How to make your own dryer balls

I found a great post over at Cuckoo For Coupon Deals HERE on how you can make your own dryer balls. Dryer balls are made from wool and are a great natural way to dry your laundry faster and soften your clothes without chemicals.


They actually work and I love mine!

How To Save Money On Groceries

Food prices are really starting to go up now.  Especially in the meat and fresh produce isle!  So how can you feed your family well and save money at the same time?  I feed a family of 6 so that is my mission.  Here are some of my tips on saving money.

• Buy on sale in large quantities.  If it's something you know you use allot and it's on a once a year amazing sale stock up!
• Compare the price per ounce on the store tag, not the price.  You will often find that by comparing the price per ounce the item that is on sale is still more expensive than the same item next to it.  By doing this you will save hundreds of dollars a year.
• Buy from the bulk department - this is almost always cheaper by at least 25%.  I store my bulk items in half gallons glass mason jars so I know just how much I have left.
• Make a meal plan for the month and then buy the foods needed to make it.  This will save you tons of money because you wont be tempted to buy convenience foods or eat out which not only is expensive but super laden with preservatives.
• Avoid convenience foods and prepackaged meals.  They are expensive and striped of nutrients.
• Get Chickens!  Even though the initial costs are there you will make the money back in eggs.  And eggs are really going up in price. Our chickens are 4 years old and still laying strong!  Also any food waste and garden weeds/grass clipping's that you have can go right to these wonderful little garbage disposals which they turn into the best eggs you will ever eat!
• Have a garden.  I have a small (by my standards) garden and it produces tons of food each year.  Its not as hard as you would imagine and the rewards are so great especially with produce prices skyrocketing.
• Make homemade foods.  Making things like bread, yogurt, and other homemade goods is not only cheaper, but also much better for you. 
• Use rice, noodles, and beans as your fillers with meat.  Meat is the most expensive item on a shopping list.  But by having these carbs helps fill you up and stretch the meat.

Home Made Hot Buttered Rum Mix Recipe -non alcoholic or alcoholic

Now I'm not a fan or rum or any hard liquor really, first off even the good stuff tastes like the base for cold syrup to me and second I have an inability to metabolize alcohol so a little bit effects me.  But this recipe is something from my childhood.  Every year my mom, sister, and I would mix this up when really cold weather hit.  I have memories of having it all the time after playing outside for hours in the winter. Actually my parents rarely used it, it was us kids that made it all the time (without alcohol).  And in fact my kids love it after playing out in the snow (without alcohol! ). It really is so good mixed with just water, or as I like it milk.

The flavor reminds me of chia tea without the tea added. Every time I make it for someone outside the family they rave and ask for the recipe so it must be good compared to the store bought stuff which I have never tried.  If you are going to add rum I would say don't go cheap, get the more expensive stuff, the flavor is better.  And I would encourage you to use whole spices and grind them in a coffee grinder nice and fine.  It really does make an amazing difference in the flavor.

This makes a lovely and unusual gift for someone like a neighbor this holiday season!

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

1 lb softened real butter -  do not use fake butter
1 pt. vanilla ice cream softened - the better the brand the better the flavor
1 lb brown sugar
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon nutmeg ground
1 tablespoon cinnamon ground
1 teaspoon allspice ground

Mix the sugars and butter until light, then add the spices and vanilla until combined well, then add the ice cream.   Keep in an airtight container in the freezer.

To use add desired amount (start with a tablespoon and add more if needed) to a cup of boiling water or milk.  Add rum, brandy, or whiskey if desired.

Breezecatcher Clothesline Review - Save Tons Of Money!

As you all know my family is on so tight a budget it squeaks.  I do every thing I can to save money from baking our own bread to buying almost everything second hand.  But there are some things that I always buy brand new (underwear, shoes, socks) and some things I cant find used.  

One way I save lots of money is hanging my laundry out on a line to dry.  I do on average three loads of laundry a day.  That is 21 loads a week an that doesn't include the weekly wash day of the bed linens.  Hanging your laundry out not only saves tons of electricity (see- money) but also your clothes last longer.  A dryer is quite wearing on clothing. Also there is nothing quite like the smell of lined dried clothing, especially bed linens.  Did you also know that sunlight is a natural germ killer?  Its true! So as soon as it is warm enough to dry anything outside I am doing it.    

