Input Requested - Being Frugal during Changing Seasons of Life!

Being frugal is not always easy. For the past three months, I have clipped maybe 10 coupons (which is nothing for me), have looked at store sales perhaps 4 times, and have done the shopping even less. If you know me or have read my blog for any length of time, you would know that these things are some of my favorite things to do. I LOVE saving money. However, for the past three months, I have also been experiencing almost constant nausea, vomiting and exhaustion which has made my usually frugal self kind of jump out the window (well, not completely).

I am so grateful for a wonderful husband who has been doing a lot of the shopping and cooking and has gotten me take out when I needed it. He is amazing. Everyone keeps telling me to simply enjoy this season of life, but I do wish I could do more to help. I'd really love it if anyone, especially moms, could give some input as to easy meals to make that were good when you were pregnant. I'm having a hard time eating meat right now and my stomach is very touchy, so it has really limited my choices and I have run out of ideas. This is our first child, so this is all very new to me! I am very thankful for this child and this season of life, I just feel so different. My husband is wondering when I'm going to go back to CVS! It better be soon because the toilet paper I stocked up on in October is almost gone!

Thank you for your input. I really do appreciate you all.

For some other ideas on being frugal, see Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood.

Picture available at AllPosters.com.

P.S. This is NOT my belly yet! I'm only 13 weeks! : )

P.S.S. Right after I posted this, I found this great post at Keeper of the Home. Isn't it great how your fellow bloggers can enhance your life???

Keeping Lean (and Green!) on a Lean Budget

Yesterday I read a slightly disturbing article on MSNBC entitled "Surprise: Lean times may actually make you fat." Basically the article was saying that during times of economic slowdowns, Americans tend to rely more on "comfort food" and low-quality food, such as "dollar-menu" fast food. Well, after reading it, I thought more about it and how by reading some wonderful blogs I have actually begun eating healthier and less expensively. Here are a few key ideas I've learned recently:

1) At the grocery store, shop mostly from the "perimeter." Think about it, most of the natural, whole foods are located around the outside walls - fruits, veggies, dairy products, fresh meats. Most of the processed, "unnatural" foods are in the middle.

2) Look for seasonal produce that is marked-down. This goes without saying, but right now in the end of October is probably not the best time to be buying tomatoes. However, apples are so cheap around here right now. Be flexible with your taste buds and try new fruit and vegetables!

3) Find a farmer's market or similar place to get really cheap produce. I always used to buy all my produce from the regular grocery store. But a good friend has been prompting me to try a local farmer's market, which I finally did. Wow! Not only were the prices good, but the quality was even better than that of the grocery store produce!

4) Check out sales and coupons for Organic products. You can find coupons for many organic products at Mambo Sprouts and Sarah at Fiddledeedee always has great organic deals posted on her blog.

5) Be creative with "comfort" foods. Just gotta have some homemade cookies? Throw some whole grains (oatmeal, flax, bran, etc.) and some fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.) in there INSTEAD of chocolate chips. Make baked apples or grill some fresh pineapple. I have the worst sweet tooth ever - but now I am learning to satisfy it in much better ways. Better yet - don't run to food for comfort at all...crack open your Bible and pray to your Heavenly Father. He knows what we are all going through at this season.

Just because our budgets are tighter (or we are simply starting to budget!) doesn't mean we are left to Mac N Cheese and Ramen noodles! We just have to be a little creative and resourceful.

Anyone got any other tips? I'd love to hear them!

Want more Frugal Friday ideas? Head back to Biblical Womanhood.

Picture available at AllPosters.com

Publix Rosh HaShanah Deals!

Have a frugal Biblical holiday...with a little help from our friends at Publix! Here are the deals you can get this week that relate to traditional Rosh HaShanah foods:

Streit's Matzo Ball Soup Mix - BOGO (2 for $2.59)

Empire Kosher Turkey - $1.89/lb.

Manichewitz Noodles - 2 for $3.00 Perfect for noodle kugel!

Manichewitz Wine - 2 for $7.00

Publix Baby Cut and Peeled Carrots - BOGO (1, 2 or 3 lb. bags) Perfect for tzimmes!

Royal Gala Apples - $1.29/lb. Gotta have apples and honey!

Round Challah Bread - $2.49

Chinet Classic White Plates - BOGO (2 for $6.39) My Publix also has 75 cent off blinkies for the Chinet...use 2 coupons and get 2 for $4.89!

For more Rosh HaShanah recipes, see Allrecipes.com

For more great Frugal Friday ideas, see Biblical Womanhood Blog.

*For a New Year, how about a "new do"? Leave a comment on this post by 8 pm EST on Sunday, September 28th, for a chance to win a $10 coupon for any salon service at Regis Hair Salon. I'll do a random drawing that evening and post the winner on Monday morning. You must live in the continental US to win.

Picture courtesy of AllPosters.com

Wellness360 Can Really Pay Off!

I have been waiting a long time to tell you about wellness360 because I wanted to try it out myself first, and make sure that it is legitimate. How does it work?

First: Sign up.

Originally, I had signed up to get that old $5/$15 CVS coupon that everyone was raving about months ago. I started receiving emails that claimed that I could make money just by clicking around the site, and using the tools there.

Second: Start using the site.

They actually have some pretty useful components on the site, including health articles, exercise videos, and my personal favorite - a food/calorie journal. Your points do seem to add up slowly, but little by little, you start earning more.

