Hello readers,
I have some money saving tips involving the grocer's vs farmer's markets. If you are able to get to your local farmer's markets then by all means do. Not only are you helping to support local farms but the produce is ORGANIC there is no middle man and most oft times it is cheaper than the grocery store. I know that tomatoes tend to be a bit pricey anywhere but I have found the best if I cannot get them from my garden is ones grown at the farmer's market. I buy mine from the Amish, they also have canners (tomatoes with blemishes that we use to can) I suggest you buy them. Most times you can get a flat of canners for less than 15 bucks. That pretty cheap. You have to take into consideration that they generally do not use any pesticide no seven dust and they pick those big icky tomato bugs off the plants by hand.. one by one.. they also put time in and it takes a lot to have a huge garden with an abundance of produce. If you have to shop at a grocery market please use coupon's or price match any wal-mart will do it. Or Trader Joe's always has really good produce. If you are in the Midwest you have Hy-Vee's and they allow farmers in the area to sell their excess produce in there. I encourage you to buy fresh, local and help a farmer out.
I also want to take a moment and say grow a small garden. It is cheap and well worth it. If you do not have time to weed a garden mulch it or use the grow paper. It keeps weeds out.
Until next time.... Enjoy
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Lesson number one on saving money... did you know that when you leave things like your television, stove, microwave, washer, dryer...etc. plugged in you are using energy. This costs you money a few cents a day but those cents add up into dollars. Unplug what you do not use and when you go on trips unplug everything but of course your freezer and fridge.
Number two: plant a garden, even if you live in an apartment with only balcony space you can be an urban gardener. You also can find a garden co-op in your neighborhood that will allow you to "rent" space either for some produce or if you will make sure the land is taken care of. You can plant what you like and you know where it comes from, and what is on it. Peace of mind. I call this... nothing like it.
Urban planting... I find I like the pallet garden. This is where you obtain a pallet most places give them away such as grocery stores or farm and home stores. You can use trash bags that have been cut at the seem as a backing. If it is a vertical garden leave the top open but if it is a horizontal garden seals the back and all sides. Then you want good soil and hummus (type of manure) mixture. Put the dirt through the slats or top and then figure out what plants you want where..Then plant. You can start seeds or but the seedlings at your local nursery or Hardware store. Also those tubs that you store stuff in make really good potato bins that you can grow potatoes in. DO NOT use your store bought potatoes as they are prone to disease like blight, use seed potatoes. I have grown them in this container and when they are done I have actually gotten about 70 pounds of potatoes from a 5lb bag of seed potatoes. I used two large storage bins, poked holes in the bottom and three inches from the bottom all the way around. Tada... instant potato grower. I also have used them for tomatoes. I know someone that used even Styrofoam and grown both. They also used the bags of dirt with holes cut in them and planted things like lettuce, spinach. It works.. furthermore it is things that you will eat and cut money off of your grocery bill.
Until next time...
Cin
Number two: plant a garden, even if you live in an apartment with only balcony space you can be an urban gardener. You also can find a garden co-op in your neighborhood that will allow you to "rent" space either for some produce or if you will make sure the land is taken care of. You can plant what you like and you know where it comes from, and what is on it. Peace of mind. I call this... nothing like it.
Urban planting... I find I like the pallet garden. This is where you obtain a pallet most places give them away such as grocery stores or farm and home stores. You can use trash bags that have been cut at the seem as a backing. If it is a vertical garden leave the top open but if it is a horizontal garden seals the back and all sides. Then you want good soil and hummus (type of manure) mixture. Put the dirt through the slats or top and then figure out what plants you want where..Then plant. You can start seeds or but the seedlings at your local nursery or Hardware store. Also those tubs that you store stuff in make really good potato bins that you can grow potatoes in. DO NOT use your store bought potatoes as they are prone to disease like blight, use seed potatoes. I have grown them in this container and when they are done I have actually gotten about 70 pounds of potatoes from a 5lb bag of seed potatoes. I used two large storage bins, poked holes in the bottom and three inches from the bottom all the way around. Tada... instant potato grower. I also have used them for tomatoes. I know someone that used even Styrofoam and grown both. They also used the bags of dirt with holes cut in them and planted things like lettuce, spinach. It works.. furthermore it is things that you will eat and cut money off of your grocery bill.
Until next time...
Cin
Here's Me....
First things first: I am a Domestic Goddess. That means I from sun up to sun down. I clean, wash, cook, and take care of my children and fiance. I am always trying to figure out how to live under my means and sometimes get creative with what I have. I try new cleaners that are "green" and pass on my knowledge to other mom's out there who want to do small things that can add up to big things.
Next things: I am a college student I have been accepted into the Master's program and have only 4 more classes until I am finished with my Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Why Criminal Justice well I am nosy and want to know why people do the things they do.
What I hope to accomplish: I am an avid cook, gardener, herbalist, and all around hopefully greener than I used to be mom. I hope to impart tidbits onto whomever reads this about how to get by on less than they do now. How to make menu's and budget meals, homemade cleansers and live cheaper while leaving a smaller footprint on Mother Earth!
