Buying Flowers... Annuals...

Something I do every year to accent our yard is purchase some annuals,
flowers that bloom for one season.

One of the benefits of annuals is that you can change the color scheme yearly for variety or as your tastes change. Another is that they are an inexpensive way to add color to your landscape or patio.

When shopping for annuals, you want to be sure you get your moneys worth. One thing I like to do is look around at the nicer garden shops to see their already put together containers of flowers to get some ideas. Every year I like to do something different with my containers on the porch and find this is an easy, free way to see what's in for the season and find something I like.

Don't run out and buy the first container with the flowers already put together that you see. Typically when you purchase already done containers, you pay a lot more for the whole outfit than you would if you purchased the supplies separately and put them together and you'll get to pick out the container you want to use yourself that you can use year after year.

Once you have an idea of what you want... then set out to go shopping.

Find yourself a container. It's important to do this first so you know how many plants you will need. If you're prone to forgetting to water, look for the self watering containers. They will cost more to start with, but will save you money if you tend to forget about them and have to replant.

If you choose terra cotta, it is a good idea to use a sealer on the inside of the pot to save yourself some watering time. Terra cotta breaths very well... so well that you will be watering all the time. They make sealers for terra cotta, but any spray sealant will do as long as you're not planning to eat anything from the container.

Once you have a container, or several, you can shop for your plants. You need to know where your containers will go when you get home so you can purchase plants that meet the light requirements for the area they will be placed.

When shopping for plants, don't go for the taller plants loaded with blooms! ...opt instead for the shorter plants with lots of buds that are ready to bloom. You will often find the same plants in various stages of growth at the same store, probably due to different shipments or lighting conditions. The taller, more leggy plants with lots of flowers may look great now, but give them a few days and the blooms will be fading and you'll be waiting for more, while the shorter plants getting ready to bloom will do better with the transplant and look great in a few days... plus they have the added benefit of filling in the space you provide as they grow making them look more natural.

You'll want to purchase enough plants that they look nice when you're done, but you also want to be sure the plants have some room to grow. Planting too many in your container will lead to plants that use up the water you give them too quickly and you will find yourself watering all the time, or risk finding dying plants.

It pays to pay attention... literally! Keep in mind too that some store sell a 6 pack of annuals at the same price as the store across the street sells a 4 pack for. When you're shopping at the beginning of the season, it's good to check how each store sells their flowers so you know how many you're getting when you're ready to go flower shopping.

Recently while shopping at Meijer I noticed a beautiful flower arrangement that was $29.99!! I looked closer at it and realized it was cascading petunias with a purple fountain grass in the middle.... it was sooo pretty, but the pot was plastic!

For $7.99 you could get a flat of cascading petunias that would fill 2 pots and the purple fountain grass was $2.99 each. Buying 2 purple fountain grasses and 1 flat of petunias and spending $13.97 I would have $16.02 left to spend on 2 pots! That would be 2 container planters full of flowers for less than the price of one that is pre-done... plus I get to pick the flowers I want. Maybe you'd rather have white cascading flowers and red salvia in the middle for a fourth of July bash.

Soil... Depending on your location, you may be able to mix in some normal garden soil to save on cost as well. I typically reuse the soil from the previous year and add some compost to the mix to get it back to good growing conditions. If you don't have good soil available to you, you will need to purchase some for you containers. I typically go for the most inexpensive and do just fine, some swear by specialty brands, but I've only purchased them if they just happen to be on sale making them cheaper than the off-brand.

When potting your plants, be sure they have some room for drainage so your beautiful plants don't drown. A few rocks in the bottom, or pieces of a broken pot serve well for this. It's always good to be sure your pot has at least one small hole in or near the bottom in case you do overwater.

So... when you're shopping for annual flowers for your patio, or your yard, look for the best value in size and quantity, know your lighting conditions, and be willing to pot or plant your own plants and you can do a lot more for less if you are willing to do a little work. You're friends will think you paid someone to do all the work for you!

Get those hands dirty and have some fun!

Shaving Cream in a Pinch...

Ever run out of shaving cream in the middle of shaving,

or just plain forget to pick up some at the store?

A good friend of mine mentioned recently that she likes to use hair conditioner instead of shaving cream... so I tried it.

I will have to say that I don't like it as well as actual shaving cream, I think because my skin is too prone to ingrown hairs and it makes for a closer shave, but I could easily find myself using it in a pinch.

For those of you with less sensitive skin than I ... try it! Conditioner is certainly cheaper than shaving cream and a bottle will go a lot further.

Thanks Marla for the tip! :)

Planting potatoes...

Potatoes are a relatively easy crop to grow. Hubby and I planted 3 varieties last year and had a good crop that lasted us a good part of the winter.

