Money Saving Tip #4~ Block Cheese

Block cheese can be a pain, but it can save you several dollars a month (depending on how much you use) over shredded cheese. In order to make it to where it isn't so much of a hassle, this is what I do:

1) I buy about 6 to 10 pounds of block cheese at a time (you will want to compare prices to make sure you are saving over shredded). If it is on sale, I will buy more.
2) I cut out time in a day (about 30 minutes needed) to work with the cheese all at one time.
3) I shred all of the cheese at one time, but I have them separated according to the package they came out of. For instance, I grated 8 pounds of cheese today, but they were in 2 pound packages. Each package had a different expiration date, so I did not mix the cheese.
4) I put the shredded cheese on paper plates and put it in the freezer uncovered for 10 minutes.
5) After 10 minutes, I take it out of the freezer
6) Then, I put the shredded cheese into pre-marked ziploc freezer bags (with the type of cheese and expiration written on the outside)
7) All of the bags then go into the freezer for another 30 minutes.
8) After the 30 minutes, I take one of the bags out to be available in the refrigerator. The rest of the bags stay in the freezer until needed.

I guess I made a New Year's Resolution

I never make New Year's resolutions. It is not intentional. When I was younger (in my teens), I used to make them. They always started out the same way (with good intentions). I truly believed I would be able to "stick to it this time". I stopped making them without really realizing it until after the year started, and then, I just didn't believe I could bring my resolution into reality.
Now, I have made a resolution without realizing it until now (5 days into the new year). You may have noticed my posts about little things you can do to save money. While looking for the ingredients that I needed to make my own laundry detergent, I signed up for an e-mail newsletter called "Everyday Cheapskate". Today's e-mail was called "What Do You Need to be Happy?" (found here: http://www.moneyrulesdebtstinks.com/ ). I clicked on the link, and then, I saw the post labeled "My Year to Stop Being Wasteful" (found here: http://www.moneyrulesdebtstinks.com/?p=431 ) That is when I realized that on 12/28/08, I had already started my New Year's Resolution ( http://ilovemykids08.blogspot.com/2008/12/living-amish-like.html ).
This is a true milestone because I KNOW this resolution will actually happen. There is a BIG difference between this resolution and the ones that I made in my teens (this is, also, something that I just discovered). This is my first resolution that is not superficial. This is about changing the me inside of me. This is about doing something that I can be proud of and believe in. This is a RESOLUTION REVOLUTION! This isn't about losing weight, or getting tan before summer. This is about a change that lasts a lifetime!
In the article "What Do You Need to be Happy?", you can find this:

When people say they want happiness, what they’re really looking for is contentment, that feeling of satisfaction that does not go away once the carpet is a few months old, the car has lost its “newness” or the holidays are over. He went on to suggest that happiness is the result of a “happening” and when the event is over, the happiness goes away. The contentment we seek comes with satisfaction and fulfillment that are not tied to specific events but rather based upon things that do not change, like warm family relationships, connecting to God and expressions of sincere gratitude.
(for this and more: http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/ed_cheapskate.asp?ID=39220 )

Money Saving Tip #3~ cloth diapers~ SAVE THOUSANDS $$$$

If you haven't been around babies in the past 10 years, you may not have noticed, but cloth diapers have come a long way and started a revolution. The years of accidentally sticking the child with a diaper pin are over. These all in ones have the cover attached to the cloth, so no diaper covers either! They are also adjustable to go from newborn to 35 pounds!!! I bought these about 3 years ago, but I had given up on using them because of the mess. I started Morgan back in the diapers this week. It is liberating to think that I may never have to buy diapers again!!! They really aren't that much work. Here are some tips to make them easier to use:

1~ use inserts when you know your child will be pooping soon (sorry, I know that is gross). Morgan is pretty predictable, so she can use the diapers the way they are until later in the evening. After 5PM, I can put one of the disposables that we still have on her... Then, I will put her back into the cloth ones after the poop is over.
2~ they do sell diaper sprayers that can attach to the toilet. That way you do not have to put the diaper in the toilet to dunk... Just spray & throw into the diaper pail.
3~ have several (at least 10) on hand, so that they can be washed in a larger load (8 at a time) and be dry in time for the next changing.
4~ if you plan on having more than one child, buy neutral colors, so that you can use the same diapers on the next baby.
5~ if you are a seamstress, make your own!! The PUL fabric, and all of the rest of the supplies you need can be found by doing a search online/on Ebay/ or in the fabric store

*The average child that is potty-trained by the age of three, uses 8,000 to 10,000 diapers during that time. The average cost of a disposable diaper is 35 cents... That is $3,500 for one child! If you have 3 children, that is $10,500!!! You can buy nice all in ones that will last a long time, not leak, and not cause diaper rash (on most children) for between $8 and $20 a piece. Even if you got 10 of the $20 ones, that is only $200. Compared to how much you dish out for the ones you throw in the trash after use, that is CHEAP!! And, don't these diapers look cuter than the disposable ones anyway?!?!?

