Make A Plan Monday: Scheduling

How do you organize your schedule, your family's schedule?  How do you remember everything that needs to get done?  Below are some suggestions to help in scheduling individually and as a family.

1.  Have a family planning meeting as regularly as needed--like once a week.  During this meeting discuss what each individuals activities, deadlines, assignments, parties, and so forth are for the week.  This allows everyone to see when things are and can then determine how to help one another in getting things done and/or choosing what things need to wait until another time, it also allows everyone to see what is needed--if something needs to be bought or set aside for a project or an activity.  It helps to do this before menu planning so you can plan meals based on what time-constraints before/after the meal may be.

2.  Daily review the calendar/schedule to refresh your memory about what plans were made for that day, also any changes that need to be made can be made--did something come up that will lengthen or shorten meal preparation, family time or other time?

3.  Don't over-schedule yourself or your family.  If you are finding there are many conflicting schedules, not enough family time, constantly having to revise your schedule, etc.  than it may be time to sit back and only do the essential things, letting extra (fun, entertainment) activities wait for another time.

4.  Determine as a family what is important in your usage of time and what will help you meet your goals.  How much/little family time are you wanting/willing to have/give up?  How often do you want to eat together, play together, etc?  What activities are most important to your family to get done on a daily, weekly basis?

By scheduling effectively as a family, including planning the family needs & wants, time can be saved, money can be saved, there will likely be less frustrations and confusions, and a feeling of control over life by planning and accomplishing steps to reaching our goals.  With planning we use time in the best possible way, we aren't making unnecessary or multiple trips to the store or around town, we aren't having to eat out because of poor planning, or eat microwave freezer dinners either (unless we want to and plan to right?).

Miscellaneous Monday: Housecleaning Chore Tips

Today I will share some household chore tips.  One of the most important things I have found in trying to maintain happiness at home while cleaning is to communicate as a family what is wanted & needed.  To be kind, loving, understanding and helpful while communicating and working together.

Housecleaning Chore tips

• Have a clear description of what each chore entails.  Make sure every family member knows exactly what is expected to get done including:  frequency--how often the chore needs to be done--daily, weekly, monthly, etc.  Timing--what time of the day/week/month is the chore to be done.  It is handy to have a checklist of duties.

• Distribution of chores:  chores can be assigned or chosen.  Determine the number and type of chores based on age & ability.  Kids should learn to work and have chores, but decide carefully how many and what type of chores to give--one method is to divide the age of the child in half and that is how many chores they get.  Even toddlers can do chores when helped (like picking up toys).  Also make provisions about how to divy up chores when someone is sick, out of town, etc.

• Young Children & chores:  the first few times a chore is given to a child & done, a parent should supervise and help to ensure the child clearly understands all that is expected and involved in that chore.  Based on ability, directions for chores should be given specifically and the number of instructions given according to child--whether more or less lengthly instructions can be handled--if they can only process one instruction at a time give one specific instruction--put the toy cars in the car bin, or put the socks in the sock drawer.  If given too many or too lenthly of an instruction, they might get through putting the cars away and totally forget that the blocks, the stuffed animals, the socks and books all needed to be put away too.  Children like to help, so do whatever cleaning needs to be done with them.

• Consequences:  Praise efforts and jobs well-done.  Words of gratitude & praise go a long way.  If needed, tangible rewards can be given.   When chores don’t get done, have set consequences pre-established so that everyone knows what will/will not happen if they neglect their chores--pay for the maid service (whoever did the job gets paid), loss of video game time, tv time, friend time, phone privileges, car privileges, etc.  As a family decide what the rewards as well as the losses will be for doing/not doing chores.

• And should the majority of chores fall on one person, don’t feel overburdened.  Do what works best for you--choosing a day to do all the cleaning or spreading the chores out over the entire week and then maintaining them the rest of the time.

• If your family has a designated cleaning time (like Saturdays 10am), then make sure everyone understands that is scheduled time and nothing else gets scheduled during that time without family approval and a system in place to ensure the chore(s) still get done.

• Chore charts can be handy.  They can be paper, chalkboard, whiteboard, etc.  This allows kids and all alike to see what their chores are at a glance.

Wednesday Why: Researching Products

Wednesday Why:  How do I research a product to determine if I want to buy it or not?

My first choice is to always try the product firsthand.  Whether it is an appliance, a book for homeschool, an item of clothing or a garden tool, I like to be able to see, hold, try the product before deciding to buy it.  This allows me to see if it fits, if it will work in the way I want & hope, if it seems durable, if it will be usable, etc.

But, there are many times I am not able to actually try the product--how often does [store name] let you actually use a blender before buying it, not likely.  Clothing can generally be tried on, but most appliances, tools, and anything else aren't likely to be allowed a test-run before you buy it.  So what do you do then?

