Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Obstacles to Being Frugal During the Holidays

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It’s hard to have a debt-free or frugal Christmas.

Even for our family, we find it sometimes difficult not to get caught up in all the commercialism of the holiday season.

When I think about all the unexpected expenses, some of which we feel obligated to participate in despite all my protests, it upsets me…

Do these things even add value to the holiday?

These holiday things are so expected, but I wonder about the worth and expense.

I see social media posts like this circulating every year:

Posted by Jennifer Lambert on Tuesday, December 1, 2015

During November and December, I regularly see social media posts complaining that parents shouldn’t allow “Santa” to provide extravagant or electronic gifts for their kids because some children don’t understand why Santa doesn’t always just give them what they want. The comments ranged from vicious to understanding, admonishing parents to teach kids to be grateful for whatever they get or not do Santa at all.

Did she miss the point?

And it got me thinking.

Kids in foster care or in financially struggling families have a lot of stress around the holidays.

Does Santa need to add to the stress?

We don’t do the traditional American Santa.

The storybooks and movies and TV commercials all portray Santa as the wishgiver. We’ve lost the idea that his elves make wooden toys for all the little boys and girls in the world.

We teach our kids to be grateful and not to brag.

I have successfully made it through a holiday season without baking, attending any office parties, or completing any crafts.

Perhaps I went too far the other way.

I need to find balance.

If I followed social media suggestions, I would be sorely depressed that my tree didn’t have a theme with matching glittery ribbon flowing through it like a river. We didn’t bake, decorate, or give our neighbors artistically iced cookies with chemical-free dye. We didn’t offer handmade painted wrapping paper.

I’m tired of making excuses because I don’t give in to the expectations.

Frugal Holidays

Obstacles to Being Frugal During the Holidays

Pinterest

Don’t even get me started.

I ignored social media the last couple months so I wouldn’t feel guilty.

We have very simple holiday decorations – some thrift store candle holders and a kid-decorated tree with a handmade tree skirt. Electricity is expensive here, so we have only a minimum of lights. Seeing extravagant online home tours and fancy craft tutorials don’t make me feel good about myself.

I don’t need more kitschy crafts to keep my kids busy or to clutter up my house.

Craft items are expensive and I often can’t find many of the items.

I don’t want to see the flashing eyes of a betrayed child ever again as I admit that I tossed that gluey, glittery, sequiny creation in the garbage.

Wrapping

Rolls of colored paper, ribbons, bows, gift bags, tissue paper, tags, labels, cards…

These consumable items are so expensive just to end up in the trash!

We don’t have storage space to go to the after-Christmas sales to stock up for the next year. We have a few gift bags we reuse and some old rolls of paper. The kids really don’t care so much.

Food

Work potluck lunches, parties, cookie exchanges, church hospitality duties, treats for neighbors…

I often don’t consider these items in our monthly food budget and they sure add up!

My eldest daughter has attended a couple events where she wouldn’t eat because the food was just so unhealthy. Her friends don’t understand why she won’t eat greasy fast food pizza or fluorescent cupcakes and sugary soda.

Presents

We don’t give many tangible presents.

Our kids know there won’t be a gazillion presents under the tree on Christmas morning. We don’t do stockings some years.

We were accused of being “like weird Jehovah’s Witnesses” at church for our values. Nice.

We celebrate St. Nicholas and Hanukkah with little gifts and games. We usually travel or have a very simple Christmas.

Since we homeschool, I don’t think much about teacher gifts, but my kids want to give a little something to the music teachers and gymnastics instructor. I love their hearts. They picked out greeting cards to hold gift cards and wrote out a note for their teachers.

Since we’re far from family, we found it easier for years just to send gift cards. I never knew what they want, anyway. We’ve recently decided to forego even that.

Those gift cards add up – and some even have activation fees! And greeting cards are $5 or more!

We don’t send out Christmas cards. We don’t purchase boxed holiday cards or photo collage cards. It’s just a waste. I loathe the braggy holiday newsletters. We keep in touch with friends and family on Facebook and I send out a greeting there.

I continue to look for ways to reduce my overwhelm and stay debt-free.

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How We Afford Large Family Travel

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We have four kids. I’m a stay at home mom.

I realize I am not a budget traveler.

We like to take as many opportunities as we can to travel and explore, tying it into our homeschool studies whenever we can.

We cut our household budget in order to feed our travel bug.

  • We seldom eat out. We eat at home for almost every single meal. It sometimes gets boring and isn’t always convenient, but we realize it affords us the ability to dine out when we travel.
  • We purchase less clothing. We try to make do with hand-me-downs or secondhand items, mixing and matching with new ideas.
  • We have fewer entertainment items. When we feel the itch to purchase a new toy or electronic, we think about whether we want to spend that money or save it for our next trip.
  • Holidays are travel experiences. Birthdays and Christmas and other special days are more interesting when we travel rather than just receiving toys or other presents. We’re making memories rather than collecting junk we won’t use very long.
  • Our goal is to be debt-free. We have no car payments. We have paid off one credit card this year. Two more to go! We have a separate banking account for household bills. All bills and investments are on autopay so I never even see that money to reallocate it. We have $1000 in savings. I have a separate bank account for my business. Being debt-free will mean financial independence and more freedom to travel!

