Go to daveramsey.com to enter to win $1000 (your own started emergency fund)- Today only! Check the site through Christmas, as he is doing a”24 Days of Giving” countdown to Christmas! Good luck everyone! If you haven’t read my Dave Ramsey story, click here.
Also, all Dave Ramsy CDs/Books/Software is on sale today for $10. Be sure to check it out!
~Frugalmegan~
In the “Mind of Megan” there are lots of things we do around the house because we think they save us money. Or, likewise, there are things we do around the house that we do because we think it saves us time (and is therefore worth the money). I thought I would breakdown a few things I do around the house to save me time/money and see how much they are really worth. Let’s take a look, shall we?
#1- Washing out plastic baggies (ie, ziplocs). According to my Aldi price list, one box of 40 zippered freezer bags is $2. This also is a typical sale price for Ziplocs (2/$4). So that is the common price we will use for this example. That way, no “work” as far as couponing or major sale shopping needs factoring in.
So 1 bag= ~.06 cents after taxes. I’d say it takes me about 3 seconds to completely wash out one plastic baggie. That means my hourly rate for washing out plastic baggies is $1.20/hr. Maybe that doesn’t sound like much, but the flip side would be if you chose to toss your baggies, you’d be throwing away $1.20 an hour. OUCH! If you make minimum wage, that’s a lot! LOL.
#2- Sewing buttons on shirts. New or used, my shirts always seem to be having rather important buttons popping off. Some would say “just give it to Goodwill, let someone else deal with it”. Well sure, I can see that. But let’s think about how much we’d potentially be “making” if we fix that shirt ourselves. So let’s pick a low end average price for a nice shirt. How about $20?
$20 shirt. It takes me about 10 minutes, start (finding wherever I put my needle and thread last…) to finish (tying off the final knot). Hourly rate: $120. Holy. Crap. That is a skill worth learning! I guess we could take out the .20c it cost for the thread (rolls eyes).
Well let’s say you’re me and ARE that person that shops at Goodwill for nice Ann Taylor shirts with missing buttons (or small tears, or making slight alterations to size). You’re spending $2.50 for $20 + shirts and fixing up 6 per hour. 6 shirts at $2.50= $15. 6 shirts at $20 = $120. So you’d be saving yourself at least $105 in one hour. This, of course, is not counting the time and money you spend looking for and buying matching buttons. So let’s knock that down to $95 per hour. That’s better. 
#3- Washing cloth diapers. Regular disposable Huggies (size 3, 36ct on sale with a $2 coupon) are $7.99/pk, or ~.22c/ diaper. Let’s say you change the baby’s diaper 6 times a day, to make this easy. That pack of diapers would last you 6 days. Now I know this size wouldn’t fit from newborn to potty training, but lets stick to these numbers because I know it pretty much works out as far as number of diapers per pack decreasing as their size increases and need to change as often decreases. So just estimating, that would be 182 1/2 packs of diapers from newborn to age 3. That makes it $8/pack x 182 1/2 packs= $1,460 on diapers over 3 years.
Cloth diapers (fancy all-in-ones that last from 8lbs – 3 years) cost $17.50 each. I think it is best to have a stock of at least 18 GOOD cloth diapers that you like and enjoy using on your child. So you’d spend $315 on the initial cost of the cloth diapers (that’s without using any discount codes online, taking advantage of sales or buying diapers used). Detergent is another cost. A 100-load container of Tide free costs $15 and lasts me 9 months ( you only use a small drizzle of detergent). So I would need 4 of those over 3 years, so that is another $60. Water to wash the diapers is a very minimal cost, we actually didn’t even notice our bill go up- But let’s just say of our last water bill, 10% of it was for diapers. That would be $5 on a high month. $5 x 36 months = $180. Most cloth diaper covers are air dried, and the microfiber inserts I usually dry along with a different load of laundry, so I’m not even going to count that cost. Total cost over 3 years: $555 dollars. That is almost 1/3 the cost of disposable diapers. And I never “run out” of diapers and have to run to the store. I just toss them in the wash. So they save me time as well!
