Thrifty Thursday: switching from two to one income

Okay, a few of the ideas I found at thriftideas.com weren't exactly news items. We all probably pretty much know these things or think of them as common sense, but they are good reminders.


Surprise to me:
~You can freeze milk! As a seldom-milk-drinker, I buy the smallest amount possible when I know we'll have use for it, but still often find myself throwing some of it away a week later.


My Favorite Tip:
~Make-ahead your own basic and convenience food supplies. Such as granola, jam, hard-boiled-eggs, applesauce, etc. Sure, we can get them pre-made, but for quite a price!

Announcing: Totally Free Find!!!
I was stoked last night to find Kitchen Manuals Online, where I finally found the instruction manual for my $5 yard sale bread machine! I could have also gone through the manufacturer but every time I've tried in the last month, I get errors! There are also sites out there that will charge $8+ for these manuals! Don't pay for a manual until you've checked this site out! I was able to go directly to a PDF File and save it right onto my laptop.

I've been thinking more and more about living on one income. Neither me or my hubby are executives, making six figures (I don't think we even make 6 figures between us!) so it's not like living on my hubby's income would be simple. Then again, if we were making 6 figures, we'd be living a different lifestyle and the changes necessary for going from two to one income would also be hard.

But let's face it, living in America, in New England (and some other areas) is rather expensive. Yes, we've gotten used to living a certain lifestyle. In my estimation, it's rather frivolous of us to go to two NASCAR races every year (and this year we're adding a third-ouch!). And I think it's frivolous to have "more than basic" cable. I'm sure there are a ton of other things we're spending money on that are totally unnecessary, but I digress.

At stretcher.com I found this article which talks about going from two to one incomes. I loved reading Sue's entire story, but was thrilled at how she ended it: "I think the one thing we have learned from this transition is that time is a commodity that people rarely put a price on and yet it is probably the most valuable thing we possess."

At Kaboose.com, I found another arcticle about switching from two to one income. As I've mentioned, I don't know if we'll be able to have kids or not, but I definitely want to stay home regardless.

The more I think about the ways in which we can save, cut back, and make extra money doing other things, the more I come to realize many of these things take time out of the day. Not that I'm looking for the "easy way out," but I'm being realistic about my abilities and expectations. We still don't have a 40 hour day and I'm still not going home after working all day to weed the garden and sew up crafts to sell and fold the laundry and turn the kitchen into a showplace.

It's just not...gonna...happen.

I haven't even broached the subject with my hubby yet, but I want to make living on his income work. Before I bring it up with him, though, I think I have to have all my little duckies in a row or he'll completely dismiss the idea! I quit my job once before to pursue a career with a direct sales company and it ended in disaster. We were so deep in debt it looked hopeless. Our marriage suffered and I slipped into the biggest depression I've ever experienced. I anticipate that the first words I speak about this will completely shut my hubby down and he'll stop listening.

But I think, given the experience we had before, we can make it work this time. We hadn't changed our lifestyle any. I drove a gas-guzzling SUV, we went out to dinner, I still impulse shopped, we made no changes. We lived in an imaginary world and were rudely awakened by ruining our spotless credit and the phone ringing off the hook from collectors' calls. Ouch.

This time, we have the benefit of our previous experience to teach us what NOT to do.

Eat Local Challenge, October 2008

I've taken the Eat Local Challenge for October 2008. I'm really looking forward to it! I used to assume local and organically grown/raised food was more expensive that chain store prices, but as I dug deeper and deeper, I found that becoming a part of a CSA is actually incredibly cost effective. (More about CSA's at the bottom of this post.)

I was also impressed by one person's experience as she took meticulous records and calculated the cost of her average day's worth of food consumption. It's a real eye opener!

I can't tell you the main reason why I took this challenge, as there are so many reasons and so many aspects of it that I'm looking forward to.

First, it's supporting the local economy. But that wasn't even a consideration to me at first. Let's face it. I am pretty self-centered. I'm not one to say "ask not what my local economy can do for me, ask what I can do for my local economy." (Or switch "local economy" with just about anything else!) It Sounds good. It Fells good, but realistically? Good or bad, no, it's not the mindset I've developed over the years. But now? Now it's definitely a consideration. Especially after my experience with the "farm stand" acros the stree from work. (Sold Carolina peaches, as if they were grown in NH. Ptuey! I go to a local farm stand, I want local grown food!)

