Let it Snow!

Wow! Has it really been that long since I posted? I rather got "sucked in" to Facebook, not to mention all the apps it has. I have TOTALLY gotten off track with my blog, my articles for ehow, etc. Now that the newness has worn off hopefully I will get back to my old routine.

We went to the U.P. to visit my sister after Thanksgiving dinner and didn't come home until Monday, it was a nice visit. I miss having her here in town. There is a big difference in our ages (she is 15 years older), but we have always been fairly close. It is beautiful up there but she lives SO far away from anything! A nice place to visit but I think I would go crazy if I lived there.

We are in a snow warning today but I am not sure why, I think somebody from Florida called it, because though it is cold, snowy and windy, it isn't that bad. And it IS Michigan!

Dinner is done and just needs warmed up (Pasta Carbonara) so I am off to clean the house a bit before hubby gets home. Today did not seem overly productive and I HATE that!

I Could Use Some Prayer

I am going to be honest, I am having a pretty rough day. Our oldest son lives with us and he woke me up at 12:30 am to tell me he had just been robbed at gunpoint. He is fine, but I am not sure I am. He was at a friend's house which is not in the best neighborhood and he had stepped outside for a smoke as they don't smoke in their house and was standing under a streetlight (it was about 11:00) when a couple guys popped around the corner with hoodies pulled tight over their faces and a gun. They took his wallet but left his car keys and cell phone. He is off today to get a new driver's license and has been calling credit card companies etc.

The two things that are bothering me the most is that the police said the only reason he would be there is for a drug deal and that they weren't wasting their time on looking for the robbers for a drug deal gone bad. He told them that wasn't why he was there and they kept insisting it was. It has made me lose a little faith in the police department.

The other thing is that somebody pointed a gun AT MY BABY (I don't care if he is 27 he is still my baby) and my first thought was that I wanted to track the bugger down and beat the crap out of him. Now THAT is not a particularly Christian thought which is why I need the prayer. I am going to need a little help forgiving this one......

Erin's Birthday

Erin's birthday was yesterday but she had school so we are having her birthday dinner tonight. Erin is my youngest son't fiancee and they will be married July s11, 2009. It is tradition around here that we all get together and the birthday boy or girl gets to pick the menu for the night. So, she picked and we are having chicken manicotti and twice backed potatoes. Now I would never have put two starches together like that, but they are two of her favorites and SHE gets to pick, so manicotti and potatoes it is! I have them all ready and they go into the oven in about an hour and then we will eat at 5:00.

Another tradition that may seem a little strange to other people is that we have birthday brownies rather than birthday cake. This started way back when my kids were little and the whole extended family would get together for their birthdays on the Sunday closest to it. This resulted in cake on Sunday AND cake on their actual birthday, so we went to having brownies on their birthday just to mix it up a little. When we stopped with the bigger gathering they wanted to keep the brownies. The only difference between birthday brownies and regular brownies is that I frost them and put candies on them. ::laughing::

Here is an engagement picture of Ryan and Erin which I took about a year ago.....

I am a little nervous about the wedding coming up, not about the marriage or actually the wedding, but the reception. Some things did not turn out as planned and now I am making the food for 200 people for the reception. The wedding will be at the beach so we are going to go with picnic food, 3 or 4 pasta salads, buns with deli meats, potato salad, veggie trays, fruit trays, baked beans, anybody have any other suggestions??

Times are Tough

I am amazed at number of people who are complaining about times being tough and money being tight and yet do not seem to understand the only thing to do is spend less. Maybe it is because I went through the recession of the 70s and my Mom lived through the depression and instilled some frugal traits in me. That is NOT to say I don't like to spend money when times are good, but it isn't necessary to my happiness. I see so many people that are depressed and groaning and moaning all the time that they don't have any money yet they have expensive cell phones (I am not saying you shouldn't have a cell phone, but a prepay would allow you much more control). They are still going out to dinner once a week and buying oodles of convenience foods like cookies and frozen pizzas at the grocery store and going to the movies (nothing wrong with renting them and when you consider you don't have to buy snacks at the theater it is SO much cheaper!) It just puzzles me people are so down because they can't buy more STUFF. What on earth do we need a bunch of STUFF for? Nothing we have belongs to us anyway, it all belongs to God and we are just the stewards of it for our time on earth. If you take care of what you have and appreciate it, He will give you more. If you don't believe me read the parable of the Talents. Okay, I am hopping off my soapbox now.