Gosh, think if you had cloth wipes as well!
**Note: Some people save a lot of money on disposable diapers by couponing and taking advantage of rebates. Believe me, if I had gone the ‘posy way, I would do it too!! So disposable diapers can be as cheap as free if you work hard enough. Also, you can find cloth diapers used and on heavy discount during promotional periods or if you buy “seconds”. Those are things to keep in mind. But I will say that I’m glad I spent one day a week researching cloth diapers and the best deal I could get ONCE- and never had to worry about it again. Researching and working hard to get free disposables would be a constant focus. I’m just sayin! I’d rather focus on sewing buttons on those $120/hr shirts! LOL.
I hope you enjoyed this entry from the “Mind of Megan” and I hope you leave any comments (or arguments ) in the comment feed.
Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~Frugalmegan~
I LOVE my lentils. I spent a year in Peru as a foreign exchange student during my junior year of high school. Aside from my love for latin culture and dancing, I brought home a great love of certain new foods, including the great lentil. YUM!
Now, I have never found a recipe that comes even close to what we had in my Peruvian household, but I have tweaked several recipes to come up with something that satisfies me. The prices beside each item are my estimates of what each should cost, either at average price or average sale. I am assuming you would get basics (onion, spices) on sale, but might grab the bigger items like lentils or rice at full price. But I hope not 
. If I did this from my pantry, getting rice free and produce from a co-op, it would be about 1/2 the cost. Here, I am estimating this meal that serves 4 will cost $2.42, or ~.60c/serving. Being under $1/serving, I would serve with a side salad or a nice baked pear for dessert.
Health note: Lentils are a fantastic food. Green lentils in particular are a great source protein- 26% of their calories are from protein! The more orange/yellow varieties have less protein, though they may be more exotic looking. Lentils are also high in fiber, folic acid, vitamin B1 and iron. The high folate and iron make lentils especially helpful for pregnant mommies, not to mention they are easy to digest. Following my directions, the calorie content for one serving should be ~275 calories- and that’s including the optional french fried onions! So dig in!
*My* Peruvian Lentils
1/2 lb dry lentils (.75c when not on sale)
1 1/2 cup chicken broth (free from the last time you made chicken)
1 1/2 cup water
1 TBS of your favorite chicken seasoning- could be some dry mix of herbs, chicken or vegetable boullion, etc (lets say .15c)
1 tsb salt (if your chicken flavoring does not contain any)
3 dashes (or squirts) of Worcestershire sauce
2-3 cups of cooked brown rice prepared with 1 clove of crushed garlic and 1 tsb cilantro (.50c)
1/4 medium onion in thin slices (.18c)
1 roma tomato, diced (.25c)
1/4 cup lime juice (.59c)
French fried onions (optional)
Directions: combine lentils, broth, water, flavoring, salt and Worcestershire sauce in your crockpot. Heat on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours, until lentils are nice and soft. Meanwhile, slice onions and tomatoes and let marinate in lime juice in the fridge. About 5 minutes before serving, stir about half of this onion “relish” into the lentils and add more to taste. It cuts through the thick lentils nicely, in my opinion. Serve over cooked rice, sprinkled with french fried onions if you’d like. Enjoy!
Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~Frugalmegan~
Thank you All You magazine!
As many of you know, in July and August of this year (2009) I entered in All You magazine’s “All You Grocery Challenge”. The rules were you had to spend $25 or less for groceries each week on each family member not including children under 1 year old. We were judged based on how well we stayed within these budget guidelines, how creative we were, and how healthily our families ate. The $25/week was for groceries only, it did not include household items like paper towels or household cleaners.
I received a phone call in late August saying that I was in the Top 10 and was a possible grand prize winner. In September, I received a phone call saying that I was not the grand prize winner, but that they were so impressed with our healthy living and money saving techniques that they wanted to highlight me in their December issue of All You magazine. So of course I accepted and it has been SO exciting! You can see a full page article about our family and how we saved money throughout the challenge if you go to Wal*Mart and pick up a December issue of All You. It’s actually a wonderful magazine filled with money saving coupons, so you will likely make back the money you pay for it and then some .
