Here is a quote I read the other day by an unknown author:

The trouble with most of us is that our necessities are to luxurious and our luxuries are too necessary.

It might take a moment for that to sink in but hopefully you will get the meaning. I have for years said the only way to get out of debt is to just stop spending. That is still true but I have started seeing not only do people need to stop spending but they need to start looking differently at the way they spend and what they spend their money on.

For example someone finds a baby gym (the big toy the baby lays under and looks at things hanging from it) for $20 at a garage sale. These same people are deep in debt but they feel a baby gym is a necessity to their baby’s happiness. They are so excited because they think it is a good deal because it usually sells for $50.

Now my daughter Tawra decides she needs a baby gym but makes up her mind she will not spend more then $5 on one and finally finds one for $3 at a thrift store. Not too bad.

I decide my grand baby needs a baby gym too so I lay him on the floor, place 2 dining room chairs on each side of him with a broom stretched across the seats of the chair and I then tie toys and odds and ends on the broom handle for him to lay and look at. It cost me nothing but about 2 minutes setting it up.

This shows different levels of thinking towards money. Nothing is a good deal if you are in debt. You shouldn’t be spending at all and you need to be trying to figure out how you can make do with what you have.

The second example (Tawra) is of someone who isn’t in debt and can afford to buy a few things but is a wise enough steward to know the best way to stay out of debt is to spend some but do it wisely and with control.

The third example (me) is someone who has had to make do for so long now it just is a way of life with me. Yes a baby gym is nice but I know in a few weeks the baby will be crawling and no longer need it. My income is small enough I have other things I really need to spend it on.

Another example of warped thinking I saw yesterday on TV. The title of the show was Fill Your Freezer for Less. It naturally caught my attention because I thought they would give some good ideas on saving for food for your freezer.

You can imagine how it blew my mind away when they said “Today you can get 6 lobster tails for only $100. You’ll be saving $50. Isn’t that a great deal in these hard ecconomic times.” The even scarier part was they sold out of it and other types of items like crazy.

Yes I really believe there needs to be a major change in our thinking if we are going to survive.

Jill

I was checking out at Jo Ann Fabrics today and the woman in line with me looked at the box of dye I was holding and asked what is that and what do you use it for? I have talked about dye before but thought maybe some of our new readers need me to mention it again.

I forget many people don’t have a clue on how to use dye or even that the average person can use it. It is one of those things which is thought of as having strange magical powers and if you aren’t careful it might explode or even worse change your favorite red top to purple.

Years ago when I was growing up, believe it or not, the average home had a small collection of several different colors of dyes on their pantry shelf. It was used all of the time. I think what happened is people were more of the mind you don’t throw anything out so to make those red towels look nice in your purple bathroom you would dye them to match. You wouldn’t dream of getting rid of them and buying more just to make everything match.

Now if a pair of pants fade we just toss them or wear them faded. But it really doesn’t need to be that way. I bought me a box of denim blue dye. I have 2 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs of jeans which are in perfect condition they are just faded really bad. I will throw them along with some faded navy socks in together and dye them and they will look like new.

The next time I go I will get me a box of black and do my black jeans, t shirts and socks. I also do this with my fabric. If I have some really ugly fabric I just toss it in with a color of dye or tea dye and usually come up with something really great.

I figure if I can’t wear the item except around the house anyway what do I have to lose if I ruin it although it really is hard to ruin anything. It is so easy to use. I would start simple like buy a box to dye all of your navy or black things. Follow the instructions on the package but they basically say to dissolve the dye, dump it in the machine with some salt, wash and dry. You can hand dye things too. It is about as easy as doing a load of laundry.

You can also dilute the dye in a cup or 2 (depending on how dark you want it) of water and use it as a stain for wood things like furniture. It comes in liquid or powder form and they both work fine. The liquid you don’t need to dilute to use as a stain. I like them both equally as well.

If you are throwing those pants away because they are faded, try dyeing them and see what happens. Dye isn’t expensive. I use my Jo Ann Fabrics coupon and get it for about half price ($1.25). You can get it at Wal Mart and even some dollar stores or grocery stores.

Jill

PS Another way to use dye is if you need 3 yards of orange fabric for a Halloween costume or green for a costume but you only have 3 yards of white muslin, cream fabric or even an old sheet, just dye those orange and then make your costume. The dye is much cheaper then buying new fabric. If you have some ugly brown fabric but need a black cape, dye the brown black etc. Maybe you already have a brown cape but need a black one just dye the cape or dress or what ever you are using for a costume the color you need.

