A Super Exciting Announcement!

 

Hello!  I have some great news!  Many, many, many of my long time readers from this old blog have been asking me to do a recipe book or a book on tips and tricks of thrifty living and that is what I’ve been working on, but with a twist.  I went through eleven years of recipes and articles compiling the best of the best into this project.  I even added some recipes that were not on the blog.  Not only is it a recipe book (with wipe off pages!), but it is also has a section called “Pearls Of Wisdom” with tips and tricks to save money at the grocery store, meal planning, school lunches, stockpiling, pretty much all things food related.

 

Additionally, it is a journal with areas to expand and add your own recipes, food related memories, meal ideas, whatever you want.  Places to tuck things like coupons and gift cards, recipes you might clip from a newspaper or magazine.  Plus!  A surprise ephemera pack is enclosed with each one to get you started so you can make this journal your very own.

 

I put my heart and soul into this journal along with a lot of thought.  Each journal is unique, no two are identical as far as the styling, but the information contained inside is consistent with each one.  Journals need to be tailored to the owner so that is what you will have, the opportunity to tailor this journal to meet your specific needs and requirements.

 

We have a three volume set of journals in mind, based on how well the first one does.  Volume one is based on all things food management related.  Volume two will be based on home management and volume three will be all things Christmas and other celebrations!

 

Right now we are doing a “soft launch”.  I am listing Thrifty Mom In Boise A Journal For Everyday Living Volume 1 available for sale on eBay with a lower introductory rate of $49.95 throughout the month of September for those of you interested in purchasing a copy.  The reason I chose eBay is so I can ship them internationally as I have a lot of readers outside the U.S. and I wanted them to have an opportunity as well.

 

I am ever so grateful for the chance to do this and it wouldn’t have been possible without the great readers I have.  Thank you for following along with me all these years and for the massive amounts of encouragement to do this.  I’m praying this goes well so I can offer the additional two volumes in the near future.  I hope you like it.  Happy Cooking!  Happy Eating!  Happy Journaling!!

 

All Done

 

This has been a hard post to write, but the time has now come to close the chapter on my blog.  It is hard to end something you've worked so hard on and put it to rest, especially after eleven wonderful years of sharing my life and meeting so many magnificent readers.  I am truly blessed and thankful to you for the stories we've shared, the encouragement we've given each other and the community that we've built here.

 

It all went by so fast!

As with anything in life things change.  My children are all grown and I no longer have anyone to parent or claim responsibility for.  I no longer do the Mom things I've been doing for the past 37 years.  I don't bargain shop for school clothes, shoes or supplies.  I don't give my children haircuts or pack their lunches in the morning.  There are no more extra-curricular activities, concerts, games and events, back-to-school nights or parent teacher conferences.

 

Over the years I've taught my children to cook, do chores, fix things, take care of animals, take care of themselves and all I know about budgeting and finances.  I've worked hard and given them the best start to their adult lives that I could and to instill a proper set of morals, values and integrity.  That part of my life is now completed.  I have done my job.

 

With that in mind my focus in life must now change.  There has been a shift in what I am now supposed to do.  I'm now a cheerleader, idea bouncer, listener and encourager.  I am no longer a parent, I'm just Mom.  It is a good place to be.

 

It is now time to move on.  The next chapter awaits as I settle into my new role.  It has been a good run and looking back I am so incredibly grateful for it all.  I've been blessed in numerous ways, no doubt about that.  But, don't worry, I won't be gone for good.  I'll still be around, it just won't be here anymore.  If you would like to continue to follow along with me, and I hope you will, I'll be over here and over here.

 

I want to give you a big hug and a huge heartfelt thank you for everything we've shared this past eleven years.  God Bless you now and long into the future.  I'll see you around.

 

Labor Day

 

Happy Labor Day Everyone! 

Enjoy a well deserved break.  I will be taking a break from this blog for a while.  If you care to, you may join me on my new blog My Tireless Retirement and keep up on my shenanigans over there.  

5 Inexpensive Nonfood Items To Add To Your Preps - Part 5

 

This is my last installment for this series.  If you've missed any of my prior post for part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 just click on these to get caught up.  How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  Did you stock up on any of the items we've been discussing?  Let's talk some more about items you may or may not have considered to add to your prepper pantry.