How Can We Afford Large Family Travel?

How We Afford Large Family Travel

How We Get There:

I often plan trips months in advance and use incognito windows to do my research for airfare, accommodations, etc.

For airfare, I mostly use Skyscanner, Airhint, and Airfarewatchdog to find deals.

I have to be somewhat flexible with dates and times to get the best deals. When searching, I sometimes know when I want to travel, but not necessarily where. I’m also a member of many local travel groups where deals and tips are generously shared.

Sometimes, I just have to bite the cost, like flying to Rome for Christmas. I didn’t get the greatest deal, but it’s offset by the amazing deals I got to Portugal for Thanksgiving and the good deals I got for Greece and London.

Traveling in autumn is cheaper than summer and the weather is usually much nicer. Winter and spring are a bit chilly for us and we have to pack more layered clothing, but the prices are better then too. Summer is usually too hot!

Traveling on an Airplane

Where We Stay:

I almost exclusively use Booking.com for hotels and apartments.

We like to rent apartments with kitchens so we can cook meals, or at least breakfasts, ourselves.

We sometimes stay in two hotel rooms in larger cities we’ve traveled. I like the hotels that include breakfast. The girls love having their own room and Alex stays with us on a sofa bed or rollaway.

We tend to rent places farther away from the main attractions or the downtown areas. It’s often cheaper and quieter. We walk or occasionally take public transportation to get around.

U Medvídků Loft

What We Eat:

We try to limit eating out to save money.

It’s healthier, cheaper, and familiar to prepare our own food. Having a picky child or husband can be a damper on eating out anyway!

Eating Our Way Around the World

Breakfast

We often cook breakfast in our apartments or eat at the hotel. We encourage the kids to stuff themselves to last until a late lunch! Often, apples are provided for guests and we grab a few of those to hold us over.

Snacks

We don’t do snacks at home and we seldom do snacks when we travel. It’s amazing how distracted kids aren’t nearly as hungry as bored kids!

If we have a car, we often have coolers and bags of food for the ride.

Like I mentioned above, we will get or buy fresh fruit to hold us over during the day since we use so much energy walking.

We bring our own water bottles to refill or purchase snacks at stores, which is way cheaper than at vending machines or restaurants or inside tourist places.

I sometimes reward the kids (and me!) with yummy treats after especially grueling sites – like, we spent almost ‎€25 on five delicious cold granitas after touring the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Lunch

We often dine out at lunchtime, which is cheaper than dinnertime.

We usually get several dishes to share which is cheaper and easier than everyone ordering six adult dishes and nowhere to put leftovers!

This encourages the kids to try new tastes and textures.

Dinner

If kids get hungry before bedtime, we buy them street food or snacks at a grocery store.

My husband and I have made it a fun tradition to walk out for date nights for drinks and a light dinner after settling the kids in our hotel room or in their beds in the apartment.

It’s worth every penny to be alone after walking all over a city with four kids.

What We Do:

We focus on history, culture, and art rather than entertainment.

You will never see us at a Disney park. I know many others like that, but it’s not for us.

Most museums and many sites in Europe are free for kids under 18! And remember, they’re almost all closed on Sundays and Mondays.

I like to order tickets online in advance to save time (even if there are surcharges, it’s just worth it not to stand in line for hours!). We like combo tickets that allow us to see more than one attraction at a discounted price.

We really adore museums. The kids get so excited when they see something on a museum wall or platform that they’ve only seen in books or on a show.

I don’t understand people who don’t like art or science or history.

What do they talk about? What do they do?

Teaching Perspective with Degas

I guess some people have different priorities and do different stuff. That’s cool.

What We Buy:

We don’t go shopping.

We don’t travel to go shopping. We even avoid the shopping districts if we can.

We buy few souvenirs. We never buy clothing. We don’t travel for shopping excursions. We’re not interested. We step quickly through the touristy areas where booths, shops, street vendors call out, hawking their wares.

It’s fun to see, but usually not worth the money. We often don’t have space to carry much home.

We prefer to carry memories.

We do buy food that we fall in love with – usually at an airport if we fly home, or at a local grocery store if we drive.

We like to buy local beer and wine that we can’t find here.

We brought home lots of olive products from Greece.

I brought home so much tea and Doctor Who stuff from London, I almost couldn’t close my suitcase!

We’ve been able to see many of Europe’s major cities and regions this last year and we have other trips planned. We love this life.

How do you save money when you travel?

