Taking Care of Myself

And here it is. The reason why I haven't journaled for a few weeks. Carpal Tunnel and Trigger Finger release. AND of course, arthritis hit in the "long" finger knuckles two weeks before surgery. I couldn't even manage a proper bird for some time. My hand was wrapped up for two weeks. I got the stitches out four days ago. Swelling and ice bags, but it's getting better and I'm now able to use the mouse and have some computer time without doing the one handed business.

I had pain from the surgery, more than I expected. I was thankful they prescribed the pain pills. Having two nurses tell me that it was 'going to hurt like hell' the next day and encouraging me to stay on top of pain medication... well, I knew what to do. But I was also depressed, ate and sat, ate more and watched more TV. I still can't exercise much because of swelling in that hand. Sounds weird, huh. But it's putting pressure on some tendons. I have a couple of fingers that flat out hurt when I stretch my arm out, like reaching for something. I also can really feel it even with my arm hanging down by my side. I guess trying to do even some leg exercised got the blood moving around enough to where my hand was asking me what the hell was I doing.

I finally weighed, sadly 208. I also decided to measure the fattest part of my belly, sadly 48". More depression.

BUT yesterday, I had to admit that everything I was trying to do just wasn't working for my individual body. Doing the vegetarian/vegan thing wasn't the right thing for me even though I'm a believer in that lifestyle. I wasn't eating cookies and junk food, I was eating 'good for you' fruit. And  a peanut butter sandwich, or one slice of good bread. Didn't matter. I have been doing the same thing over and over, hoping for different results. For four years. I must be a slow learner.

So, a couple days ago I decided to do a lower carb thing, while still trying to maintain some ethical considerations in eating meat and dairy, plus trying to avoid the  inflammation and trigger foods listed on earlier pages. I ate low carb all day yesterday. This morning, 207 pounds, waist 47". Down a pound, one inch less fat.

I'm not going to weigh or measure for another week. Last time I went low carb, I felt like crap. This time, maybe a few more carbs will help, yet still less than I usually eat in a specified period.

I'm also upping my vitamin D3 to 10,000 to 15,000 units a day and adding 200 vitamin K2-MK7. I had heard of this book years ago and finally ordered it today, based on reading a lot of the reviews. I encourage you to do your own research and make your own decision.

Belly Fat

Small steps. But I'm more determined than ever before.

Two Meals a Day? And Common Pain Triggers

Captain's Log 08.25.2019

Two meals a day just won't cut it yet. Yesterday, we ate a late lunch or early dinner, around 4 p.m. By 9:00, both of us were starving. I had already snacked on a small bowl of frozen grapes and the 100 calorie fruit and grain bars. Later another bowl of frozen grapes. I finally ate two pieces of toast with the thinnest smear of peanut butter and split a rounded teaspoon of low sugar blueberry jam that I had made. It wasn't much jam (preserves, actually), but there was some on each slice of toast. I would have been better off eating a couple sliced cucumbers or a big green salad. Lesson learned.

I was pleasantly surprised when I weighed in this morning and the scale showed that I'd lost 2 lbs. I need that to help me stay motivated. I got a nifty little weight loss ticker that I can put at the bottom of some pages. But damn...55 pounds to go to hit my goal of 150. I gave myself a year to get there, so that's roughly 5 pounds a month.

I'm now making a conscious effort to go at least 12 hours between eating at night and eating in the morning. It's much easier for me to NOT eat in the morning. When I was young, I would not eat at all until around 3 p.m., then I'd eat until I went to bed. If I ate breakfast, I'd eat all day. It's still like that today, but I'm trying to change my ways. Erg.

I just finished my 20 minutes of exercise with Curtis and have a cup of oatmeal in the microwave. I use 1/2 c. thick cut, old fashioned oats with some 30 calorie, unsweetened Almond milk. I like Aldi's brand the best. Plans are for a big chopped salad with red and green cabbage, romaine, sliced cucumber and a homemade oil freed dressing - homemade ACV, some Dijon mustard and maple syrup to taste. Sounds wretched, doesn't it!! But it's actually pretty good. I think I got that recipe from the McDougall page years ago. She used a lot of mustard, but I'm pretty iffy on mustards of any type, so I don't use nearly as much. No plans for supper yet.

I have this saved on my computer, but I didn't save the source, nor the exact quote:

Pain-safe foods virtually never contribute to arthritis, headaches or other painful conditions: these include rice, cooked green, orange and yellow vegetables, cooked or dried non-citrus fruits.

Common triggers that cause pain in susceptible people include alcoholic beverages (especially red wine), caffeinated drinks, monosodium glutamate, aspartame (Nutra Sweet) and nitrates. Here are other common food triggers, also known as the 'dirty dozen': dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, meat, wheat, nuts and peanuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, apples and bananas.

Stuff I like.

Marianne

Belly Fat

Choosing the Healthier Path

Captain's Log 08.24.19

Yesterday I did pretty well compared to how I have been eating. I had a cup of oatmeal cooked with almond milk and added a few raisins (we have a ton of them that are getting a little...past their prime). Ate an apple after that just because I thought about it. I wasn't really hungry after the oatmeal, so that's another obstacle I need to get past.

We were away from the house for several hours, so I didn't have any lunch.  We live in the country and I tend to stay away from stores, especially places like Wal-Mart or wherever there are crowds of people. It's the germ thing. Every time I get sick, I lose some lung function that will never come back, so I'm a hermit. I'm okay with it. But we ended up in town to pick up a few groceries, then ate at Burger King.

I know, Burger King? Not healthy a'tall! But definitely a treat for me. I had an Impossible Whopper, a few fries and a few onion rings. I ate until I was full and recognized that I was full. And left everything else for the trash. Victory! Okay, hardly a victory, but I didn't feel compelled to eat every crumb.

Late night snacking, dammit. Small bunch of red grapes, and a couple of whole grain raspberry bars, 100 calories for the two. Far less than my usual grazing at night.