Unfortunately in our new yard we have very little non shade space, and much of that I wanted for my garden! I couldn't go with the standard line strung between two poles.  What I needed was a rotary clothes line.  The ones that kind of look like an inside out umbrella   They save space but still allow for tons of clothes to be hung up!

After researching several companies I contacted the Breezcatcher Clothesline company.  They were incredibly awesome in sending me one of their rotary driers for review!  When they gave me a choice of products I was happy to see how affordable they are.  My model only costs $170.50 and when you consider it will last for years that's a good deal!

What I thought

When I first received my Breezecatcher Clothesline  I was amazed at how manageable it was at only 14 pounds.  I could easily pick it up.  At first this concerned me because I needed it to be very tough and durable.   I was thinking that it couldn't handle a full day of linen washing that is 6 beds of sheets, heavy blanket and other miscellanea.  But I underestimated this great product!  Check out this pic!

Installing it was straightforward and cheap.  You do need a bag of instant mix concrete but that's about it.  We had it up within 1/2 hour.  Then after two days to let the concrete really set it was ready to use!  Yay!  Is it sad that I get excited about hanging my laundry out?  Who cares!

The first thing I noticed when using it was how great the rotating feature is.  Instead of me having to move all around, taking my laundry basket with me, I can just stand in one place and turn the arms.  It turns as smooth as butter and the lines they sent are super tough and don't stretch at all.  This is a feature I was very aware of since I have used laundry lines that sag horribly with even a small amount of weight.

After hanging out several loads my Breezecatcher Clothesline still rotated with the breeze and my clothes dried nice and fast.  Taking clothes off the line was even better because I didn't have to move around with my basket. My model comes with the below features

Bonus!

Right now Breezecatcher is running a great deal for free shipping on orders of $100.00 or more in the US!

Connect with Breezecatcher

Website

Facebook

Organizing Clothing for Large Families and Prepping for Future Use and Ways to Save Money

Lots of people tell me we have a "large" family because we have 4 children.  I don't really see it that way because to me "large" is six children and over.  In any case the more children you have the more fun life can be, but challenging too!  Especially if you live on a very tight budget like we do.  Handing clothes down to the next child is absolutely essential.  And finding good deals on clothes and shoes is one of my major quests in motherdom.

So I'll give everyone a tip.  Every February Walmart does a huge clearance sale on all its fall and winter clothes.  Things are 50% off or more so you can get amazing deals on coats, jeans, boots, long sleeved shirts and night outfits.  This also happens to fall in tax return season so if you have a little extra money its a good time to stock up for next fall for your family.

Because clothing prices are going up and I'm never certain of our money supply at school shopping time I always stock up in preparation for next winter. I do this in three main ways.  First is yard sales where you can find the best deals, second is thrift stores that are generally a bit more expensive than yard sales but still way cheaper than new at the store, and third at clearance sales. This is also a good prepping tip because what happens if TSHTF and you don't have any clothes for those kids.

So while we were at walmart the other day I got some amazing deals on shirts, pants, shoes, and coats.  I also bought the next size up in socks and underwear for all the kids for next fall.

Next I organized them into totes.  I have separate totes for seasons spring and fall for each child, and into them go the appropriate clothing and accessories.  Then on the side of the tote is a sheet with what it contains and how many of each item so I know if I need to be on the lookout for more of a particular item.  Every time I put a handmedown shirt in I just make another mark under shirts etc.

This system takes all the guess work out of stocking clothes for my family and eliminates duplicates and waste.  It also keeps the clothes neat and clean until they are needed.

Yippy!!! Spring Yard Sale Season Has Begun!

I absolutely love to yard sale!  In part this is because its about the only way I can afford to buy anything for my home.  Necessity is the mother of enjoyment.  Meaning you can turn a necessity into fun when you don't have an option. 

But it's more than that.  It's the thrill of the chase, the excitement of the unknown deal you might find at the next sale.  Who knows what treasure is just waiting for you to discover it?  Shopping at the store is not nearly so fun because you know whats there.  Where's the suspense in that?  Plus I could never afford to buy all the things I get at yard sales at the store.  But now I do know what shopaholics feel when turned loose in a mall with a half dozen fresh credit cards.

