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RedPoppy

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    http://www.theprudenthomemaker.com
  1. I'm home all of the time anyway! I also don't have long distance. This is fine most of the time, until someone local tells me that they only have a cell phone and that number is in another area code :mad: I do have a calling card that I bought about 8 years ago for $20 that had 2000 minutes on it. I still have 600 minutes left (and part of that was used up at a greater rate for callign a friend in Europe). I also do not have call waiting or caller id on my home phone. People assume that I have caller id, and just start talking. The entire time, I'm wondering who is calling me. When they give me a chance to get a word in, I always say, "And who is this?" I then let the caller know that I don't have caller id, and that when you call me, you have to say who's calling (The old-fashioned, polite thing to do, though I don't say that part). My phone bill is $15.64 a month. I have as many minutes as I'd like, locally :p Most people who email me ask if I'd like to call them to discuss things (such as speaking engagements). I tell them it's better to just email me. My children think that when I'm on the phone is the best time to ask me questions :rolleyes:
  2. I was an English major, with an emphasis in editing. She will need to get at least one editing internship during her college years. I highly recommend having her really learn grammar now. I struggled with my college-level grammar classes, simply because my prior schooling never prepared me. I agree with Lizzy Bee; there are more technical editing jobs out there than there are regular editing jobs. A minor in computers or science has the ability to help her land other editing jobs. It really depends on her interests. I minored in communications; my orginal major was in Advertising, but I switched my major and minor.
  3. I feed our family of 8 for $3 a day for 3 meals plus an afternoon snack. Sometimes it is even less. Please come on over and visit my site. Make sure to read my page Eat for Less and build your pantry at the same time (under the Shopping Wisely tab). I talk about some of the ways that I make cheap meals for even cheaper on there. For example, most days we eat breakfast for .22. This month I've spent $3.70 on food and tolietries. That's all we've had. I may not have any more this month. And that's okay. We still have plenty of food in our pantry to eat, and swiss chard is growing abundantly in the garden right now.
  4. I'm surprised there is NO leeway at all; most people have told me their doctors will go 1-2 weeks over without trouble, but not after that. My children have all been over. The first was 12 days over. Number 2 was 14 days over. Number 6 was exactly 44 weeks. Number 3 was 3 weeks over. I just figure at LEAST 2 weeks over. Thankfully, I've had an understanding midwife. My biggest baby was 8 lbs 8 oz (#3). The rest were much smaller. I KNOW when I got pregnant. I know most people don't know conception dates, but some of us DO. Good luck! I personally might not show up . . .
  5. I've been to Thailand. If you plan on visiting any of the temples (or the palace), you need to go in a skirt or a dress, or you will not be allowed in. It is so hot there that you will probably want to wear a skirt or a light dress the entire time. It is VERY humid. Plan accordingly for your hair. Buy pineapple and other fruit from the street vendors. Never in my life have I tasted such delicious pineapple. It is very ripe and very delicious. Plan on going shopping. The mall is just so-so, and pricey, and really fairly lackluster. The street shops are WONDERFUL. I bought several wrap-around skirts there that were wonderful. They were 100% cotton, and very pretty. I also bought some bracelets. Try everything on that you can; I was a size 4 when I went and I was in their large size! Try the bracelets on, too; many were too small for me, but I got a few that I loved. I also bought a great wooden frogs that you make music with; you rub his back with a stick that stays in his mouth, and it sounds like a real frog! I got a pair of pajamas there (satin) that I love. There are lots of knockoffs; this is okay for clothing, but don't try buying knockoff perfume, no matter how much it looks like the real thing (I ade that mistake!) Use bottled water at all times (including for brushing your teeth). The toliets are different---very different. You should have some type of soap or hand sanitizer with you, and I advise having some type of toliet paper or kleenex with you, as that usually doesn't exist there. Most are holes in the ground; your hotel may be different.
