Hi everyone! We had a beautiful Memorial Day weekend. Below are some of my frugal accomplishments for last week.

1. Shopping: I went shopping at Walmart this week (see haul video below). We also bought some Chex Mix to take to a potluck for $2.00. I walked up to the cash register with two bags of off-brand mix for $2.19 each, but then the cashier pointed out the brand name kind, which was on sale for $0.99 per bag. Yay! Total spending for groceries this week was $12.53.

​2. Made cheese.

3. Line dried one load of laundry. I tried for two loads, but it started raining and I had to bring the second load back in wetter than they went out. :(

4. Clipped some restaurant coupons from the local newspaper, and used some others over the weekend as well.

5. Donated some stuff to Goodwill. This was my biggest "Aha!" frugal accomplishment of the week. Of course I have donated things before, but this time Hubs and I asked for a receipt. I didn't know it, but if you itemize your tax deductions (instead of taking the standard deduction) you can write off donations of physical stuff. This is Goodwill's suggested value of different items:

Whoa! Our donation last week was mostly books, so we figured $1.00 per book. I also donated a garbage bag full of different clothing items and miscellaneous household stuff. The books alone will give us a write off of at least $75.00. If you figure a 10% tax savings (it's probably higher than that... I'm just being conservative) then my book decluttering will save us $7.50 in taxes this year. It's not a lot, but it does put a monetary value on decluttering. We can donate up to $500.00 worth of stuff without getting a special IRS form, so that is going to be my goal for this year.

Note: Most people don't itemize their tax deductions (around 75% just take standard deductions) but I thought I'd throw this little nugget out there for those of you who do. It's worth asking your accountant about if you have a mortgage, high medical expenses, or if you do a lot of charitable giving (at least that's what Youtube says! We just do what our accountant says). Hubs and I pay more in taxes than all of our other living expenses combined, so we're always on the lookout for new ways to save on that line item.

6. Collected cans to recycle while on various walks.

7. Earned $30.99 at the farmers market. 

Youtube Videos:
Due to the holiday weekend, farmers market and general busyness, I only got around to uploading three videos this week.

Walmart Haul: $10.55 (shown above)
Three FRUGAL Ways to Grow Lettuce
Eat for $10 a Week: Inside My Pantry

What were some frugal things you did this week (or weekend)?

 1. Shopping: This week was relatively no-spend when it it came to groceries. I did spend $4.95 on Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce, which was on sale for $0.99 per bottle! This is one of the very FEW brand name items we buy, so I stocked up and bought enough bottles to last until the expiration date.

We also spent about $15.00 on snacks for a special trip this week. I'd consider that more "eating out" than real groceries (prevented us from eating at gas stations & restaurants!) but... just throwing it out there.

2. Line dried two loads of laundry.

3. Checked out three books from the library. Hoping to do a "library haul"/book review video when I've finished reading them. Two down, one to go.

4. Made yogurt, Greek yogurt and cheese.

5. Harvested lettuce, cilantro and asparagus from the garden. Also planted some more lettuce, onions, summer squash and flower/herb seeds in the garden. I also started pre-soaking/sprouting my sweet corn seeds to plant later this week.

6. Collected cans on various walks.

7. Saved $$ on admission tickets and parking to Cedar Point. We were scheduled to go on a group trip last week, but I delayed purchasing tickets until the last minute. I knew I wouldn't be able to go on most of the rides, but figured there would at least be shows to watch and other things to do. Good thing I didn't buy any tickets! The night before, I went to the website and found out that almost NONE of the shows would be running the next day!

We decided to still go down with the group (Hubs had offered to drive), but skip out on Cedar Point and find something else to do in the area instead. On the way into the park, Hubs went through the "bus" entrance (we had a 16-passenger van, so weren't sure which lane to take) and since we had more than ten people, parking was free! That saved $20.00 right off the bat. We dropped everyone off, then took the 30 minute drive to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential library/museum and home. Admission was $12.00/person- MUCH less than the $52.00/person we would have spent to ride the roller coasters. We had already been to the home, but Hubs' mom was with us and it was her first time going.

After lunch, we realized that Hubs' bus parking receipt included a free park pass for the driver (you have to show your CDL at the gate, so it doesn't apply to just anyone driving a van). Hubs decided to use the ticket and ride some of the coasters, while I stayed in the van and finished my library book. Honestly, I preferred to stay in the van because it was unfortunately cold and rainy that day. :( The park kept closing down certain rides because of the weather, and lines were so long that our group averaged about one ride per hour. Hubs got two rides in, and then came back to the van soaking wet.

