Take a sneak peek into my A Light Heart in Dark Times magazine today!

Coping with Job Loss: A Lesson From the Trenches

by Christina Wong

I was completely unprepared for my husband’s job loss. Some people think that the hardest part about losing a job is the financial side of the equation, but there are so many other worries. Most people who lose their source of income don’t plan for it; I know we certainly didn’t. We were not prepared for the financial and emotional consequences of going from a nice income with benefits to having to draw unemployment and doing whatever we could to make ends meet. If you are in a similar situation, you might wonder how to cope. Let me share with you what we did to help keep ourselves afloat.

I had just signed a lease on a bigger, newer apartment that cost about $300 more a month. I was also having some health issues, and the bills were already beginning to stack up. I had anticipated following my husband to wherever the Army sent him, so I had taken the semester off from school and had no paying job. I had started my blog, Youthful Homemaker, and intended for it to one day become a business, but that day was far into the future.

Instead of letting the bills pile up, I found a few easy solutions to help infuse a little income into the budget. The first was through a friend of mine. She has two beautiful twin girls who needed a nanny, and I took the job. She dropped them off at my house four days a week, which meant I could watch them and work on my website at the same time. The other way I added a little more income to our budget was to spend more time working for my family’s business, Wheat-n-Things. My parents were selling their whole grains and homemade bread at one of the local farmers markets and needed an extra hand baking and selling. I also started baking my own specialty breads and made an occasional craft item to sell, bringing in a nice little income that way.

Ways We Saved More Money. . .

For more of this article on coping with job loss, CLICK HERE to purchase A Light Heart in Dark Times as 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 May 2012.

If you’re not a Molly member, sign up now on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE! 

Take a sneak peek into my Molly Saves! In the Garage and Shed magazine today!

Are you cleaning out the shed, organizing a garage sale, or mowing the lawn this month? Wouldn’t a tall glass of cold lemonade be the perfect thirst-quenching, pick-me-up treat for any of these outdoor activities?

All lemonade recipes have three main ingredients: a simple syrup made with water and granulated sugar or sugar substitute, lemon juice, and water. Preparing a simple syrup several hours before making a cold beverage such as lemonade or tea is a valuable step. It prevents having a layer of gritty, undissolved sugar that settles to the bottom of the pitcher or glass. A simple syrup is made by dissolving the sugar in hot or boiling water, allowing it to cool, and then refrigerating it before adding it to other ingredients.

Extracting the juice from the lemons is the hardest step in making lemonade. Whether you use a juicer or squeeze the lemons yourself, two methods for preparing the lemons will make the job much easier. The first is to roll each lemon on a hard surface while pressing down on the lemon with the palm of your hand for about 30 to 40 seconds before cutting it to squeeze. The other method is to microwave each lemon for about 30 seconds before cutting and squeezing. The squeezed juice should be strained to remove the seeds and most of the pulp before measuring and using it in a recipe.

There are a variety of lemonade recipes, some sweeter or tarter than others. The amount of sugar or sugar substitute and/or lemon juice in all of them can be adjusted to taste. It would be fun to buy a large bag of lemons at a discount and experiment with making a small portion of each recipe to see which one you and your family like best.

One of the easiest lemonade recipes I’ve used calls for 1 cup of sugar, 5 cups of water, and the juice of 6 lemons (approximately 1 cup). To first make the simple syrup, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a pan, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cup of sugar until it is dissolved. After this mixture has cooled, add it to a glass jar or pitcher with the lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of water. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving over ice.

For more specialized lemonade recipes (such as Mint Lemonade and Cranberry Lemonade), CLICK HERE to purchase Molly Saves! In the Garage and Shed as 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 May 2011.

If you’re not a Molly member, sign up now on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE! 

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!

Take a sneak peek into my Making Money From Home magazine today!

Take a sneak peek into my Making a Frugal Fresh Start magazine today!

Yard sales are a quick and easy way to get some extra money from items that are cluttering your home or that you just aren’t using anymore. The best time to have a yard sale is the first or third Saturday of the month. Most people have just gotten paid the Friday before and have money to spend. Be willing to open early in the morning, around 7 – 8 a.m. Do not negotiate on prices early in the morning; save that until later in the day. If someone is at your yard sale looking for something specific and they are there early, chances are they’ll pay your reasonable asking price to be sure they get it.

