It was Sunday, June 30th, 2008 when I started my website with a free host site. I picked a name and found a host and template site. The next day, July 1st, I started designing the site. I told my husband I would be done in three weeks. You can stop laughing now. Here it…
I picked Genovese basil, Thai basil, and tomatoes from the garden. We also harvested Thompson’s seedless green grapes and Dorsett Golden Apples. I picked an aloe leaf from my aloe plant to put on the sunburn I got while I was out watering some things in the garden by hand. We watched the space station move…
Cooking from scratch, rather than using a box mix or pre-prepared ingredients is an obvious money saver. Taking it one extra step further by making the ingredients for those meals shaves a considerable amount from the grocery bill. What can you make at home that will save you money (and also taste better) in the…
Neighbors I’ve never met before are starting to talk to me. “Stunning!” one man said to my husband and I last week as he came down the street to get his mail. “It’s really beautiful!” said another man. A woman stopped her car in the middle of the road, rolled down her window, and yelled out that…
My brother sent us a beautiful sympathy bouquet that also included a vase that I love. We were given some sliced watermelon and 2 loaves of bread. My mom gave me a pot of white spider mums. I am going to plant it in the front garden. We returned the extra dirt that I purchased…
This is the view from my front door. (There is a pendant light right above this table). The table was free from my mom this week; I have wanted a small round table in this spot since we moved in (my husband would prefer a side table, but I am thrilled!) The sunflowers are from…
I met my in-laws a few days before our wedding. My husband had found an apartment for us, which was mine alone for a month (he stayed with his brother) until we were married. We moved all of both of our things into it before we were married. My in-laws asked to see…
Buying in bulk saves me a lot of money. On most items, it saves me more than I can save on an item with coupons–plus I end up with a whole lot more of it. It’s one of the fastest and least expensive ways to build your pantry. There are lots of ways to buy…
I picked apricots, blackberries, Green Gage plums, Dorsett Golden apples, and figs from the garden. I froze some blackberries to use in smoothies later in the year, and I dried figs in the oven on low for fig sauce. (The dried figs will last a few years). I cut chives, green onions, and Swiss chard…
1. Eat more meatless meals “But my husband won’t eat meatless meals!” you say. If he isn’t bringing home the bacon, you can’t cook it. I know that sounds harsh, and it isn’t meant to be. I’ve talked with a lot of women who say that they drastically have to cut their food budget, and…
I picked blackberries from the garden. I also cut Swiss chard and green onions from the garden this week. I harvested 2 small Early Girl tomatoes. They are already quite small because of the intense heat. Usually they are bigger at this time of year, so I don’t know if my other ones will be…
During 2011 and 2012, I needed to keep our grocery budget down to $100 a month for our family of eight (which became nine in 2012). Some months I had nothing at all to spend, some months I only had $10 to spend, and other months I could spend $200, but when averaged throughout the…