Third: Invite others to join.

This is the highest point-earning activity. Within 3 months of using the site and inviting my friends to join, I had earned over $30...not bad for clicking around a site for about 5 minutes here and there.

Finally: GET PAID CUZ!!!

A few weeks ago, I had received an email saying that wellness360 needed my SSN to send my check due to tax regulations. I didn't do it. I'm really into this whole privacy thing and not having my identity stolen, so I was a little disappointed. However, tonight when my husband was cleaning up our office he found a check from wellness360 (it actually comes from Aperture Health) for $36.07 made out to me! So I guess they didn't need my SSN after all!

All in all, I think this is a great idea. They have advertisers (of course) on the site, and they share that revenue with the users. I am wondering if anyone out there has had any experiences with wellness360 that they would like to share? I can see how if I spent a few minutes a day doing this it could be very rewarding!

ALSO, if you decide to sign up because you read this on Tavita's Purse, I would REALLY appreciate if you input my enrollment code (ahm803124) when you sign up! : ) Thanks!

For more Frugal Friday ideas, head over to BiblicalWomanhood.

Why I LOVE LOVE LOVE Frugal Shopping!

This is why I love what I have learned from all my frugal bloggy friends!

Guess how much I paid for all this stuff? $25.61!!!!

That's a total savings of $71.94!

It's been a little over a year since I started reading MoneySavingMom, and boy, have I learned a thing or two about saving, spending wisely, etc.

This haul is a combination of my shopping at CVS and Publix today. The biggest excuse I hear against shopping frugally is that it takes to long to plan and print/clip coupons. Ok, so to blow away that excuse I spent less than an hour planning/printing coupons on this trip. So how many of those people that give me that excuse get paid $71.94 an hour???

Another excuse I hear a lot is that coupons make people buy things they don't need. Ok, out of all that stuff up in the picture (wish you could see it in person!), maybe the only thing I don't need is the fizzy energy drink stuff from CVS (which is free after ECB's this week, by the way)!

The most annoying excuse I hear is that coupons are for poor people or "needy" people. First of all, who in this world does not need anything??? Secondly, look at the stuff I bought. ALL name brand stuff (except for my Publix water, hehe). ALL good quality stuff. I don't feel "poor" or "needy" at all. In fact, I feel very blessed!

The Bible says to "give credit to whom credit is due." So I have to thank Money Saving Mom for all she's taught me, along with The Centsible Sawyer and Sarah at Fiddledeedee.* These ladies are the ones that do all the hard work, so we don't have to!

Thank God for good friends and for always providing MORE than enough!

*For some reason, Blogger is not allowing me to add links at the moment, but all of the links to these sites are on my sidebar - just scroll down a little!

For more Frugal Friday ideas, head over to Biblical Womanhood!

Frugal Friday: I'm a Frugal Misfit...

Ok, I have to admit something on this beautiful Frugal Friday. I feel really weird sometimes as I am reading all these wonderful frugal blogs that talk about using the Dave Ramsey cash envelope system. For those that don't know what I’m talking about, check out Dave Ramsey’s site here. The basic premise of the cash envelope system is that when you set your budget for the month (or week or whatever), you are to put that amount of cash for each category into an envelope. The idea is that when the cash is gone for that particular category, it’s over. No more until next month (or whatever time period you budget for).
Logically, this method of budgeting makes a lot of sense and works for a lot of people. Actually, from what I read on the frugal blogosphere, it seems that the majority follows this method (please correct me if I am wrong!).
However, what I want to tell you today is that the cash envelope system does NOT work for me personally. It does make me feel like an oddity, but I’m fairly used to that; as if being a 5’10” female doesn’t make me stick out enough, then I have this Messianic Jewish thing going on too. So let’s just add this one to the list of my quirks!
I find that when I have cash anywhere around me, it always has this sneaky way of finding itself in someone else’s pocket very quickly. I know, I know…I need more self-control. That’s why this frugal lifestyle and couponing has done wonders for me. But, honestly, I have found that I have to do what works for me, which is not the cash envelope system.
What does work for me is using a credit card for all my purchases and then, and this is MUCHO IMPORTANT, paying it off at the end of the month. I can see how dangerous this is, but we really do pay it off EVERY month. I know all the financial statistics about how terrible and bad credit cards are, but really this is what works for my family.
Here’s the factor that makes this system work for us: accountability, which is a powerful and wonderful part of marriage. I know that when that credit card bill becomes available, my husband will see every penny that I spent. And where. And when. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I’m not being sarcastic; I really do love it.
But the key is that this is what works for US. It might not work for you in your situation. The important thing about frugality/budgeting is that you have to know what works for you and then do it.
So my three criteria, in order of importance, for any budgeting strategy are these:
1) The Bible. Does your budget include a portion for charity/others in a way that glorifies God? To be honest, I’m not a big fan of using the word “tithing” (another quirk) because the tithe related to the temple. However, that being said, I still think that the same principle applies today that a “firstfruits” of what we have should be shared with those in need.
2) Your authority. Does your husband or parent (or whoever your authority figure is) approve? Maybe you don’t like that word authority. In our society, that word most of the time has a bad connotation. Even if you don’t like it, it’s always good to run your budget by someone that is knowledgeable in this area.
3) What works for you. No matter what everyone else is doing…you have to do what makes your particular situation work. And mine is not cash envelopes, no matter how much they make sense.