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How to Get the Most Out of Amazon Prime

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We’ve been Amazon Prime members for many, many years.

The free shipping offer is what first attracted me to Amazon Prime, and the added services are just gravy.

I especially love the Kindle eBooks and video streaming services!

Amazon just makes our lives easier in so many ways. 

I can shop last minute and know it will arrive same day or the next day.

I save lots of money with free shipping, coupons, discounts, and credits on digital items. And saving money is good stewardship!

While I am not pleased with the creator of Amazon, there just isn’t another service that compares. I think many of us are in the same boat and can’t often find the products we want or need in local shops or prefer delivery. This last year has surely highlighted how much we rely on quick and frugal delivery services.

How to Get the Most Out of Amazon Prime:

1. FREE Two-Day Shipping on so many items.

You can even get same-day delivery! (Free on qualifying orders in certain cities.) Prime Now is expanding to even offer 1-hour delivery!

I love getting free shipping. We buy almost all of our homeschool materials like books and manipulatives on Amazon. The free shipping saves us so much money! I use AmazonSmile to donate to my favorite charities.

2. Unlimited, ad-free access to millions of songs. 

I admit that I don’t use this service to the fullest extent, but I’m looking into this more.

3. Instant streaming on thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video.

We love streaming TV shows and movies – many of which we can’t access on another popular service. This is a great resource for our weekly family pizza and movie night! I often get digital credits if I choose slower shipping on items I don’t need right away.

4. Free unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive.

I’m looking into this, but I still like control of storing my photos on a portable hard drive. We’re running out of room though!

5. Read FREE eBooks each month through Kindle First, Prime Reading, and Kindle Unlimited.

I can’t express how much I love the Kindle eBooks services! I was very reluctant to do eBooks in the beginning. I love real books too much. But the portability and borrowing FREE eBooks allows me access to so many more books! We use the reading app on the computer and our iPads. Also, Amazon Kids+ (formerly FreeTime Unlimited) seems neato.

6. Early Access to Daily Deals!

New deals: Every day. Shop the Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals, and more daily deals and limited-time sales. Use HONEY to check the deals you want for price changes!

7. The Amazon App

Great for on-the-go and video streaming. I love downloading shows for when I’m waiting somewhere or traveling. You can set notifications for your needs. I love the shipping and delivery updates.

8. The 1-Click Purchase setting saves time!

Amazon Prime members with this setting activated automatically see special buttons on the detail pages of eligible products showing Amazon Prime shipping options. Most of the time you’ll see special buttons for One-Day 1-Click and Two-Day 1-Click – FREE. These settings save your address and payment options. Obviously you have to make sure you keep the setting updated and the kids don’t accidentally purchase something!

9. Games, Smart Home products, Kindles, and more.

We love Prime Book Box. Have you checked out Prime Try Before You Buy yet? There are grocery services, subscriptions, coupons, and even more deals. Amazon products are cutting edge. Amazon is truly one-stop shopping!

10. PRIME DAY!

Shop NEW and EXCLUSIVE products FIRST every year with Prime Day in June! ***Use HONEY to track price changes in your wish list.***
GREAT deals on books, electronics, Prime services, and MORE!

Amazon Prime is only $119 for one year.

Amazon Prime members can share certain Amazon Prime benefits with one other adult and children under age 18 by forming an Amazon Household.

See all the FAQs and benefits.

Check out Prime Pantry, a service for members in the contiguous U.S. for low priced grocery, household, and pet care items for a flat delivery fee of $5.99 per box and Amazon Elements, Amazon’s own line of everyday essentials. This a great deal that pays for itself very quickly.

Also, check out Amazon Family and Amazon Prime Student.

Amazon Mom gives special offers and age-based recommendations to Prime members with young children. Prime members get 20% off diapers subscriptions! 

Amazon Student members only pay $59. Get exclusive deals and promotions just for Students! 

Also, check out the Amazon Prime Book Box!

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Homemade Pizza

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We have homemade pizza every week. The kids looks forward to Pizza Night. We usually watch a movie.

Our Homemade Pizza Recipe is simple, tasty, and all natural!

I perfected this recipe during our first deployment. It saved us a lot of money and is super healthy compared to takeout.

My second job was at Pizza Hut. I paid attention.

I start by proofing the yeast. I add warm water, yeast, and olive oil and whirl it around to blend. Then walk away.

First Ingredients for Pizza

After about 5 minutes, the yeast is frothy and smells great.

Proofed Yeast

I add a blend of flour to get the perfect texture in my pizza crust.

Second Ingredients for Pizza

If you can find a pizza flour or pastry flour, it makes a difference!

Pizza Flour

I pour the flour in on top of the yeast and sprinkle with salt.

Adding Flour and Salt to Yeast Mixture

Having the right tools is important! These are the best baking pans.