This morning, 25 minutes of chair aerobics with my dude Curtis, on YouTube. My usual cup of oatmeal with almond milk and a few raisins plus an apple. Coffee, Elderberry/ACV with medications and vitamins.

A neighbor came over, so no lunch. We had an early dinner of Teriyaki Soy Curls with Pineapple and Bell Pepper and rice. I used just half the package of Soy Curls, added some onion, used Pyure instead of sugar (and less than the recipe stated) and baked (instead of frying) the Soy Curls. Pretty good. Next time I'll make twice the sauce. BTW, Soy Curls are much better in recipes if you rehydrate them in beef, chicken or veggie broth instead of plain o' water.

If you're interested in Soy Curls, they are cheaper if you buy them from the manufacturer, Butler Foods,  BBQ Soy Curls are the bomb! Just like eating BBQ Chicken. Bring it on.

I did screw up and got a second helping because I had been so hungry. I was halfway through it before I remembered, so I put the big o' spoon down.

More baby steps, headed in the right direction.

Marianne

Getting Started

Captain's Log 08.12.19

Engage

Starting weight - 207.5

I had a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, then went back for one slice of grainy bread with peanut butter, later a banana. Coffee (Pyure sweetener and powdered coffee creamer) and an elderberry drink that I make (recipe at the end of this post).

I follow Curtis Adams on YouTube. He has a series of exercises for seniors and you can do them in a chair. He's my dude. Stuck it out for 20 minutes, so I'm making progress. A week ago, I struggled to do 10 minutes. I didn't exercise for a couple days because I was aching so badly. I don't know if it was because I ate some tomatoes, or because of the weather change. Maybe both.

I have everything laid out to go into a black bean soup for lunch and then leftover soup for supper.

I found these little acronyms to live by: WOE and No S

WOE= Way of Eating

No S= No Snacks, No Sweets, No Seconds (except on the days that start with S or Special occasions.)

Yeah, I can do this.

My biggest obstacle is that I stay up really late, some nights I don't even go to bed. Sucks. And I'm snacking, snacking, snacking half the night. I tell myself that it's all good for you stuff, like frozen grapes, maybe a piece of toast with peanut butter and honey....more fruit.... what needs to be eaten from the frig AKA leftovers, brazil nuts....chocolate chips with raisins in a little cup...you get the idea.

I also don't eat complete meals. I snack off and on all day long, so I'm not really hungry at meal times. Then I keep grazing from the kitchen the rest of the time.

One step at a time.

My Elderberry/Apple Cider Vinegar drink (I make my own elderberry syrup and ACV. Both taste a lot better than stuff that you buy):

Into a quart container: 2 Tablespoons Elderberry syrup, 2 Tablespoons ACV and sweetener to taste. I use the equivalent of 3 tsps of sugar. Add water to fill container, refrigerate and drink throughout the day.

I am sold on drinking this. I had chronic bronchitis bouts all the time last year. If I was lucky, there would be three weeks in between being sick, but most of the time I was sick for two weeks, then better for two weeks, then sick again, and on and on. I started drinking this in January and honestly, I have not been sick ONE DAY this year.  Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I'll keep drinking it. I don't drink the entire quart every day. Some days I only have a glass of it.

Marianne

Changes and Attitudes Towards Them.

2019 now. So it's been years since I wrote here. A lot has happened and I'm learning to roll with it. So, today, my journal here is taking a different direction.

My health has taken a slow nose dive since May of 2012. First a diagnosis of COPD. Emphysema. Hey, I quit smoking two days before I finally went to the doctor because I couldn't breathe. Later came ILD - Interstitial Lung Disease. If you never heard of it, don't be surprised. I hadn't either. But here's a link explaining what it is if you're interested - here . I don't have the scarring type at this point.

In 2014, I had a triple bypass. Four months later I had a stent put in my heart. Funny, my total cholesterol was 176. I went vegetarian for 6 months. Cholesterol went up to 197. WTH? I went vegan for the next 6 months. Cholesterol went up to 207. WTH???? No, I wasn't eating processed foods, no vegan junk food. Apparently there is a group of us that does this. Oh well. I put butter back in my life and my cholesterol dropped 26 points, with no other change. Actually I did that a long time ago, too, with the same results - cholesterol 176. My husband, Bill, finally did the same. His cholesterol dropped 50 points! Wowser.

Moving on. Oh yeah, IBS-C and IBS-D decided to live with me in 2014. I didn't know there was IBS-C for Constipation. I was eating beans, oatmeal and fruit like crazy and wouldn't poop for days. When I was in the hospital after I had my bypass, I lied to the nurses that I'd had a bowel movement so I could finally go home. Eight days in the hospital...no shit. Literally.  Passed a few marbles a couple days after I got home. What's up with that???

Last year, Chronic Bronchitis was added to the list.  Add to that, over the past few years, I've gained 50 lbs. It's hard to exercise when you can't breathe. Try exercising when you have a clothespin over your nose while breathing through a straw in your mouth. Some days are like that. Most days I sit a lot.  In February, my left hip decided that it was done with this shit. Three weeks later, my right hip agreed. A couple months after that, both knees joined them. Arthritis can really hurt.

Weather change? I'll let you know a day in advance. Ha!

So, in an effort to change my life and my health with positive motivation, I'm creating my own little Captain's Log for my journal. I'll list what I'm eating, how I'm exercising, what I'm battling. Since public humiliation seems to be the trick with a lot of people trying to lose weight, it's going here as well. Probably no recipes, but for my own sanity, I'll talk about my ups and downs and try to keep it positive.

Getting Rid of Fleas, the Cheap and Green Way.

Fleas.  I hate 'em. 

It's been a tremendously bad year for bugs here.  We have two boxers that are in and out the back door, so now they have fleas.  I should say WE have fleas.  What I really hate is that my dogs have fleas...uh.. on their rear ends.  In some research, a vet referred to them as "asshole" fleas.  That pretty much says it all.

