Just curious who else is living super frugal

[ScottnLydia]

My recipe is very basic Kuntrygirl but you are welcome to share it. I cut up and peeled about half a medium sized pumpkin, or as much as will half fill your pan. One onion finely chopped. One carrot peeled and chopped. Spices i added are quarter teaspoon cumin, little less smoked paprika, similar amount of ground ginger. You could add chilli for more spice. Almost cover the vegetables with water/stock, add salt and pepper to taste and simmer gently until everything is tender (about 40 minutes). Mash or blend leaving a few larger pieces. The traditional way to serve it in Europe is with a swirl of sour cream/yoghurt and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Can't wait to try this! THANK YOU!

 

[kuntrygirl]

My recipe is very basic Kuntrygirl but you are welcome to share it. I cut up and peeled about half a medium sized pumpkin, or as much as will half fill your pan. One onion finely chopped. One carrot peeled and chopped. Spices i added are quarter teaspoon cumin, little less smoked paprika, similar amount of ground ginger. You could add chilli for more spice. Almost cover the vegetables with water/stock, add salt and pepper to taste and simmer gently until everything is tender (about 40 minutes). Mash or blend leaving a few larger pieces. The traditional way to serve it in Europe is with a swirl of sour cream/yoghurt and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

   Can't wait to try this!   THANK YOU!

Yes. Thank you!

 

[HeatherLynn]

How is everyone holding up during the Holidays. This really is the hardest time to stay frugal and stick to those budgets. Just keep in mind that stuff doesn't buy happiness but it can undermine your security. Enjoy and have fun but stay frugal. In times of weakness and usually right after talking to my deep in debt friends I read back over the forums or hit the dave ramsey site. Anything to keep myself reminded of what exactly I am trying to do for my family.

In the end its worth more than the latest game or toy. This year my oldest ones opted for a big gift so they are only getting one. They are so used to the budget its not even a question any more. They do know what they are getting and just can't wait to receive them. Its good to know that they will value what they were given instead of having so much they are not sure who gave them what.

 

[ScottnLydia]

Hey HeatherLynn, Thanks for asking.

Our kids are each getting just what they want, and only what we can give. Some lamb, a turkey, some jelly, something knitted by Lydia and a painting by me. Our grandson is getting some fantastic fossils I managed to collect over the year.

We will spend the day together enjoying Christmas presence, not just presents. I totally agree with your sentiment about too many gifts. It confuses 'things' with love, which should be the real focus. We have had a few holidays where we could afford no gifts whatsoever, just a meal, and they were still sweet.

Neither Lydia nor I will have money for gifts for each other again this year, but we're O.K. with that. She's with me every day of the year, what greater gift is there than that?

Seems like whenever we get a little money ahead, it gets spent on feed, or something breaks, or there is a doctor bill, or someone else needs it more. Yup, we're poor, and we got bad-mouthed a lot in this political season. But Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of a guy that was poor too, and I believe He loved us!

~S

 

[newfoundland]

ScottnLydia, I found your post very touching and heartwarming. It sometimes we have strayed so far from the original spirit of Christmas that we worship the god greed! I totally agree with you about the attitudes of some people towards those who have less. My parents brought us up to respect people for who they were and not how much they had acquired. I have raised my children the same. At this Christmas season it is refreshing to re-read, or watch on television, Charles Dickons, A Christmas Carol. It is something we do every year together, just in case anyone should forget that human charity is at the heart of the Christmas message. I particularly like the part where Scrooge tells Marley's ghost that he, Marley, was a good man of business, and Marley reminds him that 'Mankind was my business'. It would do us all good to remember that.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I guess you could call me a frugality/debt free zealot because the excess of these holidays really upsets and depresses me. It really does. Once upon a time I would watch and sorta laugh. Now I just feel despair because I know what that excess leads to. How many divorces and even violents deaths because of a failed family do we see. Too many of these are linked to financial trouble which could be avoided. My only twinges are when someone really really wants something and its totally not in the budget but a bit of lecturing myself usually helps.

All that being said, I am glad to be done with all my holiday shopping on budget, online, and with free shipping. The kids may not be getting as much but they have more of us. I gave my kids the option once after they complained of something expensive a friend got for a birthday. I would go to work and put them in public school and they could have an iphone and an Ipad and we could afford yearly Disney vacations. They started crying and said they didn't want me gone all the time, they wanted me with them. We talked a bit afterwards and they understand that staying home with them and being available to them all the time comes with a price. The price is having less stuff. They decided for themselves they would be good with that. Of course it helps that a couple friends have told them how lucky they are because their mom and dad does so much with them and someone is always home.