From: Michael
Recently I have found that my debt has risen to a high number. I
sought Christian financial advice and the gentleman told me that
i was tithing off of my savings which i shouldn’t.
At first it shocked me because i know God gave me that savings.
So i should tithe off of it. Then i realized that maybe he wanted
me to have it for a savings for emergency use. If i don’t tithe
off of it, that money can be used to go on my debt.
I still feel weary because i don’t want to say to God, “Hey, i’m
going to not tithe off of my savings to pay off some debt”. I am
not doing it to buy a bunch of toys, but to make up for the bad
decisions i made in the past for the debt i have now.

Are we supposed to tithe off of savings? or is that for us to keep
for emergency and paying off debt and a possible offering here
or there when the Lord leads us to?

Thank you for your time.

I completely agree with him. We believe that tithe should be the very first thing you do even before food and rent and God does call us to give offerings also but we are only to tithe off our earned income. If you already tithed on your paycheck and then put that into savings you don’t need to tithe again.

Take 10% off the top for the Lord, 10% for savings and live off the rest. If you have a good amount in savings, around $1,000, for car repairs, appliance break downs etc. then I would put everything else on your debt and not save the 10% for savings until your debt is paid off. It doesn’t make sense to save earning 5% or less interest and be paying 6%- 21% interest on your debt.

So yes, I agree with him. Put it all on your debt and get rid of it as fast as you can!!!

Tawra

I totally agree with Tawra. The Bible says we are to give 10% of our first fruits (Lev. 27:30 & 32 two of many verses). Something I haven’t talked about as much but need too is the fact one of the main reasons we should strive harder to get out of debt is the fact God blesses us with so many things - much for our own use and pleasure but equally as much in order that we have the resources to help others.

It is so wrong to mis-use what God has given us and waste what He has blessed us with. We holler about the government and authorities mis-using our taxes which we have given them and sometimes rightly so but we don’t realize how we are doing the exact same thing with the money God has given us.

I just recently heard of a school superintendent who was called on the carpet because he was charging things like $100 meals for him and his wife to go out to dinner on the school expense account. He had done thousands of dollars like this.

Now as shocked as we all are with this don’t we do similar things with God’s money He gives us. We spend it on things like going out to eat at expensive restaurants, new trucks and cars, houses we can’t really afford, fancy birthday parties, high tech toys etc. instead of giving to those in need which is one reason he gave it to us in the first place.

It’s okay to use our money for what we need but when we buy excessively, get into debt from just plain over spending etc. we are mismanaging our funds just as that superintendent did.

I know this was a little (okay alot) off of the subject of Michael’s tithing on savings but it just reminded me that there are many good reasons why we need to do our best to get out of debt as quickly as we can no matter how much work it is or how hard it is.

Jill

Hi everyone! I’m back. My mom’s surgery went great and she is doing fine. Thanks for all of your sweet thoughts and prayers. I had an extra special visit with all of my family in Colorado and they spoiled me to death especially when it came to feeding me. I will give you some of the great recipes they feed me over the next few weeks hopefully.

The icing on the cake was my niece had her twins while I was there so I got to see my new grand niece and nephew.

While I was gone I found this recipe for a roast. (For those of you young’ns who don’t know who she was, Gracie Allen was a famous comedian years ago)

Gracie Allen’s Recipe for the Perfect Roast

1 large roast

1 small roast

Put the two roasts in the oven. When the little one burns your know the big one is perfectly done. : ) : )

Sometimes I really do think God has a sense of humor and this was one of those times. I had just read this recipe at my mom’s and the phone rang. It was Tawra saying “How can a person ruin a roast?!!! I just burnt my roast to pieces.” : ) Of course I had to read her this recipe in between my bouts of laughter.

It’s good to be back.

Jill

From: Alice
My tip is about birthday cakes.  My two girls 10
and 2 are into certain things like my little pet
shop and dora. Or fashion packs for various toys.
So I buy the toys and then I come up with a cake
idea and use the toys as decorations on the
cake.  Like the youngest is getting a Dora castle
( not a huge one) and I’ll put it in one corner
and make a yellow road or something like that to
the castle door and put the Dora figure on the
road.  It’s decorated and the child gets her toy.

The other one is in to fashion, so I’m gonna make a
purse cake with the skinny licorice braided for a
handle.
Well that’s my idea for cakes. It’s mom’s
version of a kid in a candy store.

This is one of my favorite ways to decorate a cake! Easy but so cool for the kids. Tawra

From: Brandy M
My daughter has long curly hair,we always use
detangler after her bath. I’ve found if you put
a teaspoon of cheap hair conditioner in a spray
bottle and fill with water and shake, it’s just
as good as expensive store bought detangler.

