Minimalism

A friend posted this link on Facebook. It really hit home to me.

When we were facing low balance alerts in our checking account - our only account - we had to really reevaluate our lives. We started selling everything we could.

When we went through the thought process of what we could sell, we had to evaluate what we could live without. Sure, we got that ping pong table for free when my husband pulled it out of the garbage, but did we NEED it. No. We ended up selling it for $50. The same story goes for our air hockey table. Sure, those things provided great fun for our kids, but we needed to be able to pay our bills and put food on the table.

As it turned out, getting rid of a bunch of our junk allowed our basement to become a very open space. Since our daughters were sharing a room at the time, the extra space lent itself to an extra bedroom. It's not a finished basement or anything, but it has a sliding glass door and a closet, so it could technically be used as a bedroom. One thing led to another and it became a bedroom for my husband and myself. We love it down there. It wouldn't have been possible to do without getting rid of some of our stuff that cluttered it.

As a design major, I also find that minimalism is the most aesthetically pleasing to me. We live in an uncluttered home (just ignore my desk). It makes it easy on the eyes, easy on the checkbook (since we're not trying to constantly fill it with stuff), and it makes it easier to clean.

After reading this, I urge you to evaluate your life and see what you could live without. Where can you minimize?

Coupon Alert!

Michaels Stores has a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase. Follow this link and print your coupon before you go to the store or just show the coupon on your phone at checkout!

"You're moving?"

In today's market, it's tough to sell your house. There are that many have had success though, so congrats to them!

If you hear that your friend has sold their house, congratulate them. It can be a very trying time for a family. Trying to coordinate selling your house and finding a new place to live can be very intense. Make sure you offer to help them move. And when you do, be sure to casually ask if there is anything they are getting rid of. No one wants to take all of their junk with them. It's a hassle. Nothing like a move to make your reevaluate your possessions and figure out what to purge.

Some friends of ours just sold their house (CONGRATS!). My friend mentioned that the buyers didn't want their hot tub.

"Really? What are you doing with it?

"I don't know. We'll have to get rid of it."

"Ummm... Can I have it?"

"Yes!"

Suhweeeeet! Guess who has a hot tub now? ME! And it was free. In the process of moving it, we do need to build a new frame, but we are handy enough to be able to handle that. I even have my eyes out for some free or cheep treated lumber on Craigslist. People take down their decks all the time and want people to come and take the treated wood. I've seen the posts. Now I just need to wait for the right moment. If I get the lumber for free, that means we have an awesome hot tub for the cost of some screws and some manual labor.

In fact, our friends were so grateful that we were taking it for them that they cooked us lunch and helped find some big dudes to help move it.

The point of this post isn't just to brag about my new (to me) hot tub. It's to show my Thrifty Readers that sometimes being bold with your questions can sometimes get you something awesome and help everyone out in the process.

Anyone have any similar experiences? Did you help a friend move? Did you recently move and give away all your stuff? I want to hear about it. :-)

Own a Home without a Mortgage

I came across this video and couldn't help but share it. Maybe you're not into exactly what they do, but you could certainly learn tips of ingenuity, minimalism, and contentment. While *I* wouldn't do this, my husband likely would it if we could figure out where to put three kids. He's hard core like that.

 

Shotgun Shack

This family of 3 lives in a 320 sq ft house and even homeschool their son. They run a business next door. It is all simplifying and focusing on "what you have and not what you don't have." They even have a guest bed. I think this is a great idea if you can make it work. Discuss what you think in the comments.

Thanks to my friend Coot for sharing the link with me!

Thrifty or Cheap?

I need to write a real post, but I figured I'd give you insight to my life.

I was looking for a hair clip the other day and couldn't find it. I'm cheap enough that I only have one, so I know when it goes missing. I found it today. My clever (and equally cheap) husband used it to fix our torn shower curtain. Lol.

 

It really is a lifestyle. ;-)

Roadkill

Sorry I've been gone for almost a week! I had some medical issues that left me too dizzy to function. I'm all better now, though, so on to the thriftiness.