If you have friends that have used and recommend a product, that is always helpful.  But on your own, you can read customer reviews, read trouble-shooting guides to get an idea of what possible problems the product may have, try to see if there are any recalls or known defects that are common for that product--some of these pop up in customer reviews--like when many customer reviews mention the same kind of problem they had with the product (like a certain type of TV that has issues with the remote that comes with it within a short time period, or a washer that develops problems agitating after only a year, or an MP3 player that stops working after a few months).

Also, besides the actual reviews and such of the product, I try to think about the actual usage of the product.  Is it something I will use often, occasionally or really only once or twice a year?  Is it something that will make life easier with its use, or more complicated--finding space for it, safety issues, increasing expenditures, etc?  Is it something worth storing for the few times it may be used?  Is it going to pay for itself in usage, time saved, sanity saved--some items may not literally pay for themselves like some energy efficient products compared to non-energy efficient products, but because they make life easier or more manageable they pay for themselves in sanity.  An example of this for me is the gamma lid for buckets--more expensive compared to the regular lids that go with buckets, but oh so much easier to use!!!  Many times over have I been happy I splurged on a gamma lid over a regular bucket lid for using to store food storage--I did wait for them to go on sale of course.

I hope these thoughts help to determine what the best value for you money, time, & sanity is when buying or not buying a product as the case may be.  It's true I may not do this thorough of research for every product, but have found it helpful when I do--it has saved me money as I've been able to either determine through the time, effort, and information I found I decided I didn't want the product or been able to find a better deal--meaning a better quality product sometimes for cheaper sometimes not.

Thrifty Thursday: Cost Effectiveness of Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Cost effectiveness of:  HOMEMADE DISHWASHER DETERGENT

I’ve seen various recipes for making your own dishwasher detergent.  All of them seem to have the same basic ingredients:

1 c Borax--$3.38 a box (75 oz), about 10.5 c/box=$0.32/cup

1 c Baking soda &/or Washing soda--baking soda 13.5 lb bag $5.62, about 25 c/bag ( 7oz/c),= $0.22/cup; washing soda 55 oz $3.24, about 6 c/box, =$0.54/c

1/4 to 1/2 c Epsom salt or kosher salt--epsom salt 10 lb $6.98, 1 c about 8 oz so about 20 c/box=$0.35/c

1/4 to 1/2 c citric acid, or fruit fresh or 2  .25 oz pk (.5 oz total) unsweetened lemonade kool-aid--lemi-shine 12 oz $3.66, about 1.75 c/container=$2.09/c; unsweetened kool-aid $0.20  for 2 pk or .5 oz (at 10 for $1)

and then using 1/2 to 1 c vinegar for rinsing--16 c/gallon $3.58 for 2 gallons=$0.11/cup

Use 2 T dry ingredients + 1/2 to 1 c vinegar  + 2 to 3 drops dawn per load 

Cheapest per load cost using homemade:  1 recipe makes about 35-40 T or 17-20 loads worth if using only 2 T per load.  This is using only baking soda, not washing soda in place of or in addition to the baking soda; also it uses epsom salt which was cheaper than kosher salt; and the cheapest kool-aid (generic brand):

1 c borax ($0.32)

1 c baking soda ($0.22)

1/4 c epsom salt ($0.35)

2 pk kool-aid ($0.20)

TOTAL to make:  $1.98;  

TOTAL cost per load (2 T/load):  about 10-12 cents without vinegar or liquid detergent drops

optional additions:  1/2 c vinegar ($0.06) per load, 2-3 drops liquid dish soap

Great Value Dishwasher Detergent, 75 oz $3.78 (if I remember right)-- 2 T/ load=about 5 cents a load.

SO....is it worth it to make your own dishwasher detergent?  Based on my calculations, it is actually cheaper to use Walmart's generic brand.  Is 2 T enough per load to get the dishes clean?  2 T fills up one dish detergent holder--not both the lidded and overflow holders.  So if you usually only fill up one detergent holder then 2 T will be enough, if you normally have to fill up both holders, then the pricer per load will be more.  You will have to determine if you are happy with one or both holders being filled, it will also depend on the type of dishes and the dirtiness of the dishes.

Other notes:

Each time I have tried making homemade dishwasher detergent, it does clump and harden together, so some scraping, banging, etc. is required to loosen it back up to actually use.  I've not had an issue with it actually cleaning the dishes though.

Vinegar and dawn are optional but do make a difference for glassware as shown on:  

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/homemade-dishwasher-detergent-revised.html)

Miscellaneous Monday: Food Storage Cookbook Review

Food Storage Cookbook review:  "I Can't Believe It's Food Storage" by Crystal Godfrey

Layout:  Recipes are divided by main long-term food storage ingredient.  The long-term food storage items are those sold at LDS home storage centers, plus powdered eggs.

Recipes:  She includes recipes found in the Basic Food Storage recipe cookbooklet that I posted about a little bit ago and at other times; she also includes some recipes from her blog:  www.everydayfoodstorage.net, and some recipes that aren't found on her blog.  I've personally tried many of the recipes and they were great.  Total recipes between 130 and 140.

