Benefits of Raw Milk

If you would have told me a year or so ago that my family would be relying on a local farmer for our milk, I would have called you crazy. My naive mind thought that store bought was the way to go. Obviously not with just milk, either. But boy has my mind been changed!

The more I look into what is really in (or in some cases, what isn't in) store bought food, the more I want to avoid it. We've switched to homemade bread products made with fresh ground wheat, homemade snacks, and I grow and preserve as much food as I can. Other than finding a good meat source (which I think I have already) the only thing I needed to do something about was our dairy products.

I'm not going lie. This was a very hard decision for me. It took many, many months for me to finally jump in and do it. And really, it wasn't me that did it, the farmer did. They had some extra milk, and wanted to know if I wanted it. If I didn't, it would be poured down the drain. Not being one to waste, I jumped on it, and I haven't looked back. The family loves it!

Benefits of Raw Milk

1. During the pasteurization process, milk store bough milk loses roughly 60% of it's calcium.
   
   
2. In addition to losing that much calcium, it loses all of it's phosphate. Doesn't sound too important--but it is! Phosphate helps your body to absorb (or use) the calcium.
   
   
3. Raw Milk is higher in B12 (here is great article on the importance of Vitamin B12)and Vitamin C, as well as many other vitamins that are completely destroyed by the pasteurization process.
   
   
4. Raw milk contains beneficial enzymes and amino acids that aid in digestion and vitamin absorption.
   
   
5. Many "lactose intolerant" people are able to drink Raw Milk because it is easier to digest.
   
   
6. Store bought milk goes rancid, where as raw milk just sours. Sour milk can still be used in baking; makes great muffins, breads and pancakes.
   
   
7. We skim off the cream on some of our gallons, and I use it to make butter, or for my coffee. 2 birds with one stone.
   
   
8. Less is more. Raw Milk will fill you up faster since it still has all of the nutrients and cream.
   
   
9. Raw Milk tastes so much better.
   
   

Things to keep in mind: Only buy from farmers that feed their cattle green grass and that do not use antibiotics. Also make sure that the farm is clean, and that the milk is stored correctly.

These fancy processes that our food goes through isn't necessarily a good thing! I've come to really love Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions. It is a definite eye opener, and it will change the way you look at food.

Taking a closer look at real nutrition, which was one of my 2009 goals, and finally switching my family to raw milk works for me! There is no turning back for us!

This post is being linked to Works For Me Wednesday

Finding Freedom Friday: Cutting Back to School Costs

The summer has flown by, and sadly school season is soon to start. I haven't accomplised half of the things I wanted to by summers end this year, but that is probably a good thing. This summer has been absolutely crazy--I can't imagine packing it with anymore. I'm really looking forward to the weeks to come so that I can relax, breathe a bit, and get back into our normal routine of things around here.

Unfortunately with a new school year approaching, that means new school supplies and usually a new wardrobe. Oftentimes we focus too much on the stuff and not the purpose, and in the process end up with "things" and spend far too much money. Just because it is school season doesn't mean you have to break the bank!

Here are my tips to saving:

• Reuse school supplies. Now I don't mean make your children use the same dingy crayons from last year--I may be frugal, but I'm not cheap and out to embarass my kids! Some ideas of things to reuse are: Rulers (my oldest has used the same ruler for 2 years straight, and you can't tell), school box (we bought a plastic school box for the kids last year, and it still looks like new), scissors, and backpacks.
• Shop Thrift Stores. When school was getting ready to start last year, I hit a thrift store up by my hometown and ended up with all the clothes my kids could need and more. Every single piece of clothing was name brand (most of them jeans for DD) and I even bought 3 pairs of shoes. Not one of them looked used, there were no stains/rips. In the end there were about 3 brown paper grocery sacks crammed full and I paid less than $30 for all of it! This year, today as a matter of fact, I am doing the same (although I am going to a different town)--there is no reason to pay full price for something when I can pay less than 25%!
• Watch Those Sales and Stock Up! At the start of every school season, Walmart as well as many other retailers, put all their school supplies on a major markdown. When you are able to catch it--STOCK UP! Having those extras around will come in handy if they run out mid-school year (instead of paying full price) or to keep around for the following year. I still have about half a box of spiral notebooks from last year (that I caught for 5¢! I even used some as a Christmas gift to my oldest because he loves the things.) and tons of pens and highlighters that I got for free from Walgreen's last year.
• Remember their Purpose! There are always going to be those big, fancy top of the line school supplies/school clothes out there, and while they may be tempting to get because they are "cool"--do you need them??? Does the lower level counterpart serve your purpose?? Keep this in mind as you shop--it will help you avoid those temptations!

What are your tips to starting school off on budget?

Feel free to link up your tips, but please link to your post, and not your homepage.

Get freedom from normal!

2009 Goal Update: July Edition

It is hard to believe that the last Goal Update I did was the beginning of June--for the month of May. I thought it was going to work out great to have more time between the updates, but it isn't. I've had a hard time staying on track and remembering where I'm at.

June and July were both very busy months for us--July moreso than June. Not only is there the 4th of July (which comes with a big celebration at our church that we help organize) but there is also my birthday, our anniversary and canning season is usually in full force. Add that all in with a dash of VBS, and a few church trips here and there and you've got my month of July. Pure and utter craziness and chaos. And a recipe for a budget disaster. Hmmph.

There..I admitted it. July (as far as our finances go) pretty much stunk.