1. Go through your home room by room and take a good, honest look at the items in each room. Are you using them often? Does the clothing still fit? Have the toys sat in the same spot for months without use? Are you really going to read all of those books (or watch that video/DVD again or listen to that CD, etc.)? How many storage containers do you really need? You get the idea—if you aren’t using an item often, then sell it! Don’t forget to look through the tools and other items in the garage or tool shed. These items sell very well at yard sales. Designate a spot in your home (a room, garage, basement) to place all of the items that you are going to sell. A good rule-of-thumb is that if you haven’t used an item or worn a piece of clothing in a year, get rid of it.
2. Once you have gathered all of your items in one spot, organize them by category. . . toys, books, linens, appliances, clothing, tools, etc. If you have furniture pieces that are just taking up space, consider selling them. They usually sell well and you can get a decent price for them. Don’t think that an item won’t sell because it’s odd or unique. Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
3. Price appropriately. Use the pre-printed stickers from the store or put your prices on blank stickers. Larger items, like furniture, or more expensive items will often need more description than just a price. Let the buyer know how old something is and how much you paid for it originally in addition to listing your sale price. A general guideline is to price something at 25% of its original cost. That can be high for some items, so just use your best judgment. We always price things a little higher, but not too high, knowing that many people will want to negotiate the price. Some buyers never pay the asking price!
4. Set up the night before. Organize as many tables and displays as possible the night before. Then it is super easy to get started in the morning. If you have a garage and can hold the sale inside, that is even better. If it happens to rain the next day or the sun is blazing, you will still get visitors to your sale. Be sure to point out in your newspaper ad that your sale is an INSIDE sale and will be held “rain or shine.”

To get the rest of the list (and more yard sale tips), CLICK HERE to purchase Making a Frugal Fresh Start as 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 2009.

If you’re not a Molly member, take advantage of our TAX SPECIAL and sign up TODAY! You’ll find all the details over on our SUBSCRIPTION PAGE ! This special ends April 30th.

Take a sneak peek into my Let’s Get Organized for Fiscal Fitness magazine today!

• alphabetically by name of item purchased
• by date of purchase
• by category (appliance, electronics, home décor, jewelry, etc.)
• by store (where you purchased the item)

To get the printable form, CLICK HERE to purchase Let’s Get Organized for Fiscal Fitness as 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 January 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!

Bread has been a staple food of every civilization for hundreds and thousands of years. Every continent is filled with varied cultures, each with a unique bread to call its own. While bread has been, and continues to be, an essential component of each culture’s diet, not all breads are the neatly baked white loaves that we have come to know and recognize. Some regions may not use yeast; they may combine flour with rice or other ingredients, bake bread in outdoor ovens, or over open fires. But what cannot be argued is bread’s elemental comfort for families,
no matter where home may be pinpointed on the globe.

As the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, God sustained them every day with “bread from heaven.” (Nehemiah 9:15)

Jesus taught His disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
That basic, reassuring, sustenance of bread spans cultures and centuries. During the Passover meal (the Last Supper), Christ broke bread with His disciples. (Matthew 26:26) Today, Christians receive bread when partaking in communion. God provides us with all we need–during the most trying of times–if we allow Him.

Bread, the simplest of foods, can be so rewarding to prepare for our families. One of the most comforting gifts we can give our loved ones is to bake fresh bread. Think back to when you were a child, coming in from playing outside to wash up for supper or walking into the home(s) of family for a Sunday dinner or special occasion. You were immediately hit with the aromas of a meal waiting to be shared. When you smell some of those same foods today, are you taken back to those childhood days? Give your family the gift of good bread baking in the oven and create special memories that resonate in the comfort of homemade goodness.
Are you ready to try? Here’s a basic recipe and instructions. Roll up your sleeves, tie on an apron, and let’s see what we can do.