The weather is starting to get a little warmer and I have hopes summer will come soon. Though living in Michigan that is probably a little silly to be hoping for when it isn't even mid-May yet. I am just anxious for sunshine and a little warmth. I actually got to wear shorts a couple days ago and it was awesome!

I have also started "de-junking" my house. After living here for so many years and still having things of my Mom's (even though she died 2 1/2 years ago) I have decided to take charge. One room, one drawer, one day, at a time. So far I have my bedroom done and the linen closet upstairs which is huge and tended to be a catch-all. I am working in the upstairs bathroom now but I got a little side-tracked today. I helped a lady from church do her resume and it was bread making day too so I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. I am getting rid of all the things we don't use and scrubbing every room top to bottom. This just MAY take me all summer but at least it will eventually be done. I am not in any hurry, I am in NO fear that someone will break into the house and do it for me. :)

Okay, I am off to do a little Bible Study and read the book my daughter gave me yesterday. It is number eleven in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, it is called Armageddon. I LOVE this series!

It Has Been Awhile

Time sure flies -- I realized that when I saw my last post mentioned my second half of the semester's classes were starting and they take their final exam tomorrow! After that I will be off until the end of August. The good part about that is that I will have tons of time and the weather will be right to get this house in shape, the bad part is that they don't PAY me when I am off either. :)

My youngest son and I are going to put in a garden this year. Mind you he is 24 and has his own house, but he doesn't have the yard space. So, we are doing one here and sharing the work and the spoils of our labor also. He has already started some bell peppers, jalapenos, pumpkins, shallots and onions from seed and I bought some herbs that were buy one get one free at Home Depot. Things are tight all the way around so there is no sense in me not trying to save a little money with a garden. I keep telling everyone right now I have more time than money! That is why I have been baking my own bread too, it is definitely cheaper and it sure is tastier too!

What I need to do once the finals are taken and the grades are in is develop a new routine for myself. When left to my own devices I tend to be less productive than when I am following a schedule of some sort. I need to set aside specific times to fellowship with God, de-junk my house, work in the yard/garden and work on my writing for eHow and my new food blog. I suppose I should squeeze in just a LITTLE time for Pogo games too. ;)

I am reading a new book "I Became a Christian and all I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt" by Vincent Antonucci. He is a pastor in Virginia Beach and will be speaking at church this coming Sunday. I am over half way through the book already, it is very funny and a quick read. Our small group will be studying the book this month also. I would like to get it done before we hear him speak on Sunday. I think I stand a pretty good chance of getting it done...... only time will tell.

Another Day

So today has not been awfully productive so far, sometimes this CHF really kicks me in the rear from the minute I get up and I just don't have the energy to do what my mind wants to do. I have to think of it as time God is giving me to reflect and study His Word. Doesn't keep me from thinking of all the things I want to get done though. :) Or from mindlessly playing games on Pogo instead of studying the Word. I still struggle with making that a part of my daily routine.

My new classes started last night and they went very well, I have hopes for a good finish to the semester at this point though next week will really tell the tale. I am going to do a minor revamp before next fall, I am constantly changing and creating "new, improved versions". It does seem as though I have to do more hand holding than I did when I first started teaching, I don't know what has caused it because I can't even say it is a change in high schoolers starting college because many of my students are much older that. Maybe just because many of them ARE older and either haven't ever gone to college or haven't gone in a long time they are a bit more insecure. I just don't know.

Poor Coco is having issues with dry skin and we have changed to a formula of dog food that is supposed to be good for the skin, I hope it helps. She is just so itchy and I know she has to be miserable. For a dog that is have pit bull and half german shepard and is supposed to be vicious she is the biggest baby I know.

I am also trying decide what type of appetizer to take to small group Saturday if anyone has any ideas.

When we think we don't sin, when we think we don't have any unforgiveness in our hearts we must look more closely and remember our standards are much lower than Gods.

Cooking & Thinking

So yesterday I made fried, mashed potatoes, gravy and black eyed peas for dinner and I made enough extra potatoes that I had enough for a shepard's pie today. I wanted gravy yesterday and when you fry chicken in oil you don't really have any drippings so I was looking for a way to make a great gravy without them and I found it! You can just use a can of broth and a couple teaspoons of bouillon and then put in 2/3 c. of baking mix, put them in the blender to mix them up and then simmer for just a couple minutes. It was awesome! It got thick so nicely, great flavor and no fighting lumps! Now I have used flour and cornstarch but I NEVER thought of using baking mix. Don't know why, I just didn't. Used the same recipe today for the shepard's pie other than instead of a can of broth I mixed water with the pan drippings. Seems no matter how long you have been cooking you always can learn something new!