• Finances: We've gained a bit of headway on our debt, but not as much as I would have liked. My debt ticker shows $12505.40, but that doesn't show our last payments. If my calculations are correct, we should be down to about $11,805-ish. Since I don't know the exact numbers yet, I haven't updated the sidebar or my percentages.
• Gardening: This year the squash bugs and I have gotten to know each other. This isn't a good thing. They annihilated my zucchini (which I dealt with since my DH hates it) but now, they are trying to go after my pie pumpkins! Eekk. So, I threw organic out the window and dusted those things with Sevin until they couldn't see the light of day. I was proud of myself..until I walked out there a few days later and they were still there!! Those things are tough!
  • My food storage (atleast from the garden) is going fairly well. I canned my first batch of diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce yesterday. You can see a list of all the other things I've canned so far this year here. It is so nice being able to step back and take a look at all my home canned goodies on my pantry shelves. Makes me smile.
  • We're starting to plant the fall garden and looking into our plans for next year's spring garden, what we are adding to the orchard, as well as our herb garden (that will happen next year!).

• Self: I did so good exercising through the month of June and parts of July. I loved The Shred, and I still do, but my routine has gotten all crazy and I've had a hard time regaining control of it again. The first thing that gave: exercising, and I can tell. I'm hoping to get control again now that we are regaining our normalcy.

• Home: We are still trying to figure out whether or not we are doing our major remodel project this year or not. Because of this, all of the painting and inside renovating has been put at a standstill. The suspense is killing me, but I keep reminding myself that it is all in God's timing..not my own.

  • I've become a lot better at embracing (and thoroughly enjoying) my life as a housewife, wife and mother. With that I've gotten better with accomplishing my day to day duties. My home (albeit chaotic) has been peaceful and inviting and close to everything I've wanted and dreamed for it to be.

So how have you been doing on your goals?? Fill me in--it's been awhile!

I've Got A Secret...

I've never really mentioned it here..not completely sure why. I guess that I didn't really think it was that big of a deal. But after my family and real life friends made such a big deal about it..I got to thinking about it some more. And I realized that indeed, it was a little strange in this day and age. And well lately, I've been all about strange. I'm all about getting freedom from the normal, too. I'm sure you've been able to tell that by now.

Are you ready?

You may want to sit down. Oh yeah, most people use their computers sitting down, that's right. Moving on.

Here it goes. Here's my secret: I don't have a microwave in my kitchen. Or in my house for that matter. It has been that way since right before Thanksgiving (I do believe) and quite honestly, I don't miss it. As a matter of fact, I don't see me having a microwave anytime soon.

Here is how it all came about. I had a small, white microwave that I got when I graduated (for free from our Project Graduation Party). It worked, but it was on my counter and was the only appliance in my kitchen that was white, both of which annoyed me greatly. When we bought our refrigerator, we came across a Fridgedaire Stainless Steel over the Range Hood Microwave. And I loved it. It had a big dent in the side so it was on major markdown, so we bought it. Removed the dent. Installed it. Used it 6 months when it quit. Kaput. I was livid.

While we were waiting to get it to the shop and on the verdict from the repair man, I noticed that it was easy to get by without the microwave. I still had my white one that we had moved to our pantry, which is actually a room off of our carport that is heated/cooled, but I never used it. I didn't miss it. Granted it took a little while longer to prepare things, but when I did, it was much better than when I used the microwave. No mush. No hot spots. And no worries! Then the verdict came, it was going to cost more to repair the microwave than what we paid for it. Not happening!

By no worries I mean this. My husband is fully and completely convinced that plastics in the microwave (from them being heated up) can cause autism. Not saying that it does, but still. Considering that we question whether our oldest is on the spectrum or not--this is something we tried to avoid. Even if it isn't partly responsible for autism, it is proven that microwaving your food in plastic (or even covered with plastic wrap) releases cancer-causing compounds. While I know that there are supposedly "safe plastics" and that glass is also an option--I don't want to worry about it.

Not only that, but microwaving food significantly reduces the nutritional value. I came across one study that stated microwaves decrease 97% of the flavonoids which contain anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties as well as B 12 (which helps your nervous system and with red blood cell formation). I think I want as many flavonoids and B 12 in my food a I can get!

I also know that we lived without microwaves up until about 1946. Many, many women (and men) cooked without one, and they survived just fine. While I will admit that it takes more preparation on my part to warm us up lunch, that is really the only negative side effect, if you want to call it that.


How do we deal? That is easy!

• I use a kettle for hot cocoa and hot tea.
• We have completely switched over to what I call "real popcorn." It's not that fancy stuff you find in bags with the butter and seasonings (as well as numerous other chemicals) mixed in. Instead we get the pure delight of watching ½ cup of popcorn kernels turn into 2 big bowls of popcorn that we get to flavor to our individual preferences. I love white cheddar, while my DS loves cinnamon sugar. Not to mention this way has far less sodium and Lord only knows what else. Plus, it's frugal!
• Since I menu plan, I know right off whether I need to pull something out of the freezer for dinner.
• I begin to think lunch around 11 or so. This gives me ample time to warm something in the oven if need be.
• Anything that can me made in the microwave can be made (and was probably originally made) on the stovetop or in the oven. For example: I got some frozen vegetables in a steamer bag for free after coupon. When my microwave broke I didn't know what to do with them. Haha. Open them up and cook them! Just because they are in a fancy bag doesn't mean they aren't "normal". The packaging doesn't change the product. It'll cook. :)

All of that to say, you may think I'm weird. You make be looking at your screen going...."Wha? Seriously? Nuh uh!". But I'm for real. It works for me. I've survived without my microwave. I love it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So if you must, go ahead and think I'm weird. I'm just on my way to getting freedom from normal. And I'm completely okay with that. :) You never know, my TV just may be next.... (yeah right, I think my husband would really think I've lost it then!)


This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Finding Freedom Friday: Frugal Challenge Recap

Well, it's been a week! Did you survive the frugal challenge?

