Let's just say I am MAD for bamboo--its informal chic, not its Asian style. I always look twice at bamboo items, from rattan magazine racks to tortoiseshell blinds, even the metal Chinese Chippendale chairs I found for my table.
I certainly couldn't pass up these gold bamboo frames for fifty cents apiece. They've been in the garage for a while, but today we'll swap the paper cuttings inside for art by the kids.
Elise and I sorted the books in her room while we cleaned. I'm still trying to find our favorite picture books in board book format. We've had one too many ripped pages. $6 seems kind of steep for new board books, so I'm watching the yard sales nearby.
In case you're wondering, I removed the post about my Ziploc clothing storage system. There were too many questions of safety raised in the comments for me to feel comfortable. I am NOT concerned for my children's access to the storage area, but I would be worried that you might not be as careful as I have been.
We try to keep things light and polite at Like Merchant Ships. Maybe that's why the tone of those comments stung so much. As always, it is YOUR responsibility to temper the ideas you find here with your own good judgment.
Join the club. I'm putting on a podcast to distract me from a fall deep clean. It's Labor Day weekend, and I want my husband to relax in a tidy house. At least for the first day!
Do you like to do your big clean after the weekend or before?
I found this ABC News interview with the Economides family on 20/20. It's an interesting peek at a family of 7 who lives on less than $35,000 a year. They call themselves "the Warren Buffet of groceries." (Warning: you have to sit through a commercial to watch the clip.)
You may recall that I didn't think the Economides' book lived up to its hype, but I did like the grocery and meal planning advice.
Q: I have a very hard time with spray starch, I never seem to be able to get it right. Could you explain a little bit about what you use and how you use it?
A: We like our cotton shirts heavily starched. A military friend suggested I try boxed starch powder. I thought it was too much trouble until I saw some at Dollar Tree, and overtaken by curiosity, tried it. I had to call my grandma for advice.
It's hard to justify a new hobby when I can buy handknit sweaters like this soft darling. Just Elise's size for winter and the prettiest pale blue you've ever seen. The owl pattern continues along the back.
I exchanged an item my mom bought at Goodwill for the 99-cent cardigan.
Bad news: I'm having some trouble with Blogger this morning.
Good news: I scrutinized the latest insurance billing while I waited for the photos to upload. I discovered a $300 mistake in my favor!
Bad news: Our slightly-looser-but-still-tight budget continues until the next pay period.
Good news: I splurged on this little handpainted pot for a quarter.
I am always drawn to handmade items. These colors are perfect for my living room!
So many of you asked about my "target price" card: a short list of grocery items and the prices at which I stock up on them.
Here's a perfect example of the pantry principle and price list in action. We have been scraping our last jar of sale-price mayo for a month now, waiting for the right price for a stock-up. We're a Hellman's family, but we also find Duke's to be nearly as good.
This week Hellman's went on sale for $2.50. Duke's was priced even lower, at $1.50 (my target price point). Each jar is good through May 2008, so I bought enough jars to last us until then.
Why buy ahead at this price?
For one, you'll never make a grocery run for mayonnaise! But the savings are not insignificant. Let's say your family uses one jar of mayo each month. For ease of calculation, that's 10 jars through the expiration date of May.
Regular price ($3) - Sale Price ($1.50) x 10 jars = $15 savings
But wait! Let's investigate a common excuse. Why not just buy generic, save just as much, and not store 10 jars?
Generic brand ($1.79) - Sale Price Name Brand ($1.50) x 10 jars = $2.90 savings over generic brand
You can get the brand you really want AND save $2.90, if you have room to store 10 jars. I might not give up a lot of pantry space for a five cent savings per item. Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is both shelf-stable and high dollar. $15 savings plus convenience makes it worth a pantry stock-up for my family.
UPDATED: No sooner had I posted this than Publix marked Hellman's mayonnaise buy-one-get-one-free at $2.23...that's $1.11 a jar! (Of course, I also noticed that the jar had suddenly become slimmer at 30 oz instead of 32!) I'm going to amend my target price card to $1.25 for Hellman's.
Yesterday I planned deviled eggs for a picnic. I woke to find my husband already boiling and peeling all 30 eggs for me! Here's how I make the filling for a dozen egg batch:
I have made hundreds of deviled eggs in the last 8 years, but each batch turns out a little differently. Lately we've omitted the pickle relish in favor of curry.
My 5-year-old just used the word "cumbersome" out of the blue. I asked him if he knew what it means. He gave the the correct definition, then called me "timid" for being scared to look it up myself.
He had just watched a short preview of Word Girl. The new PBS show airs September 3rd. Here's to more "free" TV programming that works!
