Giving "paperless" a whole new meaning

I was talking with some friends the other day about cutting our grocery and household products budgets.  It's not easy to cut back on an already slim budget!  But I was reminded of ways that we have cut back over the past year.  We decided to go paperless as much as possible. It's not just for offices and bills anymore.

Napkins - If you set a pile of napkins out in your kitchen or dining room, they will disappear.  I was astonished at how many napkins my kids would use in a day.  So, I bought cloth napkins at Goodwill.  They were cheap and they didn't all match.  That's actually a good thing; so that everyone knows which napkin is theirs.  We use the napkins for more than one meal before tossing in the laundry (some kids need a new one sooner than others).  It was a cheap, one-time investment.  I still keep paper napkins on hand for guests or parties, but they are hidden.

Towels - Also hidden are the paper towels.  You know, before the invention of paper towels people actually used cloth.  Cloths to wipe up spills and towels to dry things.  So I hide the paper towels for when they are absolutely needed.  It made me realize how often I used to use paper towels - way too often.

One of the things we used paper napkins and paper towels for were snacks.  It was easy to grab a paper product for snack time, but we obviously aren't putting snacks on cloth napkins.  IKEA has the perfect solution (as always).  They have these small plastic bowls and plates that, though meant for small children, are perfect for snacks at any age.  They come in packs of 6 for $1.99, are dishwasher safe, and last forever.  Again, it was a cheap, one-time investment.


Doesn't it cost money to wash all of that cloth??  Well, yes and no.  I find that the small size of napkins, cloths, and towels don't make much difference in our laundry.  We just toss them in with the next load being run, rather than washing them separately.  We do wash more dishes, instead of tossing napkins after snacks.

In the end, going paperless has not only helped our family to go green by reducing the paper products we buy and reusing cloth and dishes, it has also saved us a lot of green.

Minor Investment Cooking

When stretching a food budget, buying meat on sale or clear-out is essential.  But sometimes that means having to cook a lot of meat right away.  I have mentioned investment cooking to friends before and they often roll their eyes.  "Who has time to spend all day in the kitchen?"  "That's so much work!"  I guess there is a style of investment cooking that would make me say those same things, but that is totally not my style.

So, I'd like to call my style "Minor Investment" cooking.  Yes, it takes a little more time than cooking one meal, but truly just a little bit.  The reward is a jump start on three or more other meals because the meat is already cooked.  It's really like planning for leftovers.  I have several plans that I use, but never all at once.  I don't like eating similar things back to back, so I usually freeze the other three meals and use them later.  Theoretically, you could have a month's worth of dinners if you did them all.  Most of these ideas I got from Women's Day magazine back when I first got married.  We actually eat a lot of Asian food now, so I use these less often.  However, they have survived the test of time. 

I am not really a follow-a-recipe type of person.  I usually wing it.  These are not really recipes listed below; simply the plan with ingredients.  If you want recipes, let me know.  Also, if you see mushrooms listed and you know me, you know I don't actually put those in my food - but to each his own.

Here are my Minor Investment meal plans:

Stew
Make a basic beef stew recipe (only meat, broth, onions, and garlic).  Divide into 5 batches - use one and freeze four.
Meal 1 - Traditional Stew: add sliced carrots, sliced celery, cubed potatoes, beef broth, tomato sauce, oregano, basil
Meal 2 - Tex-Mex Stew: add frozen corn, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salsa (serve with corn bread)
Meal 3 - Asian Stew: add frozen broccoli, red bell pepper strips, ginger, soy sauce (serve with rice)
Meal 4 - Moroccan Stew: add cubed butternut squash, chopped spinach, tomato sauce, cumin, cinnamon, ground red pepper (serve with couscous)
Meal 5 - French Stew: add baby carrots, mushrooms, beef broth, red wine, thyme (serve with French bread)

