Raindrops on roses? No.

I grew up in a church system and for as long as I remember, always believed in a God. One memory I have was as a young child laying in my bed asking God to send me a sibling. I was lonely as an only child and desperately wanted to have a brother or sister (I never did get a sibling in case you are wondering). As I got older my reliance on God was the same, he was someone that I thought of and prayed to when I was either scared or needed something. I had no relationship with him and knew nothing about him.

Around the age of 27 all that changed when I became a born again Christian. My interest in this thing that I had only heard of , called the Bible, had been building over the prior few months and I realized that there was a way I could actually “get to know” God. Although I had been exposed to some basic Christian teachings during my upbringing, it had no meaning, I never really understood.

The Bible was like a treasure chest of knowledge about God’s plan for all of creation and how I fit in. God created the world and man, but when man sinned, there was a chasm between a sinful man and a Holy God. There was only one way for God to bridge the gap and that was through Jesus and his death on the cross. I too am a sinner (we all are) and when I realized that, I was able to accept Jesus as my Savior and became a true child of God. Praying to an unknown entity throughout my life was not good enough, I needed the Savior in my life.



While being saved was the most important effect of the Bible on my life, I continue to cherish God’s Word, which is what the Bible is. It was written not by men but through men by God as an account of his plan for his creation. But it reads not like an instruction book but as a glorious unfolding of God’s will to redeem men through his Son. While it is simplistic in its overall theme (everything points to the Saviour) it has a depth and beauty that are overwhelming. No contradictions, many fulfilled prophecies, and layers of symbolism that no man could ever write.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2 Tim 3:16-17

Labels: christian living

This is a very simple recipe which I serve as either just a roast or use to make a beef stroganoff.

~3 lb beef roast
1 packet Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix (dry)
1 can cream of mushroom soup or golden mushroom soup

Place roast in the crock and cover with soup mix and mushroom soup. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

To make a stroganoff, I cut up the beef and return to crockpot along with a container of sour cream and some Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 30 mins and serve over noodles.

Super easy.

For more crockpot recipes, check out Slow Cooking Thursday.

Labels: cooking, recipes

This recent article in the NY Times addresses the energy consumption of computers, the biggest culprit I tackled in saving electricity in my home.

The article also mentions a neat device called Kill-A-Watt, something I have been wanting to buy to experimentally prove what gadgets in my home are energy-hogs. The reviews on Amazon will give you an idea of how this device has worked out for people.

Labels: bills, frugality

With gas prices so high I was glad to find this article by Edmunds: What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?

Edmunds actually tested the different theories of how to save on gas consumption and the results were interesting. I have tried to incorporate what I can.

I have also heard that gas prices are higher right before the weekend - I am keeping my eye on prices this week to see if that really plays out. The other tip I have read is to fill your car in the cool of the morning because gas condenses when cool - makes some sense but still not sure there is much to gain there.

It is also important to identify where the cheapest gas station is in your area. The best way is probably just to take a mental note of prices as you drive around but you can also get some clues from online sites like gasbuddy.com.

Finally, the most straightforward way to save on gas is to use less. Try to consolidate all errands keeping in mind the shortest route. If you have two cars, try to use the car with the better gas mileage for errands and for longer trips.

Labels: frugality

About two months ago I decided to see if I could get my electricity bill down.

One of the biggest changes I made was with our computers. We have a desktop and a laptop and both computers were left on all the time though they were in standby mode (which is less energy consumption than being fully powered on). This was a matter of convenience which allowed us to jump on the computer at any time. But the fact was, for many, many hours the computers were not used which was a waste of energy.

I also noticed that the laptop power cord contained a transformer which had a small green light on. That meant that even when the computer was not directly pulling power, the transformer was always pulling some small amount of power (this would be true of other charging cords like for a cell phone). Likewise, we often left our cable box on and just turned off the TV – yet a small light on the cable box told me that power was still being used.

To conserve energy (and money), we began to power down the computer whenever we were done with it. If we would be using the computer later in the day, we would be sure to put it into standby (instead of waiting for the computer to do that itself after being idle) and turn off the monitor (desktop). This was a little less convenient, but it turned out that the desktop was sometimes off for days in a row instead of constantly on (despite not being used).

We also began to use the laptop more - laptops are generally cheaper to run than desktops. And we unplugged the laptop power cord as much as possible (to avoid pulling power through the transformer). Again, when not in use, the laptop was shutdown completely.