It was a long day, but we ended up spending less than $40.00 (museum/house & snacks) on a day that could have easily cost $150.00 had we chosen to buy park tickets and restaurant/park food.

So, note to all: if you are going to Cedar Point and taking more than 10 people, you can get FREE parking. If your driver (or someone else in your group) has a CDL, you can use the bus receipt to get that person a free ticket. 

8. Decluttered my books. Inspired by one of my library books (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up), I decided to clean out my book collection and ended up discarding over 75 books that I've accumulated over the past 10+ years. A few were worth some money, so I listed them on Amazon. The rest were not worth selling, so I will just donate them. 

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With the day trip and a full weekend, I only had time to upload one video on Youtube:

BeanTalk #2: Prioritize Consumer Spending

The BeanTalk series is my attempt to discuss personal finance using some mason jars and navy beans. This week I talked about what budget categories we have cut to the bare minimum, and which categories Hubs and I splurge on. These videos take a little longer because I'm not just showing people what I got at Kroger. Oftentimes I say something and then think, "Wait a minute, that's not what I'm really trying to say," so there is a LOT of editing that goes on after the fact. I'm thinking these videos might end up being once a month, rather than once a week!

How was your week? Do you find yourself more busy in the springtime like I do?

​1. Line dried two loads of laundry.

2. Collected cans to recycle on various walks this week.

3. Made cheese, yogurt, Greek yogurt, and bone broth. I also cooked the last one of our Thanksgiving sale turkeys this week. We ate some of it for dinner, and I put the rest in the freezer and made bone broth with the carcass.

4. Shopping: We went to Aldi for groceries this week. I bought mostly regular "staple" items, some of which were on sale. Later in the week we stopped at Kroger to pick up two Free Friday deals (a candy bar and specialty yogurt). When I got home, I used a $0.25 rebate on the free stuff, which brought total grocery spending down to $22.74. You can watch my Aldi haul below:

Some meals we had this week were taco soup, potato/corn chowder, hash, fajitas, chicken noodle soup, turkey/mashed potatoes and turkey wraps. And probably some leftovers... that's all I wrote down!

5. Planted strawberries and collected grass clippings to use for mulch. Harvested lettuce, cilantro and asparagus from the garden.

6. Made bag balm (udder butter... basically a salve) for my goat with ingredients that I had already on hand. A tin of the stuff costs $7.00 or so, which made homemade a real savings for my hobby farm.

7. Picked up a free tomato cage and free strawberry boxes. A nearby town had their annual "junk days" this week, so I was able to pick through some of the piles beside the street. I will use the tomato cage in my garden, and use the strawberry boxes to sell berries at the farmers market.

8. Listened to free podcasts/Youtube videos while I worked. I also read and took notes from some books I ordered from the library.

Some Youtube videos I made this week were: 

Perennials for a Cheaper, Easier Garden
Weekly Grocery Haul (see above)
Wednesday: Date Night! (part of my dinner menu series)
Groceries from the Garden (Eat for $10 a Week, part 3)
How to Make Cheese EASY

As a housewife, I realize that it is easier to "read" content by listening to Youtube videos on my phone while I do dishes. Or garden work. Or cleaning. In addition, some of the content I have on the blog (tutorials, for example) are just better conveyed in a video than a blog post.

Slowly, I am putting a lot of content from my blog onto my Youtube channel. This easier for me than taking pictures plus writing and editing a post, even though it's been a crash course in videography with cheap equipment, poor lighting and background noise. That's what it will have to be, for now! If you have any suggestions for my videos, please let me know.

Til next time,
Bethany

​Several months ago I gave an honest review on two "all natural" sugar scrubs; one from Lemongrass Spa (an MLM company) and one from Walmart (Burt's Bees). My conclusion was that I liked both scrubs, but the Lemongrass Spa one was superior.

At this point it has been six months since I bought both products. After several weeks of NOT using either scrub, I opened the Lemongrass jar and noticed that the top was crusty with sugar, and it had also started to discolor in some places.

I went to the Lemongrass website to see if the product had an expiration date (none listed on the jar). I couldn't find one, but I did find a 60-day guarantee on all of their products. Unfortunately, at this point it had been almost six months since I bought the scrub, so the guarantee was no longer valid.


