With prices of everything going up while our budget stays the same, we have been looking for different ways to cut expenses.  One of these ways is our electric bill.  In the winter, our bill is very reasonable.  We hardly ever have to turn on the heat, so it usually stays around $80.  In the summer, our bill is outrageous.  It soars to over $200 for the months of June, July, and August.  We had to make some changes.

The first thing we did was switch to a timed plan.  I think these plans are only available in certain states.  I know when we lived in SC, we didn't have the option of different rates.   The plan is from 9pm until 9am and on weekends, we have a cheaper rate.  The goal is to shift 70% or more of our electrical usage to the cheaper times!  Right now on the June bill, we used 41% during peak hours and 59% during the cheaper times!  We have some work to do.

I decided to go straight to the experts form some advice.  I called our electric company.  Here's the advice they gave.

1.  Turn the televisions off with a power strip during the day.  Apparantly, the tv uses a lot of electricity even when off.  I didn't know that.  Another reason to limit our television viewing.

2.  The computer doesn't use a lot of electricity, and it is better for the computer to be left on (versus turning on and off several times a day).  The monitor uses a lot of electricity.  Even if you don't turn the computer off during the day, turn the monitor off. 

3.  The hot water heater uses the most electricity in our house.  We have all started taking showers or baths in the morning.  We sponge off of an evening.  My husband is the exception to this new procedure because he works at night and sleeps all day.  He takes a shower when he gets up.  I run the dishwasher and washing machine only during cheaper hours.  I wash the breakfast dishes before 9am and save all other dirty dishes until after 9pm.  (I do rinse them off in cold water and stash them in the dishwasher.) 

4.  The crockpot, toaster oven, bread machine and roaster oven all use less electricity than the oven.  The bonus to using a small appliance versus the oven is that it doesn't heat the house up causing the a/c to work harder.

5.  The dryer is cut off a little before 9am and turned back on after 9pm.  I know hanging clothes out to dry is cheaper, but we live in an apartment with strict rules. 

6.  The only other thing that uses electricity during on-peak hours is the a/c.  I just am not to the point where I can live without it.  It was well over 100 today and will be that way until at least September.  Some days it gets up to almost 120 or a little over.  Yuck!  Thankfully, it doesn't get cold in the winter.  It rarely drops below 60 even at night! 

We have switched to those energy saver lightbulbs and turn lights out constantly.  We keep the blinds drawn during the hottest parts of the days.   Do you have any other tips for energy conservation?  We need to get these bills down! 

Where is Gabriel???

Not in his bed where I tucked him in at 8pm.  Where is Gabriel???

Oh there he is!  Sound asleep on my bed with all of the stuff that is being sorted out of my closet!

Does anyone remember my New Year's resolution about getting him to sleep in his own bed?  I am fighting a losing battle!  Sigh!

Here are my spending totals for today:

Gas - $65 (ouch, ouch, ouch)
Drinks - $4 (I did not plan well for today, and the kids needed a drink.)
Hubby drink - $3 (This was my fault too.  I forgot his drink for his dinner at work.)

Total - $72

On the upside, my husband recieved an additional paycheck yesterday.  The payroll department messed his last paycheck up, so instead of making us wait until next payday, they cut an additional check and mailed it to us!  Yeah!  It wasn't much, but every little bit in the bank helps. 

Today, Rhonda Jean posted about creating a budget and sticking it to it!  I love her idea of using plastic ziploc bags to keep all cash in her budgeted amounts.  This is where I mess up monthly.  I like to borrow from one column to pay for another column.  I need to stick with budgeted amounts and spend no more!  I am going to try the plastic bags for the cash portion.  We try to use cash for food, haircuts, spending money, clothes and gifts.  The rest of it we leave in the bank.  We leave enough in checking to cover bills and gas.  Everything else is moved to savings.  If it isn't in the checking account, it is harder to spend!

Here is our budget:

LIVING EXPENSES 

Rent - 1042.44
Electric - 200.00
Phone - 75.00
Internet - 45.00
Renter's Insurance - 30.88
Auto Insurance - 140.00
Tithe - 200.00
Groceries - 400.00
Gas - 200.00
Haircuts - 25.00
Car Repairs/Maintenance - 50.00
Clothes - 20.00
Gifts - 20.00
Spending Money - 40.00

DEBT REDUCTION

Car Payment - 400.00
Other Debt - 258.00

SAVINGS - 50.00 (and anything left over)

We have an HSA that we use for any health related expenses, so we don't budget for those.