What works for you? Do you use the envelope system or something different? Leave a comment...I'd love to hear!

There’s my Frugal Friday tip for the day. See more great ideas at Biblical Womanhood.

Support Israel and Get a FREE $25 Restaurant.com Gift Card!

I just saw this deal advertised in the World Jewish Digest, and thought it was too good to be true until I confirmed it online. The deal is that with your first "Yes to Carrots" brand purchase on Walgreens.com (prices starting at $5.99), you will receive a FREE $25 dollar gift card for Restaurant.com!

The cool thing about Yes to Carrots is that it is an Israeli company (headquarters in Tel Aviv) and therefore, every purchase directly helps the Israeli economy.

Another great thing about this company is that all the products are labeled with the USDA Organic symbol, and contain no parabens. In other words, you can feel good about your purchase!

If you have done this deal or know more about it, please let me know. I'm always interested in supporting Israel...and going out to eat!

For more Frugal Friday ideas, see BiblicalWomanhood.

Frugal Friday: Do unto Others...

This week for Frugal Friday, I'd like to remember an important principle. Sometimes some of us in the frugal mindset can have a "hoarding" mentality...not all, but some...sometimes. Whenever I find myself in this mood, I have to go back to the words of my favorite Rabbi..."Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This concept, also called middah k'neged middah (measure for measure) in Hebrew, is one that just makes sense and I've yet to find someone who disagrees with its profound truth. However, no matter how true it is that "what goes around comes around," sometimes I see myself acting just plain greedy. That's why it's important to remember that the purpose of a frugal lifestyle is NOT to amass more for myself - but so that I free up more of my resources to "love G-d with all my heart, soul and mind" and to "love my neighbor as myself."

In our individualistic society, it's easy to forget about the needs of others. The good news is that with our frugal lifestyles we can find more creative ways to help those in need, while making sure that our families are taken care of as well. I've read stories of women who have baked apple pies for the their cashiers at CVS and I've seen my CVSing friends at work give boxes of toiletries to foundations that help. It's inspiring, and I know it will come back on these ladies. Little acts of kindness come back in big ways.

For more Frugal Friday ideas, head back to Biblical Womanhood.

Graphic courtesy of Allposters.com.

Frugal Friday Recipe: A New Twist on an Old Favorite!

This week I was looking for a new recipe, as I am getting a little burned out of my usual weekly repertoire. I had heard someone mention the following recipe before and it sounded good, so I looked it up and made my own version of Turkey Sweet-Potato Shepherd's Pie (this is Rachael Ray's version). It's very simple to make, and can be really inexpensive as well...not to mention totally delicious! I had to force myself to STOP eating it at dinner tonight. Another added bonus...it can be made ahead of time and then frozen and reheated.

Jenny M's Turkey Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

1 lb Ground Turkey (By the way, my Publix has Empire Kosher Ground Turkey for $2.89/lb!)

1 large onion, chopped

10 baby cut carrots, sliced into "coins"

3 celery sticks, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter (or Pareve alternative, if needed)

2 tablespoons flour

1 package onion soup mix

1 cup water

1 cup of frozen mixed veggies

1 ripe banana, sliced

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Few dashes hot pepper sauce

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Italian seasoning, few sprinkles

Preheated oven to 400 degrees

Large glass (or disposable - even better!) lasagna pan

Directions:

1. Put sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain and put potatoes back into the warm pot.

2. In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil on high heat. Add the turkey while breaking up with spoon. Once it is browned, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper, or add whatever you like!

3. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat while whisking in flour for 1 minute. Then whisk in the onion soup mix and SLOWLY add the water, and season with a little pepper. Whisk until it thickens, and then add to the turkey mixture. Stir in the frozen veggies and turn heat to low.

4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the sweet potato pot and melt over low heat. Add the banana, sprinkle of salt, sprinkle of cinnamon and a few dashes of the hot sauce and mash until well combined.

5. Spoon the turkey mixture into the pan and then put the sweet potatoes on top. It helps to put the sweet potatoes on a dollop at a time, and then smooth the whole thing over the top. Sprinkle a little Italian seasoning on top and bake until a little crust is formed, about 10 or 15 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

Check out the rest of Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood!

No, the picture is not mine, but is courtesy of Ontario Turkey. For some reason my digital camera is not wanting to upload tonight!

Frugal Friday Tip: No Secrets!

One day this week I was in an elevator with two other women who obviously knew each other. One of the women was excitedly telling her friend the following:

"I have my children trained. Now, when we pull up to our house, the kids check to see if Daddy is home. If he's there, we leave most of our shopping in the car and only bring in the essentials. If my husband is gone, the kids quickly bring in all the shopping, and we put it away as fast as possible so that he doesn't see it!"

As they laughed this little story off, I thought about how damaging this scenario is to this family. Mom feels that she can't share her shopping with her husband, and the children learn to hide things from their father. At some point, I'm sure Dad will see that he cannot trust Mom so much with financial issues. It's a vicious cycle.

However, I believe it may be more common than we'd like to admit. I know women that leave their shopping bags in the trunk of their car until the house is empty, as well as have secret credit cards and bank accounts. Now, I am not on a high horse about this. I, too, am guilty. When we first got married, I had a credit card to a certain lingerie store that I didn't bother telling my husband about. I didn't use it a lot, but when I did use it, I made sure to go to the store and pay the bill with cash so he would never know. I did this for about 3 months, when I began feeling very convicted about this. Not only was I essentially lying to my beloved husband, but I know that God was not pleased about what I was doing.

