B & B Dreams

I was listening to "Generations" with Kevin Swanson this week (seriously behind in listening to my downloaded podcasts -- who has the time!?!), and he was talking about how it's very possible we're headed for another "Great Depression" that would make the Depression of 1929 look like a "Walk In The Park."  (You can find a link to listen to his broadcast from January 1 on this page.  In fact, he closes the program by reading a narrative from someone who grew up on a farm and claims that, at the time of the Great Depression, he/she didn't even know there was a depression.  Life went on as normal.

So, what implications does this have for me?  I think first of all, I need to remember that God is in control, and He will supply all my needs.  I do not need to be afraid.  At the same time, life could drastically change.  When you are already living paycheck to paycheck, and groceries at Aldi are climbing in cost, it can be stressful to contemplate the future.

Living in the "big city," there is no opportunity for us to have chickens or goats or cows or bees or anything like that.  A small garden is about all we can manage in the yard that really isn't ours.

So how can I prepare myself to meet my family's needs as the economy takes a turn for the worse and how can I also prepare us to meet other's needs?  I could argue all day that there's nothing left in the budget once we meet our basic expenses to help out anyone else.  But in reality, that trip to Arby's for dinner last Wednesday was a selfish act rather than a self-sacrificing one.  It allowed my life to run a little smoother on a busy day rather than allowed me to have some extra cash to meet my family's real needs or the needs of another.  It's obvious that cutting out the unnecessaries is a first step, but only if the money that was spent on those is used wisely.  There's not a big list of unnecessaries that use up our money, but the occasional eating out is something that definitely eats up dollars that would be better used elsewhere.  For starters, when cooking, I could simply prepare double and put one meal in the freezer.  Once I have enough meals saved up, I could put away (or meet a need with) the money I won't need to spend on groceries for that pay period or month.  Putting away extra meals like this also ensures that, should someone have a need, I can simply go to my freezer and pull out a meal for them.

What else can I do?  What does everyone feel about stockpiling?  I definitely don't want to be like the foolish man who built bigger barns.  But is it wise to store a limited amount of water, dry goods, paper goods, etc?  (The Red Cross suggests doing this for emergencies.)

What else?  We've been really decluttering lately, in preparing for having new carpet installed.  This could, in fact, serve another purpose.  The less clutter I have taking up space in my home, the more room I have for others.  We often have overnight guests, but would I be willing to make room for someone on a longer-term basis?  Decluttering would make it easier to "squeeze" someone else in.

Any other tips or thoughts on this subject?  I'd be glad to hear them.

I had a "random" thought a few hours ago -- as it relates to the church truly understanding community.  We can debate all day about whether God would cause a disaster and I'm not here to debate that.  What I am wondering is if this might be a wake-up call for the church, which has not figured out how to truly live in community as the first century church did.  Instead, we've bought into the world's materialism and succumbed to the sins of selfishness and self-centeredness.  A depression might just teach us the lessons we need to learn about meeting each other's needs.

Blessings,

Barb

Much later than I intended, here is my second two-week menu plan (just dinner listed here).  There are a couple of holes, and I have to readjust the Sunday plans as we have begun to take a family vision class with some friends on Sundays, which means we don't eat at home, but take pot luck, but here it is in rough form:

Sun - spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Mon - enchilada casserole, green beans

Tue - sesame chicken, rice, stir-fry veg

Wed - pot roast (w/potatoes & carrots)

Thur - chicken Hawaiian

Fri - leftovers

Sat - chili mac, corn bread

Sun - chicken sandwiches, cole slaw, fries

Mon - lasagna, garlic bread, salad

Tue - ?

Wed - Emilie's noodle bake

Thu - Yaki Tori chicken

Fri - leftovers

Sat - ?

Shopping today was rough.  I wasn't able to get some of the lunch staples that I wanted.  The prices at Aldi have really gone up.  Scary what the future holds.  That's for another post.

