20 Cheap or free Spring Activities

Spring is coming!  Although, if you live in Canada, like me, you may be doubting Spring will ever come this year.  You know, I used to pride myself on being a northern girl, but seriously, I can't take this cold anymore!  Not gonna lie, I wanna punch winter in the face.

Ah....plus one.  Does it even really exist?

Anyways, I am living on the dream that Spring WILL come.  And soon.  And after being inside for so long with the kids due to crazy cold such as the polar vortex this year, I am READY to get out.  So, what is family to do outdoors on the cheap?

1.  Go to the park.  This one NEVER gets old with kids.

2.  Have a picnic.

3.  Go hiking in a conservation area.

4.  Read a book to the kids outside on a blanket.  Or hide in a tree and read a book all by yourself. 

5.  Paint.  Yes, kids can paint indoors, but trust me, your stress level will stay relatively low if you save the painting activities for outdoors.  No more paint on your table, on your floor, etc.  It will still be on your kids, but hey, it's better than nothing.  Let the kids paint rocks for a new type of canvas.

6.  Fly kites.

7.  Ride bikes.

8.  Go on a scavenger hunt.

9.  Take a trip to the farmer's market.

10. Blow bubbles.

11. Go puddle jumping.  Seriously, put all your "that will be one big mess" thoughts aside and do this at least once.  Your kids will LOVE you for it.

12.  Make bird feeders.

13. Make a fairy house. Use or sticks or anything you can find.

14.  Play with sensory bins.  We do the sensory bins indoors in the winter and usually end up with pounds of lentils or dried beans on the floor.  Think of how less of a mess this would be outdoors!

15.  Collect rocks.  Bring them home and attach googly eyes to them.

16.  Climb a tree.  For the big kids of course, and maybe the parents too!

17.  Feed the ducks.

18.  Have a bonfire.  Roast marshmallows and bring your guitar to sing songs.

19.  Yarnbomb a tree in your yard.

20.  Draw with chalk.  Do some serious artwork on your front step.

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Spring,  I can almost taste it!!

Running Errands on the Cheap

I live in a small town 25 minutes outside of a main city.  All my main shopping is done there because as crazy as it sounds, I don't want to pay three times as much for the same groceries.  We do most of our stuff in the local city like go to church, swimming lessons, etc.  Maybe if you are like me you have some experience with a trip into the city ending up costing way more than you hoped because of those little people in your car complaining they were hungry or you ended up driving from one end of the city to the next 5 times because you weren't organized.  Here are some tips I have learned to minimize my expenses when going out.

1.  Avoid meal times.  This isn't always possible, but when you can avoid it, run your errands when it isn't meal time.  That way you avoid you and your kids getting HANGRY!  You know, hangry...when you are hungry, and then you get angry?  We are a family of hangry people, I swear it is in our genes.  Sometimes when the husband or I are being short with eachother the other one looks at the other and replies, "honey, do you need a sandwich?"  Speaking of which, a sandwich sounds really good right now...

2. Pack food.  If there is a chance you are going to be out for awhile, or around meal time, pack a lunch or snacks.  Truth is, if you have kids with you the chances of someone getting hungry if you are out of the house more than 20 minutes is pretty high.  Might as well pack some food for most trips just in case.  My kids have water bottles as well that they take with them quite often.

3.  Have a back-up plan.  Sometimes no matter how hard you try to be organized, life happens and you find yourself in town without food and hangry people. Have a back up plan for where you will buy food if this happens to avoid spending more than you want.  For us, we either go to the grocery store for snacks or get a 5 dollar pizza at one of the local pizza places.  Even if we buy 2 pizzas because we are REALLY hangry, it is still cheaper than buying dinner for our whole family through the Mcdonald's or Wendy's drive-thru.  (and don't judge on the drive-thru...if you have three kids in car/booster seats and you are on your own you know how difficult it can be to take your kids in and out of the minivan over and over again on an errand trip.)

4.  Plan your route strategically.  Write out what you need before you go and what stores you need to go to.  Then plan your route according to location.  This will help avoid you spending more gas than you had hoped because you are driving all over the city.

