Time to tighten the belt and get organized!

Ok peeps... I'm gonna get real and personal on here.

I recently read a post by Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick about Dave Ramsey and about getting rid of debt.  I found myself nodding and huh huhing alot while reading her post.

In the past we have taken Lines of Credits and Credit Cards for granted.  Over the past 5 years though, huby and I have worked really hard at staying out of the red. Especially me.  I have anxiety attacks and can't sleep to even imagine a check bouncing or not being able to pay a bill on time.  I pay our credit card in full every single month, and I check the bank account every-single-day!!  Am I crazy? Do you do that?

Well, reality check... my beloved 10 year old van passed away this week. (sniff... sniff...)Actually it's still dying as we speak cause I haven't picked it up yet from the mechanic's yet.  You see, on the weekend I filled the coolant holder thing-a-ma-jig with coolant fluid, only to find it empty two days later.  Now, I'm not good with cars and stuff, but me thinks, I have a problem.  I brought it in and the mechanic said "if it was my vehicle, I would not fix it, and I would look for a new vehicle." ummm... mechanic told me NOT TO FIX IT. So I went shopping for a new vehicle.  Guess what?  We just invested in our back yard, so now we can't afford a new vehicle (without going into debt.)

MAJOR DECISION TIME!!

So... we have made a decision to down-size to one vehicle (temporarily) until we can afford to buy a new one without going into debt!

I was sad as soon as the words came out of my mouth.

But now I'm relieved that I can breathe easier every month and not have to make a monthly payment on something we can't afford this very minute.

This will entail alot of planning and organization on my part, but I'm determined to make it happen.

Hubby, works about 20 minutes away, and it will mean I will need to drop him off and pick him up on the days I have kids appointments or personal appointments.

It will also mean, I will be walking alot more than in the past.  It's about a 20 minute walk (one way) to our closest grocery store.  So either I have to wait, or make a detailed grocery list every week.

H. and A walk to school and S. takes the bus. I used to drive H in if was a "little cold" or we were running late.  I guess that option is out for now.

So... I just wanted to let Dave Ramsey know... "I listened to you! I am not going to buy something I can't afford!"

What about you?  Are you a one car family? And how do you make it work?  I need yout tips and secrest peeps!

Please visit my Shaklee On-line Site

Farm Fresh

Hello there!

Hubby is off on a vacay (staycation) this week, so I'm getting some kid help this week.  Yesterday while S & A were hanging out in the pool, I took H (who can't swim yet cause of her ear surgery) and her friend to a local U-pick farm.

As I pulled into the entrance, I noticed this sign:

Perfect!  This is my kinda farm!

This week the farm had peas, fava beans, yellow & green beans, fava beans, flat beans and zucchinni ready to be picked.

I gave H and her friend a bag...

(H also has her hand in brace from spraining on the weekend)

It lasted about 1.5 minutes.  There was a whole in the bottom and they kept losing their green beans out of the bottom, so they gave up and told me I was on my own.  Thanks girls!

Anyhoooo, I still came away with this little haul...

Green beans, fava beans and a couple of zucchinni.

I did this with the beans....

I'll go back in a couple of days by myself and pick some more to freeze!

What about the zucchinni you ask?  hmmm... It's destined for my fave zucchinni bread and the rest will be in the freezer for some more zucchinni bread.  I'll share my recipe with you later this week.

In other news, stay tuned for some changes coming from me over here.  I'll share it with you soon, I promise.

Also, stay tuned for a Backyard Oasis post this week.  I've been holding off, cause of all the little things that still needs to be done.

So have you visited any local farmers lately?

Enjoy your day!

Free or Almost Free Christmas Gifts

Today, while sipping my morning coffee and planning my shopping day, I watched LIVE with Regis and Kelly. where they shared some Frugal ideas for Christmas gifts from Carley Roney from TheNest.com . You can check out the pictures on their website, but here's a quick list:

Free or Almost Free Christmas Gifts

1. For The Cook - Family Recipes Cookbook - use Dollar sote notebook
2. For Everyone on Your List - Utilize Your Hobbies

• Homemade cookies, fudge or cake made from your favorite recipe
• Homemade pie from your favorite recipe made with fruit from a re-purposed fruit basket!
• Packaged herbs from your herb garden or herbs & oil in a bottle
• Share some of the delicious canned goods made from fruits/veggies in your garden
• Bulbs from your garden

3. For The Parents/Spouse/Neighbor - Coupons

4. For The Busy Couple - Date Night in a Box

5. For Grandparents - Unexpected Gift From Around the House - Kids Artwork

6. For Grandparents - DVD Photo Slideshow or Homemade Photo Albums

7. For Anyone - Use Miles for Flights, Gifts, Gift Cards and Subscriptions

Lowering Electricity Bills

As I work through my budget, I found another hot spot that I'm sure is not very energy efficient: My hydro Bill!

Again we are on Monthly Budgeted amount and we are currently paying $285.00, but that's the budget coming from the summer even though we only used the Air conditioner for about 3 weeks this summer, the pool and pool equipment I'm sure brought the number up. This time last year it was $260.

Mission: Lower it by 2% of budgeted amount for this time last year. Which would be $254.80.
With a quick search on the Internet I came across the following on HGTV.CA:

10 Ways to Save on Your Hydro Bill Now

By Marissa Ponikowski
Living green is easy—and cheap! So if you want to lower your hydro bill and contribute to the health of the environment, read on!

1. Cooking

Inefficient cooking practices can be a huge energy waster! Be a bit more conservative by keeping a lid on pots while boiling and simmering. Use the toaster oven rather than the electric oven when cooking small items, and choose a hand-held blender over a food processor whenever possible. Thaw frozen food completely to save on cooking time, and be sure to keep your oven door closed as much as possible. Peeking inside can cause as much as 20 per cent of the heat to escape – meaning your oven has to work hard to heat itself up again!