Blessings,

Barb

Blogging is always such a low thing on the priority list.  I've been wanting to get back and talk more about menu planning and savings, but have been so busy.  I can't honestly say that I've gotten the coupon thing down yet.  And I'm not seeming to come anywhere near $30 a week in groceries.  But the menu planning -- which I honestly used to do a long time ago, though not using a rotating standard menu -- is good.  I've been "off the wagon" a bit as we've been so very, very busy, and I'm not sure I'll get back on fully until after the holidays.  But at least having the groceries in the house (for the most part) means that I always have something to prepare.

The worst part of being "off the wagon" (i.e., not sticking to the menu plan) is the propensity to eat out more if dinner has not been started.  Wednesdays are a good example.  Our 6yodd has violin lessons that day.  So I pick dh up at the train station at 3-ish, drop him off home to stay with the 3 boys, and take our daughter to violin.  It is a 45 minute drive, a half hour lesson, and another 45 minute + drive (as it's now rush hour) home.  DH is usually putting the finishing touches on what I've started for dinner.  However, last night or other occasions when he gets off late, the boys (and sometimes even dh) go with to violin.  Now this means that dinner is not ready at 5:30 or later when we get home and our church's evening programs start at 6:30.  That often results in us picking up something.  Also, on really busy Sundays, like last Sunday when we unexpectedly spent 4 hours after church decorating the worship auditorium for the holidays, McDonald's was the meal of choice.  Now I know that this eats up a lot of money that could be used elsewhere and we need to learn to curb that unexpected spending.  It seems we go in spurts, and when things just get really, really busy, dining out becomes a more regular thing than it should be.  And with a family of 6, it's no small matter to eat out.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my two-week menu A:

Sun - spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Mon - meat loaf, potatoes, carrots

Tue - lemon herb chicken, rice or potatoes, mixed vegetables

Wed - Hawaiin pork chops, rice, stir-fry vegetables

Thr - noodle parmesan supreme

Fri - leftovers

Sat - chicken pot pie

Sun - sloppy joes, fries, salad

Mon - parmesan chicken, noodles, broccoli

Tue - sweet sour meatballs, rice, stir-fry vegetables

Wed - tamale pie

Thr - chicken tetrazini, salad

Fri - baked chicken, stuffing, carrots or green beans

Sat - chicken fajits, spanish rice, corn

Well, dinner is ready, better go.

Blessings,

Barb

We've been so busy that my menu planning (ala Supermarket Savings 101) was put by the wayside.  Picked it up today and finished two weeks of menus plus the master shopping list.  Plan to do Aldi tomorrow.

However.....I'm sorry.  I just don't know how Crystal does it on $35 -- or manages to get so much free stuff at CVS.  I have been looking through the CVS sale paper for weeks now, and honestly, most of the stuff that offers CVS bucks back, I don't even use.  And it doesn't make sense to buy these items just to get the bucks, since I'd be spending money I don't normally spend anyway.  So, back to good ole Wal Mart.  Still, $103 today! 

So, the "damages" included the following items:  diapers (2 sizes), pull ups (which I can't wait to change to real underpants, but honestly, I HATE cleaning poopy undershorts!), wipes, maxi pads, regular pads, shampoo & conditioner, facial wash, mouthwash, kids toothpaste, air freshener, sponges, body wash, dryer sheets, YoGos, hairspray, dusting spray, sugar free tea & lemonade mixes -- and just a couple extras -- reading glasses for hubby, chalkboard paint, and two goldfish at a whopping $0.28 each.  Even without those "extras," we'd be just over $80.  Plus, I grabbed up fabric softener and Aquafresh, both on sale at Walgreens this week.  The toothpaste was an especially good deal, and my favorite brand.

But really, I'm finding that clipping coupons doesn't do me much good.  I don't usually buy the brands that the coupons are for; I buy the store brand.  Most times, the brand name is still more expensive after the coupon than the store brand.  So I'm not really sure it's worth my time.

We'll see what the Aldi/Food4Less bill is tomorrow.  In the meantime, I keep trying.