All about me:
This has got to be the most boring story anyone has ever been told. I grew up in a small rural (and when I say rural I mean I am pretty sure they counted dogs, cats, chickens, cows and pigs to the census) town. I will say my childhood was pretty idyllic if you will. We never had to lock our doors you knew everyone and even if that counts as you were related to half the town in some way shape or form. Growing up my Momma always planted a huge huge garden. I loved those gardens my Momma also canned "extra" produce like tomatoes, beans, peas, etc and we'd store them in our Root Cellar. We ate them year round and boy thinking back there is nothing like homegrown canned veggies. Living in the town I grew up in I was surrounded by churches and grew up in a Southern Baptist Church. Where my church family helped nourish my roots and helped shape me into the person I am today. I also living in said rural town was able to walk all over the blue blazes and not have a care in the world. My friends and I could play at the creek and not worry about anything except maybe a wayward snake or gar. We lived there until I was a freshman in high school and we moved about 25 miles to the town where my daddy worked and I went to high school at. I am glad eternally that we did not move that far and that I still was able to go church at my home church and all my friends were still there.
After high school and my first son. I went to school again, I obtained my EMT then later my Paramedic and CNA. I obtained through some courses an Culinary certificate and went back to school to become a nurse, something I abandoned because I wanted immediate satisfaction so I went for my CMT which allowed me to pass medications.
When I did go back to school it was for history/geography this time, and the other time it was for nursing again... needless to say that did not happen not because of anything that I did, but because I found out I was pregnant with my second son.
Which then had me working at a Nursing home but while I love my elderly people I wanted more. After my second son we moved and then a few years we moved again this time to the Big City... I had my job that I loved and entered school again... YES AGAIN... for nope not nursing but sports medicine... when I was unable to work and go to school with two young strapping lads such as mine, I put my dream on hold.
FAST FORWARD...... a few years....
I met the man of my dreams he is a Marine... after years of being a single parent I was shocked that this man liked me and actually wanted to be a dad... to my boys.. well now our boys. We met somewhat through non standard means. Needless to say it was pretty interesting. Now we have been together for almost five years and he is my soulmate.
Now comes the fun as we are ever striving to save money on bills, groceries, etc, I have become quite a seasoned coupon user and not using coupons like you see on "Extreme Coupons" or any of those shows but really telling you how to utilize price matches and coupons to save oodles of money how to make your own cleansers to save even more money. I even make our own toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoos and soaps although I have friends that make those organically too so I tend to buy from them the soaps.
I hope my story (well the condensed version) will inspire you to live as green as you can.
Next things: I am a college student I have been accepted into the Master's program and have only 4 more classes until I am finished with my Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Why Criminal Justice well I am nosy and want to know why people do the things they do.
What I hope to accomplish: I am an avid cook, gardener, herbalist, and all around hopefully greener than I used to be mom. I hope to impart tidbits onto whomever reads this about how to get by on less than they do now. How to make menu's and budget meals, homemade cleansers and live cheaper while leaving a smaller footprint on Mother Earth!
All about me:
This has got to be the most boring story anyone has ever been told. I grew up in a small rural (and when I say rural I mean I am pretty sure they counted dogs, cats, chickens, cows and pigs to the census) town. I will say my childhood was pretty idyllic if you will. We never had to lock our doors you knew everyone and even if that counts as you were related to half the town in some way shape or form. Growing up my Momma always planted a huge huge garden. I loved those gardens my Momma also canned "extra" produce like tomatoes, beans, peas, etc and we'd store them in our Root Cellar. We ate them year round and boy thinking back there is nothing like homegrown canned veggies. Living in the town I grew up in I was surrounded by churches and grew up in a Southern Baptist Church. Where my church family helped nourish my roots and helped shape me into the person I am today. I also living in said rural town was able to walk all over the blue blazes and not have a care in the world. My friends and I could play at the creek and not worry about anything except maybe a wayward snake or gar. We lived there until I was a freshman in high school and we moved about 25 miles to the town where my daddy worked and I went to high school at. I am glad eternally that we did not move that far and that I still was able to go church at my home church and all my friends were still there.
After high school and my first son. I went to school again, I obtained my EMT then later my Paramedic and CNA. I obtained through some courses an Culinary certificate and went back to school to become a nurse, something I abandoned because I wanted immediate satisfaction so I went for my CMT which allowed me to pass medications.
When I did go back to school it was for history/geography this time, and the other time it was for nursing again... needless to say that did not happen not because of anything that I did, but because I found out I was pregnant with my second son.
Which then had me working at a Nursing home but while I love my elderly people I wanted more. After my second son we moved and then a few years we moved again this time to the Big City... I had my job that I loved and entered school again... YES AGAIN... for nope not nursing but sports medicine... when I was unable to work and go to school with two young strapping lads such as mine, I put my dream on hold.
FAST FORWARD...... a few years....
I met the man of my dreams he is a Marine... after years of being a single parent I was shocked that this man liked me and actually wanted to be a dad... to my boys.. well now our boys. We met somewhat through non standard means. Needless to say it was pretty interesting. Now we have been together for almost five years and he is my soulmate.
Now comes the fun as we are ever striving to save money on bills, groceries, etc, I have become quite a seasoned coupon user and not using coupons like you see on "Extreme Coupons" or any of those shows but really telling you how to utilize price matches and coupons to save oodles of money how to make your own cleansers to save even more money. I even make our own toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoos and soaps although I have friends that make those organically too so I tend to buy from them the soaps.
I hope my story (well the condensed version) will inspire you to live as green as you can.
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