Thrift

You know how it is when you go to the thrift store.  Hit or miss.  You can't entirely plan to buy a specific thing, because you have no idea if they will have it.  For me, a much better approach towards going to the thrift store is having some categories of things in mind, and checking to see if they have any of them.  For us at the moment, those categories are something like this:

 ::books, specifically nature books or high quality children's books

:: children's clothing (the right size, comfortable, and cute.  I tend to be partial towards things that are vintage-y) Lily is modeling a romper I found for her yesterday.

::baskets or storage containers

::quilts, especially ones that are pretty and handmade

::women's dresses

::men's button down shirts

::pitchers.  For some reason I am obsessed with pitchers.

It's pretty easy to scan the store to see if they have anything special, and I can usually be in and out quickly.  Yesterday I felt especially lucky to find a beautiful smocked cotton communion dress (two years off, but I will save it!  And hopefully use it a few times!) with a peter pan collar for $2.99, which sort of reminded me of a beautiful one I saw and loved on etsy a while back for a good bit more (ahem, almost 10 times more, actually).  Really awesome, if you ask me.

Balance

Have you all heard of balance bikes? I'm sure you have: they're basically little bikes without pedals or gears. The idea is that toddlers can learn how to balance using these bikes (doing something called "coasting" in which they run up some speed and then lift their feet up). Then, when they are really really good at coasting, they can switch to a regular old bike and all they need to learn how to do is pedal.

See? That's coasting! "Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause" gave Lily an actual bona fide balance bike (Lily firmly believes Mrs. Clause is involved in the present delivery, however, she does not enter your home, because, "She's shy.")". We realized that Zosia's "big girl bike" was both a bit too big for her and over her head. Our solution? Ben took the thrift store bike we bought for her a year ago for $2.99 and took off the pedals and gears. According to Ben, all you need to do this is 2 wrenches, a screwdriver, a hammer, and some elbow grease. I'm only wishing we had thought of this in time to do it for both girls!

Ta da! And then when it's time, you can always put the pedals back on. For now, we're loving the balance bikes: it's amazing how quickly the kiddos pick up on it! We're balance biking all around the neighborhood these days.

A Thrifted Infusion

Some of you may remember that Ben, ahem, I mean Santa, was quite good to our family last year and brought us a play kitchen. Quite some play kitchen for a woodworking novice, if you ask me! Oh, well I guess Santa has his elves to help him, right?

We have been through varying phases with this kitchen. The kids will play with it for a while, then forget about it. Isn't it that way with all toys? We occasionally use it as a piece of furniture. When I'm teaching a class, I put a monitor on top of it.

The other day while I was at the thrift store I picked up a few kitchen-y items: a new pitcher, a small pan, a ceramic bottle. I actually intended them for our real grown up kitchen. But when the girls claimed them as their own and played with that kitchen nonstop for several consecutive hours, I realized that they were meant for those little hands. And just like that, our little kitchen has a second life! I'm trying to take note so I can actually plan this sort of thing next time...

Thrifted Diversions

Over the past few weeks, whenever I go to the thrift store, I gather little things here and there to entertain the big girls when this little one arrives. Above: a wealth of children's books, several of which we have already gone through one (or many, many) times. I was so pleasantly surprised by how many beautiful classic books I was able to find.


A bag of clothespins, part wishful thinking about finally putting up a clothes line in the back yard, part un-toy, particularly for my little Lily.

There's something so wonderful about being able to get special little presents in such a thrifty fashion! What have your thrifting adventures brought you lately?

Natural Beauty

We started a journey towards natural toys a while ago-- striving to find natural, touchable, beautiful things for our children to learn with. We have never been super strict or legalistic about it-- if there is a non-natural toy that they are bonded with, we allow them to keep it. If there is a special non-natural gift given, again, they can keep it. I have viewed it less as a journey away from something as a journey towards something--towards creativity and simplicity and beauty-- and I think that both my children and I have found it to be rewarding and fun.