You can also visit this link to see tips from all of the All You Grocery Challenge Finalists. We all submitted recipes that I hope will be loaded onto the site soon. If you watched the Early Show on CBS this morning you saw our Grand Winner Karen (who did an absolutly FANTASTIC job and was a very friendly blogger!). Hopefully if you missed her segment you can catch it online once it’s posted.
It’s been great, All You! Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn more from these other awesome women. And thank you that everyone will have a chance very soon to join the next All You Grocery Challenge. Keep your eyes open and definitely join in the fun- You never know who the next winner (or finalist) could be!! I hope everyone who participated feels like a winner from all the great tips and challenges we faced. It was a blast!
~Frugalmegan~
“Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without!”Yay! Welcome to Frugal Friend’s Friday! This week we’re starting the HOLIDAY editions! Please be sure to email your holiday tips to frugalmegan@gmail.com. ‘Tis the season of giving, so lets “give” our money saving tips to each other and bless each other with gifts that keep on giving- Money saving tips! Here are this weeks tips to get the season started:
“Did you know you can print labels and stationary from hallmark.com for free? This might be a life saver for Christmas cards, party invitations or holiday newsletters!” -Patti, Wakeman OH
“Shop at second hand stores, clearance, or give hand-me-downs to young children. They will never know the difference, you can get more from your money, and its not going to be a big deal if they break or just aren’t that interested in the toys.
Last year, my husband and I had a very small budget for Christmas. We decided to only spend $20 on our daughter (she was 22 months old at the time). We were fortunate enough to be given hand-me-down toys from her Aunt. We cleaned up some of the toys (brushed and put ribbons in hair, fresh coats of paint, etc) and wrapped them up for her to open for Christmas. Between the hand-me-downs and the $20 we spent on her, we were able to give her a wonderful Christmas. I honestly don’t think she couldn have been happier with her presents.” – Katie, Centerville OH
–We’re doing this for our son this year. We bought some second hand wooded puzzles and we are going to wrap each piece individually so he has tons of fun getting to all the pieces! For any kinds of toys that would regularly require assembly, it’s nice to already have them put together under the tree on Christmas morning. So if you buy used, they’ll never know because it would have been out of the box anyhow! Now I’m not advocating “tricking” your kids into thinking their toys are new. Not at all! But if you are making a transition this year, you could use this technique to have a great Christmas.
Thanks for stopping by to gather some Christmas tips! I look forward to posting the tips you’ve sent in for next week, and I can’t WAIT to see what else you guys are doing to save money this Holiday season! It’s sure to be a great one if we work together.
Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~Frugalmegan~
Hey guys! Guess what I just did? I just went to seehere.com and designed our 4×8 Christmas photo cards for this year. I chose a backround, a family photo (although I could have added a few more!), added personalized text in the color of my choice and had them mailed to me. It was easy, fast and- now this is the important part- FREE!! Yup, I just paid nothing for 50 photo cards to use this year for Christmas. And while I haven’t seen them in real life yet, they looked fantastic to me! And even if they aren’t perfect, no harm done since they were FREE!
Simply go to seehere.com and click on “photo cards”. Pick out a 4×8 size card and change all you want about it and save it. Make sure you put 50 of them in your cart, and then use this promo code : freebies4mom-1109. You will see right then and there the $24 taken off of your total. If you want more than 50, they are just .59c each after that. Have fun!
Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~Frugalmegan~
Hi there! Today’s post is actually a post some of you may have seen before, back when I was using my sister’s blog (thefrugalcountrymom@blogspot.com) for the All You Grocery Challenge. I thought it was worth a transfer and repost.
