Maplewood Cottage Home-Lessons

• Dec. 17, 2008 - Simple Gifts

An old paper-doll set I laminated so the girls could play with it. My sisters had this same set when they were little my either me or my mom found it for .25 at a sale!

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• Jun. 6, 2008 - Swinging!

Posted in Within Our Means

Sophia early summer 2008

We now have two swing sets in our yard...
We got an old one that someone was removing from their yard after 'decades' of sitting. Now it is being enjoyed by children daily!
Next year the really old one will have to go but the girls are loving it this season and getting bumped around a little less from their big brothers play with more options to choose from they aren't so close to each other.

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• Jul. 28, 2007 - Credit and Loans and Trust

Posted in Within Our Means

A quote from one of my posts

Three years ago my dh made x amount of money and if one would make a graph of the decline by the end of this year it would show I am almost certain nearly a $10,000.00 annual drop. So in essence we've lost $20,000 or more in income over the last few years. This is working faithfully at the same employment for a five year period of time. The first 3 years working up to a good stable pay from starting wages, to buying our first home, and then to a steady decline.

It is so crucial to show our children to not depend on money or even job stability in making many decisions.

What I mean is let the LORD be the guide in all things. Being a good steward of what He has entrusted you with is important. But that can become an idol in itself constantly worrying over keeping your money or even how to best share your money can become a type of obsession. Just hanging on to wise financial principals really isn't realistically the key to stability either because many things can change in a short time.

So where is the key to balance?

I think looking at what the Lord has going on in your life, what he is teaching you, what your current priorities are, the desires in your heart for the future all this and more has an important part in our finances.

As we mature as christians we will often make rather large shifts in our thinking in different areas.

A couple that thought they'd have maybe two children for instance will make some big changes in life when they allow the Lord to bless them with number 3,4, or 5. And what adjustments have to be be made to allow more growth in family size or realize that mom just doesn't have the strength to do ALL the cost saving things that she 'could' do.

Also the unforeseen can make a huge impact on our lives. We don't know what will happen next on the grand adventure of LIFE ....

Don't assume just because you can handle that home improvement loan you will be able to in the future.
It is wise to keep expenditures to what is necessary for basic living.

Yes, if you need a bathtub or a roof repair by all means don't let matters get worse cuz you're just too proud to ask for help or don't 'believe' in getting loans. Or if your kids are having major problems from being cooped up in a small trailer or apartment you may need to make an expensive move.
I am big on trying to prevent problems. An example would be our physical health. We can live on a diet of x but what is our quality of life is our health being threatened by overly frugal grocery shopping? How often are we going to the doctor. And really even this example is limited because some just simply have major health issues that they have little control over. Again wisdom!

But most things can and should be saved up for if the Lord provides for 'it' then you can have more peace about the expense involved in acquiring it.

Often we get freebies in live we never dreamed of just because the Lord wants us to have something to carry out HIs purposes in our lives.

Mike was talking about how he wouldn't mind using a bike to run simple in town errands but he had no bike and no money to acquire one. We noticed a garage sale around the corner and avoided it for a few days not wanting to be tempted by investing in any great deals we thought we shouldn't pass up. I'd wanted to make an offer on a men's bike for mike that I could see from the street marked as 30.00 but really we didn't have the money for that.

Well we were taking a family walk and went that way as Mike was with us and he'd be able to help me not buy something we shouldn't! Well when we approached it appeared they were packing up in the middle of the afternoon!
My husband asked if they were still selling and the man said NO! BUT YOU CAN TAKE ANYTHING YOU WANT! ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT THOSE BIKES!

I asked them to repeat themselves as the couple had spoke at the same time and spoke about the exact thing that we had our eyes on.

Apparently they'd done so well that they just wanted to be thankful for that and move on to more important projects with the rest of their weekend.

We met them as neighbors, were given some useful items, stuffed animals for the kids, and some edu books as the lady is a teacher.
So Mike now is the owner of an older ten speed bike.

Can we question the trust we can have in the Lord to provide? Yes, but do we have need to? NO!!!!!!

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• Jul. 10, 2007 - Ideas for Frugality

Posted in Within Our Means

Well, here is what I do to save $$$$ regularly... I also added some of my new ideas that I am implementing.

Wash and rinse clothes with vinegar, baking soda or home made detergent that ends up being like 35 cents to the gallon pennies to one wash

Wash the floors etc with ammonia or vinegar or a little bleach water or baking soda

We do a garden with herbs and basic veggies I even did this when in an apartment on the patio.

Most meals are from scratch made around five - eight dollars and serve as lunches and dinners. Mike goes to work around 2 p.m. so I send with him a portion of what is gonna be our lunch and dinner.

We buy generic and bulk.

If I don't bake much one week cuz I am busy we get day old breads from wal mart when we shop there... sourdough for under two dollars, seven grain the same. I make any goodies except we like the cheap ginger snaps from the dollar store for a dollar a bag once in a while.

