Groceries – My Largest Monthly Expense

May 27, 2012 4 Comments

My monthly grocery budget is huge. And it’s mind-boggling for me that I’m willing to spend so much of food-buying considering that I was a coupon queen long before people ever hear of extreme couponers. It was absolutely normal to walk in my side door, through my laundry room, and see at least 40 tubes of toothpaste, 40 4-packs of toilet paper, 2 cases of baby wipes, 12 or 15 packages of diapers, 20 toothbrushes, more shampoo and conditioner than we could use in 2 years, and a freezer full of milk, apple juice, cheese, hot dogs, meat, and Lunchables – most of it purchased for 75-90% off, and some purchased for just the amount of the tax. But even back then I wasn’t into buying prepackaged food products. I’ve cooked from scratch for a long time.

Shortly after my youngest daughter was born, just over 6 years ago, I made the decision to only buy/service all natural, antibiotic and hormone free foods in my house. This decision meant that I wasn’t going to find many sales on the foods I buy and that I was going to spend more – a lot more – on meats, vegetables, and fruits. I didn’t find many people in Cleveland who ate like we did. Most thought I was crazy. Many do too, here is Columbia, SC, but I haven’t found as many naysayers.

Here it’s relatively easy. You see, our All-Local Farmers Market’s vendors are small, local businesses, and the farmers have pledged not to use antibiotics, hormones, and unnatural feed to feed their animals. The fruit and vegetable growers do not use pesticides and chemicals on their plants. In turn, I pay a LOT more money for my food than the average person. For example, ground beef is $6/lb., chicken is at least $6.95/lb., and pork is at minimum $7/lb. I paid $5 for a quart of strawberries yesterday and the same for a smaller amount of blueberries. I pay $3.75 for a dozen eggs. You don’t even want to know what I pay for raw milk.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find local farmers markets when we travel which don’t use chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics. But I will diligently search them out. I will have to remember to use Local Harvest to help me locate small farms.

Filed Under: around the kitchen table Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

$50 Visa Card #Giveaway! Ends June 10, 2012

May 25, 2012 328 Comments

I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to give a $50 gift card away to one of my readers. 50 bucks sure does come in handy in today’s economy. Since I currently drive an compact car which gets great gas mileage and has a smaller tank, $50 could fill up my tank leave me with about $10 or $12 left over. That’s nice!

On to the giveaway…

The Prize

One lucky winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card.

The Rules

1. Open to US residents only.

2. Ages 18+.

3. Ends June 10, 2012

How to Enter

Use the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway is brought to you by Dr. Pastorek.

Filed Under: reviews and giveaways Tagged With:

#review: ABC Bingo

May 22, 2012 1 Comment

Alphabet Bingo Game photo
Tonight Courtney found the Alphabet Bingo Games we got at a yard sale for $1. We only had a few minutes to play it before bedtime, but we played 2 games. I won the 1st game and she won the 2nd game.

Here is the game description from the company: In Alphabet Bingo, players learn to recognize uppercase and lowercase letters by making visual or auditory matches. Unique, six-way format adapts to a variety of skill levels, and is a fun learning supplement for small groups or the entire class. Also ideal for learners with disabilities and anyone learning English. Set includes 36 playing cards, more than 200 chips, caller’s mat and cards, and a sturdy storage box. Bingo games are designed for students in pre-kindergarten to first-grade (ages 4 to 6).

Well, Courtney is in kindergarten and is having difficulty learning to read. Sometimes she’s interested in learning and recognizing words, but most times she isn’t, so when she brought this game to me, although I thought it was a bit “young” for her reading level, I was happy to play it with her. Like I said, we each won a game and she enjoyed playing. The hard part for her will be keeping all the pieces together so the next time she wants to play, we can. You see, she likes to play with everything and always (ALWAYS!) forgets to put the pieces away.

Like tonight – I asked her to put the game away in the top drawer of a dresser where a lot of other kid stuff is stored. I went into her room a few minutes later and the game was on the bed on top of the covers. Oy!

If we’re struggling with this now, I can only imagine how difficult it will be in an RV. Jut another thing to work on.

What are your tips to keep your children interested in learning – especially reading?

Filed Under: family time Tagged With: , ,

Trying to Wrap My Head Around Homeschooling – on the Road!