Blessings,

Barb

The reality of the situation is that we have "nothing."  No savings, no means to get this whole "B & B Dream" off the ground.  We drove past a great place the other day.  There are two houses on the property, which is what we would need for a family of our size.  Having four children, it's not realistic to take up potential guest rooms for our family.  Not to mention that our kids need space to just be kids without constantly having to worry about keeping the place spotless for guests.  So a setup that had two houses -- one for owners' quarters and one for guests -- would be ideal.  And this one has that and more.  But the reality of the situation is that we have nothing.  While $400,000 is a great price for a setup like this, we have no money to put down, no money to furnish the guest house, no money to advertise, no money to live on and make expenses (especially a mortgage of that size) while the business is being built.

Entrepreneurship is a wonderful thing.  But how does one go about doing this when you're just struggling paycheck to paycheck to cover basic living expenses?

I know that God is in control -- and that if this was His will for us, He is in control of the resources to provide for it.  At the same time -- the distance between where we are and where our hearts' desires are is so big.  Yes, not too big for Him to take us from one place to the other, but big enough that I wonder if He is just saying "NO" to our dream.

We so want to be out of this neighborhood -- especially when we hear gunshots echoing across the yard.  We so want to provide our children with a living environment that encourages more free exploration and the chance to pursue their interests in animals.  Yes, I know -- the grass is always greener.  Kids raised in the city are curious about rural/country life.  If we'd been raised in the country, perhaps we'd be itching to experience city life.  I don't know.  Maybe part of the problem is us not being content with where we are.  Sometimes I wonder if it's wrong to want something else.

God, you are good.  You are in control.  Your will be done.

Blessings,

Barb

Since "Menu Planing Made Easy" came with Crystal's package, I printed 4 weeks of menu forms and am working on filling those out.  I like this whole concept of rotating.  I have two weeks of dinners completed, and still some holes in the other two weeks.  I think perhaps even having two different sets might be a good idea -- because we don't want to eat chili in the heat of July and August, but definitely have it on our Fall/Winter list.  So I'll re-visit these 4 weeks in Spring and see if I want to trade out some "comfort foods" for some lighter fare.

Breakfasts are going to be just routine -- cinnamon rolls every Sunday, cereal every Wednesday, etc.  Lunch will be the same thing.  The kids will have to get used to me not asking, "What do you want for breakfast/lunch?" and just eating what is served.  Of course, there is always a bowl of cereal to fall back on if you don't want toast on Tuesday, but you'll have to help yourself, as I'm not prepping multiple meals! :-)

I made a double batch of tonight's dinner before school started today and had them both in the fridge, one to be put in the oven later and the other, when cooled to go in the freezer.  Instead, I ran into our youth director and passed the second one along to bless her.  This is a joy for me.  I love feeding people.

Still have to go through Sunday's paper and check out the sales.  Perhaps there will be time tomorrow.

Blessings,

Barb

I purchased Crystal Paine's "Supermarket Savings 101" this week and am trying to save money on groceries.  I was not very successful my first attempt out, but I do not get the newspaper or sale ads, so I will start there.  I'm interested in how she gets most of her household products for free at CVS or Walgreens.  Looking forward to reading that chapter, as I can easily drop $100 or more every two weeks at WalMart for such things ($102.58 this trip, to be exact, but that included a couple extra purchases like a cheap MP3 player, a cheap stop watch, some barettes for my 6yodd, a clipboard and two belts for my teen son; would have been about $60 without those extras).  So, how to get dish detergent, hand soap, diapers and wipes, hair care products, etc. for free -- that is the question. 

Granted, we will never spend $35/week on groceries.  Crystal has only two small children and I've glanced and her menus and they eat quite differently than we do.  My dh has a whole range of health issues, so we try to eat more whole foods.  Though the kids don't really enjoy that, so I go easy on them at lunch when dh is gone.  So with a family of six, with four children including a growing-and-eating-alot-13yo (thank God for only 1 teenager right now!), to a 6yo, an almost 4yo and an almost 2yo -- what is a resonable budget?  I do usually plan menus -- two weeks at a time -- which I did and headed off to the store.  I spent about $200 between Aldi & Food 4 Less.  (BTW, Food 4 Less, at least ours, does not take internet coupons.  So I put back an item I had a coupon for.)  Aldi does not take coupons either.  And there is some produce that I have not been satisfied with at Aldi -- most notably their apples, so I get those at F4L.  In addition, I buy the more expensive, less fatty ground turkey at places other than Aldi.

