Mental Block

I seem to have hit the wall as far as my hobbies go. I haven't sewn in a month or more (except for today, where I have managed to cut and re-cut fabric into a variety of sizes--all of them wrong for the pattern I was attempting). I have stopped writing blog posts although I still jot down daily notes. Gardener friends are excited to get out into the dirt and I sigh that once the snow melts and the mud dries up I have acres of dog mess to pick off my lawn. I'm just being a downer.

So I thought I better break the silence and at least post some photos of the daily goings on. If I leave it too long it gets harder and harder to return.

Yard is still buried in snow

Although the yard is still frozen and under a foot or two of snow, the area facing south of our attached garage (above) is thawing quickly and soon I hope to clear out last year's growth. Perhaps I will rig up some low tunnels and start some early greens. Below, the snow has already disappeared from the south side of our house, just beside the attached garage area. This is also a great spot for some early planting. I hope to build some cold frames this spring (although I do hate to talk about "plans" on the blog before the project has begun--things do have a way of changing and then one appears to be a dud when the plan never comes to fruition!). Oh well, the cat is out of the bag--hopefully I have success starting kale, lettuce, arugula and cilantro indoors and there are cold frames to move to when they are ready :)

One of two remaining jars of maple syrup that we boiled down last year. Also notice my stained glass windows hanging in the window--love 'em! I had saved a quart for each of my sons' birthdays, but we forgot to do it at J's! So this past weekend at O's 4th birthday party I attempted to cook the syrup down into taffy and pour it onto snow for our little friends. It worked out okay but because I did it in the house (bringing a bowl of snow inside) the taffy didn't cool off as well or get as firm as it should have.

Once our company left the syrup cooled into a lovely candy/taffy that I didn't want to waste.

So I added some brown sugar, butter, vanilla and soda and poured it over freshly popped popcorn (no photo available). It was very, very tasty and if I have any syrup next Christmas I think I've happened upon my new "homemade gift" for bus driver, teachers, etc.

As I mentioned, I haven't been sewing much since completing a blanket for my new baby nephew. I think it was that I dreaded putting the binding on the quilt I made my sister-in-law for Christmas.

I just kept putting it off so yesterday I tackled it and finished it. It was a nice relief to get that off the to-do list and it inspired me to rifle through my fabric stash and put together a baby boy and a baby girl quilt so that I have one of each on hand to give away.

I very much love the colour combination I chose for a simple girl's pinwheel baby blanket. But because the Pin I'm using as inspiration is a full sized quilt with large blocks I tried to shrink it in scale and guess at dimensions that would work. The quarter inch seam fools me every time and I've ended up with some blocks smaller than others and need to cut a whole bunch more fabric. I would have been done it by now if I had searched to find a proper pattern, but if I had done that I might not have gotten around to finally posting on the blog ;) I guess everything happens for a reason :) I hope you are having a great Tuesday!

Letter Writing

A wonderful suggestion by a bloggy-friend: why not write real words on real paper? To each other?

I used to write multiple letters (hilarious ones, if I do say so myself!) to two best friends that graduated ahead of me and left our small farming community for the big city university. It was a time before we expected a response either momentarily or same-day...a time before 140 characters dimmed the wits of an entire generation. 

What fun to check the mail! We get our mail on a country road, the one east of us while everything we do leads us west. So although only half a mile out of the way it is easy to forget to go there. Also, it is only delivered on Wednesday and Friday, so I often think there's no point picking it up until there's a good bit stored up. 

I'll say this about my return to letter writing--it's made my geeky day. I've gone and made myself a set of rules. 

I will not read my letter until the kids are most definitely asleep. No interruptions!

I will read it in the quiet, and with tea (echinacea tonight as all the short people in the house have the sniffles).

I will respond immediately, and mail the first draft, scribbles and all. This bloggy, emailing world allows us to polish and refine our every thought. It will be refreshing to blurt it all out without revising. 

In every letter I shall tell a simple, true story that is inspired by the letter I have just read. Some will be short, some might be long. I'm interested to see where these rules take me. 

