Lately, The Goob has been proclaiming at daybreak, "The sky's awake!" While spending a night at my parents' house, he told my father that he needed to be awake at 5:30am, and when my dad objected, Goob said, "Doesn't matter. The sky's awake."
Although a bit obnoxious at times, I find this sentiment to be extremely sweet, and it has made me ponder my lifestyle. Due to some minor health issues, and, let's face it, laziness, I am someone who loves sleep: I love sleeping in, sleeping long hours, napping, sleeping in the car, you name it.
But, when I think of the best examples of self-reliance, provident living, and work ethic, they do seem to have this common thread--they all wake up early. And, when you think about it, how many times do we say, "Oh, there aren't enough hours in the day?" I know I say it a lot. And there's a solution, a way to add a few, quiet, childless hours to my day, with some hard work and sacrifice. Plus, there is something therapeutic and peaceful about getting up early to enjoy the fresh air of morning, to stand at a warm sink of dishes, in sheer calm.
So, I can't promise that I will be up with the sun, but I am hoping to be better at utilizing the useful hours in my day, while "the sky's awake."
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, April 23, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
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?
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?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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?
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?
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