In May I was asked if I would be interested in creating items for a local farmers market that was starting the first weekend of June. I figured I could whip up some shopping bags and see what happened. Since then I have been selling some local produce, crochet shopping bags, homemade jam, trail mix, and dog biscuits. I've posted updates on Facebook for my family and friends as well as photos of what I have been creating. I've received several orders just through Facebook and after being told by several people that they were disappointed that I didn't have anything posted in my Etsy store, today I posted my first item - All Natural Peanut Butter Dog Biscuts - and I pulled out a book, "The Boss of You" by Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears, that has been sitting on my bookshelf for probably the past year.
This evening I started reading and one of the first things I am to do is a little writing and I thought I would include that here.
The first exercise is to write out my business goals. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure what I want out of it yet, but I do have a few ideas in mind.
1. I'd like to save up enough money to buy a digital SLR camera so I can do more photography work.
2. I'd like to save up money to travel and see friends and family I haven't seen in many years.
3. I'd like to add to our savings account.
4. I'd like to make enough money to help supplement our income when Tony's hours are slow at his job.
5. I'd like to make enough to pay for medical insurance.
6. I'd like to build greenhouses to grow herbs and other vegetables to sell and make products from.
7. I'd like to be able to do more for the dogs and cats we rescue like paying for extra medical treatments other than just providing them with shelter, food and vaccinations.
I've also had the idea recently of teaching others how to be more self-sufficient and not rely on others, especially the government, to provide for them. It's a journey I'm on to learn for myself and I want to share it as I learn various lessons.
Some of the goals I have for personal measures of success are:
1. The day I can buy the digital camera.
2. When I can buy a plane ticket to Pittsburgh in August, New York at Christmas, or Los Angeles to see family.
3. When I can pay all the bills and not delay paying anything on the months when Tony doesn't have many hours at work.
4. When we can get stuff accomplished on our cabin in Oklahoma.
5. When I have my first greenhouse (and each subsequent greenhouse) built.
6. When I reach certain goals in our savings account.
7. When I can get all our animals on flea and tick treatments.
As for my strengths and weaknesses:
1. I love coming up with new product ideas.
2. I need to work on developing the confidence and self-discipline to execute all the ideas.
3. I generally have a good eye for detail and like to add small touches to make things special.
4. Overcoming anxiety and pushing through to show myself I can do anything I set my mind to.
5. I create high quality items that are worthy of being charged what they are worth.
6. I need to learn more about budgeting and taxes as well as marketing.
7. I can do anything I put my mind to!!!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tips for Saving Money
These days many of us are struggling to make ends meet. My husband and I have had our fair share of these difficult times over the years when he's been laid off from IT jobs or as work fluctuates now that he's a truck driver. When we made the decision for me to stay home back in 2006 I made my primary job figuring out how to keep our bills as low as possible.
This sounds difficult, but it's a simple as anytime I pulled out my debit card to buy something at the store or pay a bill, I asked myself, "How can I make this amount smaller or can it be eliminated all together?"
When it comes to groceries, I check the weekly circular online for the store I will be shopping at and plan my meals around what is cheapest. I stopped buying processed or prepared foods and only buy meat, produce, dairy, rice, pasta, beans, canned tomato items, various condiments and baking supplies. I view shopping trips as buying staples instead of groceries. From this small list the possibilities for what can be made are endless. Both of us have noticed our blood sugar levels are more stable (we're both hypoglycemic - low blood sugar) and we've lost weight. I don't clip coupons because the items that the coupons are for are generally processed food and other items that I can find a cheaper alternative for. I also go in with a budget and keep a tally of what I'm spending. If I find I'm going over, then I put back what I can live without.
*I have a dry erase board that I write things down on as I run out of them. Then before going to the store I edit the list for anything I don't really need.
*My cleaning supplies I have pared down to one bottle of all-purpose concentrated detergent that I dilute into a spray bottle of water, add to the toilet, use full strength as a degreaser, etc.
*I make my own laundry detergent and there is a recipe in my blog archives.
*When I'm at the store I don't buy anything that isn't on my list, and then I often don't get everything on my list because I don't always need it. I only get what I will need during the next 2 week period between shopping trips.
*When we do have larger paychecks then I buy an extra cut of meat, couple bags of pasta, etc., when they are on sale. Then when a particularly lean paycheck comes along we have enough food to get us through until the next check so I can focus that paycheck on bills and gas.
