Furry Visitors

My hubby and I went outside yesterday evening to water our plants in the garden. We noticed a cute little bunny eating grass in the yard right outside the carport. It was about 3 feet from the house, and barely flinched as my husband walked near it to take pictures. It's a very bold bunny, but his friend was more timid since he hopped near the cane fields. They aren't eating my plants but I only have cantaloupe and watermelon growing at the moment. They do the like the shade my fig tree offers them since I frequently see one sitting underneath it. I just thought it was so cute that I wanted to share the pictures we took. The rabbits are perfectly safe from us since we don't eat rabbit.

TMR Frugal Living Tip #67

Today's thrifty living tip is turn down your water heater to 120-125 degrees. I have mine set to 125 degrees which I find is comfortable for us year round. Most people have theirs set at 130-140 which can burn small children. You can save an average of 4% for every ten degrees you lower the temperature. Another way to save energy costs is to wrap the tank with a thermal blanket which can be bought at most hardware stores. If you have an electric tank, then setting a timer will also further your savings. Timers won't work well with gas water heaters.

Refrigerator Sweet Pickle Chips

As promised here is a great recipe that I used to make sweet pickles. The best part is you can freeze them in a container which is a great way to use up cucumbers. This recipe is much easier since you don't have to mess with canning or jars. You just divvy them up in freezer containers. This would be a wonderful gift for anyone that loves homemade sweet pickles.

I have some of the ingredients pictured above, but not all of them. Here is the actual recipe which I used. This comes from a cookbook named 25 Years of Cooking; Women of the Farm Bureau. This cookbook has lots of really great recipes. I plan to use the Zucchini bread one from this book. My mother-in-law has used it so I know it's a very tasty bread.

7 cups of unpeeled cucumbers thinly sliced into chips
1 cup of chopped green pepper
1 cup of thinly sliced onion
1 tablespoon of salt

Stand 2 hours then drain

1 teaspoon Celery seed
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar

Combine and bring to boil. Let cool and cover slices. Refrigerate for 2-3 days and then put into containers. Pour juice to cover slices and thaw in refrigerator for 1 day before using.

As you can see below I sliced the cucumbers as thinly as I can like a chip. It's not always easy to cut thinly since it depends on the size of the cucumber. I did use chopped onion since I already had a couple of bags frozen. They will thaw out as you let them stand. I also have a picture of the bell pepper I cut. I do have a hand chopper that I use which makes them fine. I cut them up into smaller pieces which makes it easier to chop.


Now you can see that I have measured out 7 cups of cucumbers. I highly recommend tasting each one as you slice them. I had several that were very sour. You can use them I guess, but sour cukes don't taste good to me and are very bitter. I think when the vines are finishing up, the last few are sour. I had to compost them. I then add the onion and pepper. I just mix them up by hand. Then you add the tablespoon of salt. I prefer to just sprinkle it on top so I don't get too much in one spot. Now just let them sit on the counter or stove for 2 hours.

This next step is to make the syrup that you will pour over the cucumber slices. I usually make this in the last 10 minutes before draining off the water. It doesn't take long for this to boil, and I let it cool off for about 3-4 minutes. The reason I don't let it cool off too long is I found it thickens the longer it sits. You don't want the juice to thicken too much. I put 2 cups of sugar in a heavy saucepan. I have a Magnalite which works perfectly. Then I add the teaspoon of celery seed and finally the cup of vinegar. I used plain white vinegar. In the first picture you can see the sugar, and in the second picture is the result after it boils. You can see it looks like a syrup on the spoon. The celery seed just kind of sits on top. I think on the next batch, I'm going to just add the celery seed to the slices and then pour the syrup. At least it wouldn't clump when trying to scrape it out the pot. Make sure to drain off the slices before pouring the syrup mixture.


This is the final product. You will definitely want to use a bowl with a lid. I used a Tupperware bowl which worked perfectly. I let it sit for a few more minutes to make sure it's cooled off before putting in the refrigerator. I didn't have any problems with it smelling inside my fridge. You let it sit for 2-3 days before dividing into containers. The mixture does resemble more of a juice after it sat in the fridge. Just make sure to pour enough in each container to cover the slices. We were able to divide them into 3 small containers. It was a great inexpensive recipe to make. The cost of your cucumbers should be very little if you are using ones you grew yourself. I didn't grow any green peppers this year so I spent $0.66 for two of them on sale. My onions were free since they were given to me. I used 50 cents worth of cucumber seed and picked close to 60 cukes this year. So that's about a penny each. I think I sliced at least 5-6 cucumbers per batch. Each batch has cost me $1.10 which makes 24 oz or three 8 oz containers. The same size jar of pickle chips on sale is $1.69 or a little over $5 for the same amount. I'm saving $1.32 a jar this way, and my pickles are much tastier. I broke down the amounts so it could cost someone else less or more depending on the prices of your ingredients.