Pizza Pans

The dough is all ready when the sides of the bowl are mostly clean. Perfect consistency: not too dry and not too wet.

Mixed Dough

I knead the dough for a few minutes with olive oil. Sometimes, I’ll use more flour if it’s a very wet day.

Dough Ball

Time to let the dough rise for about an hour. I love these cube containers! I often set it by the radiator since it’s warmer there.

Time for a beer!

After an hour, it’s soft and almost double in size. Smells great!

Risen Dough

I love this little scraper, divider, cutter thing.

Divider Cutter

I dump the dough out and divide into quarters for four pizzas.

Divide into Four Dough Balls

I spread the dough by hand and docking eliminates any air bubbles.

Docking to Eliminate Air Bubbles

Time to gather toppings. We like various pepperonis and salamis and sausage. I love red onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Everyone likes extra cheese!

A little sprinkle of fresh Parmesan on top of any pizza is wonderful, by the way.

Drizzle just a wee bit of olive oil for a nice crisp.

Pizza Toppings

I love this brand of pizza sauce since it’s natural, with no icky ingredients. It’s the only one I can find lately.

We often can our own marinara.

I haven’t harvested any tomatoes in a while. I might just go to the farmer’s market and buy a case or two!

Pizza Sauce

Gotta add a sprinkle of oregano. Trust me.

And sometimes a sprinkle of basil and garlic powder.

Oregano

I like the edges crispy. I leave mine in the oven longer than the kids’ pizzas.

Cooling Pizza

The best pizza cutter tool. It rocks back and forth. It’s fun.

Pizza Cutter

This boy is super happy and ready to eat and watch a movie!

Pizza Night

Top the stretched out pizza dough with favorite toppings and bake at 450* for about 10 minutes.

Honey or sugar is optional and just makes the dough a bit sweeter.

Print

Basic Pizza Dough

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 large dough balls

Ingredients

  • 1 packet yeast or 2 1/4 t
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 T honey or sugar optional
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 6 cups flour I do a blend of pastry or bread flour and whole wheat
  • 1 t kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Add yeast, oil, salt, and honey to water and let proof for about 5 minutes until bubbly.

  2. Add flour gently and mix until it forms a ball.

  3. Knead for a few minutes on floured countertop and form into a boule.

  4. Let rest for at least 1 hour in oiled lidded container. It will double in size.

  5. Cut dough balls into desired sizes for pizza. Use fingers to spread into desired shape, not a rolling pin.

  6. Dock to eliminate air bubbles. If using a peel, sprinkle semolina or cornmeal to keep dough from sticking. Place dough on peel.

  7. Add sauce and toppings.

  8. Slide pizza onto stone in oven. Bake at 500* for about 10 minutes.

  9. Cut and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

This dough recipe makes two large pizza doughs.

 

Some of my favorite pizza tools:

Our new and improved pizza recipe:

UPDATE:

Now that we’ve moved back to the States, I’ve invested in some pizza stones. We bake the pizza at 500* for about 10 minutes. I use Wheat Montana flour.

Print

Pro Pizza Dough

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 personal pizzas

Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T yeast
  • 1 T kosher salt
  • 6 cups really good quality AP flour I use 5 cups Wheat Montana Premium All-Purpose Flour and 1 cup white or whole wheat

Instructions

  1. Mix ingredients in stand mixer until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

  2. Knead dough on stone counter until it feels smooth. I usually don't need to add any more flour or oil.

  3. Coat with about a tablespoon of good olive oil and place in sealed container for a few hours to rise.

  4. Cut into individual size doughs and press out dough by hand. (Using a rolling pin makes it tough.)

  5. Place dough on pizza peel. Use semolina to keep dough from sticking. Top with your favorite toppings.

  6. Bake for about 10 minutes in 500* oven on preheated pizza stone.

Recipe Notes

This dough recipe makes enough for 6 personal pizzas that fit well on our pizza stones. 

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How We Had the Best Christmas Ever

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This is the first year in ten years of marriage that I didn’t have a tantrum. I’m not proud of my attitude and behavior in previous years. Holidays were stressful and not full of joy at all for me.

I was determined to have a better Christmas this year.

How did we have the best Christmas ever?

How We Had the Best Christmas Ever

We changed up our focus.

I’ve been under the impression that everything had to be perfect and Hollywood magical for so long – and it’s exhausting. Of course, we study our Advent lessons about Jesus, but it really was more than that for me. That used to be just another added pressure.

I had to let go.

Simplify.

We didn’t do stockings. The kids mentioned it a couple times and I just bit my tongue and said no, not this year. I’ve always felt obligated to fill the stockings with junk and candy. We don’t have a fireplace. It was just something I had to let go.

We didn’t attend any holiday parties. The one my husband wanted to go to was smack in the middle of Tori’s end of year gymnastics class and she is more important than a plastered smile on my face and stress about how my hair looks.

Less Control.