All my kids were home last night which was obvious when I got up this morning and felt like Old Mother Hubbard (my cupboards were bare). Katy said she was telling someone at work that when they were out of food it was time to go and visit Mom. ::laughing:: You have to know -- they HAVE food -- it just isn't pre-cooked and ready to eat! Seems like I always have leftovers around, except for a morning after they all come home. I was grateful there were enough potatoes left for the shepard's pie!

My new half semester's classes start tomorrow night. I am all ready for them and praying they are as good as the last half a semester. It seems they either go very well or I have a bunch of "problem children", students who have never sat in front of a computer before and have difficulty with the fast pace of the class. One or two students per class like that aren't bad but when you get several it is extremely hard to give them the attention and help they need because it is an accelerated class and I have a certain amount of information I need to cover in 7.5 weeks. Then it gets a little frustrating for all of us.

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On to the thinking part -- kind of an offshoot of the blessing thought Sometimes when people don't think they are blessed I wonder if some of it has to do with not being content, with always wanting MORE. To truly be content doesn't mean you have to get everything you want, it simply means you need to realize how much you already have. Today's society tends to be so materialistic. No matter how much we have it seems we always want more, or want what someone else has.

In reality, the more we have, the more we have to do to keep it and to take care of it, and the more we want. For example, we want a bigger house, then we need more furniture, more flowers for the yard, more knick knacks to display and on and on. Not that there is anything the matter with owning nice things, it is when owning them and gathering more of them becomes the focus of our lives it is when material items become our "god" and our focus is in entirely the wrong place. I also believe that too much wealth and too many material possessions can tempt a person to believe our own abilities made it possible rather than God's blessing and grace.

My mother lived with us for years and when she passed away about 2 1/2 years ago and I had to go through her "stuff" I realized that much of it was just JUNK. It was then and there that I decided my kids weren't going to have to weed through years of useless collecting on my part and started throwing things out. Believe you me, I have a LONG way to go -- in part because I love some of my junk. ::laughing:: But I have made great steps and continue to keep working at it, one room, one drawer, one closet, one day at a time. I have also started something else, when I want to buy a new clothing item or anything else new, I ask myself what I am willing to throw away to bring this item into the house. It makes me look twice at whether I really want it or have a use for it.

Hebrews 15:5 - Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Ifs & Dinner

Some people feel that God is not blessing them but what they don't realize is that they are not doing their part. If we think we can live in disobedience but ask God to bless us we need to think again. I realized while reading the Bible today I think sometimes we miss the Ifs.

Deuteronomy 28:1-2 1If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.


This does not mean we should only be obedient to God so that He will bless us, that is the wrong motivation entirely. It just means how on earth can we expect Him to bless us if we don't do as He asks? Would we reward our children for disobeying us? I think not.

Maybe when we aren't feeling blessed we should look into the Bible to see what commands we are forgetting to carry out. Mark 11:22-26 gives several commands, verse 22 tells us to have faith in God, verse 23 talks about releasing faith by speaking to mountains, verse 24 talks about the importance of believing in prayer, verse 25 tells us to forgive and verse 26 warns us that if we don't forgive neither will God forgive us.

Having a relationship with God is definitely a two-way street, we can't just expect Him to give to us while we do nothing to deserve it. Just something I have been thinking about lately because I think it is so easy to put him on the "back burner" and the "to do later" list.

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Another topic entirely is dinner, it is marinating in the fridge and is entirely from scratch! (Well, I didn't raise the pig for the pork or grow the vegetables). ::laughing:: We are having pork fajitas and I have the homemade salsa from yesterday and I made the flour tortillas today. They are SO much cheaper to make than to buy! I can make a huge stack of them for about fifteen cents and they keep for quite awhile in the fridge and they freeze well also. I always roll them out by hand buy one of these days I am going to buy a tortilla press, when they go on sale they are under $10. I have been watching the thrift stores too but I will just BET you my handy dandy hubby could make one!

Our married daughter went to church with us this morning and that made me happy. She used to go to church all the time, even on her own when she was in college, but she hasn't so much lately. I am praying she will start going again, I don't care WHICH church, just so she nurtures her relationship with God.