Also, you’d probably like to know what “MOM” stands for. It just means “(from the) Mind of Megan”. AND it works because I am a mommy. But the topics I talk about in these posts won’t always be completely related to motherhood. These posts will be my little personal feelings and ideas on money, nutrition, and life in general. I hope you enjoy this and any future “MOM” post! Here we go to the post:
Basic Nutrition
—-Mmmmm, Food!—-
One of my favorite classes in Nursing school was nutrition- If I would have had the guts to switch majors, I think I would have become a nutritionist! That is not to say I know a ton about it. But it interests me and is a vital part of my role as a wife and mommy. And therefore, central to living frugal. I cannot coupon, chase deals, cook from scratch or balance the budget correctly without a solid foundation around nutrition. I have to break it down to “yes” and “no” to keep it simple, and easy to remember.
The “YES!”
1. Vegetables- Fresh is generally best, for optimum nutrition. Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, lettuce, tomato and cucumber tend to be the easiest things to not cook around here. And we usually get them in the produce basket, so they are cheap. We try to get a serving or two at lunch, and a serving or two at dinner. Afternoon snack almost always includes a veggie!
2. Whole grains- It is SO important get whole grains in your diet! They help you keep your blood sugar even, decrease your bad cholesterol and increase the good, and they keep you full longer then their processed counterparts. We call these “complex carbohydrates” and they are the kind of carbs you WANT to get. So toss out that Wonderbread and Kix cereal, and bring in the whole wheat bread and raisin bran! LOL. Wait, you cant toss it out…that’s not very frugal. How about bird feed? Arts and crafts? Dog food? You get the idea.
3. Protein- First, meat (keep it real! As in, nix the lunchmeat). Staples here are chicken (white and dark), turkey and beef for meats. Get them on super sale, marked down, and use a rebate to get money back. Or go in with some friends and buy a whole cow to split. I highly recommend getting a locally raised grass fed cow . My hubby much prefers shredded chicken sandwiches to lunchmeat in his packed meals. But guess what? Meat is STILL expensive, and not always the best thing to eat meal in and meal out. So we have to be more creative…Like mixing grains, legumes and nuts/seeds. Examples: Beans and rice, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, hummus, cereal with almond slices, vegetable stir fry and a veggie burger on a whole grain bun with sesame seeds on it (um, yummers!). Dry beans are super cheap, and they can be found on sale, whole grain breads are cheap with coupons, or you can make it yourself, and brown rice can be bought for $1/lb if you shop smart. CHEAP. And oh-so-good for you!
4. Fruits- Once again, fresh is key. Cooked certainly is not BAD, it’s still better than processed- But uncooked is generally keeps the most nutrients. We like bananas, oranges, grapefruit (great source of folic acid for any pregnant mommies out there!), plums, nectarines, berries, peaches, and lime/lemons (fresh juice has more nutrients). We occasionally will get melons, but they just aren’t our favorite.
5. Healthy oils- Best: virgin coconut, extra virgin olive oil, and grapeseed. Its also nice to cook with natural butter from a grass fed cow, but I haven’t figured out how to get THAT cheap. I generally stick to the olive oil, since it goes on sale and you can find coupons. An OK oil is canola, and that is pretty easy to get for under $1 a container around here.
The “NO” side:
Top 3 big no-nos in our home, and why:
1. Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil(PHSO)- It pains me to say this, since my in-laws farm Soybeans- but its just about terrible for you. Soybean oil itself is not the healthiest oil and when you heat it at high temperatures and change the chemistry of its amino acid, it just makes it worse. The cells of your body take in amino acids to for its cell wall (just as one example), and that’s good. When PHSO amino acids are taken into a cell wall, on side is recognizable and connects to all the amino acids around it, helping to build the cell. The other side, however, is changed to a “stranger” and the cell cannot bind with it. This leaves a weakened area of the cell, where things in your body could pass through that should not, and the cell is more fragile overall. There has been much talk that this increases your risk for cancer (since the cell is not as protected). It has been proven to weaken your heart. But if you eliminate it from your diet, your body can be free of it within around 30 days as your old cells die and new ones are made.
2. MSG- It is in everything. Google all the names for it, you’d be amazed at how much you are really eating. MSG is addictive (you become hungry soon after eating), it messes with your insulin levels (harms your pancreas), and 30% of Americans have a sensitivity to it that causes severe headaches, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea and weakness. YIKES!
