SAVE MONEY AND REFURNISH YOUR HOUSE

Want to know how you can have beautiful furniture on a very small budget?

We all want nice, matching furniture in our homes.  A cohesive style throughout the house.  Unless your my husband.  Then your like, meh.  ;)

I like nice matching furniture with a cohesive style and color scheme.  However, I can't afford to just go buy a bunch of new furniture.  I would love to, but I have much more important things to spend my money on.  I came up with a solution.  I started going to Goodwill and other local thrift stores to see what they had available.  They had a lot of furniture but it was really ugly.  I mean really ugly.  

I know. Not the best picture.  Lol. :)

I paid $10 for two of these. Ugly huh?

Good thing I like to work on things.  

The total investment for two end tables was $25!!
That includes the cost of the tables and the material!

I went to Walmart and the Habitat for Humanity Restore and started to purchase supplies.  You can get a gallon of really good paint really cheap at the Restore. I mean like $5!!  I was really excited because I got Glidden Diamond 0 VOC paint that had never been opened for $5!  

If you don't have access to a Restore I still recommend this paint.  It is really good and goes quite a long ways.  I am very happy with it.  I used some of it on my cabinets and am able to scrub them down with no problems.

I picked up some other basic supplies like tape, nails, stain, brushes, etc and started picking up some pieces that I liked and restoring them and updating them.  The great part about this is if you find a great inexpensive piece but it won't work in your house you can still restore it and just sell it to help pay back the cost of the furniture you bought for your home.

Some really great places to sell your refurbished furniture are:

Craigslist.com

Local facebook selling pages

ebay.com

etsy.com

local stores that sell used furniture

You can even get artsy with it if you have artistic talent and sell it to a furniture gallery.

Amanda

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links for products that I like to use.  These links help me to be able to continue producing these blog posts.  Thank you!!

STOP THROWING AWAY MONEY!!

STOP THROWING AWAY MONEY!!

Seriously stop wasting money.

We all throw away money every day.  From tossing out items that aren't completly empty to wasting food.  I'm going to give you 10 tips on how to stop throwing away the money your spending on replacing  items and keep it in your pocket.

Tip #1

Don't throw away honey bottles with a little honey still left in it or if it has crystalized.  It has not gone bad!  Honey really doesn't go bad unless it is contaminated.  All you have to do is heat the honey and it will return to its liquid form.  You can do this by placing your honey bottle in a container of warm water or you can zap it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time.

If your bottle is almost empty just ad a little warm water to it and shake it up.  Then use to sweeten your tea or cereal, etc.

Tip #2

Stop throwing away stale chips.  There is no need to.  Just spread them on a sheet pan and bake them in the oven on 350 degrees for a few minutes.  They will come out nice and fresh and taste fresh from the Mexican restaurant!

Tip #3

Instead of throwing out the dish soap bottle you just emptied add a little water to it and shake it up.  There is likely enough soap left in the bottle for one or two more sinks full of dishes.

Tip #4

Keep those herb stems and bones left over from your roast chicken, turkey, and beef.  These are great for making homemade stock and bone broth.  The stems and bones have an amazing amount of flavor, vitamins, and minerals in them.  Also, the bones will add natural gelatin which if very good for your hair, skin, and nails.  Since these are all ingredients that you would normally throw away your delicious homemade stock will cost you next to nothing!!  YAY!!

Tip #5

So, you treated your family to a nice breakfast of homemade waffles.  MMMMM.  Yummy!  But, your eyes were bigger than everyone's stomachs and now you have left overs.  Don't throw them away!!  Just put them in a ziploc when they are fully cooled and toss them in the freezer.  Presto!  Now you have your own toaster waffles for use during the week!

Amanda

This post contains affiliate links.  These links help me to be able to continue to put out posts like this one.  Thank you!!!

How I Save on My Monthly Bills

Bills

We all have them.

I don't know about you, but I hate paying bills.  I can think of so many other things that I would like to spend money money on.  