My kids are not really sandwich eaters.  Only my 14yo will have a grilled turkey sandwich.  So lunches are difficult -- frozen or bagel or biscuit pizza, chicken tenders, leftovers from previous dinners.  Chicken tenders are rather expensive even at Aldi.  I did save on pizza this trip -- usually $1.99 ea at Aldi (which would be about 5/$10), on sale at F4L for 6/$10.  But caution -- not always a good deal.  I had to calculate this.  The Tony's pizzas on sale at F4L were smaller than the Aldi pizza.  It still came out cheaper, but that's something to watch.  I also saved $0.50 each on 3 gallons of milk at F4L.

My shopping this trip also included some extra items (plates, cups, hamburger buns, fruit salad fixings) for a cookout we are having tonight.  We have people over several times a month (once a month for a hymn sing and another guest here and there), so perhaps I should not be alarmed when we're even over $50/week.  A big blessing is that hubby is a chef -- and yes, I do cook, and no, he does not come home and cook every night! -- and he brings home leftovers.  Usually this is in the form of unused meat that was about to be tossed, so instead of burgers at tonight's family cookout, we're having grilled chicken, pork loin, and shrimp/other seafood.  Quite a blessing!  I'd like to say this cuts our grocery budget significantly -- however, we usually use this to enable us to practice hospitality, not for our nightly family dinners.  The seafood, especially, gets given as "gifts" as hubby is allergic, I don't care for it, and so we just never serve it for ourselves and the kids.  It does enable us to serve guests more than just spaghetti!

So my goals for this next two-week period is to finish a 4-week menu plan (ala Crystal and Sheri Graham, whose e-book is included in Crystal's package) -- see my Biblical Womanhood Affiliate Link for more info -- and to make a master shopping list off those menus.  I do have a master shopping list, but actually standardizing a weekly menu and listing them by weekly menu will prevent me spending extra time preparing a new menu every two weeks and looking up the recipes to put on the grocery list.  I like this idea a lot!  

My other goal for this week is to get a Sunday paper, and start learning coupon-clipping, ad shopping, and Crystal's secrets for shopping at CVS and Walgreens!

Who knows, in a couple months, I may have this all figured out and be saving significant money.  I hope.

Blessings,

Barb

What a sweetie my 4 yo dd is!  This morning, she was the first one awake, and set out bowls and cereal and cereal bars and fruit and all kinds of stuff.  Then she came to me and told me to wake up, that she had a surprise, she had "fixed breakfast."  She was so excited.  I, of course, like a good mom, gushed over her efforts.  What a joy she is!

Blessings,

Barb

I love baking with my daughter.  She'll be a first-class cook by the time she's ready to be married.  OK, maybe not first-class. Dad's the chef.  Mom is just the home cook -- comfort food is our speciality.  But I love baking.  We made brownies today, and bran muffins yesterday.  Of course, there is always more mess to clean up with her than if I'd done it myself -- after all, she's only 4.  But she loves it.  I think I'll try the recipe I found on a blog here for Carrot-Pineapple Bread for our homeschool meeting on Saturday.  I'm trying to do more whole grain recipes.  It will be fun to plan the garden with a thought to how we can bake with the produce.  I'm just dying to visit Shipshewana, IN and get some whole grains.  Actually, near there is where we'd love to have our B&B.  Still waiting on God to provide the means for that.

Happy baking!

Barb

We're supposed to study egg incubating/hatching in homeschool this unit.  I'm at a complete loss.  I tried to hook up with our local 4-H, and they were supposed to hold training classes for teachers, but they never got back to me.  I live in the big city and can absolutely NOT keep the chicks for long once they are hatched.  What would I do with them?!  I found a place I could get a simple incubator (or instructions to build our own) and a place to order eggs.  But being a city girl, I think I might prefer it if we could jump in and observe someone else before I tackle this.  We live in Chicago, in an apartment, and this seems so overwhelming to me.  Is anyone nearby that is hatching their own chickens?  Can't blame a mom for trying!