What I like:  She uses basic ingredients, the recipes aren't including food storage items that many people may not have (like powdered sour cream or tomato powder).  The recipes are also easily adaptable to personal tastes by adjusting ingredients and amounts.  She also includes FHE plans and ideas on what to include in a 3 month food storage, 1 yr food storage.  Overall I'd give this food storage cookbook a 5/5.

First Aid Friday: Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween.  Today I am sharing a few ideas on how to have a healthy and happy Halloween.  

Have a plan--where to go, when to go, with whom to go, etc.  Teach kids your rules for trick or treating.

Costumes--be sure they aren't so long that the person wearing it will trip, or other dangling things that can cause tripping, if wearing masks, be sure can see and breath with it on.  Dress for the weather

Visibility:  use flashlights, glow sticks, reflective tape to see and be seen

Children:  give and practice instructions on what to do if separated or if there is an emergency; parents sort through goodies before allowing children access--check for unwrapped goodies, obvious tampering, choking hazards for young children, etc., remember to brush teeth after eating goodies, pay attention to child’s anxiety levels, tiredness, etc.--don’t overtax them.  

Don't go trick or treating alone.

Parents stay with children.

Courtesy:  Be courteous to other families and children trick or treating.  Don't push, shove, name call, etc.  Be patient and wait turn.  Don't be picky--be thankful for what getting--say "Thank You" often.  Also, don't trample landscaping, use sidewalks & walkways.  Be kind to those who have chosen not to participate in Halloween.

Have a fun and safe Halloween.

Wednesday Why: Vacuum Sealing Bread Products

Have you ever tried to vacuum seal bread or bread products?  Is it possible to do so without squishing the bread?  As you can see in the picture below, there is a way to seal bread and a way not too--unless you don't mind really compact bread.  On the left are hotdog buns that were simply put into the vacuum sealing bag and then vacuum sealed--a big mess of mashed buns that don't go back to bun shape once taken out.  On the right are hamburger buns that were first put into a ziploc bag, and as much air removed as possible, then put into a vacuum sealing bag and vacuum sealed.  The buns stayed in their original shape.  If you don't think you will be using bread products within a short time, you may want to vacuum seal them, but I would suggest using ziploc (or generic) bags first so that your bread doesn't get all mashed.

Other vacuum sealing hints and tips:  slightly freeze meats first--otherwise the vacuum sealer will be sucking a lot of juices (blood) out of them, also they keep better shape--like bread--if slightly frozen first.  Make sure the bag you are using is the proper size--too small and it won't be able to vacuum seal properly, too big and well you are wasting bag--unless you are going to be cutting it open, using some of the contents and then resealing it then you aren't wasting bag--but actually saving since you are reusing.  LABEL!  Always label what you store in your freezer, on the shelf, etc.--it really is amazing how you can forget or can't identify things if they aren't labeled correctly.  ROTATE!  Just because something is frozen does not mean it will last forever--frozen food has a freezer life just like canned food has a shelf life--freezing only slows down microorganisms it doesn't kill them, also taste, texture and nutrition does change over time.

Miscellaneous Monday: Children's Cookbooks

I have found that when my kids help make the food we are going to eat, they are more excited to eat it. One way to get them excited to help in food prep is to use cookbooks made for children.  The 3 listed below are the ones that I & my family have liked the most for the layouts, and of course the great recipes that are easy to make.

Betty Crocker's Kids Cook!:  This cookbook has some fun layouts and easy recipes.  Puts the finished product into a fun layout.
Mom and Me Cookbook:  Shows some pictures of ingredients and the process as well as the end product--a great help for visual learners or those not reading yet.
The Disney Magic Kitchen Cookbook:  Uses Disney characters in the layouts of the finished product, as well some fun names for the food like "Body Shop Black Bean Salad."  Also has great information about creating healthy menus, activity ideas for being physically active.

Each of these cookbooks have main dishes, sides and salads, snacks and treats and more.  Have fun preparing food for the family with the family!  There are other great recipe books out there, these are simply the ones I recommend based on actual use.

Make A Plan Monday: Fire Preparedness

No person that I know of would want their house to catch fire and burn down.  But, it is still wise to make a plan on what to do if it does.  For Family Home Evening, or otherwise as a family, counsel together about what your family can and will do if such a tragedy of a house fire were to happen.  Plan and teach fire safety, escape routes, plan a meeting place, and plan for recovery.

PLAN ESCAPE & MEETING PLACE:  every person in your home who can understand the dangers of a fire and move him/herself to another location should learn and know how to leave through doors or windows.  If bedrooms are on a second or third floor, there are ladders made for fire escape from an upstairs window.  Show how to exit through a window--and let them know that in a fire, if they need to break the window to get out--to do it!  Plan at least one place far enough away from the house that smoke and fire aren't a danger.  If you have a big fenced in yard, it could be in a far corner of the yard, as corners are easier to locate and find in the dark.  Think about which areas of the home family members are most likely to be in and plan a meeting place on that side of the house if possible.  If in an apartment/condo, choose a location in the parking lot or by the mailboxes (if they are in a separate area from the building on fire).