May 22, 2012 4 Comments

Stock Image - Markers are in glass
If all goes as planned, the girls will have just completed 1st and 3rd grade in the local public school before we head out on the road. Since I’ll likely change my residence to Florida, I’m reviewing the 2nd and 4th grade homeschool requirements for that state while I’m planning our curriculum. I’m scouring the internet to find the curriculum that seems as if will work best for all of us – me, the future work-from-home single mama who must also juggle teaching her girls while she works, and the girls who will have had 2 or 4 years of “regular” schooling before changing over to being taught by their mama.

It will be both a learning experience and an adventure for all of us. And although I’m nervous today, and will be when we start sometime next year, I’m also looking forward to the challenge. I’ve got the subjects and days of the week planned out, as well as the amount of time I (loosely) plan on spending on each subject. I’m very interested in Sequential Spelling, but that’s about the only thing I’ve committed to so far. And while I was originally committed to spending less than $200 per child, I feel that if I can save about $30/month between now and then – in addition to buying the pieces and parts of our curriculum I can find, then I’ll be better prepared in case I need to purchase something more expensive.

Unit studies, combined with notebooking and lapbooking, will be something we’ll use to delve deeper into subjects which the girls are really interested in learning more about. I figured since we’ll be traveling we could learn about the 50 states as we go, and begin with Ohio, Florida, and South Carolina. Then, as we move around and visit zoos, aquariums, and museums, they’ll help kick start learning about different types of animals, fish, and history. Reading, for Alijah, will be a breeze as long as she’s interested in the subjects, but I’m not sure how she’s take to reading “for schoool”, and not necessarily for pleasure – although I expect the reading for school to capture her fancy from time to time. On the other hand, I’m not sure what reading for school will be like for Courtney.

Rounding out the curriculum will be physical education and health and safety. I’ll have to figure out a way to get the girls moving on a daily basis – which will also help me get moving – even if it’s only to an exercise tape (in yucky weather). I wasn’t planning on taking the Wii (we’ve had it for a couple of years and have only used it a handful of times), but it could be beneficial. I’m hoping that healthy and safety will be easier subjects for awhile.

I don’t think I’ve missed anything, but I’m not the expert.

What is homeschooling like for you and your family? Are you also a working mom? What are your tricks for homeschooling on the road?

 

Filed Under: homeschool/roadschool Tagged With: , , , ,

Inexpensive Entertainment for Kids

May 19, 2012 2 Comments

The girls and I have active Saturdays together. As a part of running our errands we make strategic stops that give the girls a chance to have fun without a lot of expense. Here are some ideas for spending family time together inexpensively.

LOWE'S BUILD AND GROW Logo1. Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics. These are free build-it clinics for kids. The girls have been going for about 4 years now. They’re held every other Saturday at participating stores at 10am. You can register in advance online or just show up. We’ve never been turned away when we simply showed up. Lowe’s has all kinds of kits to build things and for every item your child builds, she’ll get a patch to sew (or glue) onto her Build and Grow apron.

2. Junior Ranger Program. Many National Parks offer visitors the opportunity to join the National Park Service Family as Junior Rangers. Interested students complete a series of activities during their park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger badge or patch and Junior Ranger certificate. Your children can learn about nature, science, history, and animals by participating. Click on the link for a list of participating parks.

3. Home Depot Kids Workshop. Similar to the Lowe’s program above, Home Depot offers build-it clinics for children ages 5-12 on the first Saturday of each month starting at 9am. Again, the girls love it and they get very excited about bringing home their creations. Home Depot’s kids get a pin to pin onto their apron at completion of the project.

4. Summer Reading Programs. Many libraries, bookstores, and schools offer a summer reading program for children. In exchange for reading books over the summer, the libraries, bookstores, and schools will reward your children with a prize of some sort – usually a free book. The State of South Carolina even offers a reading program. Check your local area to see what’s being offered. The 2012 Barnes and Noble program hasn’t been announced yet, but I expect it will be announced within the next week.

5. The Farmers Market. The girls and I head over to the All-Local Farmer’s Market about twice each month where we do the bulk of our grocery shopping. We support local businesses and have a great time doing so. Besides the cost of the products I’m already buying, there is no additional expense associated with visiting the market. My girls actually wake me up each Saturday  begging to get to the market.

It doesn’t always cost a whole lot of money to entertain your children. Before we leave the house to make our Saturday rounds, I draw up a list (or Alijah does it) of our stops, in order. Alijah and Courtney share the duty of ensuring that we accomplish all of our goals, and usually by the time we get home several hours later, we’re all pretty tired, especially as the weather heats up.