I'm looking forward to meeting my neighbors!
I can't wait to experience food fresh from the farm.
I'm eager to rise to the challenge of finding all of my food from local sources.
I love the idea of canning my own (or my own CSA'd) pickles and tomatoes and peppers and jellies and *sigh* so much more!
As much as I have to admit what I consider my weakness in not being able to fish or hunt (or raise peculiar and oddly-loveable chickens) because I simply cannot kill them, I am also simply not going to become a vegitarian.
But I can visit the farms, help out, learn about raising the cattle and chickens and other livestock, and leave the rest to my probably-even-worse imagination.
Actually, we had a chicken coop growing up in Alaska and I'll never forget my Mom explaining why we didn't eat chicken much. (It was pretty hard on Dad having to kill them and pluck the feathers out, etc.) I was pretty young and probably was told to go play at a friend's house when this was going on, so I literally don't have any memories of it.
Another reason is that I've been living vicariously through Bee and Susan's experiences this summer and am really eager to join in!

For thos of you who, like myself, don't know what a CSA is, it is "Community Supported Agriculture" where area residents purchase a share of the farm and in exchange, they receive a portion of the weekly harvests!

Sounds expensive, right? That's what I thought. But look around, check out the CSA's near you, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised (or shocked) at some of the deals you can find!

Here is my consolidated list of references and sources for locally grown/raised food. Many of the links are to National Directories, so even if you don't live in NH, it's worth taking a look at.

Note to Self: 2nd Edition

After last week's first Note to Self post, I thought it would be a good idea to do it weekly. And since it's my blog, I agreed with myself wholeheartedly and here we are.

Without further ado, random lessons and insights I've learned in life this week:

1. "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have." Read the whole story here. And thank you Jenn for sharing this with us!

2. I need to use up stash since I have limited space, and I need to stop spending since I have limited budget. Therefore, I declare August Stash Month with a $20 necessities crafting budget. And I do mean necessities. Like thread, etc. But seriously, I have so much, I don't think I'll NEED anything. "Want" is a different story altogether! I'll admit though, I've been thinking about this for a few days and stocked up on some things I think I might want this month!

Anyone want to join me? I'm doodling while I'm on hold today. (Rrrrrr. Hate insurance companies!!!) Trying to come up with a cool graphic for August's Stash Month. Stay tuned!

3. Real, lasting change takes time. I thought I had my ice cream habit under control, but I really felt tempted earlier this week. I had thought a few times previously in the month that I could move on to more of the lactose family before August, but I'm glad I didn't. I think it would have been one more instance of me jumping in over my head. This month, my Quit Now Challenge is going to be quitting the snooze button. I'll still refrain from ice cream, but I don't think I'm ready to give up cheese, cream in my coffee, and butter yet.

As for the Snooze button, I didn't fail miserably this morning, but I didn't get right up either. I tend to hit the snooze button for about an hour. I only did it for 40 minutes today, so progress has been made.

Along these same lines, I intend to organize my house from top to bottom. But let's be realistic, right? That's one huge job, no matter what size your house is! Luckily, I found Org Junkie's Monthly Organization Roundup which targets one room each month. This matches right up with my new "pace yourself" mentality! In August we're targeting the mudroom/entryway. I say it's not a moment too soon!

(what you see when you walk in the mudroom - this is also the entrance used about 99% of the time.)

This was an addition to the main house. In September, we're tearing this room down and re-roofing the house but not replacing this room. So in the meantime, I have to find a new home for the shoes, coats, mittens, and hats. Everything else can go where it belongs...in the shed or in my hubby's work van!! And the rectangular bucket in the lower left corner? Catches the rain. Whoever added the porch didn't tie it in well with the existing roof. Oi. Drives my hubby crazy, being a carpenter and perfectionist!

(looking back at the front door)

Think we have enough shoes?

(Slowly sinking)

The mystery closet! What ever will I find in there?

edited *** I just realized that in light of my previous post (Buy Nothing Challenge) I can't make any organization-product related purchases! This is an even bigger challenge than I thought and it gets me excited!!!

