Thrifty Times

It seems young people are stuck on activities that involve money - a trip to the mall, a movie, going out to eat, etc.  Two or three teens get together and they are asking for cash.  Here are some suggestions for activities that do not cost money:

Many "prepared" ingredients can be made for a fraction of the grocery store purchase price.  Here is a recipe for Seasoned Salt:

• 1 c. salt
• t. Thyme
• 1 1/2 t. Oregano
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 2 1/2 t paprika
• 1 t. curry powder
• 2 t. dry mustard
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1/4 t. dired dill

Mix well.  This goes great on poultry and fish and contains no MSG!

The perminent link for this recipe can be found here: Seasoned Salt 

  {mos_sb_discuss:6}

When our four children were young we were given advice from a friend who had started her family of 4 about 10 years before we did.  Her advice? Carrots and celery.  Buy them in bulk we were told, and feed them to the kids during the “hunger” stage about an hour and a half before dinner.  As it turned out, Ellen, my wife became known for her “brilliant” way of getting our kids to eat vegetables.  We expanded from the celery and carrots and included broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, and peppers.  To this day all four children continue their learned pattern of being good vegetable eaters.  But, best of all – we gave our children healthy food and saved loads of money by avoiding expensive, sugar laden “snacks”.  Here are several thoughts on healthy and inexpensive alternative snacks for children:

This is a touching Easter story as experienced from a 9th grader. 

The Rich Family in Church

by Eddie Ogan

I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12 and my older sister Darlene was 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.

By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.

Redistribute Wealth Without Government Intervention

Governments have risen and fallen on the idea of redistributing wealth.  Political parties brag on how much of your and my taxes they “give away.”   University professors equate compassion with taking other people’s money and giving it to someone less fortunate.  (Ironically these professors work for the very universities exposed in the last few weeks as hording billions in endowment funds!)  We could get into deep discussions on governmental wealth redistribution, but instead I would like to introduce you to another way to redistribute wealth that does not involve the government.  Instead it involves you and me voluntarily giving and receiving.  Here in the US we have the infrastructure and plenty of willing participants to pull it off.  I am talking about donating and buying from Thrift and Resale stores.

Here are some basics you should know when donating and buying from Thrift and Resale stores:

According to enegrystar.gov "ENERGY STAR qualified lighting provides bright, warm light but uses at least 2/3 less energy than standard lighting, generates 70 percent less heat, and lasts up to 10 times longer." 

These are not your father's energy star bulbs.  Now brighter and warmer and closer to the incandescent bulb.  Energy star shows how you can save $60 per year with a few minuts of work and a minimal investment.

Proper storage of produce can mean the difference between a delicious meal or a trash can filled with a rotten mess. However, the ideal storage environment for fruits and vegetables differs widely.

For the typical household it is simply impractical to have multiple temperature storages each with multiple relative humidities.

But don’t give up!  Your produce can last nearly as long if you follow some basic steps.  Follow these simple rules for longer lasting fresh produce:

The United States government has a wonderful website of interest and help for personal finances.  It is part of their FirstGov system.  The website states this about itself:

Do you want to learn how to save, invest, and manage your money better?

MyMoney.gov can help you.

MyMoney.gov is the U.S. government's website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education. Whether you are planning to buy a home, balancing your checkbook, or investing in your 401k, the resources on MyMoney.gov can help you do it better. Throughout the site, you will find important information from 20 federal agencies government wide.