Blessings,

Barb

My son and I went through the latest Burpee catalog and tried to choose what we were going to plant this spring.  We have only a very limited space and it is so hard to limit our choices.  Oh, there are so many things I'd love to plant.  Not only vegetables, but flowers too.  I think we'll actually get our seeds from WalMart -- the cost at Burpee is just more than we can afford.  Our dirt is also very rocky, and I'm trying to locate a place that might give us some free top soil.  As we travel around the city and suburbs, I look for signs at building sites that offer free dirt.  I just purchased the book "Square Foot Gardening," and am trying to find time to go through that.  Perhaps my dh and ds can build some containers, but I'm concerned about how much dirt would be needed to fill those.  I think we've settled on cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, string beans, and seedless baby watermelon.  Our only cucumber plant (only 1 of 4 survived) did well last year, and my kids just love Thai Cucumber Salad.  The tomatoes we planted last year were cherry tomatoes, and we froze those and made spaghetti sauce once the harvest was complete.  Served it today for a family party!  Mmm.  I'm excited.  The kids are enjoying harvesting.  Just wish we had more space.

Blessings,

Barb

Wednesdays are an incredibly busy day for us.  We normally have dinner at 5:30, but because of evening church activities, I move it up to 5:00 on Wednesdays.  If we have additional things scheduled that day, it makes things even more harried.  So, thank God for slow cookers!

This is one of our favorites.  Put these chops in the slow cooker, plug in the rice cooker, add a bag of salad, and you're set.

Hawaiian Pork Chops

8-10 pork chops

1 c. catsup

1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce

1 c. brown sugar

1 can crushed pineapple with juice

Brown pork chops in skillet.  Put in slow cooker.  Combine catsup, Worcestershire sauce & brown sugar.  Pour over pork chops.  Cook on low 6-7 hours.  About 1/2 hour before serving, pour on pineapple.

Enjoy!

Barb

In exploring options for ways to make extra income online, I have quickly ruled out one -- online surveys.  I spent a good deal of time answering questions the other night -- and it was a complete waste of time.  I was, of course, supposed to "complete" the survey, until the end.  But I never reached the end.

Yes, work takes time.  But productive time.  I need to evaluate which efforts are productive and which are counter-productive and a waste.  For me, taking surveys while piles of laundry sat unfolded or my Bible and my Lord waited for my attention is a misuse of the hours God has given me.

So, I will pray for wisdom, discernment and guidance.  Wisdom to know His will, discernment to determine which activities are in line with His priorities for my life, and guidance to know which opportunities are the ones He would have me follow.

Blessings,

Barb

Just signing up for this blog has inspired me.  I still need to find time to really get out there and read other people's entries in this area, but . . .

I ordered some jewelry-making supplies.  My daughter and I will start "creating."  The next big hurdle is marketing -- which I already know I won't be good at.  I'm just not a salesperson.  So maybe I'll find some great tips out there.

I remember years ago, when my son wanted to find ways to earn money -- and he still does.  The Vision Forum catalog had this great gumball machine.  I thought, how perfect for a young guy.  Not really difficult.  Just refill the machine and collect the money.  Unfortunately, after looking into the possibility further, I learned that the "red tape" and "regulations" in the "big city" would make it a huge headache.  So we're still looking for an opportunity for him.  We've thought about pet-sitting and lawn mowing and woodcrafting.  For now, he collects cans.  Not exactly lucrative, but it's something.

Time is also a consideration.  With 3 children ages 4 and under, there really isn't a lot of spare time to go around.

Can anyone recommend good web sites or books or other bloggers who've walked this path already?

There is not always a simple answer to this question.  Of course, we would love to leave the "big city."  Just last week my husband was walking home from the bus stop and was "accosted" by about 20 teenagers on their way home from school.  And our church's teen program last week had to call police because some young men, who were asked to leave because they were causing trouble, wouldn't leave.  Of course, this is only just one of the many reasons we'd love to leave the "big city."  I've always longed for life in the "country."  And I'm sure there is some of the "grass is always greener" mentality in that.