Write down your family escape plan.  Also, it is wise to notify a neighbor or family/friend that is close by about your plan.  Most local fire stations will gladly share fire safety tips and allow for tours where children and adults alike can learn what to do in a fire; call ahead and find out what their guidelines for tours and such are.

PRACTICE:  as a family periodically have fire drills where everyone can practice leaving the home and meeting up at the meeting place.  You can either plan these ahead or do random drills to really test everyone's knowledge.  To make it a little more real, invite a family member or friend to call randomly and notify you that you have 1 minute to leave your home for a fire drill.

PLAN RECOVERY:  Many people pay for fire/home or renter's insurance to help cover costs of items lost in a fire, others plan on simply replacing items over time as they are able.  Whether you carry insurance or not, though, a plan for what to do immediately after a house fire is needed.  Where will you live?  How will you meet basic needs of shelter, food, clothing?  What about documents and such that may have been lost in the fire, did you have a plan for replacing those that can be or reproducing them before a fire and having more than one copy?  Who will be notified of your loss?  How will you handle the emotional side of a house fire?  Do you have a good support system of family and friends?  Making a plan of how you will pull through a house fire tragedy, and possibly even loss of loved ones, will help should that time come that a plan needs to be used.  Without a plan, besides the loss of both things both physical and emotional, on top of everything you'll have to decide what to do, how to do it, etc.

No amount of planning and preparing for disaster ever really makes the disaster a breeze to go through, but it does help at least the emotional side of things to have thought it out and planned to the best we could.  The disaster very well may destroy any physical preparations, but I believe with physical, emotional and spiritual preparation we are better prepared to endure it well.

Thrifty Thursday: Ideas for Budgeting for Alternative Cooking

 Ideas for budgeting for cooking sources.  

--Watch for clearance, sales, used items.  I have seen sales on solar ovens almost every summer.  I’ve also seen camp stoves on clearance or at thrift stores.

--Ask for them for gifts when people ask about birthdays or Christmas gift ideas.

--Set aside money each month--however much you can handle per month, and plan 1-2 months beyond what you think you will need to buy whatever method you want--in case prices go up, so you can watch for sales and so if you need to buy fuel in addition to the stove/grill/oven, you have enough to buy some

--Make your own.  A simple stove can be made out of a #10 can, see this post for how I made mine.  A simple solar oven can be made using a car window reflector, see this post for how to make it.  Patterns and directions for making wonderbox ovens are available online, see this post for how I did it.

--Combine resources with neighbors and/or family that live close by.  See if you can get group rate pricing & shipping.  Or get together to combine skills & resources in making what each needs/wants.  Another option with this is to find others close by that might want to help chip in to buy or make a powerless cooking method that then can be shared amongst the families--just be sure to set up before hand who will store it, rules for use, etc. as you don’t want contention or grudges being held.

Miscellaneous Monday: Frozen Storage

April Showers...More on Freezers.

If you find that you can’t take advantage of sales on perishable foods because you don’t have freezer space, then you may want to consider buying a freezer.  Will you be buying only enough freezer food to last 1 week, or hope to buy enough to last 1-3 months?  This will help you determine what size freezer to buy.  Also, will you be using it only for store bought frozen goods, or will you also be using it for home made goods like leftovers, freezer meals, jams, or home preserved freezer foods?

Since most frozen foods need to be used within 1-6 months, choose a freezer size that accomidates the amount of food that you plan on storing that fits within that time frame--Freezing food does NOT make it last forever!!!!  Freezer food just like any other food has an expiration date when it should be used by, it can and will get freezer burn if left in the freezer too long and/or not stored properly; it also will lose flavor, texture and nutrition as it sits in the freezer.  Choosing the size that fits your family is best--because a full freezer will operate at optimum energy savings compared to a partially filled freezer, so you don't want one too big, but also not too small.

Once you've decided you want a freezer, you'll need to decide your budget and save for one; but also determine if you want an upright or a chest freezer. 

Upright or Chest?

Both work great for freezing food, but have different advantages and disadvantages in convenience.  If you like to see and organize by type of food, uprights work better for that as chest freezers you have to stack things on top of other things--which means removing top items to get to bottom items.  If floor space is an issue you can get more storage in an upright for the floor space it takes up.  Also uprights tend to be auto defrost, whereas most chest freezers will need to be manually defrosted periodically to maintain optimum energy usage.  If you are short or have a hard time reaching down into things and lifting things, an upright is more convenient.  Upright freezer doors open out like on a fridge, whereas the door on a chest freezer opens up.  As far as floor space, uprights can store more in less floor space than a chest freezer because they store using vertical space rather than horizontal.

It is really a personal preference as to which type of freezer is more convenient and desirable.  Generally chest freezers are cheaper to buy and run, but both work well and provide space to freeze foods.