What a fantastic idea this was! If any of this inspires you, please, pick up a pen and send a quick card or note to someone you would like to chat with. If you can't think of anyone, but you would like to return to writing letters, inbox me! It's a wonderful thing to do :)

Financial Goals for March

I hope I'm not boring people with my focus on our family budget. At the moment, I am preparing us for the possibility of a loss of income--although it's likely that we would find some sort of income given time--it is also likely that we would not be making as much as usual. It is entirely possible that we might have a length of time with no income, then a reduced income, and need to quickly get used to living on less than we have been.

For all my talk of budgeting and knowing where your money goes, I sat and reviewed our numbers last night and was shocked that our "bare bones" budget (the amount of money we need every month to keep food in bellies and lights on overhead--the essentials only) was frankly much higher than I thought it would be. That is, at first glance, I saw no way that we could reduce our monthly expenses. Considering I sat and did the initial budget in January, it's strange that I still didn't know exactly how much money we spend a month. A few things have changed, though, and I hadn't really done the math on how that affected us. As well, I had not factored in vehicle maintenance, house repairs/maintenance, kids activities, Christmas. Once I did, I found my budget to be grossly out of reach, especially if the worst does happen.

After my initial panic I was able to see the budget more clearly and have found a few ways to cut spending. What's more, I have decided that it works better for me to move specific amounts of money into accounts that are designated for 1) savings/Christmas/pending bills and 2) vehicle maintenance, home repair/maintenance, "slush fund", and kids activities. Once that money disappears from our joint account I will simply have to work with what's leftover. For me, the important thing is getting used to living within reach of our "bare bones" budget so that, if worse comes to worse, we can quickly and easily adapt to the new reality.

What I realize I must change:

• I am doing well with my $600/month budget for food. However, getting this even lower would be necessary if Husband were out of work for a significant length of time. I am going to try to have a surplus of money leftover in March. (Whatever is not spent on groceries will be moved into Savings fund)
• I intend to have one month's free groceries/year using air miles reward dollars at Safeway and my PC Plus card at Superstore. I need to be very strategic in using coupons and flyers and planning my stockpile of food. This is a change in philosophy from saving up all the points and using them on "special" groceries at Christmas time. At $600/month I'm spending $7200 a year on food. I used to spend more than that plus spend any extra free points on things like cream cheese, havarti, etc for fancy meals. By budgeting smartly I expect to still afford some Christmas treats and also have a month's free food. So hopefully I will spend around $6,600 on food and eat just as well. It's a challenge that I am oddly excited to begin :)
• Our power bill is only charged every 3 months. I make monthly payments to that account so that we are never caught with an outrageous bill we weren't expecting. But I need to sit and figure out an "average" monthly amount for power so that I know I am budgeting enough. Ditto with natural gas.
• Buy greater quantities of pet food when it is on sale.

What I am not changing...yet:

• Husband has a Sirius Satellite Radio. He basically listens to it all day and he is in vehicles/equipment almost non-stop on 11 and 12 hour workdays. It is a last resort to take this away from him, but at $20/month we are realizing that it is a luxury that could be cut if need be--particularly if he was no longer working as much. I have also discovered that I can reduce that cost by about $5/month and I plan to do so soon.
• I cut my cell phone plan by $21/month awhile back. This could be cut further and probably in the summer when our contract is up I will shop around a hopefully save even more.
• We were in a situation where we basically had to get a new truck for Husband for work. We knew it was a poor time to do so, but being broke down in the winter or even having an unreliable vehicle at work is stressful. We are now deciding if we will sell the old truck, or my car, or keep both and only insure the old truck when we need it...obviously in a pinch we could sell one. For now we are keeping both car and truck insured for driving but we need to make a decision soon. 

