Amazingness

So I was browsing blogs today and I found an awesome post on my cousin's blog. She successfully made her own laundry detergent...and it actually works...and she says it costs close to $.01 a load. Intrigued? Here's the link.

Ups and Downs

I was doing so good until yesterday. 

Under extenuating circumstances (a howling hungry baby, my own headache from low-blood sugar, laundry still waiting for us at the laundromat, not much food left at home) I blundered yesterday while we were out running errands. I figured it would be ok to stop by Acme to get some food for us to eat while we waited at the laundromat for our clothes to dry. Not until I was out in the car did it really strike me that getting a cup of hot soup at Acme is the same thing as getting a cup of chili at Wendy's. Sad day. I don't know if that is considered eating out but there you have it. Doug thinks that as long as it fits into our food budget for the month it's no big deal. So I'll have to shave another $4.65 off of our budget for next week's food (that's leaves us a whopping $52.10 folks).

Now for the "ups". This week a friend gave me 5 pairs of shoes that she no longer wanted. She told me she doesn't like wearing flats anymore. Previously my attitude towards used shoes has been an unqualified "NO!", but I feel better getting them from someone I actually know. Don't worry I will be disinfecting them.

Wonderful Aunt Abby made Jacob some handy mittens on a string.

These were both items that I needed and now I don't have to worry about buying them. Also, it turns out that between both Doug and I we only need to buy one textbook this semester and I was able to get it used on half.com. Victory for the little people!

Free Loot!

With the Spring semester fast approaching I have been slightly worried about how we will get the school supplies  we need without buying anything new. Then I found the jackpot. A very nice lady was giving away her son's old college notebooks on criagslist. Yes they are used but all the old notes have been torn out, and as you can see they are perfectly usable. My next mission: computer paper.

What do you need for some fun in the snow?

An old box, a trash bag, some tape, and string. Granted, this contraption only 

lasted 10 minutes but so did Jacob's enjoyment of the snow. It was fun though

and I'm glad I didn't spend the money on even a used sled which was my

original plan.

Progress Report

It's absolutely astounding to me how many times this past week I have thought I needed to buy something. Practically every day I think "oh I'd better run out and get ___ today". So far I have been holding up pretty well. Thursday I went to Target, a place I enjoy too much for my own good. I left the store with only two items, diapers and a toothbrush for Jacob, both of which I went there intending to buy. For me this is progress. Yesterday at the grocery store I debated whether such items as dish soap, disinfectant spray, ziploc bags, and tissues were okay to buy under the compact. I know it sounds like a pain but I am glad for the chance to really think about how I spend my money. All this thinking actually led me to reconsider the way I store food. From now on I will try to use glass jars and tupperware as much as possible and minimize the amount of ziploc bags I use, which has hitherto been astronomical. I also found some recipes for homemade dish soap but I'm not really sure I want to go there. So this week is brought to you by the letter B, which is the grade I give myself (I'm still not sure about those tissues).

Let Them Eat Bread

Bread is a highly sought after commodity in our house. Since our food budget has been slimmed down I thought I'd try this recipe I found online instead of buying our third loaf for the week. The beauty of the  recipe is that you make one big batch and the dough keeps in the fridge for up to 14 days. When you want a new loaf or rolls to go with dinner you just rip off a hunk of dough, let is rise and then bake as usual. This way you can make fresh bread every day without much effort. It's a beautiful thing. And it tastes good too. I figure I spent about $1.50 for the ingredients for this batch. The trick will be not eating it all in three days.

  

The finished product

15 minutes of work = 2 weeks of fresh bread

Ahhh! I think she is serious.

Tonight over dinner Mimi announced that we are no longer going to be buying paper towels. To which I began to laugh but immediately realized that she was serious and stopped. She is right of course, they are avoidable in terms of hygiene with minimal inconvenience so I find myself once again in the wrong. So now I expect to have an intervention for my little "towel" problem. (Does anyone else feel the need to hoard? I think Mimi is getting suspicious that our bed sits 6" taller than it used to.)

I am very happy to support Mimi in this endeavor, it seems to make her very happy and it is a very worthy cause.

No picture for this post, sorry. I had a picture of people in Ireland protesting austerity measures but I think I will save that for later.

The Dinner We Didn't Eat and the Dinner We Did Eat

Last night we were planning on going out to eat since it would be our last chance for a whole year. To be perfectly honest much of the money we waste is on food and that's why I made this a part of our family compact. However, my mom invited us over to enjoy New Year's Eve dinner with her and my dad and the rest of my sibs that live at home. How could we pass that up? Nothing could be better than ringing in the New Year with those we love. So we traded in fast food for a delicious, healthy meal of black bean soup. I'd say that we've started out our year on the right foot.