We have slowly been moving noisy electronic toys into bags and boxes as we have discovered simple natural toys-- picked up at thrift stores, found in nature, found in our closets. I have been committed to making this transition inexpensive and doable-- there's simply no need to spend big money on expensive "natural" toys when the Creator has surrounded us with them already.

My sister and I laughed in amusement when Zosia spent near and hour playing with a bowl of buttons (which we only take out when Lily is sleeping or otherwise safely away)-- sorting them, putting them into muffin tins while naming to whom each tin would be allotted, pouring them from bowl to bowl. Previously, if I needed Zosia to be 100% occupied by something I would pop in a video-- now I know I can just pull out the buttons.

We have played with rice (just as fun, although a little more messy--which we don't mind), river stones, yarn, flower bulbs, acorns and pine cones. Pots and pans, scarves, jars. And, yes, wooden toys, too. Although, to be honest, these don't hold nearly as much wonder as the things we've scavenged from nature. I like that now when we go for a walk, Zosia's eyes are scanning the ground, looking closely at trees, trying to imagine ways to interact with her surroundings. We never pass a certain pine tree without Zosia trying to find a "mama" and "baby" pine cone to take as an accompaniment to her walk. Because she now knows that nature is a beautiful playground, filled with an assortment of magical toys. And I've started to remember that, too.

Some Structure for Thrifting

I am just getting into the hang of regular thrifting-- a true pleasure, since there is a large and inexpensive thrift store up the street. However, as with all shopping, it has been important for me to follow some rules-- going to a thrift store can easily devolve from a way to save money into meaningless consumerism.

I will admit that one thing I like about going to a thrift store is that I can splurge a bit and not break the bank. It's not too bad to come home with a few extra treats when those treats cost a total of 5 bucks. However, it's easy to walk into a thrift store and forget entirely what you need. So, over the last couple of weeks, I have come up with a few rules that I follow when going to a thrift store:

1. Go with a list. This is a no-brainer with regular shopping, but somehow took me a long time to recognize as necessary with thrifting. It's especially helpful for keeping items that may be difficult to find at the front of your mind.

For example, my current list is:

wooden toys (not blocks!)
dresser
a basket for holding mail
a nativity set

2. Only buy an item if you're sure that you would buy such an item for more money at a real store. I often pick things up just because I feel like they're a great deal, only to take them home and never use them. The key is to get things that you truly love, need, and will value, but at a bargain.

3. When you come home, immediately clean up items (wash cloth items, scrub down wood or hard surfaces), and integrate them into your household. I've found that the longer items linger, the less likely I am to put them to good use.

Having followed these rules this morning, I came home feeling accomplished, clear-headed and thrifty. And I knocked out a couple of Christmas presents (don't tell Zosia about this wooden car I found!), a set of curtains we've been needing for quite a while (currently in the dryer) and a lovely Christmas decoration.

Any tips for thrifting from the more experienced shoppers out there?

Some Structure for Thrifting

I am just getting into the hang of regular thrifting-- a true pleasure, since there is a large and inexpensive thrift store up the street. However, as with all shopping, it has been important for me to follow some rules-- going to a thrift store can easily devolve from a way to save money into meaningless consumerism.

I will admit that one thing I like about going to a thrift store is that I can splurge a bit and not break the bank. It's not too bad to come home with a few extra treats when those treats cost a total of 5 bucks. However, it's easy to walk into a thrift store and forget entirely what you need. So, over the last couple of weeks, I have come up with a few rules that I follow when going to a thrift store:

1. Go with a list. This is a no-brainer with regular shopping, but somehow took me a long time to recognize as necessary with thrifting. It's especially helpful for keeping items that may be difficult to find at the front of your mind.

For example, my current list is:

wooden toys (not blocks!)
dresser
a basket for holding mail
a nativity set

2. Only buy an item if you're sure that you would buy such an item for more money at a real store. I often pick things up just because I feel like they're a great deal, only to take them home and never use them. The key is to get things that you truly love, need, and will value, but at a bargain.

3. When you come home, immediately clean up items (wash cloth items, scrub down wood or hard surfaces), and integrate them into your household. I've found that the longer items linger, the less likely I am to put them to good use.