My Fault, or the Company's?

One factor that may have played into its demise was a slow leak in the jar. In my original review, I noted that the "seal" on the Lemongrass jar had been broken, and it leaked oil into the bag. Now I realize that there is probably a tiny leak in the jar that is causing the oil to slowly drip out (VERY slowly... we're talking six months to notice a difference in texture). The oil and scent are what I loved about the scrub in the first place, so without it the quality is diminished. Looking back, I should have asked for a replacement as soon as I noticed oil around the unopened jar. 

Regardless of my faux pas with the leaky jar, I'm still not sure why the scrub is discoloring. It's not only discolored on top where it's crusty, but also underneath where there is still plenty of oil. This is pretty disappointing to me, because I had hoped the jar would last a very long time, as it cost $22.00.

The $13.00 Walmart/Burt's Bees scrub, on the other had, has not changed in color or consistency since the day I bought it. So at this point, I have to declare Burt's Bees the winner. If you are going to cycle through a whole $22.00 jar of scrub within two months, then Lemongrass is still the way to go. But if you're not, Walmart will give you a longer-lasting, more consistent product for less money.


Looking Forward

In my heart of hearts, I was hoping to purchase Lemongrass products (at least the scrub) again. But because of the all-natural ingredients (more "natural" than Burt's Bees), I'm guessing that their products will not last as long, and I don't want to cycle through luxury products that quickly.

$22.00 x 4 = $88.00 per year. And that is only for one product. This only confirms my view that MLM products (or any overpriced/expensive products bought on a subscription/regular basis) will suck money out of your pocket very, very quickly. It's not frugal. I was hoping to MAKE this product frugal by making it last a long time, but even that was not possible. Network marketing products are a luxury, however you look at it.

In the future, I will probably try making my own sugar scrub. I bought some phthalate-free pomegranate fragrance from Bulk Apothecary several months ago, and while not identical, it is very similar to the Lemongrass scent. The homemade scrub will probably last no longer than the Lemongrass scrub, but at least I'll be able to make it in smaller batches so the quality doesn't decline before I'm done using it. Plus it will probably be cheaper than Lemongrass AND Burt's Bees.

Have you used a multi-level marketing/direct sales/network marketing product before? Did it live up to your expectations (and the price tag)? 

​It was a cold, rainy week in our corner of the world. Most of my activities this week revolved around inside stuff: writing/blogging, Youtube videos, reading, cleaning, and the new venture I wrote about last week (I talked about this in my last email newsletter... you ARE a subscriber, aren't you?). However, I did manage a few thrifty things last week. 

1. Shopping: All I bought was a container of sour cream for $1.25. Other than that, it was a no-spend week in terms of groceries.

2. Made egg noodles. I took all of my duck eggs from the past several weeks and made egg noodles with them. Duck eggs have HUGE yolks, so they are great for making noodles with.

3. Went to a "free" church rummage sale and got some strawberry boxes, clothing, an apron, a silicone ice cube tray (yay, one that won't crack!), books, and a tiny ceramic turkey to use with my Thanksgiving decor.

What a stellar month for my hobby farm! My goat had her kids (you can read about that here), we sold the goat kids, and I signed up for farmers market. Plus, I didn't spend a whole lot.

Chickens
This month I cleaned up the chicken pasture. It is amazing how much junk ends up out there over the winter- random pieces of wood, debris from the bunny pen, extra water containers, pallets. I cleaned out all of the junk so that there is more room for pasture to grow. I also planted some raspberry plants along the fence in hopes that my birds can benefit from the berries (or I can... whatever!). When the canes start to multiply in a few years, I can let the goats loose in that pasture and they will clean it up. In the meantime, I want to try making this a permanent (permaculture) chicken pasture/garden.

And... I have begun the process of chicken-weeding to determine who is laying eggs and who isn't. To do this, I've been separating one chicken per week and putting it in a dog kennel (with food and water) in where the goats sleep. My first chicken laid an egg on the second day and passed the test with flying colors. I marked her with a yellow piece of string around one leg and put a new chicken in the kennel. Each chicken has one week to lay an egg, and if none appears I will assume that she is ready for the stock pot. That way I will eliminate the non-producing chickens from my flock.