It is raining and thundering and lightening and the rain beating on the windows makes me think of one thing, curling up in my chair with a book! The nonfiction book I am reading right now is The Remnant which is the tenth book in the Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, they are awesome. I am also reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver (that one is nonfiction). Yes, I am strange, I almost always have two books going at once, one fiction and one nonfiction. ::laughing:: Okay, I am heading for my chair........

God Bless!

We know we are in trouble when we think we know what to do and stop asking God if we are doing it!

Salsa & Small Group

Our church has what they call "small groups" and Barry & I belong to one that has six other people in it. We meet on Saturday nights for fellowship and discuss the "Give Me More" questions the pastors put out each week for further discussion on last week's topic at church and of course we eat. :) The couple who has it at their home usually makes a big pot of soup or stew or pasta and the rest of us bring whatever we want to go with it. We have only been going for about six months but I absolutely LOVE it! It is so good to spend time with fellow believers and share your lives and study the Word together. We also are an "action group" which means we get out and help people in the community when we can. Working food trucks, gifts at Christmas, wherever we find a need we can fill. Anyway, I made some homemade salsa to take tonight and I made a huge pot so I would have some for the freezer but if I don't stay out of the kitchen I just may eat it all! ::laughing::

Some exciting news (well exciting to me anyway ahahaha) I have started another blog about saving money in the kitchen and good old-fashioned cooking. I don't have a link out to it yet because there isn't really anything there but the shell yet. It is just one of my passions and I would like to share it with others. If I see one more web site that says "Feed a Family of Four for $10" I am going to scream! I would HOPE you could make a meal for four people for half of that or LESS! You know they don't have a clue when they start out with "take one pound of ground sirloin........" ::laughing:: Anyway, that is a work in progress at the moment. That and my eHow articles -- I have made about .60 cents so far so I don't think I will be getting rich, but what the heck it is kind of fun and you just never know.

See, here I go again, getting myself all kinds of busy and forgetting to PLAN time into my day for God. Left to my own devices sometimes I forget, I don't mean I forget totally, I talk to Him all the time. I find it the easiest way to pray and stay in touch with Him. I know my kids think I am a little wacky at times, not that they were here this morning, but for instance when I was making the salsa......... there were several comments I made to Him like "Why did you make jalapeno peppers so hot, if I'm not careful I am going to get the oil in my eye again, watch over me please." and when I dropped the knife and it MISSED hitting my foot point down I thanked Him for that. That type of thing... it is just a running conversation (though I am sure He is listening it is pretty much one-way), sometimes out loud and sometimes in my head. I know He wants to be involved in ALL we do. Anyway, what I started to say -- there I go with the rambling off track again -- is that though I talk to Him constantly I really need to make time to just spend in his presence and read His Word. I have tried mornings, but I am not sure even HE likes me in the morning! ::laughing:: Then I tried evening but sometimes the kids would come over, etc. Maybe if I shoot for mid-afternoon it will work better, or maybe I just need to be sure and DO it and not necessarily TRY and have a specific time.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that once you are saved you don't have to put forth any effort. That's like getting married and never taking a shower again. ~~Joyce Meyer

How To Plant Your Garden

Credit to I don't know who, but not me. :)

How to Plant Your Garden of Daily Living

First you come into the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses --


Plant three rows of peas

• Peace of Mind
• Peace of Heart
• Peace of Soul

Plant four rows of squash

• Squash gossip
• Squash indifference
• Squash grumbling
• Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce

• Lettuce be kind
• Lettuce be faithful
• Lettuce be patient
• Lettuce really love one another

No garden is without turnips

• Turnip for meetings
• Turnip for service
• Turnip to help one another

A row of glads

• Glad to live in a free country
• Glad to have all my good friends
• Glad to be able to worship God
• Glad to have my great family

And last, but not least, a row of thyme

• Thyme for God
• Thyme for Family
• Thyme for Friends
• Thyme for those in need

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love. There is much fruit in your garden because you reap what you sow.

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Boy, I wish I could do all those consistently. Somedays I feel like I still have such a long way to go on my walk with Jesus. I try really hard (though not always successfully) to sow those things in my daily life. We need to remember that we are the only Jesus some will every see. Of one hundred men, one will read the Bible; the other ninety-nine will read the Christian. ~~ Dwight L. Moody Wow! What a responsibility!

Makes you realize that if you are going to wear a cross, or an "I love Jesus" t-shirt or sport a "My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter" bumper sticker, you better not be snapping at the clerk at the store, being rude or cutting off people in traffic because you aren't just reflecting on yourself then, you are representing Christians as a whole and people are looking at you and thinking "If that is how a Christian acts I don't want anything to do with it."