Alrighty, then.  First thing I did was fill up an empty shaker bottle (it used to have cinnamon in it) with some DE (diatomaceous earth).  It was an easy way to powder my dog's butts and undercarriage.  Yes.  And under the tail-ish.  I'd sprinkle it in my hand and just pat away.  The dogs ended up loving this extra attention.  I ended up wishing I had a brain scrubber.  We had the male dog neutered when we adopted him, but you know......  Try to keep the dust down and be careful if you're going close to their face.

I powdered dog butts two or three times a day for about a week before our dogs totally quit trying to scratch (they couldn't reach the area!).  Remember that it takes a bit of time for the flea to die, plus most likely, there are fleas in various cycles. 

That's step one.  Next is to attack the yard!  It doesn't do any good to treat Fido if you aren't going to deal with the area where he's getting the fleas to begin with.  Get a couple boxes of Borax from the laundry aisle of your local store.  Sprinkle that all over the yard where Fido runs.  Do it again the next day.  Water it in a bit if you want to.  It will stay effective for all kinds of bugs for two to three years.  DE won't work after it's wet, but Borax will.

Back to the house.  Dogs powdered, yard treated.  Now wash their bedding and vacuum, vacuum.  You can sprinkle some Borax or DE in the vacuum bag to take care of any fleas that end up in there.  If you have a bagless unit, don't just empty the cannister in the kitchen trash or you'll have recycled fleas.  You have to be vigilant with vacuuming.  Every day.  Every crack (not dog crack, though).  Plan on doing this for a few days.

It took about a week or so for our dogs to quit scratching.  Initially they stopped scratching after a few days, then started again for a couple days.  I'm guessing it was the last batch of flea eggs that hatched and we're done with them.

One of the best pages I have read about fleas is Paul's: http://www.richsoil.com/flea-control.jsp
He doesn't like Borax, but since I'm not using tons of it that often, I'm not afraid of it.  People have added it to their laundry wash for generations.  You decide what you're going to use.  :o)

Frugal living or not - two sides of the coin

I came across a website the other day that challenged everyone to eat on $1.50 per day for five days - http://livebelowtheline.com/ . 

So I gave it a shot.  You can see how I did on a thread at the Simple Living Forum - http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?2731-My-personal-Live-Below-The-Line-Challenge

Kara (Treehugger on the Simple Living forum) commented on that thread that she budgets $100 a month for both her and her husband.  Wow.  That's $1.66 each per day.  Every day!  She doesn't have chickens, and it sounded like she didn't get much from the garden this year. She explains how she does it on the thread. And I thought I was doing pretty good by staying under $250 a month for the two of us, with a goal of $200 a month. I think she's my new hero.

You might think that $1.66 per person, per day is easily attainable.  What surprised me in the $1.50 challenge was how much all the extras added to the total - things like butter, sugar, seasonings, even tea, coffee or a glass of milk.  It wouldn't be much different in the $100 a month budget, either.

Now then, the flip side.  Some people we know dropped by the other day.  She's definitely not into the frugal living/make-it-from-scratch lifestyle.  Look in her refrigerator and you'll see a wave of take out containers AKA doggy bags, most of them with food that's not exactly edible.  Once in a while she throws it all away and starts over.  I always thought it was kind of comical and I'd tease her about it.

So the conversation was about the guy applying for a better paying job.  I said that my goal was to live well on less than $1000 a month. (A moment of silence - then lots of laughing and 'good luck with that' with some 'you poor dear' insinuated.)  They said that they need $7500 a month to live!  I didn't know my jaw could drop that far.  They don't live in a McMansion and have talked about financial problems in the past, so I know they have a boatload of debt.  What's scary is that they're 65-ish, so time isn't on their side any more.

So she's sitting there eating some of my homemade yogurt, almost yelling in her best 'holier than thou' tone:
I WANT to take my credit card to the store to buy what I want,
I WANT to use my credit card when ever I want, etc.

Me: *blink blink* (thanks, OFG).  I didn't say much but I was thinking that I kinda didn't like her any more.

It's all about choices.  Personally, I'd rather not have the pressure and I don't want Bill to have to work forever.  So my choice is to stay on the frugal side of life, challenge myself to lower the grocery bill each month without having to buy Beano (can I get it to $50 per person??) and pay off debt.  And of course - to enjoy the journey along the way!

Low Tech Termite Traps

Here in Kansas, termites are the norm.  When we lived in town, if one house in the neighborhood had their place treated for termites, the following year the neighbors had to, then down the street it went.  When the cycle started in the neighborhood of our friends, they had the outside of their place treated right away and signed a contract for monthly checks of bait traps.  I don't know how much they pay each month, but this has been going on for several years now.  I bet he's spent $1000 for those monthly checks by now.  Ouch.

Edited to add:  I talked to my friend yesterday.  She said they spent $800 to $1000 just to have the Tox-eol bait traps put around their house.  The cost is determined by the number of traps they say you need based on how large your structure is.  Now they pay $250 a year to have the traps checked monthly.  Double ouch.

The termites serve a purpose in nature, being part of the decomposition cycle.  That doesn't mean that I like them.  And even though I try to do the green thing, I'm not willing to risk my home and hard work by spraying with soapy water and keeping my fingers crossed. Termites were in a couple areas on our property when we bought it, so we considered it a 'known termite area' and acted accordingly.

After we got our foundation done, I bought several boxes of borax (20 Mule Team, Borateem) and threw it all over the crawl space area plus inside and outside of the foundation (before and after backfilling).  One neat thing about borax is that it keeps working for 2-3 years after it gets wet vs. DE that is ineffective after it gets wet.  A couple years later we were in the crawl space and saw one spider, that's it.  I was impressed. 

