Saving money? I'll give it a try!

 Ever since Bobby and I were married, I've always worked.
I worked as a nanny, a babysitter, a substitute teacher at a Montessori school in Denver. I had an errand service, & worked as a personal assistant to a successful lawyer (worst)
I took part in surveys, cleaned houses, whatever I could do to help contribute to the family.

  My parents also taught me high work ethics.
--Get up early, study hard, work as hard as you can at what you love doing, and money will follow--

As my girls have gotten older, and we decided to homeschool I decided not to work, and keep them as my first mission field. I will be accountable before the Lord one day, for my responsibility to teaching them of God and His Word-I take this job very seriously!

I will still work a couple times a month if a family needs help, organizing or cleaning, I see it as a ministry also.

This though is getting more tricky as my girls get older and require more- More in the sense of their emotional needs, talking more, asking more questions about "Who am I ",  "Why am I here?"
We are moving towards more complicated school work, that requires lots of plan & prep work. Drill work (multiplication tables)  takes time, and with Tori starting Kindergarten this year, it is my goal that she is reading by age 5. (359 days away!)

Why this huge prologue? LOL Well, with me not working as of July 20th and Bobby paying off houses, cars, and student loans-I am going to be more efficient with the money we have set aside each month for groceries/gas/play.

First on the list, I started couponon-ing. May 1st 2011 was the first week I started and in about 2 months I have spent about 1/3 my normal grocery bill and have an average saving of 66% every time. You should see my pantry-It's crazy!

When it comes to saving $$ the idea to come up most often is making your own laundry detergent and dish detergent.

Dish detergent is salt, borax, washing soda, and citric acid.

 Laundry detergent is a grated Fels Naptha bar, borax, & washing soda. (which is bicarbonate)

           Mixing , mixing, mixing mixing. (I'm glad I save yogurt containers, they were perfect)

Tori was very proud. Immediately afterwards we used both in a load of clothes, and a load of dishes. They worked superbly.  It cost about $ 1.75 for 32oz of each type of detergent (16 laundry loads & 64 loads of dishes)
I will also be making my own bread each week, and planting a garden. Yay for being a good steward of what God has blessed us with.