I thought, "If I do this about something "little" now, what will I lie or hide from him later?" This was NOT a good way to start off our marriage. So the very next day, I called up the company and canceled the account and cut up the card. Let me tell you - it felt so good!

Some couples deal with this issue by including some "discretionary spending money" in their weekly or monthly budget. Each spouse gets a certain dollar amount to spend without having to tell the other spouse what they spent it on. We don't do this in our household, but I'm sure it works great for other people. I'd be interested to hear if any of you do this or have ideas!

How does this apply to Frugal Friday? Well, if you are thinking about buying something that you are ashamed to tell your spouse about, you probably should not be buying it in the first place. This will not only be good for our bank accounts, but, even more importantly, strengthening to our marriages! I can't tell you how good it feels that I don't have to worry about hiding anything!

This is a great way to not only be frugal, but also to "build up our homes", as the Bible says:

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Proverbs 14:1

Go to Biblical Womanhood for more great Frugal Friday ideas!

Graphic courtesy of AllPosters.com.

Our Family's Frugal Summer Fun!

My family loves to play Mexican train!

This year for Father's Day, instead doing the usual restaurant thing, we decided to make our own version of a nice luncheon for our dear Dad. The meal was so colorful (and tasty too!) that I wanted to share it with you!

Here's the presents sitting on the table beside the flowers from Shabbat dinner. Every Friday night, it's traditional that either the husband or a guest bring fresh flowers to a home for the special Sabbath meal. Our lovely guests brought these on Friday evening...

And now for the meal! WARNING: These pictures may cause your mouth to water! Here are the beef and chicken skewers before they were grilled. My sister and I had so much fun assembling them. We put the meat, cherry tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and pineapple chunks. Grilled pineapple is the best! After assembling them, we let them marinate in teriyaki sauce and minced garlic for about 30 minutes before grilling.

Here's the skewers on the grill....
And here's the yummy finished product:
Here's the table. We also had Mom's special yellow rice with mixed veggies and my hubby's famous fried plaintains! I love when they're hot and fresh, with a little kosher salt sprinkled on top...yummmmm!
And for dessert....WOW!

Beth made erupting chocolate souffles with chocolate soup, served with vanilla ice cream dusted with dark chocolate shavings! Beth is the gourmet of the family! Maybe I'll get her to share her recipe with us on Tavita's Purse...

I hope you enjoyed these yummy pictures! Between Publix sales and coupons, this meal cost us much less than what eating out would have cost us, and we had so much fun cooking together. It really was a blessed day!

Head on over to Biblical Womanhood for more great Frugal Friday ideas!

Shabbat Shalom!

Frugal Friday: Giving Thanks

Today I was reflecting on a somewhat odd idea. Who invented scissors? I mean, seriously. Who knows the answer to that? In my seventeen years of formal education, I did not once, that I can remember, learn the name of the person who invented scissors.

Yes, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue, George Washington led our brand-new country, and Dr. Martin Luther King fought for freedom for all. But who invented scissors???? You may wonder why this weird question is on my mind, and why I even care. Well, think for a minute about how many times a week you use scissors, especially if you are a coupon junkie like me! Every time you have a thread hanging on your skirt, get a hair cut, need to open a stubborn package...the list goes on and on! Most of us probably use scissors at least once a day, yet how many of us stop to think of the person who gave us this awesome invention?

There is an idea taught in Judaism that we should bless God for everything. There is a blessing for wearing new clothes, a blessing for seeing a rainbow, a blessing for a taste of the new season's first fruit, a blessing for the new month, a blessing upon awaking, a blessing before eating, a blessing after eating and even a blessing said after using the restroom! Imagine! But think about how our lives would be different if we didn't experience those things? There's even a prayer that says, "Thank You, God, for inspiring us to thank you..."

How does this relate to being frugal? Well, honestly, this is something that I have had the learn the hard way. God has been showing me that when I don't have a thankful heart, I tend to worry and complain and focus on what I don't have rather than the bounty that is sitting right in front of me. Then I end up spending even more money on things I don't really need because of my heart.

When I find that I am getting into this unthankful mode once again, I pray for God to fill my heart with thankfulness. After praying, I MAKE myself give thanks, even when I don't feel like it. Try smiling when you are really mad or sad...it's crazy how it can change your insides! We don't always encounter grateful people in our daily lives, but try saying "Thank you" even when you don't feel like it. Many times, a heart of thankfulness will follow. My mom used to always say, "I'm going to CHOOSE to be happy." It's true, the attitudes of our heart is a choice that we alone can make.

Those of you who know me personally know that my husband is working very diligently on remodeling our bathroom. I have complained (if not out loud, inside I sure have!) about how inconvenienced I have been with all the dust flying all over everything having to share a bathroom. I know, I know...I feel awful that I felt that way, especially when I heard my husband's prayer this evening at our dinner table. He praised God in this midst of all of this for our beautiful home and for providing us with a cozy place of our own. As he said those words, my heart overflowed with adoration for our Heavenly Father, as well as for the man of God to whom I am married.

There is a poem that has circulated in e-mails, author unknown, but is so true and I think of this whenever my mind starts wandering toward the ungrateful:

"Thank you God, for all I have to do today.

Thanks God, for this sink of dirty dishes,

It shows we have plenty to eat.