Better that we do things that make people "want some of what we have". Things like letting somebody else have the close parking space, sharing a smile and a God Bless You and showing the peace that only God can bring to your life by our actions. It reminds me of Christmas--our Pastor told us when we went through line at the store with our purchases, we should pick up a bag of M & Ms or some small thing and after we had paid for it to hand that item to the checkout person and thank them for putting up with all the crabby people at Christmas. Those kind of acts show how a Christian should act, just small acts of kindness.

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Okay enough rambling for now! We are just having "Smorgas Borgas" for dinner. It is what my kids used to call a Smorgasboard ... all it really means is I am pulling all the leftovers out of the fridge and setting them on the counter and everyone can grab what they want and throw it in the microwave! Sooner you get in line the more choices you have! That is actually another frugal tip....... Don't waste food! Eat it! :)

God Bless!

Fellowship with God & Dinner

So I went to bed with spending more time with God on my heart and it brought to mind a rather long passage from one of the books I am reading, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. The author, Joanna Weaver, was actually borrowing from Robert Boyd Munger's Article My Heart Christ's Home. Munger's article talks about showing Christ around the house of his heart and when he got to the drawing room, it is this passage that spoke to me. It is a little long but difinitely worth the read.

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We walked next into the drawing room. This room was rather intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.

He also seemed pleased with it. He said, "This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together."

Well, naturally as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn't think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in intimate companionship.

He promised, "I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together." So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room and He would take a book of the Bible from the bookcase. He would open it and then we would read together. He would tell me of its riches and unfold to me its truths. He would make my heart warm as He revealed His love and His grace He had toward me. These were wonderful hours together. In fact, we called the living room the "withdrawing room." It was a period when we had our quiet time together.

But, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. Why, I don't know, but I thought I was just too busy to spend time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand; it just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss a day now and then. It was examination time at the university. Then it was some other urgent emergency. Iwould miss it two days in a row and often more.

I remember one morning when I was in a hurry, rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. As I passed the drawing room, the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, "He was my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as Lord of my home. And yet here I am neglecting Him."

I turned and went in. With downcast glance, I said, "Blessed Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?"

"Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you." Then I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my faithfulness. I asked His forgiveness and He readily forgave me as He does when we are truly repentant.

"The trouble with you is this: you have been thinking of the quiet time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to me also. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Now," He said, "do not neglect this hour if only for my sake. Whatever else may be your desire, remember I want your fellowship!"

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Every time I feel like I am slipping in spending time with God, I re-read that and vow anew to make him a priority in my life.

On to less important things ... I haven't gotten to the floor yet, my body wasn't in the mood for it today and wants me to take it easier than that, so ::shrug:: that is what I shall do.

I do have dinner ready, something I haven't made since the kids were little, I am not sure what possessed me today, but we are having "pizza burgers", a quick and cheap meal. I am guessing about $3 for a family of 4-6.

Very simple -- brown off a pound of hamburger with a few onions and green peppers (if you like them), drain the grease, add a small can of mushrooms, parmesan-romano to taste and a small jar of pizza sauce (or make your own if you prefer). Put some of this mixture on hamburger bun halfs (I am using ones I made to go with BBQ earlier this week), sprinkle some mozzarella on top and put them under the broiler until the cheese melts. Quick and a real kid pleaser -- I will probably whip up a dinner salad to go with it and we are all set.

Sitting in a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car. ~~ Joyce Meyer

Busy Day

Today was a tiring day so this will be short. It was the end of the half semester so theoretically I am on break, but what that really means is I spent all day grading final exams and preparing for the new half of a semester which starts next week. :) Grading tests is right on par with emptying the dishwasher (which if you lived with me you would know it is my "most hatiest" job -- Yes hatiest is a superlative of hate...... at least when it comes to the dishwasher -- and most hatiest really describes my dislike of the chore. Ah well, I won't have to do it again for 8 weeks -- grade exams that is, not empty the dishwasher, that will need done tomorrow. I am just trying to remember to count my blessings, like the fact I HAVE a job (part-time) and the fact I have food to get the dishes I am fortunate to own dirty. Have you ever noticed how hard that is to do sometimes? It can be so easy to see the negative aspects of something and so hard to see the postive ones.