Total Monthly Expenses - $3196.32
Total Weekly Expenses - $737.62
Total Daily Expenses - $105.09

Wow!  Putting this stuff on paper has made me realize just how bad we are with money.  It is very easy to say that we can pay our  bills, have a bit of wiggle room, and we are okay.  We want to be more than okay.  We want to be out of debt with a little money in the bank. 

I think it is time for me to change my spending habits.  My husband says that I nickel and dime us to death.  I tend to spend on a lot of little things.  He spends once in a blue moon on a big ticket item! 

Rhonda Jean at Down to Earth  is doing a series of posts on budgeting.  We need these lessons again.  We are doing so much better than we have in the past.  Our random spending is way down.  I mean way, way, way down.  At the same time, I am no longer making $35K to $40K a year, gas is going up,up, up, groceries are going up, up, up, we now have three children, live in a city with higher home prices, and have a higher car payment.  We just can't seem to get ahead and stay ahead.  Our expenses seem to be going up every single week.  Hubby got a 4% raise which doesn't cover the additional cost of gas!  (We are thankful for every additional penny, though.)  Hopefully, Rhonda Jean will have some wonderful ideas and helps.

Her first piece of advice is to stop spending on anything but necessities.  Okay, we are so there.

Next, make a list of everything you spend for a whole week.  Here is today's list:

Groceries - $50.52
Soda & candy - $2.83 (having a chocolate craving - so not good!)
Water (3 gallons) - $.45

Total for the Day - $53.80

After looking over my totals, I realized that I am spending on non-necessities.  Soda, candy, chips are not needed!  In my mind, I think of non-essentials as Victoria Secret's lingerie* (you should have seen my credit card bill from there) or eating out.  I need to switch my thinking to all non-necessities.  If you really think about what you absolutely need to survive, it makes it harder! 

On a forum that I belong to we have been discussing living more simply.  Another member posted a link to an article discussing The Compact.  Fascinating!  There is a group of people getting together and promising each other and themselves not to buy anything new for a whole year!  The rules are pretty simple. 
#1 Don't buy new products of any kind (from stores, web sites, etc.)
#2 Borrow, barter, or buy used.
They do have some exceptions to the rules like underwear and stuff.  I decided to join up.  It should be interesting.  I am thinking that I need to brush up on my creativity just a bit!  I am going to a used curriculum sale this week, so, hopefully, I can get everything that I will need for next year.  If not, ebay here I come!

The thing that I am having a little doubt about is Christmas.  What do you give other people?  Why is it that I can purchase something from a pricy, antique store for a present, and it is to die for, but if I get it from Goodwill, it is just junk?  I am perusing The Tightwad Gazette hoping to gain some tips.  Any ideas, pass them on!

Now to the other stuff - My friend Karen at Between the World is once again participating in NaBloPoMo.  She is blogging about food this month.  If you have time, go over there and encourage her.  I am going to try to blog every day this month, but it won't be about food! 

*Random side note:  I have not bought any new undergarments in about seven years because of my huge Victoria Secret's credit card bill.  I am finding that I need some new things, but I can't enter into that store.  It triggers the spending monster in me.  I also can't bring myself to buy it from Wally World.  Any one have any ideas or tips or places to go?  How about a great website?  Thanks!

My two boys are science nuts, so I have put together a weekly science camp complete with lots of things to blow up!  I will try to blog each week about the specifics as I get it planned a bit more.

Week 1 - Scientific Method

We will be using this form to start the day.  After the M&M's are finished and everyone has a great understanding of the scientific method, we are going to use that knowledge for an experiment.  We are going to take 2L bottles of Diet Coke, Coke, Sprite, and Water and see what happens when we drop Mentos in them. 

Week 2 - Gravity or What goes up must come down.

We will have fun reading different books on gravity and jumping on a small trampoline to see if anyone can defy gravity.  Then, we will make a water balloon yo-yo. 