I allowed my kids to go crazy with cookie decorating. They loved it and honestly, there was not much mess. They’re at a great age to have some freedom now. It was a pleasant time had by all.

I slacked up on school time this month. I had a few must-do’s on the list, but the rest of the time, I allowed them to play and they impressed me with their interest-led learning.

Fewer Presents.

We had intended to go on a vacation and skip the whole holiday, but that fell through and I had to scramble to purchase some things for under the tree.

I love the Something they Want, Something they Need, Something to Wear, Something to Read. I loosely followed that and it worked beautifully.

Almost everything arrived just in time for Christmas. My husband and I don’t really give each other presents and we’re ok with that. We buy what we want and need whenever throughout the year.

We didn’t make or buy presents for neighbors, coworkers, or friends. We really don’t know anyone and thankfully, we didn’t receive any from anyone so I don’t feel guilty. We sent our Christmas cards to our oil team and friends and family. I ordered presents for my husband’s niece and nephews. I sent a restaurant giftcard to my parents.

We read through Jotham’s Journey each night of the Advent season. The kids were excited each evening and reminded me it was reading time! We enjoy the candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve (except Alex, who promptly fell asleep on me).

On Christmas morning, we read the final chapters of those books first thing and sang “Go Tell it on the Mountain” – it was such a great moment to pause and worship before the present time.

In previous years, the number of presents were overwhelming and there were meltdowns from the sensory overload and stress of everything (kids and me).

This year, I got it just right.

Quality over quantity.

I love the rule of limiting presents to this:

  • Something they Want
  • Something to Wear
  • Something they Need
  • Something to Read

I like these simple wish lists and these printable wish lists to help kids focus on what’s important.

The kids were content, grateful, and occupied all day.

I wasn’t stressed and was able to enjoy the holiday. We all made dinner together. It was lovely.

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Homeschool for Free

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You don’t have to spend lots of money to homeschool your kids.

You can homeschool for FREE.

I wasted so much money and time in the beginning on manipulatives, curriculum, books, toys, mostly from insecurity.

I was trained as a high school English teacher. Having preschoolers was terrifying! Homeschooling was scary.

So I spent money on curriculum, lessons, extracurricular activities, anything to get that responsibility off myself and onto others.

It took me several years of trial and error to gain confidence in our homeschool. We purged many unneeded items. We do still have lots of books and manipulatives that we’ve collected, but we’re so much more liberated in our education now than in the beginning.

So where can you get resources to homeschool for free?

Preschool

Enjoy life with your babies. Just include your preschoolers with everything you normally do as a parent. Cooking, cleaning, playing. None of it has to cost a thing beyond what you would normally do. Babies and preschoolers don’t need any formal education. They need a family to love and guide them. Let them play. Go outside a lot. Read a lot. Check out my preschool resources.

Follow Jennifer’s board Preschool on Pinterest.

Elementary

There are oodles of free courses online, books on public domain, and printables (we love notebooking.) I love how unschoolers learn and love life. Let your kids explore what they’re passionate about. I don’t stress about writing or much formal seat work. I want my kids to love learning. See how we homeschool.

Follow Jennifer’s board Notebooking on Pinterest.

Upper Grades

High school homeschool for free? Sure, just get creative! Use the library for literature, science, and history. Enter blog giveaways, do blog reviews for awesome curriculum, join a homeschool co-op and pool your teaching resources with other parents. Even do sports and PE at the YMCA or with other homeschooling families for course credits. I am so excited that my daughters are reaching the high school years and since we school year-round, she has so much freedom to learn what she likes and opportunities to do so many interesting things like Civil Air Patrol, theatre, Red Cross volunteering, and extracurricular activities.

Follow Jennifer’s board High School on Pinterest.

FREE Home Learning Ideas:

Don’t confuse virtual schools that are run by your county or school district with homeschooling. While it may not cost you much or any money, you’re at the beck and call of the public schools and their standardized testing and regulations. If you like that idea, great, but be aware. I prefer freedom.

Don’t fear homeschooling your kids and being confident in your education choices.

Do you have any great free learning tools?

Check out the other Crew members and their free homeschool ideas.

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5 Things I’ve Learned During PCS

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We spent 10 days in TLF before heading out for a weeklong roadtrip on our way to PCS to Germany.

Of course, the HVAC was broken in the TLF unit (temporary housing facility – like a furnished apartment). Our bedroom averaged somewhere in the 50s and the girls’ room was mostly in the low 80s. We had windows open in their room and Aaron and I slept in sweatshirts each night. That was an adventure.

We had to pack for an almost three-month-long journey from Utah to Georgia to Germany.

While being in tight quarters, living out of suitcases, and having no real schedule, we all have to make concessions for each other.

We learn some great life lessons during a military PCS.

5 Things I’ve Learned During PCS

1. How to Self-Entertain

Tori, Kate, and Alex discovered all on their own talking into a fan and making their voices sound funny. Picture below.