Mrs. Elliot of Unfolding Grace is a kindred spirit. Not only has she adopted my motto of "cheerful frugality," she demonstrates it beautifully.
Check out how much money she saved by waiting for the secondhand items on her wish list.
My five-year-old has been reading an oldie but goodie, Rainy Day Surprises You Can Make
Just mix 3 Tbsp. cocoa, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. milk, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract on a plate.
Roll 4 banana halves in the smooth mixture and freeze on waxed paper overnight.
Easy, inexpensive ways to keep your kids cool in this August heat:
Thanks for your patience! I finally emptied my inbox. If you've written with a question that has not been answered, please email me again at likemerchantships@yahoo.com. Sometimes real letters get sent to bulk mail in error.
Now, on to those comments!
Deb at Homespun Living serves up some gorgeous pantry photos. She also links to a new book (and blog!): The Pantry: Its History and Modern Uses.
From the archives:
Vintage walk-in pantry
Organizing a pantry cabinet when your house is on the market
Just a reminder to local readers: the Music City Bloggers site has organized a picnic to celebrate the local blogging community, this Sunday afternoon at Sevier Park. Barring extreme heat and sick kids, I plan to attend.
This shy blogger has never met any of the others in person. Please do say hello if you are there!
The birthday banner post brought out one of my favorite frugal points:
It is ALWAYS correct to send a handwritten note instead of a greeting card.
Greeting cards (of any price) are fine, so long as they are appropriate to the occasion AND include your own note. Check Amy Vanderbilt
I love it when the frugal option is also the most exclusive! According to my favorite Miss Manner's Guide To Painfully Proper Weddings
When Hallmark sets the cultural gold standard, sometimes you can't convince everyone. I pick the decent cards from Dollar General's 50-cent rack for my card-loving relatives. Dollar Tree stores have a similar selection.
Don't despair! While everyone else hits Walgreens, we can acquire their old stationery for pennies. Most of my blank notes come from yard sales and thrift stores. The Crane
From the archives:
Greeting Card Organizer
Mismatched Christmas Cards
The Sparrow Post Family Mailbox
Children's Thank You Notes
Photo Of The Week Notes For Grandparents
I went a little nuts after Thanksgiving last year. My pantry had far too many cans of pumpkin and cranberry sauce! I made a triple batch of whole wheat pumpkin muffins. My kids will eat them if I put 3 chocolate chips on top, not a bad nutritional trade.
I had an odd amount of batter left in the bowl. I usually bake any extra in a disposable loaf pan instead of making a half sheet of muffins. It's easy to pull a loaf from the freezer for meal deliveries.
Posting has been light as my broken filling became a constant ache. My dentist worked me in after his vacation; even better, he did not charge me for the repair.
I forgot to mail a card for my mother-in-law's birthday. (To save on fragile shipping, I brought her gift when we visited, tucking it into a closet for August.) We made a birthday banner and emailed pictures of the kids instead. Not quite as good, but good enough--and free.
Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Deuteronomy 28:5 
We are eating quite well from our pantry and freezer; I'm lucky to have browned ground beef frozen in bags, tons of tomato products, and pasta of many shapes.
So far the staples have become spaghetti (natch), egg lasagna, vegetable soup, and a cold pasta salad with a $1 bag of Kroger gumbo vegetables. (Just pour the frozen veggies into the drained pasta to thaw.)
Now, about those two big bags of frozen whitefish nobody seems to like...
Repeat after me: I am so excited by our new budget! I relish the challenge of making do.
We had to break out the inflatable pool yesterday. Can I just brag on my husband a little? He's the world's best dad!
above, yard sale Quizmo, 10 cents
Cash-only budgets help when you're straddling two pay periods. No overdraft fees--or those interest charges you get when the bank "helpfully" protects you from overdraft by letting you debit $500 beyond zero. (You can opt out of that generous program, you know!)
If we're really stretching, I divide the amount of money by the number of days left. $10 a day seems more concrete.
How did I miss that Joy In The Journey is back to blogging?
Don't you miss her homemade pirate ship cake, though. I never realized Playmobil figures make such incredible cake toppers!
One good side effect of a no-spend weekend: we surveyed the garage and found materials to complete a number of projects. Would you believe we've had these pegs since we were married? We mounted the bar low enough for little hands to hang their own towels.
Tip: You can install a wooden towel bar on a hollow-core door by using Liquid Nails, not screws.
We also recycled a glass cover for the pantry's bare bulb. A little light should improve my attitude, if not my cooking!
I unearthed this funky vintage runner in another long-packed box. I think I'll hang it in the pantry. It goes with all the aprons!