I did! It even went better than I anticipated! I definitely think that maybe we should go for a longer challenge, don't you think? If felt like this one ended just about as quick as it began.

Here is my recap from the week:

• When traveling away from home, pack your own snacks, meals and drinks. Yes! We've really not been away a whole lot, other than back to the hometown over the weekend. My house was out of all things snack related (other than a few fruit snacks--which I packed), so I knew I would have to stop off at the store. We were spending the weekend with my mom (first time in almost 6 years!!!!) and I had no idea if she would have snacks for us or not so I picked some up at the grocery store on our way out.
  
• Try not to eat out at all this week. From Saturday to next Friday.Yes! This is the one I was really worried about on our end. While sometimes we do really well, there are other hurried trips in which we just decide to eat out. Especially those trips back home. But, this time I stuck to my guns! I stopped off at the store on the way back to the hometown and bought fried chicken from the deli as well as potato wedges and snacks that we needed for the weeked at my mom's. On our way home, which was right around dinner time, we decided we could wait until we got home (around 7) and eat something quick out of the refrigerator. And you know what?! Not one of us died from starvation. :)
  
  
• Plan outings that are no cost adventures, such as parks and museums. Again, we've had a pretty uneventful week. There was a lot of rain at the beginning of the week, and I've been fighting a migraine. Over the weekend though, we made it withougt spending a dime and the kids had a blast. We picked cherries and made a pie, and we've played around the house. It's been fun, and it's been frugal. :)
  
  
• Make extra meals for your freezer for days when you have no gusto to cook dinner. For lunch on Thursday, I made Corn Dog Muffins and since the recipe makes about 24, and we only need 8 for lunch, I froze the rest. This is definitely going to come in handy for our lunches!
  
  
• Make something from scratch that you normally wouldn't, such as bread, household cleaners, snacks, etc. I didn't do as well in this area as I had wanted. My original intention was to make some cleaners, but the headache pretty much derailed me. However, I did end up making my own vinaigrette dressing for our dinner, since I had to switch to Plan B (the boys went out on a fishing trip, so I wanted more of a simple dinner).
  
  
• If you haven't made a budget (or goals for 2009) yet..DO IT! If you are all squared away here, check and see if there is something in your budget that you can lower, or cut out completely. I realized that since the big kids were out of school that I didn't have to worry about their school lunch money. That gave me an additional $42/month for the summer, but I guess that isn't technically cutting something out.
  
  
• Try out a new-to-you frugal idea such as washing/re-using ziploc bags, using less laundry/dishwashing detergent, re-use juice from canned fruits and vegetables, save butter tubs, amongst many others. Be creative! Fail. I'm sure there are frugal steps that I haven't made yet, I just didn't have the brain power to search them out.

How did your week go? Are you up for another Challenge in the next month or so? How about ideas for an upcoming Finding Freedom Friday? Let me know your thoughts!

Finding Freedom Friday: Are You Up For A Challenge?

For this edition of Finding Freedom Friday, I would like to put forth a Week Long Frugal Challenge. With Summer in full swing, we are running to and fro and spending lots of time in the outdoors. While I do love every minute of it, sometimes it is incredibly tempting to look toward the not so frugal side of things. I don't know about you, but I don't want to fall into that mess!

While I would love to do a Month Long Challenge, I think it would be best to start out small and see if we can conquer this first. And I know we can! ;)

Here's the Challenge:

• When traveling away from home, pack your own snacks, meals and drinks. Be sure to check out this post for lots of different ideas.
  
  
• Try not to eat out at all this week. From Saturday to next Friday.
• Plan outings that are no cost adventures, such as parks and museums. Check out the Frugal Family Fun post for some ideas.
  
  
• Make extra meals for your freezer for days when you have no gusto to cook dinner. This post has some pointers and OAMC/Freezer Recipes.
  
  
• Make something from scratch that you normally wouldn't, such as bread, household cleaners, snacks, etc. The Finding Freedom Friday: Making Your Own vs. Store Bought post has a lot of different ideas to try out. You can also browse through my recipe section for numerous "from scratch" recipes.
  
  
• If you haven't made a budget (or goals for 2009) yet..DO IT! If you are all sqaured away here, check and see if there is something in your budget that you can lower, or cut out completely.
  
  
• Try out a new-to-you frugal idea such as washing/re-using ziploc bags, using less laundry/dishwashing detergent, re-use juice from canned fruits and vegetables, save butter tubs, amongst many others. Be creative!

That's it! Easy peasy, right? The Challenge will start Saturday (gives you a day to get all the non-frugal things out of your system. :) and end next Friday with a Finding Freedom Friday: Challenge Recap.

I will be running around, back to the hometown again this weekend, so I'm hoping to be able to stick to the "no eating out" part. This may prove to be a toughie!

So, are you up to it?!

**I've just realized that Mr. Linky has disappeared from all of my old posts, and on my end it only stores the latest 5! AGH! So, if you linked to the Finding Freedom Friday posts mentioned in this post, and you want your link included--please email them to me and I can manually add them all in. Sorry!**

Finding Freedom Friday: 2009 Goal Update

It's a new month and time to check in and see how we've all be doing on our 2009 goals. I don't know about you, but this has really helped me stay accountable to myself and to everyone else for that matter. Although things aren't going exactly as I had planned, we are still taking steps forward.

Here is how we are doing so far:

• Our federal tax refund came back and we put it to good use! A huge portion of it went to our debt, bringing it down to $13083.17 with a total of $6592.72 paid since January (38% of our goal)! While we should be closer to the 50% mark at this point in the year, I am most definitely not complaining!