Having followed these rules this morning, I came home feeling accomplished, clear-headed and thrifty. And I knocked out a couple of Christmas presents (don't tell Zosia about this wooden car I found!), a set of curtains we've been needing for quite a while (currently in the dryer) and a lovely Christmas decoration.

Any tips for thrifting from the more experienced shoppers out there?

Starting Plants from Cuttings Update

Remember when I tried to start my own ornamental plants from cuttings as yet another attempt to live on the cheap? I promised an update, whether good or bad, so here it is.

I'm happy to report that several weeks later, there are actually several survivors! Specifically, my sweet potato vines (which I like to put in my window box from spring through fall) have developed roots (evident by the fact that when I tug on them, they give resistance). Now they're ready to get taken out of their ziplock bag, placed in a sunny place, and watered periodically through the winter.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, some other varieties of plants did not take. The impatiens simply died, while the petunias are still alive, but have not developed a root structure.

I'm still pleased with the results. The root hormone I bought only cost 5 bucks, and that's about what one sweet potato vine would have cost from the nursery. Plus, I still have plenty of root hormone left for future experimentation.

Did anyone else out there try this? Any luck?

Frugal Friday: Growing Your Own Ornamental Plants

I have a horribly un-green thumb (my houseplants, may they rest in peace, would agree) but I do like to keep some pretty annuals in our windowboxes and planters-- and generally, they stay alive with a minimum of effort. Nothing fancy, just some petunias and sweet potato vine in the spring and summer, and pansies and vinca vine in the wintertime. Well, after many seasonal trips to the garden center, I have decided to try my hand at propagating my own plants from cuttings. I first heard of this from a farmer who was selling beautiful hanging baskets of mixed flowers in the Berkshires. We asked how he grows such beautiful flowers, and he told us, straight up, that he uses some root hormone on cuttings. That's how everyone does it, he told us. It's fast and easy-- you should try it. Well, two years later, I'm finally giving it a try. It should save a good bit of money (a bottle of root hormone is around 5 bucks, which is close to what I would pay for a single plant).

Here's how it's done.

Take some cuttings from your favorite ornamental plants (you shouldn't do this in edible plants). Just snip right below a leaf, and then take off any leaves close to the bottom:



Dip in a cup of water followed by the root hormone:



Place in a container with potting soil (I just planted my pansies, so I still had these handy 6-pack planters on hand) and water lightly:



Place the whole thing in an unzipped ziplock bag:



Now, you're supposed to leave the plants out of direct sunlight for a week or two (until they give you some resistance when you tug, meaning that the roots have developed), and then place them on a windowsill that gets some good light (we don't have a great candidate, so I think we're going to try to find a fluorescent light on craigslist). Come springtime, I'm hoping that we have an array of plants ready for planting-- and for a total cost of just 5 bucks! I have a bunch of petunias, some sweet potato vine, and impatiens growing so far.

If you give this a try, let me know how it goes. If you've done it before, do you have any tips? I need all the help I can get.

Frugal Friday: No Spend Month Confessions and Wrap-Up

We're coming to the end of our No-Spend Month, our family's challenge to live off of $350 for the month. Our hope for the month was to become more mindful about our spending habits, not to live in a drastic or ascetic way-- we have two little kiddos in the house, so we wanted to keep things healthy and normal.

We bought in bulk at the beginning of the month, meaning our first week was a bit heavy, coming in at $222.93

Our second week we reigned in the spending, coming in at $64.43

And this week we continued our trend of tight spending with..... (drum roll, please!)..... $64.69

Bringing our grand total to: $352.05, just a few bucks over our goal. If I were a perfectionist, I would probably be upset, but I'm quite happy with the whole thing. It was a great month of examining our spending habits, making do without, and living intentionally. I really feel it has impacted our lifestyle for the better, and I feel that we'll continue to live in a much more intentional way. One lesson I learned was that even if I really wanted something in the moment, I rarely regretted not buying it in retrospect. And, for our family, a great way of sticking to a meal budget is finding simple meals that everyone likes (burritos, pizza, stir-fry, roasted chicken) and making them regularly.