Freezers can be money savers when you are able to buy things on sale.  They can also waste money if not filled, as well as if the food goes bad because it is left in the freezer too long.  Be sure to make a plan to use the food within the time frame each type of food should be used to get the best bang for your buck.

Make A Plan Monday: Freezer Inventory

April Showers...Freezing Food

Have you ever forgotten you had this or that because it wasn't out in the open or wasn't written down in an inventory?  Have you ever had to throw out food because it didn't get eaten in time or it got freezer burn--or you couldn't identify it?

Today I want to share my thoughts on keeping a freezer inventory and how I label foods I freeze, at least when I'm being good about labeling that is.  Freezing food does NOT make it last forever, or even years.  Freezing simply slows down the processes that cause food to go bad, it does not stop or kill the organisms--that is why once you defrost food it has to be used and can't just stay on the counter or in the fridge for long periods of time.  Some foods freeze better and longer than others, so besides inventorying your food, you should learn how to best freeze it and how long to freeze it for best results.

Inventories for your freezer, as well as other food (pantry, food storage, etc) is a good way to keep track of what you have and what you need to rotate through.  Below is a very simple freezer inventory that I have used with success--meaning I know what I have and can make a plan to use it while it is nutritionally, taste, texture and sight wise the best.

An inventory can be made on the computer or written out by hand, either works.

From the tables, a freezer inventory includes the type of food, amount, when to use it by and location, the date you put it in can also be included, but I think the more important date is the use by date.  Some freezer foods come with use by dates on them, others don't.  In general for home goods--leftovers, freezer meals, things like that I try to use them up within 1 month.  For meats, and store bought goods I follow basic freezer guidelines that can be found in food preserving books & resources, or in general I say 1-3 months for those things, depending if they are raw or cooked.  For things like flour, yeast, dried foods, etc. I use a 6-12 month time frame.

When I use something, I change the amount if I didn't use all of it, or I cross it off my list if I used all of it.  Yes, this means that every month or so a new inventory is needed to keep it up to date.  Most foods don't last long enough for a freezer inventory to only be updated once a year or even once every 6 months; it will need to be updated frequently so I keep mine on the fridge.  You can keep both the fridge freezer and the chest/upright freezer (if have one) inventories on one page or do a separate inventory for each one.  A separate one would be handy if the foods in the chest freezer are longer storage foods that can be stored 3-12 months instead of 1-3 months.  In the example above, I put them together.

The type of food, the type of container and the freezer temperature all play a part in how well and how long the food will maintain nutrition, taste, & texture.  By having an inventory, you will be able to know what needs to be used, and when it needs to be used so that food doesn't go to waste.  Also, by properly preparing and labeling foods when they are put into a freezer, waste can be limited.

When I label foods, besides simply saying what the food is (if not store bought), I put the date I am freezing it as well as the date I hope to use it by, plus any other information that would be helpful like bake temps and times, if it isn't something that doesn't already have that on it.

Examples:  store bought lasagna:  leave in packaging, label with date bought and date to use by; homemade lasagna:  freeze in pan going to use to cook it--if using disposable pan can leave it in it, if using regular baking pan, freeze in pan than remove from pan; wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and place in a freezer bag--labeling lasagna, date frozen and when to use it by, along with bake temp and times if frozen or thawed.

Properly preparing, labeling and inventorying food for the freezer can help limit food waste.  It can also help the food budget as foods aren't wasted, and foods can be bought and made in bulk.

First Aid Friday: Water Safety And Drowining

April Showers...  Water Safety

Back in November I came across a post on Our Best Bites about drowning.  I thought it so well written and excellent advice that I want to reiterate and share that post and information again.

Here is the original post from Our Best Bites:  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/11/some-life-lessons/

I can't imagine the terror of that incident, as thankfully I've not had to live through it.  I have had a friend lose a daughter to drowning.  I wasn't there when it happened or there to comfort her as I was serving a mission for my church at the time.  They were in an area with numerous other people, yet no one saw it happening--yes it can happen that quick--it can happen before your eyes or when you are turned around even briefly.

So I want to share some basic water safety guidelines, but I highly suggest reading the post on Our Best Bites:
1.  NEVER swim alone.  Even if you feel you or your loved one is a good swimmer there are instances that even that can't help in times of crisis--when someone gets scared they may not think properly, or in rip-tide, etc.
2.  Learn to float, swim and tread water.  And have kids learn too.
3.  Learn basic first aid and CPR.
4.  Don't rely on swim skills or water toys and devices (like arm floaties or pool noodles)--be watchful constantly.  Problems can and do arise without warning, and can go down hill very quickly.
5.  Set firm rules & consequences for swim and play.  No running, no pushing others under the water, no jumping in where it is shallow or where someone is, etc.
6.  Know your limits--if you don't feel comfortable watching more than 1 or 2 children in the water at a time, don't.  If you don't feel comfortable watching someone else's kids in the water, don't.  If you feel comfortable watching your kids in a pool but not at the beach, then stick with the pool.  Don't let pressure of seeing and being with friends take you out of your comfort limit/zone or distract you from being watchful.
7.  Know your child's limits--they tend to tire quicker than an adult so staying in the water for hours on end will lessen their ability to be their best.  Know their swim skills and level, and plan water activity & company accordingly.

