Guest post by: Midge

We have a mountain of dirty clothes and my washing machine decided to wash the floor instead of the load in its belly. You can always tell when it’s going to be “just one of those days”! It was not a great day for it to break  because my little one is in the midst of potty training.  So, having a washing machine is a DIRE need. Sigh . . .

With the passing of the Mother’s Day holiday, I found myself pondering the plight of potty training mothers everywhere. Some of my friends have remarked that their children potty trained themselves ~ practically overnight! Other friends have suggested that their children struggled until they were five, and some continued past that point with overnight issues. It seems as if everywhere I look someone has an opinion (and sometimes these opinions contradict each other!)

What has really been on my heart is not just the trials of training your child but the COST of all of those fancy products. It appears as if I have to buy half of the diaper aisle in order to confidently lead my child on the road to being a “big kid”. Potty training, from the perspective of the consumer, can be VERY expensive. Today, my guest post is not long but more of a thoughtful inquisition of your opinions.

What has helped you out as a mom on the road to potty training your little ones? What products do you feel are necessary? And which products are more fluff and fun than useful?

Get this FREE 4.5 x 6 Brag Book from Walgreens while it lasts!

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Take a sneak peek into my THE COUPON CRAZE: Chaos or Common Cents magazine today!

Do you have a small space, small budget and desire a BIG stockpile? No problem! Alayna Cann tells you how in this comprehensive yet captivating article.

“If you are anything like me, you have just a teensy bit of envy for those moms who seem to have it all together and have all the space in the world to store all the stockpile they could ever dream possible! But hey, let’s face it: Most of us are not like “those” moms! We don’t have it all together and we have a small to  average-size home, lacking all of that extra storage space for that dream stockpile.

I always wanted to make it possible, so one day I decided to turn that possibility into a reality. I realized that, no, I may not have a garage, attic, or basement for storage, so I would have to get creative! I needed to turn a space into my stockpile storage area without taking up any precious living space, all the while making it both functional and creative.

In the kitchen, you may not have a ton of extra space, but don’t forget to use your cabinet space to its full capacity, especially when storing canned goods. I always stack mine by size and according to how many can be stacked per shelf. By doing so, you will be amazed not only how much space you will save, but how many canned goods you can store in just one cabinet! You can also use this method with boxed foods. In organizing your food items, if you plan to store them for a long time, you may want to write the date on them somewhere with a Sharpie so that down the road you will know how long you have had them. If you don’t think you will use something relatively soon, consider taking a donation box to a food pantry or sharing with family and friends. This is a great idea when you have limited space, so that you can rotate items and nothing is wasted.

Now let’s move on to the seemingly endless cycle in the laundry room. Many of us don’t think of it as storage space for stockpiling, but it is an area where, even with limited space, functional storage can be created. When I moved to my house out West a few years ago, I faced the problem of absolutely no storage space in my laundry room. It was actually a mud room at one of the entries into the house that became the dumping ground for everyone’s shoes. So between the shoes, a stacked washer and dryer, an extra refrigerator, and a folding table, there was little room for anything else. I decided to get creative. . .”

To get the rest of this article and more stockpiling tips, CLICK HERE to purchase THE COUPON CRAZE: Chaos or Common Centsas a single issue.

Molly members already have this magazine in your member page! Simply click the “Molly Members” tab above, log in, and search out April 2012.

If you’re not a Molly member, take advantage of our TAX SPECIAL! You’ll find all the details over on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE, this special ends TOMORROW!

I don’t think there’s one among us that enjoys weeds in our gardens or flower beds.  Weeds seem to be the topic of discussion and how to get rid of them.  Mulching is a super simple way to not only keep your plants healthy but cut down on weeding time as well.  Mulching benefits your gardens by:

• inhibiting the grown of weeds from the very beginning.  Not only do weeds look bad, they steal nutrients away from the plants.
• holding moisture in the soil.  The hot sun wont’ dry out your plants as quickly.
• keeping your plants cooler.
• protecting the plant from harsh winter weather.  Fall mulching is important to protect the plant’s roots from extreme frost.
• possibly adding a little nutrition back into the soil (depending on the type of mulch you use).

There are many types of mulches, see which kind works for you and works well in your geographic location.  A little research goes a long way.  Some are free, some are more costly. Some are colorful, others are nature friendly.  Whatever mulch you decide to use, your plants will thank you!

Here’s a list of possible mulching options:

• grass clippings
• wood/bark chips
• decaying leaves
• compost
• peat moss
• straw
• hay
• pebbles, gravel or stone
• landscape fabric
• coffee bean shell

Mulching works for me! What kinds of mulch work for you, do you have a favorite?

Mulching flowerbeds works for me! For more Works For Me tips, visit: WE ARE THAT FAMILY.

