Less is More -Put it off

Just wanted to check back in out your debt reduction plan.  If you have debt, you really need a plan to get out.  Seriously.  Let me know how you're doing.

Here's today's tip for you - procastinate.

Not really.  But sort of.  Paul and I read the book by David Platt, Radical, and it had some great ideas about how to live a lifestyle that kicks materialism in the teeth. I urge you to read it.  One of our takeaways was to postpone any significant purchases for a year.  In our case, significant included no car replacement, house painting, new roof, or vacation that year.  We seriously did little else other than food, school books, minimal clothes & gifts for a year.I think we could have done with even less, actually.  It was manageable.  And on the gifts thing, we requested that, in lieu of gifts for ourselves, that a donation be made to a couple of charities that we esteem highly.  It was hard for a few relatives but we loved it.  So much that we repeated the request for a couple of years. 

Why don't you try it?  A year with the fewest purchases possible.   What to do with what you don't spend???  Save. Pay off debt.  Give.....

Less is more - Eating healthy

I just might dedicate this post to my sweet friend Caroline, the healthiest person I know!  You are rubbing off on me, sweet Caroline -   I am not ready to give up Tab but sometimes I do eat healthy!

Less is more... but let me set the record straight.  I love food.  I love to cook and eat and feed other people.  I love food.  For further information, see post "The Language of Love".  I love food. 

So I am not suggesting a fast here.  (That might be another post because I actually do think that is a great idea!  But I digress...) And my man is a meat and potatoes guy. He does NOT think macaroni and cheese is an entree!  What I am saying, though, is that we can do with a little less meat from time to time.  And I have a recipe for you that makes the thought a little more palatable.  (Plus, it's easy and requires LESS time in the kitchen which is good all around!)

This is adapted from the Saving Dinner cookbook.  Enjoy with a bowl of rice and a big salad and when you eat your fill, you will think you have had more, not less!!

Crock Frijoles

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 small onion, chopped (not optional - this adds flavor in a big way!)
3 cloves garlic, pressed (not optional - see note on the onion)
5 cups chicken broth
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 pound pinto or red kidney beans (the dry kind - and you have to soak them overnight)

Saute the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil.  Then dump all that and all the remaining ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.  At some point in the process, add a little bit of Texas Pete or Tabasco -type sauce. Salt and pepper, too.  To suit your taste.  I like a pretty good bit!

And if your man just cannot survive without some meat, fry up few slices of bacon and toss them in.  Or slice up some kielbasa.  It is yummy that way, too.

And while we are on the subject of eating....today is declutter day for the kitchen.  This could take a while.  I suggest a large glass of TAB to get you started :)  Same drill as the den and the bathroom - two bags...but you might want black trash bags.....Give away your usable excess to a local missionary home.  If you live in the Athens area, message me and I'll give you specific suggestions.

Less is More - Saving $ on the babies

According to the USDA, the average cost to raise a child to age 18 is a staggering $250,000.  (Do the math-- I have a million dollars to my name!! WOW!)  I cannot personally substantiate that figure but I can personally tell you that we don't have to spend alot of what we think we do.  Here are some ideas for saving on the babies....

1.  Borrow.  Babies need stuff in stages so maybe while you need the crib, your friend needs the potty chair.  Borrow among your friends.
2.  Buy used.  Except for car seats, you can find everything you need at substantially reduced prices at yard sales or consignment stores.  Trust me, your child will not be emotionally damaged if they use a high chair that once belonged to someone else.  (But if you insist on overpaying for things, you all might suffer some emotional distress!!)
3. Cloth diapers.  Seriously.  The ones available now are light years beyond the ones I used 16 years ago.  You can save about a bazillion bucks doing this.
4. Clothes.  Resist the urge to meet your own self-esteem issues by dressing your child in expensive outfits that they outgrow in 3 weeks.  They just need a few "public" items in their wardrobe and the rest can be simple and inexpensive.  Yard sales and hand-me-downs are your BFF.  Repeat after me...
5.  Swings, etc.  Not worth the expense.  They will outgrow it too soon to make it worth it.  But if you can't help yourself, at least buy used or borrow.
6.  Baby food - Grind up cooked veggies, fruits, oatmeal, etc.  Spoon into ice cube trays to freeze and then pop one out to heat up in microwave when it's time to eat.
7.  Ask grandparents to give practical things for gifts.  (You have to specify.  We really do want to help but often we don't know what you want/need and we want to please you.  I promise)
8. Limit the amount of toys.  I repeat, limit the amount of toys.  A dozen stuffed animals is overkill.  So is a 10 gallon bucket of things that need batteries.

These are just a few suggestions.  Children need far less than we think.  The real issue is in the heart of the parent.

I think I probably offended 60% of readers today......

Less is More - eat in

Now, mind you, I like to eat out as much as anybody.  Or I used to.  Then I figured out how much we could save by eating in.  A whopping amount.

Some of the items in our budgets are set (mortgage, tithe, to some degree- utilities).  But the "food line" is one place we can make some changes that add up in a big way.  One of the things that can have the greatest impact if to use up what we have instead of discarding leftovers or little bits of whatever and making something completely new.

Instead of eating out for breakfast or instead of prepackaged sweet rolls, try this suggestion by Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette.  Don't be intimidated by the long descriptions - it is way less complicated than it looks.  Especially once you try it and get the hang of it. And if you consider that these muffins cost less than a dime apiece (as opposed to the $4 box of cereal or $6 box of donuts), you won't look at the last 1/2 cup of oatmeal in the same way again!!

Create-your-own-muffin-recipe

This process uses whatever pantry ingredients, or leftovers, that you already have on hand.  Brilliant!  Combine the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet ingredients.  Then spoon into greased muffin tin and bake for approx 20 minutes at 375 or 400.  Just long enough to take a shower and get dressed before feeding the masses!

Here are the ingredients you need:
Grains - use 2-2 1/2 cups grain (white flour, whole wheat flour, leftover oatmeal or rice or the dregs of the cereal box).  If using cooked grains, decrease liquid to 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup.  Buttermilk or sour milk or use the last swig of fruit juice as part of this 1 cup
Fat - 1/4 cup oil or 4 tbs butter.  Even substitute applesauce or peanut butter for part of this - whatever jar you need to polish off before tossing
Egg - 1 egg
Sweetener - anywhere between 2 tbs and 3/4 cup sugar.  If using honey or molasses instead, use up to 1/2 cup and decrease milk to 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp  (If using buttermilk or sour milk, decrease to 1 tsp and add 1/2 tsp baking soda)
Salt - 1/2 tsp optional
Dry additions - nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins, etc.
Wet additions - blueberries, chopped apples, mashed banana, cooked pumpkin or sweet potato puree, cooked carrots, even a spoonful or two of jam! - whatever you need to get rid of
Spices - optional - things that complement the additions


Here is the summary:
2- 2 1/2 cups grains
1 cup milk
up to 1/4 cup fat
1 egg
up to 3/4 cup sweetener
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
up to 1 1/2 cups additions

Mix it up and bake it for about 20 minutes. 

Less is More - books and websites

There are at least a gazillion resources available to help us live MORE with LESS.  When I first began my own quest, the internet was embryonic.  So I relied on books and friends.  My favorite source was a set of books by Amy Dacyczyn.  She authored a monthly newsletter called The Tightwad Gazette and these books are the compilation of several years of those.  They are fabulous!! She has a facebook page and a blog but I think the books are the best resource.

Check them out or search for some other websites that help you with ideas.  And then share 2 or 3 with me, please.  I am always looking for new ways to do more with less!