Vinegar in the Wash

I've never been a fan of vinegar. I've always detested the smell of it. In fact, I'm certain that the only times I've used it in the past were for certain recipes that required it - like Asian cole slaw. Several of my savvy blog readers, however, have told me about the benefits of using vinegar in the wash and I have to say, I'm becoming quite the fan of the stinky substance!

Here's how it works:

1. Put 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar into the fabric softener compartment in your washing machine.

2. Run the machine like normal.

3. End up with fabulous results! First off, it acts as a fabric softener. Your clothes will be fluffier and softer. Secondly, it helps prevent your laundry from souring. Now, if you leave it in there a really long time I'm sure it still will but I left a damp load in the dryer for 24 hours on accident (on a warm day) and it was still fresh when I found it. I didn't have to rewash it. Third, if you have trouble with a stinky washer it fixes that, too! A couple of people commented that they have a type of drain on their washer that holds a little water and it was always stinky. They added vinegar as a rinse-aid and voila! no more stinky washer. And finally - It's so stinkin' cheap compared to purchasing fabric softener. For my family, it's an added bonus because I hadn't been able to use fabric softener at all since we have such sensitive skin.

Now, I know what you are thinking... Are my clothes going to smell like vinegar? No! Not in the slightest. This may be the thing that surprised me the most, but, it's true. I can smell it a little in the washer because there's a little bit in the fabric softener compartment, but the clothing just smells fresh and clean, no vinegar odor at all.

I'm now using vinegar to help clean my toilets, as a fabric softener, and as a rinse-aid in my dishwasher instead of an expensive store-bought rinse aid. I've gone from having a teeny bottle of the stuff tucked back in the pantry somewhere to buying this industrial sized bottle to use all around the house! Love it! Thanks, readers, for turning me on to this great idea.

We're Jammin'

On Friday I took Mia and baby Hyrum with me to a local berry farm. She sells strawberries for $1.25 a pound if you pick them yourself. We went out at 8am before it was hot and I sat the baby on a blanket with a few things to play with. Mia got down and helped me pick. It was really peaceful and nice to be down in the dirt working with her while she had my undivided attention to chatter about whatever she wanted. She would pick for awhile, eat for awhile, and then frolic for awhile. I picked for about 3 hours and got 5 1/2 flats - about 15 pounds - of berries.

Typically you pick strawberries around the middle of May through the end of May. I didn't realize that but, lucky for me, the season was a bit late this year. She only had small and medium berries left but that didn't matter for making jam. The variety she had me pick are extremely sweet with a very thin skin. The jam turned out fabulously.

I also stepped a bit outside my comfort zone and asked her over the phone if she would be interested in bartering my bread for berries. At first she replied, "Oh no, I don't want to do that." I said that it was ok, I still wanted to pick from her. While I was there she came up to me several times asking more questions about the bread. When I left I signed up to come back for blueberries and blackberries and she said, "Write down "bread" by your name and bring a loaf or two when you come back and we'll work something out. I'd like to try that." So, you never know.

One thing I've found with the jam is that it took me a full day of work but I stocked my pantry with about 25 jars of jam and still have some berries in the freezer. At Christmas time last year I used old baskets I had in the attic, spruced them up with some ribbon and filled them with a few jars of my homemade jams. I added some fresh pecans from a friend's yard and people were absolutely delighted to receive them. It allowed us to give gifts to people like Bruce's piano teacher and my husband's bosses, plus additional gifts to family members without spending anything over the holiday months. Everyone enjoyed it so much I plan on doing it again, I've even been recollecting baskets and jars from some people with a promise to refill them. It's a win-win!

And, I won't have to buy jam for another year. I don't feel so bad about giving my family peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch a couple times a week (which cuts the grocery budget) when it's made with homemade whole wheat bread and homemade jam!

The Budget

I realise it may look like I've abandoned my New Year's Resolution - but this is not the case! We've been focusing on one big thing lately, the budget. When you think about it, living providently boils down to one major item and that's it, isn't it? At least, it is for us. Learning to live below your means is the key to provident living. I'll say it again in case you missed it the first time...

Learning to live below your means is the key to provident living!

When you live below your means you will find there is an abundance that can be used on things that are truly important to you, whether that's paying off debt or putting cash into savings or purchasing food storage or emergency preparedness items or even finally getting that long-overdue home repair project finished. You really can have what you want in life, you just have to prioritize and then work to get there. It won't happen on it's own.

I've procrastinated blogging about "The Budget" because it isn't really a very "sexy" thing to blog about, if you know what I mean. I'm not sure how many of my readers are just dying to learn how I budget. But for today, I'm going to pretend that you are.. so let's get started!

Back when Bryan got his first job out of college and we had been married about 5 years, we realized that when he got a real paycheck we were going to feel like we were rolling in the dough. Although his paycheck was meager, it would be so much more than we were used to getting and we were afraid we would begin spending frivolously and waste it away. We began with a program called "Rich on Any Income." It was a great program, but is no longer in print. Still, here's the premises.