Week 3 - Gravity Revisted

We are making safe rockets. 

Week 4 - Forms of Matter

We will do water in its different forms and then make ice cream in bags.

Week 5 - Forms of Matter Take 2

I think we will grow crystal gardens.  Still working out the kinks on this lesson.

I need to plan at least 4 more weeks, so I am heading off to the library to hammer out details. 

This blog has become pitiful.    In an effort to rejuvinate my blog, I have made a list of things to blog about on a weekly basis.  I will also try to remember to figure out my new camera, so I can upload some of the pictures of my beautiful children.

This blog has been neglected long enough.  I am pulling the weeds and getting to work. 

I was blog surfing the other day, and I read about a woman who hadn't cleaned her oven in so long it was considered a fire hazard by the home inspector.  I laughed so hard and then started thinking about my oven.  We moved into this apartment February of 2007.  I wiped the oven down when we moved in and haven't touched it since then.  Hoping for the best, I checked inside my oven.  Yikes!  My oven was a fire hazard itself.  Gross!  I have been determined to clean it since then, and today was the day.  I couldn't find any oven cleaner at the small store I shopped at this afternoon, so natural cleaners were the name of the game.  So in honor of upcoming Earth Day, here is my all-natural guide to cleaning your dirty, disgusting oven.

1.  Fill the bathtub with hot water and dish detergent.  Put oven racks in the tub and let them soak.  (I know using a lot of water is not enviromentally friendly, but I haven't figured out a way around this yet.)

2.  Make a paste with 5T baking soda, 4T vinegar, and a couple of drops of dish detergent.

3.  Put the paste all over the inside of the oven with a rag.  Scrub with a recycled plastic bag tied in multiple knots wich makes a great scrubbie.

4.  Rinse with plenty of clear water.

5.  For the really tough stains, use a Kitchen Cleaning Block .  These things are amazing.  They scrub off all of those baked (burned) on bits without killing you hands like steel scrubbies. 

6.  Rinse the oven again.

7.  Scrub the oven racks with choice of scrubbie.

8.  Done!!!!!  No harsh smells or chemicals.

Note:  If your oven doesn't have a light, let your 3yo daughter who is just dying to help hold up the flashlight. 

I started watching a little boy before and after school about three weeks ago.  We have settled into a sort-of routine.  This week, I need to buckle down and get really organized.  It's time to start cooking and cleaning again!

Devotions/Quiet Time:  I am going to start studying in the book of Psalms.  I am using Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon and Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. 

Must Do: 

1.  Go through paperwork and old bills.  File, organize, and put all of the piles away.

2.  Create a new schedule and follow it.  Create a new cleaning schedule and meal schedule.  Get organized!

3.  Balance checkbook, pay bills, and create a new budget.

4.  Thoroughly, clean my kitchen.  My fridge and freezer are just gross at the moment.  I need to mop my kitchen floors, reorganize my cabinets and drawers, and clean my oven.  It must, must, must get done this week!

Exercise/Weight Loss:  Exercise every day. 

Train them Up:  We are working on obedience this week.  We need it to be immediate obedience especially with my 3 year old.

Menu:

I am cleaning out the fridge this week so using a lot of leftovers.  We have guests coming on Thursday. 

Sunday - Toasty Cheese Bake, Steamed Carrots w/ leftover buttered peas mixed in, Brownies
Monday - Chicken Pot Pie w/ leftover Brown Rice hidden inside, Apple Cobbler
Tuesday - Turkey & Cabbage Stew, Homeade Bread
Wednesday - Mac & Cheese, Scalloped Tomatoes, Steamed Spinach
Thursday - Roasted Pork Loin, Cheesy Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli, Carrot Cake
Friday - Pizza

To see more Monday Meanderings, check out Tiany's blog. 

Has it really been a month?  February is flying away from me.  I feel like I should just now be getting ready for Valentine's Day instead of moving into the last week of the month. 

Where has the month gone?

Well, we found a new church and joined which has been great!  We have been looking for a church to join for the last three years.  We just now found one!  Eric and I are so excited!  Of course, that means that Sundays are church and Wednesdays are church and AWANAs. 

