The Midwest has been hit hard with tornadoes, heavy rains, and flooding this year and, with the release of water from dams further upstream, waters from the Missouri River are expected to remain high throughout the summer and fall into November.
Because of historic flooding, many barges, trucks, and trains have been stalled in port and cannot move goods from one part of our country to another.
It is not business as usual out there and common sense tells me that, with as much flooding as there has been, along with the damage that has been caused to roadways and railways, coupled with the fact that crops may not make this year, food may be in short supply come winter.
At the very least, prices will skyrocket as the reality of what's happening in the Midwest hits the rest of the country. All of this has me thinking that it's time to be smart in our spending and pay attention to what we're doing.
There's no need to fear, but I do believe that the Bible is very clear about using wisdom in our finances and, as of late, we've not been as diligent in that area as we might have been in the past. It's time to get a handle on it!
Now...it's been a long time since I've posted a "My Thrifty Week" post and, since I'm not good about posting those on a weekly basis, I've decided to rename that particular column "Thrift and Savings." I will continue to post in a numerical sequence from where I last left off to make them easier to find, but feel that it's really time to refocus my efforts in becoming financially aware.
Here are a few things that we've done (or has happened) recently to cut expenses and save extra money that, otherwise, could be being spent frivolously or without need...
- Have stopped buying the laundry detergent that we've been using for the past few years and have switched to Arm & Hammer. It smells great and cost about half as much as what we've been using.
- Have stopped buying pre-dampened lens cleaner cloths to clean our glasses and are using the little cleaning cloths that came with new glasses.
- Have always done a fair amount of our grocery shopping at Aldi's, but am doing more and more of it there all the time. We are deliberating seeking out more like-items at Aldi's that we would normally buy at Walmart. Favorite products at Aldi's include ground turkey, boneless, skinless salmon fillets, organic eggs, Kerrygold butter, canned chili beans, black beans, and tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste (no dyes and BPA-free), cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano), and Willow Brand 1000 sheet toilet paper (love it!).
- Have stopped buying the more expensive teas (Twining's) and have returned to Benner's (Aldi's). It tastes great, saves big bucks, and isn't on the list of teas that contain toxic amounts of pesticides, which is a big plus!
- When passing through Nevada, Missouri (28 miles northeast of us), I make a point of stopping in at Wood's grocery store and shop the weekly sale ad. I have come across some great bargains...especially in the line of meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, and vegetables. When I hit the jackpot, I stock up!
- I am working on a self-imposed, online spending-freeze. I love Amazon and, being 20 miles from the nearest town, shopping online saves me a LOT of time, trouble, and money...BUT...even at that, I am still trying to really think purchases out before spending hard-earned dollars on things that aren't necessary.
- And, last, but not least, (and I hope that posting this isn't in bad taste) our 19-year-old cat passed away recently. While we miss him terribly and wish that he was still with us in the health and vitality of his younger years, with his passing came a several hundred dollars a year savings. Just in food, litter, and flea and tick control alone, we figure that's an immediate $350.00 a year in savings. That's more than a two week paycheck for me from my part-time job. That's HUGE! (Or it could be in an emergency.)
These are a few of the things that we have focused on or have happen lately to save us money. What are some ways that you are saving money in your home?
Until next time...
~Rebecca
Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...
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| Photo Credit |
Because of historic flooding, many barges, trucks, and trains have been stalled in port and cannot move goods from one part of our country to another.
 |
| Photo Credit |
At the very least, prices will skyrocket as the reality of what's happening in the Midwest hits the rest of the country. All of this has me thinking that it's time to be smart in our spending and pay attention to what we're doing.
There's no need to fear, but I do believe that the Bible is very clear about using wisdom in our finances and, as of late, we've not been as diligent in that area as we might have been in the past. It's time to get a handle on it!
Now...it's been a long time since I've posted a "My Thrifty Week" post and, since I'm not good about posting those on a weekly basis, I've decided to rename that particular column "Thrift and Savings." I will continue to post in a numerical sequence from where I last left off to make them easier to find, but feel that it's really time to refocus my efforts in becoming financially aware.
Here are a few things that we've done (or has happened) recently to cut expenses and save extra money that, otherwise, could be being spent frivolously or without need...
- Have stopped buying the laundry detergent that we've been using for the past few years and have switched to Arm & Hammer. It smells great and cost about half as much as what we've been using.
- Have stopped buying pre-dampened lens cleaner cloths to clean our glasses and are using the little cleaning cloths that came with new glasses.
- Have always done a fair amount of our grocery shopping at Aldi's, but am doing more and more of it there all the time. We are deliberating seeking out more like-items at Aldi's that we would normally buy at Walmart. Favorite products at Aldi's include ground turkey, boneless, skinless salmon fillets, organic eggs, Kerrygold butter, canned chili beans, black beans, and tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste (no dyes and BPA-free), cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano), and Willow Brand 1000 sheet toilet paper (love it!).
- Have stopped buying the more expensive teas (Twining's) and have returned to Benner's (Aldi's). It tastes great, saves big bucks, and isn't on the list of teas that contain toxic amounts of pesticides, which is a big plus!
- When passing through Nevada, Missouri (28 miles northeast of us), I make a point of stopping in at Wood's grocery store and shop the weekly sale ad. I have come across some great bargains...especially in the line of meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, and vegetables. When I hit the jackpot, I stock up!
- I am working on a self-imposed, online spending-freeze. I love Amazon and, being 20 miles from the nearest town, shopping online saves me a LOT of time, trouble, and money...BUT...even at that, I am still trying to really think purchases out before spending hard-earned dollars on things that aren't necessary.
- And, last, but not least, (and I hope that posting this isn't in bad taste) our 19-year-old cat passed away recently. While we miss him terribly and wish that he was still with us in the health and vitality of his younger years, with his passing came a several hundred dollars a year savings. Just in food, litter, and flea and tick control alone, we figure that's an immediate $350.00 a year in savings. That's more than a two week paycheck for me from my part-time job. That's HUGE! (Or it could be in an emergency.)
These are a few of the things that we have focused on or have happen lately to save us money. What are some ways that you are saving money in your home?
Until next time...
~Rebecca
Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...
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