5.  Go by yourself.  I LOVE grocery shopping by myself.   If you can have someone else watch your kids while you run errands this can make the trip faster and less chance of spending more money in so many ways.

What do you do to avoid spending money when you are out?

Home Decor on a Budget

If I am being honest, I would say that home decor is not my strong point.  Actually, I'm not that great at it at all.  But I personally think any of my decorating fails in my home are not due to finances and more to do with my lack of creativity in that department.  However, I have made an effort to do a few things around my home.

We have furnished our home mostly by second-hand items either given to us or purchased.  Our only full-price item in our home is an Ikea chair.  (We were childless at that time and hey, it IS Ikea.)  At the time the chair came with a white cushion.  I hated the white cushion, but the coloured ones were more expensive.  So we took the white one.  Over 5 years later we finally were able to replace the white cushion for a black cushion! :)

Here are some things I have learned in an effort to save money on decorating your home.

1. Put the word out before you purchase it.  I really wanted to repaint my kitchen cupboards red.  I mentioned it on Facebook, and a Facebook friend had red paint they offered me.  Other times I have put the word out asking if someone had something I was looking for and at least half the time someone had something they weren't using.  It is always good to offer to buy it off of them (for a cheaper price than the store of course) but in my experience, most people are happy to give it to you if they aren't using it and know you.

2.  Paint freshens anything.  My house is 100 or so years old.  My kitchen cupboards are OLD.  New cupboards would be a dream, but not an affordable dream of mine!  So, whenever I am needing a change, I paint them.  It is amazing how much paint can freshen a room!

3. Let Pinterest inspire you.  Now this one you need to be careful with.  When I say let Pinterest inspire you, I am not talking about the Pins that scream "Absolutely PERFECT decor for $10,000".  I'm talking more about inspiration such as this:

This is a wall decoration I made after seeing a picture of this on Pinterest (only spray painted gold).  All it is is clothespins, embroidery hoops (which I purchased at a thrift store) and spray paint.

4. Use nature to decorate.  I don't do this enough, but anytime I do, I feel a sense of closeness with the outdoors.  We pick flowers from our yard in the summer and put them on the table in a vase, or pine cones in the Fall.  My kids take part in this too-I constantly find rocks or ladybugs all over the house...

5. Decorate simply.  Jars filled with coloured beads or dry beans, old crates to hold books or toys, or fabric for bunting flags or to add layering.  If you start looking around your house, you will be amazed at how many things around your house can be used for decorating.

Again, I am by no means a decorating guru.  Until last year I didn't even know what wainscotting was, and I don't understand why there are so many different shades of white paint to choose from, and I have ugly stick vinyl tiles covering my kitchen floor, some of which are tearing apart.  But I do like to add my own personal touch to my home, even if small.  Who knows, maybe when the kids grow up and I have more time on my hands I will find more time to learn the art of a well-decorated home. ;)

Oh NO! Company is Coming for Dinner!

Anytime we have people over for dinner it is always an enjoyable time.  But leading up to it can be quite stressful.  Usually because I am always trying to rack my brain as to what to prepare that is frugal, and doesn't leave me in the kitchen all night. If I was smart, I`d write a list and tape it inside one of my cupboards.  But since I haven`t done that yet (Mommy brain, I blame MOMMY BRAIN!), I might as well write my list here. So, what should you serve for dinner for your guests without breaking your budget?

1.  Soups.  In the cooler months this is one of my favorites.  Pairing up a pureed squash or potato soup with a loaf of homemade bread and maybe a side salad and you've got a full meal!

2.  Chili.  Along the same lines of soup, pair it with some homemade bread.  Have some shredded cheese available for your guests to sprinkle on top and you've got a hearty, filling dinner.

3.  Quiche.  Eggs are cheap, and full of protein.  Raid your garden for what to put in the quiche.

4.  Salad.  Adding some chicken to a salad can turn a side salad into a full meal, perfect for those hot summer nights.  If you have a garden use what is there to make this meal even cheaper.  Serve with some delicious bread.  Cornbread can be a good option.

5. Hamburgers and hot dogs.  Some would feel uneasy serving hotdogs to guests, but in my neck of the woods, during bbq season that is completely acceptable!