I love that they find fun in something harmless and simple and free.

When I warned them to be careful and make sure not to get hair, fingers, or anything else too close to the fan, they offered pained expressions that I would think them that foolish. But I’m a mom and have to mention such warnings. It’s my duty.

I love that the kids found fun new ways to entertain themselves. Boredom is often good, and sparks creativity.

Talking into the Fan2. Cooking Simply is Good Enough

We managed to cook most of our meals until the last pack-out day in our house.

We certainly didn’t want to eat out for ten days while in TLF. Our budget and health would not thank us for that.

Not having access to our cookware, pantry items, and vast spice collection put a damper on some of the meals I like to make. We made do with limited supplies and tools.

We brought some of our pantry items with us that were opened already and too good to throw out – like quinoa, flour, some spices, and sauces.

We celebrated our final days in Utah and at Hill AFB with a cookie cake:

We bought disposable aluminum pans and grilled meat at the nearby playground for dinners.

We had lots of quinoa or rice and steamed veggies and/or salads to go with the grilled meat.

My final dinner, I used up lots of supplies by roasting some chicken thighs and making some harvest wild rice and veggies:

We picnicked for lunches on our road trip except for the last couple days. That saved money and was healthier.

We enjoyed cooking for my parents and they appreciated it too!

3. Quiet Time is Necessary in Tight Spaces

My kids quit naps at the age of two (alas!), and I’ve never been successful with maintaining quiet times with four rambunctious kids. Usually, they play in another part of the house or outdoors in the afternoon while I work.

A couple of cold, rainy days had us irritable and annoying each other, so I had to institute a quiet time those afternoons when everyone had to lie on his or her bed and read, color, or do something silent.

Also, since Alex slept on the living room sofa bed, early risers had to tiptoe around and be super quiet in the morning until he woke up. One morning when he must’ve been super tired, I had to wait to grind and brew my coffee until 08:30!

We often hushed our kids from being too rambunctious since the walls in TLF are so thin. We didn’t want to bother any other residents with jumping around or excessive noise in the mornings or evenings.

4. Less is More

We are only able to have what fits in suitcases, and this posed several problems for me while packing.

We had to account for almost three months and several different climates. We can only carry so much and it had to fit into our Dodge Caravan. We’re allowed 2 suitcases each and 2 carryons each, but we can’t fit all that in the van or manage it in airports.

There were the ten days in TLF where it was chilly and dreary and not quite yet spring where we had to wear layers and be prepared for rain or even snow.

We had to have comfy car clothes for the weeklong road trip from Utah to Georgia. I had a tiny carryon suitcase with pajamas and a change of clothes for everyone that I brought into our hotels each night along with our toiletry bags to minimize unpacking and stress.

We had to have summer clothes for the humid, hot days in Alabama and Georgia. I only brought a few outfits for the couple weeks in the South.

When we arrived in Germany, we went back to wearing layers since it’s cooler there.

I allowed only 2-3 dresses each for the girls and myself and only a few pairs of shoes.

The kids each have a backpack with art supplies and small toys. And I brought two tote bags of school items since we’re not quite finished with our curriculum this year and this helps maintain a routine.

5. Courtesy is a Necessity

Being together constantly and in such tight quarters helped us work on relationship issues. We had to focus on being courteous with each other.

I worked on teaching the kids to not have a “Me First” attitude.

While in TLF, six of us had to share one bathroom with only a shower.

We had to stay quiet while others were working or sleeping.

The kids had to be more helpful than usual and clean the six plates and forks provided for our use – to be ready for each meal.

We had a system for climbing into and out of the van at rest stops during our roadtrip. The van was jampacked and the kids couldn’t stretch out at all.

We taught them not be greedy at the free hotel breakfasts, but to only take what they could and would consume. And we couldn’t really linger since we had to get on the road.

Tori and Kate have always shared a room, but they had to share a double bed at hotels and at their grandparents’ house. Alex and Liz normally have their own rooms and beds, but had to share a double bed too.

They had to share activity supplies – and sometimes snacks and drinks if we got low or ran out.

All of these lessons are great to help them grow up to be servant leaders and compassionate towards others.

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5 Tips for Buying Kids Clothes

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With four growing kids, I have to be careful with clothing and plan buys to help save money.

I’ve been pretty successful these last few years with scoring on great quality kids clothes for four children at amazing prices and here I share my frugal tips with you!

5 Tips for Buying Kids Clothes

5 Frugal Tips for Buying Kids Clothes

1. Buy out of season

You know kids need snow gear, so get it on clearance or at thrift and consignment shops super cheap during summer. When everyone is thinking of swimming, you’re being wise and planning ahead.

Buy sundresses and sandals and beach or pool items at the end of the season (when it’s too hot to even think) and coats are showing up in stores (seriously?!). Just be proactive and get a size up.