My Goals for March:

• Write ourselves each a cheque and deposit them into each of our personal accounts (the plan is to do this every month--March will be my first). As I mentioned above, one account will be Savings (Christmas, land taxes, a few bills that are coming at us soon), the other will be vehicle and home maintenance/repair fund, kids activities fund, "slush fund".
• create a spreadsheet for each of these accounts keeping track of how much money belongs to each designated fund and recording any transactions.
• Into the kids' activities fund I will transfer their Christmas money from Grandparents in Newfoundland. We usually save the money for something big for them so this year it might be a camping trip. Likewise, birthday money from my mom is always spent on swimming lessons, and their other birthday and Christmas money goes into their own bank accounts. Once the kids activities fund gets to a certain amount I plan to make a lump transfer to each of their RESPs. 
• Repay money from vacation fund that we have "borrowed". The cash from our bottle/can recycling, along with other bits of cash that we end up with, are stashed in an envelope waiting for a summer trip of some kind. Twice now I've taken money from it when I needed cash so need to put $40 back!
• Register the kids for swimming lessons at the pool.
• Continue to bake all of our bread, buns and sweets.
• Continue to put $5/week into the egg jar.
• Continue to explore ways to make money myself, without incurring childcare costs.

It is my absolute goal right now to begin saving one year's expenses in case Husband is out of work. I realize now that we should have had that saved all along. We are doing well and with all my extra cuts I hope that in March we can set aside a month's expenses while also doing the transfers I have spoken of. This is the new game plan for 2016--for every dollar earned I need to save 50 cents!  

Quinoa and Cilantro Patties

I realize I've been going hard posting about frugality and spending these days :) As a change of pace I thought I'd do a quick pop in with a yummy (and frugal) treat I made myself today. Last night I had quinoa and roasted vegetables with some meatballs that I had pre-made and frozen. I made about 2 cups of quinoa with the plan that I could use it in my cauliflower pizza crust tonight and some quinoa patties that I like.

QUINOA PATTIES

approz 1 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
2 Tbsp chopped spinach (I used frozen and made sure to squeeze excess moisture from the spinach before adding)
2 Tbsp chopped onion (optional)
1 tsp cumin (optional)

Mix your ingredients together while 1 Tbsp olive oil heats in a frying pan. Form "patties" with your mixture and fry carefully once the pan is hot. You may want to use 2 flippers to ensure they don't come apart when you turn them, although mine held together well.

I made the most delicious hot pepper chutney with my excess peppers this past fall. It is spicy hot and so, so good. Husband and I love hot food, though, and it is not for the faint of heart. I chopped cilantro (another favorite of ours) and had the patties with cilantro, hot pepper chutney and some greek yogurt to temper the heat. So delish!  I tend to forget about cooking quinoa but I do enjoy eating it from time to time. Do you like quinoa? What is your favorite way to eat it?

How We Saved Money Feb 21-27, and February's Spending Recap

The past week had its highs and lows as far as household spending goes. My 6 year old is getting long legged and although we do get hand-me-downs, boys wear out pants and there aren't as many intact pairs to hand down! So while in town to buy groceries I was also on a mission to find him some jogging pants for school (he has plenty of jeans that fit but prefers softer clothes so I like to have a couple pairs of each). Since I was nearby I stopped into a children's clothing store and was happy to see "40-60% off Storewide" signs in the window. There was only one pair of jogging pants in his size and they were regular $24 but marked 30% off (it just occurred to me that I should have asked why they were only marked 30% off when the signs said 40%. Oh well!). By my math that still puts the pants at about $17. I hesitated and then put them back, and did not stop to look at the younger sized clothes that were marked $3.99. O has plenty of hand-me-downs and I didn't want to be tempted into buying things that aren't needed. On my way out of town I swung in to the Second Hand Store and found a pair of 7/8 jogging pants and also got a 9/10 for future. They were $1.50 each. I also found a Leap Reader video for $2. Although it wasn't on my list, my kids love these videos and they really do help kids learn to read. I didn't feel bad spending that $2! So altogether I spent $5 rather than $17, but the pants were too big so it will be a few months before he actually wears them. I will continue to watch the thrift stores.

I made it to Husband's bank to deposit money, then did an online transfer into his Tax Free Savings Account. These are things that I put off doing and then we don't end up saving the money. However, I find that once the money is out of our general accounts we "forget" about it and are less likely to feel small events are emergencies that warrant the hassle of withdrawing (something I tend to do when I just keep it in the savings account). Small strategies to actually save.