Chicken
Make a basic creamed chicken recipe (chicken, onions, celery, carrots, milk/cream).  Divide into 4 batches - use one and freeze three.
Meal 1 - Creamed chicken over noodles: egg noodles
Meal 2 - Chicken chowder: add rice, sweet potato, sausage, corn, and creamed chicken (can be made at the same time as creamed chicken and frozen as a complete meal)
Meal 3 - Chicken pot pie: add peas and mushrooms, top with canned biscuits and bake
Meal 4 - Chicken lasagna: with spinach layer, cheese layer, and chicken layer

Chili
Make your favorite basic chili recipe (I use ground turkey and black beans).  Divide into 4 batches - use one and freeze three.
Meal 1 - Chili (serve with cornbread or tortilla chips)
Meal 2 - Mexican Rice: chili, rice, corn, shredded cheese
Meal 3 - Tortilla pie: similar to lasagna - layers of tortillas(corn or flour), chili, and cheese in a pie plate
Meal 4 - Burritos: chili, tortillas, salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

Meat Loaf
Use your favorite recipe and make enough for 4 meals for your family.  Divide into 4 batches - use one and freeze three (before freezing - thinly slice, crumble, or cube based on which meals you choose).
Meal 1 - Traditional meatloaf: serve with vegetables and mashed potatoes
Meal 2 - Meatloaf sandwiches: thinly sliced meatloaf with rye bread, tomato, lettuce, onion, and mustard; serve with salads
Meal 3 - Stuffed peppers: crumbled meatloaf with rice, tomato sauce, and spices, cooked in a bell pepper; serve with a green salad
Meal 4 - Spaghetti and meatballs: cubed meatloaf with marinara sauce and spaghetti; serve with a green vegetable or green salad (You could also do meatball subs.)
Meal 5 - Swedish meatballs: cubed meatloaf with mushroom gravy and egg noodles; serve with a green vegetable or green salad

Turkey
Roast a turkey!  (not just for Thanksgiving - anytime turkey is cheap)  Freeze leftovers in bags.
Meal 1 - Turkey pot pie: add leftover veggies, gravy (or cream sauce) and top with stuffing or biscuits
Meal 2 - Turkey tetrazzini: add noodles, cream sauce, peas, and mushrooms
Meal 3 - Turkey soup: add vegetables and broth (make broth from the bones), could also add rice or noodles
Meal 4 - Turkey chili: add crushed tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers, spices
Meal 5 - Turkey & rice casserole: add wild rice, leftover veggies, cream sauce and thyme

Adoption is affordable - Part 3

So you've decided that you want to adopt, and maybe foster care is not what you are thinking.  That's ok - adoption can still be affordable.  You just have to get creative!

Individual families raise funds in a variety of ways - from bake sales to sporting events and everything in between.  This list of ideas can help you get started.

There are ways to fund raise online, such as gofundme which allows you to set a goal, tell your story, and collect funds.  It is also possible to raise funds on your own blog using pay pal.

Then there is Give 1 Save 1 which is a blog that challenges its followers to give $1 each week to their chosen family of the week in order to help bring another orphan home.  Recently, someone I know was the family of the week on Give 1 Save 1 where their story was shared and people were linked to their adoption blog to donate.

Many organizations help fund adoptions through grants and fundraising - some organizations raise money for families and some raise money for specific orphans.  Here are just a few.
Show Hope gives grants to families for adoption.
Lifesong for Orphans provides matching grants and no-interest loans to families for adoption. 
Reece's Rainbow raises funds for the adoption of specific children with Down Syndrome.
Love Without Boundaries raises funds for the adoption of specific children from China.
And there are so many more!  This list can help you find the right organization for your adoption journey.

There is also an adoption tax credit: a specific amount that can be deducted from your tax liability.  The amount changes every year and cannot exceed your actual expenses.  Also, it is not a refund; it is a deduction.

Be encouraged.  If you desire to adopt, it can be a reality!

If adoption is not something you are called to, maybe you can help donate to someone who is called.  Together we can care for the orphans.

Family fun

I learned about sensory bins here and decided to try them out.  I made very simplified versions of the Doc McStuffins one and the dinosaur one.  I made them for my 7 year old, but my husband and 10 year old had tons of fun playing with the dinosaurs.  I used an old plastic container, a bag of split peas I had on hand, and a bag of dinosaurs I bought for $1.  Totally worth it!  I will be trying out more of these in the future.


