O' Pioneers

A new era is upon us at the homestead.  We woke up and realized we needed a budget.  Embarrassing to admit?  Yes.  Even harder to think about the frivolous flow of cash that trickled steadily out of our paychecks for years on fleeting impulses.  Magazines, several a month, at $5 a pop.  Clothes that sometimes never got the tags taken off before they went into the garage sale.  Videos that may have been watched once. Books that are still on a shelf waiting to be read. It hit a symbolic critical point when we made this realization surrounded by empty pints of Pelegrino.  That's right.  Sparkling water.  It was bad.


Anyway, we got a hold of ourselves.  HD cable?  An unnecessary luxury for our current financial state of affairs.  Unlimited monthly cell phone plans?  Didn't make sense for the 60 minutes we each used each month--we went to pre-paid, basic phones.  Family YMCA membership?  Cancelled.  We just weren't using it enough.  So, the budget is in place, rules have been laid down about spending and accounting, and strategies have been planned.  We have become resourceful, and it's kind of fun.


The major realm of change is our food budget.  That was our biggest area of denial.  We do a lot cooking at home, but we had been buying whatever we wanted without a plan.  Cadillac ingredients on a whim.  Take out too.  Mostly Whole Foods prepared meals.  Ironically, Hubs runs the very department that makes the meals, yet we would thoughtlessly pay a premium to buy meals he made (or supervised) at work rather than home.  Stupid.


Since our wake up call, there has been a revolution in our kitchen.  As much as we can make ourselves, we do.  Salsa, pita chips, tortilla chips, guacamole.  Pre-made tubs of hummus used to be a non-negotiable on the grocery list.  No more.  I'm making a weekly batch on Sundays, from dried chickpeas no less.  Instead of late night runs to the store for $3.00 pints of ice cream, our treats are now homemade cookies and fruit crisps.  I even made my own Wheat Thins.  I need to try again though.  They were tasty, but crispy enough to cause a dental bill.  Today the family plans on take-two of making our own mozzarella cheese.  Little D will learn about the science of food, as Calder's whole milk plus a little rennet and citric acid magically turns to curds and whey and then to a stretchy rich mozzarella log.  If all goes well, it will top a pizza tonight with homemade crust.  The only homemade element that will be missing is tomato sauce.  Sadly, we used the last jar in January.


It is probably no coincidence that since we've put the kabash on recreational spending, I have thrown myself into sewing.   I got a machine for Christmas, and from the moment I finished my first pair of P.J. pants for Little D, I've been fascinated by the fact that you can create really useful and cool stuff out of fabric and thread.  Mostly I'm just impressed with the fact that I can thread and operate this machine, so I keep trying projects to confirm to myself that, yes, I can sew.  Amazing.  I've made fabric tote bags for groceries, purses, several pairs of pants, a dress, and a stuffed animal. I've also gotten sucked into a world of felt.  Did you know that when shrunken in the washing machine, a wool sweater turns into a thick felt that can be cut without fraying?  I've hand stitched about 40 felt flowers for pins, barrettes and headbands since I found that little discovery.  Before Christmas, the only thing I had ever sewn was a stuffed animal in 7th grade home ec., a few buttons, and a hem on some curtains.  I'm not sure what's come over me, and I don't know whether to be embarrassed or proud, but I've become down right Martha Stewarty.


Last week, I looked up and realized it was spring.  The garden demands our attention again.  Kale, spinach and some various herbs are already planted.  The raging yellow flowers on the forsythia are telling us to plant the peas today.   The dandelions are already making a run for it in the perennial garden. Creating flowers and vegetables will be this season's obsession.


I used to spend unaccounted amounts of money on entertainment.  A date to the movies with popcorn and drinks, visits to the pay-to-play jungle gym germ pits with Little D, going out to eat or shopping at Target just for something to do.  Now I find endless entertainment in creating.  It's much more rewarding, and healthier for my wallet and my spirit.