• In addition to a lump debt payment, we added a big chunk to savings. We originally wanted a total of $4000 in our savings (Max out of pocket for health, vehicle maintenance, home maintenace, etc.), but we've changed that up a bit. We've decided instead of having our full max out of pocket for health expeses set aside that we would put $500 instead. I know that that is a far cry from the original $1500--but at this point our debt snowball is of decent size that when a medical bill arises we can pay it and we used that extra to get our currrent debt number down. Also, we still have the base emergency fund of $1000. We also had in mind to set aside $1000 for vehicle maintence. My husband recently had to have some work done on his truck as well as a new set of tires. After everything was said and done, there was close to $700! So, our new amount that we are shooting for (as long as no other expenses come up) is $2300. We are 70% there.

• Our garden is in full force. You can see all my garden updates here.

• As of Friday morning I start Jillian's 30 Day Shred. It arrived in the mail today (I got it for free with my swagbucks!) and I'm dying to start it! And I just may be dying when I start it. :)

Everything else is going really well! 2009 has been a really productive, memorable year so far--and I'm anxious to see what the rest of it brings. From here on out, the 2009 Goal Updates are going to start being bi-monthly instead of monthly, hopefully that way I will have more to report.

How are you doing?

Frugal Family Fun

**This is an updated version of a post orginally published in March 2009.**




The spring-like weather has really got me ready for some outdoor family fun that doesn't break the bank. Thankfully we live in an area that is loaded with free , or close to it, family fun. Many of which are in most communties.

Back in my hometown, which we still visit often, there is one of the biggest fish hatcheries around. You can feed the fish for about 25¢ and there are numerous trails to walk on, as well as a small museum type thing. If trails aren't your thing there is also a playground to play on. This type of set up, minus the fish hatchery, is also found in a lot of state parks--which are prominent around me as well as many other areas. State Conservation centers are also a great place to take kids to learn about the outdoors. Many of them have workshops, and trails as well.





We have also had the pleasure of visiting various rivers, and the parks that accompany them. This has been a lot of fun for us. There is no telling what we will find while out looking!




Even if you stumble upon a rainy day, there is still frugal family fun to be had--visit your local library and let your imaginations run. Most libraries, even our teeny one, have summer programs for the kids with various different activities. If leaving the house isn't something you are up for on a rainy day (I like to stay home on these days personally) make it an indoor craft day, play with play-dough (or moon sand which is favorite in my house), or construct a big building out of popsicle sticks--or a ship and see if it will float in the bathtub! :)


Having fun family days don't have to break the bank, or cost much money at all, to be memorable.

What Frugal Family Fun ideas do you have to share?

1.Changing Reflection

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday: "Mom I'm Bored" Edition

Finding Freedom Friday: Frugal Flops

I've not always been a frugal person. Even my beginning years as a single mother. While I may have been very careful how I spent my money--that didn't make me frugal. My frugal journey really only began about 2 years ago when we started Dave Ramsey's FPU. The last year or so, I've really amped up my frugal-ness and I truly desire to be Frugally Domestic. With that being said...I've had my fair share of Frugal Flops!

For instance:

• Homemade Dishwasher Detergent. While it will definitely work in a pinch, it isn't something that I will continually keep on hand. I will stick to my Electrosol. Especially since they like to roll out those awesome $2.50 coupons now and again.
• Oat Bread. I guess it wasn't technically a flop since I converted it into some awesome bread crumbs. But as far as being bread--uh no!
  
• Black Bean Brownies. Which was totally my fault to begin with. I went all crazy health nut, and tried to improve on "perfection" and it went over like a led balloon with my husband! I'm going to give it about a month and try it for real this time. I promise. :)
• Buying a tiller from an auction. My husband and I love going to auctions, and are able to (generally) score some great deals. My piece of advice--check out the goods before you bid cause it could be nothing more than a yard ornament. 'Nuff said.
• My first attempt at hummus. A few months back I decided that I would try my hand at hummus, although I was unable to get my hands on tahini. I had never previously heard of it before, so I was confident in thinking that it didn't matter (although deep down I knew otherwise!) and that I could still get a good product. Yeah, don't do that. Use tahini. Today I used this recipe, along with these homemade pitas. Awesome!
• And...while it may be too soon to tell (and I truly hope it is)....Herbs. I really had/have high hopes of growing a ton of herbs this year. Not only for me to use in the kitchen, but for aesthetics and medicinal purposes. I've successfully killed cilantro, attempted to germinate rosemary, killed a rosemary plant that I bought...and forgot to germinate countless other seed packets. Are you sure you want my gardening advice?!
• At the end of last year when I was still actively couponing, I would sometimes buy multiple copies of All You Magazine or our local paper. Only to never use those coupons. :( Bad, bad couponer!

I'm sure that along the way I've missed some. Being frugal is definitely a journey that isn't always full of successes. But, don't let it get you down! There are far more successes than failures, atleast in my experience.

Have you had any Frugal Flops while on your journey to being Frugally Domestic?

**I know that Mr. Linky has been pretty wonky this week. If he happens to disappear, leave your link in the comments and I can add them all in when I return on Tuesday.**

Finding Freedom Friday: Easy Travel Snacks/Meals

The summer months really get crazy around here. It feels as if we are always on the run. We aren't far from multiple rivers, springs, and beautiful State Parks and we try to take full advantage of them--especially during the summer months. Between that and driving to see family back in the hometown, we spend a lot of time on the road. If we were to eat out every time we were gone, I'm almost certain we would have to mortgage our home to pay for it all!

Let me put things in perspective real fast (the number side of me is dying to come out again!). One meal out for my family of 5 costs no less than $25. That one meal is equivalent to 33% of my grocery budget, or roughly 7 meals made in my kitchen! Say what?!