4. Keep your car clean! Remember how your mama always told you to wear clean underwear "in case you got in an accident and ended up in the hospital?" Well this is along the same idea. You might just break down somewhere (or leave your lights on all day and drain your battery) and have some stranger in your car learning all of your dirty car secrets!

5. If something is going to happen to my car, it's going to happen when my hubby's out of town! See previous lesson...happened last Friday night right after he left! Last time he went away, I got a flat tire...and I changed it myself! Thanks, Dad, for teaching me how to do that while I was learning how to drive. It's been 15 years, but it stuck with me!

6. It IS possible to get out aged mystery stains from a vintage linen tablecloth. Just soak in two cups of Oxyclean, forget about it for 7 hours, run through the delicate wash cycle and voila! Clean table cloth. I did Literally forget about it! I meant to soak it for an hour and then run the wash, but completely forgot...and I'm so glad! (The package says to add 2-4 scoops per gallon of water for soaking 1-6 hours.) The scoop looked about a quarter cup and I wasn't sure how many gallons of water the small load setting used, so I just guestimated 5 gallons and added 8 scoops which ended up being almost all of the small package!

Thank you to my new friends over at Wardrobe Refashion for all of their fantastic ideas!!

7. I learned how to Trim My Own Hair using these tips!! My hubby was kind enough (and patient enough!) to play photographer for me while I cut my hair for the second time in my life. The first time didn't end so well. I was somewhere between 5 and 8 years old and took those plastic Discovery Toys safety scissors to my bangs. Mom was away at a weekend conference and my Dad and brother didn't even notice!! Good stuff. This week's trim wasn't very noticeable. Actually, if I hadn't been doing the cutting, I'd question whether anything was actually cut! I went by the rule to cut less...you can always cut more later. Really, I just wanted a trim to get the split ends off without paying out the nose!

8. It IS possible for me to get motivated in a job I don't care about! Well, maybe it's false motivation, let's just call it productivity! Thursday I dressed professionally, passed up the decaf for real coffee (with extra sugar!) and logged onto my favorite radio station, WOKQ, for their live streaming. I put on my headphones and bebopped (or country-bopped) through my day. I actually learned to do this in college when I'd work in the computer lab with tons of distractions. I'd put on my walkman (remember those?!) and would be able to breeze through my work. I think it kind of takes the distractable/ADHD part of my brain and keeps it busy so I don't get distracted by everything else around me. However it works, it WORKS!

9. It's time for a change. All the while I'm saving money by making my own laundry detergent and kitchen rags and not buying ice cream (LOL) and making hankerchiefs and on and on and on, I'm going to yard sales getting stuff I don't NEED, going antiquing, thrift shopping and on and on and on. Not that yard sales and thrift shopping are bad, but if I don't NEED something, why am I there? To find a deal? On something I don't NEED? Just a new obsession? This is part of what drove me to my proclamation earlier in the week that I'm ready to make a change in my finances.

So my hubby and I sat down and made some decisions. This weekend is efficiency weekend. We're changing to basic cable (couldn't agree on no cable, though I hadn't seen this yet!), doing at-home tune-ups on our vehicles, finally installing the clothes line, making lunches and prepping coffee and breakfast the night before, menu planning each week, and no more random yard saleing and thrifting for me.

Unless I'm specifically looking for something I NEED. (LOL!)

*MINI RANT ALLERT*
10. Everyone has an opinion about everyone else's business and everyone thinks (knows) their opinion is right and everyone wants everyone else to hear their opinions (knowledge) about everyone else's business. *sigh*

Okay, I'm being a little cynical and sarcastic, but this is trully how I felt Thursday. If people only knew the whole story. If they had their facts straight. If they really cared about the situation instead of being heard and noticed and getting the attention. Maybe, perhaps, it might possibly change things.

But it's not their business. And instead of saying "well, there might be more to the story, I guess it's not worth speculating about," they jump ahead and think they can blab all over town about you and how they think you should be living your life.

*sigh*

I think I'm ready...

