Thrifty Thursday #1 ~ Frugal Resources and Encouragement

"If you want to know how to save a dollar, just ask Kelsey."  

-My father-in-law 

    I still laugh at his statement.  I guess I have sort of built myself a reputation!  But I take it as a compliment, really.  For me, saving money and stretching what Colton works hard to bring home is my financial contribution to our household.  Ladies, it is an honor to be trusted with stewarding those hard-earned dollars!  I love the verse: 

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."

- Proverbs 31:11  

    We should aspire to the same.

    Over the years, I have had a few people in my personal life come to me for money saving ideas.  The problem is that there are so many ways to save, it is hard to limit that to just one answer or conversation!  I thought I would start a series in which I compile some of my tips so that I can have a sort of resource to point people to when they ask.  I will also share the ways that I save during each week to offer up some additional ideas.  I call it "Thrifty Thursday"!

    I know there are hundreds and hundreds of resources already out there, and I am not the first one to do this type of post.  For many of you seasoned savers, these tips probably won't be anything new.  But I figure that even if two artists paint a picture of the same thing, the unique beauty and differences of each one will still leave the viewer inspired.  That is my hope.

    And that leads me to my very first Thrifty Thursday tip:

    Regularly read, listen to, and watch money saving blogs, books, and videos; visit with friends (online or in person) who are like-minded and share the same money-saving goals.

    Perhaps it is just my thrifty heart, but I have always enjoyed reading of the different ways people save.  There is always a chance to glean something new, and even when I don't, I feel encouraged to keep going in my frugal endeavors.  Being constantly inundated with advertisements and lured into comparison traps, we see much of our society spending carelessly without necessarily seeing the negative consequences, and it can be easy to sometimes feel like we are missing out.  Or we might know better but simply get lazy from time to time.  Consuming sound money-saving resources will help you stay the course, focus on your goals, and leave you feeling less alone (and crazy).

    One of my favorite frugal living books is The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn.  Not only is it full of tips, it really challenges you to change your mindset around saving and gets you to see everything through a frugal lens.  That is what really sets this book apart for me.  (Funny story: when I went to check it out from the library, I had to request for the librarian to transfer it.  I guess she wanted to make sure she heard me correctly because when I told her the title, she suddenly looked up and repeated back to me very loudly, "Did you say, 'THE TIGHTWAD GAZETTE?'" And so there I was solidifying my "tightwad" reputation in front of everyone in the public library.  Fun times.)  

    As for blogs, my favorites are The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm by Annabel (you can click through her current blog to find her old one as well, which is just as good- be sure to read the comments from her readers, too!); Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth by JES; and A Working Pantry by Patsi.  Each of these contain a wealth of information and encouragement for looking well to the ways of your household.

    One of my favorite YouTube channels is Frugal Fit Mom.  I have only just recently found her, but I'm pretty sure Christine and I could be real-life friends.  I love her personality and humor.  She posts videos on grocery budgeting, pantry stocking, money saving hacks, and more.

    As I find more favorites, I will come back to this post to add them in.  Do you have any resources you recommend?  Please post them in the comments so we can check them out!

    And now for the ways I saved this week:

    I used up tidbits from the pantry (no waste) as we transition towards healthier eating habits.

    I made some banana nut bread for snacks during the week using bananas that were turning brown.  That is not "healthy" per se, but it is homemade and I know and control all of the ingredients, so it passes.  The rest of the brown bananas were frozen for smoothies.

    We were away from home for a couple days visiting my mother-in-law.  Before we left, I made sure to use up or meal prep any of the produce in our refrigerator that might otherwise go bad while we were away.  I packed snacks for the road and I turned our heater off before we left the house.  The forecast didn't predict any freezing weather, so no need to heat an empty house.

    We stopped at thrift stores along the way and I found lots of goodies, mostly books!  I have a weakness for books and have always dreamed of having a home library.  I think I am well on my way.  Most only cost around $1 or $2, some even less.  

    I found several that I will use for homeschooling.  A lot of them will be for when the boys are a little older, but I try to look for educational books when I can.  My favorites are about American and Texas history, heroes of the faith, nature, and things that promote masculinity and boyhood adventure.  Some of these are coloring and activity books that John can use now:

A couple special ones:

And a few for me:

    I was very excited to find the cookbooks, as there are several recipes in each that I can make work for me.  They look good enough that I think my family will enjoy them, too.  The Road to Avonlea set is based off of the Anne of Green Gables film (I know it is a book, but it says these are based off the film).  The entire set was $3 and I couldn't pass it up, as it should be a wholesome, light read for me.  

    I almost passed this next one up, thinking it was a gardening book.  I do love gardening books, but I have enough.  I am glad I pulled it off the shelf and looked at it because it turned out to be a decorating book.  It has beautiful images:

    I found some board games that look fun for when the boys get older:

    Some clothes and board books for James:

    And a few pretty things for the home:

    There are a few books not pictured, some clothes for myself, and glass jars that I bought, as well.  The tea cups pictured above are actually part of a set that came with a tea pot, a creamer, and a sugar dish (only $6 total!).  So you can see I had good success.  I hadn't been thrifting in a long time, so it was fun to go "treasure hunting" along our travel route.  This is one way I have frugally built up and furnished my home over the years, and it is a fun tradition any time we go on a road trip.

    Since we were away from home, that is about all I have to report for this Thrifty Thursday.  I hope you will join me again next Thursday for another tip!