Like camping. Or makeup.  I like shiny things, lol, but I have kids and responsibilities.  UGGG.  So, in order to be able to do fun things like camping with my family I had to find ways to save money on every day expenses.

Here are some great tips that I have found really help and that I use.

1. Realize you don't need to have every channel available out there.  I cancelled our cable about 6 years ago.  Instead we bought a game system and signed up for Netflix.  My cable went from over $100 a month down to $8 a month.  I know I had the initial cost of the game system which was $299, but I recieved a $50 gift card when I bought it, and by cancelling our cable it paid for itself within 2 months.
2. Call your internet company and ask if there is any specials that you are elligible for.  Many times they are authorized to give you special discounts in order to keep your business.
3. Cancel your home phone and stick with your cell phones.  I mean seriously.  Do you actually use your home phone?  Most people have cell phones in this country.  Why double up and have twice the bill?
4. Shop around for your home and auto insurance.  Check around, do the math, and get the best deal.  Plus, make sure you are getting your discounts.  Some companies give discounts for deadbolts, smoke detectors, security systems, multi policy, multi car, being close to a fire hydrent, etc.
5. TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS AND TURN DOWN THE HEATER!!  If your not in the room do you really need the lights on? NO.  Use a timed thermostat so that you are not heating the whole house when your not home.  This will save you a lot of money and is a really easy way to save money on your electric bill.
6. Get rid of memberships you don't have to have.  If your not actually going to the gym do you really need a membership?  Or, can you babysit in the nursery in trade for a membership instead?  Think about the different things you belong to and decide if you actually use these memberships, or if it's something you can do without or trade for instead.

These are some of the strategies that I use to save money on my monthly bills. I hope this helps!!

Feel free to comment with any questions.

Amanda

How To Preserve a Large Amount of Potatoes

So, the other day I got an awesome deal on russet potatoes.  The grocery store was clearing out their older stock to make room for the new stock for the large supply they brought in for the big Easter sale.

They put 10# bags on sale for .69 cents!!  I know right!  That is unheard of!

Well, I ended up with 50# of potatoes.  I now what your thinking.  What are you going to do with all those potatoes?!  

Well, first of all I have a large family with 4 growing kids that eat a LOT.

And I do mean A LOT!  Sometimes that all I think they do is eat..  Secondly, I have people over fairly often.  But, even then we still could'nt go through 50#
 of potatoes without at least some of them going bad.

SO WHAT TO DO??

Well what I am going to do is take about 20# of them and turn them into frozen hash brown.  To do this all you have to is shread them and blanche them in salted boiling water for a few minutes.  Then rinse them in cold water to stop the cooking process.  It is important to do this because if you don't the potatoes will turn brown due to oxidation.  Then, squeeze them dry and lay them out on a sheet pan and freeze.  After they are frozen put them into freezer bags and put back into the freezer.

This will save a ton of money and be convenient.  I am going to use mine when we go camping this summer.

There are many other things you could make like your own fries or stew potatoes, etc.

Amanda

What I Keep In My Pantry and Why

A WELL STOCKED PANTRY IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO HAVE

        

These are some pictures of my pantries.  Yes I said pantries.  I actually have 3 but the 3rd one isn't important right now.

Some of you may think that is excessive, but I have a large family and I have friends eat over pretty often so I need to have a large amount of stock on hand.

When you go to the grocery store every few days you tend to buy more than you need.  Be honest with yourself.  Do you always just grab that gallon of milk and loaf of bread? Or, do you grab a candy bar and a pop to?  Or, maybe something else you didn't plan on?  

We all do it, so don't feel bad.  But, if you are trying to stick to a strict budget then you have to stop going to the store so much.

These are some of the basics that I keep in my stocked pantry that I recommend everyone to have.  Adjust for diet and taste of course!!

• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Shortening
• Yeast
• Baking Soda
• Rice
• Beans
• Canned Vegetables
• Bullion
• Barley
• Home Canned Meat
• Jelly
• Peanut Butter
• Honey
• Pancake mix
• Canned Soup
• Ramen
• Pasta
• Tomatoes
• Tomato Sauce/Paste
• Oatmeal

This is a very basic pantry list, but with these few items you can make an endless variety of meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When times are tough and there are a few days left until payday, you can make casseroles and soups, homemade tortillas and bread, and many other things from a pantry like this.