Fast forward two years and we're adding on to the side of the house and attaching to the old garage.  Bill thought he saw active termite activity on the back of the garage.  *Sigh*  So we called the local pest control guy and paid him $700 to treat the outside of the house and garage.  Come to find out, it wasn't termites that Bill saw.  I wished I would have done the borax thing around all the outbuildings and then just kept an eye on them, you know?  But at the time, we thought we'd be tearing it down in the future.

I learned from the termite guy that ants hate termites.  In the areas where we know there was active termite activity, there was also major ant activity.  He also told me that the purchased termite baits were 'iffy'.  Sometimes they worked, other times they didn't.  Well, he also makes a living spraying and doesn't live in the cheap seats in town, either.  But if they are 'iffy', I might as well make my own and check them myself.

So, instead of doing commercial bait traps, here's how to make your own.  Simple stuff.  First, dig a hole at least a foot deep, about 6' away from your building.  Throw in a chunk of wood, like a hunk of scrap 2x4.  Put a short piece of 1" PVC or any kind of metal pipe in the hole.  You want it to be long enough to reach the wood yet short enough so it's not really sticking out of the ground too far.  Pour sugar water on the wood, let it soak for a bit, then fill the hole back up with the dirt. The only reason for the pipe is so you have some way to add some more sugar water every once in a while.  PVC will degrade over time in the sun, but use what you have around there.  If your bait trap is in an area where you mow, obviously you want it short enough to mow over it, or have it stick way out and mow around it.

If there are termites around there, they will be attracted to the wet wood.  The sugar will attract the ants initially and they'll take care of the termites.  Next year, dig up one and see what ya got.  No termites and ants?  Good deal.  Put the trap back together.  Repeat on the next trap. The traps aren't going to create termites, but hopefully if there are any in the soil, they'll aim for the trap instead of your house.

Is this a sure fire thing?  No.  Will termites that are already in your building leave for the homemade trap?  No.  But it's cheap, green and it might save you a few bucks.

And even more ways to save money

Here's a few more things to save money - I don't think I've listed them before, but a million other bloggers have...

Crank out the vacuum cleaner and hit the things you normally don't think about vacuuming - the refrigerator and freezer coils, anything with a fan.  This one I probably have listed before.

Canned air is great for some things, but not always great for your computer.  I use the vacuum instead (sucks dust out instead of blowing it deeper inside of some sensitive parts) BUT use some caution.  You don't want to suck out any sensitive part, either.  I put my hand loosely over vented areas and then vacuum on top of that hand.  Bill (on the other hand) just goes to town with the vac.  He had to retrieve his keyboard's G key from the bag one time.

Replace the furnace and a/c filters often.  We buy the cheaper ones and try to remember to replace it once a month.

Save your sugar and flour bags.  Cut off the bottom and up one side and you have a heavy, flat sheet that can be used to drain bacon, etc.  I was using a coffee filter for a while, but it's just not quite big enough.  We have bacon a lot during tomato season, so now I'm going to save all those bags during the baking season.

Do you buy cold cereal in boxes?    All of the following I found at http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com/ .  The link is to her home page.  It's a pretty interesting read.

Here's what you can do with the wax paper liner:

Store bread ends for bread crumbs
Cut to the size of your cake and then put the frosted letters on the liner and freeze, then peel off the letters and place on your cake
Roll into a funnel and pour your spices into the little jars
Crush nuts and graham crackers in them
Use as a cover for nuking items in the microwave
Line the top of cabinets that don't go to the ceiling for easier cleanup
Cover your cutting board with a liner or two to cut down on meat juice soaking into the cutting board
Wrap a piece of liner around the cork to cooking wine for easier removal
Use in freezer to protect food products from moisture and preserve freshness
Easy to wash and reuse due to their sturdiness
Freeze meat in them
Place food on to cool, such as cookies
Use for your lunch to place your sandwich in
Roll out your pie or cookie dough on an opened bag
Use to separate meat, cheese and other food products
Cover your hand and push down rice krispy bars

Now as for the cereal boxes here are a few items to try:

The standard use as a magazine holder. Just cut diagonally in half.
Cut them up into hundreds of bookmarks, punch a hole in the top and add a ribbon
Open them up, tape the creases open and you have a temporary placemat or something to color on.
A mystery gift box for clothing
Fill with shredded paper and use as a lightweight box filler when shipping
Give them to kids for playing house and shopping

Great for the block builder in your family, and cheaper too.
Cut off the back and flaps and use as a temporary tray
Store your plastic bags, printer paper and other desktop items
Use them as backing in frames for posters and pictures
A quick file folder or mouse pad

Switchel - A different way to drink that ACV

I first saw this recipe on the Sufficient Self website.  I tried it, tweaked it for my own personal taste (less ginger and for sure NOT the oatmeal) and now I'm hooked on the stuff.  I also use my homemade apple cider vinegar as it has a bit more apple-y taste.

I'm doing a copy and paste from Hillbilly Housewife:

Switchel

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (yes vinegar)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup sugar or honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 cup oatmeal (optional)
• tap water to make 2 quarts

This is a very old recipe, imported from our Yankee neighbors to the north, and before that, from Nova Scotia. Did you ever wonder what folks used to drink in the days before soda pop, and when lemons were out of season? Why Switchel of course. Instead of lemon juice, it uses a tangy combination of flavorful apple cider vinegar, molasses and ginger to make a summertime treat which will whet your whistle better than any modern thirst quencher I’ve ever run across.

First get out a two quart pitcher. Measure the vinegar, molasses, sugar or honey and ginger into it. Add cold tap water to fill. Stir to dissolve everything and serve in tall ice filled cups. Traditionally, oatmeal was also added to the mixture, to give it a little body, and improve the flavor. I am ashamed to say I have never prepared it with the added oatmeal, so if anyone does, please let me know what you think. This beverage takes a little getting used to. It is strongly flavored, nothing bland about it. It tastes best when it has mellowed overnight, blending the ginger with the molasses. It does quench your thirst better than anything else on a hot summer day though, and of course, costs next to nothing to prepare. I have also tried heating it in the winter time and drinking it as a hot toddy, it is actually quite delicious this way.