...to make changes in my finances.
I've been looking for ways to save on expenses the last few months, downright worried about our spending habits. It seems like every time we get out of debt, we plunge right back in again. And it's not even like we save and make payments and sacrifice...we refinance the house. Can you say unhealthy?
One of the problems I have is that I don't pay for the utility or mortgage expenses. I pay for most of the cost-of-living expenses like food, gas, my car, household maintenance, property taxes (which in New Hampshire are pretty high because we don't have income or sales tax). My hubby handles the house, auto insurance and the utilities.
We both have unhealthy spending habits which is why we have separate accounts. I don't want to be in trouble because of a mistake he's made overspending and vice versa.
I've been listening to Trent, David, Kacie and Mrs. Micah for a little while now and I think I have a game plan of how to approach this effectively...

The Conversation with my hubby. Getting on the same page.
Set Goals. With Deadlines. What do we want to save for? What do we need to pay for now? (Like past purchases. Ouch.)
Monitor and celebrate success. (Without spending!)

All in all, I'm excited about it. I know I have unhealthy spending habits and I've started becoming more than just aware of it, I've been developing new habits for avoiding those unhealthy situations. Now it's time to step it up a notch and set goals and work as a team.

Getting organized...

Last night my hubby and I went out to eat for our Eighth Anniversary even though today is the actual anniversary day. We used to go out to dinner all the time until we plunged ourselves into debt and wondered what we'd spent all our money on!
Now the rule is that we only go out to eat when we have a gift certificate to the place. Personally, I'd never previously heard of giving a gift of dining out, but apparently it's a big thing in his family because that seems to be the gift of choice among them. So we took one of our gift certificate and went to a favorite Italian place on main street and ate WAY too much! One of my hubby's favorite deserts is a plain canoli and he gets it every time we go to this particular restaurant. I chose the molten lava cake ... mmmmm! (But with whipped cream, not ice cream!)
Another highlight of our dining experience was the table side Caesar salad for two! They bring this cart out and the server makes the dressing in the wooden bowl with fresh anchovies, "egg product," worcestershire sauce and everything else that goes into it, then adds the lettuce and serves it up! It's a fantastic experience! The first time we did this was on our honeymoon at Peppe's Ristorante in East Stroudsberg, PA. Now, it's a special thing we splurge on from time to time...like on our anniversary!
I promised pictures of my newly reorganized craft space, so here they are! This reminds me...the large rose painting in the middle of the wall was a total find! I was driving home one weeknight and it was just sitting on the side of the road...not 10 houses away! I grabbed it up, dusted it off and hung it on my wall! I also scored two stools for my breakfastnook in the kitchen. They are perfectly well constructed, not falling apart or needing touch up paint at all! Just cast offs for no obvious reason! Very cool scores...but back to my space...
The ironing board is usually folded up against the wall, but my hubby had taken it out to iron his shirt for our dinner out. (yes, I'm so blessed...he knows how to use the iron!)





Part of my reorganization project was to find a place for all our NASCAR themed hats. I think there's a Red Sox one in there too, but for the most part, it's all NASCAR! We already had a couple nails holding a hat or two on this beam, so I just added a few more in uniformly spaced intervals and voila...a place for the hats out of the way and it also is another element delineating mantown from craft corner! (Note the two rolls of duct tape on the top of one of my shelves...still waiting for a time that we can make my duct tape dress form!)



I also used clear packing tape to hold down an extension cord leading under the bureau and straight to an outlet. The sewing machine power cord is taped under the table top to reach the power cord. I still haven't decided if I'll keep the iron on the table all the time. I think the next project I do will be a cover for the bureau top so I can use that surface without being paranoid about ruining my hubby's family heirloom any more than I already have!



My next organizational project will be getting my shell collection...





into my new shelf unit. I think I mentioned this in a previous post but didn't have a picture of it yet. I found it this weekend for $1! I'm a little concerned about dust control in this type of novelty shelf unit, but I'd picked up a can of air (lol...for real!!) for my desk at work awhile back and I think it'll be usefull for this too.




And lastly, I'm so excited about my gas savings efforts! I thought I'd have lower gas mileage than last fill-up because I found myself frequently going over 70 mph on the highway, but in fact I made better gas mileage! Last fill-up I was at 31.2 something and this morning I calculated it at 31.9!!