Cucumbers- $0.06 for 6
Bell Pepper- $0.33
Onion- $0 (free)
Sugar- $0.36 (2 cups)
Vinegar- $0.16 (1 cup)
Celery Seed- $0.18 (tsp)
Salt- $0.01 (tbs)

Lots of Cukes

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few weeks, but I've been so busy gardening and end of school activities. Summer is definitely here with temperatures in the low 90's and very humid. I'm watering more with the hose pipe which I'm not overly thrilled doing since I've seen my last water bill. It's gone up almost $10 more than usual. We are getting rain, but not daily and it's usually a good shower that will keep my plants watered for a couple of days. We are only getting maybe one to two good soaks per week. I do plan on installing a rain barrel which will help.

In the above pictures you can see how many tasty cucumbers I've picked. I started picking them around the middle of May, and haven't stopped yet. I have picked well over 50 cukes in the last 3 weeks so those two vines are very prolific. I tried my hand at pickling them last weekend, and that batch came out very well. I'm going to make a double batch this weekend, and will share the process on my blog with pictures plus the actual recipe. I even shared them with a couple of family members that were very eager to try them. I am also going to make several loaves of zucchini bread which I also share on my blog.

I also wanted to update on my Roma tomatoes which aren't doing as well as hoped. I had an infestation from caterpillars to stink bugs. I was trying not to use pesticides but I did spray them last weekend with Seven which has helped some. I think I didn't act quickly enough so most of the fruit is damaged with holes and rotten. I have harvested about 30, but lost that many to bugs. I'm disappointed since I really wanted to make a big batch of tomato sauce. I'm still going to experiment with a small batch soon. My cantaloupe plants are flowering and really trying to vine out along with the watermelon plants. I will hopefully post some pictures this weekend. I'm very excited about how well the garden is doing overall, and we did expand it with a cultivator my step-dad lent me. I have zucchini to plant this weekend. I hope none of my readers mind the posts about my garden. It's a great way to save lots of money by growing your own food and to share with others.

THRIFTY MOMMA RAMBLINGS IS 1 YEAR OLD!

I actually reached this milestone on Tuesday and didn't even realize it. I'm very excited that my blog is a year old but I admit it's not where I hoped to be by now. I have no one to blame but me since I haven't promoted it as much as I should. I am happy with the direction it's going. At first I did start this blog to do paid posting, but I realized how I much I disliked it. I didn't have as much control over the content with certain companies, and it didn't seem worth the effort. While I still hope to make a little money on here, mostly to pay the rent of my blog, I am mostly blogging to share what I'm doing and hoping I can share ways to help others save money. I didn't know a lot of things when I was a young adult and wasted quite a bit of money. I also racked up a good chunk of credit card debt. I was very fortunate to have married a wonderful man that came from a frugal family. I learned many things from them, and we were able to dig ourselves out of a financial hole. We also have a healthy savings and emergency fund.

Along our adventure I came across some awesome books. The first one, my thrift bible, is The Tightwad Gazette. I have learned so much by reading this great book. It's where I first learned about the snowball method. Her example illustrated a couple saving for a down payment to buy a house. Instead I decided to use it to pay off our debts. I started with the smallest ones first and worked my up. I had never heard of Dave Ramsey at this point. I probably didn't do it in the exact way he outlines in his book The Total Money Makeover, but I was pretty close. He is right in the sense that mastering money while paying off debts is more about emotion than about math and logic. If I had used my credit card logically, then I wouldn't have been in a mess. I also recommend reading his book since it's a good starting point for getting out of debt. The big key point is you have to stop using credit while digging out of the mess. Otherwise you will never win. Once we stopped using them and cut them all up, then we did dig out of the hole. That is the best feeling in the world to not have any debt! I sleep so much better at night and I don't cringe every time the phone rings.

Yes cutting out the bigger items like cable, phone plans, getting better rates on your insurance, eating out and such will make a dent in your monthly budget. Doing many of the little things will add up to bigger savings as well. If you can master your grocery bill, then you can save hundreds per month. The bigger the family the bigger the savings. I don't buy nearly as much food for my family of 3 as someone will with a family of 4 or 5 and more. I'm constantly trying to cut down my bill and still eat healthy. That's one reason I started a garden so I can make more items from scratch like tomato sauce and it's healthier. I am using more of an organic approach and not spraying my plants. I am also composting my kitchen scraps along with yard waste like leaves. I just wanted to share a little bit more about me and my reasons for doing the blog. I really hope that all my tips are helping others to save money. I said in a previous post that most frugal tips are good for your pocketbook and the environment. Thanks for reading and I hope to continue writing for another year!

TMR Frugal Living Tip #66

Today's thrifty living tip is sprinkle a little baby powder on your hair to absorb any oils. Yes this tip really does work. My best friend Heather gave me this great one many years ago. Basically just sprinkle a little powder on your hair (mostly it will look oily around the scalp or top) and just blend it in well. I really like to brush mine since I have darker hair. Sometimes you might get invited to a last minute event and not have time to wash. You can also keep a small bottle in your purse if you are on the go.

Inexpensive Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and many people will buy a last minute gift and card. They will be spending more money than they planned since they won't know what to get and feel pressured to buy something. There are many ways to give a great gift without spending lots of money plus it would be a gift the recipient really wants. It's a win for everyone. Some of these ideas may require a little creativity, but most are easy to complete. These ideas are great for any gift giving occasion and not just Mother's Day. It also adds a nice personal touch and a little thought than just buying something at the store. There are tons of great ideas, but these are just a few. I would love it if you want to add your own that isn't listed.

