Paying Bills Frugally

Thought this wasn't possible? You could save money on postage and man-hours paying bills online. The hardest part is connecting your bank account with the service; but that isn't really very hard!

Think about it: most people have cell phone, internet, medical bills, credit card (usually more than 1!), mortgage payment, and utility payments. Do you mail in a check every month? Postage isn't getting any cheaper! At $0.44/payment, that's 7 stamps per month (at the least). That's $3.08 per month or $36.96 per year gone to the federal government. Just take the 25 minutes and set up your online bill payments.

So much easier. You could probably set it up to automatically deduct, but we haven't gotten that trustworthy yet.

Frugal Tip of the Day

Don't buy expensive breakfast cereals. Instead, buy oatmeal or Bulgar in bulk. Add fruit, nuts, or granola to the top (sugar or honey, too!) and be healthier and wealthier with just a few easy minutes.

We love oatmeal with raisins, strawberries, honey and a little milk. In our humble opinion, it is best cooked on the stove.

Babysitting Exchanges

While I thoroughly love having a little guy, I sometimes miss the ability to go out with just my husband and be free of responsibility for just a few hours. (Meaning: I miss the little guy, but it’s the carefree feeling of not needing to meet a need, be it rest, food, beverage, change of scenery, entertainment in the form of silly song or dance routine!)

However, since I’m not currently gainfully employed, we can’t afford the luxury of hiring a babysitter and going out. We’ve spent many weekends in, meaning we’re home by 7:30 (if we went anywhere!) to put our little guy into bed. And that’s fine with me. But what to do the one time every one-two months we should go out as just a couple?

We’re blessed with many local friends at the same stage of life-meaning they have young kids, too. Some also don’t have local grandparents to come over and babysit. A few times, we have been able to go out with just the two of us because of one of our friends allowing our small child to come over for an hour or two. It has been a great way to save money by not paying a babysitter and for us to get some ‘couple time’ even if we just go out for coffee.

I’ve told my husband that at this point, he could take me to McDonald’s and I’d be thrilled. I love being a mom, though and wouldn’t change one thing about our lives.

Foaming Hand Soap

I love foamy hand soap. Since it is more expensive, I don't usually buy it. I just found out that you can make it yourself!!

First, you're going to have to buy the foamy soap so you can save the bottle (you need the nozzle for the foam). Next, you'll need your regular liquid dish soap or liquid hand soap. In the empty foamy bottle, combine 2 parts of water (that's right, H20) with one part regular liquid soap of your choice. Shake and use!

Cooking from the Freezer

I like to try and plan meals in advance. I love the idea of making food and freezing it so I don't have to cook every day, but sometimes I can't think of meals that will freeze well. This is one I recently made:

Spaghetti Pie
~enough for 3 pie plates~ (you could use a 9x13” pan and an 8x8 square pan)

1# spaghetti (do not use tube-shaped pasta, make sure it is flat)
5 egg whites, divided
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1# ground beef or ground sausage
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional spice ideas:
Red pepper flakes
Basil
Parsley
Garlic Cloves (or garlic powder)
Oregano

Spray three cooking vessels (pie plates, pyrex dishes) with cooking spray. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions and drain.
While spaghetti is cooking, cook beef or sausage in a skillet.
In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and 2 egg whites along with any optional spices.
In a large bowl, mix the spaghetti and parmesan cheese with 3 egg whites. Press the spaghetti into the pie plates to form a ‘crust’. Layer the ricotta cheese/egg white mixture on top of the spaghetti. Press down with the back of a spoon. Divide the cooked beef or sausage evenly over the spaghetti. Top this with the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of everything.
Cover tightly and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator.
To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered, or until heated through.