Barb:  Blogger still has issues (that might never go away!!), so I'll continue to add my comments up here. 

Yes, I use a lot less ginger than the recipe, too.  I was even thinking that maybe this winter I'd try it heated (without the ginger) and add some cinnamon to a cup.  My theory on stuff like this is that it can't be any worse than bad.  :o)

Links for frugal recipes AKA eating on the cheap

“The remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” ~Calvin Trillin  (Copied from another site, but I forgot where I saw it!)

______________________________________________

http://www.leftoverchef.com/  Wonderful site that lets you type in what ingredients you have around the house, then gives you recipes of what you could make with them.

http://busycooks.about.com/  Tons of info and recipes here.  One of my favorite sites to get the recipes to make your own convenience foods and so much more.

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?folderId=13&listMode=13&nav=messages&webtag=ab-frugalliving  This is a thread in a forum that has a lot of frugal recipes.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/  Lots of recipes and information for the frugal minded.

http://www.miserlymoms.com/frugalrecipes_updated.html

http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/recipes.htm

These links should keep you busy for a while.  I'll post more as I come across them.  Let me know if you have some that are favorites of yours!

The Cost of Working Calculator

Years ago I was working a job that I truly hated, but felt I had to keep since we needed the extra paycheck.  It was one of those things that I couldn't even enjoy my two days off, as one of those days was spent in dreading the following work day.

Then we did our taxes.  I was in the middle of check registers and paper shuffle when it hit me.  I went through the check registers (pre-debit card and computer era), adding up everything that I had spent for the year that was even remotely associated with my job.  Most of it was eating out because I was too tired and too disorganized to put a meal together.  There were a few checks written for clothing and I figured in the extra gasoline.

So, how'd I fare?  Drum roll please....I was actually clearing $1.35 an hour.  That sucked.  I don't know that it would have felt any better if I had actually loved the job.  I stuck it out for a few more months until I decided that I'd rather sit out on the curb with a 'will work for food' sign.

Here's a nifty little calculator that will help you decide if it's worth working a crappy job, or any job for that matter.  Make sure you subtract what you pay in taxes before you enter your amount in the 'net income' field.  http://www.anycalculator.com/costofworking.htm

This still won't give you the total picture.  There's the wear and tear on your vehicle to consider (oil changes, tires, tune ups).  Sure, you'll still have those expenses whether you work or not, but a set of tires will last you many years if you're only driving 5000 miles each year.  Okay, maybe you aren't in hermit mode like I am.  Last year I drove 1750 miles.  But you see what I'm talking about.

There's also the flip side to consider.  If your employer pays for part of a health insurance plan, you probably get cheaper rates from the group insurance plan.  Buying health insurance on your own is really expensive.  Or you can go without it.  Many people can't afford it.

Would you go nuts staying home?  I thought I would, but I was going nuts working crappy jobs, too.

Things are different today than what they were years ago.  The internet has tons of information available with some mouse clicking.  I could have learned how to save that couple hundred bucks that I was actually clearing each month and not stressed about it. 

Maybe this will help you decide if it's time to quit working for someone else, live a more self sufficient lifestyle, or if it's time to look for a better job.

How much am I actually saving?

A while back a friend asked how much money I was actually saving by doing all the ‘weird things’ that are so typical in my life now. He has stressed a few times that even though I make things from scratch, I still have to buy something. He’s right to a certain extent. My usual answer is ‘that’s not the point’. Here’s my take on it:

Saving money at the grocery store - Usually making something from scratch is a lot cheaper than buying convenience foods, but not always. I could buy a cheap brownie mix for $1.07, but the homemade recipe I use is so much better although it probably costs as much or more to make. If I used a more generic recipe, it’d be cheaper.
Bread is another thing that I don’t feel guilty about buying, especially in the warm months. We like several types of ‘bird seed bread’, like 12 grain, etc. I don’t want to buy a bunch of different grains to make that. But during the winter we also have homemade white, whole wheat, oatmeal, skillet bread, etc.

Keeping as much plastic and other packaging out of the waste and recycle stream - Plastic can be recycled only so many times before it becomes toxic. I switched to real butter sticks instead of plastic tubs of margarine, make grape jelly (one aluminum can from shelf stable grape juice vs. three plastic jars to recycle), etc.

Not having to drive into town as often to get groceries - It’s a full gallon of gas round trip. Need I say more? I can make tons of things with just staples I keep on the shelf so there’s no running to the store to pick up a couple of things.

The ability to make pretty much whatever I want or need from the staples I keep on hand. - Now this is where the ‘make it from scratch’ really shines. I hate the taste of powdered milk, but it’s great for cooking and mixes. I use it in cream of chicken (or mushroom or celery) soup mix, flavored coffee creamers, all kinds of substitutions like sweetened condensed milk sub, on and on. The cream of whatever soup mix is stored in a smallish glass jar, and makes the equivalent of 9 cans of condensed soup. You’re just making your own convenience foods. It really doesn’t take that long to make the mixes and most use just simple ingredients.

So how much am I actually saving by doing all my ‘weird things‘? I tried to figure it out about 6 months ago. Although the numbers would vary month to month, it was $197 for that month.

The Cost of Doing Laundry

Mr. Electric has a bunch of little energy calculators to help you understand how little or how much power you use for typical day to day living.  Most of us here in the US use a washer and dryer.  You can see how much it costs to do a month's worth of laundry at your place by going here:
http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/laundry.html

I have been using homemade laundry soap for months, but sometimes I wash grungy work jeans in Simple Green, or add $0.10 worth of baking soda to the wash.  I also have a private well, so every time I use a bunch of water, the pressure tank kicks on, using electricity.  Ditto for the well pump. On the flip side, my Fisher-Paykel washer uses 1/3 less water than a standard washing machine. So my numbers aren't exactly accurate.