Stores like Old Navy have great jeans sales periodically. Stock up! My kids seem to always have holey knees! During back-to-school season, stock up on classics even if your kids don’t wear uniforms. Khaki pants are always a great item to have on hand for church or events that may pop up.

2. Consignment Shops

Our local consignment shop takes only seasonal clothing, so when I switch out clothes in spring and fall, I store the items in the basement to take to the shop to get credit the next season.

There are also HUGE consignment sales at our local expo center in spring and fall. A great place to sell if you’re very organized and so inclined – and an even greater place to stock up on homeschool supplies, toys, baby gear, sports equipment, and clothes.

I recently took three baskets of clothes and toys to our local kids consignment shop and got a credit. I didn’t realize I had never used my credit from last season. When I showed up to purchase some needed items against my $38 credit, I was told I had earned $138. So unexpected! I stocked up!

3. Thrift Stores

I can spot a Gymboree or Land’s End dress several aisles over. I just know the quality and pattern of their fabrics. I like certain brands because they last through several kids and don’t wear out or break down.

Know what you want and need and keep lists of sizes and preferences. Tori likes blue and not pink. Kate loves green and Bohemian clothes. Liz likes classic looks and black and white patterns. Alex loves blue and orange and no buttons.

4. Hand-Me-Down Club with friends or relatives

If you and your friends can work out a hand-me-down system to share clothes and costs and do seasonal swaps, everybody wins! Many of the moms at our church do these swaps informally. And we have a huge church rummage sale. Those who help sort and work get first dibs!

My younger girls love to “shop” from the basement bin of big sister’s old clothes and all my kids love getting boxes from their cousins.

I’m loving the Buy Nothing groups on social media!

5. Yard Sales

Yard sales are my least favorite way to find frugal clothes. The clothes are often poor quality and worse condition and it takes so much time to sort through bins, baskets, or racks.

We have found some great items like roller blades and jackets and furniture at yard sales.

We did have great success with selling baby items and kids clothing last year at our yard sale. It’s just hit or miss. I don’t waste much time looking for everyday clothing at yard sales.

I do like online yard sales and thrift shops. We had great success at KSL.com searching for and finding items we needed or wanted. thredUP and Poshmark are great ways to trade and buy used clothing!

I envy those people who have a monthly clothing budget set aside for those emergencies. I’ve just never seemed to manage it. We often use our tax return and Christmas and birthday money to stock up a few times a year. I’ve never had success with budgeting well for clothing since the kids always seem to need something special at random times.

They outgrow favorite items and I have to sneak them out in the dead of night, feeling pangs of ultimate betrayal. Jeans mystically develop humongous knee holes. Socks lose their sole mates. Shirtsleeves mysteriously grow too short or unraveled. And when they occasionally need a specialty clothing item for some event, I have to scramble to find a deal in the right size, color, and style.

Do you have any frugal tips I’ve missed?

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Homemade Turkey Divan Casserole

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This is a great dish to use up leftovers.

I always make this casserole after Thanksgiving. And the kids get so excited if I make it any other time (sometimes with chicken.)

No canned soup!

Homemade Turkey Divan Casserole with chopped turkey, broccoli, cheese, and noodles.

Turkey Divan Casserole

I make a roux with sautéed veggies in butter with flour and then add milk or cream to make a béchamel sauce. Look how thick it is! It smells quite divine and tastes wonderful alone.

Vegetable Bechamel

Layers of deliciousness – turkey, veggies, cheese, noodles.

Turkey Divan Ready for the Oven

Ready to pop in the oven for a great frugal healthy meal for our hungry family.

Turkey Divan

Warm gooey cheesy deliciousness!

Homemade Turkey Divan
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Turkey Divan Casserole

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 3 T butter
  • 1/4 c AP flour
  • 1-1.5 c whole milk and/or half and half
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 c mushrooms sliced or chopped
  • 1/4 c bell pepper any color, but we love red or yellow or orange
  • 2 c cooked turkey or chicken chopped
  • 1-2 c fresh broccoli chopped bite-size
  • 1 box noodles prepared according to instructions
  • 1.5 c shredded cheese We like a Mexican cheese blend. Cheddar tends to be oily.
  • pinch salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 t garlic powder to taste. I usually use a lot of garlic, fresh and powder.

Instructions

  1. Boil noodles according to directions.

  2. Chop vegetables and saute in butter, but don't brown the onions.

  3. Sprinkle with flour and then immediately whisk in milk or half and half. It should thicken like white gravy. Add more liquid as needed. You can also add in some cheese for extra creaminess. Sometimes, I add the broccoli at this point to make things easy.

  4. Combine gravy and cooked noodles and other ingredients in a bowl.

  5. Spread in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
  6. Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes, depending on how crispy you like the top.