I didn't have much money to spend at the school band's yard sale. We arrived mid-morning, but I still nabbed a few great nature books. Andrew spotted this 70's Little People Sesame Street Playhouse marked only a QUARTER!
Sarah (Mommy, Are The Toys On Sale?) has been buying vintage toys for resale, so I quickly okayed his purchase. At least we'd get a quarter's worth of play from it.
I looked up the going rate of vintage Little People on Ebay when we returned. $8 (and counting!) for this Grover? Amazing! Andrew started jumping up and down, shouting "I'm rich, I'm rich! How much will I get for all the Little People?"
What looked like a fun toy was about to hit the auction block. Finding these vintage Little People will be a fantastic first business for my son. After all, he already spends all his yard sale time digging through toy boxes.
You can always tell when the temperature soars here in TN: my blogroll also zooms. In case you're also hiding in the A/C, let me share a few interesting links from the week.
Katherine at Raising Five explains why good homemakers content themselves with "good enough" housekeeping. Here, here!
I rarely mention the same blog in one week, but I couldn't let this one by. Look how Kara painted a pair of stained white shoes to match her little girl's outfit. Even cooler--she dubs the practice "refashion."
Elena shares the 28 things she's learned by her 28th anniversary. It's so rare to find an honest--yet hopeful--portrayal of happy marriage.
Somehow I found Cara's Green Bean blog and her Waldorf toy tutorials. Since Elise loves wrapping things around her, I should definitely make her some playsilks. Can I cut up an old silk skirt for that?
I just received two catalogs from Montessori Services. They've inspired me with honest, child-friendly tools. But oh, no! I think I just gave away our copy of The Red Letter Book, which the catalog sells for $20.
Kathryn's Ink Blot shares more photos of Alexandra Stoddard's cottage from her Happiness Weekend in Stonington last year. Beautiful!
Like the rest of the Internet, I'm following the No Impact Man project. I really enjoyed today's post about a beach trip, in which Colin discovers what you have sometimes beats what you want.
My family discovered Percy Priest Lake's beach this summer.
To cover our car repair, I need to reduce all other spending. A first step is eating from the pantry and freezer. Let's not pretend that mine didn't need cleaning, anyway!
I took a couple of hours to wipe shelves, sort products, and list possible meals from the pantry and freezer. I can still buy fresh produce, but I need to convert "raw goods" like flour and sugar into waffles, bread, and snacks.
On my list for later today:
Check the desk for any checks which need to be deposited.
Gather all spare change from around the house.
See if there are any items which need to be returned to a store for cash or credit.
Box up old DVDs and CDs for the pawn shop that buys them outright.
Edited to change the title. "What to do when you're broke" just seemed too negative for this blog!
We've had two whopping car repairs this month, the kind that emptied our "car envelope" and then some. What do you do in this situation?
Why deprive yourself for a month when you could simply save a little extra the next 3 months?
How many times have you said you would pay back your savings account, and then never did? Artificial scarcity challenges you to beat your budget right now. It gives you the panic you need to crack down on unnecessary spending. It makes you feel poor, and that's a good thing.
The tighter our money, the more creative our budgeting becomes. If I can "make do" for this pay period, then I don't have to pay back my savings from the next 3 pay periods. We can refill the car repair envelope instead.
I'm grateful that this temporary poverty is an artificial construct. Many Americans don't have that luxury. Those of us who do should not take it for granted.
The shame, the shame. My spice cabinet has been a mess since we moved here. Tupperware, cheap bottles, little bags--you name it, it's tumbled down this narrow shelf.
I was ready to throw it all out and start over when I found this $4 spice carousel at Thrift Smart. Only 4 of its bottles had ever been opened. The spices inside smell fresher than my own, so I'm keeping them. The rack holds savory herbs and fits in the cabinet next to my stove. My leftover baking spices can fit in the pantry's baking caddy.
First Thomas, then Dora, now Barbie. Perhaps I shouldn't have suggested so lightly that I empty the whole toy bin?
I checked the origins of our favorite toys today:
Steph at Adventures in Babywearing reminded us that even Melissa and Doug wooden toys are made in China. I followed Steph to Musings of a Crunchy, Domestic Goddess, where I found the following site:
I'd like to say that my conscience is as green as my favorite burlap tote. In truth, I switched to cloth shopping bags when my curious baby started wrapping plastic sacks around her neck. (Everything is a scarf to her, including underwear.)
I just couldn't live with the danger of suffocation. Sometimes I forget, but shopping with cloth bags is largely second nature.
Now if only I could get another pair of arms to carry all these yard sale totes!