Tomorrow I need to write a couple of articles for eHow, but not until I scrub the kitchen from top to bottom. It is time to get down on my hands and knees and clean the floor the old fashioned way, with elbow grease. I love my Swiffer, don't get me wrong -- but it just doesn't do it the way it needs done every now and then, at eye level -- so I can get in all the nooks and crannies. And if I manage to get all that done I am going to reward myself with a few Pogo games -- the new badges came out today and I have two out of three of them (I will cop to hubby helping out with one, the pool is so many angles it reminds me of math and math is a four letter word). I would also like to take some time to read the blogs of other people, it is so interesting to see where different people are coming from (and I don't mean location).

G'Night and God Bless

And with that said I need to remember -- Help me to spend more time with You Lord. Let me not be distracted by worldly chores and to remember that spending time with you should be my #1 priority each and every day. Amen

Matthew 6:34 & Frugality

Matthew 6:34 (NIV) -- Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has trouble enough of its own.

That has always been my favorite Bible verse, most likely because I tend to worry too much and not turn my cares over to God the way I should. I see more people falling prey to this every day with the current state of the economy. I live in the beautiful state of Michigan which at the moment has an unemployment rate of 10.6% so money woes are affecting many of the people I know. We are blessed in that DH is still working and I am still teaching computer classes part-time but things are still much tighter than they were.

We are continuing to tithe and trust in God to take care of us but that doesn't mean I am not being proactive in spending as little as possible and not wasting the treasures he has given me. I believe the gift he has given me is teaching and I want to use this blog to share things I have learned in different areas -- one day it may be frugal living, another day how to do something on the computer, another how to cook something, and yet another just my random thoughts. I have a lot of them. :)

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In fact I just recently wrote an article on how to save money that you may find helpful.

DON'T rely on coupons. Coupons can be a savings or they can actually cause you to spend more than necessary. If you buy things only because you have a really good coupon for it, or buy a more expensive brand that costs more than a store brand even with a coupon they are costing you more than they are saving you.

DO shop at a grocery store rather than a "one-stop" store. Pick one of the no frills stores,not only are the prices lower but they don't have as many extras that jump into your cart when you aren't looking. (Like that cute top or that shiny fishing lure).

DON'T buy convenience foods except for as a treat. Regularly relying on canned, boxed, and frozen dinners is a sure way to drive your grocery bill up. It is almost always cheaper to make it yourself.

DO make things from scratch. Here is the part where it takes a little more time but once it becomes a part of your routine it doesn't seem so bad. For instance, spaghetti sauce goes on sale for $1.00 on a fairly regular basis. However, pureed tomatoes go on sale for fifty cents. A large can of pureed tomatoes, some water and some spices can make an excellent sauce for half the price. If your budget allows (or if you have produce you need to use up before it goes bad) you can even make a "fancy" sauce by adding chopped vegetables, i.e. green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes. The same hold true for almost any type of sauce.

DON'T ever go to the grocery store without a complete list of what you need to buy and don't deviate from it. Unless you see an incredible in store special if it is not on the list you can live without it.

DO watch the ads and buy what is on sale each week. If you have the extra money and there is an extraordinary sale then stock up a bit!

DON'T decide what you are going to make for dinner when you get to the store. Sit down with the ads and plan a week's worth of meals out of the sale items and any items you have already stocked up on. I know many of you are not used to planning out a menu a week in advance but it will save money. Do it two weeks in advance if you can, the less trips you make to the store the less you will buy. It also saves you the hassle of deciding what to make for dinner each night.

DO take advantage of the seasonal items. Buy the produce that is in season and not the pricier out of season varieties. You can also stock up on in season vegetables by blanching them and freezing them for later use. Most vegetables can be frozen with just a little preparation (onions and green peppers are a prime example).

DON'T think that the buy one get one free items (or sales) are always a deal. You should have a list of the store's regular prices, so check it before you buy that great deal to be sure it IS one.

DO reevaluate your cooking habits. Using dried beans instead of canned beans saves a considerable amount of money, you just have to think ahead. If you have your menu planned for the week it shouldn't be a problem. Frozen juice concentrate is cheaper than the bottled variety, potatoes are cheaper than instant potatoes, etc.

DON'T buy personal care products or cleaning products at the grocery store. Those items are usually cheaper at the "one-stop" chain stores or at pharmacies which often offer spectacular sales. Many can even be purchased at a dollar store! (You can even make many of your own cleaning supplies -- vinegar and water work just as well as glass cleaner).

DO look at it as a personal challenge and track your savings. It will help keep you motivated as you change your shopping habits.

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Wow! This post was much longer than I intended it to be. As you make your ways through difficult times remember Matthew 6:34.

"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden"~~Corrie TenBoom