When thinking of the holidays, the last thing you think about is saving money, and saving money on groceries is even farther down the list of those thoughts, but did you know that many produce, meat, and dairy items go on sale the week before a major holiday? Sometimes these prices or items cannot be found any other time of year. If you are living the frugal lifestyle it is important to know how to make these sale items last as long as possible in your stockpile. The best way to do that is canning or freezing. Canning is not my forte, but I have frozen just about everything you can think of to freeze and some of my favorite freezable items are meat, dairy, and produce.

Meat

Is it cooked or uncooked? This will determine how you need to package it and how long you plan on it being in the freezer. Unless it is vacuum packed, remove it from its original packaging. If you know you will be using it soon, like within the week, butcher paper and tape should work just fine. If the meat is on the bone, double wrap or wrap then bag for prolonged storage. Ground meat like hamburger you can store in zip lock type freezer bags laid flat to freeze and then standing for more storage space.

Safety is also a major concern when storing meat. Make sure you use proper thawing techniques; some parasites can revive after lying dormant during freezing. Washing meat before freezing is not required but it is most certainly required before cooking whether fresh or frozen.

The amount of time a meat is frozen is also important. I follow the time chart as well as all the tips given by the USDA on storing meat.

Dairy

This is one of my favorite food groups to freeze. When the children’s yogurt tubes go on sale with coupons I buy them in bulk and freeze them. My children love them frozen almost as well as they do in their natural state. I also freeze butter, cream cheese, and hard cheeses of all kinds. Did you know that if you bake or cook a lot you can freeze milk and eggs too? They need extra preparation for freezing and I wouldn’t recommend drinking or eating them by themselves when thawed but for baking it works great and you cannot tell the difference. I use the dairy freezer guide over at NDSU for helpful tips and hints on freezing dairy products.

Produce

As with dairy, freezing produce takes a little preparatory work, but for the money you save over the year it can certainly be worth your time. You will need to use the freshest produce you can find, and freeze it as soon as you can. Make sure to wash and dry everything thoroughly and cut into uniform sized pieces. If the item is fruit you can freeze them as is, in water, or in simple syrup. With veggies, it depends on the vegetable and how you intend to use it, some do better cooked, others raw. I use the freezing vegetable guide over at Garden Guides as to what each vegetable may need.

General freezing tips and hints:

● Make your wrapping/plastic bags/containers as airtight as possible.

● If freezing anything in liquid form make sure you give it at least 20% head room to expand.

● Clearly label and mark all containers including a date.

● Just like rotating any other stockpile items, move new things to back or bottom of freezer and older items to the front or top.

● Check the maintenance schedule and capacity limits of your freezer. This will help ensure the best environment for your food.

Remember freezing as we look towards holiday food sales as a way to use those sales to our advantage for many months to come.

For more frugal living tips, see Heather's Hints.

As part of the Rocket City Bloggers group we “carnival” each month on a set topic. This month the topic is education. It is fitting that one of my favorite local education bloggers, Russ Winn of Geek Palaver, is hosting the carnival for this topic. When I think about the word education, my mother runs through my mind. Here is that story.

One of the things I remember plainly as a child was the night in 6^th grade when my mom said she wanted to go back to school. She sat down, talked to me and my sister and explained that she got married at a very young age, started having children, and never got to do what she always wanted to do and that was go to college. She explained that she would be gone for a few hours a night, a few times a week. Because she worked a 40 hour a week job she would be going to school at night after work. She knew we were old enough to help our dad take care of us and look after our homework and chores. We knew it was important to her and our home so we all supported her with open hearts and minds. This was easy to do because she had always made education a top priority in our home. School ALWAYS came first. Bad grades where frowned upon but also gotten to the bottom of, and bad behavior at school never tolerated. Teachers were admired and respected, and books treated like treasures. Education was the way to get anything you wanted out of life.

By the end of junior high school we were celebrating mom’s undergraduate degree. In 9^th grade the talk came again, mom had a passion for the law and asked us all to support her in an effort to go to law school at night. This time it would be different, the closest night school to get a juris doctorate was almost 100 miles away. She would be gone, and gone a lot. By this time we had grown used to the concept and had no problem supporting her on this endeavor too.

Let me stop here and address what I know everyone reading this will think about. Yes, my sister and I were left alone sometimes, yes we ate quite a few pizzas, and yes this put a strain on my parent’s relationship. It was hard. Some days it was so hard I didn’t think we would make it. Tears were shed often and by many. Sacrifices were made by everyone. What I don’t think everyone understands was that the biggest sacrifice was being made by my mother, not the kids or the spouse. She sacrificed extra money to tuition that could have bought us a nicer car, a bigger house, or a vacation. She sacrificed time with her children in order to better herself and thereby bettering her children’s lives. She sacrificed sleep to study; she sacrificed a quiet family meal for a sandwich on the road to a better life. Sadly she sacrificed her youth by staying in a bad marriage far too long.

A few weeks after I enrolled in college my mom, my sister, and I traveled to the state capital and watched as my mother was sworn in as an officer of the court. It may have been the most proud a child has ever been of a parent. All we had endured for the sake of education had ended and a new chapter begun. Mom is now a very prominent lawyer in her field. She has been practicing for close to 20 years now. All the things we sacrificed we now have because of her and her vehement pursuit of an education.