I have used a tiny amount of lotion in an emergency. We were on vacation and didn’t have any and her hair was a mess! It worked great and really didn’t make her hair oily.

Tawra

For more recipes like these be sure to check out our Pretty for Pennies chapter in Dining On A Dime

Hi Tawra,

I just wanted to add a less expensive, and just as delicious option to your “Hot Doggie Rollups” recipe.  Use buttered bread instead of the canned biscuits or crescent rolls.  Butter a slice of bread on one side, place a hot dog (I like to precook mine first) diagonally across the UNBUTTERED side, bring the two corners up over the hot dog and secure with a toothpick.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  My mother-in-law made these for her children years ago, but she called them “Weiny Winks”!

Thanks for a Great Newsletter,
Kathy C

If you want to sign up for our newsletter you can do it here! Tawra

From: Carol
This recipe was originally made with moose
shoulder, and produced tender slices of meat and
flavourful sauce to serve over rice, potatoes or
noodles. Like many recipes, it was the result of
hungry kids and a nearly-empty pantry.

GAME BAKE

2-3 pounds meat, cut into serving portions (can
use game, or tough pieces of beef or pork - even
a cut up stewing hen is good)

1 can (10 1/2 oz) tomato soup

1 cup salsa - heat level is up to you.

Combine soup and salsa, pour over meat in an oven-
proof casserole. Cover and bake at 325 for 2-3
hours until tender. To save energy, this can
also be cooked in a crock pot for 8 - 10 hours on
low. Serve with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.
Low cost, lots of flavour.

Be well,

Carol

Was wondering what’s the cheapest meal, to take to people. (Needed to take 2 9×13 pans of food, to feed big family). Comes up a lot in our church (babies, funerals, sick, etc). Thanks dd

I thought I would see what our readers had for ideas. Please comment on your best frugal meals to help others. Tawra

In case you aren’t on our newsletter and missed the special announcement we have a great new e-book that we are so excited to share!  Here is the email I send out in case you missed it. Tawra

Want to work from home? Looking for an alternative source of income in uncertain times? How about turning your craft hobby into a business?

Hi, Tawra here…

With the increase of job losses, the number one question we get here at Living On A Dime is, “Are there any legitimate work at home businesses resources you recommend?”

With the slow economy, many people have the desire to take the plunge, pursue their dreams and start their own businesses.

And you think that maybe RIGHT NOW is the time to start your own business…

But you don’t know where to start.

… when what you REALLY need is someone to show you step-by-step how to start your own business from the ground up.

We don’t normally send a lot of messages that aren’t part of our newsletter, but we’ve found such a great resource that will be helpful for so many of you, we just had to pass this along. After hearing her story, I asked Patrice to write this e-book just for our readers almost a year ago. I am SO EXCITED to finally present
it to you!

“The Home Craft Business: How to Make It Survive And Thrive” is packed with suggestions ranging from tax tips to sales techniques, from wholesaling to custom work.  Broken down into easy “lessons,” The Home Craft Business will guide you through the confusion of expanding a hobby into a business with the potential for some serious income.

* Curious how to sell effectively without sounding like a used car salesman?  See page 145.

* What do you do when nobody wants your product?  See page 50.

* What is the best way to have a craft business in a bad economy?  See page 156.

* Should you consign your craft products?  See page 126.

* When should you quit your day job?  See page 80.

Yes, you can be your own boss.  Yes, you can set your own hours and spend more time with your family.  Yes, you can make a profit with your own creativity.  This book tells you how.

Every day we receive several work at home sales pitches. I can only recommend two and this is one of them! This is THE BEST e-book I have read on how to make money selling your crafts.  Having done
this myself, I know first hand that Patrice is giving you solid, practical information that you can use to start your own business. I only wish that we had this when we got started! It would have saved me years of “hard knocks” learning!

To get more information, and to grab your copy, visit here.

-Tawra

P.S. We had a reader send in this tip.

This provides a great Preparedness idea!
In the hardest economic times there will be little extra for buying non useful crafts.  This depression will probably not be like the 1930’s depression. So it seems smart to begin now to find an essential useful item or items to sell from home.  A look at 3rd World cottage industries can provide a clue.

Pot holders, wash cloth/towels, dried soup mixes, bread, pancake mixes, soaps and cosmetics, cold weather clothing, food stuff, blankets, cheese, vinegars, underwear, infant-adult reusable underwear and bed protection (like the reusable hospital chucks), shoes, the list goes on.

Kathy O