8.  ALWAYS follow warning signs.  At the beach they have flags and signs that warn if there is no lifeguard, or if there is marine/wild life that could be dangerous (alligators, jellyfish, shark, etc) or if the water itself is unsafe (rip-tide, contaminated, etc).  Going against warnings is putting yourself and others (those who might have to try and save you) at risk...It just isn't worth it.

And as a side note:  don't feed the wildlife.  In general alligators won't come near humans--unless they have come to connect humans with food because they've been fed by humans.

Thrifty Thursday: Water Storage Container Comparison

April Showers:  Water Storage Container Comparisons

Below is a chart I originally put together back in 2011, but updated for this year.  Most things were either the same price or little change up or down.  There are many more water containers and such available than what is shown on the chart.  Simply search water on the Emergency Essentials website or Sams Club, etc. to find more information and products.

The cost per gallon listed is taking the initial cost of the item(s) and dividing it by the amount of gallons (128 oz) it holds or contains.  For instance the Emergency Essentials blue barrel cost of 75.95 divided by 55 gallons equals about $1.38 per gallon.  Another example:  The 40 pack of bottled water at Sams Club costs 3.98.  16.9 oz per bottle means there is 676 oz or about 5.28 gallons.  $3.98 divided by 5.28 is about $0.75 per gallon.  I set the price of the pop bottle being used for water as $0.00 because you are simply reusing a container that you bought for another purpose, the pop; but if you want to use the initial price of the pop--generic Kroger brands can cost around $0.69, then your cost per gallon is .69 divided by .53 (2 liters is about .53 of a gallon) which comes to about $1.30 per gallon (basically 2 2 liter bottles gives you one gallon of water).

These costs are based on regular prices.  If you can find a sale, the price will drop.

When considering what containers to use, initial cost is a factor.  But also consider how well it holds up--is it something that will have to be replaced within 1 to 2 years or something that will keep for 5, 10 or 20 years without a problem?  Also consider the space needed for the varying sizes of containers--some are really bulky others can be stored just about anywhere--under beds, closets, under couches that are raised by legs, etc.

conversions used:  128 oz in 1 gallon; about 3.79 liters in 1 gallon or about 33.8 oz in 1 liter

Make A Plan Monday: Making a Plan to Use Food Storage

Making a plan to use your food storage regularly doesn't have to be an intense and undesirable work.  Here are some simple ideas that could help incorporate food storage regularly as far as planning it, last week I shared some ideas on using specific long-term food items in this post: Miscellaneous Monday:  Ideas On Incorporating Food Storage.

By choosing a meal or a day each week or month to focus on using food storage items--either in recipes you already know and like or in trying new ones--you are planning a way to rotate and use your food storage.  Examples:  Make at least one dish using food storage items that you need to rotate through--every 1st Saturday, or every Friday or every day of the first week in the month, etc.  Fridays are my day to focus on food storage items, but I tend to slip them in other days too.  Plan and do what works for you.

Also, when you make your shopping list and menu plan, plan meals and recipes based first on what you have on hand that needs to be used, then what is on sale both for stocking up and for using that week to make meals cost less, then choose meals/recipes that will allow you to use something from your food storage, and then of course any special occasions that you need to plan and shop for like birthdays, parties and such.

If you have food storage items that you aren't familiar with in taste and use, start small and simple.  Don't start using recipes that you are unfamiliar with and totally different from what you normally eat, but rather start using your food storage by adding it to meals you already enjoy.  Like adding a little whole wheat flour into baked goods, or adding a little cooked cracked wheat to ground meat dishes that you already enjoy.  Once you become accustomed to using food storage in everyday ways, and you want to expand your usage and tastes, you can try new recipes and techniques for preparing the food like making wheat gluten mock meats and such.

Most of the long-term food storage items can simply be added or used to substitute ingredients in many recipes you may already make; but it can also be fun to try completely new recipes and techniques using these and other food storage items.   Using some of the food storage will take advanced planning to be able to incorporate it; an example is wheat, it will need to be cooked, ground or sprouted first before it can be used.

Have fun planning and using your food storage.

Wednesday Why: Home Storage Sacrifices

What are some possible sacrifices to get & maintain a home storage?  In order to get and maintain a home storage, there will be sacrifices in money, time, space and possibly in changing eating habits in order to incorporate and rotate the food storage.  

Money:  food, toilet paper, fuel and pretty much everything else you would include in a home storage costs money.  Most of us don't have lots of money to work with, so buying items for home storage may be a small or a big sacrifice.  We shouldn't go into debt to get home storage items.  But we can and should do what we can--whether it is 1 extra canned good a week or 1 pound of beans a month, most of us can do something.   Instead of using money for entertainment using it for home storage can be a sacrifice to many people--whether it means using the money that would have been spent to go to the movies or the money that would have been spent for cable/satellite.   There may be other things we go without so we can get some home storage--like no new clothes or making more meals at home instead of eating out.  