Already I can see the fruits of my "weeding" labors. My chicken feed is lasting longer. The chickens stopped eating all of their feed, so I cut it back from six pounds per day to five pounds. We bought some feed in March, and I expect it to last through May at least.

Ducks
One of my ducks died this month (he was sick from being pecked on by the other ducks). That was a bummer. Looking back, I should have separated him and his incubated brother from the other ducks when I noticed they were getting pecked on. And looking farther back, I probably introduced them to the flock too early. Perhaps if I had waited longer, they would have incorporated better.

I saved almost two dozen fertilized duck eggs for my brother to incubate (don't worry, I won't be raising them!), and now the two remaining male ducks are slated for the chopping block. But until that happens, they are happily munching grass and making a mess in their water. Speaking of which... I found my much-coveted duck pond! It was a kiddie pool that cost $2.00 at a garage sale. My ducks absolutely love it, and I love it too because I don't have to change their water every day. Only every other day. :/

While I would like to get more ducks, I am going to wait. Eventually I would like to have a 50/50 chicken and duck flock. I like the ducks because they lay big eggs and don't scratch up the grass like chickens do. But for now I need to get rid of some roosters and non-laying hens.

Goats
Kidding and all that follows was 100% easier this year than last year. Dehorning, for one, was much easier. Because all the kids were male, we disbudded (with the iron I already bought) at four days. I wasn't as nervous/newbie as last year, so I got a nice copper ring around the bud with no slipping or other mishaps. So far I've not noticed any horn regrowth, which was a big problem last year with all of the kids.

Training/socializing has also gone 100%  better. I made it a point to hold/cuddle each goat for 3-5 minutes every day until they were two weeks old, with only a few missed days. It was time consuming, yes, but I'd rather do that than bottle feed. At two weeks, I started separating them from Adi at night, so I could milk her in the morning. Before I let them back into the pasture with her, I feed each kid a single raisin. They love the raisins, and they love me. They actually follow me around now! Last year the kids would walk up to me if I sat still for several minutes, but would run away as soon as I reached out for them. This year is totally different.

One new thing for us this year was giving vaccinations. It was my first time ever doing shots, and it went... okay. So far I haven't noticed any lumps, but perhaps I didn't look hard enough. As far as cost, my CD&T from last year was still good (I bought it but didn't use it), and I just had to buy needles and syringes. These were a couple dollars. I decided to do shots because it increases the sell-ability by a lot for only a few dollars per goat. Speaking of sell-ability...

ALL OF THE GOAT BABIES ARE SOLD! They are still at my house, but both buyers have come to the farm and put deposits down for their goats. Last year I waited until the goats were ready to leave the farm before I put them on Craigslist. It took at least a month to sell them, and I didn't get as much money as I had hoped. We had to weed through a lot of potential buyers and no-shows. This year Hubs suggested that I sell them early by just asking for a deposit. It worked like a charm; they sold in a single weekend! What a huge load off my chest. Just goes to show that sometimes husbands know best. :)

Adi is giving less milk than she did last year; about 2.5 - 3 cups per milking at this point (I am milking once a day). This is still enough for Hubs and I, but there won't be much extra, I'm guessing. Adi is five years old now, so probably not in her prime anymore. Still, she is a good little goat and I intend to keep her as long as possible.


Profit & Loss

Income:
Eggs- $37.00
Milk products- $10.00
Goat deposits- $65.00
Total: $112.00

Expenses:
Syringes & needles- $4.43
Duck pond- $2.00
Total: $6.43

Total net profit: $105.57
Year-to-date net profit: ($80.51)

Yay for some income this month! I was able to sell quite a few eggs, some soap, and of course the baby goats, even without any farmers market. Next month I've scheduled two weeks of farmers market, which I hope will bring in enough money to get my year-to-date net profit back to zero.

In June I'll receive the remaining $160.00 on the goats, which will be enough to support my little hobby farm through the summer at least. I don't expect to EARN a ton of money this year from my animals. I would like to make about $500.00 to buy some bees next year, but that money will probably not come from farmers markets.


A New Venture

In the next hobby farm update, I'll be sharing a new venture that I'm starting. There is a lot work involved, but the work is more aligned with my personality (less people, less traveling) and has five to ten times more earning potential than farmers markets. This year it will involve $100.00-$200.00 of monetary investment, but also some paid work/training that I hope will offset a little bit of the investment. We'll see!

Until next time,
Bethany