Potatoes are also an inexpensive plant to grow. You can find potato seeds, which basically look like little potatoes at most hardware and garden stores. All you need for each plant is a small portion of the seed and an "eye" of the potato. You can buy some of the larger seeds and cut them so that each one has an "eye" and they should all grow just fine.

They say it is not advisable to use "seeds" from your own potatoes year after year, because they can become prone to disease if done too frequently. Hubby and I did do this year because we had no trouble with our plants last year and sometimes I think recommendations are not always set in stone. They want to sell me more "seeds".

They also say you shouldn't use potatoes from the grocery store to use as seeds because they can have disease or viruses that don't have to be disclosed to the public.... comforting isn't it?


After you've selected the variety of potatoes you'd like to grow (I love red and golden-yum), and made your purchase of seed, you need to let them sit for several days in a well lit area to give them a chance to sprout... this will speed their start.


You also need to find a suitable place to plant them. Potatoes need moist, loose soil for best results, and do better in milder temperatures so will usually do better with a start in the spring.

Dig a trench 6-8 inches deep and bury the seeds from 10-12 inches apart. Don't worry about which direction is up, the seeds will get their start no matter the direction you plant them. You will likely notice the plants peeking through the surface in about 2 weeks.

After the plants begin to produce a nice amount of folage, it's a good idea to start mounding some extra dirt up around the plant. The potato crop actually grows in the soil between the seed and the folage of the plant, so by adding extra dirt or straw, you add growing space for your crop.

If your potatoes begin to peak through the soil, add some dirt or straw on top of them. Potatoes that are exposed to sunlight while growing turn green, hard, and don't taste good.

You can begin to harvest at any point that you want. Simply dig along side one of your plants to check for size to determine if they are ready for harvest. The exact time of harvest is up to you. Do you want young, baby potatoes? Harvest early. A large, meaty potato? Harvest later after the vines have died off.

Store your potatoes in a cool, moist, and dark area. Generally 38-40 degrees is ideal.

Enjoy your bounty!

My Coupon Find... I Love Auctions!!...

I went to an auction about two weeks ago now, and came home with this...
a box full of coupons!

Now... at first glance, you say "Why would anyone want that?"
It was full of coupons!! Most of them expired, yes...
but, about a third of them were "No Expiration Date" coupons!


One of the Velveeta coupons alone was worth what I paid for it... $1,
and I know I will use that one, so the rest are just icing on the cake.

It was a fun find, not something you see often...
More a novelty than a great find, but I thought it was fun :)

For more frugal tips today, check out Frugal Friday.

Gardening tips... Planting & Saving...

Gardening is a great resource for saving money
if you have the room for planting and later storing your food.

The first things to go into my garden are radishes and lettuces because they like the cool, wet weather. You can start planting after the last threat of freeze or frost.

Later cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, herbs, corn and tomatoes, to name a few get there start.

Then again, as the cool weather is soon to set in, sometimes we plant the cooler weather plants again to make the best of the garden space.

It's important to know when to plant different things where you live to get the best quality from your plants that you can. The better they are when you preserve them, the better they'll be when you prepare them later... the more likely you'll use them!

The most inexpensive way to get started is with seeds. For most plants, you don't need to start with Jiffy pots and special fertilizers to get your plants up and running. You simply need to know when to plant them and if your planting season is long enough to provide you with a full harvest from your plants.

Another option is to purchase plants that already have a start. Most hardware stores have a great variety of these, some grocery stores do as well. Most times, the smaller the plants, the more plant for your money. It's alright to purchase the smaller plants if, again you think your growing season will be long enough... typically if they are selling them in your area, you're probably ok.

When picking out plants, always look for healthy, hearty plants. Avoid really tall plants that are spindly and stretching for sunlight. Shorter, stalky plants are usually healthier and will survive the transplant to the garden much better. Also, look for discoloration or spots on the leaves, leaf curl, and insects before making your purchase. You don't want to take insects or disease home with you!

Try to avoid the garden centers and shops. These typically have the same variety of plants at an escalated price.

Some plants start well from seeds... such as anything from the squash family, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and herbs. Others do ok from seed, but need more tending to and require more care such as tomatoes and peppers... these hubby and I tend to purchase already as small plants... plus we want a more extended growing season! Love our tomatoes!!

Let me know about your gardening experiences!
Love to hear your tips to!

Dishwasher frugality...

I have a dishwasher & love it! Saves me time and counter space (used to dry my dishes on a rack on the counter prior to my dishwasher days).

Dishwashers can cost you though, beyond that initial expense.

Think about the energy they can use providing extra heat to wash and dry your dishes. Not to mention the detergent and the rinse aid.

To save money while running the dishwasher you can do two things.