Thanks God, for this pile of dirty, stinky, laundry,

It shows we have plenty of clothes to wear..."

Head over to Biblical Womanhood for more great Frugal Friday ideas!

Shabbat Shalom!

P.S. I still DON'T know who invented scissors, but I thank God for creating the person and giving him or her the intelligence to do so!

Thanks to FlyingFingers.com for the lovely picture!

Frugal Friday: Saving $$$ on Travel

1. Check your credit cards or other clubs to see if you have any "travel points" that can be redeemed.

My husband found that we had a good amount of travel points on one of our cards that could be redeemed for about a two night stay. That was good news to help offset the cost of the trip. Now...where to stay???

2. Search online for the best rates, and to narrow down your choices.

I began by searching the major travel sites: Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. One thing that I immediately noticed was that all of these sites had basically the same rates for the same hotels (Hotels.com was slightly better on a few). I also noticed that Hotels.com and Expedia are affiliated, so not only were they giving the same prices but they also had the same promotion, which brings me to my third tip.

3. Look for current deals and promotions that may apply to your stay.

The current promotion on Hotels.com and Expedia is this: Book 3 nights at any hotel, and receive a $50 gift card back in the mail. Use coupon code GAS50 when you are booking (the promotion is automatic on Expedia). Knowing the cost of gas these days, this helped to decide that we really could stay that extra night as we were hoping!

4. Be mindful of the day of the week you book your travel plans.

On Tuesday, the prices were moderate...not too exciting, but not too pricey either. On Wednesday morning, I was shocked to see that many of the hotels I had been watching were around 40% less than what they were the day before. I'm very glad that we ended up booking on Wednesday night because on Thursday morning, the very same hotel (similar room) we had booked was $13 more per night! This tip saved us $39 alone! [Edit: I checked again on Friday morning and the price has gone up another $5 per night on that particular hotel, similar room!]

5. Call the hotel to see if they can give you a better rate.

This didn't work in our case, but I have heard that many times if you ask nicely and tell the reservationist the price you are getting online you can sometimes get an even more discounted price.

6. Make sure to read the site's cancellation/change policy, as well as the individual hotel's policy.

Since the promotion and rates were identical on both Expedia and Hotels.com, we could have booked on either site. However, I noticed that Hotels.com does not charge for cancellations or changes but I did not see that same information on Expedia. Also, Hotels.com has a Price Match Guarantee that if you find the same hotel room online at a better rate than what you booked on their site prior to your stay, they will match the price.

7. Confirm that the hotel has the amenities you want BEFORE you book.

Even if you pay a low rate, it's not a great deal unless you get what you really wanted!

Although I'm far from an expert on frugal travel, a little bit of research went a long way. If you have any ideas you have for this or experiences to share, please do in the comment section. I'd love to hear!

Head back to Biblical Womanhood for more great Frugal Friday tips!

Thanks to Allposters.com for the graphic.

My #1 Frugal Shopping Tip!

Are you ready for a great shopping experience? Ok, here's my #1 tip for a wonderful, frugal shopping trip........PRAY!!!

Seriously, I'm not joking; it works! Yes, even in "small" matters such as our weekly shopping trips, God cares!

For example, last week I really needed some new shoes. The ones that I had to wear to work were killing my feet! I had exactly $11 cash left to spend, and thought, "Wow, this is going to be tough." So I prayed. I asked God to help me find a pair of shoes that were not only comfortable, but were stylish and less than $11.

I went in the store fully confident that God would provide...and He did! I found a cute pair of shoes that are very comfortable, but when I looked at the price tag, it read $12.99. I was a little disappointed, but I prayed again.

And that's when I noticed that those exact shoes were on sale for $9.99 that week! So with tax the shoes were $10.64! God provided AND I had change!

Moral of the story: Don't ever think that something is so small that God doesn't care. As our loving Abba, He wants to bless us...all we have to do is ask and believe. His answer may not be in the exact way we thought or exactly WHEN we want it, but He always, always, always provides!

Shabbat Shalom!

Check out more frugal ideas at Biblical Womanhood.

Graphic courtesy of AllPosters.com.

Frugal Friday: When I'm Not Frugal

If you watched the above video, you've probably figured out that the one thing I'm not frugal about is Shabbat, or the weekly Sabbath. All week long I plan and strive to save pennies on everything from toilet paper to bananas. However, when it comes to items I am purchasing for the Sabbath, I try to buy only the best. Why?

In Exodus 20, God says to "make the Sabbath holy." That can mean many things to different people, but one thing that I'm convinced of is that He wants us to make it special. This is something that my father taught me when I was growing up. I remember him saying, "Every penny you spend in preparation for the Sabbath increases your joy when Shabbat comes." So for Frugal Friday, I'm going to tell you what my family does for the Shabbat meal on Friday evening...however UNfrugal it may be!

1. Woman of the Home Lights the Candles

We buy "special" candles that are only used for Shabbat, and have special candlesticks for this purpose. I light the candles and then I say the traditional blessing, followed by another extemporaneous prayer of thanksgiving to God for providing and sustaining us throughout the week. Also we bless God for sending Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World!

2. We sing a song, and then my husband reads (or sings) Proverbs 31 to me.

I have to say that I used to feel embarrassed at this part; I mean, how can I live up to the Proverbs 31 woman? But now, I just bask in it because I feel my husband is speaking words of prophecy over my life, that I am in the process of becoming that "woman of valor." This is also traditionally when the father lays a blessing on the children, but we don't have any to do that for yet...but someday, God willing!