I've started babysitting a little boy before and after school.  He arrives between 6:15 and 6:45 every morning.  I've been getting up at 5am just to catch up on housework and cooking, take a shower and get ready, and have a little bit of a quiet time.  I can't seem to find time to exercise, blog, or catch up on email.  I am woefully behind!

I weaned Gabriel completely!  He did really well.  He is growing into such a big boy.  One of my resolutions for the year is met and completed!  There is a first time for everything. 

The weekends are great but just as busy.  We have had guests over for dinner which was great and a lot of fun!  We have church picnics, homeschool things, and lots of other activities that are necessary and fun. 

School has been going so well.  We finished up our second twelve weeks.  Twelve more weeks to go, and we are done with first grade!  Doing the happy dance!  Yeah!!!!!  Dylan started second grade readers and second grade math a couple of weeks ago.  He is just moving right along. 

So between school, housework, babysitting, homeschool groups and parties, planning crafts for activities, planning field trips, visiting with friends, nature walks, and playing with my kids, February is over!  I am going to try to post two to three times a week in March.  Thank you guys for reading my ramblings.  I know that I've been tagged.  I will post those tonight.  Well,  it's Wednesday, so maybe tomorrow. . .

Last week was horrible.  Everyone was sick (me included), attitudes were bad (mine included), and life in our household was just not pleasant.  Things will be better this week! 

Devotions/Quiet Time:  I didn't do what I should have last week which probably accounts for the bad attitude on my part.  This week I am reading in Exodus and will continue in Streams in the Desert for my morning devotion.

Must Do: 

1.  Clean out my closet.  I have clothes in there that I haven't worn in years.  I have been too many sizes to count over the last couple of years.  It is time to clean out everything that does not fit me and start fresh.  My husband has been begging me to do this for about three years!

2.  Create a new schedule and follow it.

3.  Get up between 5 and 5:30 every morning.  Starting in February, I will be watching a little boy before and after school.  He will be dropped off at 6:30.  I need to get in the habit of getting up this week.

Exercise/Weight Loss:  I want to add this category in to my meanderings this week.  If I could lose 6 pounds, I would be under my first milestone!  That is so exciting!  My goal this week is to exercise every day, drink my water, and lose those 6 pounds!

Train them Up:  We are going to continue working on chores.  We are going to start praying together at night.  We have been doing little prayers before bed, but I want to start branching out and teaching my kids to pray for other people.  I am thinking of doing a chart with the people that we need to pray for divided up among the days.  Maybe, pictures on it for my non-readers.  I will try to do a blog post when I have the details ironed out.  We are also going to start a "circle time" where we read our Bible story together.  Right now, my oldest and I read it together while the two toddlers play.  They need it to!

Menu:

Monday - Mushroom Brown Rice, Steamed Kale, Steamed Carrots, Apple Pie
Tuesday - Baked Beans, Steamed Spinach, Cornbread
Wednesday - Mac & Cheese, Scalloped Tomatoes, Broccoli
Thursday - Unbeef Stew, Biscuits
Friday - something really easy

To see more Monday Meanderings, check out Tiany's blog. 

So, who are you rooting for??????

I have tried many different laundry systems over the years.  Some worked and some didn't.  When I moved to Phoenix, I was thrown a major curve ball.  First, we have really hard water.  Second, electricity is cheaper here between the hours of 9pm and 9am and on the weekend.  So between 9am and 9pm Monday through Friday, I can't use my oven, dishwasher, or dryer.  Except for the occasional necessary load (I have two children potty training ), I do all of my laundry on Saturday which makes for a very busy day.  In an effort to scale down Mount Laundry and the damage to our clothes due to the hard water, I have put in place some guidelines on clothes.

1.  If it isn't dirty, wear it again.  My kids would wear a pair of socks for a ten minute walk (stroller ride) to the store and then put them in the dirty clothes.  Later, they would go to the park, so they would grab a clean pair of socks.  What happened to the ones you wore ealier?  The same thing with clothes.  Their church clothes are worn for a couple of hours.  When we get home, they take off their church clothes, hang them back up, and wear them again next week.  They don't play in their church clothes.