Don't worry. I'm not talking about dead animals.

In our house, roadkill is what you call stuff you find on the side of the road. You can find anything from winter gloves and hats to shelving units to clocks to appliances.

A few years ago, we were driving along and someone was getting rid of a big ol' clock. We picked it up. A few days later, we needed a favor (still unemployed at this time). We found a friend that was willing to do the favor for, you guessed it, the grandmother clock.

If you hear of a company or store going out of business, don't be afraid to ask them what they are going to do with all of their stuff. There was a nearby store that had some furniture for their waiting area. When we heard they were going out of business, we asked them what they were going to do with the couch and chair. "Just get rid of them." Oh really? Because they were in fabulous condition and that sounded absurd. We got to pick those up (which we then bartered for a guy to do work on my husband's truck).

Even if I tried, I'm pretty sure I couldn't list all of the stuff that we have gotten or found for free over the years. It's all about keeping your eyes peeled! You never know what you might find.

If you have done this before list your roadkill in the comments.

Tutorial Tuesday - DIY Cake Pops!

If you are planning a bridal shower, birthday party, or baby shower, this could really help you. If you aren't and you just like chocolate, you'll appreciate this just as much.

A friend of mine is getting married soon. For her bridal shower, they expected around 100 guests. I asked the hostess if I could help in anyway and she mentioned they didn't have any favors yet. Even if we discovered a favor for a dollar a piece, $100 was still more than what we wanted to spend. Here is a great favor for about $0.30 a piece.

Today, we are going to learn to make

Cake Pops! 

These are really easy to make, but they take time. Your guests will love them and they'll be absolutely worth it.



What You Need: (Amounts depend on how many you want to make)

• Cake Mix (and the ingredients listed on the box)*
• Frosting
• Lollipop Sticks
• Treat bags with ties
• Almond Bark/Baker's Chocolate
• Sprinkles (optional)
• Custom Stickers (optional)
• Cookie Sheets
• Parchment Paper
• Plate/bowl
• Styrofoam 
• Food Coloring (optional)

*Each box of cake mix makes about 40-50 cake pops

Directions:

• Bake your cake like normal. Let cool.

• Line Cookie Sheets with Parchment Paper.
• Empty baked cake into a large bowl.
• Add 8oz frosting per cake in the bowl.

• Mix together with your hands (should be a thick consistency) - this will be messy, so have paper towels close by. Enlist your kids and have a blast!

• Form 1in balls with cake mixture and place on Parchment Paper. Do this until all of your mix is gone.

• Put cookie sheets into freezer for 1 hour. (I left mine in overnight just due to life's demands)

• Melt chocolate according to directions. 
• Dip about a 1/2in of each lollipop stick into the chocolate and put halfway through the cake ball. (The ball will have a flat spot from sitting on the cookie sheet, so this is a good spot to insert the stick.)
• Let the chocolate set.

• Dip the ball into the melted chocolate. Tap off the excess chocolate. You will have greater success with this step if the ball and chocolate are cool and set from when you inserted the stick. (If chocolate is too thick, you can add shortening to thin it out. Do not use butter.)
• If you'd like sprinkles, pour over ball while the chocolate is still wet. Pour the sprinkles over a bowl or plate to collect anything that drops. You'll be able to reuse these sprinkles in the bowl. This gets messy.

• Stand the Cake Pop upright into the Styrofoam. This will allow them to dry without having a flat spot.

• While the Cake Pops dry, add your custom stickers to the Treat Bags.

• Once set, wrap with the Treat Bag.

These make great favors and taste delicious. You can use all sorts of combinations for flavors of cake, frosting, and Almond Bark. My favorite is chocolate cake, white frosting, and vanilla almond bark.

I happened to run out of sprinkles and had extra almond bark. I decided to decorate several of them in blue and brown. Just remember that the decoration on the outside helps hide imperfections in the coating. Plus, they just look great!