Not only that, but my food generally tastes better. I really don't mean to come off arrogant, but honestly, does anything beat homemade? And better yet, I have full control over the ingredients and the nutritional value. Anyway....

What do you do when you are out and about around lunch or dinner time? Or even for snacks? Be prepared. If you know that you may be gone while everyone gets hungry be sure to pack something to eat, or eat before you leave.

Here are some ideas:

• Pizza Pockets (We love these!) Grab these on your way out.
• Sandwiches on French Bread Baguettes or Whole Wheat Bread. Add some fresh veggies or fruit, and maybe a muffin (or two) and you've got a meal!
• Chicken Wraps (grilled chicken, lettuce, ranch dressing inside a tortilla. Yum!)
• Cookies for Snacks (Our Favorite: Oatmeal Raisin)
• Granola Bars
• Fresh Fruit. Our favorite to pack along is bananas, strawberries or grapes--I don't have to chop them up!
• Armed with a cooler you could pack: Egg Salad/Tuna Salad/Ham Salad/Chicken Salad sandwiches or wraps.
• Leftover Fried Chicken. To me this sounds so wrong, but my children and my husband love leftover, cold fried chicken.

Really--being prepared will save you tons of money! What ideas do you have for Easy Travel Snacks/Meals?

Now, having said all this, I must confess that this evening I was prepared--but hubby was not waiting! We made a run to the big town to shop for cell phones/garden fence. I was fully prepared to cook dinner when we made it home, but DH was not waiting (and really neither were the kids) so we ate out. You win some, and you lose some. Oh the irony.

1. Amy's Finer Things
2.Changing Reflection
3. April
4. Donna (Zookeeping 101)
5. Heather at Just Doing My Best
6. It's Frugal Being Green (Meal Plan 4/12, road trip week)

Looking Ahead: Finding Freedom Friday

Just wanted to remind you of the Finding Freedom Friday schedule. This week is : Easy Travel Snacks/Meals. I'm ready for some new ideas as our busy season is coming quickly! Be sure to come back Friday with your ideas and link your post. If you do not have a blog, that is fine as well--you can always leave your ideas in the comment section. I usually make the post live Thursday evenings.

Here is a look at other upcoming topics:

• May 15th: Easy Travel Snacks/Meals
• May 22nd: Finding Freedom: Frugal Flops
• June 5th: Finding Freedom: 2009 Goal Update
• June 12th: Finding Freedom with a Week Long Frugal Challenge

If you have any ideas for upcoming Finding Freedom Friday Topics, I would love to hear them!

Also, as I've mentioned, the summer is usually insanely busy for us. If you would be interested in doing a guest post in the upcoming months, I would love to hear from you. Just shoot me an email at phendricks @ centurytel.net and let me know what topic you would like to write on.

Finding Freedom Friday: OAMC/Freezer Meals

Have you ever just had one of those days where you lack all "want to" and gusto to fix dinner? It's in the plan, you have everything to make it, but you just aren't feeling it?

Insert Once a Month Cooking (OAMC). It solves that problem for you.

Ever forget an ingredient at the grocery store for your planned meal, and nothing else comes to mind to fix. Or the planned meal just doesn't sound appetizing at all?

You guessed it! OAMC solves those problems too.

Having a meal in the freezer has also saved my budget on those occasions when I think I want to eat out. Then I remember that there is some Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup, or a casserole waiting for me in my freezer. That isn't to say that we don't eat out, because we do..on occassion. Honestly, I can't wait until I have a whole freezer full of meals to choose from (I would be happy with half a freezer at this point!).

Basically the concept is to cook up a whole bunch of different meals or partial meals that are freezer friendly in one day (or a couple or even just do one extra when you make your regular dinner). I've been dreaming of doing a OAMC day, but frankly I've just not made it that far. Honestly, in the OAMC world, I've not made it far at all.

Here are some of my tips, from my very limited experience:

• Freeze your meat in a marinade. That way when you need it, all you have to do is take it out of the freezer and thaw.
• Freezing individual servings is ideal for lunches. For soups and broth, let cool first and then pour into a paper cup. Once frozen, you can pop them out of the cup and put into a Ziploc bag.
• Label, Label, Label. You will definitely want to make sure that you label everything, even if you think that you will recognize it later on. There are so many foods, that when frozen, look alike. Avoid the guessing game, by labeling when you put it in the freezer. I have guilty of this too many times to count!
• Cook like meals together. For instance; Hamburger meals, Chicken meals, etc. This will make your prep so much easier instead of having numerous different kinds of meat out.
  

What to freeze?

• I freeze lots and lots of soups mostly because when making them they take on a life of their own. By the time I am done I have a huge stockpot full and it just isn't possible for us to eat it all before we grow tired of it, or before it goes bad (which just isn't an option). To take up less space put them in a Ziploc bag and lay them flat.
• Pasta Sauces. Brown up a bunch of hamburger meat and add the desired amount of pasta sauce (perfect for the summer months when you have an abundance of garden fresh vegetables). Freeze in family sized portions. Perfect for lasagna, spaghetti, tortellini, or any other recipe that calls for a meat marinara sauce. Just thaw your frozen portion and proceed with the recipe!
• Endless amounts of baked goods. So very handy to freeze muffins, cookies, cakes, breads, etc for using later as snacks or in packed lunches. TIP: Pop a frozen muffin in your lunch box, and by lunch time it should be ready to eat. It also helps keep your other food cold.
• Various Casseroles.
• Breakfast Burritos. Scramble up a dozen eggs, fry up a pound of bacon or sausage, add some cheese and wrap up a bunch of burritos. Perfect for mornings on the run. I used to make up a bunch of these when I was still working and my husband and I would both grab one on our way out the door. When we made them, I would wrap them in aluminum foil. When ready to heat, remove the foil and pop in the microwave. Beats McDonald's burritos any day!
• And although I've never tried it (but have been meaning to): Make your own frozen pizza. Why not? Homemade pizza is way better than those processed, lacking toppings, no choice, store bought frozen ones. I'm hoping to try freezing our new favorites.

