Mom Mondays - You Don't Have to "Treat Yourself"

American culture is all about overindulgence. It is, in fact, encouraged through advertisements - especially for women. Just take any chocolate commercial, for example: It is loaded with overtures of "you deserve it" "go ahead, spoil yourself" and "indulge yourself." Despite not-so-subversively trying to equate chocolate with sex, these seem relatively innocuous. However, they are planting an idea in your mind that says "if I do not indulge myself then I obviously do not have any self worth" when actually quite the opposite is true. Proverbs 25:28 says, "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." So having no self-control will actually leave you vulnerable - you are literally at the mercy of your emotions, which are not the most stable or reasonable boss. Ignoring certain wants actually shows that you are self-assured because you don't have to rely on outside influences in order to be ok. My mom is the perfect example of a strong woman who has enough self worth to say "no" to things that she recognizes as a want - not a need. These are five things that I have learned from her in that respect:

1. Don't buy your own clothes! (Unless you don't have any - in which case PLEASE don't walk around naked)

I don't even know the last time my mom actually bought clothes for herself. When we were little she was pretty famous for spending her birthday gift cards on either groceries or clothes for the kids. So my Dad's mom started the tradition of taking my Mom out on her birthday and FORCING HER TO PICK OUT CLOTHES. 

I think I have inherited the anti-shopping gene from my Mom and I have not bought clothes since I got married in October 2013. Despite this, I still am very trendy (and professional for work) and I have had to clean out my clothes closet at least four times now from having too many clothes!

How is this possible? I wait until someone is giving away free clothes and then I pick out name-brand and high-quality items for free! Now, I work at a Christian Preschool where everyone really looks out for each other - so I am very blessed in that regard! We basically clean our closets out and let our coworkers go through our unwanted clothes before putting it in the Thrift Smart bin in the parking lot.

But you can organize your own clothing swap among your friends! Hey, who doesn't need to clean our their closet?

2. Don't buy Starbucks! (unless you have a gift card)

Now please note I said GIFT CARD not CREDIT CARD. Even though you get points for a free one or blah blah blah it is still just a way to get you to spend money that you don't need to spend in the first place.

Now I am doubly guilty of being a Starbucks-a-holic!! Believe me when I tell you I KNOW how addicting it is! When I was in college I would get it AT LEAST twice a week and EVERY DAY during exam week. I must have gotten that from my Mom because she LOVES Starbucks. However, she does not even "treat herself" unless she has a gift card. And even then she gets a KID-SIZED hot chocolate with a shot of raspberry! She is so adorable : )

Now, I avoid Starbucks for different reasons, but mainly because I don't drink caffeine anymore. Not only was I tired of my body getting angry at me for not drinking coffee at the EXACT moment that I did the previous day and being punished inevitably with severe migraines, but I was sick of having to rely on something in order to be ok. That is addiction at its finest, and the only thing I want to be addicted to is Jesus!!

But seriously, STOP drinking coffee and see how much money you save per month! My husband and I have an espresso machine and milk frother at home that someone gave us as a wedding gift and it has been so amazing! Hey, my husband still needs coffee because he has to keep up with me!

3. When you do eat dessert - try VERY small portions!

There is really no nutritious value in dessert other than a small dose of sanity if you are addicted to sugar. Which most Americans are. But my mom is the greatest when it comes to just eating a very small amount of dessert so she still gets the satisfaction of having some - just not going overboard. I am not so great at that. But I am trying!!

I could keep going on inevitably like this but I am just going to stop there. You will be suprised how many people will treat you when you don't treat yourself! I also have a really awesome husband who spoils me with special treats all the time so I don't even have an opportunity to treat myself! But I think that the mindset of differentiating between WANTS and NEEDS is essential to a frugal lifestyle : ) Thank you Momma for being a godly example of self-control to me!

Five SmartPhone apps even Scrooge Would Approve

While Ebeneezer Scrooge always gets a bad rap for his miserliness - my guess is that if you are reading this post, you have somewhat of a soft spot for the old codger. Probably because he reminds you of your cheap self. You see the value in frugality - just not to the point of letting orphans freeze and starve. And although Scrooge was not a proprietor of an intelligent communication device - he would certainly approve of these penny-pinching apps (number three is not for the faint of heart):

1. JustPark - tired of paying for parking downtown? Use this app to park in available driveways near your point-of-interest.

    Pros: no more parking fees, worrying about your meter running out, or full parking lots!

    Cons: There may not always be a driveway close to the area that you are visiting. This started in the UK and has not really caught on yet in the States unfortunately. Also, if you do not offer up your own driveway, you have to pay depending on the time of day and day of the week. However, I think it is worth it to offer your own driveway for parking in order to get free parking close to where you are headed. Also, once the driveway is full, it becomes unavailable.

2. ZipCar - Rent a car for as low as $7/hour with this app 

    Pros: You could sell your car and only pay for a car with this app when you REALLY need it. All other times you could bike, take the bus, carpool, or even walk. My husband's Mom used to walk to the grocery store and back with two children and saved thousands by not having to pay for car insurance, gas, repairs, or monthly payments! I am currently doing the same thing (although I have a driver's license) and I carpool to my job - every time I see a wreck on the side of the road, I pray for those involved and thank God that I do not drive currently, because the road can be a scary place.

