Money Saving Monday

-
Money Saving Tips for the Week:

1.  Reinvent leftover bread.  There are a couple different things I do with leftover toast or bread that is getting dried out.  If I have a whole loaf of bread that for some reason didn't get used quickly, I make french toast.  Sometimes I'll have just a couple pieces of bread that are getting dry.  These I rub over my grater and make bread crumbs.  I store the crumbs in an airtight container in the freezer until I need them for salmon patties or meatloaf or some other dish.

Sometimes I have a hard time gauging how much toast I need for breakfast.  Often there will be a slice or two left on the plate.  I throw these into a baggie and store them in my freezer.  When the bag gets full, I cube the bread, sprinkle it with Italian seasoning and garlic, and place it in a warm oven to dry out.  (It already has butter on it.)   It makes the best croutons. 

Leftover slices of toast and bread for making croutons.


Bag of croutons ready for topping salad.

2.  Plant a garden.  My husband likes to plant a garden.  I enjoy taking care of the produce, and the kids have the chore of weeding, hoeing, watering, and picking the produce.  We make a pretty good team.  Over the years, we have saved quite a bit on groceries by having a garden.  We do live in town, so we have limited garden space.  I've had to weigh out the cost of canning and the time involved and decide what is most beneficial for us to plant.  Most things we just plant enough to eat on fresh.  However, canning salsa saves me a lot of money.  We love salsa!  We go through about fifty quarts a year.  Each year we plant lots of tomatoes, peppers, and onions. We used to plant enough green beans to can, but because they are relatively cheap in comparison we now save the room in the garden for the salsa ingredients.

Michael and Amber helping plant the garden.
Linking up with:

Comments

  1. SharlaApril 23, 2012 at 10:02 AM

    I appreciate you sharing your frugal living tips. We are trying hard to cut our expenses and I have discovered that it really is the little things that add up to making the biggest difference.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NatashaApril 23, 2012 at 1:53 PM

      I agree. It is a lifestyle of little things. They add up. When I first thought about doing this, I kept thinking I don't have any "big" money saving ideas. However, I'm asked all the time, "How do you afford all your children?" So, I'm attempting to share the little things. Thankful it has been helpful. Mostly though I've found affording a big family is simple reliance on God's provision.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skillet Zucchini and Hamburger

-
Image
My garden is producing peppers, onions, and zucchini and yellow squash right now.  I ran across this recipe, and the kids thought it was great.  They liked it much better then the way I had fixed the zucchini previously in a similar recipe with diced tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce. What You Need: 1 lb ground chuck 2 lb zucchini or yellow squash, chopped in bite size pieces 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 26 ounce jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon black pepper salt to taste What To Do: 1.  Brown ground chuck with onion and bell pepper in a large skillet.  Drain grease. 2.  Add garlic and seasonings.  Stir. 3.  Add zucchini and stir.  Cover with lid and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes until zucchini is crisp tender.  Stir about every 5 minutes. 4.  Remove lid and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Co
Read more

When You Have To Let Go

-
Image
Heartache.  Deep, painful, agonizing heartache.  For a season that felt like it would never end, I carried a weight of anguish that tore at my very soul.  Parenting had been the source of immense joy for me, but at the same time there came with it intense sorrow.    Learning to handle this heartache is something that for me personally both challenged and grew my faith.  During this time I learned to appreciate the words of Psalm 77.  The lament of the Psalmist was much the same as my own heart cry to God.  It says,  I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.  In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. You hold my eyelids open ; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made diligent search:
Read more

My Battle with Depression

-
Image
"Your Mom is not the same person she was," I overheard my husband explain to one of our boys. Our son wistfully replies, "I hope she gets better soon." My tears flowed.  I was not sure I would ever be better.  How does a broken heart heal?  How is one ever the same after they are broken? Each day I rose early.  In the stillness of the morning, I sought strength from above.  I never wanted to leave the quiet.  I wanted to stay here reading His Word and praying.  But...children awoke, meals needed fixed, laundry begged washing, and somehow I walked through each day.  However, I lived angry inside...angry that my solitude had been disturbed. The reality of my life was depression.  A depression that would not loosen its grip. It took me a long time to acknowledge it though. Over a year before my medical doctor had suggested to me that I take an anti-depressant.  I had gone in for unexplained aching and fatigue in my body.  After a lot of blood work, and fi
Read more