*When I'm cooking, I sometimes skim a little meat, veggies, rice, etc., and stow away in the freezer. Then when I'm wanting a cheap and easy meal for dinner because I'm not feeling well I'll mix them in with eggs for a frittata, omeletes or fried rice.
*I've also started using meat as a flavoring ingredient instead of the main ingredient, and every Monday I made vegetarian dishes.
*This year I also started a garden which takes significantly less time to manage than I expected. I'm using the square foot gardening method for anyone interested in learning more.
With bills I have looked at each one to figure out how to reduce them.
*TV: reduce or eliminate service
*Insurance: shop around for lower rates
*Electric: find ways to reduce usage and shop around for a lower rate
*Phone: shop around for a lower rate, eliminate services not needed
*Mortgage: shop around for a lower insurance rate, apply for homestead to reduce taxes, and if possible reapply for a lower mortgage rate; also if you move try to find a cheaper place to live but make sure the cost of gas doesn't offset what you are saving.
*Water: eliminate leaks and find ways to reduce consumption
*Entertainment: get books on half.com or paperbackswap.com versus bookstores; instead of going out every week we started playing games together at home both board games and games online like World of Warcraft which even though it's $30/mo for the two of us together, it's cheaper than going out one night. We also look for free events to attend. For movies and tv shows we use Netflix, Hulu and other online sources.
*Pets: We used to buy the cheapest food available, but we've since found out that the more expensive foods are more nutritious and the animals eat 1/6 of what they ate with the cheap food which is all filler, so their health is better plus we're saving money by buying less. We have also started using raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for fleas. We're still testing it out, but with the kittens we have it seems to be helping. We add a little to their drinking water and bathe them with it and they have significantly fewer fleas than before.
I am constantly reevaluating everything we spend money on and trying to figure out how to save money. Many times I have something at home that will fulfill a need, it's just a matter of taking a moment to see what we have and getting out of the habit of running to the store at every whim. We've also learned to invest money into fewer quality items that will last longer than just automatically buying what is cheapest. One of the biggest lessons is to use what we already have and not go out and buy something else when we have an item that will do what we want done.
This sounds difficult, but it's a simple as anytime I pulled out my debit card to buy something at the store or pay a bill, I asked myself, "How can I make this amount smaller or can it be eliminated all together?"
When it comes to groceries, I check the weekly circular online for the store I will be shopping at and plan my meals around what is cheapest. I stopped buying processed or prepared foods and only buy meat, produce, dairy, rice, pasta, beans, canned tomato items, various condiments and baking supplies. I view shopping trips as buying staples instead of groceries. From this small list the possibilities for what can be made are endless. Both of us have noticed our blood sugar levels are more stable (we're both hypoglycemic - low blood sugar) and we've lost weight. I don't clip coupons because the items that the coupons are for are generally processed food and other items that I can find a cheaper alternative for. I also go in with a budget and keep a tally of what I'm spending. If I find I'm going over, then I put back what I can live without.
*I have a dry erase board that I write things down on as I run out of them. Then before going to the store I edit the list for anything I don't really need.
*My cleaning supplies I have pared down to one bottle of all-purpose concentrated detergent that I dilute into a spray bottle of water, add to the toilet, use full strength as a degreaser, etc.
*I make my own laundry detergent and there is a recipe in my blog archives.
*When I'm at the store I don't buy anything that isn't on my list, and then I often don't get everything on my list because I don't always need it. I only get what I will need during the next 2 week period between shopping trips.
*When we do have larger paychecks then I buy an extra cut of meat, couple bags of pasta, etc., when they are on sale. Then when a particularly lean paycheck comes along we have enough food to get us through until the next check so I can focus that paycheck on bills and gas.
*When I'm cooking, I sometimes skim a little meat, veggies, rice, etc., and stow away in the freezer. Then when I'm wanting a cheap and easy meal for dinner because I'm not feeling well I'll mix them in with eggs for a frittata, omeletes or fried rice.
*I've also started using meat as a flavoring ingredient instead of the main ingredient, and every Monday I made vegetarian dishes.
*This year I also started a garden which takes significantly less time to manage than I expected. I'm using the square foot gardening method for anyone interested in learning more.
With bills I have looked at each one to figure out how to reduce them.