Amanda

This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for checking.  Your helping me to be able to continue posting all of my random knowledge and advice for your reading pleasure. ;)

Save Your Money and Buy a Freezer!!

Ok, so you have gotten over your fear of generic brands, reduced racks, and coupons.  You've saved a bunch of money and you have a carload of groceries.  What to do with them?  Put them in a big freezer of course!

An excellent investment for anyone who is trying to save money on their grocery cost is a large freezer.  I actually have two not including the one on my refridgerator.  I know it sounds like a lot, but my family hunts and if I didn't have a freezer to put the meat in I would have to can everything.  Canning meat takes a long time so I wouldn't want to have to do that everytime my husband shoots a deer.  Plus, I really hate canned hamburger.  It's seriously gross.  If you have a recipe thats good please let me know because the stuff I made tasted like dog food. EWW.

There are a couple of kinds of freezers you can buy.  A stand up freezer is easier for people with back problems, but you can fit more in a chest freezer.  Its really just what your preference is.  Don't be afraid to buy a used freezer. Both of mine are used and they work great.  You will save a lot of money that way.  Older freezers seem to work really well to.  They will take more energy to run but its not that bad. :)

Amanda

This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for checking.  Your helping me to be able to continue posting all of my random knowledge and advice for your reading pleasure. ;)

Coupons!!

Lets talk COUPONS!!

Savings!!

Yay!! :)

Ok, so I know some people are uncomfortable using coupons.  If you want to save money then that is something that you are going to have to get over.

Now first thing is to remember that just because there is a coupon for it doesn't mean you need to buy it.  If your not going to use it your still wasting money even if its just a few cents.  Those few cents here and there really add up.  Especially if you are on a limited budget.

I really try to match coupons that are available with sales that are going on.  You can really save a lot of money that way.

There are a few rules to follow when you use coupons.

1.    Make sure you know the stores coupon policy.  Some stores will accept other stores coupons, or will price match.  This can be really helpful for saving money and time.
2. If you have a lot of coupons and there are a lot of people lining up behind you, politley tell them that you have quite a few coupons and it may take you longer.
3. You can stack certain coupons.  Store coupons and manufacturer coupons can be used together because they are different types.
4. SIGN UP FOR TEXT COUPONS!!
5. Check store websites for coupons
6. SIGN UP COUPONS IN THE MAIL.  Stores will often send exclusive coupons to people who sign up for them.
7. SIGN UP FOR REWARDS CARDS.  You can save a lot of money with these and some store give exclusive points redeemable for free products.
8. Look for in store coupons on the products and the shelves.  Then make sure the checkers use them!

These are all strategies I use to help save money at the grocery store and other stores as well.  This saves me a TON of money.  Every little bit helps.

There are coupon apps you can use to if you have a smart phone.  The one I use most often is retailmenot.  It will tell you where the sales and coupons are at the stores nearest to you.

Ok, now go sign up for all these and have fun saving!!

Amanda

Canning Food for Later Use

I know canning can seem really scary.  Especially if you have never done it before.

But, canning is a great way to preserve food that you can get at a great price or that is in season now for later use that would otherwise go bad.  I know what your thinking.  Couldn't I just freeze it?  Yes you can.  However, some things are better canned than frozen.  Like tomatoes.  Canned tomatoes are delicious.  Especially home canned.  Plus, the nice thing when canning is that you can control what goes in the final product.

I like to can items I can get at a discount at the grocery store.  Sometimes the reduced produce rack will be full of all or most of the items I need to make my homemade salsa.  Then I just buy it all up, go home, and make a big batch of my homemade salsa.  Then I just can it up for later use.  You definetly can't freeze salsa.  EWW!

Now  here is the secret.  

SHHH....just kidding.  Tell all your friends.