Plus, we have it so good...the gas station right by our house is typically a few cents lower in price than the other stations in the area. I got gas this morning for only $3.93/gallon!

Lunchcapades

Hi, my name is MJ and I'm a craft store junkie.

(hi MJ)

I first came to this realization on July 11th, 2008. After a week of blogging about how I needed to cut down on my craft spending, I took another "quick trip" to the store for one little thing and left with $27.71. Just a wee bit of baby stuff. That makes it all better, right? But spending is spending and I knew I was simply justifying myself.

(stay tuned for more of my recovery story as it unfolds...)




Yes, you see more beading supplies. Four flannels. For baby stuff. Really. From the top:

1.) Green flannel has flowers and butterflies in darker green. My SIL LOVES green, so I thought this might make great burp cloths. (She also is not big on "cutsie baby stuff") It wasn't on sale though, so I only got half a yard and paid $2.50.

2.) more baby food flannel matching what I'm going to make bibs out of...I'm going to use this yard to make my own matching bias tape! So cool! I got the last of the bolt and got about 1 1/5 yard for $1.79.

3. & 4.) yardage for baby blankets. Total 4 1/2 yards for $5.37.

Maybe I should think about selling at craft fairs this fall in order to support my habit.




And of course, Wendy's! (No, still no frosty!!!Woo Hoo! I can quit something!)

I also got off white grosgrain ribbon to make my own "Made By" tags. I looked at the small selection and decided I could make my own. (and a lit less expensively!) I love to cross stitch and can personalize it really well myself, making it even better!



And my gas. My precious gas. I'm thinking of trying all the hypermiling techniques floating around out in cyperspace these days. I'll see if I can stretch this tank a little further than normal! (and my uber-curvy self reflected in my clean black car. Oi. I have curves where I shouldn't though!)



Meanwhile, the inside of my car really needs a good cleaning!!



Can you tell how much I love my sunglasses?



What's in my purse:
notepad to write down prices, lists, poems, things I need, etc..., my journal, (the cover of which says "Life is just so Daily!") The Joy of Beading by Anna Borrelli, lots of loose papers, my password notebook, cell phone (of course), and lots more stuff buy you can't see it!

I don't think I'm going overboard, but...

...a few days ago we ran out of paper towels. Those of you who do the shopping in your household know just how expensive paper products are! We have a stash of paper plates, plastic utensils and plastic cups, but we don't typically use them unless it's a really bad day and we can't face dishes or it's a rowdy backyard event.
I decided not to run out and get paper towels right away when we ran out...just to see how long it would take for my hubby to 1. notice; 2. say something; 3. get really frustrated (just kidding!). Actually, I ended up mentioning it last night. I was folding the laundry and noticed some of our washcloths are really dingy or worn out so I set them aside to use as rags. Then I got to thinking. Maybe I won't run out and get paper towels at all! What do we use paper towels for? Spills, drying hands, napkins (don't get me started!), cleaning glass, anything else?
So is there anything in that group that we can't use old washcloths or kitchen towels for?
I didn't think so either.
So I told him-if I'm going to take a cut in pay, we're going to have to find more ways to save around here and that includes paper towels. Not that I won't buy a roll to have in case we find that one use that no other product on earth is appropriate for, but for normal use, we can simply use towels or washcloths.
I wouldn't say we're super spenders. I typically buy store brand, in bulk, shop the sales, & shop the sales SMART (is this store's sale price is more than the other store's regular price?). But I don't think we've ever really considered more ways we could be saving, even considering lifestyle changes.
Such as a clothesline. I was shocked when my hubby thought it was a good idea! Often times he is reluctant to change, reluctant to have things (other than his toys) in the back yard, reluctant to consider my suggestions. (maybe a stretch there, but it feels like it sometimes). But it would mean getting up early, running a wash and hanging it in the backyard all before work.
Now I don't know about you, but I'm no morning person. I get to work at 9 am and sometimes I'm still late! I wake up at the last possible moment! But if I'm serious about saving money this way, I'm going to have to discipline myself to do this consistently.
Am I up to it?