Welcome to our very first Frugal Friday Link-Up!

There are so many different ways to live a frugal lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about making salsa (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response.  Molly

Dear Midge,

My tolerance for spicy foods must have “evolved” over the years as I never used to like anything hot. Mild salsa used to warm me up! Not now. . . I REALLY enjoy spicy foods and a little “kick” in my salsa. Salsa was one of the first foods I figured out how to make! For some reason I thought I always had to buy it in the jar as it looked so complicated. Not so! I really do enjoy the “real deal” now days and it’s SO simple to make. I’ll share my favorite salsa recipe with you but first I have to tell you about the peppers I grew in last year’s garden.

The kids and I bought a few young plants from the greenhouse and planted them in the “salsa” section of my garden. I grew tomatoes, onions, hot peppers and cilantro all near each other. Anyway, as the summer went on my hot peppers grew like crazy! I kept picking them and tossing them into a freezer bag. Before I knew it a gallon size freezer bag was full, then two! I threw quite a few of the peppers in my freezer as I knew I could only use so many of the fresh ones before they went bad. They were tiny peppers but BOY WERE THEY SPICY! It didn’t take me long to decide I should remove some of the seeds before using them to cook with, that tamed them down quite a bit.

Ok, on to my favorite kind of salsa. Years ago, I got my hands on some homemade green salsa. I was convinced that green salsa was my new favorite (maybe because I had spent years eating the red salsa in a jar). The first time I made it, I was shocked at how easy it was. Give it a whirl and see what you think, HERE’S A GREAT RECIPE. I think there’s a few of those peppers left in the freezer, guess what I’m making tonight? Happy cooking!

Love ya, Molly

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share! To see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below!!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP (and to locate other blogs)!

Today’s guest post is brought to us by: Maria Wells

Thanks to the show Extreme Couponing, more consumers are gaining an interest in saving money by clipping truckloads of coupons. At the same time, the coupon landscape has changed at many stores due to the program’s popularity and consumers’ zeal. Even though things have changed, you can still manage to save quite a bit of money by taking your couponing to another level. If you are considering extreme couponing, these are ten of the rules you should keep in mind.

1. Be Patient – How much time it takes will completely depend on you. If you live by the saying, “time is money,” then you may not want to devote several hours to finding and clipping coupons. Be reasonable in your time allotment. It doesn’t do much good to take a lot of time away from your family to find bargains. Be prepared to spend around four or five hours a week clipping coupns, organizing them and shopping for your bargains.
2. Be Ethical – Fraudulent use of coupons can get you in big trouble, so don’t decode your coupons. If you read the small print, you will find that using the coupon for something other than what it is meant to be used for is committing fraud. Some coupon classes will teach you how to decode your coupons, but it is unethical and illegal.
3. Be Fair – Some extreme couponers will clear the stock of an item in the store. That’s a pretty selfish thing to do, since bargains usually come around at least every quarter or so. Even though you may be able to clear the shelf with your coupons, think twice about doing so. Is it really necessary?
4. Get Organized – Extreme couponing calls for extreme organization, or at least a reasonably organized system. There are a wide variety of coupon organization systems available. Find one that works for you, then keep your coupons categorized and up to date. One thing you want to avoid is getting to the check-out with all of your items, only to find that some of your coupons are out of date.
5. Think Outside of the Print-Ad Box – It’s not just a matter of looking at the ads in the Sunday paper anymore. With extreme couponing, you may find yourself going to extreme measures to get your coupons. You can ask friends and family members to give you their extra coupons, you can enlist the help of coupon clipping services or you can buy coupons for a few dollars. Coupons are also available online at manufacturers’ and stores’ websites. You will often find coupons on their Facebook pages, too.
6. Stock Up – Extreme couponing is all about saving money, and one way to do this is to stock up on a good deal until it comes around again. If your store allows you to purchase more than one item with the coupon, by all means stock up on what you need. Keep in mind, though, that unless there are only a few items on the shelf to begin with, you probably don’t need to clear it to get what you need for your family. You don’t have to stock up for years or decades – only until the next good deal comes around. As an extreme couponer, you should have an idea how long that will be; usually four to six weeks.
7. Shop During Off-Peak Hours – Since you are doing more than the average shopper, you will most likely take more time at the cashier’s stand. Rather than ending up in a frustrated bundle of nerves or watching others impatiently waiting in line for you to finish with your business, shop during slower hours. That way, you and the clerk will have plenty of time to work through the transaction.
8. Be Familiar With Store Policy – You don’t want to come up to the check-out counter with a cart load of goods, only to find out that store policy limits coupon use to one item per customer. Oftentimes, cashiers aren’t totally familiar with the policies and will not bother to check if you are right or wrong. If you have a copy of the store policy with you and a problem comes up with the cashier, you can politely show that you are in compliance. You can usually obtain a copy of the policy online or you can ask the manager for a copy.
9. Use Original Coupons – Stores will most likely not accept photocopied coupons, so don’t even try it. It isn’t worth the embarrassment. Keep in mind that if your coupons even look photocopied, the store may not accept them.
10. Be Realistic – Extreme couponing can certainly be a lot of fun for those who enjoy bargain hunting. With that being said, keep in mind that your main purpose is saving money. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Take everything into consideration. Very few people will manage to save 90% off their grocery bill when buying things they actually use on a regular basis. If you’re savvy and diligent, consider yourself fortunate if you cut your grocery bill in half.