Basic Bread:
4 cups of bread flour (white bread flour is recommended for first-timers)
1 package or 1 tablespoon of brewer’s yeast (often sold in a strip of 3 packages)
1 cup of warm water plus extra water
salt to taste
1 loaf pan, well greased (typical size is 9x5x3 inches)
large mixing bowl
clean dish towel

Before beginning, warm your oven to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit and turn on the oven light. Once you’ve acquired this temperature, turn off the oven and leave the oven light on.
Depending upon your particular make or model of oven, you may need to remove one of the oven racks to give the dough enough room to rise. Know where you plan to knead your dough (counter top, table top, etc.). Clean and lightly flour this surface. You’ll need to have extra flour available to flour your hands, coat your kneading surface and to add to the dough as you work the ingredients together. Measure one cup of warm water (not hot, but fairly warm) into a narrow bowl. Add the yeast to the water and stir in. Let this rest at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Measure four generous cups of bread flour into a large mixing bowl. Sifting is optional. Add at least two teaspoons but not more than one tablespoon of salt to the flour.

Make a small crater in the center of the flour and slowly add the warm water and yeast mixture. With floured hands, work the flour and water mixture together. Add more water to the flour mixture, a little at a time (about 1 cup), pulling and working the flour with your hands. If the flour remains dry and crumbly, you’ll want to add water, if the flour mixture becomes sticky, you can add more flour back to it a handful at a time. As the dough comes together and forms a ball, it will become smooth to the touch. Transfer the dough from the mixing bowl onto your kneading surface. (You’ll want to take a moment to wash your mixing bowl, then dry and grease it. You’ll be returning the dough to this bowl for rising.)

Continue to dust with flour as needed while you work the dough. Plan on kneading the dough for a good 10 minutes. To knead, you will start with your dough in a rounded disc shape and you can use one or both hands. You will use the heel(s) of your hand(s) to push into the bread dough with a pushing away motion, then pull the top portion of the dough back toward you, folding the dough over and press your heel(s) into it again. Turn the dough and repeat this process over and over until the dough is worked thoroughly and becomes smooth. You can dust the dough with flour to work into the dough if needed. The dough should be elastic but not sticky. If you need a visual example of how to properly knead dough, YouTube has a number of videos available with demonstrations on kneading bread dough. WikiHow has some photos and additional kneading directions as well.

After kneading is complete, neatly round your dough into a large ball and return it to your greased mixing bowl. Cover with a dampened dish towel and place inside your warm oven to rise for 30 to 40 minutes. It should double in size. Grease your loaf pan. Take your bread dough from the oven and return it to your kneading surface. Knead the dough for another 10 to 15 minutes. Shape into a loaf and place in your greased loaf pan. Place the loaf pan inside the warm oven, cover with dampened dish towel and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes, allowing the dough to rise between an inch to two inches above the edges of the loaf pan. Remove dish towel and turn oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake bread on the middle rack for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and hollow sounding when you tap the crown of the loaf. Remove from oven and allow loaf to cool completely. Tip: To keep the bread crust soft, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely across the top of the loaf (like a piece of paper) while it cools. Enjoy!

This basic recipe can easily be built upon. Consider adding a tablespoon or two of sugar or honey for a bread that is a little sweeter. Drizzle up to ½ cup of olive oil or other type of cooking oil into the dough at the beginning. You can add herbs and garlic as well, and/or brush the top with butter or an egg yolk wash. Experiment on your own, or go to the library and check out some great bread books. Bread baking should never be intimidating. Bread is something you can enjoy preparing for your family and friends.

“I would say to housewives, be not daunted by one failure, nor by twenty. Resolve that you will have good bread, and never cease striving after this result until you have effected it. If persons without brains can accomplish this, why cannot you?” taken from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, edited by Marion Cabell Tyree (originally published in 1878) (Creative Cookbooks 2004).

This excerpt was taken from my back issue Let’s Get Organized For Fiscal Fitness. For additional breadmaking tips (and more!), purchase this single issue HERE. Molly members have this magazine available in your member page (search out January 2009). If you’d like to become a Molly member and save even more, sign up HERE.

She’s a foodie on a mission!

 $4.95

Being the frugal person she is, Molly will be sure to get more wear out of her Easter bonnet during April, but more than likely you can catch her in a chef’s hat or a banker’s bill. This month she’s on a mission to save money on food and she’s taking her readers along for the ride.