 

Feminine Hygiene/Bladder Control Products 

These are not cheap, by any stretch, however there are a multitude of store brand products out there that might just meet your needs.  I noticed Dollar Tree carries Modess brand products now so that is definitely an affordable option.  Along with disposable products I think it is a good idea, just in case, to have some reusable options stashed away such as sanitary and dribble pads.  Those can be homemade and there are a ton of options for how to do this on Youtube.  I recommend checking them out.  There is also the menstruation cup, but I have no experience with that so you might want to do some research first before delving in.

 

 

Diapers 

If you have children or grandchildren a stash of diapers is also a good idea, but again, not just disposable options but cloth diapers along with plastic pants.  Don't forget the diaper pins.  When I was expecting my first child my mother in law and I collected flannel baby blankets and adult shower blankets, made an hour glass shaped pattern (should be able to find one online) and sewed a gob of cloth diapers which is all I used with my boys.  Disposables were not in the budget.  This is still an excellent option and should be considered.  A couple dozen cloth diapers could make a huge difference if there ever ends up being a diaper shortage like we've seen with formula.  Not at all beyond the realm of possibility.

 

Socks/Shoelaces 

Extra socks stashed away is another good idea.  You have to take good care of your feet and when your feet are cold, you are cold.  Warm dry comfortable socks are a must.  Warm fuzzy socks to sleep in are also nice.  And something you may not think of is to keep extra shoelaces on hand.  Nothing more irritating than breaking a lace and trying to walk in a shoe that just wants to fall of your foot.

 

First Aid 

Putting together a decent first aid kit can be quite expensive, especially if you buy one already made up, but it is quite possible to make one up without breaking the bank.  I put mine together in sections buying band-aids, tape and bandages at the dollar store.  I made my own sling using muslin from my fabric stash and just kept building up from there.  The dollar store and Wal-Mart are good places to pick up ointments and antiseptics, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol and prep pads.  Walgreens and CVS too.  Watch the sales and pick up what you can.  My first aid kit is in a plastic shoebox I picked up at Wal-Mart for a dollar.  I added tweezers and a pair of the Fiskars school scissors that we already had on hand to the box. Look around your house first to see if you have extra items you can get started with and then fill it out from there.

 

Seeds 

A selection of vegetable seeds is another great options even if you do not currently have a garden spot.  You can grow a lot in a box, bag or bucket and let's face it.  There is nothing better than eating your own homegrown produce.  I have a nice selection of seeds, only things I know I am willing to eat, and I rotate them out each year buying new to replace what I use.  You can vacuum seal them to help retain their freshness, but don't be afraid to try planting old seeds that are past their date.  More often than not they'll still grow.

 

That is it for now.  Let me know if you have any interest in me continuing with this series or any other particular prepping information for that matter.  Also, I want to hear what you've been doing since this series started.

 

Small Home Improvement Project - Backyard Spruce Up

 

Our mornings have been cool enough I was able to get back outside and do some more work.  I wanted to tackle the eyesore that I could view just outside my living room window.  Primarily the lower deck which is where I had "temporarily" placed some wood for a project I was planning.  It didn’t happen.  This summer I've worked really hard to renovate my entire yard, from the curb at the front to the backyard fence line.  It has been a huge endeavor and a lot of work, but what a transformation.  Yard work it much more manageable and everything looks so nice and pretty outside.

 

A bunch of stuff that is heading out of here

Earlier this summer I had made some decisions with regard to my list of projects.  As a result a lot of the wood I had accumulated for those projects was no longer needed.  I took pictures of the things I no longer needed and put it up on my neighborhood Facebook Buy Nothing Group and those things are now gone.  I've culled the list once again and now I have another pile of stuff to get rid of.  What remains is neatly tucked away for projects I do intend to complete.

 

This is so much better!

Once the lower deck was cleared away and swept off I was able to move the BBQ back to where it used to be and where I prefer to have it along with the grilling station I had made for my daughter's graduation party.  The grilling station is on the short list as I no longer have a use for it and it too will soon be going away.  Once the bench and all the extra wood is gone it will really open up the backyard nicely and make it much, much easier to keep clean and maintained through the seasons.  Now when I look out my living room window I really like what I see and I breathe a little better.  I'm getting there!

 

Meal Planning & Prepping For One

 

I've been doing some experimenting lately with my meals and prepping them for a moderately busy week ahead.  I honestly think I'm busier now than when I was working, but that's completely okay.  Planning meals and doing some prep work helps me a lot, especially when working on a project and I feel too hot and tired to fix something to eat.