Now, gather those coupons together and start racking up the savings!

Maria works on the site www.housekeeping.org and she’s shared today’s article with us. Thank you, Maria!

Do you use coupons?

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about clothing (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my thoughts on the subject. Molly

Dear Midge,

First of all, I must say your muumuu was quite fabulous! As far as making clothing for either the children or myself, I’ve made a couple skirts here and there as well as a “PILLOWCASE DRESS” for my oldest girl. It’s hard to find the time for big sewing projects these days so I’ve been sticking to little projects for now.

One can get quite creative when looking to save money on clothes for either adults or children. Warmer weather also brings with it a plethora of garage/yard sale opportunities. At the beginning of each garage sale season I fill out a notecard for each child with the specific clothing and shoe size. I also make sure to note whether or not that particular child is “growing in” or “growing out” of a certain size. It’s a lot easier to pick up a few items in two sizes than to spend the majority of my money on one size that will likely be outgrown in one growth spurt (and we both know how fast that can happen!). It’s a good idea to do some investigating, not all garage sales are created equal. Some don’t have much to offer, some are priced too high. Don’t be afraid to bargain or ask to “strike a deal” with the seller(s), you may come away with an amazing deal!

You can also watch your local (or chain) second hand stores. They almost always have “tag sales.” This is when a certain tag color is sold for a discounted price on a certain day. Bring your notecards with you and see what you can find. Remember, if it’s not a good deal. . . don’t buy it! There will be more sale days or garage/yard sales all summer long (and sometimes into the fall!). Usually in the case of maternity clothes, it seems to be hit or miss. Here again, you don’t need a lot of clothing items during this season. Pregnancy constantly changes the shape and size of one’s body so choosing a few items that fit for a few months is better than spending all of your money on something you’ll most likely outgrow 3 months down the road. Friends are another great resource during pregnancies, you may have a friend who wears the same size clothing as you and may be willing to loan you her maternity clothes. Remember, pregnancies only last for a certain length of time. . . you’ll need regular clothes after it’s over (along with some cute baby outfits!).

Each spring I am most always faced with many pairs of boy’s pants that have large holes in the knees. During the winter I do my best to keep the knees patched (iron-on is the easiest!) for those “at home” or “play” clothes. My boys usually have between 2-3 pairs of good pants that they only wear when we leave the house or have an appointment. This method has saved me a lot of money over time! When winter is over and I have a pile of boys pants that just can’t be patched one more time, I cut them off at the knees and make shorts. This is SO easy and provided the top part of the jeans/pants still fit, it’s VERY economical as well. I simply cut the pants off above the knee and use a simple zig-zag stitch and sew a simple hem. Voila! Instant shorts- for free!

I hope this helps give you some ideas. Thanks for reminding me, I’m going to hunt for some notecards now. . . it’s getting to be about that time!

Love ya, Molly

P.S. I think you should have kept that muumuu and we should have made a throw pillow from that material. What memories!

Today’s guest blog is featured by: Kimberly Anthony.

If you are like me and have a child who loves to color, you may have tried several storage options only to have them fail . . . my little brain got to work  (I got to digging and walking) and I came across this picnic holder for napkins and such at a general store for $2.

I tell you I got excited because it wouldn’t only store the items, BUT my daughter could carry it everywhere (in the car, house, outside, etc). I just lined the inside of it so items wouldn’t slide through. I lined it with 3in x 3in card stock strips and then I just hooked it with paper clips, but you could line it with plastic canvas and whip stitch around it.

Kimberly Anthony is a blogger and mother to a little girl (who is just beginning homeschooling). She began couponing after a severe car accident that left her unable to work. She shops for 6 months at a time, the rest of the year she shops for fresh produce (and enjoys the rock bottom deals from her stockpile). Her way of savings has freed them to take vacations, renovate their home, etc. You can find more of Kimberly’s savings & experiences at her blog: Crazy Coupon Critter.

Take a sneak peek into my What Can We Learn From The Great Depression? (October 2009) magazine today!