*TV: reduce or eliminate service
*Insurance: shop around for lower rates
*Electric: find ways to reduce usage and shop around for a lower rate
*Phone: shop around for a lower rate, eliminate services not needed
*Mortgage: shop around for a lower insurance rate, apply for homestead to reduce taxes, and if possible reapply for a lower mortgage rate; also if you move try to find a cheaper place to live but make sure the cost of gas doesn't offset what you are saving.
*Water: eliminate leaks and find ways to reduce consumption
*Entertainment: get books on half.com or paperbackswap.com versus bookstores; instead of going out every week we started playing games together at home both board games and games online like World of Warcraft which even though it's $30/mo for the two of us together, it's cheaper than going out one night. We also look for free events to attend. For movies and tv shows we use Netflix, Hulu and other online sources.
*Pets: We used to buy the cheapest food available, but we've since found out that the more expensive foods are more nutritious and the animals eat 1/6 of what they ate with the cheap food which is all filler, so their health is better plus we're saving money by buying less. We have also started using raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for fleas. We're still testing it out, but with the kittens we have it seems to be helping. We add a little to their drinking water and bathe them with it and they have significantly fewer fleas than before.
I am constantly reevaluating everything we spend money on and trying to figure out how to save money. Many times I have something at home that will fulfill a need, it's just a matter of taking a moment to see what we have and getting out of the habit of running to the store at every whim. We've also learned to invest money into fewer quality items that will last longer than just automatically buying what is cheapest. One of the biggest lessons is to use what we already have and not go out and buy something else when we have an item that will do what we want done.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Plum Wine
A friend suggested I make plum wine since I have such and abundance of plums this year and I thought it's a great idea. Here is the link she sent me for a recipe: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/45021_how-to-make-homemade-plum-wine
I bought 11 gallons of distilled water today thinking the lack of impurities would make for a better wine but it turns out that tap or spring water are better because the yeast needs the minerals and other impurities to ferment more effectively.
For containers I bought a couple of 5 gallon plastic water bottles. I would love to use glass but they are near impossible to obtain before the plums would spoil. My freezer is already packed full of frozen plums that I plan on using for jam and salsa. A lot of the wine supply stores I check out online carry plastic so I'm assuming it's fine and hopefully won't alter the flavor too much.
I would love to take photos of the process but I can't find the charger for my camera and I left my cell phone at a Walmart 35 miles away this morning, so I'll just have to describe it all.
I have a 2 gallon stock pot I'm boiling the plums in now with a little water. It keeps boiling over just a little which makes my whole house smell like wonderful plums and my cook top is hot pink. To strain I put a knee high stocking over a pitcher and I'll ladle the plums into it and strain them, then I can easily pour the liquid into the water jug. Once the liquid is in the jug I'll add the sugar and yeast. Then I'll cover the opening with some cheese cloth to let it breathe, although I might look into how other people store their fermenting wine mix and see what other options there are.
I bought 11 gallons of distilled water today thinking the lack of impurities would make for a better wine but it turns out that tap or spring water are better because the yeast needs the minerals and other impurities to ferment more effectively.
For containers I bought a couple of 5 gallon plastic water bottles. I would love to use glass but they are near impossible to obtain before the plums would spoil. My freezer is already packed full of frozen plums that I plan on using for jam and salsa. A lot of the wine supply stores I check out online carry plastic so I'm assuming it's fine and hopefully won't alter the flavor too much.
I would love to take photos of the process but I can't find the charger for my camera and I left my cell phone at a Walmart 35 miles away this morning, so I'll just have to describe it all.
I have a 2 gallon stock pot I'm boiling the plums in now with a little water. It keeps boiling over just a little which makes my whole house smell like wonderful plums and my cook top is hot pink. To strain I put a knee high stocking over a pitcher and I'll ladle the plums into it and strain them, then I can easily pour the liquid into the water jug. Once the liquid is in the jug I'll add the sugar and yeast. Then I'll cover the opening with some cheese cloth to let it breathe, although I might look into how other people store their fermenting wine mix and see what other options there are.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Plum Salsa
I have been a little absent from here lately but it's only because I have been so busy with all the plums we have to harvest right now and making things for the farmers market I am selling at on Saturday mornings. Every evening I'm gathering anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds of plums just from the lower branches that I can reach. I have so many things I want to make with them including jam, wine, stir-fry sauce, and tonight I made a salsa! I gave it a quick taste and it might need an extra pinch of sugar, but I want to let it set overnight and let all those flavors come together before I do anything else to it.