  6. gardening momma--that is neat tht in your area they buy from the local nurseries. They do not do that here and they get things that don't grow well in this area (trees). They are okay for veggies, though. Angela--that is awesome! I've never had any luck with Guerney's products here. But, my grandpa (who lived in Missouri, in a zone 6b) swore by them. He got everything from them. I got mostly heirloom seeds this time around. That is a change for me. A few things were hybrids (turnips and zucchini). I really love the white turnips from Burpee. They get huge, don't have to be peeled, and they taste better than the purple heirloom ones I grew. Plus, they grew better. I wish I could get enough green beans to can. I can't even get enough for a meal :( I know someone in a zone 9 in Texas who overwinters hers by covering them, and harvests in February. I tried that this year but the wind blew off my covers, and they froze. Peppers won't grow bigger than an inch here for me, either. It's so hot that the few that blossom before it gets too hot ripen tiny, or worse, they burn. Important thing to remember--the first year of a garden is always the least successul. It gets better every year. So, never give up after the first year. In fact, never give up! :)
  7. Bonnie, I bought lots of humus and composted manure (you want it sterile or you will have weeds beyond control). The bagged stuff is worth every penny. That said, shop around; manure can be $4 a cubic foot, or $1 a cubic foot. The cheapest place I've found it is $1 a cubic foot at my local nursery. If you've got clay, you're mostly going to need humus. That's the dark loamy stuff that you find under trees. If you make your own compost then you will have it. I have trouble making compost here--lack of space, lack of water to the pile (we only get 2 inches of rain a YEAR here, so I would have to water the pile every day, and I don't do that. Plus, we get 35 MPH winds ALL the time--which blew my last pile all over the yard!) A little bit of sand mixed in with the humus will help the dit to hold water (just manure won't hold water; it dries out). My dirt is still not real dark. I do add composted manure to it every year to help it along. I just put it on top when I plant. Dirt naturally settles each year, plus you lose some when you take things out. My sister-in-law has moe money to spend and she adds more humus as well. I would do that if I could. She gets a much better yield than I do (she also has more shade in her garden in the late afternoon, which is actualy helpful in our extreme heat here.) Do not buy bagged potting soil. Better to mix your own, with peat moss, humus, manure, etc (and cheaper). Your local area may have a planting mix. It might be mostly sand, so beware; ours is here. I know a lace that sells some amazing dirt. It's $45 a yard--OUCH!!! I've seen it, though--it's black and it looks fantastic. (our native really does look almost white here!)
  8. "I bet it took her a long time before it looked like that. " __________________ WELL . . . we came in with a backhoe and dug out all of the useless dirt in the beds. The ground is SO hard here that when I bought my fruit trees the woman at the nursery asked me if I had jackhammered out my holes yet. SHE WAS NOT JOKING. This is our second house in Vegas and the ground is hard like concrete and WHITE like concrete. It is virtually devoid of nutrients, high in salt, and VERY alkaline. So we replaced all the dirt in the beds, 2 feet down. Thankfully we could get a backhoe JUST BARELY in the gate here. At the last house it took 2 men with a jackhammer and a shovel ALL DAY to dig a spot for a tiny tree and a little bed around it. (before I continue--the garden was planned before I even made an offer on the house--before I even SAW the house I drew it all out in a day and then it took about 4 1/2 months to be done with the hardscape, water, and getting the trees and bushes in. The pictures of my garden were taken 2 years after planting. It's now been 4 years.) Raised beds would have been cheaper and easier (no cost digging out and hualing away horrible soil). You can raise them without walls, but little children think they're hills for climbing then :glare: Walls of some sort are good so that you can tell them to stay out of the beds. I do have 2 raised beds (on on the side where there was slope; you can see it in the photos) and one other one that I don't have any pictures of on my site at all that is on the other side of the house. That one just has wood sides. Most important thing to spend money on: DIRT. If you have $1 to spend on a garden, spend .90 on dirt and .10 on seeds. Your yield depends on it! If you have great dirt to begin with (no caliche, which we have here, which is like concrete) then you can mix in amendments. If you have grass in area where you want to plant, go get some black plastic sheeting or even trash bags and put them down in the area now (provided you don't have snow) and then weigh it down with something for a few months. The grass will die and you won't have to rip it out. I read all of the replies and I am surprised that no one asked you what zone you are in. That is going to make a big difference in what you plant when. I have a link on my gardening page to help you determine your zone. Also, they're right about the lettuce and tomatoes. If you live in a cooler climate, you might get both at the same time for a short while, but not usually. And that is my husband's favorite type of salad. But it's not what grows at that time. Fortunately, I like other types of salads as well :) http://theprudenthomemaker.com/salads.aspx We have trouble here getting many tomatoes. Tomatoes won't set fruit above 90º. Well, we have five months of above 90º temperatures here (it's usually 116º in summer; last year I hear a toddler tell her dad it was hot and the dad replied that it wasn't that