Choices

I'm contemplating a job change. I currently work with 6 people in a small lab and we all work together really well. I've worked at enough companies that I know it's a rare gem of an opportunity to work in this kind of environment. My boss is very good. He's fair, flexible and jumps in to take on whatever needs to be done. He is very loyal to his staff and in turn, we're quite loyal to him. I think I get paid very well considering what I do.

However. I don't like what I do there and the hours are tough on my home life. I think I've mentioned this before! LOL. I've been presented with a possible opportunity to change jobs. I say possible opportunity because I haven't even interviewed yet. It would mean the same amount of commute, uber better benefits and the opportunity to get back to Human Resources...which I've done in the past and have kicked myself for leaving it!

Now closer to the point: I have an interview three days before my current boss goes on a two week vacation. Assuming they offer me the job when he's on vacation, I'd then not really give him the chance to plan for my position being vacated in a timely manner. As I said, we're very loyal to him and to the company as a whole. They treat us very well and he has put up with my health problems and with my lack of motivation with a great deal of understanding. I know it's not my responsibility to consider his position in my change-over, but we work in a different sort of company than the run-of-the-mill place.

I'm considering sitting down with him and giving him a head's up that I'm looking for another position. I know I don't owe it to him, but I think it would make it easier for me if it was out in the open. I want him to know that I know I'm not working up to our expectations, (yes, mine included) and that I'm doing something about it. That this will be a benefit for all in the long run because the company needs to have someone motivated to do this work and it just isn't what I care to do. I read a portion of a blog today that said it exactly:

"If you’re finding a hard time motivating yourself to work on tasks, it may be because of a disconnect between the task at hand and the larger goals you envision for yourself. Spend some time looking at the tasks you have at hand and whether or not they’re in line with the bigger picture of what you’re trying to accomplish, then minimize the tasks that are unimportant.
I do this regularly. There are a number of tasks throughout my day that don’t really push me directly on towards my goals, so these often get pushed to the side for more important tasks (like writing solid articles). Whenever I get bogged down, I just push aside the less important stuff...Every day you put aside your bigger goals is a day you put off achieving your dreams." The blog is The Simple Dollar, by Trent Hamm. I highly recommend it!

This excerpt really freed me. I have been very hard on myself for the last few weeks because of my lack of motivation. I felt that I was being lazy, a quitter, always looking for greener pastures. But I did as advised...looked at the tasks I do on a daily basis in light of my life goals. I report daily accounts receivables (payments received) and do medical collections. I am a glorified data entry clerk and I spend alot of time on the phone with insurance companies...usually will automated computers! My life goals never included making other people gobs of money. I'm not working for a cause, I'm not benefiting anyone but myself and the company I work for. I don't try to save our patients money (at least I'm not supposed to!).
I want to do something that helps people. Working in Human Resources I was constantly able to find solutions, correct pay and benefits problems, help the department become more efficient, make people's jobs easier. Viewed through Trent Hamm's perspective, I am daily putting aside my bigger goals and putting off my dreams. No wonder I'm unmotivated.

I'm still considering whether I ought to sit down with my boss and discuss this. I think he might appreciate the head's up, knowing that I am aware of the disconnect and that I may be moving on soon. I don't want to burn my bridges. Not that I think I'd ever come back here, but if they suddenly turned from a 7-person opperation to 30, he might consider bringing in an HR person instead of doing it himself!

We'll see...I may see how the interview goes first...
I'd highly appreciate anyone else's viewpoints on this!

Word Problems

I did the math on the homemade laundry soap from Jen's recipe and here's what I've got:

Borax is $2.99 for 76 oz, we need 4 oz (1/2 cup): $2.99 / (76/4)= $.16 per one half cup portion.
Washing Soda is $2.69 for 55 oz, we need 4 oz (1/2 cup): $2.69 / (55/4)= $.20 per one half cup portion.
Fels Naptha is $.99 a bar.
That makes $1.35 for a batch of laundry soap that is approx 2 cups (or 32 TBS).

That ends up being $.04 per load, or $.08 for a highly soiled load! Check out what you're paying per load for pre-made laundry detergent! I was totally unaware!!

I usually use a name brand that has a perfume- and dye-free option. It is $4.59 for 32 loads which is $.14 per regular load. That's 3 1/2 times the homemade price!

