Frugal Ideas - Page 2 of 3 - Humorous Homemaking

Eating Poorganic

I was first introduced to the idea of eating “Poorganic” from my blogging colleague, Katrina, over at The Poorganic Life. Mainly because she’s the first person to ever really define what “poorganic” means. After ruminating on this term for months and talking with Barry VERY REGULARLY, I’ve determined that our family is Poorganic too.

So, I’m coming out! I’m standing with Katrina! I’m saying THIS IS NOT A WHOLE FOODS BLOG. I am not a whole foods blogger. I am not part of the real food community. I’m an imposter. I’m a sheep in hot dog’s clothing. I am a frugal living blogger who blogs about food and life. I don’t really want to be lumped into the “whole foods/organic/clean eating” movement. Take me out, thank you.

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10 Signs You’re CHEAP Instead of FRUGAL

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (because repetition is the best form of learning), cheap and frugal are not the same thing. You can be cheap and not be frugal – and you can be frugal and not be cheap. I do have the tendency to be cheap with some things…but for the most part, I consider myself frugal. My parents have said that I’m tighter than Dick’s hatband, so I still sometimes have to tell my cheapness to take a hike. I want to save money, but I don’t want to be too cheap. Got it?

But what about you? Are you cheap or are you frugal? I’ll just go ahead and say that frugal is a better characteristic to have. If you are cheap, you can break free from that – just start small – see if you can buy something higher in price and quality with CASH without falling into the floor and foaming at the mouth. I am willing to set up email counseling sessions where I can walk you through this process and be your drill sergeant. SIR, YES SIR! [Read more…]

I Don’t Do Spring Cleaning

Y’all should know by now that I’m good at keepin’ it real. I don’t portray some kind of fairy-tale life here. We live in a dusty house – I hate to dust…so therefore I am waiting until Annie is old enough to do it for us. 😉

I don’t Spring clean – I never have. And I imagine I’m not the only one out there. So, today I’m going to tell you how I keep our home clean without doing it.

Also realize that “clean” is a relative term. As I sit here, I can see dust, dust bunnies, and dust elephants…and grass because Barry mowed last night. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, something over there in the corner that’s unrecognizable. But, my children are fed and happy – and I made a cake today – life is pretty much awesome. 🙂

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home to read about my cleaning methods. Here is just a little preview:

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…my goal in our home is to make sure we don’t live in a dump hole. At this stage of my life, with two little children and a messy dog, good enough has become good enough for me. When I’m 93, I won’t look back and say “Well honey, I sure do wish I had spring cleaned our house in 2013…I really missed out.” —> Read More

Cleaning Grout Naturally + Magic Tub Cleaner

By far the dirtiest thing in this house when we bought it was the bathtub. It would make you cry just to look at it. No matter how long and hard I scrubbed it, it still looked dirty. I hated it. For Barry and me, this is our first time living somewhere with tile…and I gotta say, I’m not sure what the hullaballoo is about. I hate it.

Yes, I hate tile. I would rather have the stuff that’s all ONE piece instead of little cracks everywhere to clean. When you have children, little cracks just scream “Hey! Fill me up with something dirty…pretty please? Oh, and while you’re at it, would you run across me with wet feet, slip and fall down and cry bloody murder? Thanks.” Tile stinks.

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Keeping Costs Down in a Real Food Kitchen

I hear all to often that eating “healthy” is too expensive. When I was a coupon queen, I would have agreed 100% with you. But now I’m on the other side of things – I’ve been eating this way for two years now and I can honestly say that eating healthy is NOT too expensive. In fact, we can’t afford NOT to eat healthy. Otherwise, in years to come we’ll be paying out the wazoo for health care.

I’m over at Keeper of the Home today talking about how to keep costs down in a real food kitchen. It is very possible to eat a healthy diet on a budget – and I know that for a fact because my budget and I are not soon parted.

Some other things I’ve written in the past might also be of interest to you:

How We Eat Healthy on a Budget

Stacy’s Grocery Price List

So, if you’d like to have more tips about how to eat healthy without going to the poor house – and if you’d like to see just how we make it work – just hop on over to Keeper of the Home.

What do you think? Is eating a healthy diet worth the money?