    Cons: You have to pay a yearly membership fee. However, they are offering 50% off the annual fee now. Also, you definitely would not want to use this to get to work and back as it is an hourly rate, and hence, not money-saving.

3. LeftoverSwap - hungry?

    Pros: Free food!

    Cons: Someone might poison your food (although I'm not sure what satisfaction they would get from that) Like I said - this one could be risky!

4. iBotta - cash back on your groceries and more!

    Pros: coupons on your phone that you don't have to cut, you just select the coupons you want and then take a picture of your receipt to get cash back within three days! However, they usually reimburse me on the same day - they are pretty fast! You can also get $10.00 automatically credited to your account using the code tenpxpi when you sign up!

    Cons: You have to wait until your account hits the $20.00 mark until they credit it to your VenMo or PayPal account. You can alternatively choose Gift Cards but you also have to wait until your account is at least $20.00. Another con is that not all stores are participating (Aldi - my favorite - for example) but most major stores such as WalMart and Target are listed.  

5. SwagBucks - get paid to watch YouTube videos, take surveys, and more!

    Pros: You can watch a stream of videos while doing laundry, working out, watching TV or even sleeping! The surveys usually take less than ten minutes to complete and are easy. You can also get cash back shopping online at places like WalMart, Amazon, and Old Navy! You can cash out with as little as 500 SwagBucks for a $5.00 Amazon, WalMart, or Starbucks Gift Card!

    Cons: It takes a long time to save up 500 Swagbucks just from watching videos or taking surveys. 100 Swagbucks = $1.00 and most surveys pay less than 100 Swagbucks. But for "watching" videos it is worth it - you have to install SwagBucksTV in order to watch, though.

Here is a post from The Frugal Navy Wife on how she earns $210.00 plus per month from shopkick and other apps just like it!

http://www.thefrugalnavywife.com/how-i-earn-210-or-more-a-month-in-free-amazon-gift-cards/

Please let me know in the comments below if you know of other Scrooge-worthy apps!

Mom Mondays - make your own cards

I want to start a tradition on this site to post something that I learned from my mom every Monday - hence the title "Mom Mondays" I would love to hear from you in the comments below things that you have learned from your Mom!

First of all, I would just like to take a minute to brag on my Mom, who happens to be the most amazing woman in the universe! She became a Registered Nurse and worked to put my Dad through his last year of school. They have been happily married for a million years now and have seven kids! And my mom is so incredible because she chose to homeschool all seven of us : ) I am sure that it would have been a lot easier to continue working as a nurse and send all of us to public school. With my Dad's job as an engineer combined with her income, they could have been a lot wealthier than they are now. But my mom made that financial sacrifice in order to spend time loving us, teaching us, and instilling God's ways in us. That is a much more valuable contribution to a child than new toys or anything that money can buy.

(This is my Graddad's card - he loves Mustangs)

I really appreciate how my mom taught us at a very young age to work. We knew how to load clothes into the washer and unload them from the dryer before we could even talk. As we got older she would gradually give us more responsibility in proportion to our capability. For example, we would start out folding towels and matching socks, then as we got older we learned to fold more complicated things like shirts and pants, until eventually we were ironing clothes. And she did it in such a way that it felt like a privilege and not a chore! That is one smart lady! She had us all thinking that doing the chores was something to be proud of - which it is!

She would also make work fun. I will always remember how she would spray lysol on the floor and let us skate around on it with sponges strapped to our feet! I love how she would always praise us for helping out. I never remember her nagging us to get our chores done because she made it such a joy for us to do them!

This is my Dad's card - I figured I could get away with it!

One thing that my mom always did that made my self-confidence shoot through the roof was showing off my school and art work to her friends. She would let me show it to my friends as well but she would always make a special point to show it to other adults who came over and this always made me feel so proud of myself. I am a perfectionist so I think that if I did not have this kind of encouragement from her, I wouldn't have ever ventured out and would not be the evil creative genius that I am today!

Which brings me to today's topic - making your own cards to save money on gifts. Not only is it cheaper to make your own card, but it is a lot more personal. Think of it - no more searching for the card with the perfect amount of humor or seriousness for the occasion. No more opening and shutting countless cards before finding the perfect one. So it is a perfect pair - you save time AND money!

These are the cards that I made for Father's Day this year. My Dad's was the Darth Vader one and my Granddad's was the Mustang one. I love making my own cards because I always know what is perfect for the person I am making them for more so than any generic card company. Also you can use name brands and movie characters because you are not selling them so you don't have to worry about copyrights : ) but I never would have made things like this if I did not have my Mom who fostered this cretivity in me. Thank you Momma for always believing in me!