I'm okay with hanging clothes, but I hate stiff clothes, so I do the 5 or 10 minute dryer thing with a couple of dry towels, then hang everything to finish drying.

So, how did I come out?  Drum roll please....  My cost by using homemade laundry detergent, cold water wash, 10 minute dryer time and 4 loads per week = $2.41 a month.  Wowser!

He does a have blurp about putting a wet towel in with your clothes that have sat in the dryer, then turning the dryer on again.  Why do that?  Does it matter if your underwear is wrinkled?  Just hang up your shirts, whatever, then give them a few light sprays of water and let them dry for a little bit.  You could also hang it in the bathroom while you take a shower.  The steam will relax all the wrinkles, and it will be good to go by the time you finish getting ready.  You might want to hang it outside of the bathroom when you're drying your hair, etc.  I did this all the time when I was traveling with my job.  Sometimes I had to finish 'drying' a heavier dress, pants, whatever by using the blow dryer for a minute, but most things were dry enough to put on. 

The Cost of Using Your Coffee Maker

According to the propaganda, I mean newsletter from the local electricity company, the average annual cost of using your coffee maker is $80. Too bad it doesn’t say if the cost was figured from just brewing, or how long the warming burner was on. Since a lot of coffee makers have a two hour auto shut off, maybe that time was factored into the cost. I drink a lot of coffee, especially when the weather is cold, so my coffee maker gets a workout. In an effort to get a more accurate read on my coffee maker, I went to Mr. Electricity - http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html

He has a nifty table that you can plug in your own numbers, electric rate and hours to get your 'real' numbers.  Holy Mama!!  My coffee maker annual cost is almost $200 a year for the amount of time that I usually have it on. $16.44 a month.  Wow.  Can't be.  Now I'm sure that there's more power consumed during the brew stage, but hey, I want coffee without having to build a fire outside.  I originally set the energy calculator for 5 hours daily usage, but like I said, I'm sure the 900 watts (which is the most it will use) is for the brew cycle and nothing is mentioned for the warming element.  BUT, by setting the calculator to just 5 minutes (brew time only), it brings my monthly cost down to $0.28.   I'm not sure that's right, either.

According to the smart people at http://www.nppd.com/My_Home/Product_Brochures/Additional_Files/electric_usage.asp , using the brew cycle on my coffee maker once a day is costing me $1.17 a month.  My electric rates are higher than their list, so I busted out the calculator.  But this sounds reasonable.

I bought a Thermos brand carafe for $13 and pour the freshly brewed coffee into that.  The coffee maker gets clicked off right away.  Besides less electricity used, my coffee maker may last longer and the best thing is better tasting coffee later.  Worth every cent and short payback period.

*Note - this brand does not hold an entire pot like my previous Wal-Mart el cheapo carafe that I hated.  It was a battle to get the lid screwed on correctly every time I used it.  I was glad when it bit the dust.  The new Thermos brand carafe is definitely better.

Ways with Whey - what to do with it

I just had another failed yogurt experience.  Sure tastes good though. This time I used whole milk and an envelope of unflavored gelatin.  I'm now convinced it's because of my old, old slow cooker.  It heats up just fine, but not insulated at all, so it doesn't keep the yogurt warm enough during the resting phase. I did use vanilla yogurt instead of plain as the starter culture so that might have had something to do with it. I also just learned that you can 'incubate' it for 12-14 hours and it will be thicker and have a tarter flavor. So I turned on the slow cooker for 10 minutes and will let it sit for another 2 or 3 hours to see what happens.

If you didn't read my first post about homemade yogurt, I used Steph's recipe from her blog at http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

Most of this batch was destined to be yogurt cheese anyway. I'm going to put it in a colander lined with one of Bill's hankerchiefs (bleached, rinsed well and from now on designated to the kitchen - he doesn't use them anyway) and drain the whey.  We love that stuff (the yogurt cheese, not the whey) and there's plenty of bagels around.  I especially love it with canned or fresh pears and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

The smart people at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/nchfp/factsheets/yogurt.html  say that the gelatin inhibits whey seperation.  Bummer. I'll see what happens. (Later:  Some of the whey has drained off and now it has the consistancy of a respectable yogurt.  I used a spatula to scrape along the edges of the cloth so the whey will continue to drain.)

I also found this great toubleshooting blog page (and recipes!) - http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/skinny-secrets/healthy-homemade-greek-yogurt

Okay, what to do with the whey?  If you used whole milk to make your yogurt, a half cup of whey has approximately 30 cal., no fat, 1 gram protein ,7 grams carbohydrates, 130 mg calcium (according to the Dannon yogurt people).  Whey also contains many of the most important vitamins and nutrients in yogurt.

Although I could add some to the dogs' chow, I kinda want to take the 'people first' route.  I tried drinking some of it and frankly you have a stronger constitution than I do to get that stuff down just the way it is.

Here are the best suggestions I have found so far:

Pour it into ice cubes and freeze it to use in baking. You can use it in place of buttermilk in any recipe. It gives the same flavor and richness with none of the fat. It is supposed to make the best "buttermilk" biscuits and pancakes.  Use it in place of water in any bread recipe.  This is what I'll probably do with whey from now on.

You can use it in other fermented food recipes like sauerkraut or WAP ketchup (what's that?)

Soak your grains or beans in it. Soaked grains (oatmeal, rice, quinoa) and beans take less time to cook, are easier to digest and allow our bodies to utilize more of the nutrients. Add 1-2 T of whey to your water and soak overnight.  Maybe this will help cut down on the 'whiffy' side effects of beans later.

Season your whey with garlic or other spices and use it as a marinade for meat. This works especially well with frozen meats. The enzymes will help bring out the flavor.

Make some homemade ricotta cheese.  I tried this one time and was happily surprised.  The ricotta has a real fine texture. I didn't have enough and since I usually use cottage cheese in lasagna, so I mixed the two.  Good stuff.