No matter where you are, at least one of these options should be somewhere nearby, especially the Farmers Markets.

What do you do to keep your kids entertained without spending a lot of money?

Filed Under: family time Tagged With: , , , , ,

RV Emergency Repair Budget – On a Single Income Budget

May 15, 2012 2 Comments

diy disaster #1One of the things I’m most interested in about owning a 5th wheel is the repair costs. As a single woman who is slightly handy, but not very handy, it makes me nervous to think about the RV breaking down, or leaks forming, or whatever may come my way. I would feel more comfortable knowing that I have the majority of the funds set aside. Obviously, I can’t prepare for every eventuality, but with good maintenance and an emergency fund, I would be in better shape than if I have no money set aside. I also want to use this money to help pay for regular maintenance as well.

Is $500 enough? Since the 5th wheel won’t require the same maintenance as a car will, and assuming that I do a reasonably good job inspecting the RV before purchase, will a $500 fund, which is added to regularly, do for most unexpected expenses? Or do I need to start with a $1000 fund with regular contributions?

Or, maybe a better question is to ask what amount should I put away regularly (monthly) to save for maintenance and repairs? Is it reasonable to set aside $50 each month, or does $100 or $150 each month make more sense?

Image Source

Filed Under: frugal family Tagged With: , , ,

Free Kindle RV Cook Book – May Be Today Only!

May 14, 2012 3 Comments


I came across this on the VanDwellers yahoo group. It’s a cookbook that’s aptly titled RV Cooking Cookbook. I have  a few Gooseberry Patch cookbooks, especially the free ones! go get it while it’s free, and let me know what you think!

By the way, I love my kindle. I didn’t expect to. I got it at the end of August last year. I got the version with ads. I had some unused amazon.com gift “cards” and bought it for about $54. It was totally worth it. Totally.

I rarely pay for books anymore. My local library allows me to borrow books on my kindle for 3 weeks at a time. I’m on the waitlist for a few books, and I receive an email when they’re ready to download. I’m a quick reader so the 3-week limit is not a big deal at all. I use the built-in library tool (not sure what it’s called) and have separate sections. Once I’ve read a book I will add it to my “Already Read” section. Books I got for free go to the “Free Books” section. Books I need to read for a specific reason have another section. Coookbooks, yet another.

The best part is less book clutter around my house. I miss physical books, but I love to be able to read in the dark, in bed. And the kindle is small enough to tote around all day. I did buy a cover/case early on and it’s kept my kindle well-protected.

Do you have an ereader or do you promise yourself that you won’t break down and get one?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Travel Tips: Full-timing the First Year – How Often Do you Move?

May 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

I guess I’m no different than the next person who is new all of this. I would think that you’d only stay put long enough to see the sights you came to see, then roll out! And that’s exactly what most new RVers do the first year. They put lots of miles on their rig – and spend a ton of money on gas.

But I’m learning that we can accomplish our goals – with just a little bit more time – if we stop, do what we need to do, and hang out for awhile. We can get to know our neighbors instead of rushing off to the next place.

I’ve seen a few different “methods” which people use to make they stay on track, and slow down. And since I’m the only driver, and I need to stay healthy, rested, and alert, I want to make sure that we don’t move around too often.

The 2-2-2 Rule (or 2x2x2 Rule)

1. Drive no more than 200 miles each day.

2. Always stay at least 2 days.

3. Arrive at your next destination by 2pm.

This way you leave earlier in the day, you don’t tire yourself (or your children out), and you’re almost guaranteed to be able to choose a good site since most people will arrive well after you’ve already set up camp. Plus, by staying at least 2 days, you’re spending 1/2 as much gas as you would if you travel daily.

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The 2-4-4 Rule (or 2x4x4 Rule)

1. Drive no more than 200 miles at a time.

2. Drive no more than 4 hours at a time.

3. Get to your destination by 4pm.

Whichever comes 1st is the rule you follow. If you set off with the intention of driving a shorter distance either by the # of miles you drive or the # of hours you drive, with the expectation to arrive by 4pm, even with an unexpected delay, you should get to the next spot before dark, especially during the spring and summer.

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It appears that most people use a combination of these rules or other rules, in order to make traveling less stressful. Either way you do it, the point is to make sure you get a chance to rest the evening of your arrival, that you only drive during daylight hours, and that that have time to visit. It will take you longer to get to your ultimate destination, but because you’re taking longer to get there, you’re saving on your weekly or monthly gas expense. It also means that if you limit your travel to the daytime, if you have some time of breakdown, you may have a few hours of daylight in which to work on getting the issue resolved.