The Weird and Frugal Disclaimer

Yes, this is the obligatory disclaimer that you would find on any website to warn you of impending doom. And no, you do not have to read any Terms of Agreement or Policies, but I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO. We are VERY WEIRD and although we are not famous (yet) we are very frugal. I should think that some people might benefit from my elaboration on the latter and might be either offended or entertained by the former. But hopefully just entertained : )

My husband and I are both Christians and we believe in the incarnation, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ - that He is God, paid for our sins, and that we now have freedom from sin and His Holy Spirit living in us because we have repented and asked for His forgiveness. Because of that we do not want to keep His love to ourselves but share it with everyone that we know (and don't know!) Because He is living in us, He changes us - when we let Him - and this consequently affects every area of our lives. Therefore, this blog is going to cover a LOT of territory. 

DEVOTIONALS

RECIPES

FRUGAL TIPS

DIY CLEANERS

MARRIAGE

PARENTING

FUN (CHEAP) ACTIVITIES

THRIFTY GIFT IDEAS

AND MORE!

Please bear with my non-computer savvy-ness and my over-usage of hyphenation. I am just getting started with this blog, but I should be making new posts at least every Saturday! For more money saving tips and tricks you can visit my Pinterest Page and check out my board "Weird and Frugal"

Anything I post on here I have learned from or have been inspired by someone else who is far more experienced than I - so I will try to give credit where credit is due! 

Also, if you are a Gamer, check out my husband's YouTube channel Level 1 Sword

He discusses Video Game/Nerd news, reviews, and rants (but simply scathing- no cursing!)

I look forward to hearing advice and acclamation from you guys in the comments below!!

Thank you for taking the time to read about the Weird and Frugal : )

DISCLAIMER!!

Yes, this is the obligatory disclaimer that you would find on any website to warn you of impending doom. And no, you do not have to read any Terms of Agreement or Policies, but I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO. We are VERY WEIRD and although we are not famous (yet) we are very frugal. I should think that some people might benefit from my elaboration on the latter and might be either offended or entertained by the former. But hopefully just entertained : )

My husband and I are both Christians and we believe in the incarnation, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ - that He is God, paid for our sins, and that we now have freedom from sin and His Holy Spirit living in us because we have repented and asked for His forgiveness. Because of that we do not want to keep His love to ourselves but share it with everyone that we know (and don't know!) Because He is living in us, He changes us - when we let Him - and this consequently affects every area of our lives. Therefore, this blog is going to cover a LOT of territory. 

DEVOTIONALS

RECIPES

FRUGAL TIPS

DIY CLEANERS

MARRIAGE

PARENTING

FUN (CHEAP) ACTIVITIES

THRIFTY GIFT IDEAS

AND MORE!

Please bear with my non-computer savvy-ness and my over-usage of hyphenation. I am just getting started with this blog, but I should be making new posts at least every Saturday! For more money saving tips and tricks you can visit my Pinterest Page and check out my board "Weird and Frugal"

Anything I post on here I have learned from or have been inspired by someone else who is far more experienced than I - so I will try to give credit where credit is due! 

Also, if you are a Gamer, check out my husband's YouTube channel Level 1 Sword

He discusses Video Game/Nerd news, reviews, and rants (but simply scathing- no cursing!)

I look forward to hearing advice and acclamation from you guys in the comments below!!

Thank you for taking the time to read about the Weird and Frugal : )

High-protein Low-sugar Waffles : )

One of the best things about Saturday morning besides the lazy snuggle time is BREAKFAST. My favorite Saturday morning breakfast to make is waffles!! Some lovely person bought us a nonstick ceramic waffle iron as a wedding gift and I have definitely gotten fair use out of it since then. But two months ago I went on a healing Alkaline diet and finally got unaddicted from sugar (whoot whoot!). Not only do I have a lot more energy than usual - which definitely comes in handy being a preschool teacher who does not drink caffeine - but I have not experienced any migraines that I used to suffer from AT LEAST once a month. Now I still try to eat as alkaline as possible but mainly I try to search for recipes that are low sugar-high protein - and this waffle recipe that I invented fits the bill!! Might I also add that they are so sweet already that you do not even need syrup? 

It is much easier to make than my old waffle recipe that required separating the egg yokes and whites and then fluffing the whites prior to mixing up the batter. For this recipe all you have to do is throw all the ingredients in the blender and - VIOLA! - you have some high protein - low sugar waffles!

Now the 1 tsp sugar in this recipe could be replaced with 1 pack of sweetener to make it no-sugar-added, but I cannot in good conscience recommend sweeteners as I believe they were the cause of my seizures in college. But enough of that - on to the recipe!

HIGH PROTEIN - LOW SUGAR WAFFLES:

Ingredients -

         2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
         1 tsp sugar
         4 eggs
         1/4 cup milk (any kind)
         1/2 cup water

Directions -

          Preheat waffle iron. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Spray iron with non-stick cooking spray and add 1 cup mixture to iron. Cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Recipe should make 2 large waffles depending on the size of your waffle iron (mine is a Belgian waffle maker). Enjoy your energizing and filling high protein breakfast!

I apologize for the pictures, I decided to write this post right as my husband was about to finish off the last waffle! That is why there is a bite missing from it... but regardless, I hope you enjoy the recipe and feel free to post any suggestions or modifications in the comments below!