But, I do have a slight confession, and I just wouldn't feel right keeping this from you. One impact of No-Spend Month has been that we have become much more industrious-- imagining ways to make do, thinking of ways to bring in more income. And, along those lines, we started cleaning out some of the junk in our basement through selling it on craigslist. We started posting things we never used (Ben's old speakers), and things we never imagined anyone would actually pay for (an old backpack), and surprisingly started selling them, which created a little "slush fund" of extra money. We started setting the money aside for little projects around the house that remain unfinished-- specifically, an unfinished built-in bookcase that I hope to be blogging about (in its completion) on Monday.

Well, we dipped into the money a little early. I wish I could say that we spent it in something amazingly sexy and extravagant, but here's where it went: A box of Ben and jerry's ice cream, and some mouse traps. And some frozen custard on our way to our Mini-Vacation. Apparently our (ahem... my) weakness lies in the ice cream.

It just wouldn't be a good month without a little drama, don't you think?

And, I'm happy to report, that all our savings allowed us to pay down $500 of credit card debt we're still carrying around from finishing our basement this winter. Not bad.


To all the no-spenders out there: how has your month ended up?

Frugal Friday: Our No Spend Month Week Two Roundup

Alright guys, things are looking tight, but pretty good with our no spend month. Last week I gave you the update on the first week (well, actually first week and a half) of no spend month. Here's how we're doing this week.

As of last week, we had spent: $222.93
leaving: $127.07

Here's this week:

Groceries: $42.64
Gas: $20.00 (there's Ben again, getting gas in whole dollars)

Wow. Can that be it? Yes, I think that is it. And my thrifty husband even remembered a pasta bake that I had prepared during my birth preparation frenzy that was sitting in the back of the freezer, which means that we have one leftover dinner from this week going into next week.

And we have: $64.43 remaining for the next week and a half.

I feel like I'm coming to the realization that absolutely no discretionary spending is hard after the initial honeymoon period of a couple of weeks. Whew! It's hard not to splurge here and there (a cup of coffee out with friends, a treat for the toddler at the grocery store). But you know what? There hasn't been a single item that I have refrained from buying that I have later regretted not buying. It's all water under the bridge.

But, I must admit, I have a secret list of things I am looking forward to buying once this month is over. Is that cheating?

Frugal Friday: Our No Spend Month Week One Roundup

We are eleven days into No Spend Month, our attempt at living off of $350 bucks for the whole month. You can read about some of the things that we've been trying to cut down on costs here, as well as our rational behind embarking on this endeavor. And, I'm quite happy to report, so far so good-- although we definitely have our work cut out for us these next couple of weeks.

Here's what our tally is looking like so far:

Costco run for the whole month: $127.85
Gas: $20.00 (I am learning that Ben is one of those people who fills to the dollar, not the tank. How cute!)
Groceries for week one: $53.10
Paper Goods: $21.98

That brings our running total to..... (drum roll, please).....$222.93

Which means that for the next three weeks we have $127.07.

This is going to be close, guys! But I think we can do it... especially if, as I'm hoping, all we have to buy is groceries for those three weeks. Can it be done? Are we stubborn enough to make it happen? I think so, but only time will tell.

Getting Started

We've been experimenting with using a sourdough starter for our bread (because there are sourdough lovers among us, and also because it would cut the cost of yeast out of our no spend month). It's actually surprisingly straightforward. My favorite part of these instructions is, "If this sounds brain-dead simple, that's because it is. People who didn't believe the Earth was round did this for millenia." Essentially, you mix flour with water and allow it to sit, "feeding" it with a bit of fresh flour and water each day. That's it!

I'm a little curious to see what types of baked goods can be made out of said starter. Can we make a milder, sweeter, whole wheat bread? Or will all of our bread have a strong sourdough taste-- loved by some, but not by others (ahem... me).

On the second day we "fed" the starter, and it looked nice and bubbly. This morning, after having fed it again, the bubbles are gone. We may be back to the drawing board, but I'm remaining optimistic. The nice thing about this is that there's essentially no startup cost, so if it takes a couple of tries, that's okay.