1) Use vinegar in your rinse aid dispenser. Vinegar is the main ingredient in most of the rinse aids and is much cheaper. It also lacks the coloring and other chemicals that the rinse aids have, so is probably better for you too.... and no, your dishes won't smell like vinegar. I can tell you from experience!

2) Turn of the heat for the drying mode, set it to air dry. I usually run it in the evening or set it to run while we sleep. I find this works well and the only dishes that are even a bit wet in the morning are the ones that collect water in a lip like some of the storage containers do.

If I don't want to wait overnight... I simply open the door a crack as soon as it is done running and let the steam escape. The heat left from the hot water makes the dishes dry quickly... and it's great in the wintertime. Stand over it and let your face get a treatment (just be sure it's not too hot first).

Think about your purchases...

The first step to frugal living!

The line from the new Winnie the Pooh song comes to mind...
"all you have to do is think... think... think..."

My Hubby would probably tell you that I've always had a bit of a frugal tendency, even before I truly got into the coupon & savings way of life. I was especially careful on bigger ticket items.

I have always been one to shop around, sometimes that means I miss out on an item while waiting for it to go on sale. My thought while waiting for a sale is usually that if it's not there when I go to get it on sale, then I probably didn't really need it anyway. I mean... how much do we really need anyway?

I admit it's hard to not want for more or better things sometimes, but how much will that new thing really improve our lives. So often we find it months later just sitting on the shelf with all our other unnecessary "stuff".
I want to leave you with this today...

Next time you thing you just have to have something, whether it be an electronic gadget all the way up to a car, really think about it before you make the purchase. Do some shopping around, some research, and decide if spending the money is really something you should do.

Do consider what else could be done with the money you are about to spend. That often works for me when we eat out. I often have water instead of a soda because I know if I do that a few times the savings add up fast, and I'd much rather be able to run for ice cream or pizza one evening with the money we've saved then have a soda with every meal, or even better... put it in savings and watch it grow!
I also suggest you sleep on it... I've heard of some who literally put their credit cards in the freezer so they have to wait for it to thaw before they can use it so they have time to think before they use it.

As for the credit card... don't use them unless you intend to fully pay them off at the end of the month. When you save 10% on an item, you didn't save anything if you paid a 24% finance fee for not paying the balance off. Don't kid yourself! They are an easy trap to fall into, and if you know they are too easy to swipe and hard for you to pay off, don't carry them! Enough of a lecture about credit cards, I'll post more about them another time.

If you don't have, it don't spend it... sorry, but this goes along with the credit card that I just said I wouldn't talk anymore about, and it's something none of us want to hear either... But, don't buy something with the expectation of paying it off with your next paycheck... Ouch! Something else always happens that costs more than you expected and oops... now you've cost yourself in finance charges.

Buy less & save more! Just the opposite of what we are programmed for in America. If you save your money now, when you really truly need or want something, you will more likely have the money for it.

I'm in need of getting rid of some clutter, not adding more!
How about you?!?!

Frugal & Cheap, is there a difference? My thoughts....

I think people are often mislead by the thought that couponer is someone who is "cheap". I was just thinking that as an avid couponer, I sometimes get looks in the stores or when I mention that I coupon that aren't so nice.

I looked up "cheap" in the wikipedia and it took me to "miser" who is this:

A person who is reluctant to spend money, sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts.


I then looked up "frugal" and got this:

Frugality is the practice of

1. acquiring goods and services in a restrained manner, and
2. resourcefully using already owned economic goods and services, to
3. achieve a longer term goal

By my own definitions....

Cheap
Someone who typically hoards money/things at someone else's expense is cheap.
Someone who doesn't pay their part of the bill in full, trying to skimp on their portion.
Taking extra napkins, creamer, ketchup, etc. from a restaurant counter expecting to leave with them.
Re-gifting to get rid of something.
Living with less for no reason but to keep it all for yourself, greedy.

Frugal
When you buy your friend that book she's been wanting when you found it at a garage sale in great shape for $.50.
Taking home those extra napkins from the restaurant that you intended to use, but didn't end up needing.
Re-gifting when you know that the person receiving the gift will love it!
Living with less to live comfortably within your means, with a goal of giving, retirement, college expenses, etc. in mind.

I coupon to save money for my family typically on things we would already use. I do often buy/or get things free that I can't/won't use in my household, but I do donate what I can of those items.

I'm also careful about spending in other areas, but not to the point of taking things that weren't meant to be mine. I try not to hoard, only to stockpile-although at times it seems to get away from me spilling off of the shelves :)

This is not my own defense in trying to prove to myself that I'm not cheap. I simply have noticed as I save money on things, especially with using coupons, people sometimes have that image about you, so I did a little research to find out the differences. I don't see myself as "cheap" but want to be frugal or thrifty and a good steward of the money God has given my family.

Blessings....