“Ever since I became a stay-at-home mom, I’ve been teaching myself the art of homemade cooking and learning how to budget and plan for meals instead of flying by the seat of my pants. Before this, I used to be the kind of lady that would run to the nearest drive-through when anyone talked about getting “frugal” with meal planning and cooking. My idea of the perfect frugal meal was the dollar menu at our local fast-food restaurant.

I have since learned how to cook from scratch, how to make a meal plan, how to shop using coupons, and how to prepare a beautiful, elegant meal for my family. I wish I had known then what I know now! I could have saved quite a bit of money on our grocery bill if I had just put a little extra effort into learning how to feed my family on a budget.”

This article, Pull Up a Chair, provides you with a week’s worth of menu plans! Below is what you will find just for Monday. . .

Chicken Fajitas

Rice

Chocolate Chip cookies

To get the rest of this menu plan, CLICK HERE to purchase What Can We Learn From the Great Depression as a single issue. Once you get to the checkout, you will ONLY be charged $1 (good only for the month of March)!

Molly members already have What Can We Learn From the Great Depression in your member page! Simply click the “Molly Members” tab above and log in (search out October 2009).

If you’re not a Molly member and you would like to take advantage of BIG savings, please visit our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE to sign up now!

Guest post by: Midge

If I conquered a lobster and nearly locked down the Duck a l’Orange recipe, how hard can cooking tilapia really be? OIY! First of all, there is the name ~ Tilapia. I had to ask about three different people how to say the name of this fish before I thought I really had mastered pronouncing it. I almost named the blog, “that one fish whose name I couldn’t pronounce”.

Once I got the hang of saying the name, I started saying it over and over again to my husband. I am making “till-la-pea-ah”.  Do you want some “Tilapia”? Hey, Honey, we are having tilapia for dinner. After awhile, I think he started wishing I still couldn’t pronounce it (hee hee).

I scoured the Internet for recipe ideas. At the start of this tilapia (see I said it again) adventure, I was bound and determined to find a tortilla-encrusted tilapia recipe. But, alas, it was not to be. All of the recipes I found called for way too many ingredients I would have to purchase. Remember, one of my rules of thumb when cooking specialty cuisine is to limit the amount of my outside purchases. I can purchase the meat but need to find most of the other spices and ingredients in my cupboards.

The recipe I selected to try was Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia. I found it here: PARMESAN ENCRUSTED TILAPIA. It also called for homemade or store bought Alfredo sauce. I used this recipe: OLIVE GARDEN COPY CAT ALFREDO SAUCE. I have prepared this Alfredo sauce before and it is super yummy!

Disclaimer: Tilapia is not hard to bake. It is really delicious and I am not a big fan of fish . . . really, not a fan. One of the reasons I picked this meat to attempt for my carnivore blog is because when I walked by it in the store I said, “I could never made that.” Rats, I knew I was “in for it” the moment that phrase left my mouth.

Now, you have read my disclaimer, here is the short story of a meal gone wrong:

1. Whoever said pride goes before a fall was spot on! I got prideful in my cooking skills and did not check the recipe before buying my ingredients. I bought whipping cream instead of heavy cream for the Alfredo sauce. It was still edible but I think it changed the flavor a tad bit in a negative way. Bummer.
2. Last time I made the Alfredo sauce, I melted the cream cheese in the microwave and then added the creamy melted goodness into the sauce. This time I didn’t. You can see the pictures. Chunky cheese was still floating in it even after it had cooked thoroughly. Sigh…
3. The tilapia (I just love saying that word) recipe, which I selected, left me hanging when it came to sharing precise details about the “encrusted Parmesan” part. I also forgot to add the olive oil to the Parmesan/bread crumb mix. But, that part sort of confused me anyway.
4. Instead of the veggies which the recipe suggested, I made spaghetti squash to serve with the tilapia. I have made this veggie before (See SPAGHETTI SQUASH) but had never added Alfredo sauce to it before. Um, and now I never will again. Ever.
5. The actual tilapia fish was WONDERFUL. The “crusting” part was not so wonderful and the side dish was the  worst of all.

In retrospect, I still have tilapia left. I only spent $15 dollars on a bag of individually frozen fish. We used four fillets and that was about 1/3 of what the bag held. This meal is WAY more economical than my previously mentioned duck. In comparison to the lobster, you get more meat on your plate for the money you spent.

My mom used to make the most delicious crumby chicken. I think that crumb mixture added to the tilapia would make a much more scrumptious offering. It’s time to call my mom to get her part of this recipe idea!

Have you ever made tilapia? Do you like saying the name as well? Ha ha ha :) I am excited about the next meat in my carnivore blog series ~ lamb chops! Do you want to join me in this new cooking adventure! The next carnivore blog will be featured on the first Thursday of next month. So, leave me a comment and grill some lamp chops with me!! I would love to hear all about your cooking adventures!