Some have mentioned this casserole was dry…No recipe is perfect and it doesn’t always turn out great every time.

Some tips to try:

  • Increase temperature and/or reduce baking time. All ovens are different. Most of the ingredients are already cooked or just need to be warmed up and melded. Broil for a few minutes if you like it crispy.
  • More bechamel sauce.
  • Try different cheeses or cheese blends for a creamier consistency.
  • Use a deeper or smaller casserole dish.
  • Experiment with the type of noodle in the recipe. Egg noodles are softer while rotini are firmer and dryer.

What’s your favorite casserole?

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Yard Sale Tips

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How to have a yard sale and make a million bucks $700.

I am amazed at how successful our yard sale was. I expected a couple hundred dollars, spending money for our travels, a buffer to help us out.

I’ve analyzed what we did and I hope it can be duplicated so you can have a great yard sale too!

How to have a successful yard sale:

  • planning

  • preparing

  • purging

  • praying

How to Have a Successful Yard Sale

I realized I’m moving in two months. In two months! Like, out of the country. To a foreign country. With houses much smaller than I’m used to having.

I walked from room to room in despair, disgusted at myself that I accumulate so much STUFF – nine years of marriage, almost four in this particular house, four kids, two cats.

We don’t need this much STUFF.

Stuff ≠ happiness.

I made lists.

I love making lists! Made a list for items to put in storage. Another list for items to sell or donate. Finally, I felt like I was accomplishing something.

I set a date for the sale.

I put it on my calendar which syncs with my husband’s and all our devices. He took leave from work on the Thursday before and Friday, the first sale day. It’s on like Donkey Kong.

I advertised.

I placed an ad in our local paper online for free! I also listed our two big items that we had to sell in separate free classified ads – the 40 gallon aquarium and my big L-shaped desk with hutch. (The aquarium  – with 9 fish and live plants – sold for $50 to a man who raises angelfish for a living – several days before our yard sale!) Our son was so happy his fish would have friends.

I sorted.

I organized clothes and homeschool materials. I started stacking items for sale in our laundry room. I could barely do laundry for a month. I added to the list. I did a little more each day.

I purged, organized, compartmentalized, rearranged – and suddenly, I have three empty rooms. Seriously. In our basement, I have three empty rooms, like, completely empty. It’s crazy.

I cried a little when I clear off several bookshelves.

My husband helped me go through the cellar (there are spiders in there!) and he cleaned out his military gear and donated most of that to Liz’s Civil Air Patrol squadron.

The day before our sale!

We borrowed tables from church. I stacked everything in the garage. My husband carried out the bigger items. The huge desk stayed put. And we prayed.

The first morning of the sale!

Friday. My husband set up the tables and the kids helped set everything out. People arrived before sunrise. We didn’t even have time to put price stickers on anything. We agreed that we just want to get rid of everything as quickly as possible so we set the prices super low. My husband has the Square Register app on his phone so we could take cash or cards.

My eldest daughter was is in charge of the cash register (she used their toy cash register that has a real working calculator.) I taught her to keep all the bills turned the same way and in their slots. I explained that it’s important to out the customer’s money on the table before getting change. Never immediately put a customer’s money in the register. Never leave the register unattended.

One lady asked my husband how much something was and he responded that it was $5. She exclaimed: “No! It’s worth at least $10!” and made him take a ten dollar bill. Another customer made him repeat himself three times that our recliner really was only $20. It was in fine condition, nothing wrong with it. She was overjoyed.

The first day we made about $400 and sold much of the “good stuff.”

People were impressed with the Square Register app and one older man joked that no one could haggle with us if we took credit cards!


The second day’s forecast was supposed to be rainy so we set up the remainder on tables inside our garage and put an easel at the end of the driveway.

We sold the big desk with hutch to a young man with a new startup home business for only $50.

It only drizzled a tiny bit so we still had lots of customers.

Several men asked to buy items right off our garage shelves. I sold two snow shovels that were hanging on the wall. We still have several, so we’re good.

Several families with vanloads of kids came and almost destroyed my setup! I had to straighten my tables several times.

Some people are strange. A couple ladies got irritated with me when I tried to tell them that a curriculum was a set and they should take it all together instead of just one piece. But if they don’t want the teacher manual or manipulatives, I shouldn’t argue!

I was surprised that more clothing didn’t sell. We had a laundry basket full of too-small summer dresses in great condition. Last year, we sold a ton of clothing – in and out of season.

In the afternoon, we decided to close up because the weather turned cold and rainy, so it was perfect timing. We shut our garage doors to clean up.

We made $700 in two days.

Y’all. Seriously. After I cleaned up from the sale, I took away two vanloads – one to donate to the thrift store and one to trade in at the consignment shop. Also, I donated two bags of winter items to our church for the annual rummage sale.

It was liberating to be done with all that stuff.

Get your FREE downloadable garage sale sign kit!

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