3. We bless God for the wine (or grape juice).

For this, we use special grape juice or sometimes even buy wine, which is a treat in our house! We bless God for Yeshua the Messiah, the True Vine.

4. We bless God for the bread.

In the blessing we are thanking God for His provision of our "daily bread," and also for giving us Yeshua the Messiah, the Bread of Life! Again, we use special challah bread that is not usually a frugal bread to buy or bake. However, this is a tradition that we simply won't do without! It's just not Shabbat in our house without that wonderful challah aroma in the air! By the way, my mother is an amazing challah-baker!

5. We eat! (Surprise, surprise)

This is the really unfrugal part, but it's the most joyful meal of the entire week. Throughout the week we think of ways to make our meal even more special. Usually my husband and I don't eat much meat throughout the week, except for ground chicken and occasionally kosher hot dogs, so on Shabbat we go all out! My husband is an amazing cook, thank God, and he usually makes matzah ball soup and some awesome beef, chicken, or fish. It's my job to do the veggies and the dessert. By the way, the women in my family say the food doesn't have calories on Shabbat, haha!

6. We thank God again.

Did you know in the Bible it's actually a commandment to pray AFTER you eat? I didn't know that until recently, but in Deuteronomy 8:10 God says, "When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you." (NASB)

7. We relax, sing songs, and enjoy each other's presence.

Shabbat is wonderful no matter if you are alone (with God) or with thousands. However, it's best celebrated with family, as portrayed in the above video. There's something awesome that happens when you have a wife praying over her family, a husband praising his wife in front of the children, and then the father pronouncing his blessing over his sons and daughters. I remember when I was 9 years old and my family celebrated our first Shabbat dinner. Right after dinner my sister and I said, "Daddy, can we please do this again next week?"

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 58:13-14 (NIV)

To learn more about celebrating a Shabbat dinner in your home, see this site and this site.

Although we all have different traditions, there's probably at least one thing that each one of us is not frugal about? What about you? What is your "unfrugal" thing?

And for some (actually) frugal ideas, check out Biblical Womanhood.

Frugal Friday: How I "Roll"

I get this question a lot (and I mean almost everyday, from at least one reader!):

Okay, Jen, it's great that you're getting all these toothbrushes and body wash for free from CVS. But what about the basics...stuff like toilet paper???

Well, my friends, there are many ways to CVS, as I have stated many times. I don't knock the way other people "CVS" but I'd like to share how I do it, which includes stuff like baking soda, thermometers, and yes, toilet paper!

I look at the items that are generating Extra Bucks as my means of buying other things that I am really in need of. The $/$$ coupons plus manufacturer coupons tell me how much that I have to "spend" on the things I "need." (I use most of the FREE items as well, I just might not "need" them at the moment.)

Here's an example. Today I needed a thermometer. I felt very feverish, and am tired of not having one at my house. So I looked at the ECB items and what coupons I had so that I could buy one. I happened to have a $3/$15 and two 50 cent off coupons for the Colgate 360 toothbrushes. That means I have $4 to "spend" right?

Then I remembered that on the Kiss/Broadway nail products deal, I could "make" $1. So now I know that I can get a thermometer that costs around $5, without depleting myself of any ECB's.

And that is what I did. Today I spent 77 cents on a $5 thermometer, two toothbrushes, and two bottles of nail glue...and still have the same amount of ECB's.

That is why I personally don't "grow" my stash of ECB's into large amounts. I generally have between $15 and $25 ECB's at any given time, depending if I have done a CVS Advisor survey recently or if I ended up burning some on something.

Basically, I spend less than $1 every time I buy paper towels and toilet paper...something that has really made a difference in our budget! I used to spend at least $10 -$12 every time I bought the two items.

And that, my friends, is just another reason I am so thankful for CVS!

How do you CVS? Any other ideas for getting the "necessities" of life?

Go back to Biblical Womanhood for other great Frugal Friday ideas!

Frugal Friday: Cheap Garbage Disposal Deodorizer

Ok...so this might be a little weird. But after having three Passover seders (plus a mini one in my Shabbat school class) I have a few extra food items around that I was trying to think how to use up. And what do you know? I came up with an inexpensive, yet effective deodorizer for my garbage disposal!

The secret: Fresh parsley!

Since I have quite a good amount left over (which I had bought for 89 cents total at Publix) and I noticed my garbage disposal didn't smell the best, I dropped a small bunch into the disposal and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then after I washed a few dishes, I turned on the disposal and let the clean fragrance fill the air. Mmmm...much better! Plus it's much less expensive than the $3.99 stuff that is sold for this purpose!

Ok, that's my tip for Frugal Friday! For more ideas, head on over to Biblical Womanhood. And let me know if you have any good ideas for deordorizing your home frugally!

Shabbat Shalom!

Frugal Friday: Making Challah

As we are preparing for the week of Passover (begins on April 19), we must start using up all leavened products and products containing flour. A good way to do this is to bake some challah, which is the most delightful bread in the world!

Every Friday night after the candles are lit and the wine has been blessed, we enjoy it's delectable texture and taste. There are so many different ways of making it and so many various recipes, some savory and some sweet, but I've never had a bite of challah that I didn't like!