Time:  canning and preserving your own food takes time, as does sealing food into cans or mylar bags.  It also takes time to plan your home storage and inventory it.  And to get a year supply, it certainly takes time and patience.  To learn & practice how to use & rotate your food or other home storage items will take time too.

Space:  where are the home storage items going to be put?  Giving up space to put home storage can be a big sacrifice too.  There are ways to make it look nicer and be more accessible, but no matter where you store your stuff, you are giving up space for it.  

Eating Habits:  By getting long-term supply foods that sustain life, many people may need to learn how to use and make those items in a tasty way which means learning and eating it.  If you aren't used to eating and using wheat or beans or dried foods, learning to incorporate them may seem like a daunting task.  It may mean big or little changes in eating habits.

When we wisely use our money, time and other resources to get a home storage we may feel like we are sacrificing.  I know though that those minor and major sacrifices can be worth it--whether a major disaster happens, a loss of job or simply being able to have on hand something that is needed and not having to run to the store everyday.

Miscellaneous Monday: Ideas on Incorporating Food Storage

March Food Storage Madness:  This month I hope to share ideas on many different aspects of food storage from getting and storing it, to using it and more.

Today's March Food Storage Madness:  Spring cleaning--getting some of that food storage out and actually using it!  If we store food and never use it, it wastes money, time & space.  So below are some ideas on incorporating different food items into what you may already be making/eating:

Wheat:  wheat can be cooked whole or cracked, or it can be ground into flour.  Got recipes that use flour?  Most recipes do well switching out white for wheat flour--either a complete switcheroo or partial.  Cooked whole or cracked wheat isn't just for cereal anymore!  Are you having meals with ground meats?  Cooked whole or cracked, wheat is wonderful to add to ground meat dishes.  Having rice?  Again cooked whole or cracked wheat can be added to rice dishes.  Salads--yep, same thing!  You can also make wheat meat (wheat gluten) and flavor it to taste like beef, chicken, sausage and more.

Dry milk:  besides simply making up a gallon and using it in cereal or for drinking (I suggest adding a little vanilla to it though for taste), dry milk can be used in baking or making sauces, puddings, cream soups and more.  Got a recipe that requires cream of ... soup?  Instead of buying a can from the store, you can make your own using dry milk using S.O.S mix or Magic Mix.  Need to make a white or cheese sauce, dry milk can be used--Magic Mix again to the rescue!

Dried fruits:  great for adding to cereal, yogurt, making fruit sauces & pies.  They are also great by themselves as a snack.

Dried veggies:  great for soups, adding to egg dishes (like casseroles or quiche), rehydrate and add to other casseroles or stir fries.

Beans:  Cooked beans can be added to meat dishes, casseroles, rice dishes and more, simply add with the meat or in place of the meat.  Cooked beans can also be pureed and used to replace the oil/butter in baked goods like cake or brownies!

Canned meats:  great for soups, chilis or even salad sandwiches (like chicken salad or tuna).  Great for casseroles too.

Dry Egg Powder:  most dry egg powders are made for use in baking--so if baking and the recipe calls for eggs, dry egg powder can be used.  If using for making scrambled eggs or omelets, the taste may not be to your liking.  There are products that claim to taste better for these types of uses (like egg crystals).  Also, dry egg white powder is great for when you only need whites.

I hope these ideas help in using your food storage.  It is so much better to learn how to use these things in tasteful ways now, than during an emergency.  Have fun, enjoy using your food storage!

Thrifty Thursday: Shopping Tips for Health

Today I want to share some general ideas on shopping healthy.  These are ideas for anyone trying to be healthy but also ideas for someone who has specific health concerns like diabetes or heart health.  In all cases of health concerns, it is a great idea to talk to your doctor about a proper eating plan and lifestyle that will keep you living happier and healthier.

Make a list and stick to it.  Be sure to go shopping when you aren’t hungry.  Stock up on produce, and healthy dairy and lean meat items.  Read food labels--this helps you to compare items and know which one packs more nutritional punch.  One time when I did this I found the store brand cereal I was buying had better nutritional facts than the name brand cereal!  While looking at these labels look for high fiber, low sodium foods and the good kind of fats, go for more poly/mono unsaturated fats than saturated fats.  Think of the source of the carbs--are they highly processed/sugary carbs or whole grain carbs?  Choose lean proteins instead of high fat ones.  

When choosing food & drink items for a diabetic, whether yourself or another, it is important to learn what amounts of specific types of food/nutrients you should have, discuss this with the doctor.  The doctor or dietician can help you determine how much sodium, cholesterol, carbs, etc. you should have or shoot for.  When making changes, some you can immediately implement--like lower sodium/cholesterol foods, others you should make gradually--like if you need to increase fiber.  Be sure to shop for balance--you want a balance of fiber, protein and carbs.  Some foods & drinks will affect blood glucose more than others, so learn which are better to have and which to limit.  Nuts are an example of a high protein food that helps you feel full, but also doesn’t make your blood glucose go nuts.