2.  Food stains must be cleaned off right away.  My kids refuse to wear bibs, so we do have food stains on their clothes.  After each meal, I inspect their outfits.  If it is messed up, I take it off and rinse them out.  The stains don't set even though the clothes have to set for a couple of days before washing.

3.  Hang towels back up to dry, rinse all wash cloths out and hang to dry, air the beds out before making them, and hang dish cloths up to dry.  This cuts down on the number of loads for the linen.  I can wash my kid's sheets every two weeks (except for potty training accidents ).  All other towels and linens are washed once a week  on Saturday.  The dish cloths go in the occasional necessary load during the week, but letting them dry after use cuts down on any smells before washing. 

When I was a little girl, I had a limited number of clothes.  I had some clothes that were just for church, some just for school, and some to play in.  I wore the same outfits over and over again.  I have found that the same principle works for my children.  It doesn't hurt kids to learn to take care of certain items of clothing. 

I don't have any new or unique thoughts.  In reality, I am just doing the same things that my mom did with us.  It has helped me tame the laundry monster and keeps our clothes newer just a little bit longer. 

Need some more tips on laundry?  Check out Organized Thursday over at Between the Worlds. 

It has long been my contention that being earth friendly and frugal  go hand and hand.  It is not a popular, convinient, or trendy idea.  I just don't think people should shell out tons of money in an effort to revamp their lives and become more earth friendly.  It's not necessary. 

Rhonda Jean at Down to Earth is hosting a 3 Gifts Challenge.  What are three small things that you can do to help the earth as a gift to your grandchildren and great grandchildren?  In addition to posting my list, I am going to figure out how much money I will save.  That money will be put aside for a nice trip this summer. 

1.  Walk and take the bus more.  Our van takes $40 - $45 every time we fill the tank.  We are currently going through a tank of gas every week.  I want to cut our gas consumption in half.  My husband has to drive to work (the bus doesn't run that way).  Besides that, we go to church twice a week and homeschool park day once a week.  We can consolidate trips in order to run any errands on the way to or from our other scheduled outings.  Any other errands, we will have to walk.  If we cut our gas consumption in half, we will save at least $80 a month.  That is $960.00 in a year.  Not a bad savings for our savings account.

2.  Doing away with buying bottles of water and sodas.  Bottles of drinks sell for $1.30 here.  One a day is $9.10 in a week, $39.00 in a month, and $474.50 in a year.  Little expenses add up, and the bottles rarely get recycled which add to the land fills.  Filling my own containers with water (or coffee) is much cheaper and better.

3.  Potty training my children.  We currently spend $30.00 a month on diapers.  I refuse to go to cloth diapers when all of my children are really old enough to potty train.  Potty training them will save $360.00 a year and a lot of disposable diapers going to the land fills. 

If I can make these three simple changes, we will save $1,794.50 in a year's time.  That's a lot of extra money in the savings account and would be a really nice trip.  Let's see how we do!  :)

1. Bible Study/ Devotions ~ Continue my reading in Genesis.  I should finish Genesis this week and move into Exodus.  Continue reading Streams in the Desert daily. 
2. "Must Do"~ Hem my son's pants.  I still haven't done this chore.  Clean house for company on Saturday.
3. Zone~ This week I am focussed on the master bedroom and bathroom.  I really need to organize my closet and freecycle a lot of stuff.  Since my husband is working this week, I will only have the afternoons to work on it.  
4. Train Them Up~ We are starting a new math program this week, and I am really excited about it.  We are also going to start a new devotional/Bible thing.  I saw it on someone's blog (can't remember who ).  I will post more about it after we try it out.
5. Menu Planning~

                     Sunday - Potato Soup and Oatmeal Bread
                     Monday - Taco Hot Pockets, Oven Fries, and Carrots
                     Tuesday - Creamy Crock Pot Chicken, Rice, Mixed Vegetables
                     Wednesday - Pork Chops, Brown Rice, Corn
                     Thursday - Sesame Chicken, Rice, Broccoli
                     Friday - ?????????
                    Saturday - Kim Bap, Orange Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Rice, Salad, Chocolate Cake

Please pray for my mom, brothers, sister-in-laws, nieces, and nephews this week.  They are all going through some pretty hard stuff. 

For more Monday Meanderings head over to Tiany's blog.