Today the only yard sale in town was at the Catholic Church.  Because our town is small and the population is ageing there was mostly older peoples things.  I found some amazing deals though and only spent $3.50 for everything.

A mint condition Super Mario Brothers movie Lunchbox with thermos for Captian Submariens cold lunches $1.00

4 rubbermaid food containers

.10 each

6 small juice cups with tray (perfect for kids drinks at dinner)

.10 each

Oven Thermometer (this is going in my woodcook stove, its has a thermometer on it but since it's a hundred years old it probably isn't accurate anymore)

.10

Kitchen Timer

.10

Four beautifully hand embroidered vintage pillow cases at 25 cents each.  I always snatch up hand embroidered pillow cases and linens because I love them.  Not just how they look but that someone put so much love into them.  At the store these would be at least $30.00 each.

Lace and purple flowers will look amazing in the girls room

Mother

Father

simple floral print

Norman Rockwell Coffee table book

.25

How To Get Free Fruit and Produce - Open Mic!

Before we moved into our home we rented houses that always were out in the country with a place for a garden.  However none of them had fruit trees.  And I couldn't very well plant fruit trees on someone elses property because we may have moved at any time and fruit trees need at least 3 years to produce.

I still wanted to can food, but buying large amounts of fruit, even directly from the farmer, made it more expensive than just buying canned fruit in the store.   So I had to come up with unique ways to get cheap or free fruit.  Obviously if you have family with fruit trees you can beg for any leftovers they have, but only one person in my family has a fruit tree (peach).  And we love pears, cherries, strawberries, etc.

Living in our area of Washington I am blessed in the fact that orchards abound and many people have fruit trees in their yards.  People of course think of apples in Washington, but we can also grow grapes, peaches, apricots, cherries, pears, and even figs.  One way I get free fruit ever year is post on Craigslist that I am searching for fruit to pick.  Many people don't want to bother with their fruit trees and are happy to have someone come and pick the fruit so it doesn't fall and cause flies to congregate.  I have gotten cherries, plums,  pears, and grapes this way.

Another way is to just keep your eyes open while driving around.  Do you see an overloaded apricot tree in someones yard dropping ripe fruit all over the ground?  If your brave enough go up and knock and ask if you can pick the fruit for the fee of picking up the stuff off the ground.  Many times I have done this and had it pay off.

Something that perhaps only would work here is that there is a certain trailer park (yes trailer park!) that was built on a old cherry orchard.  Many of the trees survived and in fact they called it Cherry Hill.  This park is right next to where my husbands grandparents live so when we visit during cherry season I always go over and ask to pick the cherries from the empty lots.  The park managers love it because then they don't have to clean up the rotting cherries.  I canned over 40 quarts of the biggest, juiciest cherries last summer (it was an amazing year for cherries) for free this way.

Getting on your local FreeCycle is a good idea too.  You can post that you are searching for any unwanted fruit or produce.  I have had many people contact me through this free service.

Make friends with a farmer!  Many farmers will let you glean fields or orchards if they know you and trust you.  A farmer next to our property had just harvested onions and invited us to come out and get any good ones left.  There were tons!

Now I'm going to open it up to my readers.  Please share your tips on how to get free fruits and veggies.

Open Mic Night!

The Old Fashioned Rag Box

In my effort to save money I never buy paper towels or Kleenex.  When we were very broke I learned to live without them and use old fashioned washcloths and cloth napkins for my every day use.  Now I only buy paper towels for when we do spring and fall cleaning of all the outside windows.  Other than that I clean my windows, glass, sinks and counters with cloth from my rag box.

The rag box is where I put all my old clothes that are too worn out to pass down/yard sale/donate.  I cut up hole filled t-shirts, sheets, or other sundry into to cleaning rags and even save any socks that have passed their prime.  I usually just pull the offending garments out while I fold clothes and then take them over to the rag box.  As you can imagine with 6 people we have plenty to supply all my cleaning needs.  I use the socks for scrubbing the sinks and counters after spraying them with bleach cleaners and then throw them away so that I'm not washing toxic chemicals into my washing machine.  I use them for polishing the wood and cleaning windows.  Just another way to get some more use out of something you might otherwise throw away.