It was like a game show in my head!

There is a new game show on t. v. called, Game Show in My Head.  The idea is that the player has hidden headphones on and is hearing instructions from the host, to accomplish a difficult task in a short time.  If they do, they win money.  For, instance, one contestant was supposed to stand at a  the entrance to a restaurant and convince a person that was trying to enter, that they were not allowed to go in the restaurant.   Usually, people just look at them like they are  crazy.

Yesterday, Levi said he felt like he was on that game show.  Here is what happened.  The kids and I were on our  way to a cookout with some friends.  We were short on time and I needed to buy gas and pick up some potato chips.  I stopped at a convenience store, prepaid for the gas and bought the chips.  I put the chips in the car and drove off without getting the gas.  I realized what I had done just as I was driving down the road.  I decided to pull in to the shopping center next to the gas station, only to see that I could not get there from here.  I sat there looking at the empty pump, and knew that it was going to take a few minutes to get back there, because of how the road was designed.  I was going to have to drive down the road a bit, do a u-turn, and then wait at a light.

I sent  Levi to tell the attendant what I had done and that I was on my way.  He took off and soon I saw him standing at the pump.  I watched him as I tried to make my way back.  Everything was ok until I watched him from the light.  A car drove up to the pump.  I started praying that Levi would know what to do.  I saw him talking to the man and things didn't look right. The man just stood there.  He should have been getting back into his car, but he just stood there.  Then he leaned in to talk to the passenger in his car.  As I was finally driving up, I waved at the man and motioned, "It's me!"  He walked over to me and laughed as I told him I forgot to get the gas that I had paid for.  

Levi later told me, the man seemed perplexed as he tried to explain.  He also said he felt like he was on the game show and maybe the man thought it was some kind of hoax.  He said the man thought I was in the store, but where was my car?

I drove away, feeling  grateful that Levi was with me, because that could have really been a mess.

If being frugal is fun, Sunday was like going to Disney World!

Sunday, I fed 15 people for about $6!  Sav-a-lot had everything for a spaghetti dinner BOGO.  So we had spaghetti, salad,  and garlic bread.  I knew that on Sunday afternoon, we sometimes have neighborhood kids eat with us, so I bought it just in case.  

So, not only did I have fun being frugal, I had a blast serving the people that God had placed in my life to serve.  Nothing could have felt more right. 

There is nothing I love more than being used by God!!!

Baby steps add up

I have been having fun being frugal in the kitchen the past few weeks.  I have been thinking about how many baby steps  ( Thanks for reminding me about baby steps, Ann Marie!) I have had to take to get to the place that I am now.  I've still got a long way to go, but I am much better than I was 18 years ago when we got married.

I like rules and I realized that over the years, I have compiled several rules for myself that give me some guidelines for being frugal in the kitchen.  They are not hard and fast rules, just general ones and I go through times when it is all I can do to keep my kids fed. 

-It is always cheaper to eat at home than at a restaurant.

-Plan ahead. One week at a time.

 -Meal planning steps.

   1. Check to see if I have any items that need to be used up.  Google ingredients to find a 

       recipe.  

   2.  Check store circulars online.

   3. Check my running list of favorites and choose what sounds good.

   4. Choose one or two new frugal recipes online or in cookbooks.

-Learn to make convenience foods from scratch.  

         bread

         biscuits

         frozen breakfast foods

        muffins

         pizza dough and sauce

         chicken nuggets

         refried beans

- Use dry beans instead of canned.

-Freeze chicken or turkey broth when it is available.

-Shop at Sav-a -lot.

-Beans once or twice a week.

-Only buy meats (other than hamburger and chicken) when they are on sale

-Get grocery money in cash and only spend that much.

-Only go out to eat if you have left over grocery money.  ( Usually I don't want to spend the money I saved, so we don't go out to eat.)

-Don't serve a meal too often or it will become despised.

-Eat homemade popcorn instead of potato chips.

-Serve leftovers for lunch.

-Make snacks out of leftover ingredients.  for example

     celery

     carrots

     saltines

-Get kids on board by showing them the money we save by the sacrifices they made, like eating    beans instead of going out to eat.  Occasionally, give one of them a bonus from the money            saved and use the saved money toward a family treat, like a trip or electronic device.

-Always remember, a meal doesn't save any money if no one will eat it.

I would love to hear some of your "rules" in the kitchen.