When I get the chance to tell this story I always do and some see it as an awful story about a mother’s hardship. I don’t see it that way at all! I see it as a success story that I am proud and honored to tell. It’s a story of a woman who thought so much of her family that she sacrificed almost everything to make their lives better. The story also has an added bonus: my sister and I learned so much from my mother by her actions, her discipline, her honor, her courage, and her strength, things you cannot learn from a book…. a mother’s education.

5 Tips for Staying on Budget This Holiday Season

Every January you say you are not going to spend as much money the next holiday season and every December you end up right back where you started. If you didn’t follow rule number one in Holiday shopping (shop smart all year long) and you have some catching up to do, these tips will help you get into a new holiday tradition: staying on budget.

1. It’s not just the gifts. When coming up with your budget don’t forget the entire holiday experience. Your budget needs to include decorations, food, wrapping supplies, travel, and postage, all the way down to extra electricity for those Christmas light displays. Include everything.

2. Make a list and check it twice. When you get ready to buy gifts make a list of everyone you are buying for. List what gifts, or gift ideas, you have for each person and the amount of money you plan on spending on each. If the budget says $20 for Aunt Suzy’s new bathrobe and you find one for $19.99 that is over budget once you add the sales tax. Sticking to this list will help you stay focused and will also cut your shopping time because you have a plan.

3. There is a good reason green is the color of Christmas. Leave the credit card at home. Shopping with cash and a budget will keep you from going into debt. Psychologically, cash is harder to spend than swiping a credit card. There is, however, a valid concern about carrying large sums of cash while shopping during the holiday season so debit or prepaid cards may be an option for you.

4. You have your budget, list, and money, now you hit the stores. Are you getting your best price for your gift? Research prices on specific items or gift ideas before you head out to shop. Just because the price marked says sales price or special doesn’t mean that it is the best price. Research prices online before going out to shop. You may find shopping online gets you the better deal. Also don’t forget many online stores have free shipping or ship free to store which would sweeten the deal.

5. Set everyone’s expectations. Tell family and friends about your budget and plan for gift giving. This way they will not expect an expensive gift and you won’t feel guilty about not giving it. This is especially true for children. If Santa can’t bring a new bike this year, maybe Santa can bring a little money to help them start saving for the new bike or that money may get you and them a better bike deal the day after Christmas.

Hopefully these tips will make staying on budget this holiday season as easy as falling off a Yule log. And you can use the extra time to do what matters most this Christmas, spending time with family and friends. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

By: Heather's Hints

Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Are We There Yet?

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house they … cry? Do you have a little one who cries in the car seat going across town and now you have to make a long trip to see family or friends? Maybe these tips will help while traveling with children.

1. Tell Dad to forget about making good time. When traveling with children it is always a good idea to stop frequently for bathroom breaks/diaper changes, snack time, meals, and a little play time. When traveling long distances stop every 1.5 to 2 hours, for at least 10 minutes, and it will make for a less antsy trip.

2. Bring plenty of snacks. If you have really small ones don’t miss out on bringing their favorite cups. Pick snacks that are not messy and can be eaten by hand, so you don’t have to worry about utensils and clean up. For example, baked whole wheat Goldfish crackers and a juice box are favorites of all ages.

3. Keep them occupied. Bring them something to do, whether toys, games or DVD’s, something to keep them occupied and busy. It will help pass the time and hopefully keep them quiet. Older children might enjoy books (great time for reading), personal music players, or electronic games. Don't forget extra batteries and car chargers for electronic devices.

4. If possible, try to do the majority of driving while younger children are napping. Bring neck pillows, favorite blankets, or even travel in pajamas to help them rest more comfortably. This makes driving more pleasant for parents and everyone is well rested when you arrive at your destination.

5. Safety first. It is always frustrating to have a crying child while driving but please resist the temptation to loosen or unbuckle your child from their seat belt or safety restraint.

6. If you are travel by air, be sure to check your airline carrier’s tips and rules for flying with children (see Delta’s example page here), but otherwise most of the above tips still apply.

Now that you’re ready to travel, keep these easy tips in mind and your trip should be smooth. By the way, the best answer to "are we there yet", is “Yes!”

Simple Rules for a Simple Christmas … with Kids

1. Slow down. Don’t try to do everything. Pick the top one or two (maybe three if you have older kids) events you want to do and do only those. While children may be up and want to do anything and everything does not mean that you should. Kids want and need structure and routine so don’t break away from your normal routine just because school is out, relatives are in town, or events are planned.

2. Keep it simple. For example, wrapped presents with ribbons and bows will more times than not end up frustrating the smaller children by making them harder to open. Not to mention they often end up playing with the box instead of the gift. Keep the wrapping simple, use less tape, and one ribbon or bow.

3. Take the time. What children want more than any gift or event is to spend time with you, their parents. Bake cookies, build a ginger bread house, color a picture for Santa, or read a favorite book. It doesn’t have to be complicated, keep it simple and easy, and the kids will love and remember it more than any gift.

In addition to keeping things simple, these tips will help keep your kids calm this Christmas and in turn keep you sane as well.