But just Saturday night, my mother-in-law had a stroke.  Over the past two years, we've lost his father (who had Alzheimers) and his sister (who had cancer).  It's been tough on the kids.  Now looms the possibility of losing another loved one.

Now, there is no possibility of us going anywhere right now anyway, because 1) God has not provided financially for us to make a move and, perhaps even more important, even if we had the means, 2) God has not yet released us to move on from our present situation.

However, just in theory, even if we could move, would we not be abandoning our responsibility to our parents, in some way?  I present this to see what others are thinking in this area.  My mother-in-law, being 83, and now experiencing left side weakness, will likely need to be in a nursing home.  While I cringe at this thought, I realize that the daily care she needs is beyond the capability of any of us to provide.  (And that could launch another whole debate -- about nursing homes and whether one truly can care for an elder who is debilitated.  Believe me -- I go round and round in my mind on that one.  Not only do I not have a room for her, but our living arrangements are in a rather inaccessible apartment with many stairs, not appropriate for her situation right now.)

Even if full-time nursing care is necessary for a parent, that does not release us from our duties to them.  The less someone is visited, the more the perception is given that no one really cares and, unfortunately, the less the quality of care this person will receive.  It's a sad state, but it's a fact.

And there is still my mom (in her upper 60s -- my dad died 13 years ago) and my uncle (lower 70s, single and no children, so we are all he has and we love him dearly) to consider.  I could not leave them to fend for themselves as they get older.

Family is so important, and my desire to move to the country battles with my love and concern for them, and my belief that our children need their family, especially grandparents.

So . . . to move away or not to move away.  That is the question.  Do we pick up and leave our ageing loved ones?  Do we wait out this phase in our life and then get release to move on?  I don't have the answers, and would be interested to hear yours.

So here is an article about several towns giving away land if you will build a house there.  Interesting thought.  It's also interesting that the want to encourage children enrolling in the public school so they can get more funding.  Guess this would kind of backfire with homeschoolers, huh?  Just thought that was funny.  Free Land

I'm not here because I think I have any great wisdom to share.  Instead, I am hoping to learn from all the others here.

I'm not even sure about this blogging thing.  Is it really something I need to be taking up my time with?  Don't I have enough things to do?  Wouldn't my time be better spent on hearth and home -- being a helpmeet to my husband, taking care of our home, homeschooling and nurturing my four children, caring for family (both biological and spiritual), etc?  Will this become a reason for me to shoo my kids off my lap?  (After all, this is the 2nd attempt at my first post -- the 1st attempt being interrupted when my 2 year old switched off the power strip under my desk!)

But I am needing to learn.

One dream we have is to own and operate a bed and breakfast.  Our heart's desire is to bring my husband "home."  Children need their fathers -- perhaps today more than ever, when dads are gone from the home so many hours a day.  I call this a dream because we have no way of making this dream come true outside of God's divine provision.  It will truly need to be a "God thing."  So we pray.  And perhaps I will learn here some small steps we can take towards realizing that dream.

In addition, we desire to train our sons to be providers, and ideally through entrepreneurial means, and to train our daughter to be a keeper at home.  I have been part of a group for a while that discusses this latter issue, but there seems to be little practical discussion of what skills I will be teaching her.  So, I am hoping to glean more practicalities here -- for both our sons and daughter.

We also long for a slower-paced, simpler life.  This is definitely a challenge living in the "big city."  There are people to see, places to go, and things to do -- as the saying goes.  Not all of it is easily eliminated -- nor should it be.  We learned, during the year we lived many states away from our family, as missionaries near the Navajo reservation, that it's quite easier to slow down in a small town, away from family and friends, when your life centers around the mission campus.  In the city, with family from one end to another, homeschool support group friends whom we cherish, and church family and ministries in an urban setting, the "people...places...and things..." can be endless.

So, I'll start this journey and hope to find encouragement and support and wisdom here as I walk this road.  I look forward to walking it together.