I don't know about you, but I've really enjoyed Scribbit's collection of cheap and easy kid crafts this summer. So far, the box top mazes and chiseling frozen toys have been our favorites.
Like Merchant Ships has grown up. I'm finally getting ad queries and product review offers like the big girls. I'd like to put on paper some blog policies I've made this summer.
When you read Like Merchant Ships, I guarantee that...
These decisions are subject change as my family's needs change, but not without letting you know first.
Please note, these choices are a reflection of Like Merchant Ships' philosophy, not a criticism of your own.
These madeleine pans are two of my grandmother's which I was lucky to buy back from my aunt's yard sale. Since I don't bake cookies as often as I used to, they've been gathering dust in my cabinet.
Until I saw Kara's brainstorm. The sun was so hot, her kids melted old crayons in the fanciful tins--outside. I know we've all seen that crayon recycling tip, but I'll bet you've never seen it interpreted so beautifully...
This summer, we fell into a lazy pattern: having a fast-food breakfast once or twice a week.
Breakfasts are cheap, as restaurant meals go. The kids and I could split one platter while my husband and I enjoyed quiet conversation.
Oh, what an innocent trap. Vacation is over, but the whines are just beginning. "Can't we GO somewhere for breakfast? I want pancakes...and not the brown ones that you make." Ugh.
My first instinct is to slop up some gruel and command them: eat, or go hungry, enough of this nonsense!
Not much grace in that, though. After all, I created the situation. Down South we say that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar--or in this case, waffle syrup. A surprise breakfast in bed brought a little sweetness to our morning.
Tomorrow, Goldilocks and the 3 bears taste test porridge. Keep your fingers crossed, y'all.
Suzanne's five boys make weapons with a broken chair. Check out the cool results at Blessed Among Men.
Better not show this to Andrew!
I was so tickled to see Like Merchant Ships mentioned by Happy Hearts at Home and Morning Ramble. Both Patty and Alexandra honored me with the Frugal Subversive award. Created by Down To Earth, this meme was designed to highlight those who "live frugally in a creative and authentic way."
I rarely use blog space for memes. But, since the Frugal Subversive award is topical, I'd like to share 3 blogs which sharpen my perspective:
Stephanie at Stop The Ride is a never-ending font of creative industry.
I dig a little garden patch...she forages for wild greens AND borrows extra garden space from a neighbor. I make a few pans of green beans for a luncheon...Stephanie's already canned enough for the entire winter. I install a used porch light...her family's recycled wood for a new deck, planed trees for siding, and oh, yes, planted flowers in the leftover tree trunks.
Jenn at Frugal Upstate stands out for her attention to detail.
Her lifestyle shows depth and analysis uncommon to most frugal blogs.
You won't find the same old detergent recipe there--Frugal Upstate gives laundry instructions so complete , they were reprinted in Parents magazine. No quick "bring your own lunch" tip--Jenn compiles a complete Princess Lunchbox Report and keeps it updated on the sidebar. She won't vent about the work of a made-from-scratch Christmas--Jenn recommends an immediate after-action review, shares her own mistakes, and links to the official military AAR handbook.
Amy at Humble Musings writes a lot about simple living...in her words, "discarding those things that hinder our mission to glorify God."
Amy's not a frugal blogger by category, but she does that pretty well, too. When she's not writing about family life in a way that makes my keyboard ache, Amy charts a plan for her family's future and then finds the land on which to do it. No other blogger reminds me so convincingly that things are temporal; frugality, a means to an end.
Thank you, ladies, for continuing to inspire me on my journey.
Here are the Frugal Subversive guidelines, should you choose to participate:
1. When you are tagged, write a post with links to three blogs who have inspired you with their frugal creativity or innovation.
2. In your post, please link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme and save the award graphic.
3. Leave a comment or message for the bloggers you’re tagging, so they they know they're received the award.
4. Display the Frugal Subversive Award badge to identify your blog as part of the movement that is turning its back on consumerism at any cost.
Carrie at Life With Us shares a free decorating resource: Flickr photos. She gives a couple of search links to get you started.
It's been too hot to yard sale in earnest, at least with kids along. Yesterday, we stopped at one neighborhood church. Church sales are my favorite: lots of ten-cent items, vintage kitchenware, odds and ends all in one place...with air conditioning!
We brought home a LeapPad with 5 book sets, specialty LEGO pieces, 48 Wilton tartlet shells, 3 Tupperwares, basket gift bags, 5 rolls of new Hallmark paper, 8 funnels and a bottle of vanilla room spray. I paid $8. The Leap Pad set cost $5 and can be resold when the novelty wears off.
I didn't need much of this, but I will enjoy it all. The funnels and tartlet tins make for excellent kitchen play.