3. High fructose corn syrup- Bwa-ha-ha, those commercials crack me up!! This is simply a form of sugar that is even more processed. Regular sugar and other super processed sugar are really really hard on your pancreas. Your insulin levels shoot up and down, up and down, up and down from them, and this puts stress on the heart, brain, and every other organ in the body. Kids who have too much of it in their diet cannot focus (does that sound like you at work too??) and often complain of lightheadedness soon after eating. It also causes you to eat more when your blood sugar drops. All in all, it’s not some evil substance (although in 2008 commercial foods containing HFCS had levels of mercury in them…), but if you will start reading labels, it seems that it’s in everything too. Bread, processed foods (kids lunch snacks, granola bars), and obviously lots of sweets. It’s just too much. So cut what you can out of your diet, and replace with more complex sweets like honey and sugar in the raw. These types of sweeteners are not nearly as hard on the body, and do well keeping your blood sugar at a more even level.
WOW that was a long post! I hope you enjoyed it.
Here’s to living- Happier, Healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~~FrugalMegan~~
The magical world of woot.com is filled with wootoffs, screaming monkeys and bandoleers of carrots. What? Do say you don’t know what I’m talking about? No, no, of course not…let me explain…
Woot.com is a “deal a day” website, where you can find great deals on electronics, toys, appliances and random items galore. The site has a new item featured daily, at a low cost. So if you come across an item you’ve been wanting, you’re likely to be very happy with the price. The shipping is a flat rate of $5, whether you buy the minimum (1) or maxium (3) number of items. This is VERY nice if you purchase something like a LCD flat panel TV! Be sure to do your research and act fast though, as once an item is sold out for the day, it is gone. And there is no promise that the items will ever be carried again- Especially at the same price. In fact, you can’t even find the past prices of featured items on the site. It’s Ca-Razy! This is definitely the kind of site you want to be your homepage, so you don’t miss a deal. Especially if you need some gifts for the holiday season.
Occasionally, woot.com will offer something called a “woot-off”. This is an event that can last anywhere from 24-72 hours, with non-stop offerings of their latest products. As each product sells out, they post a new product until it sells out… and this goes on for days. They could have just one Homer Simpson USB drive, but 1,000 refurbished Brevelle Citrus Juicers. You never know. During each “woot-off” you are promised the offering of one “Random Bag of Crap”. These are extremely hard to purchase! Everyone has alarms and buzzers that sound when this is offered, because of the promise of an amazing turn out. A “Bag of Crap” or “BOC” or “Bandoleer of Carrots” costs $3 plus shipping and could be just about anything. You could receive a box with worthless junk you can try to resell on ebay, or you could get a box filled with mostly random techno-trash and a Roomba or HDTV. For many, it is well worth the gamble (and the only reason many track the woot-off). A woot-off is sure to come to a close after you have seen the “screaming monkey” come up for sale. He is a curious stuffed creature that wails as you send it flinging, cape and all, from your fingertips. Silly toy, but dependable non-the-less.
You can even use tracking sites to help you keep up with the woot-off- I recommend wooters.us. This site will automatically reload the page, update you with new products, and even give you an estimated sell out times.
I label this a “frugal site” because I think if you are in the market for what they are selling, it is commonly a great value. Woot.com has several “sister sites” including kids.woot, wine.woot and sellout.woot. They can all have great deals, so check them out!
~Frugalmegan~
The honest, humble spud.
Who knew that with the smallest amount of doctoring, something so simple and plain could be so GOOOD? And good for you- Potatoes are great little power houses of nutrition! One average potato contains 1/2 your daily value of vitamin C, more potassium than a banana, is a decent source of iron and is naturally fat and sodium free. This recipe also calls for 1/2 an onion. Onions are known for their 4,000 year history as a “magical healer”. Civilizations past have used onions as wound healers, diuretics and even used to “absorb” disease beside the bed of an ailed person. As a modern day medicinal, it’s known now to have over 25 active compounds that can prevent cancer growth, lower blood pressure and stimulate the immune system. Not to mention that, like garlic, it is antifungal and antibacterial, helping to ward off all kinds of common illnesses.