#1. Pay your tithing first so you can have the Lord's blessings available to you when you go to meet your other financial goals.

#2. Set up an itemized monthly budget showing exactly how much money you need for various items. Now, when you're first starting this, it may take a couple of months to tweak exactly how much you need in each category. The program claims that it takes 3 months to really learn how to do this and I'd agree, so stick with it! Here are the categories Bryan and I have in our budget most months:

Tithe and Fast Offering
Mortgage Payment
Truck Payment
Insurance
Utilities (this includes everything from electric, trash and water to YMCA dues and Bruce's piano lessons)
Food (this is only money I spend at the grocery store - no fast food or eating out goes in here)
Cleaning and Laundry Supplies
Diapers and Wipes
Formula
Medical (this includes prescription medications plus money for us to pay co-pays in case we'd need to take someone to the doctor)
Gifts (in case there is a birthday we need to buy for)
Recreation (this would include ANY recreation for the family from eating out to renting a movie)
Clothing (in case one of the kids needs new shoes, or someone needs jeans, etc.)

Now, when you're setting up the exact amounts you need you'll probably find that there's not enough to go around. Well, guess what? That's why you've been running out of money all these years and having trouble making ends meet. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Guilt is only a short-term motivator so shake it off and let's move on. When you add up the amount you need and you find that you're out of money, go back and tweak it. Can you shave $20 off the grocery budget? You may realize that you actually can't afford things you feel aren't a big deal - like cable TV, or a cell phone. Maybe you need to get rid of the land line all together if the cell phone is cheaper. Maybe you need to cut your gym membership or... STOP EATING OUT!!! This is a big one for a lot of people. They think they can pick up a soda several times a week, or just order off the dollar menu. Well, it really adds up. We've found that it's the little things adding up over the month that do the most damage.

Be creative about figuring out how to make ends meet. This month, we wanted to install an air conditioning vent in Hyrum's room - so we only had $40 total for recreation for the whole month for the whole family. That's $40 for six people for a whole month. We only ate out one time the entire month - we chose pizza buffet - and we rented some dollar movies. That was it. That may sound like it wasn't much but we found plenty of free fun things to do as a family, AND that vent is FINALLY installed and we didn't break the budget to do it!

#3. Once you've got your budget in place the final step can be a hard one to learn. It's called self-discipline. Have you heard of it? It's a tricky little thing. We've found that the key to success is two-fold. Part one: Be on the same page as a couple. You have to do this together as a couple or it won't work. Discuss your real goals - is it a family vacation this year? Do you want to finally pay off that dreaded student loan? If your children are old enough, involve them and make it a positive thing. I explain to my kids that the budget is fun, that it's like a game and you have to work hard to make everything fit. When they asked to go see an expensive 3-D movie this month I explained to them about the budget and they weren't dissapointed at all. They said things like, "Maybe next month," or "We could even wait until it's on DVD and rent it! That would be fun, too!"

Part Two for making it a success: Meet together often to go over the budget. This is a MUST. In the beginning, you may realistically need to meet a few times a week or even every day. We write our receipts down in the checkbook and then itemize them in the budget. If I went to Wal-Mart and bought milk and diapers, I then record the diapers under the Diapers and Wipes category and then find the remaining balance in that category, then record the amount of the milk under the Food category. We've found that the longer you go between reconciling the budget, the more money you think you have left. It always seems better in your head and it's hard to face reality on paper.

For some people, they choose to use an envelope system and put cash in various envelopes. For example, if they have $100 a week for groceries, they take an envelope with $100 in it to the grocery store. When they run out of money, they're done for the week. Oh, making a menu and planning out your meals and snacks is also very important. If you're dining on the fly, you'll invariably end up spending more. Plan for some fun, new meals but also the old standbys that are cheap and nutritious.

For me, I go to Aldi first and buy what I can there. Then, I tally up the remaining balance I have to get the rest of my groceries at Wal-Mart. I keep a running tally as I shop there, placing items back on the shelf as I run out of money and choosing which things I really need and which we can do without.

If you have to go without something, you WILL find a way to make it work.

For example, if I can't afford hamburger buns for grilled burgers, I will realize that I can find a recipe and make them myself, which turns out to be a fun and delicious experience for the whole family. When I didn't have enough money left in the cleaning budget for the facial cleanser I love, I found that my Ivory soap at home worked just the same.

Basically, when it comes down to the budget, self-discipline really is key. For many people, I believe that if we can exercise self-discipline and choose to do without things that don't really matter - like treats (whatever that means to you - dining out, renting movies, drive thru, etc) - you will find that there really is an abundance there to use on what you really want. I think we often mistakenly feel we need to find a way to earn MORE money, when in reality if we can cut back, what we need is already there. I guess it just depends on how bad you want it, and how hard you're willing to work for it.