I checked out the store/generic brand: $2.99 for 32 loads. Still $.09...2 1/4 times the price of homemade. And that's generic! And I shop at the cheapest grocery in town!

Now lets just get right down to it. Tide, original scent for 32 loads is $7.99! (I couldn't find a sensitive-skin version of tide at my store...if they make it!) This costs you $.25 on every load! (6 1/4 times the price of homemade)

And here's what gets me...there were a few "earth-friendly" alternatives there. Guess how much...that's right...major cash! They were the same as Tide - $7.99 for 32 loads. It makes me so sad. You try to be responsible and they laugh all the way to the bank! They know you can make your own, but you won't!

Or will you?

Jen's full recipe:
1 Cup Grated Soap *
1/2 Cup Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/2 Cup Borax
Mix together and use 1 Tablespoon per load, 2 Tablespoons if it is a really soilded load.
*I chop my soap bar up into chunks w/ a knife and throw it in the food processor. Then I put it in a roasting pan on the top of the entertainment center for a day or two to dry out again, then into the food processor again to make a very fine powder. Actually the powder is so fine that I put a damp kitchen towel over the food processor while blending, and let it settle for a minute or so before opening so I don't breathe in soap powder. This extra is just personal preference, and not necessary-many folks just use it grated up and mix the powder well before measuring out each load.
This laundry soap really works well, and YES-you only need a tablespoon. I use it right in cold water and have never had a problem with it dissolving.

A Whole New World

While I was out thrift shopping yesterday, I was seeing clothes in a whole new way. I no longer looked at size or shape, I was basically shopping for material! It was a unique experience, and one I'm eager to repeat.

Cue obsessive behavior!! I found out the thrift shop has dollar days once a week and I was all set, ready to go back later in the week for more material!

But recall that this weekend I organized my new craft corner. What do you suppose I found by doing so? I fille a large drawer plus a large basket of raw material. That is - yards of material uncut. Plus remnants, some I've used parts of, some still in their original rolls. This is not even counting all the clothes that I don't fit into or I don't like...I'm not counting them because I haven't even sorted through my drawers and closets yet! (yes closetS, but there are only two of them and they are the small type.)

So...I'm thinking maybe I have enough stash to last me awhile before I need any new/used material for refashioning!

Therefore I'm implementing a craft budget. I've already started a tally of any wardrobe related purchases, just to keep me aware of what I'm doing. Now I'm going to implement a budget of $50 a month. I only say $50 because I've almost purchased that already! Really, going forward I shouldn't even need to do that. Maybe $10/month would do...for thread, embroidery floss, etc. I have so much! My hubby even asked if I'd like a pantry-style cabinet for the space. I am fitting everything in under the table, but I imagine he sees that might get annoying...but I'm thinking that's where I'll put all the clothes that need refashioning, never mind what I'm hiding under the table skirt!! (he remodels and installs kitchens among many other things, so often takes out old kitchens and can score old cabinets for free if the homeowner doesn't care to keep them.)

Besides limiting myself to what I already have, plus $10/month on craft-related spending, I'm taking a serious look at my house. I had a counseling session today and "Bill" knows me so well! He said he imagines if he came to our house, he'd see lots of "stuff" around...otherwise known as clutter. He challenged me to go through the house and shed with a notebook and just jot down what dominates the space in each room. I'm so looking forward to it!

We had a free yard "sale" this past weekend and got rid of a bunch of hand-me-down exercise equipment, baskets, books, decorative things. But there is so much more that I'd like to get rid of! I was going to have a yard sale, but it's a lot of work on the front end, pricing everything, sorting it all, storing it all until the sale...I fizzled out and just put a free sign out there. It was great, we only had to bring two bags of books and some assorted decorations back in. But there is so much more that I can purge from the house!

So another goal I currently have is to do the inventory, as "Bill" suggested, and also to start putting price stickers on things I want to sell. I think if I do it as I go along, it will make it easy to just bring it out the day of the real yard sale so I don't wimp out again! No worries on the tacky aspect of pricing the house furnishings! We hardly ever have guests, and I'll probably begin boxes to put on the 3 season porch to put all the small stuff anyway.

So once more, I'll leave you with today's lunchcapades.

Another yard sale find...50 cents! And they are yellow-tinted, my favorite color!