2. Food Storage

Stop opening the fridge or freezer just to peek inside and decide what you feel like munching on! Also, don’t overstuff your freezer. This affects the efficiency of the appliance. Finally, clean the cooling coils on your refrigerator regularly to ensure they always perform well.

3. Dishwashers

Always load your dishwasher correctly to ensure each dish is cleaned properly. And forget about rinsing dishes thoroughly before putting them in the machine – that’s what the dishwasher is for, so scrape, don’t rinse! Only wash full loads and always use the shortest wash cycle. And air dry dishes rather than using your dishwasher’s wasteful drying cycle.

4. Laundry

Wash and rinse clothes in cold water whenever possible – for this purpose, try investing in a detergent designed for cold water washes. Presoak heavily soiled garments rather than running them through the heavy duty wash setting. And don’t use too much detergent. This only causes the machine to have to work harder. Finally, don’t overload the dryer, and, when possible, air dry clothes, towels, sheets and comforters on an outdoor line.

5. Air Conditioning

A few carefully placed fans can create an impressive cross-breeze that can feel even better than AC on a warm day. Also try keeping curtains and shades closed on hot and sunny days and always ensure that the ‘fresh air’ vent on your machine is closed. If it isn’t, you’re likely wasting money cooling down outside air. Finally, always make sure your outdoor air conditioning unit is kept free of leaves and debris and clean the filter regularly.


6. Heating

It’s not always necessary to crank the heat in winter – sometimes an extra blanket or a cozy sweatshirt works just as well, and it’s free! Always remember to keep basement, attic and garage doors closed, and try using a ceiling fan on low speed to spread heat evenly around a room. Use programmable thermostats to help regulate heat when you’re not home.

7. Lighting

Open blinds or shades during the day rather than turning on lights. Make the switch to fluorescent bulbs, which use much less energy then traditional incandescent bulbs and last six times longer. Place lamps in the corners of rooms to ensure more even light distribution, and consider installing ‘task’ lighting in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

8. Water

Hot baths and long showers certainly are luxurious, but when attempting to cut back on that hydro bill, they can be a real drain. Reduce time spent in the tub and also install low-flow showerheads and hot water heater timers. Finally, buy an insulating cover for your water heater and pipes.

9. Insulation

Heat loss due to poor insulation is a major contributor to wasted energy. Ensure floors, walls and roof are properly insulated. If you find areas in your home that are lacking, call in a professional to blow in insulation or do the job yourself with fiberglass bats. Seal gaps and cracks in windows and doors with caulking and weather-stripping, too.

10. Computers

Turn down the brightness on your monitor, and always remember to turn off your computer when not in use. Shut down other equipment, such as printers, too, rather than leaving them to run unattended. Set all household computers to enter ‘sleep mode’ after a few minutes of lying dormant. And try replacing energy wasting CRT monitors with new LCD monitors.

Frugalshopper

Have you checked out Frugalshopper yet?

I know there are alot of websites geared to let you know the sales and best deals out there. I know this because I've checked them out myself. There is one though that I've become familiar, and comfortable and find my way there just about every day.

It's Frugal Shopper Canada !



This website is organized in a logical manner and it's easy to look around. There is a Forum where you can find friendly ladies and gents that are resourceful and know where the latest deals can be found and are not afraid to share them.

Every week there is a thread posted about this Weeks deals, including which coupons you can use to get an even better deal. And if you are a coupon collector like me, this information is invaluable because I usually forget which ones I have to use. This thread is great if you are on a budget and want to get the most for your grocery dollar.

My other favourite place to look is in the Shopping Brags section of the Forum. This is where the member posts a "really good deal" and if you are lucky and check out the same store you might be able to get that same unadvertised deal as well. Of course I've found that most of these posts are time sensitive and you need to act fast.

Won't you join me?

My House is leaking.... Energy!

Over the past week it's gotten really, really cold here in Southwestern Ontario. I mean really, really cold. I shouldn't complain because by this time last year we had had a few snow falls. So far we've only gotten a few fleuries and whole lotta cold wind!

With the cold weather comes the necessity to stay warm. Well guess what? All week long I've been complaining about the cold drafts throughout the house. While I was working our family budget I noticed that our heating bill from last year was $156 for the month (we are on Equal Billing Plan). I am determined to lower that number by a few dollars each month, by making hour house more energy efficient.

According to Consumer Energy Center website, Heating and Cooling accounts for about 45% of your energy bill and making some small changes can lower your bill as much as 2%. For us that equal to $3.12 for the peak winter months.

So yesterday, off I go to our local Home Depot to check out what they had to stop the leaking of energy from our house.

After looking around, I grabbed the following things to start with:

- Electrical Outlet And Switch Insulator














Foam Draft Strips for windows and Doors. Be careful to get the right width to fit your gaps.



And then I had some safety outlet plugs from baby proofing, so I made sure each outside wall plug had one. Even the ones behind the couch that are not being used.











So that's my start. I wonder what my bill will look like this time next year. Anyone else have tips for me??

Setting a Budget

In order to get of control of our Spending and Savings, I've realized that I need to know what's going on.

I'm a big fan of Gail VAz-Oxlade and I can often be found watching re-runs of Til Debt Do Us Part.

On Gail's personal site she offers Gail’s Guide to Building a Budget. It seems pretty easy enough. I just took a quick look at the interactive budget worksheet and I have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE how much our monthly income is and what our fixed and variable expenses are. OH BOY! Well I guess that's why I'm starting on this journey. Gail I will make you proud!