hot. I was just getting in my car at the time--it was 8 p.m. and it was 111º at the time!) So, zone matters. Determinate tomatoes don't do well here; indeterminate, early yield, SMALL tomatoes do best here. My tomatoes get 8 feet tall. You should try at least a couple of grape tomato plants. There are a few berries that can be grown in partial shade: blackberries and huckleberries. However, most plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight. Whether or not you can grow berries depends on your climate. For example, I live in a zone 9. Most berries do best in zone 7 or colder. Blueberries can be tricky. They require highly acidic soil. If you live in Washington or Oregon you won't have any problems. My soil means certain death to them. There is a master gardener here who grows them--in pots. I think you're doing well to figure that if it's growing in your yard, it should be edible. That is why I have 31 fruit trees in my 1/4 acre lot :) . Check out some seed companies for ideas There are fruits you have probably never thought about growing that would work for you, like ground cherries. What I do is not square foot gardening; it is really French Intensive gardening. It has been around for hundreds of years. Square foot gardening is similar, though. I try to get as much food out of the space that I have. Also, if you only want things growing in your yard that are edible, why not cut down trees (obviously your trees and not your neighbors' trees!) that don't produce fruit? There are plenty of trees that DO produce fruit that also provide shade. Fig trees are fast growing and provide fruit and lots of shade (figs are generally for warmer climates). Mulberries grow big and provide fruit as well (like giant blackberries). Pawpaws and nut trees are more options. But first--find out your zone. For instance, my last frost date is February 15th. That means that I put tomato PLANTS in the ground right after Valentine's Day. By the end of April-June (dpeending on the year; some Aprils it has been 105º already) it will be too hot to set fruit so I have to be quick about it! Green beans grow plentifully in other areas, but here, they don't flower; they burn in the sun (the leaves) and won't set fruit until the last haf of October, when it gets below 90º. But, in most areas, you are going to get your money's worth in: tomatoes green beans lettuce (I can get a packet of 750 seeds for $4. With just 3 of those seeds growing, it will have been worth it!) zucchini cucumbers swiss chard (this can grow all year-round; it can go to 15º and a friend of mine in upstate New York was harvesting 2 weeks ago still, under her snow! And it was a lot colder than 15º there!) You can use it fresh in salads or steam it, stir fry it, put it in soups, etc. snow peas/sugar snap peas I also grow more expensive things, like asparagus, artichokes, pomegrantes, blackberries, asian pears, and mission figs. A friend of mine in North Dakota (where she only has 6 months of growing time) grows all of her produce every year except for $20 that she spend in the winter. She has a small garden (I have seen pictures) and she freezes and cans everything that she grows. She has 4 apple trees (she makes juice, applesauce, etc.) She also has several teenaged boys! So, you can really get a lot out of a small space. I have links to edible landscaping ideas on my edible landscaping page http://theprudenthomemaker.com/ediblelandscaping.aspx that can help you think about what you want to do in your yard. I have 6 small children. People always think they help me a LOT in the garden. Haha. Small children don't help much in the garden. Some weeks I am not in the garden at all; in general, though, I spend about 5-7 hours a week in the garden, so about an hour a day. When I am planting and pruning I wil spend more time (tomorrow I am pruning, fertilizing, and then I will do an organic dormant spray on my trees and grape vines, roses and bushes). For berry bushes and trees(if you decide to buy trees)--buy from your local nursery. DO NOT buy from Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Your local nursery will have varities for your climate, and should be able to tell you what pollinators you need (for instance, most blueberries need another blueberry to pollinate them. Fruit trees can only be pollinated by certain types of the same fruit trees, and apples are really picky. Self-fertile trees pollinate themselves, allowing you more variety. Semi-dwarf trees, which is what most of mine are, will also let you have more variety in a small space). Another important thing is chilling hours and cold hardiness. Most fruits require a certain amount of cold hours to set fruit. In warmer climates this is harder to get, so you want fruit varieties with low chill requirements (hence the problem growing berries in zone 8 or warmer). If you live in a colder place, you will need trees that can handle how far you get below freezing. That is cold hardiness. Your success will depend mainly on: your dirt your watering getting enough sunlight planting things at the right time (cool season crops in the spring and fall, and warm season crops for the summer). I've got a garden calender and links to cool and warm season crops if you need them, too. Good luck! You can do this! It will take a while to recoup what you spent in dirt. You may NEVER recoup it (and you most certainly will NOT the first year) but fresh tomatoes and asparagus and lettuce and peaches are SO good! Does it help in the long run with your budget? I think so. I fed my family of 8 three meals a day plus snacks (no eating out here), and diapers for 2 and tolieties last year for less than you spent on produce last year. And my pantry is still really full (as in, we could go a year without shopping; that's important, because our income isn't enough to shop right now. I am reallly looking forward to fresh asparagus!)