Add some to a smoothie. (See note above about having a strong constitution.)

And of course, give some to the dogs and chickens.  My hens looked at me like I was green and had horns when I tried giving them some whey.  They just walked off.  After I put some oatmeal in the whey, they finally did eat some of it, but I might as well have just dumped it on the compost pile.

AND today (11-4-11) I discovered a list of 18 ways to use whey at Paula's 'Salad in a Jar site:
http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/recipes-with-yogurt/18-ways-to-use-whey-a-by-product-of-greek-yogurt

Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Even MORE ways to save money and end up with money

Put your debit card away.  It's pretty easy to grab that thing and use it, huh.  You're less likely to buy impulse items if you have to dig out the check book or use cash.  Vow to never get cash from the ATM that charges you a fee.  If your bank charges you fees for checking, look for another bank.

Now that you have the checkbook in your possession again, there are some things you can do.  First, start a coin can.

Write the check at the grocery store to the next highest dollar so you get some change back.  When you get home, put the coins in your new 'savings' can.  Every time you have a few coins in your pocket, add them to the can.  A lot of people save $300 a year doing this simple thing.

Use coupons?  Rebates? Put that money in your coin can when you get home.

Talk yourself out of buying something extra at the store?  Put that money in the coin can.

Got an expensive habit, like tobacco or alcohol?  Try to cut it in half.  You're already used to the money leaving your pocket, so put the 'saved' money in the coin can.

If you usually have cash in your wallet, can you add a dollar a day to the can? Or even just a dollar a week?

Now that you have your own little stash at home, use it to your advantage. Do the debt snowballing thing to stop paying interest.  If you saved up $30 in your coin can this month, take it to the bank and then pay an extra $30 on your credit card payment, car payment, etc. You can get a good idea of how much your loan is costing you (and how much you'll save by paying a little extra each month!) by using an online 'what's missing' calculator like this one - http://www.hughchou.org/calc/missing.cgi  .  Hugh has a ton of different calculators to help you.

Round up to the next dollar when you subtract the check amount in the register. Write a check for $39.03?  Subtract $40.  By the end of the year, you could have another $300.

You can also write 'saved' amounts on a calendar. This comes in handy when you get back from the store and only used $2.15 worth of coupons, or decided not to buy that bottle of water from the convenience store.  Put that amount on your calendar.  At the end of the month (or sooner!), make an extra online payment on  your credit card.  Seems like another bill going out, doesn't it.  But it's money that you would have spent in your previous lifestyle.  If it's just a few dollars at the end of the month, add it to your usual payment.

Need to buy a car?  Buy a used one instead of the new hybrid you really want.  The money you'll save over all by lower cost, insurance and taxes will more than offset what you'd save in gasoline costs.  I hate this one, but it's true.

Sometimes you have to look at quality over cost.  We could save $500 by buying a used riding lawn mower, but by spending the extra, we'll get a three year warranty and know that we aren't buying someone else's problem. We'll take good care of it, so it should last us for as long as we're here or will need one.

Rent a movie instead of going to the movies.  More popcorn, whatever drinks you want and as much as what you want, plus you won't miss part of it if you need to make a pit stop halfway through.  Write down what you normally would have spent on the calendar.

Try more private label stuff at the grocery store.  Some of it is lousy, but many items are just as good as the name brands. Jot down the price difference, then add it up when you get home.  Put the difference in the can, or write it on the calendar.

Every two years, check around for insurance rates.  Insurance companies have a way of sneaking the rates up.  Look for an insurance broker that doesn't represent just one company or look online.

Ideally, come April 15th, you don't want to have to send a check, but you also don't want to use the IRS for a savings account, either.  But some people qualify for money back that they didn't send to them to begin with.  Don't go buy that new computer!  Pay off your debt or put it in a savings account.

Just got a raise at work?  Lucky you!  Use that extra money to pay off debt or save.

The One Dress Protest

There really are some great blogs and information on the net if you take the time to sift through the crap.  Today on the Frugal Village forum, someone posted this gal's blog - One Dress Protest, Fasting from Fashion.  She's going to wear the same dress every day for a year.  All I can say is that my hat's off to her!

You can read her blog and follow along here - http://onedressprotest.com/2011/01/this-week-in-the-dress-and-on-the-web-3/

My personal fashion habits, or lack of them, is based pretty much on whatever shirt I grab from the closet.  I'm not picky, I just want to be covered.  Most of 'my' clothes in the closet are Bill's clothes, too.  We have gotten fat together so we still can wear the same jeans and shirts, all 'mens'.  That helps a lot.  I have no problem wearing mens clothing, but he might have a problem wearing 'womens', ya know?

We used to get a lot of t-shirts from the company we work for, so there's been quite an accumulation through the years.  We used to have eight identical t-shirts, but I think we're down to three of those.  Our boys know to bring their donation bag to Ma and Pa's first, so we can dig out anything 'new' or needed first.  Then we take the rest to the DAV or wherever.

Honestly, I don't miss the fashion bug at all.  My every day clothes are my work clothes, designed to get dirty.  I don't mind wearing them on the days that I'm not planning on gardening or basic slaving away.  If I happen to suddenly change my mind and start playing in the dirt, it's no big deal.  I don't have to come in the house just to change clothes.

And I have been known to hit the grocery store wearing shoes that still had some chicken pucky stuck on the bottom.  Oh well.

Bone Broth - the good stuff

The first time I ever heard anything about bone broth was on the Sufficient Self forum.  I figured it was just boiling up the leftover bones from chicken or turkey to make stock.  I was wrong.

According to the knowledgable people on that forum, you need a glug of ACV in with the water and bones to make bone broth.  The vinegar pulls out the nutrients from the bones and makes the most yummy tasting broth!  It looks much richer than the pale, watery stuff I used to make (that I thought was so good) or the really pale stuff you get from Swanson's in the grocery store (which is just a step up from plain ol' water).  An added bonus is that if you cook it long enough, the bones get really soft.  So soft that you can take the leg bone and just mush the end of it between your fingers.  And no, you don't taste any vinegar.