I also came across this fun rule for an RV couple who full-time: Drinks for 6, dinner for 4, sleep for 2. While I likely won’t be sharing too many drinks (I rarely drink in front of my children, and I rarely drink alcohol), I would love to be in a position to spend our evenings socializing with other RVers, especially if they have children. And although I’ve never cooked a single meal in an RV I’m guessing that cooking for a few extra people shouldn’t be a problem, although I doubt I could afford the expense of entertaining others every night. Obviously, we plan on sleeping 3. I’m not sure of the road etiquette, but usually my house is where other kids stay overnight, and my girls have rarely spent the night elsewhere. I’m willing to have kids sleep over with us, but when you’re on the road how often are parents – usually perfect strangers – going to let their children sleep away from their home? I don’t anticipate that sleepovers will happen often, but we’ll see how it goes.

Either way – the fact that you’re spending more time in 1 place allows you to get to know your neighbors, which wouldn’t happen if you only stayed long enough to sleep and get breakfast before heading back out. Especially if you’re heading out at first light.  Make sure you know where you’re going before you leave. Know the route (GPS, MapQuest, paper map, etc.) and know where you’re going to stay. It should make traveling to the next destination much easier.

What are your rules for full-time RV travel?

 

Filed Under: how we roll Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Must haves for full-time RVing

May 8, 2012 2 Comments

I didn’t realize that full-time RVers have different needs than part-timers. Had no clue. That’s why I love the internet. When you’re deciding what type (or brand) of RV to buy for full-time use, here’s some things you want to keep in the back of your mind:

1. 2 A/C units with minimum of 15,000 BTU each, especially if you’re traveling through the hot southwest during the summer. If you’re able to plan your trips to avoid extremely hot weather during the summer, you should be able to get by with just 1 15,000 BTU unit.

2. Here’s an interesting tip I found for winter: Use shrink wrap for the inside of your windows. I actually did that when I lived in Cleveland, OH in a house with drafty windows. I thought it was a lifesaver, but it never occurred to me to do the same for my RV. [Source: Truckboy]

3. 50 amp electrical system. This ensures that you can run multiple appliances at the same time without issues.

Filed Under: how we roll

I think I’d Like a 5th Wheel…

May 5, 2012 1 Comment

I honestly didn’t realize it would be this difficult to find what I was looking for in an RV. The first time we visited an RV sales center I *knew* I wanted to see a 31 foot Class C. The sales person had us hang out in it together for 20 minutes (which was difficult seeing as it was over 80 degrees outside). I liked it. I figured the girls could sleep over the cab and I’d sleep on the queen bed in the back. If we’re ever in a situation where I’m uncomfortable, I could just hop into the driver’s seat and go.

It never occurred to me that, unless I was boondocking, I’d be hooked up 7 ways to Sunday, and just getting up and going was an impossibility.

After that he showed us a travel trailer with a quad bunkhouse. We fell in love. All 3 of us. It had a dinette table for the girls in their own room, in addition to the main one, and it was more spacious than the Class C. There was more store as well. I really liked it. Travel trailer was the way to go.

Then I went online and researched, and learned that 5th wheels are easier to pull, and have a little more room inside. Oy.

Back to the sales center so we could see a similar model in a 5th wheel.

WOW! We thought we were excited before! We had no clue. We found a 5th wheel by Montana in which the quad bunkhouse was huge, there was so much storage space, especially for the girls, we could install a compact washer and dryer in it, and there was additional 1/2 bath. Heaven!

Sandpiper 355QBQ FloorplanSo now that I’ve narrowed it down to the 5th wheel, I’ve realized that there are so many models of them with quad bunkhouses! Today we looked at a Sandpiper 355QBQ at Holiday on Wheels. I was told that it would be around $42k new. I’m hoping to find a used one in good shape. I don’t think I’ll be able to afford to get a new one, and I also can’t afford to have to keep visiting the dealership for the fixes I’m reading about which occur after you buy new.

The only thing that makes me nervous is the 1/2 bath which has access to the outside. I understand the practicalities of it. I’m just nervous that someone from the outside could get into the back where the girls are – while I’m all the way in the front.

 

 

Filed Under: how we roll Tagged With: ,
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