Husband has been away working most of February so I anticipated coming in below budget this month--and I would have had I not chosen to stockpile a bit of food that was on special. I came in $6.39 over my $600/month kitchen budget. There were also some realities that skew my monthly results but should average out over the year. As I've mentioned, we get free beef from my parents so this month very little was spent on meat. At the same time, I bought 4 AAA batteries at the grocery store for about $9, something I should have been proactive about watching for on sale and having a coupon ready. More was spent on health and beauty this month as I bought Husband razors and Epsom Salts for my dad. I bought things like plastic food wrap (a huge $10 roll), lightbulbs and stamps--rarely purchased but necessary nonetheless and all of this combined is an inedible addition of almost $70 to the month's grocery spending. It isn't hard to see how such expenditures can derail a budget when money is very tight.

Some stockpiled soup, coffee, vinegar, and the edge of a bag of flour--all purchased on special.
Keeping this shelf stocked prevents my paying full price for items we use regularly.

I left pet food for next month but now run the risk of running out of cat food before I get to town. Happily, the cats seem to like the dog food so I am crushing it a bit and mixing it with theirs to get us through. When I added my last grocery receipt to my spreadsheet I was stunned to see that a bag of grapes cost almost $11! I think I was more surprised at myself for not weighing the bag than I was at the price. Rookie mistake!

Another mistake on the bill (whether mine or the store's) was that when I purchased 2 packages of bacon I thought it was marked $4/pkg. I see now that I was charged over $13 for the two! Had I noticed that at the check out I would have put the bacon back. I simply don't buy it unless it is on special. This oversight is a combination of having a child "helping", bagging my own groceries, and also forgetting to watch the prices as they cross the screen. Normally I catch many mistakes simply by watching the prices as things are scanned, and I don't like shopping where it isn't visible to the customer. Lesson learned: check my receipt before leaving the till. In the past I have caught overcharges upwards of $20, so it is a good habit to have.

The last of my notes for February includes my continued commitment to support the Food Bank with every grocery shop. Most years I get generous at Christmas and then forget about it. But for the past several months I've watched for good specials and purchase a few dollars worth of food every week. When we forget to pick something out, my kids and I realize at the bin by the door and take something that we like out of our own food and donate it. I don't think the Food Bank can fix what is wrong (right now, or in general) but there is a lesson in this for my kids. I want them to be grateful for our good fortune, and realize that our security comes as a result of planning and budgeting with a whole lot of hard work and luck thrown in for good measure.

Where to Start Part II

When Income Decreases, Spending Must Follow

Another of my weekly columns. This was sent in before I received so many wonderful suggestions and comments on Part I. Thanks to those who gave feedback both through the blog and in person. I am still processing and ruminating and will be working on follow up columns soon. For now, here are some more ideas to help families dealing with or preparing for a loss of income. 

Has your income decreased or are you preparing for the worst? Here are some ideas to control your monthly spending.

1.       Reduce Grocery Spending

Food is getting more expensive, but it is possible to spend less at the grocery store. Consider this: the less processed or packaged the food is, the cheaper it will be. For example, small, cute, kid-sized portions are double (or triple) the cost (think cheese strings, juice boxes, yogurt). Consider buying the 650g container of yogurt and sending it to school in a reusable dish with lid and spoon (better for the environment anyway). Follow the Canada Food Guide’s recommended portions and send a piece of cheese cut from the larger, less expensive block that you already have in the fridge. You can do the same with apple sauce, fruit salad, almost anything. If it comes in little packages you are probably paying extra. Save money by buying larger amounts and portioning them out yourself. Still using that single-serve coffee pot? Compare the cost of a can of coffee to your favorite pods. Might be time to get a reusable filter or dig out the old drip coffee maker. When shopping for food, consider how “convenience” costs extra. Can you save by doing some of the work yourself?

 

2.       Use A Rewards Card and In-Store Coupons

Most stores and credit card companies use a rewards system of some kind nowadays (think Airmiles, PC Plus, Shopper’s Optimum, etc). If you already shop there (or use the credit card) sign up for the points/miles/cash back options available to you. Collect the points, miles or stamps and redeem what is coming to you. If it is not something you want, donate or sell it. It takes minimal effort to “load the offers” or check for coupons as you shop. Many grocery stores give coupons for gas—ask for more details. A few cents off per litre adds up when money is tight. If the money was laying on the ground, would you pick it up? Keep track of how much less you are spending and put that money towards your highest interest rate (see #4).