Go to the produce  manager and ask if you can get a bulk discount.  The worst he can do is say no.  When I asked my produce manager he cut me a great deal and I was able to can a lot of produce.

You can really save a lot of money this way.  I know that you're probably thinking that there is a huge expense associated with canning.  Pressure canner, jars, lids, and tools.  Plus there is the time involved.  But, if you look around and check Amazon you can find a good deal on canners.  Also, check thrift store and yard sales for jars.  Or you can get them on sale at the end of the season.  It can be a little costly in the beginning, especially if you just go out and buy everything.  But, if you take you time and build up your supply little by little, in just a little bit of time you will be saving tons of money by producing your own convenience foods.

Amanda

This post contains affiliate links.  This is the product that I use and I added the link in case you were wanting to check it out.  Thank you for checking.  Your helping me to be able to continue posting all of my random knowledge and advice for your reading pleasure. ;)

11 Ways I Save Money at the Grocery Store

We all have to eat

Most of us have to get at least the majority of it at the grocery store.

This can either be a pleasant experience or a terrible experience.  Unless your one of those blessed people who don't have to worry about money and can buy whatever you want then this post if for you.

Grocery shopping doesn't have to break the bank.  

Even if your like me and you have 4 kids eating you out of house and home.  I think all my 3 year old does is eat.  

I'm going to share with you how I feed all these growing kids and a husband that works hard and myself without having to go totally broke.

1. Most of the time I buy generic. A lot of store brands are just repackaged name brands anyways.


2. Don't shop at eye level. This is where they put the most expensive groceries. Look up and look down.


3. Don't shop with your kids if you can help it. They are going to bug you for stuff and all its going to do is make you angry. Then you will lose your temper with your kids and look like a jerk.


4. Don't shop when your hungry!! This should be self explanatory.


5. Remember that just because you would like to have it doesn't mean you need it.


6. Put the real food in your cart first. Fruit, vegetables, rice, beans, meat, dairy.


7. Then if you have some money left you can get those Oreo's.


8. Buy ingredients, not prepared meals. For that $3 you just spent on a can of soup you can buy a bag of frozen vegetables, a bag of barley, and some bullion. You can make a giant pot of vegetable barley soup and still have ingredients left over. That will definitely feed more than a single can of soup.


9. Don't be afraid to shop the reduced rack. I get great stuff off of our reduced produce rack all the time. It's not always stuff that's going bad. Sometimes they have overstock and they mark it down. And even if there are a couple of bad berries or one soft orange you can pick them out and then wash the fruit in a solution of vinegar and water. Good as new. Plus you can freeze what your not going to get through before it goes bad.


10. I also like to look for markdowns in the meat department. Often times I can find manager specials or 50% of coupons. Then I buy these up and put them in the freezer. The freezer will extend their life and I don't have to pay full price.


11. Buy in bulk. I like to wait for my local grocery stores to have their case sales and then I stock up on my canned goods and snacks. It's really great if you can score some coupons to use at the same time. That makes me really happy!






Amanda

Filling Meals for Lean Times

We all know times can be tough.  Sometimes it's all we can do to make it to the next payday.  So what do you do when you are low on groceries, have a large family to feed, and its a week til payday?

YOU GET CREATIVE!

Hopefully you have some basics on hand to make things from.  It may not be the most exciting food you'll ever eat, but you will eat.

Here are a few things you can make.

Soup

Soups can be very good and very filling depending on the type you make.  If you have a few basics on hand you can make several different kinds for very little money.

• Vegetable barley (with meat if you have it)
• potato soup (keep powdered milk on hand so you can have cream soup.  You could also use powdered plain coffee creamer in a pinch ;) )
• Bean soup (keep you ham hocks from ham dinners for added flavor and bits of meat in your bean soup)
• Chili (with or without meat)
• Vegetable rice soup
• noodle soup (with or without meat)

There are many other soups you could try.  You could even turn leftovers into a hearty delicious soup with a little imagination.

