Purging

We often hear the expression "binging and purging".  Because we binge, or overload, we end up with more than we can use. All that extra must then be purged, or cleared out, for us to get back to a balanced state.  I have spent this week purging my kitchen.  I was hoping to get done in one day, but it took me two days just to go through the pantry and cabinets!  I tossed everything that had expired, donated everything that would expire soon that I wasn't absolutely positive I'd use in time and inventoried and organized everything that was left.

I put the breakfast and snack foods that Josh can get by himself on a low shelf in the pantry.  The rest I grouped by spices, baking, mixes, pasta & rice, sauces, canned, etc.  Now I will easily be able to find things when I'm cooking or looking to see what I have as I plan my menu and shopping trip for the week.

I made several discoveries during this process.  When doing a task like this, we need to think about the "why" behind the "what".  Why did I have so many expired items?  Why hadn't they been used?  By looking at what I had that had expired, I realized that: 1. I had made plans to do a lot of baking at one point, bought all the stuff and then got distracted/busy and didn't do it, so I had a lot of extracts and things like that, 2. When I tried a new recipe, I would get a whole container of the ingredient and then not make the recipe again (at least not often enough to use all of that ingredient), 3. I'm a sucker for a good sale and had "stocked up" on items because they were a good deal rather than because I knew I would use them, 4. As with the "baking plan", I had gotten busy and bought "convenience food" rather than cooking at home, leaving many of my seasonings and other ingredients to expire.

So how do these revelations affect my future cooking and purchasing plans?  The main change that I need to make is better planning.  Going forward, I will check to see what ingredients I already have as I plan what to cook for the week.  Then I have to stick to that plan and not let my other "to do" items overtake my schedule.  The same goes for purchasing.  My goal is to purchase items on sale or with coupons, but I need to make sure they will be products I will actually use.  Otherwise, they'll just be a part of my next purge.

We can apply these same lessons to the other parts of the house.  Make sure that everything you have is something you will actually use.  If it's not, give it to someone who WILL use it.  When you find a good sale, only invest in the items you are sure you will use, otherwise it is just a waste of money no matter how cheap it is.  Once you have gone through what you have, keeping everything organized so that you can find it all will help you quickly see what you have and what you need.  That will help keep you from buying duplicates of things you already have.

573 Ways to Save Money

No, I'm not going to list all 573 ways here.  That's the title of a book by Peter and Jennifer Sander that I just finished.  I decided that, since my financial contribution to the household will now be largely through saving, I had better do some research.  They had all kinds of ideas, from the kooky "make a solar cooker" to the really practical.  Some were also repeated; they were trying to fill out a whole book, after all.  I have gone through and selected those that were the most practical for me.  Read the book if you want to see if there are others that would help you.

General Money Tips

• Keep closer tabs on your money.  Write down every penny you spend for two weeks.  You may not realize how much you're spending $1-2 at a time.
• Purchase concentrated juice, cleaner, etc and mix your own.  It will cost 1/2 of the premixed version.

Around the House

• Check the air pressure in your tires
• Change your car's oil and air filter
• Air dry your clothes (the dryer uses more energy than any other appliance)- you can get an inexpensive "indoor" clothesline at your local home improvement store. Toss clothes in the dryer for a few minutes to soften once dry.
• use rechargeable batteries and washable plastic containers rather than buying new batteries and plastic bags over and over.
• non-toxic household cleaner: 1/2 baking soda, 1/2 Borax.  Shake some out, add a drop of dish detergent and scrub.
• Clean off your refrigerator coils- they need to release heat into the air and all that dust holds it in.
• Rent a carpet cleaner at the grocery store- it's cheaper than buying one or paying others to do it.
• Learn to fix things yourself at www.doityourself.com, www.wonderhowto.com, www.viewdo.com or www.monkeysee.com
• Paint is the cheapest way to redecorate.  check your local home improvement/paint store for "mistints".
• Moth repellent: hang rosemary, lavender, mint, thyme or eucalyptus in your closet.
• Check the weather stripping and seals on doors and windows.
• Close the vents in unused rooms & shut the door.

In the Kitchen

• Go meatless a couple times a week
• Make your own food- premade versions can cost up to FIVE times as much!! 
• www.anniesrecipes.com 
• www.foodnetwork.com
• www.cook4seasons.com
• Tomato Sauce Recipes at www.recipezaar.com and www.101cookbooks.com
• Check out "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"- recipe available on www.motherearthnews.com  This recipe can be used to make pizza dough and sweet bread like cinnamon buns as well.
• Grow your own herbs and vegetables- it can be done in pots if you don't have a large yard.  Find helpful tips and recipes at www.helpfulgardner.com and www.eartheasy.com
• Buy a can of Campbell's condensed soup and go to www.helpgrowyoursoup.com for a free packet of tomato seeds.
• Make your own baking mixes.  Find recipes at www.budget101.com/convenience_mixes.htm
• Get a bottle and refill it at home instead of buying more.
• Offer to help a neighbor harvest their fruit in exchange for some.
• Buy in season & eat in season (or learn to can them for later)- check the local farmers market.
• Make muffins & coffee at home for breakfast on the go.  You can freeze the muffins for up to a month.  You can find recipes at www.eatbetteramerica.com