Right now that is all that I have tried, but it is just a sampling of the endless possibilities you have with OAMC/Freezer Meals.

Once you get started, you'll be Finding Freedom in no time!

What are your tips for OAMC or for making Freezer Meals? Have any recipes to share? How has it helped you?

I really can't wait to see what you all bring, but please abide by the rules. (You can find them at the bottom of this post)

1. Stephanie (Batch Cooking: What It Is and How I Do It Part 1) (Part 2)
2. Lynn
3. Amy- Cutting Coupons in KC
4. Changing Reflection (making meal prep easy)
5. pennypinchinmomma (guide to oamc)

Don't Forget Finding Freedom Friday Tomorrow

I can't wait for it to get here!



Tomorrow for Finding Freedom Friday we will be talking about OAMC/Freezer Meals. While I am really new at this concept, I've loved every bit of it!



Since I am brand new, I can't wait to see how everyone else does it. I'm ready to grab some new OAMC recipes, and hear all about this has helped you find freedom in the kitchen, financially and any other possible way.



If you are not familiar with OAMC (once a month cooking) I encourage you to dabble in it. The possiblilites really are almost endless and the benefits are numerous.



And, for all you seasoned veterans (or beginners like myself) be sure to bring your tips, tricks, and recipes tomorrow so we can all become pros!

Cutting Grocery Costs

This post was originally posted on February 3rd, but it bears repeating as it is my Top Frugal Tip. The number one question I am asked is how I keep my grocery budget as low as I do. Implementing these following 8 tips helped me gain control of my grocery budget, which has given us more money for our debt snowball.

Be sure to check out Works For Me Wednesday: Frugal Tip Edition.

Original post follows:

On the last installment of Finding Freedom, I went over Managing Expenses and different ways that you can cut your costs.

One of the hardest, yet easiest areas, is grocery shopping. I do consider it a negotiable, because although you have to eat, you can almost always cut your spending in the "grocery department" and still not starve!

Here are my Top 8 Ways to Cut your Grocery Expenses

• Cash. I've already shouted all through out blog land how much I believe in cash for all grocery shopping endeavors, so I won't get into that too much here. You can check out my story of using cash, here. It will save you tons of money, you will end up with things you actually need, and you will be in control! I beg you to try it if you haven't already. (Those of you that have tried it, please feel free to weigh in in the comment section so everyone knows how it went!)
  
  
• Watch those sales and pair with coupons. It is unbelievable how much money you can save by pairing those 2 together! My rule of thumb as far as my coupons go, is if the item isn't on sale..I will probably not use my coupon, unless I NEED that particular item.
  **If you aren't interested in coupons, just check out the ads and shop the loss leaders. Loss leaders are the items that the grocery stores mark way down to get you into the store to buy other overpriced items.**
  
  
• Meal Planning! Knowing what you are making for dinner and writing down all of the ingredients you need from the store will not only keep you on track at the store, but it will save you unnecessary trips back to the store inevitably ending up with more than you needed, and spending more in the process. Also, avoiding the whole "It's 4pm and I have no idea what is for dinner!" is such a stress reliever. You will end up with more time, less stress, and saving money in the process! Doesn't get any better!
  
  
• Use that list!!! That is why you made it, so stick to it! My only exception to this, is if I know I need orange juice (or another actual needed item) and I forgot to put it on my list. But, I must need it (not want it) and there must be room in my budget. I try not to break budget for things I've forgotten to list, but didn't. I've been known though, to knock something else off so that I can get that one item. It did take some getting used to, but it kind of goes hand in hand with the whole cash concept.
  
  
• Watch the prices. Buying in bigger packages isn't always cheaper, so make sure that you are getting the best deal. I'm that crazy lady standing in the aisle checking out every brand of product and figuring out the best deal. And a "sale" isn't always a sale.
  
  
• Shop multiple stores. This one obviously isn't feasible for everybody, but it is something that you should check into and weigh. I live in a pretty small area, and in order for me to get decent grocery prices I have to drive to the "big town". The "big town" has Super Wal-Mart and Walgreen's on one end, and Aldi's and a small grocery chain on the other. I go to one set, and then go to the other set since is on the way home. Shopping these multiple stores gives me a better idea of prices and in turn, I have a better idea of what a good sale price is. I don't always shop at all of these stores, but I do usually hit 2-3. I can get all my shopping done, with my 3 year old, in no more than 2 hours.
  
  
• Price Book! This is something that I have just started, and I'm sure that I don't do it like everyone else. When I come home, I input all of my grocery prices in Excel. I write the item, the price, and the price per unit. For instance, onions. Say they are $1.29, and I get 6 in the bag. That is .22 cents an onion. (Secret Revealed- This is how I know the cost breakdown of all my meals!) When I buy the item next time, if it is lower I write that in with stars letting me know that is a good deal. When I go to make my list, I write down beside the item how much it costs (based on the price book) and I tally it up at the end. This helps me stay within my budget.
  
  
• And remember, if you can buy it, you can more than likely make it! Making most of what we eat from scratch has really cut our costs. In return I have been able to make my family healthy foods for less than half of what I could buy them for, and I am at peace because I know exactly what is in it and where it has been. No need to worry about some 14 letter ingredient that I have never heard of and cannot pronounce!

I encourage you to try all of these. You do not necessarily have to do them all at once, you can ease in if you desire. But, I do think it is important to do all of them at some point to maximize your savings.