 

Each Sunday I've been choosing two meats from the freezer to work with.  This past week I chose a pair of angus beef patties ($1.75) and a package of pork chunks ($2.12) that I had found in the markdown bin of the supermarket a while back.  I've been on a mission to use up several items in my fridge that have been hanging out for some time as well as to use items in the kitchen freezer to prepare meals.  In the fridge I had loads of leftover items to work with.

 

This made enough for me to have three meals

I began by placing the partially thawed pork into my smallest slow cooker and adding the remains of a bottle of BBQ sauce.  I added a little warm water to the bottle and gave it a good shake to get out every last bit.  I let the pork cook on low for several hours while I prepared my next dish.

 

I used up a jar of pickles, some leftover onion and part of a dozen eggs

I love a good mustard potato salad

It has been ages since I've made potato salad so I placed seven eggs into my egg cooker to hard boil and four medium potatoes into a pan to boil.  I chopped up the last two dill pickles I had floating in a jar and a small piece of onion I had leftover from another meal I had made the week before.  Once the eggs and potatoes were done and cooled I peeled four eggs and the four potatoes and chopped those.  I finished it with mayonnaise and mustard along with some salt and pepper.  After transferring the salad to a bowl with a lid I sliced one more egg to arrange on top and sprinkled it with paprika.  Not only did it look pretty it tasted delicious.

 

Two beautiful little quiches, one for now and one for later

It baked up beautifully in my little toaster oven

How's this for a delicious quiche?

Next I made a batch of pie crust divided it in half and set it in the refrigerator to chill while I tidied up the kitchen.  I mixed two eggs, 2 Tbs of cream, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Then I got out two little pie plates I had acquired from thrift stores, they fit in my little toaster oven perfectly.  I divide the dough in half, rolled out a crust on a floured board and placed it in a pie pan.  Then I did the same with the other half.  I chopped up some frozen broccoli that needed to be used up and divided it equally between two crusts.  I had two packages with leftover grated cheese in the refrigerator that was just enough to equally divide between the two pies.  I sprinkled that on top of the broccoli and topped one of the with the egg mixture.  I then made another batch of the egg mixture to top the other one.  While I baked one of the quiches in my toaster oven I placed the other one in the freezer for another time.  Once it was frozen I slipped it into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and put it back into the freezer.

 

Each quiche is four servings

I had two meals with the angus beef patties and potato salad

Three meals of BBQ pork, potato salad & seasoned green beans

For supper I pan fried the two angus patties and enjoyed one with potato salad, the other was saved for another night.  The next evening I heated up the pork, a can of green beans and had some more potato salad for supper.  Between these things I had prepared, plus two slices of leftover homemade pizza from the previous week I had plenty of food to fix quick meals all week long.  Healthy, delicious, economical and all made from scratch meals to keep me going while I get on with my busy little life.

 

5 Inexpensive Nonfood Items To Add To Your Preps - Part 4

 

How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  Did you stock up on any of the items mentioned in part 1, part 2 and part 3?  Let's talk about some more items you may or may not have considered to add to your prepper pantry.

 

Grocery Bags 

Keep some plastic and paper shopping bags on hand for disposing of messes.  This is a very affordable option and may not cost you a thing.  Reusable shopping bags are a good option to have too for storing, organizing and carrying things.  At 99¢ a bag it is very affordable to add a few of these to your prepper pantry.

 

Tape 

Make sure you have a roll or two of duct tape on hand as well as some electrical and packing tape for making quick repairs.  We all use duct tape for repairing a variety of things around the house.  Electrical tape is useful for not just wiring but I've used it for fixing handles on tools and bikes before when grip tape wasn't readily available.  Packing tape is useful for temporarily repairing a cracked window or patching a tear or cut in a plastic bag.  Having an assortment of tape rolls is a very good idea.

 

Rope/Zip Ties/Bungi Cords/Tarps 

Having options for tying things up or down as well as securing a load is smart.  Rope has multiple uses and we should all have a roll.  Zip ties are great for repair and securing items.  Bungi cords are very handy and usually run $2 to $4 a piece.  Also consider keeping a couple tarps on hand too.  You never know when you might need to cover something.

 

Buckets 

A few buckets for carrying water as well as a couple five gallon buckets is another good idea.  Five gallon buckets can be used for storage, carrying items or even to make an emergency toilet.

 

Manicure Set 

This is an easy and inexpensive item to put together.  You can pick up a pair of nail clippers and toenail clippers for not a lot of money.  Consider a few emery boards as well.  I also have cuticle scissors.  A small plastic container or vinyl pencil pouch to keep it all in and you are good to go.

 

How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  What have you acquired so far?