The first time I tried it was in my old pressure cooker.  I used turkey bones.  Holy momma, that was good stuff.  To make the bones soft enough that I felt safe in mixing them with homemade dog/cat chow, I had to pressure cook it for 2-1/2 hours.  I loved the idea of using the bones, but not the idea that I had to have the range on for that long.

The next time I just did it all in my big slow cooker.  I used chicken bones that time.  Plunked them all in the Crock Pot, added water to cover and a glug of apple cider vinegar (a glug is a technical term used in some kitchens).  I put the cooker on low, and forgot about it until the next day.  When I checked it, all the bones were easily mushing up.  Since this batch was just for dog/cat food, they got all the broth and marrow-y goodness from the mushed bones.  All the four legged critters gave it two paws up!

I'm already saving chicken bones in the freezer for the next batch. I'll keep the rich broth for a pot of chicken and noodles this time.  Who knew that simple ACV could make such a difference?

If you have never cooked with stock or bone broth, you're in for a treat.  Once you start using it, you'll never go back to using water.

I found this great site that lists more details on how to make bone broth with beef, chicken and pork bones:
http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/recipes/recipe21.php

Making ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar

I have my first batch of apple cider vinegar (ACV) cooking.  Not really cooking, but doin' it's thing on top of the frig.  For some reason, this appeals to the inner scientist in me.  Let's try this and see if it works.

I had read on Earth Clinic over 120 posts from people saying that ACV helped lower their blood pressure (15 said it didn't work for them).  You had to slug down as much as two tablespoons of organic ACV that had the 'mother' in it on a regular basis.  Nasty stuff, I'm tellin' ya.  The crazy thing is that 30 minutes later, my blood pressure was over 10 points lower.  I did the trials twice a day over the course of two weeks, taking my BP readings before and after AVC.  I kept an eye on my activities prior to and following, so I would have a more accurate trial.  By cracky, it was working!  I wasn't taking my BP medication, yet my BP was pretty reasonable and gradually dropping.

But I had to stop.  Besides bringing tears to my eyes, it felt like it was stripping off a layer of skin in my gullet and left me gasping for breath.  Didn't make my stomach feel any too good, either.  HOW do people do this???   Eventually I tried it again, and again had the same results.  Blood pressure was going down, anxiety about having to drink it was going up.  Maybe my blood pressure reading would have been lower if I had better tolerance of the vinegar?  I tried all the things mentioned on the Earth Clinic site, adding honey, adding water, etc, etc.  Yeck.

Okay, so then I went to a lot less ACV, about a teaspoon or so with some water, 3 times a day.  I survived, wasn't too bad to get down and my BP still stayed reasonably controlled.  Yay!  But I was still taking one BP pill every other day (I had stopped the other one).  Hey, I am okay with this.

I like to buy locally if I can.  I don't want to order stuff that has to be shipped, either.  But the only organic ACV was 35 miles away and $7 a quart at the health food store.  I wish I could say that making ACV is the green thing to do, but actually I'm making it because I'm cheap.  And I'm hoping it tastes better, too.

So, after some research, Q & A's on the Sufficient Self forum, there's this big jar of weird stuff sitting on my refrigerator.  I started with some $3 organic apple juice and the bottom inch of dregs and vinegar from the pricey stuff, Braggs.  I put a clean hankerchief over the top of the jar, secured with a rubber band.  From what I read, air is very important, so my jar has probably a 4" opening.  I stir it every other day.  It's been sitting there for a couple of weeks and the changes to it are....well, interesting.

It started to get this slimy, jelly type goo on the top. Of course, I figured it was mold. Yeck.  Not that the rest of it looked any better.  The organic juice had solids in it, and then I added more from the vinegar bottle.  But it smelled like apples and vinegar, not icky like moldy stuff.  More reading.  That big, honking lugie was actually the 'mother'.

I finally got brave enough to taste a bit of it today.  Nice, apple-y tasting vinegar, not real strong.  I think it still tastes more like apple juice than vinegar, so I'll leave it a bit longer.  After I strain it through a coffee filter, it should look better.  If your vinegar ever has that acetone smell, kind of like nail polish remover, it needs more oxygen.  So stir it once or twice a day and the smell should go away in a few days.

And the 'mother'?  I read that women used to keep it in a jar in the cupboard so they'd have it to kickstart another batch of vinegar.  They would also use it to help heal small cuts and wounds.  It does appear to have some antiseptic or healing properties.  I'll probably get another bottle of organic apple juice and get some more vinegar going.  I might save a bit just to try on a cut or something. too.

Edited to add on 4/10/11 - The vinegar is wonderful!! I tried to strain it through a coffee filter, but it was taking too long.  But that half cup of strained vinegar was gorgeous.  I finally decided that I could live with some solids, so I poured off some from the top of the bigger jar.  Of course, I fished out the loogie, I mean, mother, first.  That went into the compost can by the sink (red Folger's coffee cannister).  I figured that since I was going to be adding more apple juice to the old stuff in the big jar, I'd still get more mother brewing.  I did put the jar of somewhat strained vinegar into the frig, mostly because I'd rather drink cold or hot, rather than room temperature.  I wondered if it would keep getting stronger, too...and I like it as it is now!

Oh, and putting mother on cuts?  It works!  I had this painful, annoying little tear in a cuticle.  You know the kind.  They aren't big enough that anyone gives you any sympathy, but you're very aware if it because you bump it all the time.  So I pinched off a bit of mother/jelly and rubbed it on the cuticle.  Dang, the pain was gone in a couple seconds!  Unfortunately, it was back right after I washed my hands.  I think I'll keep some vinegar brewing all the time, so hopefully I'll always have some mother to put on minor cuts, etc.  Besides that, it's always fun to watch the expression on people's faces when you show it to them.  :o)