While it's not fun in the moment to choose to put something back on the shelf, or to choose to go without something you think you really want - coming in under budget and spending money on things that will lead to financial security is a FAR sweeter feeling than the rush of instant gratification. Trust me!

And one final thought: Try fasting and prayer about the budget. It really works. I really do understand that it's hard to stick with it the whole month through. Fast and pray as a couple at the first of the month and continue to pray for guidance with your expenditures through the month and you CAN do it! I promise you!

If anybody has any budget tips or tricks, please comment! Any questions?

Making Your Own Bread - Lesson One, Buying the Wheat

I promised and promised and I'm finally going to make good on my word! I'm really going to blog about how to make your own bread. Let's start at the beginning - selecting and buying whole wheat.

I use a 50/50 blend of hard red wheat and hard white wheat. Why? Well.....

Hard red wheat (called hard red winter wheat or hard red spring wheat - depends on when it's planted) is what has traditionally been used by bread makers. I love the nutty flavor and the way it gives a little crunch and texture to the bread.

So, why add in the white wheat? Hard white wheat, while nutritionally equivalent to hard red wheat, bakes up a little lighter and fluffier (similar to white flour) and is also a little bit gentler on the digestive tract even though it is just as high in fiber. I found this great link to read more about white wheat. I have made bread with 100% hard white wheat but I just prefer the 50/50 blend. I originally started mixing it to help my kids get onto the hard red wheat without being too hard on their little tummies and we liked it so much we never went back to using just the red. You can experiment if you have access to both and see what you like.

Where can you buy wheat? If you are Mormon, you can buy from your closest cannery. Our church buys up wheat in large supply and sells it to us at a very cheap price to encourage us to gather a food storage for our families. If you are just starting out, you may ask a Mormon friend if you can buy a can of each type of wheat from them. It's very cheap and would be a great way for you to start out without spending a lot of money.

You can also click here and order directly from the church. I believe that shipping is free but they only sell a couple of long-term supply items (hard red winter wheat and rice, I think).

Other places to order in bulk include Walton Feed and also Emergency Essentials.

Recently, I also remember seeing large bags of whole wheat at Wal-Mart in the baking isle under the flour. You could probably check with your local grocery store and they may be willing to order some in for you. I've found that small grocers are often willing to "go the extra mile" for their customers.

I'm sure there are various other places to buy if you do a search online. I like to use Nextag.com to find the best rates on the same item at various sites. I will be posting a recipe eventually as I do a series of blogs on "Making Your Own Bread" and if you only have access to one type of wheat, you can certainly use it instead of a blend.

One Step Closer

We're one step closer to having a pantry full of homemade canned items that we grew ourselves. We finally got Bryan's father's tiller up and running and Bryan tilled up twice the garden we typically have. We're ready to work this year. We're really going to try to keep that attitude, even in July when there's weeding to be done early in the morning. And watering. And more weeding. ;) Wish us luck!

Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I found this recipe online and I love it. To clean your toilet bowl, pour in 1/4 cup of baking soda and then drizzle vinegar on top. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then clean with a toilet brush.

For stains in the bowl, add about 3 or 4 Tbsp. of Borax just before you use the toilet brush. My upstairs toilet gets stains because it's the "kid's bathroom" and they tend not to flush as often as they should. I felt like the stains came right off into the water when I added the Borax.

The other reason I love this recipe (yes, it's environmentally friendly but that's not it) is because my kids feel like they're doing some sort of fun science experiment watching the water bubble and foam when they add the vinegar and then again when they add the Borax. They think it's awesome and it helps make cleaning fun!

Let me know if you try it and like it.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I read a recipe recently for homemade dishwasher detergent. You mix equal parts Borax and Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. You add 2 Tbsp of this mixture to your dishwasher.

Vinegar can be put in the rinse-aid compartment instead of a store bought rinse-aid like Jet Dry.

I read another recipe that said you could use equal parts Borax, Washing Soda and water to make a liquid detergent for your dishwasher.

The verdict: I made the powdered option this week when we ran out of dishwasher detergent and I didn't want to go to the store to buy more. I also put the vinegar in as a rinse-aid. I felt the vinegar worked well but the detergent was just so-so. My dishes really weren't as clean as usual.

The good thing, however, is that if I ever run out again and don't want to go to the store to buy more, or it's the end of the monthly budget and I don't want to spend on more - I have another option. I do have the ingredients on hand to make this (they are the same ingredients that went into the homemade laundry soap). I should also mention that my dishwasher is really, really old. I have a friend who tried the homemade liquid variety in her 4 month old dishwasher and loved it. So, that could be what I'm lacking. You can also add a drop of lemon or orange essential oil to add a fresh scent.

I'm curious to hear if anyone else tries this and likes it.