Since I'm Behind...

...I'll continue to procrastinate and post one of my new favorite recipes as well as some changes we've made recently at the Bowers' casa.

A few months ago I began to feel convicted regarding the use of our time and money as a family and on a personal level. As it happened, B had begun to experience the same feelings, so we've worked together to do a major budget over hall and have cut back on most things in our lives. As a pleasant surprise, I have found this change to be very satisfying. Interesting how that worked out. :)

I've started couponing-not like the participants of the TLC show Extreme Couponing, though I've picked up some tips by watching-and have literally cut our expenses (all household and grocery) by more than 50%. Huge. And I primarily shop at Kroger and Target-the two stores I've always shopped.

Couponing has taken many, many hours of clipping, sorting, and filing the coupons, routinely checking weekly sale ads, and learning the coupon policy for each store, but the benefits are huge and I'm figuring it out.

Shout out to Grandmama & Jody for saving/clipping coupons for me! Thanks sweet ladies! I also have a 'supplier' in the area who generously offers me her coupons every few weeks. This lady and I have never met, but she posted an ad on craigslist, right after I began my budget shopping, offering to give away her extra coupons. I've been able to take her items I 'buy' for free as a trade-off of sorts, though she doesn't require anything in return. Hopefully she's as happy with our relationship as am I. :)

One of my (many) rules: Only buy items for which I have a coupon and that are on sale. This is not hard once you get used to it.

My good friend, Andrea, and I also make our own laundry detergent. We bought the ingredients at Kroger for about $6 total and have already made a 6 month supply for each of our families and still have more than half of two of the three ingredients left. So, for less than $6, we can make enough liquid laundry detergent to last about 1 year. Cha-ching! Subtract $10-$15 per month from our expenses!

I have used Era and Tide in the past because I like the fact that my clothes do not smell like detergent after washing them. This homemade detergent smells like lemon, but does not transfer that odor to the clothes. (You can add essential oil such as lavender if you'd like.) Have I mentioned it's CHEAP?!

If you'd like the recipe, go to www.duggarfamily.com, click on 'Michelle's Home', then click on 'Laundry Soap.'

We have a high efficiency (major sigh, my other one died recently and these high efficiency washers are all the rage-translation: pretty much all that are available) washer and this detergent works fine in it. I do add a rinse cycle and wash with hot water when I wash our workout clothes.

We also eat out much less frequently and I'm really enjoying cooking again. Gift cards for restaurants in our area are often available at a fraction of the cost of the actual gift card. Ex: I purchased 2 gift cards last month to nice restaurants for $2 each. Each of the 2 gift cards were valued at $25. Yes, please!

Anther change that's been a blast and super satisfying is that I'm no longer buying any clothes for the boys unless they're at least half of the retail price. I primarily shop at Once Upon a Child (a resale shop here in town-can't wait to hit the one in Dallas this weekend!) and Goodwill (I find something fabulous about every other time I go; Ralph Lauren, Gap, Old Navy, Hilfiger, etc.). I did pick up some tees for $4 at Gymboree last week (Plus one on clearance for $.74 after my coupon!), which is $12 less than the regular price, only because I was at the mall to let the boys play and I had a coupon they'd mailed to me.

I would LOVE to hear from you any budgeting tips you have, as I'm always looking for creative ways to cut back. :)