  

Coloring night at our house was also a success.  We were all bored.  There was nothing to do.  Well nothing that we could think of that was free and not outside in the heat.  So we broke out the coloring books, crayons, markers, and colored pencils.  We spent hours coloring together and listening to music.  It was an amazing night of free family fun.

The blessing of free

I just have to share another story of blessing and provision.
We have been wanting to get another bed, something larger for my teenage son that could double as a guest bed.  Mattresses are so expensive - ouch!  We had company coming for the weekend and thought maybe we should just give in and make the purchase... when out of the blue we received an email about a free bed.  Coincidence?  I think not.
That same week, as we were looking over the budget that was stretched too thin, a dear friend showed up with several boxes of food.  It was a blessing that was neither expected nor asked for but that's what made it so special.

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matt 6:8

Adoption is affordable - Part 2

(Adoption is such a complex issue.  This installment will focus on the adoption of older children.  My words are meant to inspire and encourage, never to guilt.)

I have had several conversations lately with people who are older (meaning they are beyond child-bearing age and/or are empty-nesters) who have expressed a desire to adopt but feel like it is too late for them.  On the contrary, it may be the perfect time to adopt.  Sure, you don't want to have a baby when you turn 50, but how about a teenager?  Older children are less likely to be adopted.  In fact, one of the "special needs" children have is being a teenager.  Yep, you read that right.  Just being an older child causes the likelihood of adoption to drop and therefore earn the label "special needs".

They still deserve a forever family.  Can you imagine your life from age 18 on with no one to call family?  No where to go for holidays; no father to walk you down the aisle; no grandparents for your children?  Yet that is precisely what happens when children age-out of the foster care system.  They turn 18 (age varies by state) and find that they have no family and often no where to go.  In 2011, approximately 40,000 children were emancipated.  Emancipation - an ironic term that sounds like freedom but freedom from what?  Freedom from love and security?

What does this have to do with adoption being affordable?  I think many people may hesitate to adopt an older child at least partly due to financial concerns.  Not only the anticipated cost of an adoption, but also the costs associated with caring for a child.  A child that will soon drive, and go to college, and get married, and ... we may start to see $$$.

Here are some little known facts about how the foster care system wants to HELP you adopt.
1.  Adoption Assistance - Some children qualify for adoption assistance, which is a set amount of money that you receive each month to help cover the costs of caring for the child.  The amount varies greatly based on factors such as age, medical needs and other special needs.
2.  Health Insurance - Most children will qualify for Medicaid until they turn 18 even after they are adopted.  This means free health care, such as doctor visits and prescriptions.
3.  College Tuition - Some states (including mine) have amazing college tuition funding for older children that are adopted from foster care (typically those over 12).

With 104,000 children in the U.S. foster care system currently waiting to be adopted, it's time we dispel the common myths about adoption from foster care.  If you have ever thought about adoption but have questions or hesitations, feel free to comment or contact me directly - I'd love to hear from you.

Summer boredom busters

There are two words that I cannot stand to hear; "I'm bored."

For some reason summer seems to bring boredom.  Who knew that my kids really loved school?  Right?  We are so blessed with so many things that honestly I get upset when kids say they are bored.  You have a room full of toys?  Sports equipment in the garage?  Shelves full of books?  You have more than most kids in the world could ever dream of.  Yet, I think my kids really just lack some imagination or direction in what to do with their time. 

So, last summer I came up with an idea.  What if I made a list of all the possible things they could do that don't cost money?  Then they could look at it and make a choice for themselves rather than expecting me to be the cruise ship director of their summer fun.  I made a list on our chalkboard and added to it throughout the summer.  In fact, I told them that if they uttered those dreadful two words I would have only one conclusion to draw - they must have done everything on the board and obviously need more chores.

I have to say it worked fairly well.  The kids caught on quickly and I think in the end they had more fun than even I anticipated.  With our family moving this summer, I almost forgot about the boredom board.  I think it's about time to get started again.