3.       Pay in Cash (Envelope System)

If you are a fan of Gail Vaz Oxlade (and you should be) then you already know about the cash envelope (or jar) system that she recommends. Basically, you take out the amount of money that you will need for the month’s expenses and keep it in the designated jar. Once you are out of money you must stop spending—an effective tool but it does require will-power. If you can physically see the money leaving the jars it helps curb over-spending. Consider whether this might be a system that would work for you/ your family. Read more at Gail’s website www.gailvazoxlade.com or sites like www.mrmoneymustache.com (language warning on that one!). Find a system that you are comfortable with and get started.

4.       STOP Making Minimum Payments

If you have reduced your monthly spending and see a bit of cash leftover, don’t rush out and spend money as a reward. Try to put as much extra money as possible towards your highest interest rate. Every little bit helps over time. When you finally pay that off, tackle the next payment in the same way. Talk to someone about consolidating your debt--cut up your cards. Do whatever you have to do to crush your credit card debt. Everyone’s situation is different so take a long hard look at your payments and debts and take action of some kind as soon as possible. If you are caught up in a cycle of not making your payments, you should consult professional advice. The longer you leave it the more stressful it will be.

5.       Talk About Spending Less Money

“Keeping up” with the neighbours can be tempting if you see them continue to vacation and shop as though their situation has not changed. Perhaps their situation hasn’t changed; perhaps they had saved a lot or were gifted money or perhaps they are in over their heads but don’t know where to start. You can’t know what is going on in another household but it’s time to figure out what’s going on in yours. Be the first to talk about it and give yourself, your friends and your family permission to admit that change is needed. Share what you are doing to spend less. Your ideas might help someone and their ideas might help you. If you are invited out but it interferes with your budget and goals, explain why you can’t make it. Visit at home. Enjoy potluck suppers and coffee at the kitchen table. Be the first in your circle to turn over a frugal new leaf. Chances are those close to you will be relieved that you did!

Batch Cooking, and Some Social Media Excitement

I feel like I've pulled out of the February doldrums that seem to catch up to me every year. I managed to get my baking done on Monday in spite of a crushing lethargy. Yesterday, bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to get at 'er. Today, middle of the road after the dog barked from 4 in the morning until Gawd Knows When. I don't know why I don't just get up and get busy when my sleep is interrupted. At any rate, a slow start but I have not been deterred from "My List".

I wanted to get some frozen meals in the freezer--some for Husband who is working away from home right now but has the facilities to reheat home-cooked meals. I have also had a hankering for cabbage rolls of late--I confess I actually bought two batches at $9.99 each earlier this winter. I just don't seem to roll them right :(  Properly rolled or not, there are now two pans of cabbage rolls ready for my freezer.

O turns 4 on March 7th. I am planning another sliding party (if we still have snow) with a wiener roast  for the kids and chili and buns for the grown ups. Since he is not in school he just wants to invite his little buddy that we have play dates with, and I will ask a few family friends if they can come. If everyone's schedules co-ordinate we should be able to have some fresh air and fun outside. On a different day I plan lasagna, homemade bread and salads with my family (and of course cake and ice cream for both parties). Today I made the chili and lasagna to freeze, and portioned out some for Husband to take back to work with him. I find that doing the cakes and probably bread and buns as well as getting the house organized is enough to tackle for birthdays. Having a good portion of the food ready ahead will really help out.

While I was busy in the kitchen this morning a friend texted a "screen shot" of some pins that were on Pinterest under my name. These were fairly risque photography poses, as in sans clothes and very suggestive and sexual in nature!!! I near fainted in me cabbage. I only use my first name and first 3 letters of my last name, which another person with the same name has done as well but in ALL CAPS. There was a flurry of text messaging and a quick tutorial on "how to change your name on Pinterest". That other Jill sure does like to have fun, but I wonder if she has stocked her freezer with cabbage rolls and the like? At any rate, there's been a name change and friends on Pinterest will have to make do with the usual homesteading, thrifty and gardening type Pins for which I am known. That is unless they've dumped me for the more adventurous gal by the same name ;)