For your Health

• Bring your lunch!!  Whether it's to work or something fun, it's ALWAYS cheaper to bring your own food. 
• Save your waist and your wallet.  Set aside half of your meal for lunch the next day or use the meat from one meal to make another (for example you could take that leftover pork roast to make BBQ sandwiches). 
• Quit the gym- walk outside.  If it's raining, walk at the mall but leave your wallet in the car. 

For Looking Good

• Get your stylish friends together.  Have a party where you all bring some clothes, accessories, etc that you can trade or share among the group.
• Spa Skin Scrub: 
• 1/2 C. grated citrus zest, 1/2 C. almonds, 1/3 C. sea salt, 1 T. almond oil
• Blend citrus zest & almonds in blender, mix in salt & oil
• Store in glass jar
• Conditioning Hair Treatment:
• 2 T. almond oil & 4 drops citrus essential oil
• massage through hair & leave in 20 mins
• shampoo as normal
• Bath Oil:
• baby oil & a few drops of essential oil 
• mix & store in a glass jar

When Shopping

• ALWAYS ask to speak to a manager and ask for a discount.
• www.giftcardsagain.com saves you 15-20% when buying gift cards.  You can also cash in unwanted gift cards at www.giftcardbuyback.com
• Buy big ticket items out of season.  Ask a sales rep when the item you're interested in is cheapest.
• When you want a big ticket item, wait a week or even a month before purchasing and reevaluate to see if you are still willing to spend the money on it.
• Go in with a friend.  Split the cost of a rental cabin, buy in bulk & split it.
• Holiday Sales usually offer the best prices.
• Buy used online or at a consignment shop.  For sports items, try www.playitagainsports.com
• Make use of garage sales, but only for items you are already planning buying- don't spend extra money on things you don't need.  Even if those extras are cheap, that's still more expensive than not buying them.
• Compare prices on www.pricegrabber.com

When you Travel

• Check out www.reidsguide.com for colleges that rent out dorm rooms during the summer.
• Try a volunteer vacation.  Part or all of your lodging and food may be covered if you agree to spend some of your time volunteering.  www.habitat-nola.org, www.charityguide.org, www.sierraclub.org can help you find a volunteer vacation.  Some of the money you do spend may be tax deductible.
• Call the locales and hotels you would like to visit and ask when the off-season and cheapest prices are.  You can also ask if they are currently running any specials. 
• Check out www.travelzoo.com, www.us.lastminute.com, www.lastminutetravel.com
• Vacation in places with a good transportation system & skip the car rental.  
• Check out "rideshare" on craigslist or homeswap (for vacation) at www.homelink-usa.com

For Entertainment

• Create a babysitting exchange with friends who have kids of a similar age to yours.
• Create a book swap with your friends or go to www.bookmooch.com or www.paperbackswap.com
• Share magazine subscriptions with your friends.
• Increase your insurance deductibles & get healthy- your health insurance rates will be lower.1
  
• Have a picnic in the park and take your dog for a walk afterwards- you'll save money and improve your health.
• Light some candles, pour a glass of wine and read to each other.
• Check your local newspaper for listings of free events.
• Check your favorite restaurants for a newsletter- it may have savings in it.
• Call your local movie theater and ask the manager if there are any specials or "kids free" days.

Be smart with your Money

As I look at my life and the changes I'd like to make, I can clearly see that how I manage my family's money directly impacts everything else.  If I manage our money wisely, I can lower our stress level while increasing our quality of life.  Now I don't mean quality of life as in having fancy things and going out on the town all the time, but quality of life as in how happy we are.  If you replace some of those status things with time to develop the relationships with those you care about, you will be a much happier person.

When I was working to try to help with the family finances, we realized that I wasn't adding a whole lot of income due to extra expenditures on child care, horse care, eating out (since I didn't have time to cook), gas and more.  At the same time, both my husband Mike and I were a whole lot more stressed out and felt guilty that neither of us had much time to spend with our son.  This arrangement was just not working for us at all!

Going forward, I will still be teaching some riding lessons and might even pick up some editing or proofreading that I can do from home (may as well put my OCD English major tendencies to work), but my first priority has got to be my family.  As I thought about this, I realized that I can contribute to our family finances by saving money rather than earning it.  I can also contribute to our quality of life by taking care of things around the house so that when my husband comes home from work, we can enjoy some time as a family.

On my main blog page, Time to be Mom, I have a Resources page which lists some helpful websites and blogs on finances.  I will still be putting all of my posts on that page, but I will repost any that are helpful on money issues on this page as well.