Casserole

Casseroles are another way to stretch meals to feed a lot of people.  You don't need to use as much meat because its going to be chopped up and everyone will get a little.  Just the other day I used one chicken breast to make an entire chicken and rice casserole that will easily feed my whole family!

• Chicken and rice
• Chicken noodle
• Tuna noodle
• Asian beef noodle
• vegetable rice

Just use whatever you have on hand.  I like to add a meat, vegetable, and starch.  I will often times add a can of cream soup and cheese if I have it. 

Stir Fry

Stir fry is a really easy option.  Just take whatever vegetables you have on hand, add some leftover meat sliced this, add a couple of bags of cooked and drained ramen, and add soy sauce.  It may not be authentic but it will taste good and you will have supper for your whole crew that won't cost hardly anything!!!

Well there you go.  A few ideas to get you started.  I will be posting some recipes for these kinds of dinners in future posts.  

Keep coming back for more money saving ideas!!

Amanda

Why I Love My Pressure Cooker!!

Did I mention that I  LOVE my pressure cooker?

  I think this thing is one of the best investments I've even made. I have the Elite Platinum 8qt pressure cooker, and it was worth every penny! It saves me so much time!  I have 4 children.  I forget to take things out of the freezer.  Or I get a late start on supper.  Or, or, or.  It seems like there is always something going on.  Plus, I'm impatient.  I know its not the best attribute to have, but I'm being honest.  We all have those times where we just want to open a can of beans instead of making them from dry just for the convenience of it.  

But now, since I have my pressure cooker I can make homemade beans in about an hour from dry!!  It makes me happy cause now we can have homemade meals that would normally take me all day to make in just a fraction of the time. 

Aaaand it saves me money!! 

I would much rather spend a dollar on a pound of dry beans and have enough for several meals than spend almost that much on just one can of prepared beans.

This is just one of the many things that you can save time and money on using a pressure cooker.  I promise you won't be disappointed if you buy one for yourself.  I definitely wasn't!!

This post contains affiliate links.  This is the product that I use and I added the link in case you were wanting to check it out.  Thank you for checking.  Your helping me to be able to continue posting all of my random knowledge and advice for your reading pleasure. ;)

How To Feed A Crowd For Less

Lets face it.  It's tough to feed a lot of people in today's economy.  Grocery prices have gotten WAY expensive.

I have a family of six and a very low budget for groceries.

Today I am going to share what I do to feed my family good filling meals without having to spend TONS of hard earned money.

We are not on food stamps.  We could be.  We definitely qualify.  I think the only reason we are not on food stamps is because I have learned ways to save money at the grocery store.

Here is the basics.  I will go into more detail in future posts.

1. Your going to have to get over buying what you want.  All you need to buy is what you need.  If that means hamburger and pork chops cause that's whats on sale then so be it.  You can't stay on a low budget and eat steak all the time.  I'm not saying you can't ever eat steak.  I do eat steak, but I don't buy it when its $4 a pound or more.

I know what your thinking.  Steak for less than $4 a pound!!  I know that's not feasible in a lot of places, but I live in Montana and we have a great grocery store in my town that has really great sales all the time.  I can pretty regularly get petite sirloin steaks for $2.99#. :)

2.  Don't get hung up on brand names. Often times the store brand is just as good or better than brand names.  And many many times it is the same thing in a different package.

3.  If there is something that you use a lot of track the sales and find out when it usually goes on sale and stock up on it then.  I hardly ever pay full price for something that I use often.  If it's a fresh product and can be stored for long period for future use then do it.  It's worth the saving!!
Today at my local grocery store I scored a dozen large eggs for 69 cents!!  That's a really cheap healthy breakfast! :)

4. Cook at home!!
I can't stress this enough.  It is always more expensive to buy premade items, boxed items, and to eat out.  If you don't know how to cook then find someone who does and learn.  Watch YouTube videos.  Anything.  Just stop buying premade food and eating out so much!



These are some very basic things to start implementing.  Please feel free to leave a comment if you have questions.  I will be posting more detailed posts in the near future.

Amanda