Here's my favorite challah recipe (courtesy of Rebbetzin Carole Edwards):

SEPHARDIC CHALLAH BREAD*
Makes 3 loaves (6 braided)

Into a large (aluminum) bowl add:
4 tbs sugar, granulated white/raw, Domino 8 pkg
yeast, Fleishman Rapid, 7grm/1/4 oz1 ½ c
water, warm/ 120-130 degrees
Mix w/fork and set aside this YEAST bowl until needed.

Into a medium (aluminum) bowl add:
1 c grape seed oil, Tuscan Sun (purple tin from health food store)
1 c honey, clover
½ c of coconut mixture (17 oz can of Conchita grated coconut and a 15 oz
can of Goya cream of coconut_ store in refrigerated jar)
21/2 tbs packed pumpkin pie mix (kosher), Libby
2 tbs vanilla extract, McCormic
1 tsp Coconut extract, McCormick
Mix w/whisk and set aside this WET bowl until needed.

Into a small (aluminum) bowl add:
1 c sugar, granulated
1/8 tsp powdered cinnamon, McCormick
1 ½ tbs table salt, Morton
Mix w/whisk and set aside this DRY bowl until needed.

Using electric /kitchen aid mixer, beat in a bowl:
8 jumbo eggs, free-range if possible
Beat for 5-8 min. until stiff, white, and frothy, and set aside this EGG
bowl until needed.

Sprinkle a 36x36” plexi-glass board with flour.
Pre-heat oven for 385 degrees.
Into a large (aluminum) bowl wiped with Pam-spray or grape seed oil,
add:
7 c sifted flour, King Arthur’s unbleached Bread Flour_ 5 lb bag = 13 cups½
of the DRY bowl mixture.
½ bag Coconut flakes, Baker’s 17 oz bag

Mix with clean hands, add:
6 c sifted flour, King Arthur’s unbleached Bread Flour OR Whole wheat
flour
½ remainder of the DRY bowl mixture
½ bag remainder of the bag of Baker’s coconut flakes

Mix with clean hands, and to this FLOUR bowl add:
DRY bowl
WET bowl
EGG bowl
YEAST bowl (that had an additional 1 ½ cups of warm/? degrees water added
to it)

Mix with clean hands, add:
Flour, and add remaing warm water as needed to mix all ingredients
sprinkled from a 1 ½ cup container, for desired consistency.
(lump should be about the size of a volley ball).

Then:Place lump on floured surface and knead:50x
Cut, roll in flour, knead3-5x
Slam onto the surface to get out air bubbles
And then:Place lump back into the FLOUR bowl.
Cover with tea towel moistened with warm water.
Place bowl on top of warm stove for 27 minutes to rise.
Again:
Place lump on floured surface and knead:50x
Cut, roll in flour, knead3-5x
Slam onto the surface to get out air bubbles
And then:Place lump back into the FLOUR bowl.
Cover with tea towel moistened with warm water.
Place bowl on top of warm stove for 27 minutes to rise.

CHALLAH BREAD
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare Egg Wash for top of loaves:1 egg½ tsp water1/16 tsp vanillaWhisk
and set aside until needed.
Punch down the lump of dough for the last time.

Say blessing: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has
sanctified us with salvation and His commandments, and given us the blessing of the tradition to separate challah":
BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NAI ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM A-SHER KID-SHA-NU
B'YESHUA B’MITZ-VO-TAV NATAN LANU
..separate Challah small ball of dough and say the remaining baruch……
…...L’HAF-RISH CHAL-LAH.
Remove a one ounce piece/size of a nickel (to be burned separately in a
piece of foil).
This is a mitzva given especially to women. (Awesome time to pray for your
family).
Say: This is challah. HARAI ZEH CHALLAH.

Squeeze off 6 lumps (the size of your fist) from the lump of dough
Roll them into balls and keep floured so they will not become sticky
Roll/form each of 6 balls into 12” strands/cords (to be used for the
braiding).
Lay strands out like this: l l l l l l
Braid the six strands following the video directions.
Place two loaves diagonally on one lined cookie sheet.
Brush each loaf with egg-wash.
Then sprinkle with:
Poppy Seeds McCormick
Sesame Seeds McCormick
Bake for 30 minutes at 385 degrees, (don’t open the door to check).

*I know this one includes a lot of extra steps and a lot of extra ingredients, but it is so yummy! If this looks a little daunting to you (or you don't have all the ingredients on hand), try a traditional recipe as found here, here and here. Check out rest of Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood.

Have any questions about challah-making or good ideas? What do you put in yours? Let me know! My favorite part is the kneading where I feel so wrapped up in prayer for my family. Try it...it's great!

Frugal Friday Ideas

Today I decided to participate in Frugal Fridays, sponsored by Biblical Womahood. Actually the funny thing is I have been feeling a little un-creative because I keep seeing that the frugal things I do are already written by others, which is great, but I was trying to think of something original. Last night I did something, and then I thought about it and said to myself, "I've never read that anywhere before!" So that will be the first idea below; the others are things that I do for frugality, but are not original ideas. Hope it helps someone somewhere!

1. Use the back side of your used Swiffer wet pads (or Lysol wipes, which I get for free at CVS anyway!) to clean your trash can. Our kitchen trash can is white, which means everything shows! So when I am finished mopping, I just pull off the pad and wipe my trash can until it shines. An added bonus....it smells great!