Being frugal is not always easy because its not very popular but it sure has a lot of other rewards. If ya'll need encouragement pop on here and the rest of us will help you stay on budget or give ideas for frugal gifts.

 

[DennisK]

HELLO and HOWDY folks! I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Day. Our turkey didn’t come from our yard this year because they haven’t matured yet - other than that, all is well here in Central California. This morning, the news is all ablaze over the BLACK FRIDAY madness. Jennifer and I are happily sipping our coffee, safely at home, wrapped in robe and slippers. Life is good! I love this time of year because I get to eat a slice of pumpkin pie with my morning coffee. Pumpkin pie is my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner – I made two to them for this very purpose. For Christmas, I will need to think of some special way to tell Jennifer that I love her. We won’t be spending much money which is OK – love shouldn’t be something that can only be purchased with money. Hang in there, Hetherlynn, with your frugal efforts. Scottnlydia, and Newfoudland: RIGHT ON!!

 

[ScottnLydia]

HELLO and HOWDY folks! I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Day. Our turkey didn’t come from our yard this year because they haven’t matured yet - other than that, all is well here in Central California. This morning, the news is all ablaze over the BLACK FRIDAY madness. Jennifer and I are happily sipping our coffee, safely at home, wrapped in robe and slippers. Life is good! I love this time of year because I get to eat a slice of pumpkin pie with my morning coffee. Pumpkin pie is my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner – I made two to them for this very purpose. For Christmas, I will need to think of some special way to tell Jennifer that I love her. We won’t be spending much money which is OK – love shouldn’t be something that can only be purchased with money. Hang in there, Hetherlynn, with your frugal efforts. Scottnlydia, and Newfoudland: RIGHT ON!!

Hey Dennis, missed ya buddy! I'm right there with you on pumpkin pie for breakfast, it is a veg, right? Pumpkin pie is our son and grandsons contribution. Brandon has been making them since he was 8 and now has taught his son the art. Lydia makes the stuffing, gravy and pecan pie, and our daughter, Paige, takes care of the potatoes, sweet and mash, as well as the veg. Her husband, Jason, provides his home brewed delights to those who partake (of which I am not one).

Me? I just provide and cook 'da boid".

~S

 

[DennisK]

Hey Dennis, missed ya buddy! I'm right there with you on pumpkin pie for breakfast, it is a veg, right? Pumpkin pie is our son and grandsons contribution. Brandon has been making them since he was 8 and now has taught his son the art. Lydia makes the stuffing, gravy and pecan pie, and our daughter, Paige, takes care of the potatoes, sweet and mash, as well as the veg. Her husband, Jason, provides his home brewed delights to those who partake (of which I am not one).

Me? I just provide and cook 'da boid".

~S

Hay Scott! Jennifer and I have been busy cutting firewood for the winter. We are also expanding our garden area for this coming spring. We were hoping to put in a winter crop, but it looks like we won’t be able to fit that into our schedule, this year. It sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving! You and Lydia are so fortunate to have a close family to share these cold winter holidays!

 

[Peep_Show]

Our local store was having a T-Day special of buy $30 in groceries and get a free Jennie-O frozen 10-12 lb. turkey....and not a one per customer deal, either. So we ended up with 3 turkeys in a week (it's amazing how easy it is to spend $30 in a store especially when you have a pantry and freezer).. one was smoked for T-day, one is brining right now and one is in the freezer. I would've done more, but our freezer is packed!

re: Frugal Christmas
For friends and family I gave up on buying stuff... besides, I think the homemade stuff is more meaningful and quaint. I got into making jams and jellies this summer when the fruits were plentiful (and cheap!), so each recipient is getting an assortment two or more of the following flavors: Strawberry/rhubarb jam, three-pepper jelly, mango/lime jam, prickly pear jelly, dark cherry jam, gingered plum jam, balsamic strawberry jam. I did a lot of the flavors in the 4 oz. jars which also makes handy-dandy "thank you" gifts for when folks cover our work shifts when we're away. It's nice to have a supply at the ready and folks really seem to enjoy them....really easy to make festive gift packs, too.