Sample file. Frugal Tips & Recipes for the Wise Homemaker The Homemaking Booklet Series By: Sheri Graham

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1 Frugal Tips & Recipes for the Wise Homemaker The Homemaking Booklet Series By: Sheri Graham Published in the United States of America by: Graham Family Ministries P. O. Box 826 Moundridge, KS Our Website: Copyright 2009 by Sheri Graham. All rights reserved. Published February Graphics: Copyright 2009 Hemera Technologies, Inc., Sheri Graham and its licensors. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without expressed written permission of the publisher. Permission is granted for copies to be made for use within your own family.

2 Introduction This booklet is part of The Homemaking Booklet Series that I am putting together on various homemaking skills. These are things I want to pass on to my daughters, so I decided it would be beneficial to put them in booklet form. Now YOU can enjoy them too! This booklet will deal with Frugal Tips & Recipes for the Wise Homemaker. This ebook will be organized in such a way so that you will enjoy just sitting down and reading through it. Recipes and tips will be sprinkled throughout as these ladies share what has worked for them. I felt to keep each lady s recipes, tips, and thoughts together would better give you an idea where each lady is coming from. I want to personally thank each one who sent me a recipe and/or tip for this ebook. I pray you are blessed as each one shares what has worked in their home and in their family, and you are able to find some frugal ideas to try. I know I learned some new things as I read and researched for this project! In these uncertain times, we need to do what we can to help each other. Sharing from our homemaking experiences is one way we can mentor each other in the spirit of Titus 2. So grab a cup of tea and settle in for a good read. Enjoy! Sheri Disclaimer: I have not tried every single tip and recipe that has been submitted; therefore, I cannot verify the success of each tip nor the accurateness of each recipe. Please keep this in mind as you read through this ebook! Thanks! 3

3 Table of Contents Article The Wise and Frugal Homemaker... Page 5 Tips & Recipes from Me Page 8 In the Kitchen Page 9 Decorating Ideas.. Page 27 Cleaning Tips Page 28 Crafts. Page 37 Helpful Websites for Frugal Cooking and Food Storage Page 43 Tips & Recipes from My Newsletter List Page 44 4

4 The Wise and Frugal Homemaker By Sheri Graham I want to begin this ebook on frugal homemaking by sharing a bit from my heart. Over the past ten or so years I have been on a journey a journey of learning how to cut costs in all areas of our lives in order to be a wise steward of all God has given us. I believe as homemakers that it is our God-given responsibility to be resourceful and use the gifts and talents God has given us in our home. Many do not realize the organization and time it takes to smoothly run a home, except for those of you who are really doing it. I am putting together this ebook for YOU for those that need some extra encouragement or additional ideas on how to live frugally OR for those of you who don t have a clue where to even start. Before we begin digging into all the frugal tips and recipes, I want to take a bit and look at what it really means to be frugal Who is a wise frugal homemaker? What does being frugal mean? What does Scripture say about it? When are we to be frugal? What areas of our lives does this apply to? Why should we live frugally at all? Take some time now and read through my thoughts below 1. What does being a frugal homemaker mean? The Webster s 1828 Dictionary gives this definition of frugal : Economical in the use or appropriation of money, goods or provisions of any kind; saving unnecessary expense, either of money or of any thing else which is to be used or consumed; sparing; not profuse, prodigal or lavish. We ought to be frugal not only in the expenditure of money and of goods, but in the employment of time. So a frugal homemaker is one who uses wisely the resources the Lord has given her, without being wasteful. Note, too, that resources not only refers to material goods that we use up, but time as well. I ll talk more about that later in this article. 2. In what areas of my life am I to be frugal? While most of us probably think of material resources when we think of being frugal, there is another area of our lives that we need to be frugal in as well - our time! This does not mean that we limit our time with our family. Being frugal with our time means to spend our time wisely and only on those things that really count. Much time can be wasted in front of the TV or computer, or talking on the phone time that would be much better spent building relationships with your family. So consider this area of your life as well when you seek to make frugal changes in your home. 5

5 3. Are all frugal homemakers the same? NO! Please don t think that you have to implement every frugal tip and make every frugal recipe you read about in this book (or in any other book for that matter) in order to be a frugal homemaker. God has given each of us different gifts and talents and those will play a part in the ways your family will choose to be more frugal. For example, while one homemaker lives on a farm and is able to grow and can all her own meat and vegetables, thereby saving her family money in food.another homemaker is a wonderful seamstress and is able to sew all the clothes for her family, thereby saving money on clothing. I hope you understand my point here. God is going to use the gifts and talents He has given you and put them to use in your own home. Your home will not look like anyone else s isn t that encouraging! God takes us right where we are and is able to use us helping us be wise and frugal in our homemaking. 4. When am I to be frugal? Being a frugal homemaker does take extra time. In order to save money, many times that means cooking from scratch, making homemade cleaners, recycling items by finding more ways to use them up instead of throwing them away all of this takes TIME! So, how can I be a frugal homemaker and still have time with my family? One of the best things you can do is to bring your family alongside of you as you learn and grow in this area. Teach your children how to cook from scratch by having them help you in the kitchen. Teach them how to be wise with their time as well. Now there are times when you will need to choose short-cuts and maybe not be as frugal as you would like that is ok! The relationship with your husband and children is much more important than being frugal. This is where the WISE part of being a frugal homemaker comes in. Being wise is being able to discern when to be frugal and when not to. Again choose to follow the Lord and allow Him to show you the best way for your family be wise and frugal. 5. Why should I live frugally? There are many reasons why I believe we should live frugally. Some of them are: being wise with the resources God has given us and not being wasteful; we will have more money and resources to share with others; we are not to be storing up treasures on this earth but investing in things that are eternal; we will have less financial stress; less income will be needed to live on which equals more time with family; eating healthier foods by making things from scratch...and the list goes on. I m sure you can think of 6

6 some reasons of your own. But the overriding motivation to living frugally is that God wants us to be wise with our time, talents, and resources. Now as you sit back and enjoy browsing through the many frugal tips and recipes found in this ebook, please keep these thoughts in mind. Hang onto those things that will work for your family and let go of the rest. Don t feel guilty if you don t apply each and every tip and recipe found in this ebook. Pray and ask the Lord what things He wants you to begin implementing and then do it. Take one step at a time enjoying the process of learning and growing with your family. May you be the Godly, wise homemaker that God has designed you to be! Blessings, Sheri 7