That said, let’s get on to the food!
Simply Delicious Potato Soup (6 servings)
This is a very basic recipe, that I recommend for the best potato taste and health benefits…it has about half the calories of your Grandma’s potato soup. But don’t worry- If you decide you need Nana’s fix, you can doctor it up at the end! I’ll show you how.
3-4 medium white potatoes, diced
3-4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/2 white or yellow onion, grated or chopped
1 stalk celery, grated or chopped
2 cups chicken broth/boullion/stock (whatever you have on hand)
2 cups water
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp kosher salt
Directions: Crockpot- Mix together all ingredients except salt and cook on High (3-4 hours) or Low (6-8 hours). Use a stick blender to puree the soup, leaving it just as chunky or smooth as you like it. If you do not have a stick blender, you could remove a portion of the soup (3/4 the recipe) and puree, then replace. You could also mash with a potato masher. At this time, add the salt and stir.
Stovetop- Saute onions in a small amount of oil until translucent. Add remaining ingredients (excluding salt) and bring to a boil. Then reduce to medium heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Puree about 3/4 of the soup using a stick blender, regular blender or potato masher. Add salt and stir.
Serve while warm with your choice of toppings- We went with 1 TBS shredded cheddar cheese, some chives and a little bit of pepper.
Extended directions (for a creamer, higher calorie soup):
1/2 stick butter
3 TBS flour
1 1/2 cup milk
Before you serve, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and stir in flour with a fork until well mixed and thick (about 1 minute). Slowly add milk, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes. Stir this mixture into the soup and cook until heated through. Serve with your choice of toppings.
This basic recipe is about 170 calories per serving, and less than .85c per serving (depending on the price you pay for potatoes, onion and seasonings). I make my own chicken broth, so I did not factor in that cost. The “extended” recipe has about 250 calories, depending on the type of butter and milk you use, and costs about $1.10 per serving. Both of those numbers are independent from the cost/calories of toppings. I prefer the basic recipe for the lower cost, calories and the stronger flavor of the potatoes- I have come to appreciate the natural taste of things! But I realize that is not for everyone. I’m just glad this kind of recipe can be so wonderfully tweaked at the end . Also, you can freeze this soup nicely if you do so before the “extended” recipe. You can just warm it up and add the milk mixture then. And as an added note, leaving the skins on will ensure even more of the potatoes’ natural nutrients make it to your tummy. Enjoy!
Here’s to living- happier, healthier, more FRUGAL lives!
~Frugalmegan~
Yay, it’s FRIDAY again!! What a great day to learn some money saving tips for the weekend
“My favorite thing I learned from FLYlady is I keep toilet cleaner, paper towels, and windex under every sink. Bathrooms stay cleaner, and saves me time!” Sue, Dayton OH
-This tip saves time- Which often converts to $$ in my household! If you’re keeping your bathroom clean with simple cleaners on a regular basis, you can avoid spending money on costly deep cleaners or even the replacement of things like caulking in the tub. Great tip!
“If you use plastic leftover containers, always use the same one for your tomato sauces and such. That way only the one gets all stained up. Also, it helps to rinse the container in cold water immediately before putting in the tomato sauce to keep the staining to a minimum. It really works.” – Donna, Mount Pleasant OH
-If anyone wonders why rinsing it with cold water works, it’s because the “pores” in the plastic will shrink from the cold, thus not absorbing as much of the color. Fantastic!
THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING!!
Send in your Frugal Holiday Tips to frugalmegan@gmail.com, and your idea could be featured on the Friday blog! I’m looking for inexpensive gift, gift wrapping, entertainment, cooking and decorating ideas. FILL UP MY INBOX! There can never be too many tips for this time of the year
Here’s to living- happier, healthier more FRUGAL lives!
~Frugalmegan~
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