And with any luck, we'll have our own Virginia sourdough baking in our oven in no time! Yum.

Frugal Friday: Tips From A Cheapskate

I'm always on the hunt for finding ways to live more cheaply. It has come in handy-- especially as a one-income family living in several expensive cities over the years. I have previously posted my top ten ways to live cheaply, but I'm always living and learning, so here are a few of the newest tricks we've found-- tricks that I hope will help make our No Spend Month successful.

* Make stuff at home. I have made bread and granola at home for a while, but have recently expanded to some items that I never dreamed I would be making at home. We have started making tortillas at home-- which are pricey at the store, but super easy to make and gratifying at home. We have also started making our own popcorn (I never even KNEW you could just pop it in a pot with a lid! Just as easy as the microwave, but over half as cheap). And then there's our recent experiment of making our own bread starter (more on this soon), which will hopefully eliminate the cost of yeast from our budget.

* Find ways to have a treat on a budget. Sometimes it's nice to spice things up on the weekend and do something different or special. We often will have picnics in the yard or on a nearby field with a simple homemade dish. Or, another special treat is taking some fast food-style burgers (cheap as possible!) and doctoring them up at home. If you take a plain burger and add arugula, your favorite cheese, and red onion, it transforms the burger experience. And with this tip our whole family can eat dinner for under 5 bucks.

* Troll websites for items that you are going to have to buy anyway. I bought this adorable wooden toy (along with a set of dozens of wooden zoo animals, cars, and 'people' off of craigslist for a few bucks). But, as with all things, do this in moderation. For this month, I am disallowed from looking for stuff on craigslist because sometimes it just feels like a deal is too good to pass up... which is dangerous.

* Eat vegetarian several times a week. I was a vegetarian for years, which comes in handy, because we're used to cooking/eating without meat. This makes a huge impact on the cost of week's groceries. And when we do eat meat, we choose economic options.

* Don't use recipes, or use recipes that are flexible. I love Cook's Illustrated, but I only cook from one of their recipes once in a blue moon because they require some little ingredient I am missing, which they guilt me into buying (like arrowroot? Who's heard of arrowroot?). Instead, I do simple meals that only use a few ingredients from my head, or recipes that have lots of flex room (which is why I live by More With Less and Simply in Season, both of which use simple recipes that can be switched up in dozens of ways).


Those are our most recent "tips" for cheap living. What are your tricks? How do you live on the cheap? Please do tell!

No, We Won't Eat Rocks and Sticks

Part of the reason I loved Small Notebook's No Spend Month was that it wasn't totally crazy and out there. I liked that Annie suggested that the amount be expanded to $350 from $250. First, we live in one of the most expensive areas of the country. But that aside, for me, this month is not about asceticism or extremity. I have done the whole "living off of the extreme minimum" thing. I have lived off of Ramen (my low came when I stopped even caring if I cooked it, and would just eat it raw... ah, college). I know people who live off of canned soup and bagels, or obtain all of their food from dumpster diving. Both very cost efficient, but just not where I'm at right now. I'm not foraging for food this month: I just want to become more mindful of the ways that I spend money. And I still want my family to live comfortably, with occasional treats.

As Ben and I sat down to think about the ways that we spend money, one of the big realizations was that we pour money into our house. There are *lots* of unfinished little projects that seem like they will be fairly inexpensive, but then once you rip the sink out of the wall, or whatever it is, end up costing an arm and a leg. Part of this month will mean just waiting on all of that stuff. I do plan on mulching my garden. And possibly planting a few bulbs for spring. But all of that will have to fit into our $350.

Here's what our pantry looks like right now. It's fairly well stocked after my mom's run to Costco: we have a 25 lb bag of flour, oats for bread and granola, raisins (one of our special treats), honey, and other things we have found are worth it to buy in bulk. We have diapers for the month (no, we're not currently using cloth diapers, here's one reason why, paired with the fact that our laundry machine is on its last legs... for more on cloth diapers see everything I have to say about cloth diapers). Our whole Costco run came in at $127.85. I'm feeling good about the month! Join me tomorrow for crafty ways we have found (or learned) to save money around here.