  9. I just have to say, I had never heard of pillow pets before this thread :001_smile:
  10. Ravin, I also don't usually buy name-brands. I usually buy generics. I started geting a few name-brands for free with coupons, though, so I started getting a few name-brand items this year. I don't use body wash at all, though I have seen people get name-brand body wash for free throughout this last year on couponing blogs. Since you shop at CVS and Walgreens you probably already get yours for free that way. If not, you may want to check out the coupons for those 2 stores, because most of the freebies I see are from those (and Kroger stores that double coupons). I used to think that coupons weren't worth it for the same reasons you did. But I also kept seeing people coming home with a table full of goceries for $40 and I knew I could try something different. Our income was cut even further this year (we have had our income cut 70%) and coupons for free items were the main chances I had to even go shopping at all. I didn't think it would be worth it. I decided to try. It had to be cheaper to go in my cart; I always compare the price per ounce. I just got egg coupons, and that was great! They were good for any brand. Earlier this year I had coupons for free eggs. I do price match at Walmart with one store for produce on occasion (6lbs of onions for .96, for example), though I try to grow as much of my own produce as possible.
  11. I use a lot of generics. Mostly generics. SOMEtimes--not always--I get name-brand items for free or close to it. Only when that is the case do I use the name brand (wih coupons). Otherwise, it's generic at my house. You can't beat free, though! I was a generic-only person until I started seeing free items or close-to-free items with coupons. I got 2 free bottles of shampoo last week. I still mostly use generics. I just keep an eye out for free items or .25 items :) The free items have been in greater quantity than I thought! I always compare the price per ounce; often, the generic is still cheaper. Still, the coupons have been worth it. I got quite a few free items this year. If you live in a place that doubles coupons you get get triple the free items I've had with coupons.
  12. I used to think that I was doing the best shopping only lowest sales, generics and bulk. All of those things help, but coupons help a lot more. This year, I have used coupons for eggs (yes they are there; free internet ones), for fruits and vegetables, and for free name-brand items (like 20 packges of free Philly cream cheese). I don't pay for any coupons; I use internet coupons. (I have also seen coupons for flour and sugar, frozen vegetables, and fresh vegetables). I like moneysavingmom.com the best; she has stores across the country for almost every store in the U.S. linked up (click on stores at the top of the page). I have 2 in diapers, and I have 6 children total; we can have our grocery/tolietries/cleaning supplies for under $150 a month (we have an irregular income and don't always have money to shop, so we also stock up whenever we can). If I had more to spend I could get more of my favorite things :) I think your goal is not only worthwhile, I think it is totally doable. On moneysavingmom.com, she has a link up on Saturdays, where people share what they bought that week. It's really interesting to see what people can do to feed their family. If you live in a place that doubles or triples coupons, or has an Aldi, you can do even better. I don't have either. There are families who link up who eat for $40 a week, including everything (diapers, tolietries, etc). There are organic shoppers and organic coupons listed on there as well. Also, you should be able to find, via the local store links, blogs that cover your area, and that helps a lot as well. Coupons can greatly reduce your tolietry and cleaning supplies expenses. There are often rebates on top of that. Each time I've gone to the store this year, I've had $15-$20 worth of coupons with me, for every trip. It's like having a $20 bill in your hand! This is on top of buying at the lowest sales prices. I was able to get many things for free. Coupons save you the most when you use them on top of sales. Also, at Target you can stack coupons; Target's policy (it's on their website) is that you can use one Target coupon AND one manufacturer's coupon per item. Use that on top of a sale to get things inexpensivly and even for free. Target has coupons on their website and the others can be printed from coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com, plus many manufacturers' websites. The coupon sites do a lot of the work for you, matching sales and coupons every week. One way to look at reducing your costs is to evaluate the cost of your meals. Look at your least expensive meals, and make those the most often. My least expensive meals fed our family of 8 for $1-$2. My more expensive meals are $5-$8. Almost everything has leftovers, so the more expensive meals often stretch out to 2 or even 3 meals. Still, I stirve to make the least expensive meals the most often. Another thing I've learned this year: There's always a less-expensive way to do things. Beans are cheap. But, at Walmart, they're $1.12-$1.25 a pound. If I buy them in bulk, I can get 25 pounds for $14.60. That saves me a lot. A simple way to cut your expenses is to stop eating cold cereal (if you do that). General Mills just announced a price increase of 25% (they are reducing their box sizes by 25% and leaving prices the same). Even coupons and sales still make this a pricy breakfast (though I know those who get cereal for $1 a box or less with coupons and sales). Make something else, like oatmeal. And again, buy your oats in bulk. I buy 25 pounds of oats for $7.60. That's cheaper than I can get it with coupons and sales (so look at what is the cheapest, too--sometimes it's coupons, and sometimes it's not). I don't know what paper goods you use. We don't use paper plates or cups or napkins. I have cloth napkins in dark red and blue (they hide stains well). I have terry cloth bar mops for cleaning.
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