I would love to hear your experiences in cutting grocery costs. Your successes and failures. Hopefully your successes far out weigh the failures! Feel free to chat away in the comment section.

Coming up on Finding Freedom Friday

Can you believe that this weekend is the beginning of May?! Good grief 2009 is flying before my eyes. Hopefuly this means an end to all these April Showers. Can I get an Amen?



So, with April over that means it is time for another 2009 Goal Update. Come join in Friday and let us know how you are doing on your 2009 Goals. And...still yet, if you haven't set any, all is well. Do that NOW and link up Friday with your list.



The topics for upcoming Finding Freedom Fridays are:

**Please note that I changed some dates around.

• May 1st: Finding Freedom: 2009 Goal Update
• May 8th: Finding Freedom with Freezer Meals/OAMC
• May 15th: Easy Travel Snacks/Meals
• May 22nd: Finding Freedom: Frugal Flops
• June 5th: Finding Freedom: 2009 Goal Update
• June 12th: Finding Freedom with a Week Long Frugal Challenge

Finding Freedom Friday Reminder

Just wanted to give a reminder about Finding Freedom coming up tomorrow. The topic is Time Management, just in time for the busy summer months!



How do you stay on track during your busy day and accomplish all the things that need to be done? Prioritize? or a mad dash to see just what you can get done? How do you fit in play time with the kids? Quality time with your spouse? Me time? Dinner Time?



Come back tomorrow and fill us in!



Here is the extended schedule, as well.

• April 24th: Finding Freedom with Time Management
• May 1st: Finding Freedom: 2009 Goal Update
• May 8th: Finding Freedom: Easy Travel Snacks/Meals
• May 15th: Finding Freedom with a Frugal Challenge

If you have any suggestions for Finding Freedom Friday topics, you can email me at phendricks @ centurytel.net or drop me a comment.

Finding Freedom Friday: Organization

I get a lot of emails and questions asking about different organizational ideas (which I love, by the way). I rate organization pretty high on the list of easy ways to "find freedom". Afterall, if you can't find something you either have to replace it (more money), or spend countless minutes trying to find it (time wasted). Being organized definitely helps!

With that being said, I win some days, and I lose some days. Seriously.

I'm no expert or pro in organization, and I find that I am constantly changing my method. This makes me even more giddy to hear what your organizational tips are!

Currently, this is what really helps me out:

• Baskets or small containers. Having similar items all in one place, really helps me out. Anymore you can find super cute containers at Dollar Tree or any Dollar/Discount store. I'm loving my kitchen cabinets, and have used the same idea in my refrigerator with great success.
• Also, small plastic containers work wonders in your kitchen drawers..or any drawer for that matter. Jessica just posted a picture of hers, which looks exactly like mine! I love it! Everything is right there, no need for digging.
• Lists, Lists and More Lists. I find that lists really help me stay organized and focused. Especially in the way of finances and goals. I just use a normal plain jane spiral notebook that I picked up when they were on sale for .05¢. I literally bought an entire box!
• I'm still working on it, but I also find that lists work for organizing my house cleaning. I hope to have this near perfection so I can "unveil" it in the next month or so.
• Binders. I have many binders.
• I have one for my recipes.
• Budget/Finances that also contains my goals.
• Home Mangement (which still isn't finsished), my house cleaning guide will also go in here. I love Problem Solving Mom's idea for creating your own daily dockets!
• I also have one that contains different ideas for all the holidays.
• Also, since we plan to build on to our home next year I have one that contains different house plans and decorating ideas.
• And, I even have one for my coupons. Although I've not touched them since December!
I'm sure that this sounds like I have binders everywhere you turn around, but really it isn't too overwhelming. Sure beats having all those papers cluttered around, or all in a million different places on my computer.

What are your tips for organization? How has it helped you to Find Freedom?

I'm really looking forward to your responses! With my husband being home all last week--I'm not feeling all too organized this week. And, I'm always looking for ways to improve my "system". Don't forget the rules to linking. (You can find them on this post.)

This post is linked to Organizing Tip Thursday.

Finding Freedom Friday: 2009 Goal Update

I find goals play an integral part to my success in any aspect of my life, whether it be goals for the day, my goals as a wife/mother, or goals that I set for a year. Taking a look back periodically really keeps me on the right track, and keeps the goals (and where I am at in attaining those goals) fresh in my mind.

If you haven't had a chance to set goals for yourself for 2009, I encourage you to so, now. It isn't too late--I promise! :)

To see the whole list of goals I made for 2009, you can go here.

Here is my update:

• For my spiritual goals:
  • I'm still trying to find the time of day that works for doing my devotional. I would love to get in the groove of doing it first thing in the morning before everyone wakes up, but 5:30 comes really early!



• As far as Relationships go:
  • Thankfully there is Facebook! I've gotten a lot better with communicating with friends back home, and family using it. Although I would like to get better at actually setting aside time to see them, for now I'm okay with Facebook. It's better than before!
  • I am doing tons better in terms of patience, and am praying that it continues to get better.



• Home/Gardening:
  • I'm doing better with getting all my housewifely duties done, but I'm still in search of "my routine". I hope to get this down in the next week or so.



• Monday of this week, I became the proud new owner of fruit trees! Not so funny story, though--we picked out Gala and Jonathon Apples and Keiffer and Bartlett Pears (since you have to have more than one variety to pollinate). The place we went to is close to the city, so just under an hour away. I was showing Kaitlyn the trees, and realized that we ended up with a Golden Delicious Apple instead of a Bartlett Pear! Agh. Now, on the search for a Bartlett Pear! :) While we were there, we also picked up our second blueberry bush.



