Book, Books and More Books

Okay so I have been gone for a looooong while. I have just been dealing with life.

Anyways, I found an awesome website that I had to share with all my frugal friends out there. Paperback Swap is a great way to swap and get books you want/need for FREE. I LOVE FREE!!!!

I find books for homeschooling almost on a daily basis. And when there free that makes it even more appealing. Go check it out sometimes! If you're a homeschooler, you'll be glad you did.

New Years Resolution?

I hate resolutions really. I can never keep anything I have ever said I was going to.

On Friday, I let you know that I was resolving to save more money despite the humor my husband finds in that. But I actually have something else in mind as well. Something that I NEED to do.

I/we need to stop wasting food. We are so wasteful sometimes . . . . we'll open multiple packages of chips/cookies/snacks/whatever and before we know it they are stale and won't get used up. Leftovers go in the fridge only to be thrown away a couple of days later. Sodas and drinks go in the fridge open only to be poured down the drain in due time.

So I am determined to stop this cycle of wastefulness. With so many people in third world places who would be grateful for what I eventually throw away, I need to do better with the resources God has given me.

So far, so good in 2011 . . . . 4 days in anyways :) We have actually ate all of the leftovers up so far this new year.

I actually realized that this wastefulness is affecting my budget. I know . . . . I should have realized it along time ago. But I could actually save money on my grocery budget by simply being a good steward of what God has given me. (Light bulb lights up over my head!)

I am always crunching numbers for sales and coupons but I can cut back those numbers by simply cutting back what I throw away.

So for 2011 . . . I will be opting to save more and stop being wasteful! Let's see if I can actually keep either of these.

Homeschool Freebies

I was scanning my email earlier and received an email for a website I love. Homeschool Freebie of The Day is a GREAT website for homeschoolers. Almost everyday the fine folks there post something for homeschoolers. It is totally FREE.

Did I mention I <3 free stuff?

Anyway, the sites posts some really great freebies that I adore. The items are in the form of a pdf file, audio or video file that I can save for later use. The freebies are usually only available the day of posting so the site does need to be visited daily to make the most of it. But aren't we all on the computer just about daily anyway?

This week has some great stuff. A free time ebook that I think my Kindergarten would love is one of this week's treasures.

The site also has a place to sign up for e-mail subscription to their posts. Check it out if you are a homeschooling crew or even if you just like really cool educational stuff.

Sometimes the items are just various homemaking type files (household hints and handy tips kinda stuff). I have also found some really OLD treats from circa who knows when.

Happy looking and have a great night!

Onion Soup Mix

In our house, we like onion soup mix. We use ALOT of onion soup mix. . . chips and dip, pot roast, oven roasted potatoes, the list goes on and on. I was talking to my sister-in-law today and remembered my beloved homemade recipe that is so cheap to make.

Onion Soup Mix

3/4 cup instant minced onion
4 tsp. onion powder
1/3 cup beef bouillon powder
1/4 tsp. celery seed, crushed
1/4 tsp. sugar

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

To Use: Add 2 tablespoons mix to 1 cup boiling water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Approximately 2 tbs equals 1 store bought packet.

In comparison, this is SO cheap. The cheapest I find the store bought packets is 2 pouches in a box for $1.00. I can make ALOT of mix for around $3-4 depending on sale prices.