Sharing Recipes is Leaving a Legacy

For the longest time I would not share any of my family recipes…at all. When people would ask, I would always say no. I felt like I was protecting part of my heritage – these were recipes from my Mamaw and Mama – why should I share them with someone else? Go get your own recipe and leave me alone! It’s MINE! All mine! *Insert crazy, insane laughter here*

And let me just be honest here…I like that people enjoy my cooking. The thought that I would give someone a family recipe so that they could make it themselves didn’t sit well with me – it would mean it was their recipe now and I would no longer get praised for it since they could make it. Man, what a big ole fat head I have. I’m surprised I can fit it through the door. [Read more…]

Homemade Cream-Of Soup Mix

Let’s be honest…there are times when I’m just lazy. I might run out of Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup and be too busy to make more…or too lazy. I try to always keep some in the freezer, but sometimes I run out. I know it’s quick and easy to whip up a batch, but I’ll be honest again. If I see a recipe that calls for it and I know I have to make some because I’m out – I pretty much nix that recipe. Can I get a witness?!

While I just love cooking, and don’t mind making the homemade cream of soup, sometimes I just can’t get around to it…and for those times, there is this lovely stand-in made with dried ingredients. Having this in the cabinet makes me feel like I can conquer any cream-of recipe! It also makes me feel like I need a casserole – casseroles are where it’s at. [Read more…]

Your Grocery Budget Toolbox

Guest post by Anne Simpson of Authentic Simplicity

Saving money on groceries has been such a way of life for me, it’s almost like it’s in my blood. It started when I was a child, watching my mother clip coupons as she attempted to feed her family of 11 children on a pastor’s tiny salary. Even as a single girl, I clipped coupons and shopped the sales when it was my turn to buy the groceries for myself and my roomies (who also happened to be my sisters!).

Now a married adult, I have learned even more about shaving the grocery budget as I went from a dirt-poor newlywed (with a brief stint as a “DINK” – Dual-Income-No-Kids) to an almost-dirt-poor-mom of children with food allergies. For several years, I managed to feed my family of four on a budget of only $200 a month.

Even now, our monthly food budget is only $250, but I am still able to buy things like grass-fed ground beef, farm-fresh eggs, and certain organic fruits and vegetables. Considering that the US Department of Agriculture estimates that a family of four on a “thrifty plan” will spend more than $500 a month on food… I’m thinking we’re doing a bang-up job with our grocery budget!

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From Bowl to Freezer – Good Freezer Meal Options

Y’all ask me all the time, “Hey Stacy, can you give me a good list of freezer meals?” The truth is, I don’t have such a list. Here’s how freezing food works for me – I make it and then I freeze it. I don’t really do too much advance planning.

I don’t seek out special meals that are just for freezing – I just use my normal recipes and make them work. BUT if you are looking for freezer specific meals, you need to check out Once a Month Mom – one of my favorite recipe sites.

So, you say, how DO you make that meal work for the freezer, Miss Stacy? Well, I’ll tell ya….over at Intentional by Grace. I’m over there sharing how I freeze meals and I’ll give you a list of some good ones to try.

If you want to know how to freeze bread (baked or in dough form) or if you want to turn your crock pot meal into a freezer meal, I’ve got you covered.

Meet me over there…if for no other reason than you like to look at pretty pictures of food. *Slobber*

20 Minute Meals

**I know I normally post a crock pot recipe on Friday, but my scheduled poster and friend, Rachel, had a recent tragedy and was unable to be with us. I would ask that you say a special prayer for her today. Thanks.**

Last year I had the honor of making a new friend – LeighAnn from Intentional by Grace. She has blessed me in thousands of ways. I know without a shadow of a doubt God matched us up as friends – we’re so alike, but so different. She keeps me in check. She tells me when I’m being dumb…and I’m dumb a lot.

She invited my family to come spend the weekend with her family and we had a fabulous time! She’s exactly the same in person as she is online. And then she went and did something crazy. She moved to Colorado. But that’s okay – I still love her…and I also love her new book!

I’m going through a time in life where meal times are crazy. I used to be a meal planning fanatic, but after we sold the townhouse, moved in with mom, and bought a new house to remodel, things haven’t gone very smoothly. Sometimes I freak out at 5pm when I realize I forgot that dinner was coming. Uhhh, oops?

Enter 20 Minute Meals. LeighAnn has created a cookbook for the weary chef…the mother who is busy…the wife who works…the pregnant woman who loses her mind and forgets that she needs to feed her family dinner every night. [Read more…]