6.  Pasta.  Who doesn't like pasta?  And pasta doesn't have to be boring.  Serving some bowtie pasta mixed with peas and sundried tomatoes, a little olive oil, garlic, and parmesan cheese and you might feel like you are dining out at an italian restaurant.

Some tips to remember when company is coming for dinner:

If they ask if they can bring something, say YES!  A side salad, dessert, or beverage can be very helpful in sharing costs.  And if you are invited out, it is nice to offer the same.

Dessert isn`t always necessary.  When we have guests over I try to have a frugal dessert prepared (or ask them to bring one if they asked what they could bring) but there are times it hasn`t happened.  No one is going to waste away without dessert.  Actually, we might be better off not stuffing ourselves with that huge helping of double fudge brownie.

Cook simple meals.  In the cooler months I love to use my crockpot when I entertain.  That way, by the time my guests arrive there is very little for me to do but dish out the food into bowls.  This allows me to actually enjoy the visit!

Entertaining doesn`t have to cost a fortune.  The truth is, people generally aren`t coming to your house for your food.  They are coming for your company, but the food is just a perk.  And if they ARE coming just for your food, maybe they aren`t the type of people you want to have over anyways. ;)

5 Convenience Foods you can Make Yourself

I am all about convenience. I have three kids, six and under.  They require attention.  All. The. Time. They are like little energy suckers. Cute energy suckers, mind you, but energy suckers nonetheless.  So if there are ways I can make meal time faster in the kitchen, I want to do it.  But convenience foods that you purchase in the grocery store aren't always budget friendly. Not to mention the homemade versions are usually much healthier.  Here are 5 convenience foods that you can make for yourself at home.

1.  Pancake Mix. Seriously, when you buy a mix in the store you are probably adding eggs and milk to the mix. If you make the mix at home, you are only adding a bit of sugar, salt, and baking powder to that.  Three extra ingredients.  Really not all that time consuming.  And you can always make a huge batch of this to store in your pantry.  Just take your favorite pancake mix, double, triple, quadruple the recipe of just the dry ingredients and store it in an airtight container.

2.  Taco Seasoning.  Have you ever looked at the ingredients of storebought taco seasoning?  A lot of salt, and other ingredients you probably can't even pronounce.  I love that I have a jar of taco seasoning in my pantry at all times for whenever I am in a mexican-type dinner mood.

3.  Yogurt. The yogurt aisle is where I find myself the most frustrated in the grocery store.  It seems like almost every brand contains some type of alternative sweetener -sucralose, asparatame, etc.  I'm all for cutting back on sugar, but I'd rather have good ole' refined sugar any day over all those weird, bad-tasting,we-don't-know-what-it's-doing-to-us sweeteners.  By making yogurt at home you can avoid this. Though yogurt takes hours to make, most of it is just incubating time.  The initial work is pretty simple.  And you don't need any fancy yogurt maker.  I actually got rid of my yogurt maker awhile back because I prefer to use a small cooler and some mason jars.  For a tutorial on how to make your own, check out The Frugal Girl's blog.

4.  Breakfast wraps.  Hmm, breakfast wraps.  Okay, truth be told I'm not a huge fan, but my husband loves them!  You don't have to shell out some cash in the drivethru when the craving hits.  Just fill some tortilla wraps with some scrambled eggs, sausage, salsa, and basically whatever you want, wrap them up, freeze them flat on a cookie sheet so they don't stick, and put them in a big freezer bag when they are frozen.  Just take one out and pop it in the microwave when you want one!

5.  Granola.  I LOVE granola.  But everytime I see it in the store I am floored at how they charge so much for a little bag.  Especially since it is mostly just OATMEAL!!!  I get my oatmeal in bulk, either at the grocery store or a local amish store, and it is cheap.  Making my own granola is easy, and a fraction of the cost.  Granola recipes are everywhere online, but one that I like to use can be found here.

Making your own rather than buying can save you money and be healthier for you.  And many times it isn't as difficult as it seems, it just takes a bit of practice getting into the groove of things!

God's Calling

"Being a mother is not about what you gave up to have a child, but what you've gained from having one." -Sunny Gupta

Sometimes life can be tough.  Sometimes we can walk through a trial, and it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  But sometimes I think those trials help us bring us back to a more accurate picture of what our priorities should look like.