General guidelines for fiber and sodium:  20-35 grams of fiber a day; less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day.  Talk to the doctor to find out what amounts to shoot for and follow that guideline.  Check your local hospital/doctor for more information and tips for maintaining control over diabetes (or other diseases), they may even have programs that would be helpful to attend like:  making low-sodium & low-cholesterol foods, or how to shop/cook for someone with diabetes.

Thrifty Thursday: Grocery Shopping with Kids Tips

Today I want to share ideas on how to still get the best deal when shopping with kids.  I say get the best deal and not just how to shop with kids because sometimes when shopping with antsy kids we too can get antsy and do more of a grab and go shopping trip and thus forget something or not get the best deals because we just grab not taking time to see if it is the lowest price per unit.

The first tip, whether shopping with kids or not, is to go with a list.  If possible, be as specific as possible--listing brands, prices, how much to get.  Example:  Kroger brand frozen corn .88/each (5).  The 5 in () indicates to get 5 packages of corn.  Why is this helpful?  Well, it allows you to do a quick shopping trip, but also if someone else in the family ends up being the one to do the shopping they know exactly what you were expecting/wanting.  Another thing that is helpful about being specific is you can know before hand what your total should be, and you have a ready made inventory of the items you are getting.  If you have older kids, have them help make the shopping list and be a part of budgeting the money for groceries.

Now on to specific things that might help when shopping with kids.

Give them a picture shopping list.  This gets them involved.  You can even make it a race to see who sees the items on their list first (give each kid a separate list if needed to keep contention at bay).  Here is an example using pictures of items in the sales flyer for Kroger this week (including the 3 day sale):

This type of shopping list can also be made into a bingo type game by rearranging the items for each kid, and then as items are added to the cart they can mark it off on their bingo card.  For little kids I would suggest connecting the crayon/pencil to the list.  Making a picture list:  If you get printed flyers, you can cut out the pictures of the things you want the kids to be in charge of; if you don't get printed flyers, you can copy and paste from online flyers and then print it out.

Another option for kids who can read is to scramble the items on your list or make other word games (crossword puzzles, wordsearches, etc)  See if they can beat you--you get the items while they figure out the word puzzles.  Or if they solve them in the car, then they can help get the items while in the store.  Or make their list of the snacky/treat items that can only be gotten if they figure out the word puzzles.  Here is an example:

(the answers are the same as the picture shopping list but with one more item added:  bread)

And if you are learning/teaching other languages, here is an example of a puzzle shopping list using ASL hand letters (answer key is first then the ASL shopping list).  This can also simply be used if you are learning/teaching ASL and they can practice the letters while you shop.

And a Spanish match shopping list:

Other games that can be played:  have your kids quiz you by asking you to figure out the cost per unit and which is cheaper, or how much something is when given only a % off, etc.; play the ABC or 123 game where you have to get the next letter or number before the other does (like the license plate game), see who can get to Z first or to 100.  Use terms/phrases in any foreign language that is being learned/taught.

Maps:  give or have the kids draw a map of the store and have them guide you to where you need to go.   Also, they can do this for the town--just be aware they may be telling you at every stop to turn or go straight...  But it is fun.

I hope these ideas are helpful in making shopping a better and funner experience for all.  Besides these hands on tips, it is very helpful to do the shopping when no one is hungry or tired.


NOTE 1:  The food images, as mentioned, are from the Kroger sales flyer for this week.  Here are the actual sale prices for these items:
Kroger bottled water 2.99; Kroger apple juice:  1.58; Kroger milk 3.69; Kroger cheese 1.99, 8 lb oranges 5.99; 8 lb russet potatoes 2.49;  Fuji or Braeburn apples 1.69/lb; Kroger frozen veggies .88; 1 dozen roses 18.99

NOTE 2: The ASL hand images are one of the fonts found on Fonts4Teachers by Educational Insights (ISBN: 1-56767-555-7).

Thrifty Thursday: Dining Out Tips

Thinking about dining out for Valentines day?  Here are some dining out tips to help the budget.

First, set a budget.  Determine what amount your budget for dining will be--whether it is $5 or $100 and stick to it!  You can stick to it by choosing restaurants and menu items based on the budget you have.  If you only have $5, then choose a place with menu items that are only $1 to $2 (remember to factor in any tax), most likely a fast food place.  If you have more to work with, again remember to factor in tax and tip.

Other tips:  lunch prices are generally cheaper than dinner prices, so go out for lunch instead of dinner.  Look for and use coupons.  Watch for deals like kids night where kids eat free, or buy one get one free deals, daily deals--by eating out on a different day and time than the actual Valentines Day holiday, you may save money.  Drink water and eat dessert at home.  Share the meal, order one entree and split it.

Happy Valentines Day!