Making Bread

We made 2 batches of Cuban bread yesterday. I don't like it that much, so I am not going to put the recipe here. Stay tuned for a sourdough recipe in a couple of days. For sourdough, you have to make a starter that sits out for a few days. My starter should be ready tomorrow.
Anyway, the girls had fun making the bread. Flour was everywhere, but they learned something new (how to knead bread).

Money Saving Tip #2~ clothesline~ Save $180 or more a year

Depending on your dryer and your usage, you could save even more than $20 a month. To find out how much you could save by hanging your clothes out to dry, instead of using your dryer:
Check your dryer to see how much electricity it uses per hour. You can check your dryer manual to find out how much it uses. If you can not find this, go with the average which is 5 kilowatts per hour. Next, look at your electric bill to find out how much your electric company charges for each kilowatt hour. Assuming we have an average dryer, our cost is 50 cents per hour. I do any where from 11 to 14 loads of laundry per week (at 30 minutes dry time a piece). If I did 14 loads, it would cost me $3.50 per week, or $14 per month, or $182 per year! Some people buy the laundry lines and can pay hundreds of dollars for them. When you do that, while it looks cute, it's not very practical. The first year, you would not save any money (when you factor in the cost of the contraption). Our line might not be pretty, but it cost a total of $15 for 3 lines and some clothespins. Our laundry system will have paid for itself after a month of use.
This is what we did... LeCount bought 2 packages of rope-like clothesline from Home Depot. Then, we tied one end to the front fence and the other end to the back fence. No poles needed! We have a fairly long yard, and we were able to get 3 lines out of those 2 packages of rope. We still have to touch it up because it needs tightening, but we can do that as we go along. In the meantime, I put the clothes as close to the end of the rope as I can (since it is tighter and higher up there).
***Special note, if you are like me, and use your dryer as an iron, you will save even more!!! We should save about $250 a year because I am notorious for not getting the clothes out right when the dryer stops. Then, I tumble the clothes again to get the wrinkles out. I may get into the middle of something and miss that tumble ending, too. Which means, I have to tumble it yet again!!! Very wasteful, but there is good news for me... Our annual savings will be HUGE!!!

Money Saving Tip #1~ Living Amish-like with wheat

Over the next few months and years, I will be adding posts to help people (such as myself) live a simpler, cheaper, but still happy life. I have always been amazed at how the Amish can get by with so few conveniences, and how fun it out be to know that the stuff you are using is stuff that you made yourself. What a sense of accomplishment one would have after building their own house (not mention some sore muscles)!! I have a lot of ideas, some which I have done in the past and others that are new. For my first post, though, I am going to tell you about wheat. For Christmas, we received a mill and 45 pounds of white wheat from my parents. I started grinding this morning, and decided to make a big batch (so that I wouldn't have to do it over and over again. For those of you that have a mill or find yourselves grinding your own wheat, please read below on important information you should know before you get started. If you want to go true Amish style you may not use an electric mill. You will need to get a hand grinder (I bought mine on Ebay a couple years back). It is a lot of work to grind by hand, but if you keep at it, you can also save money on gym membership fees!!!:

Fresh ground whole wheat flour shelf life varies according to the temperature of where it is stored. The whole wheat grain flour is a living food that is perishable. When the grain is ground into flour and its outer layer is no longer protecting it from the elements, including air, it goes rancid from oxidation.

Yes, the wheat germ oil in the flour starts to go bad once exposed to oxygen. This living food starts to degrade like all living foods normally do. Also, the vitamins and minerals within the flour will decrease as time goes by. So just like with all foods, the fresher the food, the higher the nutritional value.

Left on Your Counter - The whole wheat flour shelf life is 3-5 days. After that time frame, the flour will many times start to smell like stinky socks and develop a bitter taste. This fowl odor is nature's way of telling you not to eat it. This rancidity will negatively affect the flavor of the bread or your other baked goods.

Refrigerator - Fresh milled whole wheat flour will be good for 10 days.

Freezer - Fresh milled whole wheat flour will be good for 30 days.
(information taken from: http://www.healthbanquet.com/whole-wheat-flour.html )