When your kids are young, it can sometimes seem like you are just trying to make it through the day.  "The days are long but the years are short."  That's what they say, isn't it?  And sometimes as moms I think we can get lost.  Get caught up in dreaming about when life will be easier.  When our little co-sleeper is not in our bed anymore.  When our munchkin doesn't nurse constantly.  When we can stop tripping over legos or barbies or matchbox cars.  I don't know about you but I can start dreaming about all the things I am going to do when I don't have kids attached to my hip.  When they are more independent.  And then i start thinking that maybe I should rearrange my life so that I can do that now.  I start worrying that I should be changing my life in a way that brings in more money, that allows them to do more, that allows US to do or have more.

And then times get tough. The bills come in and the van breaks and the stove sparks.  And I REALLY start to question the choices I have made in my life.  I start to wonder if I should be homeschooling.  I wonder if I should put them in daycare so I can go to work so that they can take horseback riding lessons, and hockey, and violin.  I wonder if I am not being a good parent by not bringing them to Great Wolf Lodge or Disney World.  I start to wonder if I am doing it all wrong.  I mean, I didn't even know there is a Despicable Me 2 out, and my daughter doesn't own a Hannah Montana backpack. (Wait, Hannah Montana is not in anymore anyways, right?) I am just not "with it". Maybe if I was in the corporate world my kids would grow up just like everyone else.  I know what it was like growing up standing out like a sore thumb, being teased for not having what the other kids had...do I really want that for my children??

And so I pray.  I pray for wisdom.  I pray for guidance.  I pray that I wouldn't feel so conflicted in my heart.

In the meantime, I keep at it.  I teach my children math and reading and Awana Bible verses.  I cook many meals out of pasta and rice and lentils and peanut butter and jam sandwiches.  I work on my home business and help the husband with his.  I work on a fundraiser I am trying to get together for a cause I believe in.  I change diapers and hand out snacks and vitamins and wash laundry and sweep floors.  I give medicine to sick babes and cuddle them when they don't feel so well. I read stories and peel stickers off the floor and wash sticky hands.

And in the middle of life feeling tough, we receive many blessings from friends.

And God whispers to me,  "look around.  THESE are your priorities.  THIS is where I want you."

And I look.  And I see that my children are thriving at home with homeschooling.  And I see that slowly, VERY slowly, but surely, our businesses are showing promise.  And I see God's hand in a fundraiser that I feel so inadequate to put together.  And I see my children playing, and smiling.  And I feel my toddler's hand in mine and his skin feels perfect.  And I remember that I won't always have that pudgy toddler hand to hold.  and I realize the days I cry usually have nothing to do with feeling like I can't take one more tantrum (as frustrating as it is.)  No, the tears come when I feel like I will never be "enough" by the world's standards.  the tears come when I worry my children might resent me for not having the latest gadgets.  But all the laundry and dishes and backtalk and ouchies don't make me cry.  Even the days I feel like I am counting down till bedtime...still not enough to make me cry.  Maybe I am meant to be here.

God calls us all to different things.  Some women are called to work outside of the home. Some are not.  Some are called to homeschool, others are not.  And when everyone around us is doing one thing, it is easy to believe God would want us to do the same thing.  But that isn't always true.  God has different paths for different people.  and sometimes tough times help us reevaluate our priorities. Sometimes I get caught up in what I WANT MY priorities to be to suit me.  And i get confused in where God wants me.  But when I am very real with myself I can see very clearly where God wants me...right here, at home with my children.  Only he wants me to REALLY be here...not just physically.  He wants me to make sure my family is a priority...before my own selfish needs.  I don't think it is wrong to go out with the girls once in a while, or having a nap to recharge, or taking some time to ourselves as moms.  But if we start to look forward to that, and only that - never looking forward to the time with our own family because it feels exhausting, I think we need to look at our priorities.  Whether you work at home or away from home.  Whether your kids go to school or are home schooled.  I firmly believe God wants our children to know that mom and dad are a safe place for them. I firmly believe God wants our children to see us WANTING to spend time with them because we love them, and not just because we feel we HAVE to.