No Spend Month

We're introducing our own no spend month-- an idea that I got from Small Notebook that is absolutely wonderful! Which is exciting, because it has been a long time since I have really cracked down on our spending habits. And, Ben and I are truly trying to live off of the bare minimum these days.

Here's the plan. All month, we are only going to spend $350.

Here's what's included in that budget (borrowed from Small Notebook)

* Groceries & eating out
* Gas
* Clothing
* Household items
* Entertainment

Not included:

* Rent, insurance, and bills
* Gifts

I'm excited to get started. My mom just did a Costco run for us (one of the many ways she regularly helps our family out), and so I'm curious to know what that totaled. And, there are many family get-togethers and celebrations in the works, so I'm going to have to do some creative entertaining. I'll get back to you tomorrow to let you know what we're starting the month with, why we're doing this, and some cost cutting ideas that are in the works. Ready, set, go!

Oatmeal Bread

Annie asked for my oatmeal bread recipe, so here it is, dug up from an old blog entry. I love this recipe because it is versatile (you can substitute in whole wheat flour, add extras like flax meal or wheat germ, and the bread seems to turn out just fine) and makes great toast and sandwich bread.

Anyway, here is this week's bread recipe, courtesy of More with Less*. I substitute in a little extra whole wheat flour for the white flour:

Oatmeal Bread
Makes 2 loaves
350 degrees
30-40 min

Combine in a large bowl:
1 c. quick oats
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. salt
2 T. butter

Pour over:
2 c. boiling water
Stir in to combine.

Dissolve:
1 pkg. (or 2 1/4 t.) yeast in
1/2 c. warm water

When batter is cooled to lukewarm, add yeast.
Stir in:
5 c. white flour
When dough is stiff enough to handle turn onto floured board and knead 5-10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again. Shape into 2 loaves (which, I learned from Irene, means: roll out into a long thin strip that's as wide as your bread pan and roll up from one short end to the other) and place in greased 9 by 5 by 3" pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool on rack, brushing loaves with butter for a soft crust.

Recipe by Ella Rohrer, Orrville, Ohio and Carol ann Maust, Upland, California.

Happy baking! May your loaves be like manna from heaven.

*Longacre, Doris Janzen. "More-with-less Cookbook." Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, 1976.

Thrifting it up

We are very lucky to have an amazing thrift store up the street. Totally amazing: the size of a warehouse, with everything from knickknacks to books to clothes and furniture, and all reasonably priced, and with the most uncool cool name: Unique. It's dangerous for me to go there. But (luckily or unluckily, I don't know), it's one of the few places that I can only go alone. Ben likes things from thrift stores, but isn't much into going to them. And taking kiddos would just be too much-- especially in a place where you have to wade through stuff to find the treasures.

This weekend I ventured out in hopes of getting something for Zosia's birthday-- a trike, specifically. But after an hour of carefully looking through thousands of items, wading through poop (not normally part of the experience... it seems that some toddler just had an accident in the toy aisle), and getting help pulling things down from very tall shelves, here are a few of the things I came up with:

A bag of smooth stones:
A wooden truck:
A pair of rain boots, which, incidentally, have not come off since I brought them home:

Glasses Surprise

Ben and I both wear glasses (him all the time, and me on occasion to give my contact-wearing eyes a break). We loooove zenni optical, where you can order a full pair of glasses, including your prescription lenses and cool frames, for around $20 including shipping!! The glasses are great, and have actually lasted longer than really expensive ones from an optomitrist. The only thing you have to do is, when you go in for your appointment, ask that they measure the distance between your pupils, because you'll need that. Other than that, you just have to know your prescription. The one down side is, obviously, you can't try the glasses on. So I suggest this: go to a glasses place and find two or three frames that you like, and then order two on the site that seem to look like the ones you tried on. You'll still pay much much less than you would at a store, and chances are that you'll like one pair.

I let Ben choose out my next set of glasses, and was pleasantly surprised by these yesterday. Perfect! Nice work, Ben.