In addition to the computers, we tried to be conscientious about turning lights off. We turned the cable box off when not and use. I also tried to not overuse my clothes dryer. Before I would just turn the timer up to some high setting – now I have gotten a feel for the minimum time I need to let the dryer run.

So, did all of this pay off? Yes – we saved $20 off our electricity bill during the first month. Plus I feel better about conserving energy from an environmental perspective. It is now less convenient to just jump on the computer whenever I want (and not have to wait for it to start up), but that convenience is not worth $20 per month.

If you would like to learn more about saving on your electricity cost there is some good information in these articles (and on this website in general): Hidden Electrical Bandits and Electricity Myths.

Labels: bills, finances, frugality

I got this idea from another website and it worked.

We have a combined phone/internet/cable package through Verizon. The prices seem to have slowly crept up since the the initial starting package which is easy to just ignore. However, this is an area where you can use competition to your advantage.

I noticed that another company in our area offered the same type of package for about $30 less than what we are currently paying. So, I called Verizon and mentioned the competitor's package and asked if I could get a discount on my current plan. Verizon agreed to offer me a 1 year promotion which saved me about $30 per month.

I would have been willing to switch to the other company, but by staying with verizon I avoided any installation fees and the potential "we'll be there to hook you up between 9am and 2pm". I am happy with the outcome.

So do your homework. See if you can find a better offer for any of these services (usually you can find pricing online but you may need to call) and then call your current provider with the information and ask for a better deal. It adds up!

Labels: bills, finances, frugality

Yesterday I received some shampoo and and conditioner in the mail from NFO to use for a few weeks and then provide feedback on later. So not only will I get points for the survey (which can be cashed out) but I have some free products to use (and a nicer brand than I usually use).

Through the years I have signed up with many different online survey sites which offer cash or points (which can be redeemed for cash or prizes). But I have only continued with a select few survey sites because many times the effort wasn’t worth the payout. Two of my favorites are ACOP and NFO because the time is worth the effort. I have gotten cash and free products to test from both these companies.

If you are interested in paid surveys, check out my website article on this topic where I list a few other survey companies I like along with other ideas for making a few extra dollars online. If you have any other companies to recommend, please leave a comment.

Labels: extra income, freebies, frugality

Crockpot BBQ Beef

Ingredients:
2 -3lb boneless roast or ribs (beef or pork)
1 cup strawberry preserves
1 small onion chopped
1 green or red bell pepper chopped
2 tbsp prepared mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup BBQ sauce

Mix all ingredients (except the roast) in a bowl. Place roast in crockpot and then pour mixture on top. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Remove roast and slice/shred. Place back in crockpot for about 30 minutes. Serve on store buns (I prefer potato buns).

This recipe is very easy to set up and can be used with different varieties of meat (chicken would probably work also). I don’t even measure and pre-mix the ingredients, I just eyeball and dump them in over the meat one at a time. This is nice in the summer with some corn on the cob.

Labels: recipes

This is good news:
Do less work and save more water when running your dishwasher.

I use my dishwasher anyway because even if hand-washing were cheaper, the time it takes is not worth it to me (balance). The recommendations on the enzyme-based detergents are interesting. I am partial to Cascade, but it appears the cost per load is about three times higher than a Walmart or Costco non-brand detergent.

Two other tips I found for reducing the cost of dishwashing were to turn off the “heat booster” (if I can find it?) and turn off the dry heating at the end of the cycle. It is worth a try (although I worry about water-spots).

This is what it is all about when it comes to the frugal balance - finding ways to do things cheaper without compromising your life. Although in this case, using the dishwasher may actually be the more frugal option (yeah!).

Labels: balance, frugality

If you are unfamiliar with Crown Financial Ministries, I encourage you to visit their website and look around. There is alot of great financial wisdom floating around the internet, but Crown's kingdom mentality makes it a winner for Christians. Just look at their mission statement:

Equipping people worldwide to learn, apply,and teach God's financial principles so they may know Christ more intimately, be free to serve Him, and help fund the Great Commission.

Now that is my dream and one of the reasons I focus on frugality. I don't want to be "rich"in the wordly sense, but I do want to be free from financial burdens to pursue the kingdom. By regulating my spending, I can can put my money to better work - financial freedom and giving.

Labels: finances, frugality

Here is an interesting site: Daytipper.

Daytipper will pay you $3 for any tips you submit which are approved for publication on their site. It is also a good place to look for random answers to things like “how do I remove ink stains from my clothing”. And if you have any good tips to submit, you can make a few bucks.

The tips are sorted into categories. Look around for some interesting ideas.

Labels: extra income