Are you ever shocked by your grocery total? Disappointed at the quality your money buys? Overwhelmed with clipping coupons? Well, you’re not alone. Molly and friends are serving up ways to dull the shock, increase the quality, and make couponing a breeze.

Being the steward over the family food planning and budget is an important responsibility. By the time you’re finished reading this month’s issue of Molly, you’ll be armed with so many winning ideas, you’re sure to be proclaimed a foodie too!

• Besides April Fool’s Day, see what other silly and sundry days will occur this month by checking out Alayna Cann’s calendar.
• Americans waste an embarrassing amount of their food. To find out the percentage and learn how to be a better steward in your kitchen, read Molly’s Begin with the Basics segment.
• How far is too far when it comes to cutting the food budget? Rhonda Barfield explains.
• Transform ordinary lunches into healthy mid-day meals built with salads and rice. Miiko Gibson shows you how—complete with mouth-watering pics.
• Did you know there’s a system for cooking? There’s actually three! Rhonda Barfield describes them—all you have to do is choose the right one for you.
• Time to throw out your raggedy, stained, maybe even burned potholders? Sharon White shows you how to replace them. Wait till you see what she uses!
• Are cookies a popular treat around your house? Always be ready to pop some in the oven with simple freezer dough instructions from Molly.
• Did you know there are beauty secrets in your kitchen cabinets—or at least on the grocery shelves? Molly’s advice may surprise you.
• Molly is a baby foodie too. Find out what new appliance she recommends. She has a good idea for a healthy family treat too.
• Printables may be the solution to proper planning and a better budget. Molly shares multiple links.
• Let technology help with the couponing madness. Molly says it will work for you.
• Midge learns to use technology to track her spending and determine the best prices—Molly weighs in too.
• Did you know there’s a high cost to cheap food? Get the scoop from Molly!
• See what Ronald Reagan had to say about America’s dinner table in Molly’s Musings.

See why homemakers love Molly Green Magazine—see what’s inside!

Click here to view a sample.

Molly makes it fun and easier to be frugal! Think about it—with so much to learn and save, if you apply just one money-saving idea, you’ll recoup the cost of this E-Book right away!

Project Manager: Dena Wood, Becky Gustafson.
Contributing Writers: Alayna Cann, Patricia Hunter, Rhonda Barfield, Dena Wood, Inger Koppenhaver, Sharon White
Publication: 2013
Pages: 65
File Size: 12.3 MB

Need to economize? Subscribe to a Molly Membership!

For only $3.85 a month (cancel any time!) you receive not only the monthly Molly Green Magazine, but also much more!

Purchase NOW!

Every month, Molly has a wealth of information and support to share in one easy-to-read, handy resource! Discover for yourself all of the exciting and imaginative ideas Molly has to offer—ideas that could save you big money and needless headaches!

You’ll glean some of the best inexpensive ideas and projects for everyday living that you can find and be inspired to be self-confident, creative, and resourceful too.

For just $4.95, download this Molly Green Magazine now!

Or become a monthly Molly Member and subscribe for only $3.85 per month!

It seems spring is a time of planning . . . plans to garden, plans of fix-it projects to be completed and plans involving a family vacation. Vacation can sometimes be an intimidating word to families. You might hear the word vacation and think “expensive”. You might hear the word vacation and know you can never get a big chunk of time off from work. Whatever you think about family vacations, they don’t have to be long or expensive. Doing a little investigating now can help your vacation planning go much more smoothly.

Have you ever considered camping? A series of short, weekend camping trips spread throughout the summer can offer a vacation-like feel and you might get around to some places within your state you haven’t seen yet.

The NATIONAL PARK SERVICE has a great site with a lot of information. You can search out parks BY STATE and even get your children involved in the National Park Service’s free, on-line Junior Ranger program (WEBRANGERS). RESERVE AMERICA is another great site to get information on camping (and other great tidbits!).

So while you’re planning things to accomplish this spring/summer, why not add in a camping trip or two? Do some of the preparation now and you can enjoy some fun (and frugal) family time. Did you know I wrote an entire E-Book devoted to camping? Check it out HERE if you’re interested in more frugal tips and hints to help make your future camping trips fun and successful!