with more than a 2 cup capacity. However, when you're working on a budget, spending $159.99 just willy-nilly for a food processing system seemed extreme.
My lovely hubby had some spending money set aside, and he willingly purchased a refurbished Ninja Kitchen System 1100 for me for $69.00 at Big Lots. The price was over 50% off of retail, and beyond missing a dough paddle (which we don't need because we mix our dough with the Kitchenaid mixer), it seems to work just fine. As an added bonus, because it is a system of many interworking parts, Ninja offers easy replacement for even the motor, if we end up desperate if something quits on us. So, due to the low cost and easy access to replacement parts, that seemed to justify the purchase, and also the shorter warranty.
When our state tax refund arrived, I ordered a Cuisinart convection toaster oven/broiler, which was a refurbished unit as well. I have yet to receive it, but I felt safe enough doing it because it was through Wal-mart, who offered an extended warranty for it for $6.00. Considering the retail price was originally $175.00, and I paid $69.00 for it, plus the $6.00 extended warranty, I still received a great deal being able to snag an oven with all of the features we had been eyeing, at the cost of a cheap one (which we have already, and which we HATE). So, in this case, the low cost of the unit, plus being able to extend the warranty, and at the same time getting as many of the features as we wanted seemed to justify the "refurbished" label. We shall see whether I still say that once the unit arrives.
So, we're trying something new in an effort to save some money and work within our budget, and I'm curious to see how this new shopping strategy pans out. Right now, if these items work well for us, we will have bought over $300 worth of products for about $140-150 dollars, less than the retail for just one of the items. Have you had luck with refurbished items?

Update to My Previous Post

In an effort to squelch my eating-out addiction, I am going to attempt to go two full weeks without a single fast food indulgence, or a restaurant stop, etc. This starts tomorrow, the 18th. Wish me luck!

Advice For a Take Out Queen?

In my attempts to spend less needless $$, I find that some temptations are easier to eliminate than others.
My biggest vice?
Take out, restaurants, drive-thrus, ice cream parlors--the joy of eating out has always been a weakness of mine.
I see all of these things for making freezer meals to stash, meals in jars, etc., and it all seems like they are really fabulous ideas, but I never seem to put them to fruition. With two little ones, the desire to snag easy food wins out far too often.
I try to find short-cuts...I have done freezer meals, learned to make some yummy quickie dinners, have precooked and canned (or have frozen) meats to make kitchen prep a little easier. And it all seems to be to no avail.
I know the steps I need to take, but the question is, how to I motivate myself to take them? Any way to make it fun along the way?
To be fair, we have set an "eat-out budget" this pay cycle that we have been adhering to, and I am hoping that it will help--BUT, we've blown this before, so I worry.
Any advice for a take-out queen?