• Learning about nutrition got kicked up a notch when we learned out DH's cholesterol. I must say, that over the past few weeks, I have learned a lot and have adjusted our diets accordingly. I'm sure that I have much more to learn, and I'm eager to learn it. For now, though, I will focus on getting his numbers where they need to be.



• Personal Goals:
  • I do feel as if I'm getting healthier. I'm on a mad mission to lose weight (which was jump started by DH's results as well as Janet's plan to get fit.)



• Since I have been crazy busy over the last few weeks trying to get the garden ready, I haven't had much time to read books. So, I still have room to improve here.



• Financial Goals:
  • Not so great. Willie isn't getting the hours we were used to. Thankfully he still has a secure job and we are provided for. The only "issue" is our debt has barely budged. But, I'm definitely not complaining. We are blessed far beyond measure, and the Lord continues to provide for us during this time, and I am ever thankful for that.
  
  
  
  • I did go over my grocery budget for March. I spent about $284, so $34 over. I stocked up big time on strawberries, various different flours that I normally wouldn't buy (rye and oat), as well as bought far greater amounts of fresh fruit. I am, however going to increase my grocery budget to $300 for the coming months, because I'm needing to stock up on canning jars, as well as continue to buy great amounts of fresh fruit. Hopefully by July I can bring this number back down.

Now is your time to share.

How are you doing on your 2009 Goals? If you haven't made your goals yet--hop in now and let us know what you are striving for.

This post is linked to Money Saving Mom.

Making Your Own vs. Store Bought

This topic is very near and dear to me for numerous different reasons. It all actually started when I started taking a closer look at our grocery budget and seeing where I could trim. From there I realized that basically everything that I relied on the grocery store for (which was everything), I could make at home. Yes, you can make almost anything at home. That does not necessarily mean that it is economical to do so, but with a little bit of time, research, and maybe some added umph--you can make anything.

This newfound discovery got my wheels really turning. Why was I buying all these things from the store and giving someone that I didn't even know the authority to play in my food, or add whatever they wanted to into my cleaners. Granted, these companies are regulated by the government, but that just wasn't and isn't enough for me. Especially when you take into account how many food recalls we have had and also knowing that certain ingredients have a potential for causing cancer.

I would have to say that yes, making my own has definitely saved us money! For a lot of the recipes that I post and for all of my menu plans, I try to post the cost breakdown so you can see that making food from scratch is easy, frugal and delish. Doing the cost breakdown has really gotten me to see just how much money it has saved us.

Currently the only other thing that I make from scratch, other than food items, is my laundry soap and fabric softener. I cannot even begin to tell you how much this has saved us. There are no additives, and no perfumes in the laundry detergent. The fabric softener, because I use conditioner, does have perfumes and such--but I've been using diluted vinegar with added essential oil with success. This method does not have the perfumes/additives. I do not make any other cleaners right now, because I still have a big stock of the commercial things from couponing. But, isopropyl alcohol and vinegar (not together) should be your best friend.

Of course there are other things, like curtains, clothing, toys, gifts, etc that you can make at home. All of which, in my opinion, fall right along the same lines.

Doing these things has granted me great amounts of freedom. I hardly rely on the grocery store for anything. I have the base ingredients at any given time to make almost anything you can dream up. That in conjunction with couponing, I rarely need anything other than basics, which grants me the freedom and reliance from the grocery store. Not being there so much saves me money on impulse buys, which is helping me find financial freedom. We're all human! :)

And on top of all of that, yes, I can notice a difference in our health. I feel better, and I have slimmed down a bit. Although, I'm on a mad mission to lose more!

Let me add here, that I was never one to be any form of domestic. No way, no how. Didn't want any part of it whatsoever. Money was made to be spent, and the stores were created for you to spend it. Thankfully my views have changed! I still have very little patience and desire fast results. I say all this so that you know that "making your own" isn't always time consuming (which is what I always thought). Sure, the first time you do it, it may take a while, but once you get it down, it will be second nature. Kind of like tying your shoes. When you first learn, it takes about 12 days to tie both shoes. Now, I'll bet that you can tie them in your sleep with your hands tied behind your back.

I'm no domestic powerhouse, or professional homemaker, but I strongly encourage you to attempt to make your own "something". If you are already making something, make more "somethings", venture out and see how many things you really can make. It's a great feeling knowing that my family depends on my hands, and not someone elses.

If you have any questions about where to start, how to begin, or anything at all--I'm more than happy to help!

Now is the time for you to share. Please remember to link to your post and not your homepage. And please keep it on topic--I don't like deleting links!

What is your take on Making at Home vs. Store Bought?

1. Changing Reflection

Finding Freedom Friday Topic: Making Own vs. Store Bought

As part of our journey to lead a more frugal and simple life, I have found great pleasure in making many things for my home. This includes curtains, food, cleaners, gifts, and our very own garden..amongst other things.

As part of the Finding Freedom Series, I would love to hear how you have found freedom with making things for your home and family.

• Has it saved you money over the store bought counterparts?

• Why did you choose to make it?

• In what ways has it helped you to find freedom?

• Financially?

• Peace knowing what is in it/Where it came from.

• With time? (Managing better, quality time with family doing projects)

Do you notice any differences in health?

Those are just a few ideas to get your wheels turning, feel free to address whatever you like. Be sure to come back Friday with your post and link up with us!

Also here is what you can expect in the next couple of weeks for Finding Freedom Friday:

• April 3rd: Finding Freedom With Goals: 2009 Goal Update
• April 10th: Finding Freedom With Organization
• April 17th: Finding Freedom With Time Management

I'm open to any and all suggestions that you may have for upcoming Finding Freedom Friday topics. You can leave a comment with your suggestions, or you can drop me an email (phendricks @ centurytel.net).

I'm looking forward to all your responses!