2. Use coupons....but only when the item goes on sale. Manufacturer's use coupons as a way to advertise their product, and that's fine. But the real savings comes in when you clip that coupon and WAIT. I did this with some Swiffer coupons I had recently, and ended up getting those expensive pads for free! In Florida, we have a great grocery store called Publix that has tons of BOGO's every week. I try to match my coupons up with the BOGO's (and use 2 coupons) to double the savings!

3. Use reusable plastic (or glass) for food storage. This saves money for you, and is good for the environment. I have always done this with leftovers, but only recently have I begun doing it with other things like sandwiches, snacks, etc. Since I was reusing my Ziploc bags anyway (bringing them home and washing them), I might as well just use my Rubbermaid containers, which are so much easier to clean. Yay for frugality and being green on this one!

4. Teach your family about the Bible the frugal way! I have to give thanks to my hubby for this one. He taught me to shop for the Biblical holidays AFTER the holiday. So after each holiday, we wait about a week or so and then go buy the same things for at least 75% off! For example, after Chanukah this year (John 10:22), we went to Bed Bath & Beyond (make sure to use your 20% off coupon that comes in the mail almost every other day, haha!) and bought those expensive silver hand-dipped candles for about $1 (usually are about $10-$15). He also started a tradition of buying me a new holiday tablecloth after the holiday (they also mark-down the Sabbath table cloths after the holiday as well). Awww thank you honey!

*Today is the festival of Purim (from the book of Esther). Try making some special Purim cookies with your children, which I posted here. Your children will love the cookies (you will too!), and you can tell them about Queen Esther as you make them.

Well, those are my ideas for the day. Head over to Biblical Womanhood and Crissie's post for more ideas! If you want, leave a comment with your idea here. I sure could use some more help with this!

Now I need your help! We got married over a year and a half ago, and I still haven't gotten my wedding dress preserved. It runs about $150-$200 around here, which is about what I paid for the dress. Any ideas on how to preserve a wedding gown frugally?

Purim Sameach! Happy Purim!

My First Hamentashen

Last night I made my first batch of hamentashen! They're not too bad either! Yay!
If you've never heard about hamentashen, let me tell you about them.

What are Hamentashen?
They are little triangular cookies that contain some kind of sweet filling, such as the ever-popular poppyseed, the fruity apricot and raspberry, or the new-style chocolate chips. Mine were made with orange marmalade and strawberry preserves. They are eaten during the festival of Purim (see the story of Esther from the Bible) to remember when Haman plotted to kill God's people. As with most Judaic celebrations, the motto is "they tried to kill us, God saved us....LET'S EAT!"

The History of Hamentashen
The origin of the name is unclear and there are various theories. Some people say that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and that is why the pocket of dough is triangular. Others refer to the midrash (story) that relates that when Haman entered the King's treasury, he was bent over, covered with shame, and humiliated (literally with clipped ears). I believe in Yiddish it literally means "pockets of Haman."

The Recipe
Since we had already cut a little into our weekly grocery budget and I was out or almost out of much needed baking items (sugar, vanilla, butter - none of which were on a really good sale), I decided to look for an easier and cheaper recipe. I am so glad that I did because I found this one on Allrecipes.com, and they turned out very good for being so easy (and cheap in my case!). The recipe for the dough consists of four ingredients - flour, eggs, water, and yellow cake mix. When I saw that (having read the Publix ad early that morning), I was so excited because I saw that Duncan Hines moist cake mixes are on BOGO this week. Since I was doubling the recipe, this would be perfect! So instead of having to buy sugar (we only buy the natural cane sugar, which is pretty expensive), vanilla, and butter, I only spent an extra $1.77 (sadly I didn't have any coupons for this, and I know there were some out there) for the dough part! Baruch HaShem (Praise God)! (A few words of advice if you use this recipe: You may need to add a little water to the dough, as mine was very crumbly at first and I had to knead it a little to make a nice ball of dough, and make sure to pinch the corners of the hamentashen together very tightly so that they don't open up in the oven.)

My Take on Hamentashen
As I was making these delightful little pastries last night, I thought of another reason why we eat hamentashen during this holiday. I was thinking about the book of Esther. She was a young Jewish girl born as Hadassah ("myrtle" in Hebrew), but as most Jews living in exile she had a Persian name, Esther, which in that language most likely means "star." But Esther in Hebrew can also be seen to be a derivative of the word for "hidden." Of course, there are many hidden details in this story - Hadassah hides her true identity for a time in the palace, Haman hides his plot, etc. However, the most notable hidden element in this story is God Himself; in fact, His Name does not appear in the book at all! Doesn't that seem a little odd? Well, of course, as we read this book we see God's hand throughout; He's there, but hidden. So as I was making the hamentashen last night, folding the edges up so as to hide the sweet surprise inside, I was thinking how hamentashen are a metaphor for the story of Esther, and actually for life itself. Sure, the triangular cookie part is good and it's interesting, but the more you bite into it, the more you'll find the hidden sweetness! God Himself is that sweetness. Some people think that God created the world and then left us to ourselves, but the more you really connect the dots in your life, you'll see the "hidden" Father in the middle of it all. Ask Him to reveal His "sweetness" to you, and that is definitely a prayer He will answer!

Purim and the Fast of Esther are next week - March 20th (Fast) and March 21 (Purim). Stay tuned for more on this holiday!

Shabbat Shalom!

Thanks again to my husband for taking the picture!