Ingredients:
12 small-medium plums chopped
1 medium jalapeno finely diced
1/4 medium red onion finely diced
splash of lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of sugar
I'd like to try the recipe again adding cilantro but I don't have any on hand at the moment.
Ingredients:
12 small-medium plums chopped
1 medium jalapeno finely diced
1/4 medium red onion finely diced
splash of lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of sugar
I'd like to try the recipe again adding cilantro but I don't have any on hand at the moment.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Pancakes Made With Beer
I play a game called Mafia MoFo which has gangs each player can join, and I happen to belong to an incredible all-female gang. Today one of the girls posted how she makes pancakes with beer and I have to share:
"Did you know that if u use a 12 ounce can of bud light, 1 egg and a dash of vanilla extract to a package of regular old pancake/ waffle mix that it makes ur pancakes really light and fluffy and they taste so much better. The alcohol cooks off so u cant taste the beer."
"Did you know that if u use a 12 ounce can of bud light, 1 egg and a dash of vanilla extract to a package of regular old pancake/ waffle mix that it makes ur pancakes really light and fluffy and they taste so much better. The alcohol cooks off so u cant taste the beer."
Monday, May 31, 2010
Farmer's Market
I'm really excited! The couple who runs the local feed store is going to start hosting a Farmer's Market at the Saint Jo Square every Saturday morning from June until October. I'm going to set up a table and have crocheted reusable shopping bags and plum jam for sale to start. Other items I'm considering are zucchini bread, organic heirloom seedlings I start for people to have in their gardens, aprons I make from materials I find at the local consignment shops, and other types of jam. If you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Natural Pesticides
I made some natural pesticides this week. The first is a tobacco spray and the second is a cayenne pepper spray. I'm using the tobacco spray on my ornamentals and the cayenne spray on my produce.
I picked a large colander full of plums yesterday evening and when I blanched them several worms started popping out, so I decided this morning to get up at the crack of dawn so I could go spray the green plums with the pepper spray. I sprayed them a little yesterday after I made a bottle of it, didn't wear protective gear and my face and arms burned the rest of the day. So this morning I made sure to wear some sunglasses, a dust mask and long cleaning gloves, then spray up wind. I was able to get the bottom half of the trees but not the top sadly. I do believe there are plenty of plums down low though to make several batches of plum jam.
Here are the recipes for the pesticides:
Tobacco Spray:
4 cups water
3 Tbs loose tobacco
Drop of dish soap
Cayenne Spray:
4 cups water
3 Tbs cayenne powder
Drop of dish soap
Directions:
Bring water to a boil and turn off heat. Add tobacco or cayenne and let steep about 5-10 minutes. Strain mixutre, then pour water into a spray bottle with the drop of dish soap. Shake and use.
*Note: To strain I use a small colander and line it with a coffee filter, place over the top of a pitcher, then pour from the pitcher into the bottle. This is the same method I use for making iced tea since I use loose leaf tea.
This is very similar to the colander I use: http://www.centralchef.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=123094&i=185237786&mpid=7714&dfid=1
I picked a large colander full of plums yesterday evening and when I blanched them several worms started popping out, so I decided this morning to get up at the crack of dawn so I could go spray the green plums with the pepper spray. I sprayed them a little yesterday after I made a bottle of it, didn't wear protective gear and my face and arms burned the rest of the day. So this morning I made sure to wear some sunglasses, a dust mask and long cleaning gloves, then spray up wind. I was able to get the bottom half of the trees but not the top sadly. I do believe there are plenty of plums down low though to make several batches of plum jam.
Here are the recipes for the pesticides:
Tobacco Spray:
4 cups water
3 Tbs loose tobacco
Drop of dish soap
Cayenne Spray:
4 cups water
3 Tbs cayenne powder
Drop of dish soap
Directions:
Bring water to a boil and turn off heat. Add tobacco or cayenne and let steep about 5-10 minutes. Strain mixutre, then pour water into a spray bottle with the drop of dish soap. Shake and use.
*Note: To strain I use a small colander and line it with a coffee filter, place over the top of a pitcher, then pour from the pitcher into the bottle. This is the same method I use for making iced tea since I use loose leaf tea.
This is very similar to the colander I use: http://www.centralchef.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=123094&i=185237786&mpid=7714&dfid=1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)