*Make a gift basket. This can be anything that you know the person likes. I have made baskets by using a popcorn container and adding in a box or two of the big candy, microwave popcorn, either a small bottle or cans of their favorite soft drink, a free rental or a DVD movie. This is a huge hit with people that love to watch movies. I have also done Wedding gifts with a nice piece of Tupperware and putting in small kitchen items like measuring spoons and cups, nice dish towels and other items. I have also made up baskets using body lotion, razors, bubble bath, the poofy sponge things, shower gel, and such.

*Give a framed picture. This is a huge hit with grandparents and distant relatives. I do this for Christmas and sometimes Mother's Day. I take a very nice picture of my son or if you have one done at the studio is fine. I then buy a nice 5x7 picture frame and insert the picture. Of course I buy frames when I see them on clearance and many times I can find new ones cheaply at the thrift store or at yard sales.

*Make a nice photo magnet. This is another idea of using pictures of your children or a nice family one. You can even have the kids help make one from foam that you can buy at most craft stores. Then glue a magnet on the back. My son has made these at school and I still have them. I love refrigerator magnets and it's nice having a picture of him. You can also make photo mugs, calendars, keychains and so much more. You can make these at places like Vista Print and Snapfish. Many times they offer coupons to make the cost even less.

*Make a handprint plaque. You can either buy a kit or make your own. There are many great ideas on the internet. This is a great way to preserve your kids memories.

*Make a recipe binder or coupon binder. You can buy these cheaply during back to school sales and even at yard sales or thrift stores. I usually buy 1" binders but any size is fine. Then get the sheets where you can add your favorite recipes. This is a really great idea for newlyweds or a way to preserve some family favorites. Make a coupon binder and adding some nice coupons to help someone that is getting started. You can take it a step further by covering the binder with some nice fabric. My mom made me a sewing binder and she then put in some great patterns from her favorite sewing magazines. The patterns were for beginners.

*Sew something for that special person. This will depend on your skill level and if you actually sew. I have made some really items like a wall organizer, pot holders, aprons, and even simple quilts. These were all easy for a novice like me, but I did get some pointers from my mom who is a professional. There are lots of very easy to do simple projects.

*Give a gift that you cooked or a recipe in a jar with all the ingredients inside. These can also vary by your cooking level. Many people love quick and easy recipes like soups, hot chocolate, cookies, and such. Some people make their own sauces, jams, salsa, candy, cookies, and such from scratch. A friend of mine gave me a few bottles of beer that they make at home. Each bottle was a different type so it was wonderful.

*Have a nice meal at home instead of going out to eat. Maybe have a picnic in the living room with candles and a nice bottle of wine along with your favorite items to eat. Many people really appreciate a nice cooked meal at home. The best part is you don't have to fight the crowds.

*Give a plant. I love plants in my yard, and this would last much longer than flowers. It's much cheaper and you will be in their thoughts each time they look at that plant. I also give plants when a loved one passes away rather than send flowers.

*Offer a service. This can be anything like babysitting, cutting grass, cleaning, washing a car, fixing something, or whatever skills you have. Many older people would also just love to get a nice visit from their family. I know many of us are very busy but just simple things like spending time with our families is a nice way to spend a holiday. I don't mean in front of the tv either, but really connecting with them. My grandma loves telling me stories of her childhood. They have so much to share with us if we allow them.

*Give stamps and stationary. With the cost of stamps going up almost yearly, buy them a couple of books of Forever stamps. I know I would love this for myself.

April Entrecard Top Droppers

I want to thank my top 10 droppers on Entrecard for April. I really appreciate the drops. I hope you guys enjoy the link love.

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TMR Frugal Living Tip #65

Today's thrifty living tip is use spray vinegar on unwanted weeds in your yard. Just be careful not to spray any plants or grass. This is an economical and non-toxic way to get rid of those weeds.

Frugal vs Green

Lately I'm noticing a new trend. More people are turning to books or sites about frugal living or living more simply. Many of these same people also want to help the environment. You can actually do both. For centuries people have practiced both, and it's only become more of a trend in the last few decades. I do find it funny how thrift was considered cheap, but being "green" is cool and hip. I love these new buzz words. Most of the frugal tips I practice daily, not only save me money, but they are good for the environment. I wrote an earlier article about Reduce, reuse, and recycling. All of these ideas save money and are good for the environment.

Many companies are also trying to cash in on being green and "All Natural". Clorox has come out with a whole new line of natural cleaners. I don't have a problem with companies using non-toxic ingredients. I think it's great, but you will pay a lot more for them. If you really want all natural ingredients, then just make your own cleaners or use these ingredients to clean your house. I use baking soda and vinegar on a regular basis for all my cleaning. The bottom line is research many of these new cleaners, and you might be surprised by the actual ingredients. Lessen your use of energy and resources like water will also accomplish both goals. There are tons of ways to your reduce your consumption so I'm not going to list them. Many of these ideas are very old fashioned that have been practiced for generations.