We bake with our dairy... like I try to make things with eggs or milk to stretch and give protein -fats ie. french toast, breakfast cookies with oats, quiche I don't let the kids chug down milk as water... we don't by juice or pop etc... I make a nutritional shake with dairy, banana, strawberry, pineapple but that usually serves as a meal replacement.

Mike doesn't buy from the vending machines or fast foods.

My babies all breastfed for an average of a year and a half each, they ate pureed table food if they were too young for finger foods, I've ground oats and barley... used rice flour for their carbs,

On most days I keep lights off, no tv use, no air-conditioner or dryer use

We use the plastic bags we get from shopping for our trash these go into the village bags we have to use,

I don't use wipes I simply rinse baby - toddler in the bath tub or I use paper towels.

I use cloth diapers and training pants except for naps and nights.

I wash dishes mostly by hand but run a load every other day of things that overwhelm or could use sterilization.

I don't drive or have a vehicle or insurance. We are conservative on our use of the family van ie. combined as many things that can be done in one area and THEN make the trip out there. Mike buys gas when the lowest price.

I walk or ride a bike. I have worn out a couple double strollers that we've invested in but that's cheap compared to a car and ins. not to mention gas

We don't do big B day parties or holidays

We mostly buy books only when really cheap second hand and if we can't buy that sort of thing cuz we are really tight then we usually just don't.

If I do buy curriculum it's a bargain discount... clearance for 2.00 vs the normal 20.00. Not saying I haven't splurged in the past... I won't be able to in the future though.
We use a lot of the FREE stuff on the internet and go several times a week to the library.

Home improvements are usually sale materials or cheaper brands example mis-tinted paints etc...

For two summers we used a push mower... I buy any bulbs, bushes etc... at the end of the season when marked way down.

I have made some skirts out of old jumpers and pull over dresses by cutting the tops off and putting in an elastic waist.

We shop thrift stores and try to limit to the cheapest ones like the 8 dollar a bag place.

I am looking into how to make our own shoes LOL because they seem to be all worn down and any we can afford never last long.

If we buy in department store it is usually in between seasons and on deep discount like shirts for 2-3 dollars and pants for 4-8 dollars for the boys.

We virtually never go to the doctor and are now an unassisted home birthing family... no prenatal visits or well checks or vax'ing

All the males in our family get their hair cut by mom every month or so and the females don't get our hair cut anyway. We use basic hair care products like suave or home made.

I don't buy make-up or expensive creams. I make some of my own facial stuff. Use vit e etc.. I made our own bug repellant.

We don't go on vacation or out for entertainment. Luke was thrilled last saturday cuz we went to a free fireworks display about 10 miles north of us. He just kept saying, "Wow, this is the best vacation ever!"

We didn't have a wedding or a honeymoon or anniversary getaways. We don't normally obtain or pay a sitter. I had for awhile after Sophia was born cuz it was a hard transition for me but I don't foresee doing that again.

We don't really own much furniture and are not above garbage picking useful things. In the past we've gotten used bikes this way as well as, toys, couch, cupboard, racks, computers for parts. I love my Downy balls that I use for the vinegar wash... I got those last summer from some ones trash! I don't know that I've ever afforded the softener itself before LOL. Luke and Tim's full bed frame was a great find! Also have a bunkbed set to refinish in the near future.

We garage sale and have bought several furniture items like school desks, u shaped table, dinning table and chairs, preschool table for blocks and puzzles.

There are somethings we have splurged on like our king sized family bed but this serves as a bed for up to four ppl at a time. We don't use a crib.

Conveniences that we don't really need but have served us well...

I have sewing machine, bread maker, washer and dryer, new oven ( the one that came with the house was only 40 years old!) and dishwasher etc that we bought since married.

I know I can endure things that are considered hardships because.

I HAVE done dishes in a tub for almost a year, cooked on on hot plates and toaster ovens, washed clothes in a sink and hung many a thing out to dry, lived out of storage containers, lived in three small rooms with 3 other people, lived without air conditioning, without the aid of utilities, walked and road public transportation to get to work, school, church, laundry mat and shopping.

For a summer I carted my laundry to the laundry mat a block away in our double stroller with two boys occupying their seats. Don't ask me how I managed that... they were young and small so I guess a couple loads of laundry fit!

I have funny stories of trying to carry too many groceries home on the bus and watching my oranges roll down the center isle and then under other's seats!

I use to bundle up and walk to work after waking early in the morn to shovel a huge driveway to the christian bookstore I lived at on winter mornings

It's good to remember that many of these times in my life were the BEST times. I can't wait to see what the Lord will do for me and my family.

We are teaching ourselves and our children to not expect the thrills of extras and so nature and family are our best sources of entertainment.

We want to not become dependent upon money to satisfy us.

Most of all we want learn to not whine when things entail hard work.

We are thankful for all the provision the Lord has given us.

Let us be generous with all... as a thank you to the Lord for what He has done.

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