So, here's to 2014 being a new year for me.  A new year full of quality family time.  A year where my children AND my husband know I am here because I WANT to be here, and not because I have to.

10 things low-income people want you to know...

Talking about finances, especially my finances, is a tough subject for me.  I am a pretty open person...probably too open, but when it comes to finances, I start to get a little uncomfortable.  But I can't get this blog out of my head!  So as a continuation from last blog, read on...

10 things low-income people want you to know:

1.  We aren't unhappy. Just because we have little money doesn't mean we are miserable.  Actually, many of us are happy in our lives, and enjoy many aspects of our frugal lifestyle.

2.  Sometimes we have to say no, and hate it. When our friends invite us out, we want to always be able to say yes.  But sometimes financially, it just isn't wise to do so, whether it be out for dinner or even the gas money to get there.  but we secretly fear if we say no you will eventually grow tired of it and stop inviting us out.  So sometimes we still say yes, even though we shouldn't.

3.  We agonize over EVERY small purchase.  People with more money i imagine tend to wonder if they should or shouldn't have bought bigger purchases...such as a new outfit, a weekend away, a new electronic.  Low income people tend to feel guilty every time they get a Tim Horton's coffee, going through a drive thru to feed the family while rushing on the go, or a new thrift store t-shirt.  We question ourselves all the time on whether it really was a wise choice.

4.  Something that is celebrated as "cheap" is not necessarily that way for us.  You know those commercials that advertise stores like Winners being super cheap?  Maybe it is for many people, but when I walk in that store I have to walk right out knowing it is out of my price range.  Even higher end thrift stores, such as Value Village, have to be shopped at very carefully because some of the stuff is priced  a little higher than we really feel we should pay because of our budgets.

5.  We worry people will pity us.  We want to share about our struggles...we want to be able to share on days that it is financially hard because we know there is comfort in friends and prayer.  But we worry if we share about finances you'll feel sorry for us, or start hiding 20 dollar bills in our house.  If we share, often it's because we just want a safe place to be able to talk about it, just like anyone with struggles.

6. We like low-key.  Please, if you invite us over for dinner, keep it simple.  If we go to your house and you serve us a three course meal, an appetizer, and 5 desserts, it makes us a bit uncomfortable.  Not because we don't appreciate it (trust me, we LOVE food) but because we know we can rarely reciprocate something so extravagant.  I get that for some people, that is their love language, and that is something I need to come to terms with, but please know that inviting us over for hot dogs,or spaghetti is speaking our language. :)

7. We struggle with pride.   Sometimes when someone sees a need in our life and does something to ease burden, we are so grateful but have a hard time expressing ourselves because we are feeling overwhelmingly blessed, but also struggling with pride because we wish we could meet all those needs ourselves.  Recently I had someone anonymously pay for a program for my kids to take part in at our church.  I cried because I was so grateful.

8. Stuff doesn't equal money.  I have heard stories of people judging financially struggling people because they have a big screen tv, or a cell phone, go on a trip,  or have something else fancy and "expensive" looking.  Just by looking in someone's home or life you don't know if what you are looking at was bought, a gift, or an insanely amazing deal.  We have more furniture and stuff in our home than we need, and only ONE piece of furniture was bought brand new at Ikea years ago.  EVERY other piece of furniture was either passed down to us or bought at a yardsale. Just because we have stuff doesn't mean we must be spending our money irresponsibly.

9.  We know we have SO much.  Just like anyone, we have our days when we wish we had more, but overall, we know the fact that we were born in CANADA alone is an overall blessing.  We know that compared to so many other countries and children and families around the world we are actually very rich.  We get mad at ourselves when we have a "poor me" attitude because the fact that we know where our next meal is coming from means we actually fall in the "rich" bracket.

10.  Every decision we make that involves money isn't always based on the cost.  Christmas is a great example of this one.  Yes, we want to keep our expenses down, but more importantly, we don't want to teach our children that Christmas is about a mountain of presents under the tree.  So we scale back Christmas in an effort to keep our whole family's eyes on the real meaning of the season.

If you have anything to add to this list, please share.  But these are some of the things that come to my mind when I think of what I would want others to know about us in the low-income bracket.